Cosmo Demennato (1869 - 1944)

Born 12 Jan 1869 in Paupisi, Benevento, Campania, Italia

Descendants

Died 22 Mar 1944 at age 75 in Bebedouro, São Paulo, Brasile

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Biography

Cosmo Demennato was born on January 12th, 1869 in Paupisi (Benevento, Campania, Italy), son of Pietro Demennato and Anna Fusco^{[1] [2]} and had at least 6 siblings, as found in the digital archives of Benevento through Family Search^[3]:

(1) Beatrice Demennato (Paupisi, 1865-10-24)

(2) Nicola Demennato (Paupisi, 1875-12-2)

(3) Nicola Demennato (Paupisi, 1878-4-28). Nicola Demennato was a soldier during WWI, member of the 225th territorial militia battalion. He died in Paupisi in 1918.^[4]

(4) Filomena Demennato (Paupisi, 1881-11-14)

(5) Concetta Maria Demennato (Paupisi, 1884-2-8)

(6) Giovanna Demennato (Paupisi, 1889-12-28)

On March 29,1896, the 27 year-old Cosmo Demennato arrived in Brazil on board of the steamboat "Fortunata Raggio" with his 24 year-old wife Luiza (Bizzarro) Demennato (registered as "Lucia" in the "Matricula") and their 3 year-old daughter Giocondina^[5]. They were heading to Monte Alto (SP, Brazil).^[6]

However, historical records indicate that Brazil was not Cosmo's destination of choice . At some point between 1896 and 1906, Cosmo returned to Italy, and on January 25th, 1906, Cosmo sails from Naples on board of the "Sicilian Prince", arriving at the Port of New York (NY, USA) on February 12th of the same year. Listed as a "peasant", the illiterate 36 year-old Italian is in the USA to join a man listed as his cousin, Francesco Colangelo, who was naturalized American in 1901, and resided at Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ.^[7], ^[8] Cosmo brings his family along: his 33 year-old wife Lucia (sic), and in addition to their older daughter Giocondina (now 13), are her siblings Lucia (8), Luigi (4) and Maria (11 months). In the same ship, perhaps travelling with the family, was another cousin of Francesco Colangelo, a 30 year-old named Francesco Sachella^[9]. ^[10] It's noteworthy that the names of most members of the party are crossed in the immigration document, with the exception of Cosmo's and Giocondina's. Although the documents are silent about the reasons for the crossed names, it is a fact that there are at least two more records from 1906 listing attempts to gain entry in the US by Cosmos immediate family: the first on April 23rd 1906^[11], and the second on July 30th 1906^[12]. In both cases, the names were crossed. It's an oral tradition of the family that Luiza was denied entry due to a diagnosis of trachoma by line physicians in Ellis Island^[13], ^[14]

Despite these difficulties, Cosmo Demennato was determined to make a life in the New World: on May 6th, 1907^[15]Cosmo would be registered again in the "Hospedaria do Immigrante in Sao Paulo (SP, Brazil), having arrived in the port city of Santos (SP. Brazil) from Naples on board of the steamboat "Re Umberto"^[16] with his wife Luiza and their 4 children: Giocondina (13), Lucia (8), Luigi (4), and Maria (1). They are listed as farmers and are heading to Ibitirama railway station (SP, Brazil) to work on the farm of an yet unidentified Dr. Augusto.

Eventually, Cosmo Demennato and Luisa Bizzarro established themselves in Bebedouro, SP, Brazil. In addition to their four Italian born children, the couple had at least three more children, born in Brazil: Durval Demenato, Mathilde Demenato, e Darcila Demenato (notice the spelling of the family name).

In 1938, Cosmo Demnnato was the proprietor of an ice cream cone factory at Brandao Veras street in Bebedouro, having started this business in 1935.^[17],^[18].

Further research is needed from this point.

Cosmo Demennato passed away on March 22nd, 1944.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Certificate of Cosmo Demennato (digital image)
2. ↑ http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/
3. ↑ Paupisi, Benevento, Campania, Italia: Civil Registry, extracts
4. ↑ http://www.archiviodistatobenevento.beniculturali.it/risorse_digitali/Caduti/ElaboratiGrafici/PaesiDiOrigine/Pdf/Paupisi.pdf
5. ↑ Matricula de Immigrantes, Hospedaria do Immigrante, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, March 29 1896, book 053, p. 187
6. ↑ Annotation in the 1907 "Matricula" supports this location. See: Matricula de Immigrantes, Hospedaria do Immigrante, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, Maio 6 1907, book (?), p. 220
7. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9Q4-ZJ9N?i=59&cc=2057433&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A6CY3-BCLJ
8. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:815K-BWT2
9. ↑ the immigration record from 1906 lists Francesco Sachella as being married. Filomena Demennato, Cosmo's sister, was married to Francesco Sauchella. With this little information, I will advance the thesis that Francesco Sachella (sic) was Cosmo's brother-in-law. His name is also crossed from the list, what could mean that he too was rejected after a health check with the line doctors at Ellis Island.
10. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PR-RVMK?i=652&cc=1368704&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJFX1-9JW
11. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PT-X9T5?cc=1368704&wc=4FMB-7TS%3A1600312349 : 26 January 2018), Roll 697, vol 1537-1539, 22 Apr 1906 > image 350 of 749; citing NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C957-6S14-1?cc=1368704&wc=4FS7-W4N%3A1600342302 : 26 January 2018), Roll 747, vol 1673-1675, 28 Jul 1906 > image 274 of 764; citing NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18389350/
14. ↑ abstract: The medical inspection of immigrants arriving in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was framed by a need to rapidly process large numbers of people. Scientific medicine, such as it was then, was subordinate to the existing immigration laws which reflected the influences of the powerful anti-immigration forces of eugenics and nativism. The line, or single-file queues in which immigrants were arranged, facilitated rapid processing. The split-second medical gaze was hailed by the then leadership of the U.S. Public Health Service as scientifically sound, based as it was on the alleged exceptional disease detection skills of examining public health physicians. In reality, this system was seriously flawed, led to numerous diagnostic errors, and was free of any form of public outcomes assessment or accountability. In time, trachoma became the principal focus of line physicians because of the belief that it could be easily detected, and those diagnosed with it summarily deported. However, the diagnosis of the early stages of this disease is far more complex since it must be differentiated from other forms of benign conjunctivitis. Described here is the case of Cristina Imparato, a 46-year-old immigrant who arrived in New York from Italy on September 27, 1910, and who was given a diagnosis of trachoma which resulted in her summary deportation three days later on September 30, 1910. Her case serves to illustrate the complex forces at work at that time around the issue of immigration. These included a need to meet the labor needs of expanding industries while responding to the immigration restriction demands of eugenics supporters and nativists and the call to protect the country from imported disease threats.:
15. ↑ Matricula de Immigrantes, Hospedaria do Immigrante, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, Maio 6 1907, book (?), p. 220
16. ↑ The steamboat "Re Umberto" appears registered in the LLoyds Register of British and Foreign Ships, London, 1912, Appendix II, p968. to the Societa Ligure Brasiliana di Nav., at 2930 tons and capable of travelling at 12.5 knots. Google books: https://books.google.ca/books?id=QVcgAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA968&lpg=PA968&dq=steamboat+"re+umberto"+-battleship+-ironclad+-shipwreck&source=bl&ots=yzx9kl2i9t&sig=ACfU3U3ptiPFoUikAUd-IcNdyrJGe7Jdlw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiE6-iu_ZDzAhXyCTQIHUcBDawQ6AF6BAgZEAM#v=onepage&q=steamboat%20"re%20umberto"%20-battleship%20-ironclad%20-shipwreck&f=false
17. ↑ Cosmo Demenato, Servico Sanitario de Sao Paulo, Carteira de Saude #911, issued on 15 December 1938, renewed on 4 May 1943.
18. ↑