Pasquale Isidoro Simonelli (May 4, 1878 – September 14, 1960), Commander (''Commendatore'') of the Order of the Crown of Italy, was an Italian-American banker.

Biography

Born in Saviano,

province of Naples The province of Naples (; ) was a province in the Campania region of Italy. In 2014/2015, the reform of local authorities (Law 142/1990 and Law 56/2014), replaced the province of Naples with the Metropolitan City of Naples. Demographics The p ...

, Simonelli was educated at the Normal School of

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and, at first, he worked as a bank clerk in that city. In 1897, on the ship Oregon, he sailed from

, Italy and, on February 10, arrived in New York City. Here he began to teach

Italian Language Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is ...

. In 1898–99, he worked as a librarian at St. Xavier College, New York City. In 1899, under Comm. Joseph N. Francolini, Mr. Simonelli started his banking career as a clerk with the Italian Savings Bank of New York City. The following year he was appointed secretary of the bank and in 1901, trustee. In 1902, he became a

U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Consti ...

and joined the Republican Party.

Image:carusoO.jpg, The medal that

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

gave to Pasquale Simonelli, his New York impresario
Obverse:
Caruso facing left.
Lower right:
Salanto, medal maker’s signature. Image:carusoR.jpg, Reverse:
Music Muse with lira on the left,
over PER RICORDO (memento).

In 1903, Simonelli was instrumental in securing the services of

Simonelli, Pasquale (2012), Enrico Caruso Unedited Notes, Charleston, SC.: S.E.A.O. Inc. http://amzn.com/0615714900 for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Throughout his life, he continued to engage other famous opera singers, such as Maria Barrientos, Beniamino Gigli,

Titta Ruffo Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953), born as Ruffo Cafiero (double forename) Titta, was an Italian operatic baritone who had a major international singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion"), he was greatly admi ...

, Riccardo Stracciari, and others for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Simonelli married Rosa in 1903 and had two children: Julius (born in 1904 in their summer home on Brighton Ave, Long Branch, New Jersey) and Maria. From 1920 to 1932, Mr. Simonelli was President of the Italian Savings Bank. The

King of Italy King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albani ...

, conferred upon him the honour of Commander (''Commendatore'') of the Order of the Crown of Italy. From 1922 to 1930, Simonelli was Treasurer and Director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Treasurer of the Italian Hospital of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. During those years he was also vice president of the ''Comitato'' pro

Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco (; April 22, 1891 – August 23, 1927) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (; June 11, 1888 – August 23, 1927) were Italian immigrants and anarchists who were controversially convicted of murdering Alessandro Berardelli and Frederick Parm ...

. In 1926, he was Director and organizer of the Seward National Bank. From 1927 to 1934, he was also Director of the Italian Super-Power Co. When, in 1932, the Italian Savings Bank and the East River Bank merged, giving birth to a new Institution named East River Savings Bank in New York City, Simonelli was appointed Vice-President and Trustee of this Bank with his Office at 225 Lafayette Street. He resided in New York City at 326 W. 89th St. until 1936. In 1937 Simonelli retired to Italy, at his castle “Villa Simonelli” in San Paolo Belsito, Naples. There, he spent the rest of his life as a country gentleman. He died in 1960. His remains rest in the Simonelli family mausoleum in the cemetery of Sant'Erasmo in Saviano, Naples.

''Bibliography''

* Campbell Dorcas Elisabeth,''The First Hundred Years. The Chronicle of a Mutual Savings Bank'', East River Savings Bank New York, 1949, pp. 67–69, 94. * Cannistraro, Philip V., ''Mussolini, Sacco-Vanzetti, and the Anarchists: The Transatlantic Context'', ''The Journal of Modern History'', Vol. 68, No. 1 (Mar., 1996), p. 51 n. 78. * Il Mattino, ''Italiani che onorano la Patria all'Estero. Superbo avvenire delle aziende idro-elettriche. L'attività prodigiosa del comm. Pasquale Simonelli'', La Cronaca del Mezzogiorno, 15-16 Febbraio 1928. * Il Progresso italo americano, ''Il banchiere che portò Caruso negli USA'', sezione B - supplemento illustrato della domenica, New York, 27 luglio 1986. * ''Italian-American Who’s-Who. A Biographical Dictionary of outstanding Italo-Americans and Italian Residents of the United States'', Volume One, Published by The Vigo Press, 2 Rector Street, New York City, 1935, pp. 266–267. * Italian Savings Bank, ''Italian Savings Bank. Cartered 1896'', New York City, 1920? * Jackson Stanley, ''Caruso'', First edition, New York, Stein and Day, 1972, pp. 99, 106, 110, 124. * Key Pierre V. R., Zirato B., ''Enrico Caruso. A Biography'', Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1922, pp. 170–172, 175, 179, 181, 206,207. * Simonelli, Pasquale (2012), Enrico Caruso Unedited Notes, Charleston, SC.: S.E.A.O. Inc. http://amzn.com/0615714900

References

External links

SavianoPasquale Simonelli's immigration records
*

* San Paolo Belsito
Seward National BankSimonelli Julius
* Stracciari Riccardo
Villa Simonelli
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simonelli, Pasquale 1878 births 1960 deaths People from Saviano Italian bankers Italian emigrants to the United States Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy)