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Cesare Frazzini

1871 Birth

1887 US Arrival

1899 Article in the Salt Lake Herald

1903 Odgen, UT

Cesare Frazzini Original photo © Franklin Smith, used with permission.

1907 Ellis Island Arrival

1910 Departure from the US

1910 Ellis Island Arrival

1913 Naturalization

1920 Census Denver, CO

2657 Bryant Street
Frazzini, Cesare  47y, emigrated 1887, naturalized 1913,
Degna, wife 41y, emigrated 1901, naturalized 1913
Joe A., son 16y, born in UT
Mary E., daughter 15y, born in UT
Concetta, daughter 12y, born in UT
Elodia, daughter 11y, born in UT
Bice, daugher 8y, born in Italy

Cesare Frazzini and Family
© Copyright 2004 Franklin Smith - used with permission

1923 Press Photo of Cesare Frazzini

A few months ago they offered another press photo, on the back was written "Frazzini" with the date Dec. 1. 1923, wich I purchased and scanned (see attached). From the other photos on your web site, I believe this is Cesare. I went to the libaray and searched the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News around that date, but could find no article orphoto. Bradley.

I sent an email to Jerri Frazzini Bottomly, Cesare's grandniece, she replied: Hi Mark: Thanks for the picture. I was almost shocked when I saw it, how much he looks like my dad always looked to me.  He looks exactly like my father did when he was young. As far as I can remember, I don't think I ever saw Cesare, or else I was too young to remember him. (Mark's note: Cesare died in 1929 just a few months before Jerri was born) Perhaps he was in Utah when I was growing up? Thanks again, Jerri

1929 Death

1930 Census Denver, CO

Cesare and Degna's Children

Son - Joseph C. Frazzini

Daughter - Mary E. Frazzini

Written on back: "Miss Mary Frazzini Vice President and Treasurer Empire Savings Bank & Loan Assoc. Denver, CO" Printed on back: Morganti Studios, Denver Cesare Frazzini's daughter. Probably from around 1950 Photo sent to me by Jerri Frazzini Bottomly

Mary Frazzini Retirement from Empire Savings & Loan Association 31 Dec 1970 (Found on eBay)

"This photo originates from the archives of the Seattle Times news paper."

Date:    Tue, 13 May 2003 14:05:50 -0400 (EDT) From:    Jfbottomlyaol.com Subject:    Mary Frazzini Hi Mark and Ron: Yes, Mary Frazzini was a good soul.  I knew her throughout my life.  She was very much admired, especially because she had reached heights that few women reached during her day--Vice-President of the North Denver Bank, or whatever it was called.  (Mark, one of the articles I sent you has an article about her). After my father died in 1985, she and my mother kind of "adopted" each other.  They spent many hours together, and always spent Sunday afternoons having lunch at a nice restaurant, and then going back to one of their home to watch football or baseball or some other program on TV.  My mother didn't drive, and Mary did, so mom was delighted to be able to do all the things she did with Mary.  They used to sit on my mom's patio for hours recalling old times, and laughing and talking. I had always known about Mary's affair with the bank president, because it was a cause for concern for my grandmother Carolina and my aunt Jenny.  Mary herself was very open about it, and one of those days when I was visiting Mother she told me the whole story.  It is really a beautiful, romantic story, even though the president was married all during that time.  But Mary was showered with his love, his gifts, and his whole heart.  She loved him unequivocally, and, as I recall, his wife even knew about her.  I really don't recall the details but I do remember Mary's demeanor as she told me.  Even though he had been gone awhile, her face radiated when she spoke of him. He gave her everything he could, but she made her own way in that bank. She was a financial genius, and really a genius at most everything.  My dad used to tell me that since she was a child of first cousins, that the genes were so much alike that some of the children got all the good genes (health and brains), while some of the others were not so lucky.  There was one sister, whom I can't recall her name, who was sick almost all her life, and died very young.  Constance was her sister too (you have an article about her, Mark), and Joe Frazzini.   Lela Frazzini was another sister.  She was always kind of pale and thin, but very sweet.  I think it was Bea who died young. I don't remember much about them, but I do remember Mary.  She was a power.   She began to lose her memory in the early 90's and Mother began to be afraid to drive with her.  She ran into something once, but I forget the details. According to my brother Lew, she had someone come in to take care of her at the end of her life.  She was unaccountably wealthy, but lived in that little house on Clyde Place most of her life.  I'm not sure if she had Altzheimer's or (just like my mother) just had advanced senility, but I hated to hear that that mind of hers had changed.  She always had such a twinkle in her eye, and she absolutely lit up the room when she walked inito it. What do you think of those articles, Mark?  Aren't they fascinating?  And I agree with Ron.  I think Prospero did a great deal of good in his banking business and throughout his life.  He made some fatal mistakes, but looking at the total contribution of his life, he was kind and giving. Jerri

From:    "Timothy R Smith" <timrsmithearthlink.net> Subject:    Frazzini Family Date:    Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:11:33 -0700 Hello Mark - Please, what is your relationship to the Frazzini family?  In particular, who alive today would be closest to Mary Frazzini? I am interested because my mother's family (Savario and Concetta Ferrante, originally from Pescara and Castel di Sangro, then briefly in Denver, and later Firestone, CO) were friends with Mary and her family who would often come to Firestone for Sunday dinner. I have a momento that someone may be interested in knowing about.  I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Timothy R Smith Lompoc, California

Timothy, Thanks for your email about Mary Frazzini. My mother was a Frazzini and it is through her that I am related to the Frazzini's in Denver. Mary, as you probably know, never had any children and her siblings never married or had children. When she died, she had no direct descendants, nieces or nephews. Her father, Cesare, was one of the Frazzini brothers (Prospero, Felicito and Antonio were the others) who settled and made their mark in Denver. I am in touch with many descendants of the three brothers of Cesare. So the only relatives left are children and grandchildren of Mary's cousins. In any case, through mailing lists and the Yahoo! Group that we have (about the Frazzini home town of San Pietro Avellana) I can communicate to everyone any information that you might have. Let me know how you want to proceed. ciao.  Mark

Hello Mark - My mother eventually lost contact with them all during WW2 years; none were married at that time, but she would not have known about later on.  My mother is now 86, but a long time ago, Mary gave my mother a small oil painting she had made.  It has no title or date, but it is signed, and appears to be a scene from Italy.  My mother recalls that Mary made quite a few paintings during the time she knew her.  At any rate, this one still belongs to my mother, but it seems most appropriate to try to make a scan or photograph of it for now, and then you can share it with surviving family members through your channels.  I believe I can quite safely remove it from the frame it has been in for probably close to 60 - 65 years.  It may take a while to get a good quality image, but you'll be hearing from me. Best regards, Timothy

Timothy, Your plan sounds good. I think we would all be interested in seeing  a scan of the painting. Could you add some historical context to it as well? Maybe what your mother remembers about the get-togethers with the Frazzini, or about the time when the painting was given. So for us, any information helps to fill in holes in our genealogy research. Thanks,  Mark

Hello again, Mark - A scan of the painting is attached.  Colors appear very close to the original on my screen and printer; the varnish is slightly yellowed from age.  The actual painting is 9" x 12" and is signed in the lower left.  My mother thinks she was about 10 or 11 when she received this, which would date the painting to about 1934-35.  You may use or distribute this as you wish. I'm sorry, but my mother does not remember much else about the painting.  I did learn that at one point, my mother went to stay with the Frazzini girls for a week or so.  As I mentioned, the Frazzinis would often visit with my grandparents in Firestone on Sundays.  If I were to guess, since both families had a number of girls, I would guess they were all friends at that age.  Hope you liked the painting; we always have. Timothy

Timothy, Its an interesting painting. I thought that it might have been from the mountain town that the family was from, San Pietro Avellana, but its obviously a coastal setting. Thanks for it, I will let all the Frazzini cousins know about it. I don't recall if I mentioned it but Castel di Sangro is just a few miles from San Pietro Avellana. For you, I've attached some documents that I found on ancestry if you don't already have them: 1910 census from Denver showing Saverio Ferrante and family in Denver. The interesting thing is that they have two boarders, Thomas and Rosa Settefrati. I actually have received a photo of these Settefrati from another researcher although she did not know exactly who they were. The Settefrati family name is definitely from San Pietro Avellana and were (in some way) related to the Frazzini family. I have tried to research Tommaso but the records from Italy are a dead end because the birth year records for him (1881) were lost. The Settefrati family remained in Denver after the Ferrante family moved. In here somewhere are the clues about why the Frazzini family and Ferrante family were such close friends. 1918 WWI Draft Registration of Saverio in Firestone. 1920 census from Firestone, CO. 1930 census - the Firestone census is 4 pages. I looked at all four pages and I could not find the family. ciao. Mark PS: I tried to find some immigration documents for Saverio but I could not.

Daughter - Constance A. Frazzini

Daughter - Lela E. Frazzini

Written on back: Lela Frazzini Cesare's daughter Unknown Date Photo sent to me by Jerri Frazzini Bottomly

Daughter - Beatrice Frazzini