Alien registration card

[jamurp01]

The only thing I have on this Antonino Russo is his birthdate (06/18/1870) and his alien reg no. the file series AR-2 form A-3835785. The line below that on the index request lists an A-File series, same number (A-3835785) then says "FCO: New York, NY" no dates... if the FCO is referring to it being filed in that location... it's 99.99999% not him (i have no records ever indicating him in NY)

I have already placed the records request into the USCIS for this record; i figured its the only thing that I can do... but also, knowing them, I will not have any additional info on this Antonino Russo for a longgggg time!

[johnnyonthespot]

"Alien Registration Numbers are assigned at the local File Control Office (FCO) processing the initial action."

From http://info.dhhs.state.nc.us/olm/manual ... 3330f1.pdf

[jamurp01]

hmm... if it's local then, its not him? Thank you though Johnny for all of your help, i really appreciate it

[johnnyonthespot]

Do you have a birth date for Grazia? This isn't her, is it?

I've got to go out for a few hours; be back later. If this is her card, the number at the top-right is her "C File" number - the number on her citizenship certificate.

Which leads to another set of questions...

[image removed to save space - johnny]

[jamurp01]

thats her! well, almost pos- I will check my other records.....

What can I do with this- is there any way to use it to find Antonino Russo?

THANK YOU SO MUCH (even if i can't use this for my citizenship, its still a very amazing this to have)

[jamurp01]

The actual year is off by two years, but the month and date are identical- she lived much longer than my grandfather, although she spoke only italian up to her death;

My GGF was alive on that date of application for her ARC... is it possible to research ARC by submission date?

thank you again and great research skills- I would love to know some of your resources! (i cant afford ancestry & add paid prescriptions) I have spent a lot of time researching the last name verzi- there are not many in the States; this is the only one I've seen in Waltham... the rest in Cali and Illinois, thats what also makes me SO positive its her!

[jamurp01]

I just talked to my father; that was my GGM's address... I just referenced her SSN- and on that registration her birthdate is correct. My parents believe that if she applied for citizenship, then Antonino Russo must have also applied (that they would only do it together) UNLESS they were trying to get social security benefits..... she could have lied about her age for that?

How did you find this card- there any link to her spouse? Is there anyway (outside of USCIS) to search people's C-numbers? Thats super interesting that you found that!

BTW, I'm on Italian time, but I'll be hovering around my computer for the rest of the evening; im super interested if you've discovered anything else!

THANK YOU

[johnnyonthespot]

Well, this is interesting!

The number at the top right of the card, 6551319, is the number of her citizenship certificate. You can also see on the card her Alien Registration number and the number of her Petition for Citizenship.

So, at the very least, you can go to USCIS and order her naturalization records using the "C File" number, C6551319.

Now, the question is, what is going on here? It seems very odd that she naturalized and her husband Antonio did not? Maybe her documents will clear this up.

[jamurp01]

You certainly are right, she definitely naturalized! In fact, i looked back onto the manifest and she did have the numbers by her name, but Antonio doesnt!

What information does the naturalization record share? Would it also be able to tell me if her husband naturalized?

[johnnyonthespot]

I found the card on ancestry . com; if you have an account, you can click here to see it. If you use the arrows at the top-right of the ancestry screen, you can scroll through the card file; it is the "Index" file for all of Massachusetts. The cards are in reverse alphabetical order; the Antonio's start with card number 874 and continue upwards. There is an Antonio in Walthan (#880) but not the same address as on Grazia's card. There are also several Anthony's, but again, none in Waltham.

There were a *lot* of Russo's in Massachusetts!!!

I am not sure what information would be on her naturalization docs concerning Antonio other than his name, birthdate and place. It is possible that she naturalized and he didn't. Also possible that he naturalized at an earlier or later date but I cannot find anything that shows that happening.

[johnnyonthespot]

My best guess: his given name was Something Antonio (Francesco Antonio, Giuseppe Antonio, etc) or when he came to the US he radically Americanized his given name to something other than Anthony.

Scrolling through the cards looking for the Waltham address and/or Antonio's birth date might turn up something.

[johnnyonthespot]

By the way, assuming that this is all about a dual citizenship application, now that we seem to know when Grazia naturalized, how about going through her side of the family instead of through Antonio's?

Would that work?

[johnnyonthespot]

No, that wouldn't work at all - prior to January 1, 1948, Italian citizenship was passed only by the father...

[johnnyonthespot]

Thinking about this some more...

Grazia naturalized in 1945 when Antonio would have been 75 years old. Maybe he just didn't want to bother?

But, if that is the case, where is his Alien Registration Card if, "The Alien Registration Act of 1940 (also known as the Smith Act) required the fingerprinting and registration of any alien age 14 and older living within or entering the United States."?

One possible explanation for no Alien Registration Card is that he naturalized on his own many years before Grazia did. But then, where are the records? I scrolled through the Russo's in the Massachusetts card file; nothing caught my eye.

Perhaps New Hampshire...

But, of course, we have the lack of notation on his manifest which leads me to believe he never sought a Certificate of Arrival which should have been a prerequisite for his naturalization application...

PS: You'll have to excuse me - I like to think out loud.

[qnana]

Just to muddy the waters - I have my grandfather's original Citizenship paper so I know he naturalized BUT on his manifest there are no numbers to indicate it was checked by anyone prior to becoming a citizen.

qnana