Can someone help me find the next generaton?

Question

Looking for help w my italian_roots, I'm stuck on a family tree at the following two people and looking for the next generation (their parents) or sources where I may find them. I have done my best but at a loss. They all originated in Italy.

1.

Michele Romano 1860 / Maria D Giuliani 1838 Sulmona (immigrated to USA after their marriage and children and passed away in  USA:)

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Romano-445

2.

Sisto Proia 1860 / Brigit Magni 1870  I believe are from Sora or Arce Frosinone (He Visited USA at one point but returned to Italy and died there:)

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Proia-14

Thanks for the help!

Comments

Judi, if you edit your question and add the tag italian_roots or Italy (or maybe both) then it will get faster attention from the folks who are knowledgeable about research there.  Sorry I couldn't help with any information.

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No records Ancestry or Family search other than immigration  for Sisto except for an unsourced tree says father is Rocco.

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A DNA test might be needed to pin Proia. I think its likely this name was an alias. Assumed name to hide his real family affiliations. About the time he emigrated, there were a series of vendettas occurring (Naples Mafia) in his area. There was also a push by the American Mafia to "import" new soldiers from the old country. The Messina crime family battled the Morelli crime family.  The Italian branches of the families and their American cousins killed a lot of each other.

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There was Proias in Arce and Sora, Frosinone. There is a daughter (Sora) (married) but w Proia name. (well long deceased by now).

I remember somoene mentioning Casino.  That is another possibility.  Is it because Proia is not a common name.  Can't even imagine that of them in particular!

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I checked those that were listed. No one seemed to be Sisto and there was no Rocco Proia. Tried various spellings of names.

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I did find a SALVATORE (if Sisto might be a nickname) PROIA but he's Sicilian

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Wow. Thanks for your hard work. Well, just wasn't me!

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Not Sicilian...I been looking again today.  What about Magni in those towns?

Answer 1

Sources for Sossio

Sossio Proia

 in the U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939

Name:	Sossio Proia
Departure Date:	10 Jul 1918
Departure Place:	Newport News, VA
Residence Place:	Casertia Arce Italy
Father:	Sisto Proia
Ship:	Matsonia
Rank:	Private
Service Number:	390957
Notes:	Truck Company D 2nd Corps Artillery Park
Search Photos:	Search for 'Matsonia' in the US WWI Troop Transport Ship Photos collection

Source Citation

The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 492

 

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Comments

When Sisto emigrated, on ship's manifest, he was going to son Sossio in Massachusetts

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I gotta go but will resume search tomorrow

Have discovered in Arce  family sometimes spelled name PROJA

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Thanks so fascinating!

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Eddie, FYI I posted this earlier...

OK found this: On Maria Donata Giuliani / Michele Romano

1862 Maria Donata Giuliani Birth Sulmona (Where they immigrated from):

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+LAquila/Stato+civile+italiano/Calascio/Morti/1911/1192/100517727_00011.jpg.html

Parents Bernardino Giluiani and  Marianna De Cienzo

But still cannot find anything local on Michelle...and his parents.

They have such common names maybe that's a problem!

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I have since found out that Sossio's first trip was in 1909, when he was abt 16 to USA. I do not know the ship and I think they may have listed his name as SASSIO incorrectly (I have been finding references with this spelling). Can anyone find a document?

His trip in 1818 was with his father upon return from his US Army service.

Answer 2

Michele Romano born 1860, died 1927, buried at Watertown, Middlesex, MA in St. Patricks Cemetery

Find A Grave  Familysearch.org

Comments

HI Frank,  I am trying to find the parents of both. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

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I did not find them. I assumed that their wedding was in Italy since their first child was born there. Sometimes the wedding will list parents names.

Answer 3

no relevance

Comments

All her census and immigration records say DOB 1862

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This is her Giuliano (Married Romano)

Wow.

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You're right Eddie, and also the location is different.  Thanks.

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Judi , this family tree says her LNAB was Romano and Juliano is like a middle name

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Now I am confused. Donata died in Watertown MA bc I took a photo of the grave. It says Donata was born 1862.  The birth in 1864 sounds like her bc the grave is in Watertwon, MA. but it says she was born in laurenzana, potenza, Basilicata, italy and he in Roseto Valfortore,Foggia,Italy.  Could that info be wrong> Could it be the same person?

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Hi Eddie,

Perhaps if I find a marriage in either town that would tell me which one is her...bc the parents are obvisouly different! Yes made sense that they would be in the same town to me too...but she did die in Watertwon, MA (So you think that someone made that mistake of the one in 1864 and added the watertown death on their tree?). interestng

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My gut feeling, too! Thx. Great Job. So glad I asked.

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OK found this: On Maria Donata Giuliani / Michele Romano

1862 Maria Donata Giuliani Birth Sulmona (Where they immigrated from):

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+LAquila/Stato+civile+italiano/Calascio/Morti/1911/1192/100517727_00011.jpg.html

Parents Bernardino Giluiani and  Marianna De Cienzo

But still cannot find anything local on Michelle...and his parents.

They have such common names maybe that's a problem!

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Pretty sure the 1911 death record shown for Vittoria Maria Donata Giuliani isn't someone you're looking for - this is the death of a 10-month old girl.

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Frank that was my mistake I meant to send you to the birth I found.

#113

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+LAquila/Stato+civile+italiano/Solmona/Nati/01_01_1862-02_10_1862/4001/004964054_00351.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=0

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That would appear to the one you're looking for. The handwritten notes in the right margin say she was married to Michele Ramunno in Solmona on 8 Dec 1882, record #106.

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Hi Frank,  Is there a link to the marriage document? A link to the page?  His name is Romano. Her grave says 1862. thx.

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No, I'm just reporting what is said in the handwritten annotation on Maria's birth record. I have not seen any post-1865 scans online for Solmona/Sulmona so currently the only copies of the marriage document would be the paper ones at the comune or the L'Aquila state archives.

Regarding the surname of the husband, while his name in the US was Romano it is quite possible it was not spelled the same way in Italy. Spellings of surnames changed for all sorts of reasons, mainly if the person was illiterate and didn't know how to spell so it would be written down phonetically by the scribe. There are both Romanos and Ramunnos in modern-day Sulmona.

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Just plain Wow! See what I missed because I could not read that notation!

Answer 4

Italy, Select Births and Baptisms, 1806-1900

Name

Michele Romano

Gender

Male

Birth Date

06 Dec 1860

Baptism Date

07 Dec 1860

Baptism Place

Roseto Valfortore,Foggia,Italy

Father

Nicola Romano

Mother

Filomena Trigiani

FHL Film Number

1037717

Household Members

NameAge

NameMichele Romano

NameFilomena Trigiani

NameNicola Romano

Comments

Patrick is there a link to this document 

#1037717 ?

Thank you so much.

here is the link to the grave for both

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104683680/michele-romano

Answer 5

Solmona births from 1818-1865 are available on the Antenati portal. Unfortunately, these are images only and no indexes so you would have to look through image by image to search them.

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+LAquila/Stato+civile+della+restaurazione/Solmona/

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+LAquila/Stato+civile+italiano/Solmona/

Comments

Does anyone know if there is a place to write to in Sulmona for records. I tried one email link I found but it got sent back to me.

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Try the contacts on this page:

http://185.192.137.35:8010/traspamm/strutture/00181820663/33/?idsezione=187&idperiodosezioni=2