THE RICCA FAMILY HOMEPAGE

Top row:  John Ricca, Candido Ricca holding Paul Moretto, Don Ricca, Rosa Ricca
holding Tom Ricca, Jennie Ricca holding Joe Ricca, Pete Moretto

Front row:  Tandy Ricca, Catherine Ricca, Rose Ricca, Bonnie Moretto, Betty Moretto,
Jim Ricca, Jennie Moretto

We are told:  Antonia Cavallo, sister of Rosa Ricca, married James Moretto. They immigrated to Staunton, Illinois where they lived on a farm and gave birth to five children. When the youngest, Paul, was one year old, both parents died of the flu during the epidemic that followed World War I.  Iin 1920, Jennie Ricca (later Barra), Rosa's eldest daughter, went to Staunton and arranged for the funeral. She brought the five children to Rosa and Candido who already had nine children of their own, the youngest just six months old. 

So it was thought that the children of Antonia and James would get better care and attention if the three youngest were adopted to good homes. The two oldest, Peter and Jennie, remained with and were raised with the Ricca Family.

Two years later, on December 28,1922, Candido was killed in a mine accident involving a mule at Newsam Mines. Eleven years after his death, on September 19,1933, Rosa passed away after having surgery on a goiter.

See the Obituaries Page for details. 

Thanks to Ken Ricca for providing this picture. This photograph was taken in July 1920 at the Keystone family picnic. This photo recently appeared in the inside front cover of a book published by Jerry Klein of the Peoria Journal Star. The book is entitled A Pictorial History of Peoria Industry. 

Jennie, Rose, and Catherine, date unknown