A life well-lived - Frank Zito was a farmer's son and a much-loved father Submitted By: N.O.V.A March 2006 Source: Times Picayune 01-13-2006 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Italians immigrated to New Orleans in increasing numbers during the 19th century. By one estimate in 1910, they made up almost one-third of the city's population. Most came from Sicily, and many were farmers. Though the soil was poor where they came from, they found rich and fertile territory in Kenner, in what was known as the "Green Gold" fields. There were thousands and thousands of them. They grew everything from garlic, shallots and cabbage to beets, hot peppers and string beans. They introduced something called an eggplant, and they were superb at raising tomatoes and strawberries. One couple who settled in that area was Chiro and Sarah Zito, who came here from Palermo, Sicily, and had a farm in the Selson area, closer to St. Rose than Kenner, according to their granddaughter, Lucille Zito. Chiro Zito and his wife had 11 children, one of those being Frank D. Zito, Lucille's dad. "I remember my dad telling me that he and his father rode a horse- drawn wagon along River Road to bring produce to the French Market," she said. "They would spend the night there, sleeping on the buggy, and would ride back the next day." Historian Mel Leavitt backs that up in his "A Short History of New Orleans": "Every night, a procession of wagons rumbled into New Orleans, bound for the French Market with fresh produce. Italians like Guiseppe Uddo, founder of Progressive Foods, soon dominated the French Market. In time the French Quarter was known as Little Italy." "All I know is that he told me the ride took eight hours from Kenner to New Orleans and eight hours back," she said. "They must have been going awfully slow or they made a few stops." Four-plus months ago, Frank Zito was still getting on his riding lawn mower and cutting the grass at his home on Severn Avenue at a young 102 years old. That was right before he evacuated with Lucille and her brother, Jimmy, and sister-in-law, Rose, to the Microtel Inn in Baton Rouge. Frank Zito had not followed his father's farming ways. He worked at the Jackson Brewery for 40 years as an engineer, then when he retired he went to work for L.F. Gaubert & Co., a wire and rope company, for another 20 years. "He worked constantly. He was a workaholic. He even took on odd jobs," Lucille said. "He worked with his hands -- plumbing, electronics, anything with his hands." A couple of years ago when he was 99, he wasn't at the top of his game, but he told his daughter: "When I get to feeling better, I'm going back to work." Lucille Zito attributes her father's longevity to growing up on a farm. "He ate a lot of vegetables, very little meat," she said. "He really took care of himself. He didn't smoke or drink, which is very unusual working for a brewery." When she was a youngster, her dad took her and her brother hunting and fishing -- fishing in Lake Pontchartrain and hunting in the woods on Jefferson Parish Sheriff Frank Clancy's camp in what is probably now Chateau Estates. "He loved to hunt and fish," she said. They threw a 100th birthday party for him and invited a few family members and friends. More turned up than were invited. "I had a house full of people," Lucille said. In the spirit of things, her dad even had some champagne. A few years ago, Frank's wife, Josephine, died at 91, ending a 70- year marriage. She had complained to her daughter that none of their old friends came to see them anymore, and Lucille responded: "Mama, you outlived 'em all." While Frank Zito was staying at the Microtel Inn, he sat in the lobby and greeted and talked to people. "He so enjoyed making new friends," his daughter said. But after being there for only one week, he developed congestive heart failure and was taken to a hospital, where he died of pneumonia on Sept. 25. Frank Zito was buried in the Garden of Memories, next to his wife. In addition to his children, his survivors include two younger sisters in their 90s, Mary Mumphrey of Kenner and Josephine Chappetta of Harahan. "He had a wonderful life," Lucille Zito said. "He was a very strong- willed man. He never ever thought he was going to die. He was very determined. There are not many like him, I know that. I think of him every day -- it is a terrible loss."