My Story
Mandy Longo
"My journey began with a deep passion for family history. Tracing my Longo family tree brought me to Termini Imerese, and now to La Casa Longo. This is more than a story—it's a dream come to life, and I’m so excited to share it with you." – Mandy Longo
Italian Roots
For as long as I can remember, I’ve proudly identified as “Italian.” My dad came from a strong Italian family, and from the time I was little, it was ingrained in me: We’re an Italian family.
When I was younger, I didn’t think much about what that really meant. But as I grew older, I became more curious about our family tree and the story behind how we came to be “Italian.”
Sadly, I didn’t start exploring my family history until after both of my Italian grandparents had passed. I wish I could have sat down with them, asked them questions, and listened to their stories. But through interviews with other family members, digging into old records, and my own research, I’ve been able to piece together quite a bit about where we come from.
On my dad’s side, my grandmother’s parents, Antonio and Carmella Abruzzese, were born in Scala Coeli, a charming town in the Calabria region of southern Italy. My grandfather’s grandparents, Giuseppe and Salvadora Longo, hailed from Termini Imerese, Sicily—a place that would later steal my heart.
Both the Abruzzese and Longo families immigrated to America in the early 1900s, eventually settling in Des Moines, Iowa. And as fate would have it, my grandparents, Philip Longo and Mary Abruzzese, met at a dentist’s office of all places. They married in 1947, and the rest, as they say, is history!
The Abruzzese Family
The Longo Family
Growing Up in Sicily
When I was five years old, my parents divorced. I lived with my mom, but I spent lots of time with my dad and spent weekends at his house. Then, my mom remarried, and her new husband was in the Navy. I can still vividly remember the day I came home from school and she told me we had to move to Italy because his new assignment was at a Navy base there. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I didn’t want to leave my home. I didn’t want to leave my friends. It felt like my world was being turned upside down.
We ended up moving to Naval Air Station Sigonella, which is located in Sicily, near the beautiful city of Catania. I went to school on the base, and we lived in a small house off-base nearby. At the time, I didn’t think much about my Italian roots or heritage—I didn’t even know that the Longo family was from Sicily. But what I did know, even then, was that I had fallen head over heels for Sicily and the sense of community at the base. It was the most welcoming, warm, and close-knit group of people I had ever encountered—both the Americans on base and the local Sicilians who embraced us with open arms.
After we left, I spent the next 30 years longing to return. Little did I know, this wasn’t just a chapter in my childhood—it was the beginning of a journey I’d someday take full circle.
Sigonella Yearbook Photo
(I bet you can guess the year based on how high my bangs are, lol)
30 Year Stretch
After we left Sigonella in 1991 and returned to the States, the next 30 years of my life can be summed up in a few simple milestones:
High School (1994) – College (1998) – Grad School (2000) –
Marriage (2002) – Baby (2003) – Divorce (2004) – Single Mom (2004–2021)
Yep, that’s the short and sweet of it. I went straight from school to marriage, then jumped into motherhood, and before I knew it, I was navigating single motherhood with a one-year-old. So, if you’re keeping track, I went from being a broke student to a broke single mom. Haha, fun times, right? 😅
In the grand scheme of things, this meant travel—especially overseas travel—was just out of reach. I was focused on surviving day-to-day, and the idea of jetting off to explore new places was more of a distant dream than a reality.
This period was tough. It’s hard to describe just how challenging it was for both me and my daughter. We faced a lot of trauma, but the one thing that made it bearable was knowing we had each other. My daughter and I have an incredibly close bond, and we’ve been through it all together.
In 2017 and 2018, both of my grandmothers passed away, and with that, I inherited some precious family history documents. That’s when I started seriously digging into my family tree. It was during this time that I made the decision to trace my family’s roots back to Europe, to discover the places where my ancestors had come from. At that point, traveling to those locations felt like a far-off dream, but I held on to the hope that someday, I’d have the chance to make it a reality.
And then… COVID hit.
Ready to pop (2003)
And then there was COVID
When COVID first hit, I didn’t mind the extra time at home. It gave me the chance to dive deep into my family history, and I even decided to start working on obtaining Italian citizenship. But, as time passed, my already fragile world came crashing down when I lost all my income. It was a major blow that turned everything upside down, and I knew I had to make some big changes.
At the same time, my daughter was graduating high school and preparing to head off to college. Being an “empty nester” was a huge transition. After 18 years of being a single mom, it felt like my entire identity was tied up in the role of “mom.” I kept asking myself, Who am I now? What do I want for myself? Those were difficult questions, and I felt guilty even thinking about them. My life had been about caring for my child, and in doing so, I’d lost sight of my own identity.
I knew I needed to think about my next chapter. In addition to needing a new source of income to support myself and my soon-to-be college student, I realized that I was desperate to travel, to explore, and to live life. I hadn’t been out of the country in over 20 years, and it was time to discover the world—and myself.
Sicily kept calling to me. I stayed in touch with friends I made during my time at Sigonella, and I found myself dreaming about going back. Was it even possible?
I applied for a position with the US Department of Defense and was offered a role at an Army Base in Germany. I had hoped to return to Sigonella, but positions there are rare, so I accepted the offer in Germany. Not only would it provide the income I desperately needed, but it would also allow me to live in Europe and travel to the places I’d dreamed of seeing.
In 2021, I packed up my daughter, moved her into her college dorm, and then made my way to Germany! I arrived in September, and by October, I had already booked my flight to Termini for Thanksgiving week. Getting to Termini was at the top of my agenda, and I couldn’t wait to make it happen!
My house in Florida, packed and ready to move to Germany in September 2021.
Termini Imerese Longo’s
While in quarantine during COVID, I stumbled upon an obituary for Salvatora Chiramonte Longo. This was the moment I discovered that the Longo family hailed from Termini Imerese! If I hadn’t found this article, I wouldn’t have made my way to Termini, and there would be no La Casa Longo today. Since finding that obituary, my journey has unraveled so much more...
I learned that my great-great-grandfather, Giuseppe Longo, was born in Termini Imerese in 1867. He was part of a long line of Longos who had spent their entire lives in this town.
At the age of 19, Giuseppe and his love, Salvatora Chiramonte (yes, the very same woman whose obituary started it all!), decided to leave Termini behind and start a new life in America. They boarded a boat and never looked back.
Now, 135 years after they left, I became the first Longo descendant to return to Termini Imerese.
In November 2021, I arrived in Termini Imerese for the very first time…
I Bought a House!
After my first trip to Termini I fell in love with this place. It felt like home and I knew I wanted to be here as much as I could. I made the decision to start looking for a house so that I could make my dream turn into a reality.
My friend, Stefania, who helped me with my family history research, also helped me with finding and buying a home. She guided me through the entire process, and after one year of searching —- I finally found the perfect house (or so I thought!)
more of the story coming soon…