Union is world's longest-running
By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff | June 23, 2005
NORTH PROVIDENCE -- It began with a passing glance, then a second look.
''She had on a white blouse, a blue skirt -- and legs. Wow! And legs," John Rocchio recalled of the first time he saw Emilia Antonelli in Providence in 1922. ''So I says to myself, 'I need to meet that broad.' "
And so he did. They fell in love and married. And they remain so today, 82 years later.
It is an astounding number and one that apparently makes John, who is 101, and Emilia, who is 100, the longest-married couple in the world.
The Rocchios have not officially been inducted as the record-holders, but officials with the Guinness Book of World Records say that when the Rocchios supply the proper documentation, they indeed will hold the record.
The Rocchios offer no universal recipe for a long marriage, but they are not coy about what's made their own work.
''Making love," Emilia pronounced with gusto yesterday as she patted her husband's arm.
The two say they have rarely fought in their eight-plus decades together, save for disagreements over automobiles. John liked to have a shiny new one every few years; Emilia preferred a padded savings account.
But they said they allowed no lingering resentments. After John used most of the $300 they received for their wedding to buy their first car, Emilia responded with a purchase of her own: an electric refrigerator. And that, they say, was that.
''There has to be compromise," said Emilia. ''I'm not always right; he's not always right."
''Lots of patience," added John. ''Why argue? She fed me, kept me clean, showed me affection. I was always anxious to come home from work to see her. She always had something cooked that would surprise me."
He said his favorite dish was her pasta fagioli. But Emilia begged to differ.
''You liked my steak," she said. ''Was it good?"
''Better than my mother's," he answered, with a slightly crooked smile.
The couple, who have two daughters, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, still live in the two-story, white-shuttered house they bought in North Providence shortly after World War II. Their younger daughter, who is 78 and never married, lives with them.
Both have reduced vision and hearing, but can still walk and crack a joke with impeccable timing.
Their days are spent reminiscing, mostly about friends who have passed away and a neighborhood where familiar faces are few. They like to sit and talk, often with hands entwined.
''We're still holding hands," Emilia said.
Their family says the couple has always seemed happy, though no one imagined they would break the world record.
''I always assumed they were the longest married couple in Rhode Island, but to think the world," said Lori Petros, 46, a granddaughter. ''I am truly stunned."
Page 2 of 2 --Guinness relies on people to claim world records. The current official record-holders are a couple in Iowa, married 81 years, who came forward after Guinness made public the record of a couple in England who had been married 80 years. (The husband of the British couple passed away earlier this month.)
The Rocchios were just 17 and 19 when they crossed paths outside John's uncle's laundry. She was one of 11 children, and he was one of 12. Both were children of Italian immigrants and eager to break free of stern caretakers, her father and his stepfather.
John inquired in the neighborhood about the girl with the stunning legs. Word came back that she was not interested in meeting a laundry worker. He sent word that he didn't work in a laundry, that he was in school learning the printing trade.
They went on their first date that night, and a few months later, on Feb. 10, 1923, they wed at St. Ann's in Providence, his family's church. Her pastor had refused to marry them because he said they were too young.
The ceremony was small. She wore a simple frock and a single strand of costume pearls; he put on a dark suit and parted his hair neatly down the middle. A photograph from the day shows them looking intent and focused. Afterward Emilia's mother prepared a lavish meal of antipasto, macaroni, chicken, and escarole soup with meatballs.
The two settled into a conventional routine. She did the housework and cleaning. He worked as a typesetter, eventually making his way to the Providence Journal, where he spent 25 years.
But their children and grandchildren say it was Emilia who often called the shots in the marriage.
''She made the big decisions," said daughter Ella Sarra, who is 81 and lives in Cranston.
Emilia was the more cerebral of the two, devouring nonfiction books. She also loved theater, and he obliged her passion, attending plays with her. One time, he took her to a burlesque show, where he snagged a pink garter from one of the dancers. He keeps it in a drawer in their living room, where dozens of family photos are perched on bookshelves and tables.
The two have pet names for each other. She calls him Johnsie, and he calls her Milia. But if they are lovey-dovey, they are also pragmatists.
''Never wish for the impossible," Emilia advised.
They say there was one rocky period in their marriage. Back in the early days, John took a job at a printing press in New York. It was a prestigious post, and he wanted to give it a whirl. She stayed in Rhode Island and worried that he would leave her.
The arrangement lasted a week.
''I had to come home," John said. ''I missed her."
By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff | June 23, 2005
NORTH PROVIDENCE -- It began with a passing glance, then a second look.
''She had on a white blouse, a blue skirt -- and legs. Wow! And legs," John Rocchio recalled of the first time he saw Emilia Antonelli in Providence in 1922. ''So I says to myself, 'I need to meet that broad.' "
And so he did. They fell in love and married. And they remain so today, 82 years later.
It is an astounding number and one that apparently makes John, who is 101, and Emilia, who is 100, the longest-married couple in the world.
The Rocchios have not officially been inducted as the record-holders, but officials with the Guinness Book of World Records say that when the Rocchios supply the proper documentation, they indeed will hold the record.
The Rocchios offer no universal recipe for a long marriage, but they are not coy about what's made their own work.
''Making love," Emilia pronounced with gusto yesterday as she patted her husband's arm.
The two say they have rarely fought in their eight-plus decades together, save for disagreements over automobiles. John liked to have a shiny new one every few years; Emilia preferred a padded savings account.
But they said they allowed no lingering resentments. After John used most of the $300 they received for their wedding to buy their first car, Emilia responded with a purchase of her own: an electric refrigerator. And that, they say, was that.
''There has to be compromise," said Emilia. ''I'm not always right; he's not always right."
''Lots of patience," added John. ''Why argue? She fed me, kept me clean, showed me affection. I was always anxious to come home from work to see her. She always had something cooked that would surprise me."
He said his favorite dish was her pasta fagioli. But Emilia begged to differ.
''You liked my steak," she said. ''Was it good?"
''Better than my mother's," he answered, with a slightly crooked smile.
The couple, who have two daughters, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, still live in the two-story, white-shuttered house they bought in North Providence shortly after World War II. Their younger daughter, who is 78 and never married, lives with them.
Both have reduced vision and hearing, but can still walk and crack a joke with impeccable timing.
Their days are spent reminiscing, mostly about friends who have passed away and a neighborhood where familiar faces are few. They like to sit and talk, often with hands entwined.
''We're still holding hands," Emilia said.
Their family says the couple has always seemed happy, though no one imagined they would break the world record.
''I always assumed they were the longest married couple in Rhode Island, but to think the world," said Lori Petros, 46, a granddaughter. ''I am truly stunned."
Page 2 of 2 --Guinness relies on people to claim world records. The current official record-holders are a couple in Iowa, married 81 years, who came forward after Guinness made public the record of a couple in England who had been married 80 years. (The husband of the British couple passed away earlier this month.)
The Rocchios were just 17 and 19 when they crossed paths outside John's uncle's laundry. She was one of 11 children, and he was one of 12. Both were children of Italian immigrants and eager to break free of stern caretakers, her father and his stepfather.
John inquired in the neighborhood about the girl with the stunning legs. Word came back that she was not interested in meeting a laundry worker. He sent word that he didn't work in a laundry, that he was in school learning the printing trade.
They went on their first date that night, and a few months later, on Feb. 10, 1923, they wed at St. Ann's in Providence, his family's church. Her pastor had refused to marry them because he said they were too young.
The ceremony was small. She wore a simple frock and a single strand of costume pearls; he put on a dark suit and parted his hair neatly down the middle. A photograph from the day shows them looking intent and focused. Afterward Emilia's mother prepared a lavish meal of antipasto, macaroni, chicken, and escarole soup with meatballs.
The two settled into a conventional routine. She did the housework and cleaning. He worked as a typesetter, eventually making his way to the Providence Journal, where he spent 25 years.
But their children and grandchildren say it was Emilia who often called the shots in the marriage.
''She made the big decisions," said daughter Ella Sarra, who is 81 and lives in Cranston.
Emilia was the more cerebral of the two, devouring nonfiction books. She also loved theater, and he obliged her passion, attending plays with her. One time, he took her to a burlesque show, where he snagged a pink garter from one of the dancers. He keeps it in a drawer in their living room, where dozens of family photos are perched on bookshelves and tables.
The two have pet names for each other. She calls him Johnsie, and he calls her Milia. But if they are lovey-dovey, they are also pragmatists.
''Never wish for the impossible," Emilia advised.
They say there was one rocky period in their marriage. Back in the early days, John took a job at a printing press in New York. It was a prestigious post, and he wanted to give it a whirl. She stayed in Rhode Island and worried that he would leave her.
The arrangement lasted a week.
''I had to come home," John said. ''I missed her."
