Need help identifying mysterious items

[ImWalkinHere!]

Hello everyone,

I recently came into possession from my mother 3 items that are mysterious to me. It appears they belonged either to my grandfather or great-grandfather, possibly even great-great granfather but I don't know why they would have had these things. In short, I am missing a lot of societal context and item-specific context. Could you help me understand what they are and what their significance is to my family?

1. My grandfather was: Benedetto Lombardo
Born March 9th, 1915. Caltanissetta, Italy. Moved to Palermo in 1930. Immigrated to America 1932. I do have a photograph of him at around 7 or 8 in a Mussolini Youth Group doing a salute and wearing a pin that says "Balila"

2. My great-grandfather was: Michele Lombardo
Born May 3rd, 1878. Caltanissetta, Italy. Listed as an office worker. Died May 22, 1920. Buried in the military section of a graveyard in Caltanissetta.

3. My great-grandfather was: Luciano Lombardo
Born June 22, 1845. Caltanissetta, Italy. Fought in 3rd war for Italian Unification near Venice. Died November 9th, 1929 in Caltanissetta.

Thank you all for your time & consideration!

[Tessa78]

Based on the language on the emblem of #2 (the ribbon)
It reads Sulfur Miners Mobilization Industry - Palermo.
Perhaps an ancestor was a sulfur miner in Palermo?

The top medal is a Mussolini figure reading "Believe - Obey - Fight"
Probably a Mussolini youth medal.

The pin appears to be a Mutual Aid society pin Societa' Italiana M(utuo) S(occorso). The "Fiore di Boro Park" makes me think its origin is in USA. Did your grandfather reside in Borough Park, Brooklyn, by any chance? Could have been a local mutual aid for Italian Americans.

T.

[mmogno]

Based on the language on the emblem of #2 (the ribbon)
It reads Sulfur Miners Mobilization Industry - Palermo.
Perhaps an ancestor was a sulfur miner in Palermo?

@Tessa78
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilitaz ... a_mondiale
Ref Michele

The top medal is a Mussolini figure reading "Believe - Obey - Fight"
Probably a Mussolini youth medal.

The pin appears to be a Mutual Aid society pin Societa' Italiana M(utuo) S(occorso). The "Fiore di Boro Park" makes me think its origin is in USA. Did your grandfather reside in Borough Park, Brooklyn, by any chance? Could have been a local mutual aid for Italian Americans.

@Tessa78
Mr. Carbone's Neapolitan father, Amadeo, who is 80, says that a club to which he belongs, Fiore di Boro Park, had 600 members when it started in 1928 and paid $1,000 to women after their husbands had died. Now, he says, membership is down to 130, the clubhouse is up for sale and widows get only $500.
https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/09/arch ... ans-a.html
Ref Benedetto
T.

[ImWalkinHere!]

Thank you both, Tessa & mmogno!

To answer the question: Benny Lombardo lived in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. Not too far from Borough Park. He belonged to a social club called the "Porto Empedocle" club.

Regarding Michele and being a sulfur miner: He died at a very young age, and there is a rumor that he was at a sulfur mine requesting oxygen before he died. In the pictures he has taken he looks well-to-do and he owned his own house--he didn't strike me as the type to be actually down in the mines unless the pay was pretty high.

Regarding Luciano Lombardo--mmogno, what is the source of this image? It is really fascinating! I appreciate you doing the work to find it.

Thank you both for the help. I still wonder:
--> Why was the armband given for Palermo if he was born, lived and died in Caltanissetta?
--> Why would my grandfather have been given this medal? Did all Balila kids get one of these medals?
--> Are there any databases on the internet I can look for those who fought in the italian unification wars?

[Tessa78]

The Italian Mutual Aid Society, Flower of Borough Park, still exists today as a "domestic, not-for-profit" business.

https://newyork-company.com/co/italian- ... h-park-inc

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ny/128571

T.

[mmogno]

... I still wonder:
--> Why was the armband given for Palermo if he was born, lived and died in Caltanissetta?
The inscription is "Miniere Solfo - Mobilitazione Industriale - Palermo". "Miniere" = Mines, not "Minatori" = miners.
"Mobilitazione Industriale"
The Italian industrial mobilization during the First World War was that set of measures, interventions, forms of organization of production and coordination of the production system managed by the system of Central and Regional Offices of Industrial Mobilization (M.I.) through which the Italian industrial structure was able to support the intensive production of war and civilian materials during the years 1915 – 1918. For the Sicily the Office was in Palermo.
The armband indicated those who had been exempted from armed service at the front, because they were necessary for war production.
http://cadutivigevano.it/pagina1/vigeva ... imboscato/

However, you can ask for the Foglio or the Ruolo Matricolare of Michele at the State Archives of Caltanissetta.

--> Are there any databases on the internet I can look for those who fought in the italian unification wars?
Progetto Torelli
https://www.solferinoesanmartino.it/pro ... risultati/

[AngelaGrace56]

--> Are there any databases on the internet I can look for those who fought in the italian unification wars?
Progetto Torelli
https://www.solferinoesanmartino.it/pro ... risultati/

@mmogno

Thank you for posting this link. It is an excellent resource. I was able to locate my father's grandfather there very quickly so now have some more info about him. (I like also that you don't have to include your ancestor's name, you can just search by town and province and it brings up all the names of those who fought from the relevant town and province.)

Angela

[mmogno]

@AngelaGrace56
Sono contento che tu abbia trovato qualcosa di utile anche per te.
G

Forse potresti consultare anche questi siti dell'Archivio di Stato di Torino, se non li conosci.
https://archiviodistatotorino.benicultu ... i-franchi/
https://archiviodistatotorino.benicultu ... scomparsi/

[AngelaGrace56]

@AngelaGrace56
Sono contento che tu abbia trovato qualcosa di utile anche per te.
G

Forse potresti consultare anche questi siti dell'Archivio di Stato di Torino, se non li conosci.
https://archiviodistatotorino.benicultu ... i-franchi/
https://archiviodistatotorino.benicultu ... scomparsi/

Thank you for the additional links, G. Appreciated!

Angela