Born in Providence, R.I., Dad was the 6th child of Marcellino and Giulia Zinno. He was preceded by Amelia who passed away at the age of 18, Genarino (Dr. Gerry Zinno), Dorothy ("Dot", Mrs. John Lombardi), Regina (Mrs. Anthony Colaluca), and Filomena ("Fannie", Mrs. Armand Bedard). After his birth, the family grew to ten children with the births of Alice (Mrs. John Geohagan), Anthony (Dr. Tony Zinno), Lillian (Mrs. Peter Marino) and his baby sister Geraldine (Mrs. Norman Mancone).

Marcellino was a successful grocer, butcher and real estate developer. Having immigrated from Italy at the age of 18, he worked hard to support his family, and taught his children to be proud of their Neapolitan heritage and the country that was their new home. They were Italo-Americans, keeping their Italian traditions, supporting their families left behind in Italy as much as they could, and embracing America as their country.

Giulia ruled the home. She was the disciplinarian. My favorite story of Dad's was that of his mother surprising him in the backyard as he was taking target practice with his Beebe gun, aiming at the pigeons in the backyard. Swiftly and wordlessly she broke his gun across her knee. End of that story!

It was a happy home, filled with love and the laughter of children. In addition to the 9 surviving Zinno children, there were cousins sent by their parents to live with the family of Marcellino and Giulia. Dinner was always served at the large kitchen table, sometimes in multiple shifts. During the depression years, Marcellino, as so many of the local Italian grocers, extended credit to those less fortunate, so that their tables would also be full.

With two children approaching high school and jr. high school ages, Dad and Mom began designing their dream home.  After some twenty revisions, the house was acceptable to Mom and the building process began.  Every detail was lovingly chosen, and we children were allowed to participate in the selection of room colors and furniture.  

Moving was the usual ordeal, but we were all happy to spend our first Spring on Windmill Street meeting neighbors and making new friends.  Mom loved that house!  Dad loved having his lab on the subterranean level of the house so he could sleep in, run upstairs for lunch (or wait for Mom to serve him his lunch on one of the many serving trays she owned), and continue working after supper if need be.

After the first winter Dad decided he needed a storage shed in the back yard. Mom wasn't having a " shed" anywhere near her house, of course.  So, undaunted, Dad solicited help from his son (12 years old!) to draw up the plans to build the cutest little house with an Amish look to it to strike a compromise.  My brother and Dad built the house from scratch, pouring the foundation, buying native R.I. rough cut oak from South County, and fitting every piece with love. The final touch, a hexagonal Amish placard similar to those we had seen during a family trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country.  The house still stands today.

Richard quotes Dad as having joked, "I might have to move into this house someday". 

That was the secret to a 70 year marriage..... Compromise!

Dad and Mom grew up in the same neighborhood.  Their parents were well acquainted with each other, they shared many of the same friends and they graduated Central High School together.  In many ways they were perfect for one another: Dad was outgoing and gregarious, "chatty" beyond words, and fun-loving.  I picture him as a mischievous teen, judging by the stories he told of himself and his "Charles Street" friends.  He loved the outdoors, and willingly helped his mother plant her flowers and the vegetable garden every Spring, seemingly out of character for the guy who loved to hang out with the "guys", fish, hunt and assemble model cars and airplanes.

She was serious, shy in many ways.  She loved books, and was an accomplished seamstress.  She played tennis and took horseback riding lessons when she wasn't knitting or sewing clothes for her younger sisters.

Their courtship wasn't exactly smooth.  There seemed to be numerous break-ups, but Dad didn't give up.  When he was drafted into the Army in 1939, he called Mom to say goodbye.  The rest is history!

Dad was stationed in Georgia and Florida during his years of military service.  Somehow, they made their long distance relationship last throughout the war, and were married on June 20, 1945.  This year (2015) they would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.   

They honeymooned in Florida, and rented a cottage where they lived until Dad was discharged after the war.  They returned to R.I. to the home they owned on Charles Street.  Both of their children were born in that home.