Moving Into Family History: A Story from the Little Dublin Neighborhood of Rye
“All the houses in Rye are super expensive, so we’re priced out of a lot of things,” said Toby Waring. “We’d see the houses go up for sale, and it’s two million bucks for a fixer upper. So that was pretty discouraging.”
Waring and his wife Kelly Mitten had their sights set on Rye. They had already made the move from New York City to Stamford, and Waring was tiring of his long commute back into the City where he works on commercial real estate in Brooklyn. Mitten had family connections to Rye dating back to the late 1800s when her great great grandfather immigrated from Italy.
“We were priced out on Zillow, [so] I started looking on Craigslist, and I found a listing that had no pictures, just had words, no address, just “four family house for sale, in Rye,” said Waring.
He replied to the ad. Nothing. No response.
Six weeks later, Waring messaged the Craiglist poster again. He then got a call from a blocked number. The man on the other end of the line would not say his name, or the address of the property. The man agreed to call Waring in two weeks, on a Sunday morning, and provide the address of the Rye property.
Waring and Mitten went with it.
After a morning hike in the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary, the call came from the Craigslist poster. The four family house was in Rye’s West Rye / Little Dublin neighborhood at 219 Central Avenue. On the drive over, Kelly Mitten called her mother, who grew up in Rye until age 11.
“I could hear Kelly’s mom Patti screaming through the phone – like something was happening,” said Waring. “And it turns out that Kelly’s great, great grandfather built this property. And that Kelly’s mom grew up there, and her grandfather grew up there. And then, through divine intervention, is what I’ll call it, it landed back in our laps.”
“And we bought it,” said Mitten.
Not only did Mitten’s great, great grandfather Donato Mainiero build the home in the 1920s, but many family members lived in all four apartments over the years, until the property finally left family ownership in the late 1970s.
Donato Mainiero was also known for establishing the Feast of Saint Donato festival in 1892 with his father John. According to old press reports, the annual festival, dedicated to an early church bishop, would attract thousands of visitors from around the county and nearby states. A Church of Saint Donato was built by Donato Mainiero’s father John on Maple Avenue, who was blind and built the chapel seeking to regain his sight. The original wooden chapel was destroyed by fire in 1925. Then the family had a stone church constructed.
The couple closed on the purchase this past Halloween and moved into one of the four apartments a few days later. The other three apartments remain rented to tenants. The sellers told Waring and Mitten they were the only ones to answer the Craigslist ad. Since buying the property, Mitten’s grandfather, now in his 80s and living in White Plains, her mother, and a myriad of family members, have come over to visit and relive history.
What a great story, with a happy ending after a mysterious start.
Loved this story from beginning to end! Wish you published more like it!
Hello,
Great article… funny how life turns around full circle. Congrats, Kelly, as the new owners of a happy home with lots of great memories to share.
I do remember the Mainero family quite fondly.
I was the youngest of four children, born in 1949 to my parents, Angelo and Dorothy Lamp. Our original name was Lampugnale, which was changed in 1953, I was told, to permit my father to assimilate more readily into a town which didn’t seem to welcome immigrants. Go figure.
My family lived directly across the street at 214 Central Avenue. A few years ago, the house was sold to a builder after the death of its last remaining occupant, a single aunt (my mother’s sister) who passed away at 101.
The house has since been demolished and replaced by rental units side by side. Indeed, it’s not the same feeling as I pass by.
My marrried name is DeCaro, also a Rye name. I married Violet and Thomas George DeCaro’s first born son, Tom.
Judge DeCaro sat as Rye’s city judge for 17 years during my husband’s youth.
Tom and I raised two daughters in Rye. I am proud to say my daughter and son in law are now Rye residents themselves and my two year old grandson is enjoying the wonders of growing up there.
My mother’s maiden name was Antinozzi. My grandfather, the owner of 214 Central Avenue was Antonio Antinozzi. They raised 10 children in that house. We (my parents and three siblings) lived in my grandparents home in a small apartment upstairs.
I have fond memories of living in Dublin, Rye, although at that time I couldn’t understand why we didn’t have a house like all the other children with whom I attended (Resurrection) school, lol.
And yes, as a little girl, I loved the feast too.
It was celebrated on August 7th.
St. Donato, was the patron saint of many Italians, but I think, specifically the town of Castlefranco. I would have to do more research on that one. But one thing I am certain of…
My grandfather would tell me that was when the tomatoes would be in full bloom and dropping off the vines…”get ready to get into the kitchen and bottle them”, he would say.
And I, alongside my mother and aunts, would do just that.
No need to tell you about differences growing up in Rye.
Nonetheless, that’s what makes Rye so unique, albeit a special place, feast and all.
I am a published author and a proud descendant of an Italian immigrant father who immigrated from the same town Danny did: Castlefranco, Naples, Italy … during the same time, it would appear.
A follow up article could be fun. In fact, given the political climate of our country right now,
a “feel good” article may be just what we need.
Thank you for keeping the west end of Rye still alive. May it hold great memories for you and your family.
All the best,
Faye Lamp DeCaro
Hi Faye!
Kelly here from the article- thank you for this! My family also is from Castelfranco in Miscano, so that makes perfect sense why my family was so devoted to their patron saint.
My grandfather, John Grippo, who grew up at the house remembers you and your family well and sends along his well wishes.
We feel blessed to be in Rye and in this beautiful neighborhood and all its history!