Hi everyone! I've been reading this forum on and off while applying for the many many certificates I need to obtain Italian citizenship through my great-great-grandfather. It has only been 3 months now and I am very close! The latest and hardest of all was his 1879 marriage certificate.. his age is wrong (23 instead of 29) as I believe he wanted to appear younger to marry my great-great-grandmother, who was only 15(!) at the time (she listed herself as 16).

Now I need to obtain his birth certificate from Italy. Yet I really have no idea where they came from in Italy. My grandfather remembers his father saying they were from the area of Naples, but that is all I know.

I searched the last name on italia.indettaglio.it/...gnomi.html and found about 35 towns with the name listed, but only 4 with it listed more than 10 times. Does anyone know a better way for me to find the records? I heard they might be kept at a church, as he was born in 1850 or 1849.

Thanks!!

Oh, it appears as though he came to America when he was 25, in 1875. This is according to his American death certificate, but I haven't been able to find the actual record for the boat yet. I checked Castle Garden's website but don't believe it is complete..

jevans wrote:

Oh, it appears as though he came to America when he was 25, in 1875. This is according to his American death certificate, but I haven't been able to find the actual record for the boat yet. I checked Castle Garden's website but don't believe it is complete..

Is there any chance that he became a naturalized US citizen? If so, get those papers immediately. The petition will list his place of birth, birthdate, spouse's place of birth and birthdate, names & ages of children, etc. A photograph too!

My understanding is that this document is usually very accurate as one had to provide proof of these things, not merely verbal attestations.

jevans wrote:

Oh, it appears as though he came to America when he was 25, in 1875. This is according to his American death certificate, but I haven't been able to find the actual record for the boat yet. I checked Castle Garden's website but don't believe it is complete..

you can say us the your ancestor name?

Thanks for the advice so far - his name is Pietro Giallorenzo.

Where did Pietro settle when he came to the US? Did he come alone or with other family members?

Do you have census records for him? What was his wife's name? If you could give us a little more information , the search will be easier.

double posting sorry

it could be:
1900 United States Federal Census
about Peter Giallorenzo
Name: Peter Giallorenzo
Home in 1900: Brooklyn Ward 8, Kings, New York
Age: 46
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Birthplace: Italy
Relationship to head-of-house: Brother-in-law
Race: White
Occupation: View image
Immigration Year: 1885
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Frank Dequilio 54 ( maybe DE GIULIO or DI GIULIO)
Mary Dequilio 43
Peter Giallorenzo 46

Thanks for help with the search!! Here is more detailed information...

According to his death certificate he was born in 1849 or 1850 in Italy. He died on May 25, 1899 and at that time had been in America for 24 years. On his death it is misspelled Gianlorenzo. Unfortunately he is not on any census record that I could find. I do know the 1890 census was destroyed by fire. His wife was Theresa (Teresa) Cestaro (sometimes misspelled Cactaro..) They later changed the last name to Renzo. His son is Salvatore Gianlorenzo/Renzo born Dec 20, 1884. I do have 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records with either Salvatore or Theresa on them.

Pietro's father's name was also Salvatore, and his mother was, I believe "Falicindo Dallace" or Felice Dallace" (any ideas on how to spell this correctly?)

Thanks!!

By the way, Pietro came into NYC and lived there for the rest of his life as far as I know. Theresa Cestaro was born Marc 18 1864. Please let me know if there is any other information that can be of help. I am working on scanning all of the records.

Hmmm... You didn't mention sons other than Salvatore...

This 1910 census record sure looks like Teresa and three sons, living with her borther-i-law and his family.

Name: Teresa Giallonenzo
[Teresa Giallorenzo]
Age in 1910: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1866
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Sister-in-law
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Home in 1910: Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Female
Year of Immigration: 1880
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Antonio Spinellia 50
Mary Spinellia 41
Mamie Spinellia 18
Antonette Spinellia 16
Michael Spinellia 12
Angelina Spinellia 9
Josephine Spinellia 1 3/12
Phillipa Chester 73
Teresa Giallonenzo 44
Salvatore Giallonenzo 25
Joseph Giallonenzo 23
Philip Giallonenzo 14

Is this one of the census records you referred to?

Have you tried looking specifically for a ship's manifest for Teresa? A couple of pointers: 1) Husbands often came over separately from thier wives and children (if any). 2) Married women travelled under their maiden names (to this day, Italian women do not take on their husband's surname). I found my grandmother's passage (along with her eldest son who was born in Italy) long before finally locating my grandfather's two (!) separate voyages to America - one at age 17 and another at age 25. It was my grandmother's ship's manifest which led me to their hometown of Roccasecca.

Wow that is interesting that your grandfather went back to Italy after having been in America! Here is a copy of the 1900 census as well with Teresa on it. On this one she is using the Renzo name again, I believe her mother is living with them, but she is listed as "Jestero"! I did a search on castlegarden.org for the *estaro name and did not find anything which seems as though it could be my ancestors. Where did you find your ship records?

1900 census: www.flickr.com/photos/...820476067/
1910 census: www.flickr.com/photos/...820476075/
1920 census: www.flickr.com/photos/...820476093/
1930 census: www.flickr.com/photos/...820476105/

Here's a manifest for Andrea Giallorenzo and his wife Teresina Mercadante traveling to americal to Andrea's nephew Salvatore Giallorenzo at 321 S. 113 st. (I believe that's the address) NY - lines 20 and 21 and they are from Tegiano (should be Teggiano)in the province of Salerno (SA) region Campania. Hope this helps

www.ellisisland.org/EI...&line=0020

Elizabeth

Great! well so died in 1899 and the Peter giallorenzo found is another man... good of to know! so with last updates we can search better! regards, suanj

Was Teresa's name Maria Teresa? Here is the manifest for Maria and a few lines above her is Spinella. Could be possible manifest for her

www.ellisisland.org/EI...&line=0631