Maria (now Mary) Restivo Cassaro was born on July 19, 1903, in Carini, Sicily, to Gaetano and Angelina (Orlando) Restivo.
On Jan. 25, 1914, Mary and her family, parents, two siblings and her mother's sister arrived at Ellis Island, N.Y. She attended school and then worked in the garment industry. She was a member of the I.L.G.W.U.
She met Nazareno (Nat) Cassaro in New York City. They were married on Dec. 5, 1933, and had one child, Rosette Cassaro Walsh. They moved to St. Petersburg after Mr. Cassaro's retirement in 1967. Their daughter and son-in-law Michael J. Walsh joined them in St. Petersburg only a few months later.
Mr. Cassaro died in January 1983.
Mary is a member of Transfiguration Catholic Church.
- We think that living 100 years is worth our taking notice. If you or a family member is about to celebrate a 100th birthday or more, please let us know. Include the following information: the person's full name, date of birth, place of birth, parents' names (including mother's maiden name) if known, name of spouse (if applicable), marriage date, number of children and grandchildren (if applicable), length of time the person has lived in this area and a phone number in case we have questions. Also, please include a photo that doesn't need to be returned. We'll publish the information as close to the birthday as possible. Send the information to 100-year Birthdays, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121 or fax to (727) 893-8675.
