The family of Silvestre DiFiore (1835) and Mary Cristina Scaduto (1842) would experience their first tragedy in America, the accidental death of their son, Vincenzo DiFiore.
The story is told by brothers Sylvester and Vincent DiFiore and recorded by Roger Evans:
Sylvester and Vincent recalled: "My uncle Vincent drowned on a hot day when he went swimming in the Hudson River and there was no foul play according to my father, Cosimo. Uncle Vincent tied the bottom of the long underwear he had worn and when he dove in, as presumed, his ling underwear immediately filled with water by an opening and he was forced to the bottom of the Hudson. This was old to me by my father, who had to identify Uncle Vincent, his brother. A friend from Bagheria was on the shore when Vincenzo called for help, but the friend thought he was joking because he knew Vincenzo had been one of the best swimmers in Bagheria. Vincenzo sank and drown and the family of Silvestre and Cristina has experienced its first tragedy."
Just 13 months after arriving in America, the body of Vincenzo DiFiore, which had drifted many miles, was recovered on September 8, 1904 in the Harlem River off E. 150th St. in the Bronx. The Coroner would determine that Vincenzo died on September 4, 1904 due to "asphyxia submission." The body was, at first, unidentified and an initial death certificate determined that "an unknown man" was born in Italy and was 45 years of age. Cosimo would later identify the body of his brother and a subsequent death certificate recorded Vincenzo had lived in the US an the City of New York for 13 months, was married, a "macaroni worker," had lived at 639 E 12th St and died at the age of 33 years, 9 months and 23 days. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.
His wife, Salvatrice Fazzino was 5 months pregnant at the time of his death.
