ODE TO THE DAMATO FAMILY
Damato history is vague back in old
But we once owned a whole town
across the great sea.
Carlo was our “Godfather” and
he married Antonetta;
After having four boys, life
got even better.
Carlo, Jack Joseph and, third,
Luigi;
Then Giuseppe was born in
Jack Joseph was married; his
wife he adored.
These two had some children
and they numbered four.
Tom, Susi,
Carol and Nick were their crew;
Five were too many but three
were too few.
Giuseppe set sail at
twenty-one years;
Giuseppe traveled often across
the great sea;
On the SS Sylvania he saw
Angelina Privitti.
Her family
were merchants down
And arrangements were made for
their wedding day.
Angelina never saw him ‘til
the day they were married.
From
Giuseppe Damato
was a tailor by trade;
At a shop on
John Anthony and Louie were
Giuseppe’s two sons;
As they grew up, they had lots
of fun.
They moved back to
Since clothes were his
business, they dressed in high style.
As time passed on, Giuseppe
passed away,
So back to Jax
they moved to stay.
John was a tailor on
He fashioned new clothes in
the upstairs suite.
John saw Flossie one day on a
streetcar
And thought she was the
prettiest in Jax by far!
Got married ‘cause they couldn’t live without each other
And it wasn’t too long before
Flossie was a mother.
First came Ann and then came
Rita,
Then John, Jr. and Joseph and
life was even sweeter.
Ten years later, along came
Ray;
The houseboat was rockin’that night in the bay.
A bunch of Italians, gosh,
what a mix:
With all those young’uns, the houseboat got small,
So on Walnut Street Flossie
moved them all.
The family then moved to
Then
Anna belle married and three
children she had-
Bobby, Joan, then Ann; they all
mad her glad.
Several years later, Al Duncan
she wed;
On
Rita got hitched, then Penny came along.
Later Rita wed John Pye; she was sing a song!
Tommy and Jacques completed
the nest;
With three children in tow,
she didn’t get much rest.
Johnny’s mind was on
On a weekend pass they eloped
to Kingsland, for sure.
Four kids they begot- Donna,
Tony, Debbie, Tim;
A bunch of good kids on the
family tree- what a limb!
Joe and Marge were in the Navy
when they met and were wed;
After the war was over to
Both worked at the Post Office
and three kids they had-
Joey, Michael, and Susan- What
a proud Mom and Dad!
Ray marred Audrey around
Thanksgiving Day,
And it wasn’t too long before
Margaret was on the way.
Three years after that Terrie
came into this world;
Four years later Kay was born-
another girl!
In the meantime, Louie and
Evelyn married;
To raise their family, in Jax they tarried.
First Donald, then Richard,
then Billy and Larry,
Then Robert and Nancy, the
twins she did carry.
Louie toiled in the Post
Office for 52 years.
When he retired in ’63, he was
cheered by his peers.
United together were Donald
and Betty;
For a family of eight they had
to get ready.
They had six kids that they
loved truly-
Michael,
Susan, and Larry, Tina, Lisa and Julie.
Richard and Ann soon tied the
knot,
And over the years nine kids
they begot-
Kay, Terry, Patti, Charlie and
Ricky,
Larry,
Christy, Jamie and Mickey.
Billy and Helen were united in
marriage,
Then they were pushing a baby
carriage.
Bill, Jr. and Linda and Bonnie
and Danny,
Michael, Beth and Cathy—They needed a nanny!
Before he passed on, Larry
completed his search;
He became a priest of the
Catholic church.
Robert never married (except
on the stage);
He’s acting in
Dorothy, Mary and kim were sent from above.
More generations have come to
be;
And more still to come on our
family tree.
We have gathered here today,
old times to recall,
I hope you have fun; I intend
to have a ball!