Festa di San Rocco 1941 The Aliquippa Gazette THE ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED ON THE SOUTH SIDE Aliquippa, PA., Thursday, August 14, 1941 CELEBRATION HERE IN HONOR OF SAN ROCCO        Italian people of Aliquippa are planning a two day celebration in honor of San Rocco. The festivities are sponsored by a voluntary committee of the Italian Musical and Political club here. Beginning this Saturday at 4 p.m. with a burst of fireworks and Boston bomb shells, the program will continue until Sunday with a final fireworks display at 11:30 p.m.        After the fireworks display Saturday, the Aliquippa Italian band under the direction of Bandmaster Ernesto Vallecorsa, will give a concert until 5 p.m. at the stand at Fourth and Adams Streets, Plan 11. There will be another concert from 7 until 9 p.m.        The Rossi Fireworks Co., of New Castle, will close Saturday’s celebration with a display of fireworks at 11:30 p.m.        At 7 a.m. Sunday, the day’s festivities will begin with a salvo of bomb shells followed by a musical concert in the Plan 11 district starting at 7:30. The Rev. Fr. Edward Zauner will speak after High Mass in St. Titus church starting at 8:45 a.m.        At 10 a.m., there will be a parade led by the standards of Saint Rocco, Italian Girls and Boys groups and the lodges of the local Federation of the Sons of Columbus, Council No. 3.        Races and other sports events will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by a band concert. The fete will close with members of the club in costumes resembling fireworks.        Members of the committee arranging the affair include: Serafino Sperduti - President Guiseppe Borzesi - Vice President Mele Finanzi - Secretary Cesare Biancucci - Treasurer Trustees: Antonio Pierotti Antonio Refice Angelo Barletta Ettore Grossi General Committeemen: Olindo D’Ambrogio Guido Montini Frank Bufalini Arnoldo Fontana Antonio Lucci Arnaldo Mansuetti Luigi Gabriele Pasquale Cozzuccoli Francesco Vallecorsa Ubaldo Vallecorsa Angelo Barletta Angelo Bufalini Eliseo Barletta Silvino DelMarrone VINTAGE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 1941 Ground Broken in 1941 for The Musical & Political Italian Club The MPI Club 217 Fourth Avenue Plan 11, Aliquippa PA, USA VERY PROUD Architects, Steel Workers, Brick Layers, Carpenters, Electricians, you name it HARD AT WORK! 01. Information on the back of these photos show the logo of a company named Reynolds Photo Finishing. The year stamped is July 28, 1941 02. The year stamped is July 28, 1941 03. The year stamped is August 1, 1941. However, it's obvious that this photo was taken on the same day as the photos posted above. The San Rocco Cultural Committee is thankful to post these rare photos on our website and will do our best to make logical sense of the information. 04. The year stamped is August 1, 1941. 05a. The year stamped is August 1, 1941. This vintage photo was particularly clear when scanned into our computer. Therefore, the following two photos are zoomed in tight left and right with hopes that someone will recognize the faces of these gentlemen. 05b. Zoomed in left... do you recognize these gentlemen? 05c. Zoomed in right... do you recognize these gentlemen? 06. The year stamped is August 1, 1941. Do you recognize these gentlemen? 07. The year stamped is August 23, 1941. 08. The year stamped is September 15, 1941. Do you recognize these gentlemen? 09. The year stamped is September 15, 1941. 10. The year stamped is October 6, 1941. 11. The year stamped is October 6, 1941. 12. The year stamped is November 25, 1941. 13. The year stamped is December 17, 1941. 14. Unfortunately, no logo of the Reynolds Photo Finishing Company or year are stamped on the back of the following photos. However, during the scanning process, the dimensions and texture of these photos are identical to the photos above. Logically, the sequence of building construction leads one to believe these photos were taken in late 1941 or sometime in 1942. What do you think? You decide! 15. Construction of the front steps to The MPI Club 16. Construction of the front steps and sidewalk of The MPI Club 17. Construction of the front steps and sidewalk of The MPI Club 18. Construction appears completed and it looks like they're either celebrating the grand opening of the new MPI Club OR it's FESTA DI SAN ROCCO 1941 OR Simply because there is no date stamped on the back of these particular photos, it makes it a little difficult to pinpoint but, it could very well be photos from Festa di San Rocco 1942! The texture and dimensions are identical to the photos posted above so any way you view it, the time frame is about right. What do you think? You decide! 19. Appears to be a ceremony marking the grand opening of the brand new MPI Club?! 20. Appears to be a ceremony marking the grand opening of the brand new MPI Club?! 21a. Here is another vintage photo that was particularly clear when scanned into our computer. Therefore, the following two photos are zoomed in tight left and right with hopes that someone will recognize the faces of these ladies and gentlemen. 21b. Zoomed in left... do you recognize these ladies and gentlemen? 21c. Zoomed in right... do you recognize these ladies and gentlemen? LEGEND HAS IT, that nearly all the Italians living in the Aliquippa, West Aliquippa, Hopewell, Center Township and even the Ambridge area pitched in to help in some way during the construction of The Musical & Political Italian Club (MPI Club). After viewing the above photos, this legend seems very logical. Back in that day, the building of The MPI Club appears to have been a very big deal to the Italian immigrants and American-Italians living in our small demographic area. These photos are a testimony of sort and definitive evidence of the pride of the people who helped build it! VIVA SAN ROCCO! If you have any photos you wish to have scanned into our History Archive Computer Database and returned to you, or believe you may have additional information concerning photos already posted, please feel free to contact us. We genuinely appreciate your help and sincerely thank you for visiting... please stop back! VIVA SAN ROCCO! Return to History Page - 1941