A Little on My Roots
As you can guess from the map, my ancestors came
from Italy. My grandfather, Bruno Bovino, was born in Italy and came to the U.S. when he
was only 9 years old. He could not speak English and had a hard time adapting. He stuck
with it though and soon became fluent, although he always spoke with a cool Italian
accent!
My Grandmother, Elvida Bovino, was born in the
U.S., but her parents were originally from Italy, too. That makes each of them, and my
mom, full-blooded Italians, and me half Italian, a fact that any of us will admit readily.
My other grandmother, Esther Neff, is proudly of
English origin. She has worked hard to provide for her family, a task that she has been
forced to undertake mostly single-handedly.
I never met the grandfather whom I am named after, John Neff. From what my Dad has told me, he was a supreme intellect, a hard worker and a real over achiever. I like to think that I have inherited more than just his name.
Here is a picture of my family. On the left is my dad,
Aloysius. In the middle is my brother, David, and on the right is my mom,
Louise. The picture was taken at our home. What a happy family!
Here is a picture of my girlfriend Shelly and me.
The picture was taken at her grandparents'
home in Brackenridge, PA