North End Native Vincenza Raspa Celebrates 105th Birthday

Happy Birthday to North End native Vincenza Raspa, who just celebrated her 105th birthday! Vincenza was born in 1913 and grew up in the North End, attending local schools. She worked first at a canning factory in Boston for 30 years and later as a salesperson at Macy’s department store for 20 years. She is a long-time parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, around the corner from her Garden Court apartment.

Vincenza’s 105th birthday celebration took place on Sunday at the North End Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, operated by Marquis Health Services. Guests included Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, State Sen. Joseph Boncore, State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, and Sami Almadi, Administrator at North End Rehab, along with Vincenza’s family and friends.

Looking back, Vincenza has lived through many historical Boston events including the Great Molasses Flood (1919), the construction of Boston airport(1923), the Brink’s Robbery (1950), the building of the central artery (1959) and the subsequent Big Dig to put it underground (1991-2007), and the entire Curse of the Bambino (1918 – 2004)!