Who is Giuseppe and Nora (Almigia) Ramundo from History: A Novel and what is their importance?

Ida's parents, the Ramundos, baptize their daughter Iduzza (Ida) as a Catholic. Nora has some mental difficulties, and Giuseppe is a radical anarchist in his thinking. Nora was raised as a Jew, however, she denies it vehemently to everyone but her family. Instead of spelling her maiden name as it originally was, Almagia, with an accent on the "a," she changes the spelling to have the accent on the "i" in order to be seen as Italian. Giuseppe is an alcoholic who raged on about politics, her mother a closet Jew who put the lifelong fear of persecution into Ida. Although eight years younger than Nora, Giuseppe died first, and Nora eventually was found drowned.