Harrison County, West Virginia    Biography of Biagio MERENDINO

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Submitted by Vivian Brinker, <VIVIANB@RAVEN.CCC.CC.KS.US>, March 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II.
pg. 351


BIAGIO MERENDINO.  Deservedly prominent among the 
representative citizens of Clarksburg, is Biagio Berendino, 
a leading member of the Harrison County bar, and Spanish 
Consul for West Virginia, as well as Royal Consular Agent 
of Italy, for this state.  For sixteen years Mr. Merendino 
has been a citizen of the United States, but he is a native 
of Italy, a country that has long been associated with 
America in the bonds of friendly appreciation.

Biagio Merendino was born at Corleon, Italy, May 5, 1877, 
the second of three sons born to Vincent and Frances 
(Colletti) Merendino.  His older brother, Anthony, is an 
architect residing at Mount Vernon, New York, and his younger 
brother, Joseph, is a practicing physician in New York City.

The late Vincent Merendino, in the boyhood of his son Biagio,
was an extensive grower of oranges and lemons, owning vast
plantations in Italy and doing an extensive exporting business.
He was a man of wealth and influence second to none in his
province and had every reason to believe that his loyalty and 
good intentions were understood by those in authority.  But 
political changes came about in Italy as elsewhere, and Mr.
Merendino found himself ruined in business and despoiled of
his honestly earned wealth, and these unhappy conditions made
it easier for him to seek a home with his family in another 
country, and in 1898 they came to the United States.  During
the latter part of his life he resided at Mount Vernon, New 
York, and there his death occurred in 1917, at the age of 
seventy-two years.  His widow survives and resides at 
Clarksburg, West Virginia.

Biagio Merendino enjoyed both educational and social 
advantages in his youth in his native land.  He had private 
tutors in boyhood and under their instructon was prepared 
for his seminary course at Montereale, following which he 
entered upon the study of medicine at Palermo, but when his 
family came to the United States he accompanied them, and 
shortly afterward was graduated at the New York Institute 
of Pharmacy, and then entered into the business world as a 
drug clerk, not having given up at that time, however, his 
hope of becoming a physician.  Some time later Mr. Merendino 
became adjuster of claims, in New York City, for the Union 
Casualty Company, a business connection that involved many 
legal issues and led to his taking up the study of law, in 
which he became so interested that he finally put aside his 
medical hopes and decided to prepare himself for the practice 
of law, discovering latent talents in this direction.  He 
completed his law course in Cumberland University at
Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1912 receiving his degree of LL. B.

Mr. Merendino returned then to New York City, where he 
occupied himself for a time in clerical work in an abstract 
department and other minor law business, it not being very 
easy then, as now, to secure a firm footing without capital 
and influence.  Such being the case he worked too hard, even 
to the point of a breakdown in his health, but he was 
preserved from that calamity by one of those fortunate 
incidental occurrences that have changed many a man's whole 
career.

In the course of his legal effors, Mr. Merendino had become 
chief conselor for the Richland Improvement Company which
had interests to be financed at Clarksburg, West Virginia, 
and in 1913, mainly as a matter of relaxation, he consented 
to accompany the company's representative to Clarksburg to 
look the field over.  It was just at this time that an 
Italian was being held in that city on a charge of murder, 
and on account of his nationality, Mr. Merendino was employed 
to defend the unfortunate man.  To this accidental incident 
the good people of Clarksburg owe the locating here of one of 
their ablest lawyers and most highly esteemed citizens.  From 
the first he has enjoyed a large practice and for several 
years past has been associated with W. Frank Stout, under the 
firm name of Merendino & Stout.

In 1904 Mr. Merendino was married to Miss Cira Bivona, a native
of Italy, and they have five children.  Mr. Merendino is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Politically he is a
republican and fraternally an Elk.  Since 1916 he has filled 
his consular offices with thorough efficiency.