A native of Grimaldi, Italy, Oreste Francis Nigro came to America in 1896 at the age of fifteen. It is unclear if he came by himself or with family. It is possible that he followed relatives; by 1885 the surname “Nigro” appears in the Colorado State Census in Arapahoe County. Upon arrival in the U.S., Oreste F. Nigro found work in the mines of Las Animas County. Four years later, he was living with five other Italian miners, all working as lead silver miners in the Czar Mine in Hinsdale, Colorado; established in 1874, Lake City is the only town in Hinsdale County today.
In 1906, Oreste F. Nigro married Elvira Mazzuca, the daughter of Salvatore Mazzuca, a Salida merchant. The Mazzuca family left Italy around 1890, settling first in South America (where Elvira and her brother Frank were born) before emigrating to America. The family lived in Pennsylvania for a time and then made their way to Salida, Colorado. In 1910, Oreste and Elvira’s daughter Virginia was born, followed by John and Joseph.
Nigro continued to work in Western Slope mines and for the railroad where he was employed as a Car Dropper. This job included moving cars, positioning them under loading chutes, cleaning cars and preparing them for loading or unloading contents.
By 1913, the railroad had identified Nigro as an “agitator” (troublemaker) and refused to hire him. His 1912 election as a sub-district board member of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) organization likely contributed to this label. Founded in 1890, the UMWA was initially established to: develop mine safety; to improve mine workers’ independence from the mine owners; and to give miners a better advantage for bargaining with mine owners. Despite being blacklisted by some companies, he continued to work in the Colorado coal mines and advocate for improved working conditions, regulations and pay.
In 1917, Nigro was appointed by Colorado’s Governor Julius Gunter to the Colorado Mine Inspection Board. During this tenure he worked with others on the Hastings Mine Tragedy, as well as, the Ludlow Massacre. In remembrance of the latter, L’Union newspaper printed a statement by Nigro on April 14, 1922. The statement was a call to Colorado miners to remember Ludlow and the crime committed against the miners on April 20, 1914. He encouraged fellow miners to remember past struggles and to fight for miners’ rights moving forward.
In 1925, Nigro was appointed president of the Mining District #15 (which included Colorado and New Mexico). By 1927, he was the district head of the UMWA and by 1933, Nigro was in his twelfth year as an international board member of the organization. Nigro also served as the UMWA secretary treasurer of the Denver office (from about 1936 to 1947). During his nearly thirty-five years as a member and state representative of the UMWA he helped negotiate union contract terms, organize strikes and open, inspect and close mines. Nigro also provided aid to miners in need, and helped countless families in places including: Palisade, Steamboat Springs, Walsenburg, Trinidad and Denver.
Oreste Francis Nigro died in Denver on April 22, 1947 at the age of 64. A plaque at his grave reads “Dedicated to the Memory of O. F. Nigro for distinguished service and self-sacrifice in the cause of Labor and advancement of the United Mine Workers of America.” By: Alisa DiGiacomo
