CENTANNI CENTRAL

by Troy-204 11:34, 29 September 2014 (EDT)

This page is for Centanni Family History and Genealogy worldwide. It is best viewed when your screen is zoomed out to show only one column..

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CENTANNI FAMILY IN ITALY:

Jimmy CENTANNI from London has studied the "CENTANNI" name. He writes: Centanni means 100 years or century. It is said names stem from nick-names, especially in Italy. Centanni's may have had a history of long life, indeed my grandfather died at the ripe age of 99. Also italians have a tradition of lifting a glass and saluting "centanni", to mean "good health" or "may it continue". Like a toast.

The name CENTANNI has a great history in Italy, dating back to the medieval times, when the Centanni family were very successful traders. The lived in beautiful castles in northern Italy, and still do. A bitter family feud in approximately the 16th century split the family and some moved south, to Naples and Palermo, smaller trading ports. They then moved also into farming and agriculture.

Phillip Centanni, Jr. in New Orleans adds the following information: 'Centanni's are all over Italy these days -- most of them are from Alia, but a considerable number from Venice where the name most probably originated. Many Venetians and Genoese had trading post in Sicily. The Venetians also had trading posts along the eastern side of the Adriatic in what's now Croatia and Serbia. An Italian research project on the name reveals that it spread from Venice through Croatia on to Sicily and other parts of Southern Italy.'

From a book called Italian-American Roots: Volume I by Albert Robichaux, I learned that Alia was founded in 1615 -- fairly recently for an Italian town -- by a Spanish baronessa, Signora Francesca Cifuentes. Alia's original name was Lalia. Robichaux's book is a translation of Alia's birth records from 1850 onward.

The Centanni family in Alia intermarried with at least 20 other families of Alia in the centuries between 1725 and 1925. Some of these families are of Spanish origin, like Barcellona or Catalano. Some of the families have been in Alia for many centuries, perhaps back to the founding of the city in 1615. Many of the Centanni family members were "Borgise" or landowners, and often they married others from the same social position.

Rosada Guccione who lives in Alia, Sicilia, Italia today writes:

Today Alia for it's monuments: Grotte della Gurfa that go back to Saraceni, La Cattedrale, and its roads up hill and winding and decorated with flowers make Alia a welcoming place to spend a few days in good company and good food and most of all with not to much money.

Alia, Sicilia is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cefalu, and we are trying to find Roman Catholic Church records for Alia, which should date back to the founding of the Church of Our Lady of All Graces/Matrice della tutti Grazia, which sits at the top of the hill on which the community (commune) of Alia is located.

Contents 1 IMMIGRATION OF CENTANNI FAMILY TO AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE 2 FAMILY REUNIONS 3 LINKS TO CENTANNI FAMILY INFORMATION 3.1 OUR OLDER GENERATIONS FROM ALIA, SICILIA: 3.2 CENTANNI CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, USA 3.3 RECENT GENERATIONS IN THE USA 3.4 OTHER IMMIGRANT COUSINS WHO SETTLED IN KENNER, LOUISIANA, USA 3.5 CENTANNI FAMILY COUSINS WHO IMMIGRATED TO CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, USA 3.6 OTHER BRANCHES OF THE FAMILY FROM ALIA THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND THE EXACT RELATIONSHIP TO: 4 CENTANNI'S FROM THE ITALIAN PROVINCE OF CALABRIA: 5 OTHER LOCATIONS OF CENTANNI FAMILY MEMBERS IN ITALIA 6 CURRENT CENTANNI FAMILY WEBSITES

IMMIGRATION OF CENTANNI FAMILY TO AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE

The Centanni Family is prominent in Alia, Palermo, Sicily, and this branch has many members who immigrated to New Orleans, USA, and New Jersey, USA.

Centanni and its Anglisized version Centanne family members have spread across the USA, with members in Alabama, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and other states.

The Centanni Family from Alia that immigrated to Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA changed our surname to Toney.

The Centanni Family from Montella, Italia, near Napoli, immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They sometimes spell our surname Cientanni.

Another branch of the Centanni Family of italy went to South America.

FAMILY REUNIONS

The Centanni Family of New Orleans holds a family union in April or May in Kenner, Louisiana. The Family Reunion for 2016 is a picnic on Sunday, May 1 in Kenner.

LINKS TO CENTANNI FAMILY INFORMATION

OUR OLDER GENERATIONS FROM ALIA, SICILIA:

1725 - Filippo CENTANNI, born 1725, probably in Alia, who is an ancestor of Filippa Mancuso who married Michele Centanni who was born in Alia in 1852. (See Below)

1748 - Anna CENTANNI LA TACA, daughter of Filippo Centanni. Anna married Mr. LaTaca and lived to be about 100 years old.

1750 - Rosario CENTANNI, II, born 1750, and his wife Vincenza Miceli Centanni. We think his father may be named Antonino, but we have no proof beyond the constant use of this name in later generations, especially for his Rosario's oldest son born 1768.

1768 - Antonino CENTANNI, born 1768 in Alia, son of Rosario Centanni I, born 1768, and his wife, who have descendants in England, California, Pennsylvania, and Western New York.

1773 - Rosario CENTANNI II, son of Rosario Centanni I, born 1773, and his wife Leonarda Talamo Centanni who have numerous descendants in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

1808 - Giuseppe Antonino CENTANNI, son of Rosario Centanni II, and born 1808, and his wife Concetta Catalano Centanni, who have descendants in New Orleans, Louisiana; Perdido, Alabama; Gary, Indiana; Texas, and all along the west coast of Florida.

1811 - Rosario CENTANNI, III, born 1811, the son of Rosario Centanni II, and his wife Maria Grazia Catalano Centanni of Alia, Palermo, Sicily, Italy (1820s), who have numerous descendants in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1816 - Salvatore Antonino Centanni, born 1816, the son of Rosario Centanni II, and his wife Maria Grazia Catalano Centanni of Alia, Palermo, Sicily, Italy married Antonina Biondolillo on October 22, 1843. Salvatore is the brother of Giuseppe Antonino Centanni, Rosario Centanni III and Lucia Centanni. Salvatore Antonino Centanni and his wife Antonina Biondolillo had at least one child: 1. 1858 - Ignazio Centanni, born September 20, 1858 and baptized September 21, 1858 in Alia, Sicilia.

1839 - Salvatore CENTANNI, born 1839, son of Rosario Centanni, III and his wife Maria Grazia Catalano (1839) of Alia and New Orleans. They went back to Alia in 1905 with grandson Giuseppe Agostino "Joseph" Centanni, and Giuseppe's descendants eventually immigrated to Rochester, New York. Most of his descendants stayed in the New Orleans area.

1843 - Antonino Rosario CENTANNI, born 1843, the son of Giuseppe Centanni and his wife Concetta Maria Catalano (a double first cousin of Salvadore Centanni born1839, and Michele Centanni born 1852, who immigrated to New York with his family of four children, lost his wife to pneumonia in 1892, and later settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, working as a vegetable peddler in the New Orleans French Market along the waterfront. His descendants moved north to Gary, Indiana to work in the steel mills and to Perdido, Alabama to engage in agriculture. Many of his great grandchildren now live in Florida.

1852 - Michele CENTANNI, born 1852, also a son of Rosario Centanni, III and his wife Maria Grazia Catalano (1839) of Alia and New Orleans. who immigrated to New Orleans, and became a "padrone" or job broker for Louisiana Plantation owners needing migrant labor. Michele was able to recruit many Italians from Sicilia, Italia to work in the cane fields of Louisiana after the Plantation owners lost their slave labor because of famine conditions in Sicilia following the War for Italian Unification in the 1860s. Most of his descendants stayed in the New Orleans area.

CENTANNI CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, USA

1839 - Children of Salvatore Centanni born 1839 and his wife Luigia "Louise" Solito Centanni:

1. - 1865 - Rosario CENTANNI, oldest son of Salvatore and Louise Centanni, born in 1865 in Alia, Sicilia and who married Anna SIRAGUSA CENTANNI, immigrated to America and had nine children:'

2. 1871 - Children of Antonino CENTANNI, son of Salvatore (1839) born January 25, 1871 (second son of Salvatore and Luigia "Louise" SOLITO CENTANNI. Antonino Centanni married his mother's niece Rose SOLITO CENTANNI, and had many children in New Orleans:

• - 1898 -Salvador "Sam" CENTANNI, born 1898, and Myra CENTANNI]], born 1898 son of Antonino and Rosalie Centanni - owner of Gold Seal Dairy in New Orleans 1920s-1986.

• - 1900 - Marie CENTANNI who married Mr. DiCarlo.

- 1901 - Peter CENTANNI born March 13, 1901 and his wife Mary Allegretti CENTANNI

• - 1902 - Rosario Paul CENTANNI, born 1902, and his wife Rose GATTUSO CENTANNI, born 1904

• - 1905 - Joseph Anthony "Papa Joe" CENTANNI, born about 1905, and Maria "Mary" DeBOURNATO CENTANNI

• -1907 - Jerome Rafael CENTANNI, born December 2, 1907, and his wife [[Ricotta-|Mary RICOTTA CENTANNI

• - 1910 - James "Pal" CENTANNI, born about 1910.

• - 1911 - Dr. Lee Russell CENTANNI, born August 2,1911 who married Edna RICHARDs CENTANNI

• - 1915 - Anna "Annie" CENTANNI DiCARLO, born January 11, 1915, and her husband Salvador "Sam" DiCARLO. Annie gave us the large Centanni family group pictures posted here on wikitree.

3. Michele Salvador Centanni

4. Girolamo "Jerome" Centanni

5. - 1882 - Anna Centanni who married Epifano ANDOLLINA and had a grocery store in Kenner. Louisiana. Anna raised their eight children alone after Epifano died as a crime victim.

1843 - Children of Antonino Rosario CENTANNI, born 1843, son of Giuseppe Centanni and his wife Concetta Maria Catalano Centanni of Alia, Sicily, Italy. Antonino Rosario married Mercuria Liboria "Lillia" CENTANNI, immigrated to New York and later Louisiana, and passed away in New Orleans, USA in January 1921:

1. - 1873 - Biaggio "Charley" CENTANNI, born in Alia in May 1873 in Alia, immigrated to the USA as a child, returned after working as a cabin boy on a ship, and who met his wife Bessie Repinski in Chicago, Illinois. Charley moved his family of six children south before 1920 and become the first Barber of Kenner, LouisIana. He later became a farmer in Perdido, Alabama.

2. 1877 - Rosario "Ross" CENTANNI, born in Alia in 1877, and immigrating as a child, he returned to Italy and immigrated again. Rosario is the grandfather of Gregory Centanne. Rosario changed the spelling of our last name to Centanne to get a job in Gary, Indiana.

3. 1879 - Salvatore "Sam" CENTANNI, who moved to Gary, Indiana and had at least eight Centanni children, including a daughter named Louise Centanne, and another daughter Lillian who married Mr. Schulties.

4 - 1883 - Marietta CENTANNI, who went back to Italy in 1892 when her mother died and married Mr. Colajanni, and lived in Alia the rest of her life.

5. - 1889 - Theresa CENTANNI, who was born in 1889 after her parents arrived in New York City in , lost her mother in 1892 and moved later with her father to New Orleans where she married Paul Gennaro and had three children.

RECENT GENERATIONS IN THE USA

1852 - Children of Michele Centanni born 1852, and his wife Filomena Mancuso Centanni:

1. Maria CENTANNI CENTANNI, daughter of Michele Centanni born 1852, and her husband Castenzo CENTANNI

2. Rosario "Sido" CENTANNI, who married Louise Palma CENTANNI:

1865 - Children of Rosario CENTANNI, oldest son of Salvatore and Louise Centanni, born in 1865 in Alia, Sicilia and who married Anna SIRAGUSA CENTANNI, immigrated to America and had nine children:

1873 - Children of Biaggio Centanni, born 1873, the son of Antonino Rosario Centanni and his wife Maria Concetta Catalano, who married Bessie had at least seven children:'

1. - 1899 - Mary Theresa Centanni who married Albert Stutzke, Sr. and moved to River Grove, Illinois.

2. - 1902 - Lillian Centanni who married, and moved to Illinois.

3. - 1911 - Louis Centanni of Perdido, Alabama, and his wife Berniece Havard Centanni. They have one living daughter.

4. - 1915 - Julius Centanni of Saraland, Alabama, and his wife Lucille Luker Centanni, who have three living children.

5. - Joseph "Joey" Centanni, who died in infancy

6. - Rosario "Ross" Centanni, who lost his life in a Navy explosion in Liverpool Harbor, England in May 1944 during World War II>

7. - Fred "Freddie" Centanni who married Lorraine and worked the Railroads in Alabama.

1876 - Rosario Centanni "Ross Centanni" and his wife Agatina Tripi, son of Antonino Rosario Centanni of 1808. Both he and his wife immigrated from Alia and settled in Gary, Indiana to work in the steel mills and eventually open their own greenhouse nursery. They had three children:

1. - 1903 - Lilian Centanne Biamont, daughter of Rosario and his first wife Lillian Tripi.

2. - 1910 - Mary Centanne, born 1910 in Gary, Indiana, daughter of Rosario and his second wife Agatina Tripi.

3, - 1912 - Sebastian Centanne, born 1912 in Gary, Indiana who married Mary Hvozdovich, had four children and moved to Florida in 1962.

1879 - Children of Salvador "Sam" Centanni, born 1879, son of Antonino Rosario Centanni. Sam and his wife Josephine who immigrated to Gary, Indiana and had eight to ten children. 1. Louise 2. Theresa 3. Carmello 4. Several others.

1887 - Children of Rosario "Sido" CENTANNI, born in New Orleans, the son of Michele Centanni and his wife Filomena Mancuso. Sido married Louise Palma CENTANNI, daughter of Salvatore Centanni and his wife Luigia Solito Centanni of Alia. Sido and Louise Palma had several children. Sido is the father of:

1. - 1908 - MS "Ike" Centanni (1908), who married Lorriane Molitor

2. - 1914 - Rosario Joseph Centanni (1914), who married

3. - 1915 - Philomene Centanni Palmisano (1915), who married Mr. Palmisano.

4. - 1917 - Annie Centanni Wideman (1917), who married William Wideman, Sr., and had at least one son, William Wideman, Jr.

5. - 1919 - Rosalia Centanni Matassa (1919), who married Charles A. Mattassa, was a pharmacist who owned a Rexall Drugs franchise in or near New Orleans.

6. - 1921 - Marie Centanni Ledford (1921), who married Mr. Velma Ledford and had several children who are still living.

7. - 1923 - Salvadore Leo "Sal" Centanni (1923), son of Michele and Filomena Mancuso Centanni. Sal Centanni married Rose Currea , and lived in River Ridge near New Orleans. Louisiana. Sal was a good helper in constructing the Centanni Family Tree.

8. - 1925 - Joseph Anthony Centanni (1925)

9. - 1927 - John William Centanni (1927),

NOTE: Most of Sido and Louise's family frequented the Centanni family reunions in the 1980s when I had the opportunity to interview them. Sadly, they all have passed away in the past 25 years. Space:Sido%27s_Grocery_Store]] by Jimmy Ledford is profiled in a freespace page.

OTHER IMMIGRANT COUSINS WHO SETTLED IN KENNER, LOUISIANA, USA

Antonino CENTANNI and Antonina BIONDOLILLO who were born in the 1820s, in Alia. brother of one of the Rosario's of Alia, Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

CENTANNI FAMILY COUSINS WHO IMMIGRATED TO CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

This family is descended from Antonino Centanni, born 1768, above, who was born in 1768 in Alia. They changed their surname to Toney after immigrating to the United States. Cousins living today are the fifth and sixth cousins to the Centanni families in New Orleans, Alabama, and Florida. Our common ancestor is Rosario the First, born 1750 in Alia, Sicilia.

OTHER BRANCHES OF THE FAMILY FROM ALIA THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND THE EXACT RELATIONSHIP TO:

1752 - Domenico Centanni, born 1752 in Alia, Sicilia, who married Santa Costanza, and had at least four children: Carmelo Centanni, Rosolino Centanni, Fiiippa Rosalia Centanni Romero, and Domenico Centanni II.

Philip Centanni and his wife Rose Unknown from Alia, of unknown parents, who settled in Buffalo New York, and are the parents of 1. - 1915 - Chuck Centanni who married Lucille.

Andrea Centanni and Calogera Chimento Centanni of Alia, Palermo, Sicily, Italy (circa 1832)

Rosario Centanni and Maria Rotolo/Rotulo Centanni of Alia, Palermo, Sicily.

Ignazio Centanni and Filippa Andreanna Scaccia Centanni of Alia

Marriage of Giuseppa Centanni con Filippo Marchiafava Year 1868 # 25 or 75 Image 13/57 - Alia Atti di Matrimonio.

CENTANNI'S FROM THE ITALIAN PROVINCE OF CALABRIA:

• Vito Centanni from Cosenza, Calabria, some of whose descendants eventually emigrated to Chicago, Illinois and changed the spelling our our surname to Centano.

• Guydono Centanni Family from Calabria, Italia and New Jersey, USA

OTHER LOCATIONS OF CENTANNI FAMILY MEMBERS IN ITALIA

• Montella, near Napoli, Italia

• Roma, Italia

• Marche, Italia

CURRENT CENTANNI FAMILY WEBSITES

• Centanni Investigative Agency - owned by Wayne Centanni
• CentanniFamily.com
• Centanni Family - facebook group
• Famiglia Centanni - facebook group
• Centanni Family All Over the World - facebook group
• Alia Nel Mondo - facebook group by Giuseppe Centanni and Pinella Drago about the Centanni hometown of Alia, Sicilia

______ Compiled for my website in 2002 by Sharon Troy Centanne Troy-204 16:47, 27 September 2014 (EDT) This website written and designed by: Sharon Troy Centanne, Genealogy Research Instructor and Internet Trainer Please direct any questions to: SharonTroy-204 December 12, 2014 (EDT)

This page updated Thursday, March 19, 2016. </div> </div>