Episode 105: Finding Grandpa Phil — An Italian American Story Lost to History

What begins as a granddaughter’s search for the grandfather she never knew becomes the discovery of a remarkable—and nearly forgotten—chapter of Italian American history.

In Episode 105, I sit down with author and journalist Lara Brenckle Malmont, whose search for her grandfather, Filippo Arturo Venezia—later known as Philip Leo Brenckle—uncovered a childhood shaped by loss, immigration, Allegheny County’s early foster-care system, and the controversial practice of “farming out” children for labor.

Lara shares how a childhood promise to her grandmother eventually led her through old newspapers, family records, photographs, letters, and years of research to uncover Grandpa Phil’s story—including a devastating 1922 fire and the events that followed.

That journey ultimately inspired Lara’s historical novel, Three Rivers Home, based on her grandfather’s childhood and set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Pittsburgh.

It’s a conversation about family history, Italian American identity, immigration, resilience, and the stories waiting to be rediscovered when someone decides to keep looking.

🇮🇹 LINKS & RESOURCES

🎙️ Italian American Stories Podcast ⁠ItalianAmericanStories.com⁠

📚 Lara Brenckle Malmont ⁠LaraBrenckleMalmont.com⁠

🔎 Finding Grandpa Phil ⁠FindingPhil.com⁠

🌳 Research Your Family History with GenealogyBank ⁠https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/all?utm_source=1032377&utm_medium=gbhp_text&utm_campaign=affil&kbid=1032377&m=3⁠

🎙️ Italian American Stories Podcast — Bringing our ancestors’