Christmas Mastroianni & Family
On this date, March 14, 1914, Nattolia or Natale Mastriania (Mastroianni) was killed at the Pitcairn railyards in Patton Township while working as a car oiler. He was 39 years old, leaving behind his wife Josephine Mastroianni, and five children, Angela, Michael, Paulina, Agatha, and Elizabeth. The family lived at the corner of Homewood and 6th Street.
This photo has been in our collection and labeled by Mr. Lloyd as “Christmas” Mastroianni & Family. It was never clear to us who the subjects were in the photo, as there have been several Mastroianni families living in Trafford. It wasn’t until we researched more of the history of the Mastroianni family that we found the name “Christmas” on the birth certificate of his daughter Agatha born in 1911. We recognize that the surname Mastroianni has appeared in various formats in our local history, but it is also interesting to see variations of the first name as well (Natale, Nattolia, Natali, and now Christmas).
The Pennsylvania Marriages database (1709-1940) records the marriage of Natale Mastroianni to Giuseppina Valentino in Pittsburgh in October 1902. The word “Natale” translated from Italian to English is “Christmas.” Was Christmas his nickname, or was it thought to be the proper English translation for documents? Perhaps one of the Mastroianni descendants can shed light on the story behind the use of the name “Christmas.” Based on the age of the children in the photo, we believe it possible to be the two youngest children of the couple. (L-R) Natale Mastroianni (1874-1914), Michael Mastroianni (1906-1978), Josephine Mastroianni (1884-1960), and Angela Mastroianni (1905-1995). Until this can be confirmed by a family descendant, today, we remember a life of cut too short for one of Trafford‘s earliest ancestors.
