From The Peopling of New York City
part 4
Unlike the others Josephine(a) Carlisi came from Italy. Her story was very diffcult to track. When I was searching for her death certificate, I found her name, but the date of her death was completely wrong. They said she died in June and buried in June. We know for a fact that the Triangle victims died March 27, 1911 or a few weeks afterwards. So, this inaccurate information lead me to search the databases for a month. I couldn't find a single thing about Carlisi. Until I decided to go back and use the death certificate number provided for Mrs. Carlisi who supposedly, based on the data, died in June. I was right about the record when a friend found her death certificate at the municipal archives. This was the elusive immigrant I was looking for. Josephine Carlisi was born in Italy and lived in the U.S. and N.Y. for ten years before dieing at the factory. She was 31 years old and married. At the factory her job was a dressmaker and she worked on the ninth floor. Her father was Blaeilo Buselini and her mother was Mary Rosa Dangeliso. Mrs. Carlisi was buried on March 26, 1911 in the Calvary Cemetry. She was believed to have died from multiple injuries. This suggests that she was slighlty burned before she probably jumped nine stories to her death. Remarkably, her record proves to be the earliest burial after the fire. I'm assuming she was one of the victims who jumped first and was easily recognized.[1]
For the following information that I am providing I couldn't find any logical evidence that would let me conclude that the facts match Josephine Carlisi. But, I believe it fits her description. Case number 14: A woman of the age 31 was killed in the fire. She left behind a mother of 60 who had depended on her daughter for her survival. Her mother made a small amount of money and that wasn't suitable to live in New York on her own. On the other hand, Josephine Carlisi earned $12-18 a week on button holes. Ms. Carlisi had savings of up to $1000.00. Later the Red Cross committee dicovered that the amount rose to $4000.00. Carlisi's relatives provided the funeral and took care of her mother, who had suffered mentally and had become a burden to the family. Josephine Carlisi's mother had one desire and that was to return home, Italy, and enter the convent where one of her daughters was a nun. The Italian Consul-General arranged free transportation for her and at her arrival in Italy she was given $1000.00 by the Red Cross committee. She had sailed on May 4, pleased with what everyone had done for her. in October the committee learned that friends had recieved a letter from her indicating that she was well and in comfortable circumstances. In June, another letter was recieved by the committee in which she asked for further assistance in general terms, making no reference to the convent.[2] It was also mentioned that the total relief the mother of Josephine Carlisi recieved was $1,055.00.
The case is closed.
Reference
- ↑ Municipal Archives- Death Certificates Manhattan Death Certificates 1911 film containing numbers 9995-10952
- ↑ Report of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee of the Charity organization society of the City of N.Y. (NYPL call number: SHD p.v.68, no.8)
