marrying his first cousin really bothers you. i understand. but that wasnt so much out of the mainstream decades ago amongst the italians, and other ethnic groups as well. it was all about the tight circle of the family. its still practiced today among the n'drangheta.and yes im calabrese, as are you.
While I understand the history of our ancestors, and yes, my entire family hails from San Nicola Ardore, Tropea and Bianco...none of them married first cousins and "many" of my uncles and my all of my grandfathers (including my great grandfathers) had arranged marriages...which I found odd when I found out about it. I do have a case in my own family where my dad's brother and their first cousin actually had a son and a daughter who were married which makes them 3rd cousins..BUT, that side of the family settled in Connecticut and it wasn't arranged...and trust me, I crack jokes about that all the time.
