Raffaella lived to see all of her children married except Lou. She died on 15 October 1937 - causes of death listed as auricular fibulation, mitral stenosis and glycosuria. That basically means that the doctor didn't have a clue which one killed her but had evidence that she was suffering from all three. She'd been poorly for a while and had been in a wheelchair for a good bit.
Nicola followed her ten years later. In June 1947, the war safely behind him, Nicola went back to Pontone to see the family.
Cousins of dad's whom I was to meet much later remember him - zio Nicola (uncle Nick). While there he took ill and was taken to hospital in Salerno. The story goes that the doctors told him there was nothing wrong with him and sent him home. A couple of days later he died.
My grampa was convinced that Nicola knew he was going to die and that's why he went back to Pontone. I'd like to believe that that's right.
A couple of days after he died, Tony and Lou went over to collect him and bring him 'home'.
From that point on, contact between the Criscuolos in Pontone and those in St Pancras was lost.
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