Throughout the entire period of his residence in New Haven, covering almost a quarter of a century, Frank De Lucia has made steady progress in the business world, working his way upward step by step until he is now one of the men of affluence in the city. He was born December 29, 1872, at San Maria Avico, in the province of Caserta, Italy, his parents being Anthony and Mary De Lucia. He attended school in his native country and afterward became a pupil in the night sessions of the Hamilton school in 1894. He started in the business world as a bookkeeper in the city of Maddaloni for Director Barducci before crossing the Atlantic to the United States. He was also ticket receiver for the railroad to Naples, Pozzuoli and Cuma and was also assistant engineer for the period of six years to the Hon. L. Medici of the railroad of Pisciotta Castrocucca, Calabria. At length he determined to try his fortune in the new world and after arriving in America he engaged in teaching school at night and for two years he was employed through the day by the Candee Rubber Company. He afterward spent four years as a clerk in the shipping department of the Sargent Company of New Haven and in 1898 he was appointed notary public. In 1900 he opened an office for the sale of steamship tickets and for the conduct of a banking business at 36 Myrtle street. From that time forward his career has been one of steady progress. In 1902 he established a wholesale grocery store at Nos. 555 to 559 Grand avenue and in 1903 he opened a wine and liquor place at No. 170 Hamilton street, while in 1904 he established a branch office in New Britain, Connecticut. In the same year he began business as a funeral director and embalmer and in 1905 he won a diploma as a sanitary embalmer from the Barnes School of Anatomy and Sanitary Science of Embalming. On the 12th of February, 1907, he received his diploma as an embalmer from the state of New York and on the 5th of July, 1907, was granted a diploma from the state of Connecticut as an embalmer. In 1906 he established a branch office at Bridgeport, there opening a bank and in connection with the banking business conducting a steamship agency and undertaking business. In 1907 he took up the manufacture of Italian cigars. In the previous year he had further extended the scope of his activities by becoming district manager of the state of Connecticut for the North American Accident Insurance Company of Chicago and the same year he was made special agent for the Great Eastern Casualty & Indemnity Company of New York. It was also in that year that he accepted the agency of the Security Mutual Life Insurance Company and in 1902 he had been made agent for the Hartford Life Insurance Company. His experience in the insurance field thus covers a long period in which he has gained intimate and accurate knowledge of the business in every department and has built up a good clientage along that line. In 1908 he commenced general building for which work he was splendidly qualified because of his previous experience as a contractor. In 1916 he was received as an apprentice undertaker of the state of New York and on the 11th of August, 1915, he received a diploma from the Eckels Derma-Surgical College of Philadelphia. After conducting his bank at No. 36 Myrtle street for a time he transferred his office to No. 222 Wallace street and later removed to Nos. 152 to 156 East street. His next location was at Nos. 382 and 384 East street, where he purchased a business block. He conducts a private banking business that has reached extensive proportions and in connection therewith he conducts a large real estate agency, buying and selling city property and farm land. He also acts as interpreter and thus is leading a most busy, active and useful life. In 1903 he opened his wholesale and retail wine and liquor place at No. 170 Hamilton street and since the following year he has also conducted a branch establishment at New Britain. These interests also constitute an important source of revenue to him and contribute to his well earned reputation as one of the progressive business men of New Haven.

  In 1898, at New Haven, Connecticut, Mr. De Lucia was united in marriage to Miss Raphaella Gambardella, a daughter of Padquale Gambardella. To them have been born eleven children, as follows: Mary L. L., who is employed as a bookkeeper and stenographer; Lydia M. A., also a stenographer; Anthony E. A.; John E. G.; Oscar E. T.; Joseph E. U.; William H. V.; Gennaro L. U.; Concetta E. L.; Frank V. I.; and Erminia Violet Rosina.

  Mr. De Lucia is the president of the San Clemente Martire Society, president of the San Leone Magno Society, secretary of Loggia Roma 326, Sons of Italy, president of the Societa Liberta, Minotte Garibaldi, and secretary of the Camicia Rossa. He is likewise a member of the Republican Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the New Haven Automobile Association, the Undertakers’ Association, Cirolo Vittorio Emanuele III, the San Antonio Society and the San Maria Della Consolazione. Mr. De Lucia has won for himself a most prominent position among the Italian residents of New Haven, where he has now lived for twenty-four years, busily engaged during all this period in the real estate business, in the conduct of the ticket and fire insurance agency, as funeral director, as building contractor and as banker. In every relation of his life he has so conducted his affairs as to win the confidence and support of the public and he is today one of the most prominent of the Italian citizens of New Haven.