"THE YANKEE CLIPPER"

Known as "Joltin Joe," "DiMag," and "The Yankee Clipper," Joe DiMaggio's story actually begins in 1902, 12 years before the legendary ballplayer was born.

From 1892 to 1931, over two and a half million Italians left their country, their homes, their families, and all of their possessions, hoping to build a better life for their children in America. The Italians were not only the largest group to emigrate to the United States, but no sport in America attracted more Italian American athletes than baseball. Along with many other Italian fishermen, Gieuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio were two of those immigrants, arriving in San Francisco, California in 1902. On November 25, 1914, they welcomed a fourth son to their family of nine children. His given name was Gieuseppe Paola DiMaggio, Jr., later to be changed to Joseph Paul DiMaggio.

Following the tradition of many Italian families, the boys were expected to join their father in the fishing business. However, Joe disliked the smelly work so much that he would often sneak off to a sandlot with a broken oar for a bat and play baseball. Disappointed in Joe's lack of interest in the business, Gieuseppe often thought Joe was lazy. However, returning in 1936, from his first year with the Yankees, his father was no longer saying, "No money in Bacuall." As the fishermen carried Joe on their shoulders the entire distance of the wharf, his proud father was now cheering, "Baseball, that's the game!" And baseball really became the "family business," when brothers Dominic and Vincent joined their famous brother in the Major Leagues. But joy for the DiMaggio family would take a dramatic turn as two short hours of horror would change not only baseball, but the entire world forever.