Why We Are Not Italians

In 1851, two brothers, Ernesto and Egisto Fabbri, arrived in New York City from Florence, Italy, with a letter of introduction to John Randall, a fur merchant. Their father was a merchant in Florence, their mother was said to be Armenian. The brothers apparently hoped to make their fortune in the new world, and, happily, did. Ernesto went to work for John Randall, but returned to Italy in 1853 when Randall's business was dissolved. After a stint in the shipping business in Genoa, he returned to New York about 'two years later.' Egisto meanwhile had gone into business for himself, establishing the shipping firm Fabbri & Chauncy in New York. Upon his return to the United States, Ernesto joined his brother's business, and in 1876 took it over when Egisto left to become a partner in the Drexel, Morgan banking firm. Although Ernesto grew rich in America, he remained passionately interested in his native land, and was twice knighted by the King of Italy for his charitable works on behalf of Italian immigrants in New York. Ernesto married John Randall's daughter, Sarah Ann, and eight children were born in New York City. The Fabbri children and Emily Randall Gregory, daughter of Sarah Ann Randall's sister, Emily Weld Randall Gregory, grew up together in conjoined houses on Fifth Avenue. Egisto was already married and had brought his English wife with him to the United States, but they were childless. Ernesto Fabbri died suddenly in 1884, at the age of 54. Egisto adopted his brother's children and became the protector of Sarah Ann Fabbri, Ernesto's widow. Shortly afterwards, Egisto, his wife, Sarah Ann Fabbri, Ernesto's children and the old Armenian mother all moved to Florence, where they filled a palace on the Via Cavour. They offered to take the Gregory family with them, but David Henderson Gregory declined, as a house in Cooperstown he had long hoped to buy had just come on the market. The Gregory family moved to "Sunnyside" instead. And that, dear children, is why we are not Italians. But then, we wouldn't be us, would we?

Ann Holland

A great-great granddaughter of John Randall

back

[email protected]