Marziano e Violetta

Alumni Type: Immigrant
Country of Origin: Italy
Ship Name: Saturnia
Port of Entry: Halifax
Date of Arrival: February 8, 1950
Age on Arrival: 34

Marziano Duronio was born March 28, 1916 in Prata D’Ansidonia, a small commune just south of L’Aquila in Abruzzo, Italia. He was the second of three boys born to Pasquale and Maria Antina Duronio (Dimarco).

Violetta Costanzi was born May 24, 1919, also in Prata, the older of two sisters and one of five children born to Vincenzo and Giovanna Costanzi (Gisualdi).

Marziano and Violetta were married in Prata on August 11, 1946.

Marziano left Napoli, sailing on the Saturnia of The Italian Line (based out of Genoa) on February 1, 1950 and arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax just over a week later. He travelled on to Ruthven, Ontario to begin his new life in Canada as a farm labourer. With the aid of the Colasanti family of Ruthven, Marziano was eventually able to finance Violetta’s trip to Canada.

Violetta and the first of their three sons, Leonello, sailed from Napoli on the Atlantic of Home Lines (based out of Genoa) on April 29, 1951. Violetta landed at Pier 21 in Halifax on May 8, 1951 after having been sick during the entire cross-Atlantic trip. Fortunately for Violetta, Marziano’s first cousin Edevice Diprospero (also travelling to be re-united with her own husband) was sailing with Violetta and helped care for little Leonello during most of the trip.

After having worked for two years in Ruthven, Marziano and Violetta made the move to Windsor, Ontario, eventually buying a home on Erie St. (today also known as “Via Italia”) in 1954. During this transition, they had their second child, Pasquale. After getting settled in their new home their youngest child, Vincenzo, was born.

Marziano’s younger brother subsequently moved to Windsor to start a family and Violetta’s sister immigrated with her husband to Santa Cruz, California. Many other relatives and friends from Prata also made the move to the Windsor-Detroit area.

Unfortunately, Marziano lost his left leg in a construction accident on July 1, 1975, at the age of 59. While this limited his movement at times, it did not dampen his enthusiasm for playing with his eight grandchildren. Violetta, at times slowed down by Parkinson’s disease, also kept her children and grandchildren close to her heart - and well-fed in her kitchen. Together, Marziano and Violetta lived in that same house on Erie St. until 1995.

Violetta passed away on September 19, 1998, at the age of 79.

Marziano enjoyed the arrival of several great grandchildren before passing away September 16, 2010, at the age of 94.

Marziano and Violetta could today count twelve great grandchildren (time of writing – July 1, 2017). Leonello and his family reside in Windsor, while Pasquale and his family take up residence in Lion’s Head, ON and Toronto. Vincenzo and his family reside in Vancouver.

For a couple whose formal education was limited, Marziano and Violetta placed great value in seeing all of their children and grandchildren succeed in completing various levels of post-secondary education. After Marziano’s passing, Vincenzo founded a scholarship in the Duronio family name at The University of Windsor.