Grizzaffi (Grisafi) family search -Corleone,Palermo,Sicily

[wldspirit]

A CERATO family living in Falls, Fayette, West Virginia, possible connection??


1930 United States Federal Census

Name: Samuel Cerato
Home in 1930: Falls, Fayette, West Virginia
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1890
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Virginia
Race: White

Household Members:
Name Age
Samuel Cerato 40
Virginia Cerato 35
Carlina Cerato 11
Frank Cerato 10
Guy Cerato 8
Cartuelba Cerato 6
Louise Cerato 4
John Cerato 1

You can see by listening to the following demo how easily the name could be misspelled in various ways:

Text to Speech Demo

[wldspirit]

A possible manifest for Angelina, going to West Virgina, with her sister, joining father and leaving behind an Aunt:

Immigration is off by one year from VJ's census find.

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

Name: Anne Joline Cerato
Arrival Date: 23 Apr 1914
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1903
Age: 11
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: Italian (North) (Italian)
Ship Name: Potsdam
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
NATIVITY: Italy
Line: 16
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_2302
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: pray alexandria san deilidoris
Page Number: 91

Perhaps VJ can upload the 2 page manifest, heading out for the morning.

Neat site to use, enter the surname Cerato in Cognome, click on the red arrow and you will see a heavy concentration of this name in the Piemonte region. Adding another R to the name places the concentration in the North of Italy as well as farther South.

Gens Labo

[vj]

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

Name: Anne Joline Cerato
Arrival Date: 23 Apr 1914
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1903
Age: 11
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: Italian (North) (Italian)
Ship Name: Potsdam
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
NATIVITY: Italy
Line: 16
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_2302
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: pray alexandria san deilidoris
Page Number: 91

Really neat find wldspirit!
Valarie

1914 manifest pg 1
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6425/1914.jpg

1914 manifest pg 2
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7362/191401.jpg

[wldspirit]

Thanks....possible location:

Piemonte Region
ASTI Province
SAN DESIDERIO Town

now to head out before I'm late!!

wldspirit

[SondraG]

wldspirit, this must surely be Angelina (Anne Joline, who would ever have thought to search that ??) She did indeed come to WV to Carbondale, maybe for an arranged marriage?? She and Gaetano were married 3 years later. Happy to know about her sister, since she went back to Italy, and we will try to track family there. And if G.'s brother never came to US, maybe we can locate him. Oodles of Grizzafis in Sicily.

Never heard of Samuel Cerato, another great lead to track down.

VJ, thanks for the ship's manifest, incredible, amazing....

Gens Labo site really cool!

[vj]

Best guess at transcription

23 April 1914, SS Potsdam, from Boulogne-sur-Mer to NY
lines 15-17

Carlo Ferraro 38
- married
- miner
- last residence Torino
- destination Boomer WV
- has ticket to Montgomery WV
- in US before, Montgomery WV 1904-1909
- joining wife Maria Ferraro in Boomer
- born in Montemagno prov Alessandria (probably Montemagno, Asti, Piedmont)

Anna Joline Cerato (?)
- possible naturalization notation 9-22081 (505) 5/16/40
- last residence San Desiderio prov Alessandria (probably the village San Desiderio in Calliano, Asti, Piedmont)
- in San Desiderio leaving aunt Serata(?) Prosino(?)
- destination Carbondale (Fayette County) WV
- has ticket to Montgomery WV
- joining father F Cerato in Cabondale
- notation: "Affidavit of step-father & mother on file"
- born in San Desiderio

Monica Cerato, sister 14

[SondraG]

Best guess at transcription

23 April 1914, SS Potsdam, from Boulogne-sur-Mer to NY
lines 15-17

Carlo Ferraro 38
- married
- miner
- last residence Torino
- destination Boomer WV
- has ticket to Montgomery WV
- in US before, Montgomery WV 1904-1909
- joining wife Maria Ferraro in Boomer
- born in Montemagno prov Alessandria (probably Montemagno, Asti, Piedmont)

Anna Joline Cerato (?)
- possible naturalization notation 9-22081 (505) 5/16/40
- last residence San Desiderio prov Alessandria (probably the village San Desiderio in Calliano, Asti, Piedmont)
- in San Desiderio leaving aunt Serata(?) Prosino(?)
- destination Carbondale (Fayette County) WV
- has ticket to Montgomery WV
- joining father F Cerato in Cabondale
- notation: "Affidavit of step-father & mother on file"
- born in San Desiderio

Monica Cerato, sister 14

VJ, We just returned from SIL's in G'Boro, NC, she had lots of pictures, Angelina's nat. certificate, and lots of clues to follow up, even some names of relatives of Angelina's in Italy. This has to be the correct Angelina (even though transcription error in Ellis Island records show her at 2, not 12, I can definitely read 12). Her sister's name was indeed Monica (Luisa), and she actually returned to Italy, maybe after WWI, didn't like it here.

We're going to WV to visit close family friends in the next 2 weeks, so I'll keep on digging from all angles to see what family threads we can find. Surely many Grizzaffi connections here in the States.

Cannot thank you enough. SIL was absolutely thrilled with what we've uncovered so far (particularly articles on accident of Grandfather), and asked me to express her appreciation to everyone in the Forum. Since neither my husband or SIL ever knew Gaetano, they see it as a chance to know him through his genealogy.

Mille grazie....will be back for advice, I'm sure.

[vj]

Thank you so much for letting us know how your trip went.
We love feedback .
Thank you!
Valarie

[wldspirit]

Thanks for the update.....we don't always get them....
And we do like to know how our efforts paid off and how the
search is progressing!!
If you need any further help, IG is always available...we have the best
team available on the internet!!
Many kudos to our great volunteers....
wldspirit

[SondraG]

Even though we're still gathering info on family, there really doesn't seem to be any reason to delay requesting naturalization documents. I believe the proper regional center fow WV records is the Rocket Center facility. Is that correct??

Since there is no online link, how does one request records? Do folks normally hire someone to acquire the documents for them?

Edited to say: Looks like the nat. docs should be the first step in the whole package, which my research indicates needs to be done by genealogy consultants (Italian dual cit. specialists), so I think we'll select one (most have good reference info) and go for it!

Thanks to the forum, as always, you are the best!

[SondraG]

We're making headway, and I must say, I would never have learned as much as quickly about researching genealogy if I hadn't come to this forum. Thanks again for a wonderful resource. (Subscribed to Ancestry.com, building family trees, with all this information as it's collected.)
We went to visit family friends in WV, very successful and pleasurable visit, numerous surprises, large and small. The large surprises have sent me back to the well of knowledge here for guidance on how to proceed.

Big surprise - my husband's great-grandmother not only came to the States, but married, lived and died here. Believe it or not, he didn't know that. Holy cow! Palmina (close family friend) took us to cemetery, part of which has been moved to other location(s), some time in mid 60's. Can't find obit (suspect death was somewhere between 1915 and 1920, based on other data), and am trying to find out if her grave was moved to other nearby location. Should I contact DOH in State of WV??

Here's the sticky part. Her name was Maria Cerato (husband in Italy abandoned), she came to States (1911-1913??), undoubtedly an arranged marriage, to gentleman, Pietro. According to Pal (who was destined to be born to this gentleman after Maria C's death, to second or maybe third wife, also Maria, Died 1972), Pietro was a policeman in San Fran, crossed the mafia, had to leave town (best guess between 1910 and 1914), came to Smithers, WV, lived under an assumed name (Volgino, except 1920 census has him as Joe Pietro), but was found in 1926, and was murdered, buried under real name Pietro Aitelli, B 1881, D 1926.

In San Fran, I find "Pietro Atillio" in 1910 census, wife, two children, arrived in US 1901, cousin living with him (Antonio Pregne), listed as "common laborer". After 1910, he and all the above mentioned disappear from records (cousin included).

Oh, and the families lived together. Pietro owned a house, Guy Grisafi/Grizzaffi was a boarder, married Maria C, brought over daughters Angelina and Monica from Italy (where they were living with Aunt), Guy and Angelina married, had children, Maria C died, Pietro remarried, Palmina was born, and they continued to live together even after Pietro was murdered.

So, in short, I can't find Maria C in immigration, marriage records (under any of these names), and can't find obit. Any suggestions appreciated.

On a more progressive note, we have gathered some docs for dual citizenship, and will keep moving on that. Thank heavens the grandmothers records are unnecesssary in the process.

I do hope you are not totally confused now. Did my best to explain.

[vj]

Hello!
It really sounds like you've made a lot of progress.
Your post is very easy to understand.
And, what a great story!
We'll all be happy to see what we can do to help.
(It does get a bit slow on the forum on weekends - so it may be Monday before some folks join in the hunt.)
Thank you for keeping us updated .
Valarie

[vj]

... Oh, and the families lived together. Pietro owned a house, Guy Grisafi/Grizzaffi was a boarder, married Maria C, brought over daughters Angelina and Monica from Italy (where they were living with Aunt), Guy and Angelina married, had children, Maria C died, Pietro remarried, Palmina was born, and they continued to live together even after Pietro was murdered...

Hi!
Just sorting out some records.
Is this the correct 1920 census for Pietro?
Thanks, Valarie

(from 1st page of post)

possible 1920 census

Home in 1920:
Falls, Fayette, West Virginia

head Jae Petra 40
boarder Gey Grisafa 24, abt 1896 IT
- immig 1912 in US 8 yrs, Al
wife Sena 18, abt 1902 IT
- immig 1913, Al

and,
the part about 'joining father' on Angelina's 1914 manifest (above) was incorrect, but the affidavit portion was correct

- joining father F Cerato in Cabondale
- notation: "Affidavit of step-father & mother on file"

[SondraG]

That's it, but if you read the document, you can clearly see "Joe Pietro". I think since Maria is not listed, she probably is not alive in 1920.

[vj]

Hi!
Wish the census stated W widower instead of married.
Do you know Maria's maiden name?
It would really help in locating her manifest & marriage record.
Thanks!
Valarie