Carriero Family Helps Dedicate New Bell Tower in Ancestral Home in Italy

A lightning storm damaged the bell in the tower of the Mother Church in Montescaglioso, Italy, a decade ago. Since then, the church has been struggling to raise enough money to replace the damaged bell.

But Rocco Carriero of Remsenburg and his family, who have ties to the small Italian town, recently helped push the project over the finish line with a $10,000 donation and were on hand last week to celebrate the installation of the new bell.

Montescaglioso is an old, rustic town in southern Italy. The closest major city is Matera, which dates back over 10,000 years. Matera is an ancient city, the third-oldest still-inhabited city in the world, after Jericho and Aleppo.

“Lightning struck the bell a while ago,” Carriero, who owns Rocco A. Carriero Wealth Partners in Southampton, said over the phone last week while in Italy with his family: daughter Ella Carriero, son Luca Carriero, wife Heather Carriero, and mother Ginetta Carriero.

“Over 10 years ago … and it changed the sound of the bell,” he said of the lightning strike. “It wouldn’t radiate the sound.”

With the money donated, in addition to a new bell, which came at a total cost of about $41,000, the parish was also able to add an automated timer to ring the bell at certain times every day. Before the renovation, someone would have to climb to the top of the tower to ring the bell.

Coincidentally, St. Rocco is the patron saint of the town that Carriero’s parents grew up in. Last week, as Carriero and his family were visiting, the town was celebrating the feast of St. Rocco. The church decided to inaugurate the bell to coincide with the feast.

It is like a homecoming week, as natives of the town return for the festival, and the population jumps from about 10,400 to 50,000 people.

Carriero joked that probably 25 percent of the town’s population is named Rocco, after the saint.

Carriero’s parents left Italy in 1962, and he was born in the United States in 1973. But the family has maintained a connection to their hometown roots. “We always come back every year or every other year,” he said. “We still have family here.”

In the southern part of Italy, where Carriero’s family hails from, they do have some economic challenges. He said that his town has a 26 percent unemployment rate.

The region that they’re in is the most challenged economically, he said, but it is, in his opinion, the most authentic part of Italy — the rustic part of the country that dates back well before the life of Jesus Christ. In 2019, Matera was named the Historic Capital of Europe. There are cave dwellings with proof of ancient civilizations. Montescaglioso’s economy is primarily based on agriculture.

“It’s also great to see the next generation stay connected to the town,” Carriero explained, adding that he was the first generation in the United States. “Now Ella and her cousins are the second generation in the U.S., and remain connected to this town.”

Carriero added that he thought it was a shame that many Italian Americans don’t know the villages that their ancestors are from.

There are many churches in Montescaglioso, Carriero explained, but the largest church is the one that was struck by lightning. The Mother Church — or Chiesa Madre — was rebuilt in the late Baroque style over a preexisting medieval structure.

The Baroque style painter Mattia Preti’s work adorns the chapel on four canvases in the aisles as well as a 15th century panel of the Madonna with Child.

The bell project is now complete, and last Monday night, Ella Carriero, 17, a student at Westhampton Beach High School, read during a Mass at the church. Prior to the trip, she lectured at the Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton.

“We’re here with a group of 26 family members who came here for the celebration of the bell and all of the St. Rocco festivals,” he added. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

His mother is one of seven children, and Carriero has 21 first cousins, many of whom contributed to get the bell project finished. The church was raising funds for 10 years.

“I love it. I feel like now that our names are on the bell, we are in this town forever,” Ella Carriero said. “It’s really great to be connected to this town. Not only do I have family here, but now I have friends here.”

“The second generation will know,” Carriero said of his kids and family. “They’ll continue to visit and contribute to the town in a positive way. They’re looking for ways to give back and recognize their roots. After we’re gone, our hope is that they stay connected.”

Carriero said that his wife loves visiting Italy, and she’s developed relationships with the people there.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s wonderful. All of the Italian people are just the most kind, generous, and wonderful people. They’ll give you their shirt off their back.”

Carriero said that sentiment was demonstrated — literally — recently as he was walking down the street and mentioned to a man that he liked his shirt.

The man responded by offering the shirt to Carriero.