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    Anthony "Tony" Falcone: Oral History Summary

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Carlo & Lina 
Amodio
 

Rudy & Rita 
Cavaliere

Mary Biollo Doyle

Tony Falcone

Bill Nigro

 Sabatino Roncucci

Spinelli Family
 
Alessandro &
Lina Urso

Fiore M. Vecchio

 

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  • Tutored in English by Benita (nee Leanza) Duncan but had to complete high school credits before beginning University; he worked as a janitor until 1961; at age 25 was studying English at St. Mary's High School; he also took evening classes in English at Sacred Heart School taught by Frank O'Dwyer
      

  • Dean Coutts, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, advised him on classes to take; took English 230 from Robin Matthews, who would meet with him every Friday to grade assignments at a local beer parlour
      

  • In his second year of the B.Ed Program at the University of Alberta, he signed a contract with the Northlands School Division and they subsidized his fees with the understanding that he would work for them; 1963-64 he worked on the Janvier Reserve where he was expected to be the "doctor/spy/postmaster/banker/administrator"; 1964-65 employed by the Edmonton Catholic Board to teach "trainable retarded" children (13-17 years) at Father Lacombe School; in 1965 moved to Sacred Heart School to do this; also taught at St. Cecilia but then returned to Sacred Heart until 1975 and then O'Leary to 1999, his retirement year
      

  • Talking about the immigration experience: men came alone; lived in the 97th Street area of Edmonton; camaraderie, hunted and cooked together; all came with the intention to work hard, make sacrifices, buy land in Italy and return; his Grandfather on his Father's side was in Brazil at the end of the 19th century-made money and retired in the late 1940s to Italy; some away from their families for nearly 30 years; the men created a community; first generation of immigrants were nostalgic for Italy and Italian products; second generation of immigrants-their children adapted fast-became quickly assimilated (both non-professionals and professionals); third generation: high rate of inter-marriage
      

  • In 1962, he assisted Allan Powell, who was doing a Masters' thesis on drinking behaviour among immigrants; 110 interviews of which Tony did the ones with the Italian community
      

  • When he goes to Italy, he finds himself more Canadian than Italian
      

  • Dante Alighieri Society and School: met Sab Roncucci in 1960-61; became Tony Falcone was the first teacher of the Dante Alighieri school in Edmonton, 1961.  Photo from booklet titled Italians Settle in Edmonton.member of the Society and, in 1962, decided to establish the Italian School; taught in the old Santa Maria Goretti Parish Hall; sheet of plywood painted black was the blackboard; 11/12 students in the first year; next year moved to Sacred Heart School, which provided free space; two classes; paid an honorarium $2.50 per lesson; teachers were himself, Tony Caria and Liana Meller; Tony Petrone joined them in 1972; left the School in 1975-76 because of pressures of teaching career and family

 

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