Over a century ago, upwards of two thousand men, women and children boarded the Titanic, a British ocean liner bound for New York City. Some were drawn by the opulence of a state-of-the-art vessel on her maiden voyage, but hundreds of others by the promise of a better life. Leaving behind home countries, loved ones, and in many cases, all they knew, this second group risked it all for opportunities that lay on the other side of a vast Atlantic. And it’s among them that the majority of Italians aboard, most of whom were employed by the ship’s restaurant, found themselves.
As we all now know, for them, the American dream would descend into a terrifying nightmare when on the evening of April 14, 1912, the ship collided with an iceberg a mere four days after setting sail. The impact caused irreparable damage, resulting in the ship’s demise, and due to a lack of lifeboats, the deaths of over 1,500 souls on board. Of the 712 that survived, only five were Italian. Today, America Domani is taking a look at their stories.
Interestingly, the percentage of Italians traveling on the ill-fated vessel was relatively low, totaling just 43 of the 2,240 passengers and crew members. Thirty-two of these were food service staff working under the supervision of Luigi Gatti, a successful London restauranteur originally from Lombardy. All would perish, including Gatti himself, whose body was recovered in the weeks following and ultimately buried in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Italian passengers numbered three in first class – Sante Righini (servant of wealthy American widow Ella White), Albina Bassani (maid of Emma Bucknell), and Nella Carlynne Goldenberg (the Italian American wife of New York lace importer Samuel Levi Goldenberg); four in second class – Emilio Portaluppi and Emilio Mangiavacchi (both of whom were returning home to the US), and honeymooners Sebastiano Del Carlo and Argene Genovesi; and an additional four in third class, including Francesco Celotti, Luigi Finoli, Alfonso Martino Meo, and Giuseppe Peduzzi.
Sadly, due to a lack of lifeboats, fewer men escaped the tragedy. Sante Righini spent his final hours helping board women and children onto the lifeboats, and his body was pulled from the icy waters and returned to his brother for burial in New York. Sebastiano Del Carlo and Alfonso Martino Meo were also found. However, the remains of Francesco Celotti, Giuseppe Peduzzi, and Emilio Mangiavacchi, who had been returning from surgery in Italy, were never recovered.
The Italian survivors included Albina Bassani, Nella Carlynne Goldenberg, Argene Genovesi, Emilio Portaluppi, and Luigi Finoli.
The Survivors
After filing a $2890 claim for loss of property following her Titanic escape, Albina Bassani gave up her work as a maid, married, and settled in Massachusetts. She had one daughter and died in Brockton on July 23, 1960.
Nella Goldenberg, who boarded a lifeboat with her husband, returned to New York, ultimately divorced, and in later life moved to California to be closer to her daughter. She lived until the age of 81.
Eager to cheat death, Emilio Portaluppi attempted to jump into a half-full lifeboat dressed as a woman but lost his footing and plunged into the frigid ocean. It’s reported that he swam for two hours before being rescued. He would fully recover and spend his life traveling between Italy and the US. He died in June 1974 at 93 and is buried in Arcisate.
After claiming to have lost $800 worth of belongings on the Titanic, Luigi Finoli was granted assistance in the form of clothes and shelter from the Red Cross. However, there is some controversy over his conduct following the rescue. He became an American citizen in 1914 and continued to sail as part of his job. Though he spent several years living in the Northeast US, he returned to Italy at the age of 65 and died in Abruzzo in 1938.
Pregnant Argene Genovesi was rescued from a lifeboat by the passenger ship Carpathia on the night of the sinking. She would return her husband Sebastiano’s body to his hometown for burial and remain in Italy, where their daughter was born seven months later. That baby, who was named Salvata (Saved), would live until the ripe old age of 96.
Nella Goldenburg
Argene Genovesi
Albina Bassani
Luigi Finoli
Emilio Portaluppi
It’s been more than 100 years since Titanic disappeared into the abyss of the North Atlantic, and the tragedy has inspired countless commentaries and fueled global fascination. The poor decisions and ill-preparedness, the downfall of the invincible, the inequity of the characters, and the fight for survival – these factors and more contribute to the haunting allure of the ship and her story. And never have we been more cognizant of the fact than this week when Titan, a submersible traveling 13,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface for a glimpse at the world’s most famous watery graveyard, experienced a catastrophic event, instantly killing all five people on board. We add their names to the list of Titanic’s victims – of all nationalities and backgrounds – that perished on that fateful night in April of 1912.
Sarah Talarico
Sarah Talarico is a writer at heart, with a deep passion for all things Italian. Much of her writing inspiration comes from her Italian American roots that trace back to her father’s beloved hometown in Calabria. Southern Italy holds a special place in her heart, right next to homemade sauce and cappuccini. Sarah has a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and English and a desire to use her writing skills to share the timeless charm of Italy and that ‘dolce far niente’ feeling. In her downtime, she finds joy in filling the plates and seats at her dining room table.