Distinguished Business Leaders
Distinguished Business Leaders
![]() This portrait was inside the old nursery school (kindergarten) building. When the building was being rebuilt, the portrait was removed from the wall and taken away. Now it is to be found in the office of the town’s municipal guard. |
Camillo Porreca Un benefattore torricellano vissuto a cavallo fra l’800 e il 900. Era anche chiamato con un soprannome “Calzone”. Aveva un grande negozio in cui vendeva di tutto sia al dettaglio e sia all’ingrosso per gli altri negozi dei paesi vicini. Suo era il palazzetto dove attualmente c’è “il Caffè del Corso”. Secondo qualcuno lui l’aveva costruito per farci un ospedale e donarlo alla popolazione di Torricella. Suo era anche il palazzetto dell’asilo infantile fatto apposta per le suore e per educare i bambini torricellani. Fino una decina di anni fa, sulla porta di entrata dell’asilo c’era scritto ancora “Dono di Camillo e Francesco Porreca”. E’ stato tolto, forse da chi aveva dimenticato o non conosceva il motivo di quella scritta. Nel 1919 c’è stata la famosa rivolta in cui alcuni torricellani guidati da un capopopolo fecero una sommossa per contestare i cari prezzi, saccheggiando alcuni negozi. Uno di questi negozi fu quello di Camillo Porreca e poi quello di Antonio Aspromonte “paparascianne” (vedi nel bolettino Amici di Torricella l’articolo “Il merlo del paese – La rivoluzione” pubblicato sul n° 0 dell’agosto 1988, pagina 5, e articolo “L’asilo delle suore” pubblicato sul n° 17 del dicembre 1996, pagina 4). Si racconta che dopo Camillo Porreca ci rimase molto male perché secondo lui, che aveva fatto molto per Torricella e i torricellani, non meritava questa irriconoscenza. Così non riaprì più il negozio e si trasferì a Roma.A Torricellan benefactor, who lived in the latter part of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. His nickname was “Calzone”. It shows He had a large shop where he sold a bit of everything, both retail and also wholesale, to the other shops in the neighboring villages. He owned the building that now is the “Caffè del Corso”. According to some he had built it to make it into a hospital and give it to the people of Torricella. He also owned the small nursery school building that had been built specifically so that the nuns could teach the young children of Torricella. Until about ten years ago there was still an inscription on the door saying “Gift from Camillo and Francesco Porreca”. It has been removed, perhaps by someone who had forgotten or who never knew the reason for that inscription. In 1919 there was the famous revolution in which some Torricellans, led by a mob-leader, carried out an uprising against high prices and sacked several shops, the first of which was that of Camillo Porreca, then that of Antonio Aspromonte “paparascianne” (see in the Amici di Torricella newsletter the articles “The Village Blackbird – The Revolution”, Issue Number 0, August 1988, Page 5, and “The Nuns’ Nursery School”, Issue Number 17, December 1996, Page 4). It is told that Camillo Porreca felt really badly because according to him he had done so much for Torricella and the Torricellans that he did not deserve this ingratitude. Therefore, he never reopened his shop, and he moved to Rome. |
Fedele Porreca
Fabbro, “lu ferrare”, del paese per tantissimi anni. Capostipite della famiglia di ciufielle. Anche i suoi figli ed alcuni dei suoi nipoti hanno proseguito l’arte del lavorare il ferro e l’arte del maniscalco.
The blacksmith of the town for many years, in dialect “lu ferrare”. The ancestral head of the family nicknamed ciufielle. His sons and some of his nephews continued in the art of ironworking and blacksmithing.
Album: Elena Paterra
![]() Album: Casa (Family) Mancini Horse trader and a craftsman of saddles for horses, donkeys and mules.
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![]() La foto ritrae Domenico Di Marino detto Mingo di marcone o anche chiamato semplicemente Marcone. Ha avuto per tanti anni il bar e l’albergo Italia. Da un concorso fotografico del 1988. Domenico Di Marino, known as Mingo di marcone or simply Marcone. He had the Italia Hotel and Bar for many years. From a 1988 photo contest. |
![]() Foto scattata da Don Francesco Di Pasqua |
Anni 70 (1970s) Nicola Porreca dell’orefice Il soprannome era dell’orefice perchè lui era un orefice. Fra le varie collane e anelli d’oro che vendeva, aveva quasi un’esclusiva su quei ciondoli d’oro in filigrana, tipicamente abruzzesi, “La presuntuosa”, fatta come una stella a otto punte, che si regalava alla fidanzata. Andava in tutte le gite che organizzavano i preti, mentre a Torricella era “casa e bottega”, cioè stava sempre dentro alla sua bottega d’orefice. Gli mancava anche la vista e quindi lo vedevi sempre con il monocoletto appoggiato all’occhio.
His nickname was orefice because he was a jeweler, “orefice” in Italian. Along with all the necklaces and rings of gold he sold, he had almost an exclusive on the traditional pendant from Abruzzo, “La Presuntuosa”, an 8-pointed star made with fine gold strands, which was given as an engagement present. He used to go on all the excursions organized by the priests, but in Torricella it was always “home and work”, meaning he was always in his jewelry workshop. He also had poor vision, and so he was always seen with a single eyepiece hanging over his eye. Photo taken by Father Francesco Di Pasqua. Album: Nicola Di Pasqua, Domenico Di Pasqua, Sandra DI Pasqua, nipoti del ex-parroco di Torricella, Don Francesco Di Pasqua (nephews and niece of the former parish priest of Torricella, Father Francesco Di Pasqua) |
Giovanni De Simeonibus a cavallo
Medico condotto a Torricella dal 1935 al 1955. Giovanni De Simeonibus riding a horse Doctor of Torricella from 1935 to 1955. |
Album di Salvatore Copertino |