by *Carol ~Bronx Southern Belle D.
Member since:
January 16, 2007

Family secret

April 21, 2008 09:43 PM EDT
views: 70 | comments: 24

My mother who is 87 just told me a family secret.  The secret is that my grandparents were criminals.  My mother's father and mother who were Italian immigrants commited many crimes.  I will not go into their crimes, but they were not petty thieves.  I was shocked.  You think that by the time your grandparents have been dead for fifty years, you'd not be shocked.  I don't know if my mother told me because she wanted to clear her own conscience, not that she did anything wrong, but I am not happy to know this.  My grandparents were wonderful to me, and now, to find out they were criminals make me sad.  It makes me sad because they were criminals, and because they had to turn to crime to survive in a harsh world.

Note: I don't mean to be secretive, but I'm not proud of this, so please don't ask me what they did. Thanks.

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Comments: 24

Very interesting. Well hopefully they only did it to survive. Not that that makes it any better.
Vivian P. Apr 21, 2008, 9:54pm EDT
when I was in Jr. High we had a little lunch thing for our mothers and I wanted my mom to sit with my best friends mom. I was so confused because my mom was so rude to my friends mother ( My mother was never rude ever ) Tactfully our home ec teacher sees there is a problem and sits my mother else where. After goning home My oldest sister tells me that my friends mom and my dad had, had an affair. I was so shocked !! It was the first time I had realized my dad had a life outside of our family. Oh and my parents stayed married until my fathers death and my mom morned him for exactly 2 years . They died exactlly two years apart just lacking a few hours.
Terry M. Apr 21, 2008, 9:57pm EDT
I think many of us would be surprised if we really knew what our ancestors had done back in the old country.
Joe T. Apr 21, 2008, 9:57pm EDT
There was a rumor that my grandmother's second husband had ties to Al Capone. I'll never know how much truth there was to it, but I've always wondered.
Vikki M. Apr 21, 2008, 10:00pm EDT
My family's so plain and ordinary that I often wish that some type of super secret would come out. Either my family has always been goody-goodies, or they're just really good at hiding the skeletons. I'm not sure which it is.
Tiffany G. Apr 21, 2008, 10:04pm EDT
awe.. that sucks! I am sorry to hear that
Bob B. Apr 21, 2008, 10:04pm EDT
I think it's a very interesting part of your ancestry.
Debby O. Apr 21, 2008, 10:17pm EDT
Don't let it get to you Carol! Sometimes desperate people do desperate things if things get bad enough, it doesn't mean they were killers or anything, just desperate!
El Toro Bravo de Amor Apr 21, 2008, 10:28pm EDT
They were wonderful to you though right? hang on to that. I guess I should take my past to the grave for the grandkids sake...
JoAnn C. Apr 21, 2008, 10:37pm EDT
Always remember the good times you had with them and don't dwell on their past.
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Patty H. Apr 21, 2008, 11:33pm EDT
You cant change what they did. You are a good person and do the best you can. Dont hold what they against them, not unless you know the full reason why. Im not saying it was right or wrong what they did, but there might have been a good reason for what they did.

Keep all the good happy loving thoughts of them and try to forget the bad you have heard.
Carol Lloyd Apr 21, 2008, 11:49pm EDT
Thank you Carol.
Billie H. Apr 22, 2008, 12:00am EDT
I would like to think that we all have done things that we are not proud of.It does not make any of us less than.
Diane "stormyz" B. Apr 22, 2008, 1:34am EDT
I think a lot of us would be surprised learning family secrets. But it's better to hear it from family to find out other ways.
Jan S. Apr 22, 2008, 1:38am EDT
Some secrets are better kept secret.
Barbara S. Apr 22, 2008, 2:10am EDT
Carol,
It is rather shocking to find out about your ancestors doing wrong. You aren't the only one.
My great grand father got killed when he rode with the Jesse James gang. My grandfather went to the state pen for six years for horse stealing.
What did I expect out of the lineage of Sir Robert Bruce of Scotland? They are a wild bunch.
I take aftr my Dad's side of the family. There is dirt there too, but not of the criminal kind we are speaking of. It was actually more criminal, but no one took action so they got by with it.
Hold your head high and be proud of who you are. Let the ancestors account for their own deeds on Judgemnt Day. That's what I'm going to do.
Barbara S.
Jennifer N. Apr 22, 2008, 6:05am EDT
Sounds like the makings of a novel. Heh.
Beth - Doing God's work Daily J. Apr 22, 2008, 7:32am EDT
Very intresting secret
Rachel D. Apr 22, 2008, 9:37am EDT
Well, very interesting. I learn more every day.
Diana B. Apr 22, 2008, 11:28am EDT
You never see family members the same way after hearing something like this, but times were different back then and for some survival was unfortunately having to resort to other means.

I have relatives/family members that did things they were not proud of and don't justify their actions as being the 'right" thing, but when it is a matter of survival you do whatever it takes.
Susan N. Apr 22, 2008, 6:17pm EDT
Italian family + crimes - not even gonna go there.
All families have dirty little secrets, some even keep them that way, I think it's much more interesting to know it ALL!
Janice B. Feb 21, 2009, 9:32pm EST
Years after my mom's parents died, Mom told me that her dad had killed a man. She didn't know the circumstances but thought it might have been a man who went berserk in the town square and started shooting people. Some men in the town got together and shot him.
Paula C. Apr 5, 2009, 5:37pm EDT
Hippity Hoppity Boogity Boo
Dropping by with a 10 for you
Flippity Floppity, Zippity Zee
And a great big HI from Pooh and Me!



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