Miss Jill Corey
At Home in Avonmore
September 28, 1953
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Seated at the table are Papa Bernard Speranza and Norma Jean's beloved sister Alice, who cared for Norma Jean and the rest of the family since age fourteen, following the death of their mother.  Standing in the background from left to right are proud brothers Earl, Bernard and Dominick.
 
 
 
Here the jubilantly happy Norma Jean, now known as Jill Corey, is kissed by proud Papa Speranza and on her right cheek by Uncle Valentino.
 
 
We wish to acknowledge and thank M. Stephane Citerne of Le Ban Saint-Martin in France for these pictures.  M. Citerne is married to a daughter of Jill's cousin, Rosina Speranza Bonomo, and he contributed these photographs taken by famed photographer Gordon Parks for the LIFE magazine article on Jill that appeared in their November 9, 1953 issue.   Of course, not all the pictures taken at the time could be used in the article, and these two eventually found their way to members of the Speranza family in Italy and  subsequently to the Citernes in France.   M. Citerne is himself a professional photographer of some renown, specializing in advertising. 
 
 
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