Local address: initially Oak Shades, then to a residence at Church Street and Atlantic Avenue
Born in 1870 in Casteltermini, Sicily, Italy, Pasquale Infosino immigrated to the United States in 1904, and his wife Maria and two children, Joseph (born 1900) and Rosalie (1902), followed soon after. Originally settling in Brooklyn, the family had an additional six children in that Borough – Maria (1906), Frances (1907). Charles (1910), Carmella (1913), Lucia (1914) and Carmelo (1916). The 1920 census has the family in the Bronx, with Pasquale working as a railroad laborer. Children Jennie (1918) and Vincent (1920) were born there.
In 1922, the eleventh and final child, George, was born in Matawan. The 1930 has the family living in Oak Shades, and by 1940 they had moved to the corner of Broad Street and Atlantic Avenue. Pasquale was enumerated as a “farmer” in both censuses. The were on Church Street, an area which had been farmed by several Italian families over the years – the farm they purchased in September of 1920 consisting of twelve acres had previously belonged to Joseph Mocci.
Pasquale died of a heart attack at his residence on May 15, 1940, leaving his wife and five children still residing at home. Marie died in 1966 – the couple is buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Keyport.
Four of the Infosino children saw service in World War II.
Lucia “Lucy” Mary Infosino (1914-2003), Major, US Army Nurse Corps received a commission in the US Army Nurse Corps on January 1, 1944. Graduating from Matawan High School in 1933, she subsequently studied at the State Teachers College in Trenton (now TCNJ) and Nazareth College in Louisville, Ky. In February of 1944, Lucy graduated from the St. Michael’s Hospital School of nursing in Newark.
After commissioning, she served in the European Theater of Operations, and later in Puerto Rico and Bamberg, Germany. She finished her service career at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC, in 1965, retiring as a major, at which time she was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for her devoted service. Lucy died in Harrisburg, PA, and is buried at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Pa.
Carmelo John Infosino (1916-1961), 1St SGT, USA (pictured top, right), Matawan High School class of 1934, subsequently went on to receive a Bachelor and Master of Arts degree in governmental accounting from George Washington University. He was employed by the SEC in Washington, DC, when the war broke out. When he registered for the draft in October of 1940, he was residing at 1733 K Street NW in DC, was described as 5’ 8” tall, weighed 155 pounds, had brown eyes, black hair and had a scar on his right chin.
Carmelo enlisted in the army on December 1, 1941, in Baltimore – the following week the United States was at war with Japan and Germany. He had received his Two-Year certificate from GWU the previous June. After basic training, Carmelo was assigned to the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Division.
The 34th served in the Pacific Theater of Operations in WWII. It participated in Operation Reckless, the assault at the Hollandia airdrome in New Guinea in April of 1944 and saw significant action at Biak Island that June. The 3rd Battalion of that unit was involved in the recapture of Corregidor in February of 1945, but it is unknown if Carmelo was attached to this unit. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the war, and was discharged January 20, 1946, at which time he returned to Washington and his employment as an examiner with the SEC.
Carmelo never married, and died at 45 years of age on November 18, 1961, in Washington, DC. He is buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Keyport.
Vincent James “Jimmy” Infosino (1920-2005), PFC, USA (pictured bottom, left) graduated from Matawan High School in 1939. Living with his parents per the 1940 census, he was shown working as an attendant in the State Hospital, most likely in Marlboro. When he registered for the draft on February 14, 1942, he was listed as 5’8” tall, 145 pounds, brown eyes and hair, with a scar on his right wrist and was employed by the American Can Company in Newark at the time. When he enlisted in the army at Ft. Dix on June 25, 1942, the record indicated he had one year of college.
In July of 1942, he was stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Va, for a 12-week course at the Engineers Replacement Training Center. In October he was transferred to Ft. Meade, Md where he reconnected with fellow Matawan resident and future MHS English teacher F. Howard Lloyd, who was undergoing officer training at the facility. The two would eventually be assigned to the 175th Engineer General Service Regiment.
The 175th saw considerable action during the war, starting with Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. As an engineering unit, it supported ground forces by building roads and bridges, along with clearing land minds. The Matawan Journal reported on March 12, 1943, that both Lt. Lloyd and Private Infosino had safely arrived in the theater. By the end of the year, they were in Sicily and by the following July, Italy. Among the 70 large bridges constructed by the 175th were a 270-foot wooden structure over the Serchio River, and a 530-foot Bailey Bridge over the Arno, which had been constructed in a single week. The unit contributed greatly to the successful allied military campaign. On October 13, 1945, Vincent returned to the United States. He was discharged from the army five days later at Ft. Dix, after serving 31 months overseas.
He married Josephine Cundari in May of 1947, and the two eventually had seven children. Vincent worked at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Edison until his retirement in 1982. He was active in the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society and was an assistant troop leader for Boy Scout Troop #80.
Vincent died on February 10, 2005, at his residence in Aberdeen, and is buried in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Keyport.
His son, Vincent Jr, a 1967 graduate of Matawan High School, followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Army and received his basic training at Ft. Dix the summer of 1968. Assigned to the 587 Signal Company, he served in Vietnam and left the army in 1971 with the rank of sergeant.
George Paul Infosino (1922-1996), SN, USN (pictured bottom, right) graduated from Matawan High School in June of 1941. His June 30, 1942, draft record indicated he was 5’4”, 112 pounds, brown hair and eyes with a ruddy complexion. He was listed as being employed by the A&P Store in Matawan.
George enlisted in the navy on September 23, 1942. After basic training, he attended and graduated from the Aviation Machinists Mate School in Jacksonville in August the following year, and the was trained in Aviation Gunnery at NAS Jacksonville (one crewman of a torpedo bomber had joint mechanical/gunnery responsibility.) On January 8, 1944, he boarded the USS Kasaan Bay (CVE-69) for passage to Pearl Harbor, where he was assigned to Carrier Aircraft Service Unit #4, an entity for servicing carrier planes – it was shore duty. He was back at NAS Jax in September of 1945, assigned to VPB-2, a training squadron for PBM Catalinas. In January of 1946, he was discharged from the Navy.
He re-enlisted in 1947, and was assigned to NAS Atlantic City, where he apparently served during the Korean War.
George married Marjorie Smith Green who had two children from a previous marriage. He worked at the Electronics Component Laboratory for the Army Materiel Command at Ft. Monmouth until he retired in 1976. He died May 2, 1996, and is Atlantic View Cemetery, Manasquan, NJ.
While not serving in the armed forces, another sibling bears remembrance. Charles Joseph Infosino (1910-1956) was one of six New York City fireman killed while fighting a 4-alarm fire at a factory in the Bronx on April 4, 1956. He left a wife and four children, ages 18 to 9.
MHS member Susan Infosino Jaysnovitch is the daughter of Vincent, Sr and the niece of Lucy, Carmelo, George and Charles.
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