Vincenzo (James) Grano was born September 07, 1875 in (Mangone) Paterno Colabro, Cosenza, Italy.

In Italy, Grandpa was an itinerant farmer, working likely for a landowner or Padrone. His family would have likely been farmers and sheep herders as was typical for this time in South Italy.

Apparently the Padrone trusted him enough to be the only one responsible for taking the harvest to market, making the sale or trade and returning with the proceeds to the farm.

It is likely that Grandpa had a sponsor in the United States before he come over the first time.

When he arrived in New York and experienced the slum tenement housing and living conditions of the other Italian people there (likely other family or acquaintances from the village) he decided that he wasn’t going to live that way and took a job as a coal miner in S.E. KS.

He worked in the mines just long enough to save enough money to bring Grandma from Italy to the US and purchase enough acreage for a farm.

Grandpa went back to Italy to give Grandma the money needed to pay her passage to the US and likely provide her with the instructions on how to find her way to southeastern Kansas. (From the account of Mary Jo Grano)

Grandma Maria traveled to the US in 1905 with Rose (4 years old) and Amelia (4 months old)

He likely had family members, or they knew people that lived in NY and perhaps he arranged for a friend or family member to escort Grandma back to southeastern Kansas.

Grandma Jo spoke of her being escorted or helped by a man she met. It is unlikely this person was a stranger, but more likely a family member.

Perhaps the person in the middle-back row of the photo at left could have been the cousin or nephew. (From the account of Kathleen Casper)