Matt & Sue Dery

The Fort Trumbull neighborhood was once largely made up of Italian immigrants.  In fact, right up the street from Susette is the Dery family, who has lived in Fort Trumbull since 1895.  Matt Dery, his wife Suzanne and their son lived right next door to Matt’s mother and father.  Matt’s great-grandmother, Maria Ballestrini, purchased that house in 1901.  Matt’s mother, Wilhelmina, was born in the house in 1918.  She and her husband, Charles, have lived there together since he finished his service in the Merchant Marines in WW II.