Giovanni and Luisa Porco

Antonio and Luisa Porco

Another Porco family (not known to be related) had family living in Kelowna at the same time.  There are, however, connections between the two.  Giovanni Porco from Aprigliano, Consenza, Calabria, Italy married Luisa Altamare.  They had eight children: Raffaelle (Ralph), Alberto (Albert), Pietro (Peter), Oscar, Fiorina, Agata, Assunta and Ida.

Ralph was born May 8, 1900 in Cellara, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy and arrived in Natal, BC, in 1922.  His Natal contact was his uncle, Vincenzo Altamare.  He had married Rosa Altamare in Italy.  She died in childbirth of daughter Louisa.  Louisa remained in Italy, in the care of her grandparents, until 1938 when an order in council was made to have her brought to Canada.    Ralph worked at the local mine until the 1950s, when he bought the Sulphur Springs Ranch in the Elk Valley.  He passed away in Michel, BC in 1952. 

Albert was born in 1905, also in Aprigliano, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy and arrived in Canada in 1923, with his destination listed as Natal.  He was a miner in Michel, when he married Giovannina (Jennie) Pugliese.  Later, Albert and his brother, Ralph, operated a guiding and hunting business in the Natal-Michel area.  Albert and Jennie moved to Kelowna in the 50s, where he worked as a custodian for School District #23.

Peter was born on June 28, 1914, also in Aprigliano.  He was married to Assunta Martino.  Peter died in 1976 in Fernie and Assunta in Kelowna in 1977.

Oscar made the trek to Natal in the early 1950s.  He married Francesca (Chechina) Spadafore.  Oscar started working in the mine before employment as a hunting guide.  The family moved to Kelowna where he obtained a job with the school district.  He died in 1990 at age 65.  Francesca passed away in 2008 at age 82.

Fiorina married Giuseppe Carpino.  They arrived in Canada in 1951 and made their home in Ontario.  Agata, Assunta and Ida remained in Italy.