Nonna Antonina, or Nonna Nina, is my fathers mother. Born in Porto Empedocle, Sicily in 1926, my nonna was one of the strongest women I know. She lived a beautiful 89 years. Nonna was the oldest of 6 sibilings, and when her mother passed away at the young age of 38 while giving birth to her unborn child , nonna become a motherly figure to her sibilings at only 10 years old. She met my Nonno Carmelo at 20 years old. They got married, had their first child and moved to Belgium during the war. They had their second son, my father, and eventually moved back to Porto Empedocle, Sicily in ...In 1960. They decided to come to America in search of a better lifestyle for their family in 1972. to meet with nonnas sisters who had all already come here. 6 months after they arrived, my nonno passed away of a heart attack (on my birthday) leaving my nonna a widow and her 2 sons to take care of her. She never remarried and her sons and grandchildren were her world.