Josie’s Story, by Janice Therese Mancuso

Photo One: Family & Street Sign
Last year, on March 19th, four generations of family gathered on the corner of 118th Street and First
Avenue in East Harlem to honor Giuseppina Santo in a street co-naming ceremony. It was a day of
celebration, a loving tribute to a mother and grandmother, but it was filled with sadness. Just a few feet
from the busy intersection, Giuseppina Santo lost her life, a victim of arson; a crime that has never been
solved.
Born in Cilento (in the province of Salerno), Campania in 1899, Giuseppina Costabile embodied her
family name throughout her life. Southern Italian in origin, the name Costabile portrays the characteristics
of being steadfast, reliable, and trustworthy; all traits that describe Giuseppina.
Giuseppina met Antonio Santo – a carpenter by trade who worked at her father Michele’s construction
business – and married in 1925. Antonio was a widower with three children, and Giuseppina was
committed to the role of wife and stepmother. The following year, their first child together, Paolino, was
added to the family. With limited opportunities for a better life in the village, Antonio traveled to
America.

Photo Two: Boarding Pass
In 1930, Giuseppina and Paolino arrived in America, settling with Antonio in East Harlem. At the time,
East Harlem was known as Italian Harlem, and with the largest conclave of Italian immigrants in
America, it was the first Little Italy. Within the boundaries of 96th Street and Third Avenue to the East
River and to the Harlem River north, around 100,000 Italian immigrants lived in the area, creating slices
of life in New York City that represented their former villages in Italy.
As Giuseppina adjusted to her new life, she held on to her cherished Italian traditions; and her religious
beliefs were the foundation of her character. She regularly attended Holy Rosary Catholic Church – where
Mass was said in Italian – and was devoted to participating in the varied processions sponsored by the
church. She was well regarded in the community for her compassion, kindness, and charitable deeds; and
Giuseppina emerged as a positive influence in the neighborhood, becoming known as Josie.

Photo Three: Josie’s Family
Caption: Josie and Antonio with Caterina, Antonio, Jr., and Paolino. Circa 1938
Josie and Antonio moved several times within the neighborhood, and had two more children, Antonio, Jr.
and Caterina. Antonio had worked as a laborer, but during the Depression, jobs were scarce and Josie took
on the task of finding a way to increase the family’s income. She was proficient in hand crafting clothing
and tablecloths for family and friends; and found a job in piecework, a very common practice in the
garment industry at the time, where workers were paid for the number of pieces of product they produced.
Over the years, the children grew – having their own children – and Antonio worked as a superintendent
in the building where they lived. After his passing, Josie stayed in the apartment, her home filled with the
treasures of her life – pictures of relatives, statues of saints, figurines, and crucifixes – and the voices of
her grandchildren on their Sunday visits.

Photo Four: Grandchildren

Caption: Josie with grandchildren Joe, Josie, and Gino, 1959.
Her grandson Joe Angielczyk (Caterina’s son) has fond memories: “First is the Sunday dinners as so
many cousins jammed into the small apartment [Josie had thirteen grandchildren.] …. Her cooking and her
beautiful loving spirit as we arrived as she waited looking out her window overlooking First Avenue and
waving. … The piecework and sewing machine and fabric … she worked over the Singer machine till her
70s when her eyes couldn’t do it anymore. … The bedroom with all the saints lined up on the dresser
drawers, votive candles next to family photos, the three holy crosses hanging over the bed rivaled any
church.”
By the 1970s, much of the area had fallen into disrepair. Many tenants in the apartment building moved
away, leaving Josie – living alone – and an upstairs neighbor. Now close to 80 years old, on an outing
Josie was assaulted and left with bruises. Her family pleaded for her to move, but strong-willed Josie
replied, “If there’s bad people here, let the police come take them. I stay!” As the neighborhood continued
to deteriorate, Josie held firm, now the only person left living in the building.
On February 27, 1984, three fires were set in the building, turning all her possessions into ashes, and
taking her life. Her family was devastated, and so was the community. From her eulogy: “Her greatest
asset and also the eventual cause of her demise was her strength; a will to survive. … She absolutely
refused to leave it all, to escape like so many others did. … She was loved and cared for dearly by her
immediate community. Her presence will be missed greatly by all whose lives she touched.”
After investigating the cause of the fire, an arrest was made, but it was closed within six weeks. However,
Josie left an indelible impression, one her grandson could not ignore. Her life was exemplified by doing
the right thing, being responsible, and having faith; and Joe was inspired to become an advocate for her
legacy. In the course of his work, Joe learned that the case could be reopened. It was in 2004, but stymied
by conflicting reports it not only remains unsolved, but also prevented the cause of her death to be
brought to justice.
Still, Joe was not deterred. With the resolute passed down from his grandmother, he approached the City
Council requesting the corner of the street where Josie lived for thirty-five years be co-named in her
honor. Initiated in 2018, the task took six years and included support from the local community,
neighboring churches, and Italian American organizations: a petition signed by almost 200 local residents,
and assistance from the Little Italy Shrine of San Gennaro, The Church of the Most Precious Blood, Figli
di San Gennaro Society, and the Sons and Daughters of Italy, Joseph Petrosino Lodge.

Photo Five: Street Sign being held
Caption: Local supporters Bill Cardenuto and Emily DePalo with Josie’s grandson Joe
Angielczyk.
On the anniversary of her birthday in March 2024, Joe and his family paid tribute to Giuseppina Costabile
with the installation of the street sign “Giuseppina ‘Josie’ Santo Way.” It is an acknowledgement not only
to Josie, but also to all the immigrant women who endured the challenges of starting a new life in an
unfamiliar country, in providing emotional support to their families and neighbors, in adding value to
their community, and in persevering through the difficulties they faced.
Josie’s legacy lives on, but not just for those who stop at the corner and look up at the sign. Several years
ago, her great-granddaughter, Francesca, wrote a composition about her heritage for a fourth-grade class
assignment. She recounted the events – told by her father, Joe – about Josie and her tragic death, but

ended with an optimistic and thought-provoking statement, something Josie would say, “Respect
everyone, as everyone has their own story!”

Photo Six: Street Sign Installed