October 5, 1969 - Arrival in New York

These photos were taken upon our arrival at La Guardia Airport. For the first two years of our lives in the U.S. we lived in New York City.

Here is a photo of my father, still very tanned from working in the forced labor program imposed by the communist regime upon all those who were waiting for their exit visa to be approved. We waited three years for our visa. In front of him is my brother, Al, who was 9-years-old at the time. The lady on the right is my aunt Rosa.

Here I am getting my cheeks patted by an older cousin.

The blue skirt and cardigan were knitted by my Aunt Lala, who worked incessantly to finish them before we had to leave. The coat was a donation from the Catholic Charities who were on hand in Miami to give us a bit of help. All of the people in this photo, background and foreground are paternal relatives.

Here is my mother drinking a bit of the bubbly that was popped open when we arrived at my Uncle Sergio's home.

And here I am, tasting champagne for the first time. I was only 11 at the time, but it seemed like the occasion called for it. I liked it just fine!

Well, we had finally arrived. Our adventures in the U.S. were about to begin.