Antonio started to work in the mines to transport carbon for
$2.25 a day.
after only 2 months the mine was closed. One of
his brothers left for the United States.
he then went to Nordegg where the other brother had a contract, but he was too young to have one.
after few months, Antonio started working, pushing the carts full of carbon for $2.75 a day.
He stayed in Nordegg until 1916.
his brother returned from the States and together they
went to work in Brule, but did not like this work and returned to Nordegg.
they heard of work in Pocahontas that was more demanding; the carbon was like sand and required more expertise.
Their boss was another Italian, Rocchio.
they would work 6 days, and on Sundays would relax by playing cards.
he stayed in Pocahontas 3 years, then went to Brule where he met another Italian
family, the Dotto family.
he finally moved to Edmonton in 1920, where he started working in the kitchen of MacDonald Hotel.
he did not have any experience in baking, but he
found work as an assistant baker ("You will learn!"
his boss told him). Unfortunately the head baker was not
interested in teaching him how to bake, so Antonio started to pay more attention, and finally
one Sunday he was in charge of the kitchen.
However, things were not going well; the bread was hard
as stone. Using his inventive spirit, Antonio asked a waiter to bring back all the bread left in the dining room. He warmed
it up and the day was saved. After this adventure, he learned very fast how to make
bread!
Meeting future wife
in Edmonton he met his future bride. Luigia
Alloro was in town for a short vacation with her brother
who Antonio had met previously while working in the
mines.