Maria!

Maria Filaci was born on April 2, 1890, in Calabria, Italy. Destiny it was when, stuck in a shoe repair shop, she met Saturnino Cocolicchio, her husband-to-be. Maria fulfilled her duties as a loving and caring wife and mother, and although her life was at par with the middle-class women, there was something about her that was unique among the rest. She was a prayer healer.

But prayer chants and the divine beings wouldnt block life from perils and problems. It was during the Nazi rule when Maria, her family, and friendsall Italiansdecided to escape Italy to be free from German invasion and moved in a foreign land, the Americas.

The rest of the years she spent tending the needs of her family and watching her family grow, continuously adding new members for the clan. In 1957 her husband died, but she carried on with her life, in the now fast-approaching new world. But just like the leaves that wither in time, her health, due to aging, was taking a toll on her, withering as well.

In Maria! RoW shares the memories and bequest of his grandmother, Maria, imparted in the lives of her family and friendsthe legacy that was created from the ways of life of people who lived before the millennium.

Presently semi-retired, RoW works in retail part-time as a door greeter for Walmart in Norwich, Connecticut. He was a machinest/CNA for twenty-five years.

He spends his leisure time entertaining his family and friends. This book, which he finished four years ago, is about family, traditions, strength, and survival, and focuses on the importance of remembering ones heritage.