With the most loving gratitude, we dedicate The I LOVE I Foundation to the incredible legacy of William Pieranunzi Sr., affectionately known as “Willie”.  At sixteen years of age, Willie had the courage and perseverance to leave Colle S. Maria, Italy, where the family owned and operated a large olive farm, and traveled to the United States.  Arriving on April 15, 1910 in New York City, speaking no English, Michael Robert’s Grandfather,  Willie spent many years studying the encyclopedia, which he credited for eventually having the ability to speak English without any accent at all.  He was a master weaver in the textile mills of Rhode Island, served in the Army of the United States during World War I, and received his US citizenship for his patriotic military service which he was so proud of his entire life.  William Pieranunzi Sr. then started his own successful oil business in Providence, Rhode Island during the Great Depression. His business was a success almost immediately and afforded him and Ruth, his wife of fifty-four years the ability to help so many during a very challenging time. He was a role model for anyone who's ever met him.  Willie felt education was the key to opening the doors of opportunity.  

 

Michael Robert recalled, “My grandpa taught me so much while I was a little boy out looking for wild mushrooms with him and when I would be helping him in his garden which made it into the newspaper annually.  Or accompanying him on the numerous visits to his brothers, Ernest and Jimmy’s houses to argue about which of the brothers had the best homemade wine. He would frequently say to me “Grandpa, Listen! Listen!” He would always call you by the name you addressed him as;  my aunt would also call me “Auntie”, must be a thing in my family!  He would say repeatedly; ‘Always remember you have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak.  Always, always be able to look everyone straight in the eyes and never have to cross the street if you see someone walking toward you on the sidewalk. Treat everyone the same, with love and respect, whether it's someone who sweeps the streets, or if it’s the President of the United States.’  Michael Robert attributes much of his success to these maxims that were passed down to him which he has followed his whole life.

 

"I loved my grandmother and grandfather so much. My grandfather had unfathomable courage when it came to defending his truth."  Mr. William Pieranunzi Sr. was but one example of a generation of motivated and hard working Americans who knew their truth in their heart and had the courage to live by it.