UPDATED May 13th, 2009. 

I will be making 2 separate pages dedicated to both families.  I am in the process of designing their look and feel.  Below are the album covers that will eventually take you to their family websites.

BELOW ARE PHOTOS OF MY DAD'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY: THE RIOLO'S AND CARBONE'S.

PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR THE IMAGE MAPS TO LOAD.

THE CARBONE FAMILY

I am now starting to add images of my Carbone lineage.  My grandmother, Antonina Carbone, was the youngest of six

children.  Please click on the images to enlarge.

ANTONINA CARBONE

My grandmother. Click on the photos to enlarge.

My great grandparents, Pietro Riolo and Antionette Lascari lived in a small village town they called "Ta-Hora" near

Palermo in Piana dei Greci, Sicily.  They had many children, mostly boys, and were sheep herders.  The boys had

a cousin they called Aunt Dichara who was living in America, New York, at the turn of the century who helped get

them jobs for South Pacific Railroad. One of the brothers was my grandfather, Salvatore Riolo.

Salvatore Riolo met my grandmother, Antonina Carbone, when they lived in the same apartment building in Sacramento.

They originated from the same small town in Sicily, and spoke the same language, Gheg-Gheg (a native tongue from

Albania).  My grandmother worked in a cannery and Salvatore worked for South Pacific Railroad with his older brother,

Vito, and younger brother, John. Salvatore and Antonina had 3 children: Pete, Ann, and John (my father). When the

railroad workers went on strike, my grandfather settled in Los Angeles and opened a vegetable stand in a market during

the depression. Later he opened a liquor store and sold fish through a delivery truck. Antonina divorced Salvatore when she

grew tired of his verbal abuse and became a successful real estate landlord. For nearly 20 years my father and grandfather

had a falling out and never spoke to one another until my mother called Salvatore and invited him over to my brother's

Christening.  There, John and Salvatore made amends and started to have a relationship again until Salvatore died from

diabetes, a stroke and heart failure 3 years later.

Click on the images to enlarge.

THE BELOW PHOTOS ARE OF MY DAD'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY: THE RIOLO'S.

SALVATORE RIOLO

My grandfather. He and his brothers came over to America in the early 1900's from Piana Dei Greci, Sicily.  They were Giovanni, Andrea, Giorgio, Vito, and Salvatore (in American: John, Andrew, George, Victor, and Sam my grandfather).

Click on the photos to enlarge.

ANDREA RIOLO

I recently have received photos of my dad's Uncle Andrew.  I am in contact with his grandchildren,

my second cousins, so hopefully soon I will get more photos of him.  Below are his pictures and

newspaper write up from Sacramento in 1968 (as always click images to enlarge):

VITO RIOLO

Vito and his brother Salvatore (my grandfather) both worked for South Pacific Railroad. Vito married

Vita Cussimano and she was 9 months pregnant with Victor when Vito was struck and killed by a train in

March of 1926.  Victor never knew his father, born 9 days after his death, and knew him only through stories

his mother told.  The same with me in regards to my grandfather.  I never knew Salvatore, he died in 1960

before I was even born.  When Vita wanted to remarry, a dairyman named George Damiano, the Riolo

brothers including my grandfather, forbid it and withheld money entitled to her from Vito's death.

She was shunned.  Victor grew up not knowing any of his first cousins. Click on the images to enlarge.

This section is reserved for his family to tell his story    Vita with her two twin grand children, Robert and Katherine Riolo (October 6, 1957) and Vito's Ellis Island Record

GIOVANNI RIOLO

Giovanni Riolo (John), the brother of Vito and Salvatore, worked on the train wheels for the railroad and had

many children with his wife, Anna Pizzo.  They had Peter (1921), Joseph (1922), George (1924-2005), John (1932),

and Rosalynn (1936).  My grandfather, Salvatore, was close with John and his children during the time he was

not talking to my father.  I often wonder if my father and his first cousins would have been closer if it were not

for such a big rift between father and son?

BELOW ARE PHOTOS OF MY IMMEDIATE SIDE OF THE FAMILY.

These pictures include my parents, John and Barbara Riolo, my late brother Randy, my late grandparents,

late God-mother Jean Stryker, and my first cousins.  I am going to re-arrange the pictures once I am done.

BELOW ARE PHOTOS FROM MY MOTHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY: THE MCMAHONS AND STANLEYS.

PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR THE IMAGE MAP TO LOAD.

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