LIFE HISTORY

Ben was born in Baselga di Pine`-Tressilla, Italy, on December 27, 1888 (source birth certificate). He was the eighth of eight children born to the marital union of Giacomo Mattivi and Irene Domenica Anesi. Ben was raised in Tressilla and remained there through age 17. The exact details of his childhood are unknown. In December 1906, just prior to his eighteenth birthday, Ben began his journey to America, leaving his family, friends and all things familiar. It appears he may have traveled with a friend and/or relative, Amedeo Anesi, but this has not been confirmed. On December 29, 1906, two days after his eighteenth birthday, Ben boarded the S.S. Le Bretagne at the port of Le Havre, France, and began his arduous passage across the Atlantic. Records reflect Ben purchased a second-class cabin ticket. On January 6, 1907, Ben arrived at the Port of New York and was processed at Ellis Island. According to the ship manifest, Ben was 5'9" tall, single, and a farmer by occupation. He declared $28 in currency and indicated he had paid for his own passage. Ben's stated destination was Silverton, Colorado, where he intended to join his brother, Giovanni (John), who had immigrated in 1900 (source 1920 census). At the time of Ben's entry, Silverton was a popular destination for Trentini immigrants due to its booming gold and silver mines.

Sometime prior 1909, Ben migrated to Novinger, Missouri, where he met Rosa Girotti. They subsequently married on March 13, 1909 (source Missouri marriage license), and shortly thereafter began their family. Their first child, James, was born on January 14, 1910, in Novinger. In typical tradition, he was named after Ben's father, Giacomo, or James in English. It appears the family remained in the Novinger area for a couple of years. The 1910 census record indicated Ben, Rosa, James, as well as Ben's brother John, were living together at that time. (The census record also indicated Lena (Girotti) Merlo and her children lived next door.) In approximately 1911, Ben moved the family to Dawson, New Mexico, where a second child, Evelyn, was born (September 6, 1912). The family likely migrated to Dawson in order to join the various other migrants who had flooded the area to work the mines. Ben and family were joined in Dawson by Joe and Lena (Girotti) Merlo, Rosa's older sister and brother-in-law. Family accounts provide that Joe Merlo and Ben were close friends. On November 6, 1911, Lena Merlo died of Ptomaine Poisoning (food poisoning) and was buried in the Dawson Cemetery. One year later, in November 1912 (source Ben's naturalization application), the family returned to Novinger.

From 1913 to 1916, Ben and Rosa's movements remain undocumented, as there were no births, deaths, or census collections during these years. Their next recorded appearance occured on June 11, 1917. On that date, Rosa sent a postcard to her brother, John Girotti, indicating the family was living in Radley/Pittsburg, Kansas, where Ben and others were attempting to find work. Most likely they were seeking employment in the mining industry, as Pittsburg, Kansas, was a mining town like the other areas they had been. The length of their stay remains unknown, but ended prior to 1920. Although Ben and Rosa left the area, it appears John Mattivi (Ben's older brother) stayed and spent his remaining life in the adjacent town of Frontenac.

By 1920 (source 1920 census), Ben and Rosa had returned to their Novinger beginnings and appeared to have settled down. During this time, it appears Rosa became pregnant with the couple's third child. Unknown complications, however, developed and Rosa subsequently passed away on June 26, 1921. The cause of death (source death certificate) was documented as Septicemia, an infection/bacteria of the blood stream, and the secondary or contributory cause was identified as a pelvic abscess. Rosa was treated for this condition for approximately one-and-half months prior to her death and underwent an unsuccessful operation on June 2, 1921, in Kirksville, Missouri. She passed away several weeks following the surgery. Ben and Rosa were married approximately 12 years and this was Ben’s longest enduring marriage, but by no means his last.

On September 25, 1923, approximately two years after Rosa's death, Ben married (source marriage certificate) Oliva Grisenti, another Trentini immigrant. The marriage occurred in Novinger, Missouri. They eventually settled in the Chicago area, where a number of former Novinger residents resettled after the collapse of the Novinger mining industry. This marriage was short and produced one child, Corine.

Ben and Oliva's marriage appears to have been facilitated by their common ties to Novinger, as well as Baselga. Oliva immigrated to the United States from Baselga di Pine on December 13, 1920. She first settled in Novinger with her sister, Angela Avi. (For years, Oliva has mistakenly been identified as Oliva Avia, which appears to have been a misspelling of Avi, her sister's married name.)

Following the dissolution of this marriage, Ben likely returned to Novinger, while Oliva and Corine remained in the Chicago area. Corine reported little contact with Ben during her formative years. At age 16, she contacted Ben and visited him in the Novinger and/or the Kansas City area. Following this visit, she lost touch for a while and subsequently rekindled the relationship after marriage, visiting occasionally.

Ben's third marriage was to Loraine "Dutch" Robinson, a Novinger native. This relationship was another in a string of short-lived romances. Based on birth records, it appears Ben and Dutch were married in approximately 1925. They had two children, Joselyn and James "Bud." The marriage ended in divorce in 1929. It appears Dutch took custody of Joselyn and Ben retained Bud, who was only a year old at the time.

In approximately 1938, Maggie (Girotti) Sandretto returned to Novinger, after a 20-year absence from the area. It appears that shortly thereafter, she and Ben married. The dynamics of this marriage are interesting, as Maggie was Rosa (Girotti) Mattivi's older sister and at one time Ben's sister-in-law. The pair divorced on October 17, 1939 (source divorce order) and Maggie returned to the Sandretto name. No children were born to this short union.

Ben's fifth and final marriage was to Theresia Hurst. They lived in Gladstone, Missouri, and operated a small restaurant in the area for an unknown period. Naturalization records indicate Ben moved to the Gladstone area around 1945, from his former home in Northmoor, Missouri, a few miles south.

It appears Ben continued to work during this period, but was seeking citizenship and social security benefits in order to secure his retirement. In 1940, Ben officially began his bid for citizenship, 33 years after his arrival, by filing his Declaration of Intention. On August 25, 1944, Ben was naturalized at the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri. Ben contracted throat cancer during this time and eventually passed away on July 5, 1955. No children were born to this marriage.


WORK

Throughout his life, Ben worked in a variety of fields, including farming, mining, construction/rehab., restaurant ownership and masonry. Like his countrymen, Ben became a miner upon immigration and initially worked in the gold and silver mines of Colorado. He also worked in the coal mines of Novinger and the surrounding area, New Mexico and in the Pittsburg, Kansas area.


PERSONALITY

By all accounts, Ben possessed an adventurous personality that lended to a number of characteristic traits. He was known to enjoy the company of women, hence his five marriages, and was always involved in various romantic relationships. Ben's musical talents likely perpetuated this activity. He also appears to have been a social person, enjoying wine and beer, as well as social gatherings. Although these traits appear to be unstable in today's terms, they are the foundations that allowed Ben to leave home at age 17, sail across the Atlantic, and quickly assimilate into a new culture.


ACCORDION

Ben was an accomplished accordion player and played the instrument throughout his life. He is believed to have been self-taught and could not read sheet music. Througout his life, the accordion played a central role. In the 1920s or 30s, Ben and Joe Merlo built a platform in Tipperary (a mining location near Novinger, Missouri) outside of Merlo's store. Ben played his accordion and Joe sold goods during the dances hosted by the two. During Prohibition, Ben was caught by law enforcement officials operating/producing alcohol in his residence, where he had alcohol hidden all over the house including inside the walls. Ben subsequently served an indeterminate term in custody at the Kirksville Jail, but was allowed to play his accordion on the front porch of the jail, where he collected money for his efforts. In later years, Ben played in the KMBC orchestra and the performances were broadcast on a local radio station in the Kansas City, Missouri area.

It appears there was a concerted effort to pass down Ben's fondness for the accordion. His first son, James, played the accordion and at least one grandson, Thomas, took lessons as a child. Additionally, Ben's brother, John, played the instrument. It appears, however, no descendant played to the degree Ben had and that none of his great-grandchildren have played. The pictured accordion was brought to the U.S. by Ben and remains in the family.


WINE, BEER & PROHIBITION

According to various relatives and descendants, Ben religiously produced his own wine and beer. He always kept two, 55-gallon drums, one containing homemade wine and the other home-brewed beer, in his basement. Ben also grew grapes behind his Novinger home which were used to produce his wine. These activities continued throughout Prohibition and apparently morphed into bootlegging and other illegal activity. During this time, Ben hid liquor inside the walls and throughout his entire residence. He was eventually caught, resulting in a jail sentence in Kirksville. Ben also ran an "alcky wagon" for the Capone Outfit, operating a route from Chicago to Kansas City.