Thanksgiving 1946-Dominic Candeloro

It was Thanksgiving time 1946. The war was over- we had enough money to celebrate with the whole family. My mother Yolanda, less than 5 feet tall, had come home with a live 20 lbs turkey. I thought it was a pet, he was now our pet Tommaso. He lived in our backyard for only 5 days. I went to visit him, and he ran towards the fence. I slowly approached, and he started making sounds .He came towards me and I thought that we were about to become friends. I offered a piece of corn left from the harvest. I was shocked when the bird snapped at my fingers.

I cried out in pain and my mother came running out. My father rushed out carrying a rope. “Ha fatto male a mio figlio” my mother cried. Papa threw the rope around the bird and they rushed the flapping feathered creature to the basement sink where they had a metal funnel that was usually used for executing chickens. They poured the big bird in and my mother Yolanda, incredibly executed revenge on the bird for attacking her child. (So I thought until the next day when we sat down to dinner and Tomasso was the thanksgiving entree).