The Iannello Family in Berkeley Heights

William Iannello, or Willie to his family, was born on Plainfield Avenue in Berkeley Heights in 1927.  Willie remembers spending a lot of his time with his grandmother Giulia Muzzapapa. They canned food together and made sausages.  

He recalls that when he was just a small boy, he would follow his father Rosario as he plowed the fields with a horse-drawn plow on their farm in Berkeley Heights.  

Rosario was one of the original firemen in the Berkeley Heights Fire Department, and also established a milk delivery service.

Some of Willie's early memories include those of the Great Depression. He recalls “some stranger sitting at the table, because the railroad station was there and they would come in from New York, carrying a couple bundles, they had these wooden handles with a piece of wire and hook on them.”  Willie's grandmother would invite them in for a meal. 


In 1933, with many people out of work, members of the extended Iannello family found work at the brickyard in Berkeley Heights.  The brickyard was off Snyder Avenue, near today's Lone Pine Drive.  On February 27th, disaster struck when the factory boiler exploded, due to frozen pipes.  

Vito Nardi and Joseph Munzipapa, Willie's uncles, were struck by fragments of metal in the explosion.  Willie recalled that "a piece of [metal] hit my uncle Joe and killed him; my uncle Vito got hit in the back and my father put both of them on a truck to go to the hospital.  Joe died later that day."






Willie attended the Columbia School in Berkeley Heights from grades 1 to 7. He dropped out because he had lost interest and wanted instead to work on the farm. “the principal, his name was Mr. Carter, he came out and was talking to my father and he said ‘He’s got to come at least an hour a day.’ So I used to go an hour a day.”  



Later, Willie was drafted after the Second World War had ended, but he got a “farm deferment” and did not serve.  His future brother-in-law Daniel Maiurro was sent to Europe and his cousin, Rocco R. Muzzipapa, was severely wounded in France during the weeks after D-Day.
















Willie recalled that “during the war, a Grumman hell cat, [airplane] crashed just north of Berkeley Heights, toward Gillette…we went up there, and this old guy up there tried to keep the parachute. The plane crashed about three or four miles from where he parachuted out…they had military police around there, and I wanted to pick up a piece of plane, that’s all there was left…so they took down the wires and the electricians were there, and he was picking up pieces and putting them in his pouch, and he gave me a piece of the plane.”

Willie remembered the air raid drills in Berkeley Heights: "The sirens would go off, and you’d have to douse all the lights. You had to paint the headlights on the cars black with only a little bit of an opening for light, you know and all the lights had to be turned off.”

In 1951, Willie married Helen Christina Ann Morgan, also of Berkeley Heights, who he met at a dance. Before they were married, Willie broke his foot square dancing. He remembers, “I left [Helen] right on the floor, she didn’t know what happened to me.” Because of this injury, he was unable to serve during the Korean War. “I went to a physical, and I had already passed the physical, and I was supposed to go to get sworn in, when I got to the bus, we were supposed to meet at the bus, he [the Sergeant at the bus] said ‘we can’t take you like that.’ But I showed up, if I didn't show up they would have come after me.”

Willie and Helen left Berkeley Heights in 1953 with their two children.




Photos and information provided by Willie's grandson, Andrew Dalton

The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Riding home on the school bus on Thursdays, I was often summoned by some of my Roman Catholic classmates to help them study their catechism lesson or incur the wrath of the nun. My job was to ask the questions given in the lesson; they had to provide the correct answers. Doing this was a lesson for me also, not being raised in this faith. It took some of the mystery of this religion away as many, many of my childhood classmates were Roman Catholic.  

Many of the members of Mt. Carmel in my generation were direct Italian immigrants. They were our neighbors and friends, and their children, classmates.  In 1991, my parents, Fred and Lois Best, were actively involved in the Museum projects. Gina Mondelli wrote her memories of the Mt. Carmel Society which brought back memories for me, regarding the festive fireworks in mid-July each summer.  

Gina wrote, "The Society of Mt. Carmel began celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in 1913 just the way it was done in Italy.  Maria Venezia organized the parade with girls in white dresses and veils.  The Society members and their families marched.  There was a band from Little Italy in New York City....

"It takes two weeks to set up the fair.  The fair lasts for three days.  There are rides, food, and games of chance.  My dad helps set up the fair and works at a stand.

"When the fair started it was set up where the Berkeley Hardware store is today [on Springfield Avenue, near the intersection with Plainfield Avenue].  The location of the fair changed a few times. Now it is held on River Road, a block past Berkeley Florist.  The Society has a meeting hall there.  Its first meeting hall was where the library is today [on Plainfield Avenue, near the intersection with Berkeley Avenue].

"On July 16 members arrive early at Little Flower Church [next to the library] to begin the parade at 9 A.M.  They march around the neighborhood across from the Church and then go down Springfield Avenue toward Snyder Avenue.  Along the way the parade stops at the homes of members and the Garden State Fireworks Company shoots of bombs in memory of dead relatives.  They march up to Washington Street and go down to the meeting hall on River Road.  Many bombs are shot by their hall.  Then they march down Springfield Avenue....

"The next stop is the intersection by Berkeley Hardware store.  The parade stops and the police stop all traffic.  The band plays the Star Spangled Banner while bombs are shot.  Then thousands of firecrackers in strips are placed across the street and lit with flares.  More bombs are shot and the noise is ear shocking.  The parade continues back to the Church.  More bombs are shot.  A Mass is held for the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

"Family picnics are held in the afternoon.  People park their cars and walk one to two miles to see the fireworks display.  It begins at 11:15 P.M....The show lasts 30-40 minutes."


The late night finale was spectacular and deafening, making itself heard all over town! I like the part where Gina writes about the Society shooting off bombs in memory of dead relatives along the parade route! 

- Nancy B. Bates

A Visit With Santa

The year was 1948. I had just turned 5 years old and started Kindergarten that previous September. At that time, Kindergarten was held in the basement of the Police Department building on Park Avenue. 

The author and Santa, wit the school 

principal looking on

On this day, Santa came to visit our class. Never having left home before attending Kindergarten, I was extremely shy. Our chairs were placed in rows in front of Santa and I was at the far end of the first row. My teacher ordered me to go up to "see Santa" first. I was terrified! The local newspaper was there to capture this moment and print it for the world to see. I was clutching onto my homemade dress (made from a used chicken feed sack) for dear life!  I had no idea what I uttered to this hulking figure when asked what I wanted for Christmas that year.  The principal was looking on in the background, making me even more nervous. But as you can tell, I survived, 65 years later! 

My mother, Lois Best, kept the photo and the article. It is now with me and I have it in a frame to display each Christmas for my family. 

- Nancy B. Bates