One of the Black Dirt's oldest families gathers down on the farm

Family reflects on changes to their community By Vicki Botta Warwick — Whether they spell it with an “i,” as in Frustaci, or an “e,” as in Frustace, they were one big, happy family on Bruno and Virginia’s dairy farm on Belcher Road in Warwick this past weekend. Sixty-five family members converged from as far away as Ireland, Alaska, Florida, Virginia and Maryland. Some of the youngest members are seventh-generation Frustaci’s, the youngest being a mere 31 days old. And there are more on the way. All are descendents of Bruno Frustaci, who arrived in this country with his brother Joseph in 1893 from Calabria, Italy. Like many fleeing rural poverty in southern Italy and Sicily in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Bruno came with the hope that he could make enough money to send for his family and give them a better life here. The two spellings are most likely a result of the language barrier between immigrants and customs workers at Ellis Island. At the time, Bruno had a choice between working in the Pennsylvania coal mines or on a black dirt farm in Chester. He chose farm work, but later worked for the Lehigh and Hudson Railroad. His wife, Saveria (formerly Saveria Fratto), and their son, Salvatore, joined him in Chester several years later. They had five more children, and the Frustaci family was established. Their grandson Bruno (Babe) Astorino, 76, the son of their daughter Fannie, owns the dairy farm where the reunion took place. Today, there are 75 direct descendents of Bruno and Saveria. Three of Bruno’s sons followed him to work on the railroad, and one son became a pharmacist. In the generations to follow, the family has produced pharmacists, computer analysts, chiropractors, dentists, doctors, teachers, politicians, many business owners, and an engineer at NASA who worked on the space shuttles. “But no presidents, yet,” said one of the uncles on his way to the food. “And a comedian,” responded cousin Carmella. Carmella’s husband, Roger Phillip, was the Orange County Sheriff at the time of the famous Brinks Trial. In fact, two of his friends were killed in the Brinks robbery. The reunion was organized by RoseMarie, Gail, Helen, and Carmella Frustaci, and Janet Laino. They had attempted it two years ago, but several factors prevented it at the time. The group was festive and the party swinging, complete with a deejay, tents, tables, and, of course, plenty of food made by family members and catered by Nona Lucia’s in Middletown, which is owned by the Fratto family. Yet, there was an underlying reflective mood, as the family considered the changes the years have brought to them. Babe has just sold all of his milking cows because, at 76, he feels the need to start thinking about retiring. The cows are being moved to dairy farms upstate, and he is keeping 35 heifers to breed and to sell to other farmers. He will remain in agriculture, he said, but making a living out of dairy farming in Orange County is too hard. The cost of production makes turning a profit very difficult. The price of milk does not rise like the price of gas and oil does, and yet taxes and production costs continue to go up. Babe has 60 years of milking behind him. If you don’t go big in farming, like the Wal-Marts and the Targets in the retail world, he said, you don’t survive. The farm, in the family since 1922, has been a dairy farm since World War II. Babe sold some of his land across the street from the main farm to developers, and “MacMansions” are already going up fast. Developers pressure farmers like Babe all the time, he said, offering money that’s hard to turn down. His wife, Virginia, said it is hard to run the farm and doesn’t blame their son for taking a job in a field that pays more money. Babe’s son, Ben, who works part-time on the farm, is the father of five. He’s also the chairman of the planning board in Warwick as well as the deputy commissioner for the department of public works. Many family members said some of their happiest summer memories were spent visiting the farm. They reflected on the changes that have them living so spread apart that they don’t see each other like they used to. According to Carmella, many of the families used to live close to one another on a family compound and were frequent guests at each other’s homes. Their mothers dressed alike, they all walked to school together, and their fathers worked together and traveled together. The original homestead in Chester was sold a few years back. The family is grateful that their cousin Babe offered his farm for this gathering of so many who have found a good life in America, thanks to brave ancestors who pioneered ahead of them. Bruno and Saveria, and Fannie, too, would surely smile to see the farm brimming with family, so happy to be together again.