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in order to help support his family. He retained his membership in the union his entire life. His father's death and his life growing up as an immigrant in West
Hoboken were the inspiration for his writings. When his mother died a few years later, Pietro assumed full responsibility for providing for
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on Sept. 15, 1939, described the book as "eloquent" and "Italian to the core...by turns operatic, lyrical, ferocious and hilarious", and commented, "It was something rare, a proletarian novel written by a proletarian." It was included in Edward O'Brien's
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On March 30, 1923, Geremio Di Donato died when a building collapsed on him, burying him in concrete. Pietro, who was twelve at the time, left school in the seventh grade to become a construction worker in the
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319:. It was well-received, and named a main selection of the Catholic Book Club and Maryknoll Book Club in 1961. Though critics felt that Di Donato's later works never achieved the quality of
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260:, who wrote the screenplay into which the novel was adapted, called it "the first of its kind", and The National Italian American Foundation called it "rare." Charles Poore, writing in
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English students at Stony Brook
University explore literary history, conducting research using one-of-a-kind, rare primary sources from the Pietro di Donato Collection
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and 31st Street, where Donato once lived, includes a plaque commemorating his life and work. Di Donato's son, Richard, was present at the ceremony.
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his family. Though he had little formal education, during a strike in the building trades he had wandered into a library and discovered French and
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Keeping Pietro Di Donato's legacy alive, his son
Richard is now maintaining a comprehensive website, detailing events not prior published, at
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181:) to Geremio, a bricklayer, and Annunziata Chinquina. He had seven other siblings. His parents had emigrated from the town of
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206:. He also took night classes at City College in construction and engineering. The family was eventually able to move to
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Following the death of his father, Di Donato became the breadwinner for his mother and seven siblings. He joined the
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Special
Collections at Stony Brook University house the Di Donato manuscripts, papers and various related artifacts
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magazine, and won an award from the
Overseas Press Club. Di Donato later adapted the article into a play entitled
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569:"Native sons and daughters: Tragedy Led Italian Novelist in UC to Pen Literary Classic; Christ in Concrete"
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147:(April 3, 1911–January 19, 1992) was an American writer and bricklayer best known for his novel,
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Helen Dean. They were married in 1943, in a ceremony performed by New York City's Mayor
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dedicated Pietro Di Donato Square on May 22, 2010. The Square, which is located at
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in front of the plaque is di Donato's son, Richard. At right is Union City Mayor
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Immigration
History Research Center Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries
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280:(U.S. title: "Christ in Concrete"), written by Ben Barzman, and directed by
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403:. They had two sons, Peter and Richard, and a stepdaughter, Harriet Mull.
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Manuscript sources, reviews, biographical material, interviews, obituary.
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670:; Union City Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony Program; May 22, 2010
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by
Matthew Diomede, published by Bucknell University Press in 1995.
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615:"Pietro di Donato Is Dead at 80; Wrote of Immigrants' Experience"
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288:. It won awards at festivals across Europe, such as the 1949
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magazine, and was subsequently expanded into a full-length,
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was published as a short story in the March 1937 issue of
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In 1958 Di Donato wrote his second novel, a sequel to
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In 1978 his article on the kidnapping and murder of
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713:"UC recognizes history with dedication and marker"
309:The Immigrant Saint: The Life of Mother Cabrini
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804:Deaths from bone cancer in the United States
668:Pietro Di Donato: Acclaimed American Author
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334:The following year Di Donato published
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202:novels, becoming particularly fond of
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567:Rosero, Jessica (February 12, 2006).
169:Di Donato was born April 3, 1911, in
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613:Severo, Richard (January 21, 1992).
784:American writers of Italian descent
450:Pietro DiDonato, the Master Builder
351:Christian Democratic Party of Italy
161:novelists of the mid-20th century.
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779:People from Union City, New Jersey
441:, with his last unfinished novel,
419:, May 22, 2010. Holding a copy of
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839:American male non-fiction writers
819:People from Stony Brook, New York
682:"An Immigrant's Pain in Concrete"
789:American conscientious objectors
680:Strickland, Carol (1990-10-14).
375:in response to the execution of
814:People from Northport, New York
794:20th-century American novelists
448:He is the subject of the book
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311:, a fictionalized account of
134:Immigrant Saint: The Life of
242:main selection, edging out
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269:Best Short Stories of 1938
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738:Pietro di Donatio papers
439:Stony Brook, Long Island
391:Quaker camp, met former
234:with an introduction by
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30:Not to be confused with
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509:Three Circles of Light
464:Union City, New Jersey
457:www.PietroDiDonato.com
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417:Union City, New Jersey
397:Fiorello H. La Guardia
381:conscientious objector
373:Young Communist League
313:Frances Xavier Cabrini
305:Three Circles of Light
240:Book of the Month Club
208:Northport, Long Island
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401:Setauket, Long Island
389:Cooperstown, New York
92:Stony Brook, New York
809:American bricklayers
537:The American Gospels
520:(1962, biography of
500:(1960, biography of
437:January 19, 1992 in
290:Venice Film Festival
155:The Great Depression
249:The Grapes of Wrath
185:, in the region of
686:The New York Times
620:The New York Times
529:Naked As An Author
481:Christ in Concrete
433:Di Donato died of
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422:Christ in Concrete
377:Sacco and Vanzetti
349:(president of the
340:Naked as an Author
321:Christ in Concrete
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517:The Penitent
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87:(1992-01-19)
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769:1911 births
435:bone cancer
282:blacklisted
258:Ben Barzman
229:blue-collar
195:trade union
763:Categories
699:2023-02-17
545:References
489:This Woman
301:This Woman
284:filmmaker
204:Émile Zola
189:in Italy.
179:Union City
175:New Jersey
165:Early life
115:bricklayer
98:Occupation
75:Union City
64:1911-04-03
694:0362-4331
356:Penthouse
347:Aldo Moro
327:became a
317:canonized
254:Salon.com
631:March 4,
625:Archived
585:March 4,
579:Archived
393:showgirl
110:reporter
105:Novelist
740:at the
540:(2000).
443:Gospels
299:called
224:Esquire
200:Russian
187:Abruzzo
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532:(1970)
512:(1960)
492:(1958)
483:(1939)
214:Career
183:Vasto
177:(now
73:(now
690:ISSN
633:2023
587:2023
361:Moro
82:Died
56:Born
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