Felice (Felix1) Anthony,(Feliceantonio) Cardone known as Phil, was born in Sant' Angelo dei Lombardi, Italy. His date of birth is unknown. He wrote his birth date as July 10, 1898 on his World War I draft registration card. His brother Vito recorded his birth date as July 5, 1896. And the Social Security Death Index lists it as July 10, 1899. The ship manifest for the s. s. Algeria lists his age as six in June 1903 (he would become seven in July), which would make the 1896 date correct. Vito describes his brother at the time they arrived in America: … “when crossing the Atlantic, my brother Phil was seven." Perhaps his birthday was July 10, 1896.

Upon arriving in Brooklyn, Phil lived at 12 Skillman Street. Although his parents were active in the founding of St. Lucy’s Church in 1904, that church did not have a school. The children of the new parish attended school at the nearby St. Patrick’s Grammar School. He lived at 846 then 861 Kent Avenue while attending school.

Phil attended high school for one year11 before going to work according to the 1915 New York State census, which lists him as a “laborer” at age 17.

Phil was a `declared alien' as of 1918 when he was required to register for the draft. The family lived at 22 Kosciuszko Place at the time.

Felix became godfather to his oldest nephew, Paul John Cioffi. His other nephew, Felix Cioffi was named after him.

As reported in the 1930 census, he was single, living with his parents at 437 Lafayette Avenue, and had served in the military, although the branch of service is unknown. [Note: only the Army has its records online, therefore, he may have been in another branch of the service.]

The brown hair, brown eyed Phil worked as a wood heeler in the William Henne & Co., Inc. shoe factory, located at 957-971 Kent Avenue at the corner of DeKalb Avenue just three blocks from the family home.

His brother Vito reported that he and Phil bought a house together at 243 Steuben Street,2 although it appears that Vito may have lived in the house for several years before Phil did. (Perhaps Vito rented there before buying the house?) Vito lived there in 1924 as per his Declaration of Intention; Phil lived at 22 Kosciuszko Place in 1930, at 437 Lafayette Avenue in 1935 and in 1940. No sources that were researched for this document, other than Vito’s letter, indicate that Phil ever lived or had anything to do with the Steuben Street address.

The 1940 census reports that Phil was once again living with his father at 437 Lafayette Avenue. Since Phil was single as of 1940, he may have moved in with his aging father after his mother died. Phil worked 40 hours a week as a shoe maker in a shoe shop. His annual salary of $900 seems low by today’s standard, but was typical of the wages reported by his neighbors during the Great Depression.

Phil married Jean __ sometime after the April 1, 1940 census when he was single, and before October 15, 1944 when the names Mr. and Mrs. Felix Cardone were listed as guests at the wedding of Marie and John Cioffi (Rose Cardone Cioffi’s son). They did not have any children and were living at 437 Lafayette Avenue when Phil died20 on May 7, 1950. Jean Cardone’s last known address (as of 1985) was 91-24 218 Place, Queens Village, NY.