[Phogge]

My grandmother was one of 17. Born in Fiume, now Rijeka. Emigrated in 1908. When asked always answered, “I am Austrian” (Austro/Hungarian Empire). Yugoslavia didn’t exist until after WW1. Two bothers killed in the war. First to St. Louis to live with her sister thence to North Beach where my grandfather bootleggers wine (but not to Italians). My mom played on the same concrete as Joe D at North Beach Playground and was in his Galileo class. She forgot when he left school. My grandfather was a sleepwalker and one warm night fell out a window of their flat on Broadway across from what became the tunnel and was killed instantly. Mom was forced to quit school one month before graduation to work in the Emporium.

Of my Nonni’s 16 sibs the last to pass was the first born still living alone at age 106 or so never having indoor plumbing. My mom managed to visit her twice in the 70’s.

Funny about the CIA. Many Serbian Americans in the OSS/CIA and a few Croats. My uncle, one of the greatest high school athletes in Arizona history, later head football coach at SI and later still head of the U of Maryland overseas course in Saigon became a CIA agent in Greece. In his 70’s still played 3 on 3 at the Oakland Army Terminal Gym. Had a two hand set shot. Those Slav guys, raised in poverty in the copper mining towns in the Arizona mountains were some tough assed SOB’s.

[Phogge]

My grandmother was one of 17. Born in Fiume, now Rijeka. Emigrated in 1908. When asked always answered, “I am Austrian” (Austro/Hungarian Empire). Yugoslavia didn’t exist until after WW1. Two bothers killed in the war. First to St. Louis to live with her sister thence to North Beach where my grandfather bootleggers wine (but not to Italians). My mom played on the same concrete as Joe D at North Beach Playground and was in his Galileo class. She forgot when he left school. My grandfather was a sleepwalker and one warm night fell out a window of their flat on Broadway across from what became the tunnel and was killed instantly. Mom was forced to quit school one month before graduation to work in the Emporium.

Of my Nonni’s 16 sibs the last to pass was the first born still living alone at age 106 or so never having indoor plumbing. My mom managed to visit her twice in the 70’s.

Funny about the CIA. Many Serbian Americans in the OSS/CIA and a few Croats. My uncle, one of the greatest high school athletes in Arizona history, later head football coach at SI and later still head of the U of Maryland overseas course in Saigon became a CIA agent in Greece. In his 70’s still played 3 on 3 at the Oakland Army Terminal Gym. Had a two hand set shot. Those Slav guys, raised in poverty in the copper mining towns in the Arizona mountains were some tough assed SOB’s.