Domenick DiPasquale papers, 1903–2020
Information, Description, and Finding Aid
Collection Information
Reference: MS-DIPASQ
Dates: 1903–2020 (bulk 1970–1982)
Extent: 0.5 linear ft. across 1 archival box
Finding Aid Information
Creator(s): Steven Payne, Ph.D., Librarian and Archivist
Date created/updated: August 24, 2020; additional material processed on July 9, 2021 and January 10, 2022
Biography
The connection between the DiPasquale family and The Bronx began in the early 1910s when Gabriel DiPasquale emigrated from Teramo in Italy’s Abruzzi region and settled in Williamsbridge, home to a growing number of Italian immigrants. In 1924, he purchased a house on East 211th Street that remained in the DiPasquale family for the next 60 years until 1984. It was in this house that Gabriel’s three sons, Louis, Domenick, and Gabe, grew up and also spent the vast majority of their adult lives.
Throughout the years, the family maintained a strong bond with the Immaculate Conception Church on Gun Hill Road, which originally started in the early 1900s in a small store front on White Plains Road and 215th Street. The parish continued to grow during the early years of its existence and began to do so markedly after Capuchin friars took over pastoral care in 1920. The original wooden church burned down on December 23, 1923, and land was purchased for a new building on Gun Hill Road east of Holland Avenue at 754 East Gun Hill Road. The new building, designed by architect Joseph Ziccardi in a neo-romanesque style, was completed on December 4, 1925, and the parish has operated continuously ever since. For much of its existence during the twentieth century, the parish was primarily comprised of the Italian immigrants and their families who were heavily concentrated in the neighborhood. Since the late twentieth century, however, the demographics of the parish have shifted with the steady influx of immigrants to the area from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and elsewhere. The parish’s Italian heritage, nevertheless, still remains prominent. All the same, after a 102-year presence at Immaculate Conception, the Capuchins announced in March 2022 that they would be turning over administration of the parish to the Archdiocese of New York in June 2022.
Domenick DiPasquale, the son of Domenick Sr., likewise grew up on East 211th Street. His education took place entirely in the Bronx—at Immaculate Conception School (1958–1967), Fordham Prep (1967–1971), and Fordham University (1971–1975). The year after graduating college, he entered the Foreign Service with the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) to begin a 27-year career that took him to six different overseas assignments (Ghana, Kenya, Brazil, Bosnia, Singapore, and Slovenia). He never forgot his Bronx roots, however, nor completely lost his Bronx accent, and is honored to donate the materials in this collection that reflect and document his Bronx heritage.
Description/Scope and Content
The Domenick DiPasquale papers are divided into three series:
1) Documents and photographs related to Immaculate Conception Church and the surrounding Williamsbridge neighborhood, including issues of the parish newspaper, The Catholic Monitor, 1939–1980s, a collection of photographs of events at Immaculate Conception [=PH-DIPASQUALE.5–22], various church publications and paraphernalia, and four photographs from the filming of a scene in The Godfather (1972) [=PH-DIPASQUALE.1–4] outside Louie’s Restaurant and Vavolizza’s Travel Agency on White Plains Road;
2) Newspaper clippings and other material documenting urban change, devastation, and attempts at renewal in The Bronx and New York City at large, 1970–1979;
3) Miscellaneous items from Bronx politics and cultural institutions, 1956–1976.
Provenance
The Domenick DiPasquale papers were donated to the Society by Domenick DiPasquale in multiple installments during June–August 2020. A small donation of additional newspaper issues was made in February 2021. A final donation of additional material was made in November 2021.
Preferred Citation
[Item name or description,] Domenick DiPasquale papers, box _, folder _, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Points of Access
- Bronx geographical features -- Bronx River
- Catholic Church -- Capuchins (O.F.M. Cap.) -- The Catholic Monitor -- Immaculate Conception Church (Gun Hill Road, The Bronx, New York) -- Immaculate Conception School
- Cultural institutions -- New York Botanical Garden -- Woodlawn Cemetery
- Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Albanians -- African Americans -- Italians -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas)
- Fascism -- anti-communism -- Franco, Francisco
- Housing -- abandonment -- arson
- Individuals -- Accorsi, Ray -- Baranello, Fr. Richard -- Catallo, Fr. Sylvester -- DiPasquale, Domenick, Jr. -- DiPasquale, Domenick, Sr. -- Pacino, Al -- Pietrantonio, Fr. Thomas -- Spellman, Francis Cardinal
- Movies -- The Godfather
- Neighborhoods -- Williamsbridge
- New York City history -- demographic change -- free enterprise zones -- planned shrinkage -- urban renewal
- Politics and political parties, The Bronx, New York -- Republican Party
Related Collections
- Mario Biaggi papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Political Campaigns collection. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Nestor Danyluk photograph collection. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Pelham Parkway Jewish Center papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Joseph F. Periconi, Jr. papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Roman Catholic Parish Histories. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Mel Rosenthal papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Camilo José Vergara photographic slides. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society.
Series
| Series | Title | Box | Folders |
| 1 | Immaculate Conception and Williamsbridge | 1 | 1–58 |
| 2 | Urban change, devastation, renewal attempts | 1 | 59–65 |
| 3 | Miscellaneous | 1 | 66–73 |
Container List
Series 1: Immaculate Conception and Williamsbridge
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
1 |
Accorsi, Ray, Testimonial for 60 years of service at Immaculate Conception | January 30, 1977 |
|
1 |
2 |
Baranello, Fr. Richard, O.F.M. Cap., Silver Jubilee | May 22, 1977 |
|
1 |
3 |
Barnello, Fr. Richard, O.F.M. Cap., Special Tribute | June 9, 1982 |
|
1 |
4 |
Catallo, Fr. Sylvester, O.F.M. Cap., Silver Jubilee | May 8, 1979 |
|
1 |
5 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 4, no. 2 | February 1939 |
|
1 |
6 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 6, no. 8 | August 1941 |
|
1 |
7 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 6, no. 10 | October 1941 |
|
1 |
8 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 7, no. 3 | March 1942 |
|
1 |
9 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 10, no. 6 | June 1945 |
|
1 |
10 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 10, no. 8 | August 1945 |
|
1 |
11 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 10, no. 8 | August 1945 |
|
1 |
12 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 11, no. 4 | April 1946 |
|
1 |
13 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 18, no. 10 | October 1953 |
|
1 |
14 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 32, no. 6 | June 1967 |
|
1 |
15 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 35, no. 5 | April–May 1970 |
|
1 |
16 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 39, no. 2 | February 1974 |
|
1 |
17 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 39, no. 9 | November 1974 |
|
1 |
18 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 39, no. 10 | December 1974 |
|
1 |
19 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 40, no. 5 | June 1975 |
|
1 |
20 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 40, no. 6 | September 1975 |
|
1 |
21 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 40, no. 7 | October 1975 |
|
1 |
22 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 40, no. 8 | November 1975 |
|
1 |
23 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 40, no. 8 suppl. | November 16, 1975 |
|
1 |
24 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 41, no. 4 | April 1976 |
|
1 |
25 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 41, no. 7 | September–October 1976 |
|
1 |
26 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 41, no. 8 | November 1976 |
|
1 |
27 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 41, no. 9 | December 1976 |
|
1 |
28 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 1 | January 1977 |
|
1 |
29 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 2 | February 1977 |
|
1 |
30 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 4 | April 1977 |
|
1 |
31 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 6 | June 1977 |
|
1 |
32 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 8 | October 1977 |
|
1 |
33 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 42, no. 10 | December 1977–January 1978 |
|
1 |
34 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 48 [sic], no. 4 | June 1978 |
|
1 |
35 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 45, no. 2 | March 1979 |
|
1 |
36 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 45, no. 4 | May 1979 |
|
1 |
37 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 45, no. 6 |
September 1979 |
|
1 |
38 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 45, no. 7 | October 1979 |
|
1 |
39 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 45, no. 8 | December 1979 |
|
1 |
40 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 48, no. 3 | May 1982 |
|
1 |
41 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 48, no. 5 | October 1982 |
|
1 |
42 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 48, no. 6 | November 1982 |
|
1 |
43 |
Catholic Monitor, vol. 48, no. 8 | Christmas 1982 |
|
1 |
44 |
The Catholic News Directory of The Bronx | 1975 |
|
1 |
45 |
The Catholic News, Special Edition on Francis Cardinal Spellman | May 5, 1966 |
|
1 |
46 |
DiPasquale, Domenick, Jr., The ICS Chronicles, History of ICS Class of 1967 | 2017 |
|
1 |
47 |
DiPasquale, Domenick, Sr., Silver Wedding Jubilee, liturgy | January 16, 1977 |
|
1 |
48 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.1: Al Pacino and Sterling Hayden standing on White Plains Road during filming of The Godfather | March 31, 1971 |
|
1 |
48 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.2: Al Letteiri standing on White PLains Road during the filming of The Godfather | March 31, 1971 |
|
1 |
48 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.3: Antique car (c. 1940s) parked on White Plains Road during filming of The Godfather | March 31, 1971 |
|
1 |
48 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.4: Storefront of Vavolizza's Travel Agency, 3531 White Plains Road, during filming of The Godfather | March 31, 1971 |
|
1 |
49 |
Immaculate Conception Church, financial report, parish dinner-dance and car raffle | 1973 |
|
1 |
50 |
Immaculate Conception Church, Golden Jubilee Anniversary Program | 1974 |
|
1 |
51 |
Immaculate Conception Church, Golden Jubilee Mass program | 1974 |
|
1 |
52 |
Immaculate Conception Church, Holy Name Society, medal and ribbon | c.1938–1940 |
|
1 |
53 |
Immaculate Conception Church, pastors, list of | 1903–2020 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.5: DiPasquale family home, 779 E. 211th Street | 1939 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.6: Procession of priests and altar boys in from of Immaculate Conception | 1939 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.7: Neighborhood procession of Immaculate Conception Third Order of St. Francis | 1940s |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.8: Immaculate Conception religious procession on E. 214th Street between Bronxwood and Barnes Avenues | late 1940s |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.9: Immaculate Conception religious procession on E. 214th Street between Bronxwood and Barnes Avenues | late 1940s |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.10: Immaculate Conception religious procession on E. 214th Street between Bronxwood and Barnes Avenues | late 1940s |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.11: Immaculate Conception religious procession at corner of E. 214th Street and Barnes Avenues | late 1940s |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.12: Immaculate Conception Church façade | 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.13: Immaculate Conception Church with school under construction to left, from northwest corner of Gun Hill Road and Holland Avenue | December 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.14: Candlelight procession with illuminated float, Feast of Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Conception Church | December 8, 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.15: Candlelight procession with illuminated float, Feast of Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Conception Church | December 8, 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.16: Dedication of Immaculate Conception School cornerstone | December 10, 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.17: Dedication of Immaculate Conception School cornerstone | December 10, 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.18: Dedication of Immaculate Conception School cornerstone | December 10, 1950 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.19: Dedication of Immaculate Conception School | December 9, 1951 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.20: Dedication of Immaculate Conception School | December 9, 1951 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.21: Francis Cardinal Spellman in auditorium of Immaculate Conception Church | December 9, 1951 |
|
1 |
54 |
PH-DIPASQUALE.22: Group shot of Immaculate Conception altar boys in front of church alter, showing Domenick, Sr. as a young boy on far left of front row, a young Ray Accorsi between Domenick, Sr. and priest, and Gabe DiPasquale directly behind Ray | c.1938–1939 |
|
1 |
55 |
Immaculate Conception Church, prayer card, special Lenten mission | 1938 |
|
1 |
56 |
Newspaper clippings: Immaculate Conception | 1923–1979 |
|
1 |
57 |
Newspaper clippings: Williamsbridge | 1979 |
|
1 |
58 |
Pietrantonio, Fr. Thomas, O.F.M. Cap., Silver Jubilee | May 19, 1974 |
Series 2: Urban Change, Devastation, Renewal Attempts
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
59 |
Correspondence, James C. Finley, S.J., to James L. Buckley, re: Fordham Road Redevelopment | 1974 |
|
|
60 |
Newspaper clippings: Education | 1984 |
|
1 |
61 |
Newspaper clippings: Ethnic groups, Italians and Albanians | 1970–1979 |
|
1 |
62 |
Newspaper clippings: Crime and policing in New York | 1972–1976 |
|
1 |
63 |
Newspaper clippings: Demographic change and white flight in The Bronx and New York | 1972–1976 |
|
1 |
64 |
Newspaper clippings: Poverty and inequality in The Bronx and New York | 1973 |
|
1 |
65 |
Newspaper clippings: Urban devastation and revitalization in The Bronx and New York | 1970–1979 |
Series 3: Miscellaneous
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
66 |
Citizens Union Voters Directory, Bronx Edition | 1974 |
|
1 |
67 |
Marchi-Kelly-Battista-Ribustello Campaign Flyer, Bronx Republicans | 1969 |
|
1 |
68 |
Newspaper clippings: Fordham | 1974–1994 |
|
1 |
69 |
Newspaper clippings: Miscellaneous on The Bronx | 1964–1976 |
|
1 |
70 |
Newspaper clippings: New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx River | 1971–1974 |
|
1 |
71 |
New York Botanical Garden invitation to Reopening of Exhibit Hall | 1974 |
|
1 |
72 |
New York Botanical Garden newsletter, vol. 9, no. 4 | May–June 1974 |
|
1 |
73 |
Woodlawn Cemetery map | 1956 |