A Long Journey

This is the December 19, 1890, Passenger List for the S.S. Stura containing the names of Loretta Azzarello and her three children. 
Loretta Azzarello is Margherita Scolaro my Great-Great Grandmother. Italian tradition has married women retaining their maiden names, while children take the surname of the father. So, as on Salvatora’s birth certificate, Margherita’s name is also listed as Loretta Azzarello and the name Loretta may have been a nickname.
In 1890, the passage from Italy to New York may have taken about ten days.  Oftentimes tickets, money and clothes were sent back to the homeland for the immigrant's travels.  Up to that point the journey to board ship, may have been the longest trip they ever made in their lives. Loretta must have had misgivings about immigrating. She would be joining her husband, that was good.  Francesco Scolaro, was already in the United States, having arrived about 1885. But all that was familiar was left behind--friends, family, church and community.  What about her children Salvatora,14, Antonio, 11 and Francesco 6?  What dangers were in store for them?  The unknown is a  frightening thing. The children, on the other hand, could have had a different perspective—one of adventure.
Arriving in 1890, Loretta and children would have passed through Castle Garden, America’s first immigration center, not Ellis Island. Looking at the document above we see that  Loretta was 34 years old and her calling was domestic.  She and her three children had only two pieces of luggage and their final destination was Chicago.  Oddly, Salvatora is listed as Salvator, a male.  Some ships carried up to 3,000 immigrants who disembarked en masse, mistakes could be made.
Who, if anyone, greeted our people when they arrived? Did Francesco meet them or did he send money and instructions? Train travel would have been the most likely means of transportation to Chicago. How  did they manage?