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

[SondraG]

Maria (based on the fact that Angelina stated Maria as mother on marriage certificate) Cerato. Sister of Angelina who died in Torino, It in 1991, spelled the last name Cerrato.

Haven't had any luck digging up anything on Maria from Immigration records, either Ellis Island or Ancestry.com.

Plan to check Fayette County marriages for Maria Cerato this morning.

[vj]

Pietro Aitelli/Volgino/Joe Pietro

Did you find this WWI Card on ancestry?
It was transcribed as Aitelli Petro

1918 WWI Draft Registration Card
Aitelli Petro
signed Aitelli Pietro
38
Harewood, Fayette, WV
Born: 4 Feb 1880 in Italy, Rocca Dareso
(there are several possibilities, here are two...:
Rocca d'Arazzo, province Asti, region Piedmont
Rocca d'Arce, province Frosinone, region Lazio)
Non-declarant
Miner
Nearest relative: Mrs Mary Aitelli

[SondraG]

Ooh, no, that's a find! Thanks

Edited to say, I've been trying to use the WV Archives for Fayette County marriages/deaths this morning, the site is unbelievably slow and I'm getting no hits on anything. Will try again with this info.

[vj]

The WV site can be awful at times.
Often it will indicate it found something but won't list any names.

There are WV records here too, but no images:
http://search.labs.familysearch.org/rec ... 7819#start

Do you have Pietro Aitelli/Volgino/Joe Pietro's exact (or close) death date & location?
Thanks!
Valarie

[SondraG]

Nearest date - 1826, Harewood, West Virginia

[vj]

Aitelli

Thought you may like this for your scrapbook
From the Charleston Daily Mail
20 Aug 1944
---

Pietro Aitelli/Joe Pietro
(note: pietra can be translated as stone :wink: )

There's an interesting note in the Daily Mail on 4 April 1926:
(the newspaper image is pretty awful)

Montgomery
Fatal Accident
A. Pietro, better known in this locality as Joe Rock, died in a few moments after being struck by an automobile at half past six o'clock on Thursday morning in front of the clubhouse at Longacre. According to eye witnesses the death of Pietro was due solely to an unavoidable accident.
It is said that Pietro was riding on a truck to work with other employees of the Kanawha and Hocking Coal and Coke Company, that the truck stopped on the Midland Trail and Pietro stepped from behind the truck immediately in the path of a car.
Pietro was boss over the Italian employees of the K.H.Co., and a part owner in a merchandising business in Harewood.

[SondraG]

Fascinating, never would have picked out "Rock". And, isn't it interesting that the family stories go from ordinary to sensational over time??

I continue to be amazed at what you come up with. Another story to tag on to the family tree, thanks so much.

[SondraG]

Your info led me to check the Fayette County marriage records again.

Found Pietro Aitelli m to Regina Leva (??) in Aug, 1913, sounds right. And names of their parents, though it's hard to tell if they are giving first or last names. But still, clues are clues...
And, duh, Pietro = Peter. Peter, the rock...

[vj]

Your info led me to check the Fayette County marriage records again.

Found Pietro Aitelli m to Regina Leva (??) in Aug, 1913, sounds right. And names of their parents, though it's hard to tell if they are giving first or last names. But still, clues are clues...
And, duh, Pietro = Peter. Peter, the rock...

edit: added
for reference, from WV Archives
Pietro Aitello & Regina Leva marriage record.
Regina is listed as a widow
married in Carbondale

Line 22

29 Aug 1913
page 2

transcription from FamilySearch Pilot:

Groom's name: Pietro Aitello
Groom's age: 32 years
Groom's estimated birth year: 1881
Groom's birthdate:
Groom's birthplace:
Bride's name: Regina Leva
Bride's age: 30 years
Bride's estimated birth year: 1883
Bride's birthdate:
Bride's birthplace:
Event type: Marriage
Marriage date: 29 Aug 1913
Marriage place: Fayette, West Virginia
Groom's father's name: Geovanni
Groom's mother's name: Parmira
Father of bride's name: Allsendo
Mother of bride's name: Crsale
Marital status:
Groom's previous wife's name:
Bride's marital status:
Bride's previous husband's name:
Film number: 494264
Digital GS number: 4226911
Image number: 32
Reference number: pg 2
Source: County Records
Collection: West Virginia Marriages 1853-1970

I never thought of Peter as the 'rock' you're right, good one !

Valarie

[vj]

Regina Leva born abt 1883, married 29 Aug 1913

Fascinating manifest
Right name
Right age
From the correct area in Italy (Calliano, Alessandria)
Leaving a 'Cerato' sister-in-law in Italy
But headed to NY

1913 manifest
page 2

18 Aug 1913, SS Moltke, Genova to NY
line 4
Regina Leva 20 (abt 1883)
- married
- last residence Calliano, Alessandria (now Calliano, Asti, Piedmont)
- leaving sisyer-in-law Carolina Cerrato in Calliano
- destination NY NY
- joining brother Michele Leva at 25 Dorsey(?) Street
- born in Alessandria, Castell' Alfero(?) (now Castell'Alfero, Asti, Piedmont)

Detained Aliens page

after two days she was released to the custody of the St. Raphael Society for Italian Immigrants
---

great site for manifest markings:
http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/manifests/
===

I hate to stretch the 'supposing' too far, but
suppose Regina's brother Michele from the 1913 manifest moved to Harewood also

1918 WWI Draft Registration Card

Michele Carlo Leva
37
Harewood, Fayette, WV
Born 8 Feb 1881 in Alessandria
Miner
Nearest relative: Rosa Leva

(note: Michele & wife Rosa may have been in Falls, Fayette, West Virginia on the 1910 census)
---

Looks like the same parents as Regina: Alessandro and Casella?

Groom's name: Michele W. Leva
Groom's age: 28 years
Groom's estimated birth year: 1881
Groom's birthdate:
Groom's birthplace:
Bride's name: Rosa Batto
Bride's age: 23 years
Bride's estimated birth year: 1886
Bride's birthdate:
Bride's birthplace:
Event type: Marriage
Marriage date: 1909
Marriage place: Fayette, West Virginia
Groom's father's name: Alesandro
Groom's mother's name: Casela
Father of bride's name: Guissepe
Mother of bride's name: Carrina
Marital status:
Groom's previous wife's name:
Bride's marital status:
Bride's previous husband's name:
Film number: 584765
Digital GS number: 4227405
Image number: 447
Reference number:
Source: County Records
Collection: West Virginia Marriages 1853-1970

[vj]

Pietro Aitelli

Here's a possible death record from the WV archives
Note: the article abt 'Joe Rock' stated the accident was Thursday which was 1 April...
The location is the same - Longacre

Death Record

Name: Pietro Artalli
Sex: Male
Death Date: 30 Mar 1926
Death Place: Longacre, Fayette, West Virginia
Age at Death: 45y
Marital Status: M
Occupation: Construction

4 Apr 1926
newspaper article

[SondraG]

I don't think your "supposing" went too far, very logical conclusion, IMHO.

So much information, so exciting to follow. Lots more clues to search out on other family trees. So many paths to follow from these clues.

Just yesterday, I had despaired of finding GGM.

[SondraG]

More pieces falling into place. Note to self 1) family legends are interesting, but only contain a shred of tangled truth, and (2) every piece of information is a clue, even if you can't decipher it, so don't eliminate it and (3) genealogy is the most humbling experience of my life, next to motherhood.

In searching family trees, I learned that the nephew, Aldo Costelli, who accompanied GF Guy Grisafi on trip in 1931 was in fact born in the US, in Fayette County, married there as well. (May have ended up in Chicago area.) I just assumed he was Italian and was emigrating to the US. I kept wondering about the relationship. Nephew, through whom??

What I found is that his parents, Carlo Costelli (24) and Luigina Cerrato (16), married in Feb of 1916, Aldo born in Sept, in Fayette County, WV. Under Bride's parents is listed "Joe" for father (as in "Joe Rock"??) and Maria (2nd wife of Pietro/Joe?). Is it possible that Luigina is a badly interpreted, or badly spelled version of (Monica) Luisa Regina (her mother's name) and that she is Angelina's sister?? Who didn't, as we had heard, go back to Italy right away, but stayed at least long enough to have a child?

More supposing on my part, Carlo was probably a boarder with the Grisafi/Aitelli families (based on manifest of 1931 which shows Aldo at same address as Guy), and developed a relationship with daughter of the house at this time.

Is this plausible, or am I reaching??

Edited to add:

What really touched off this curiosity was that the "Costelli" connections were coming from several places. We were given the name of cousins in Piemonte by friends in WV, one the son of Monica Luisa Cerrato (on her funeral card, not Costelli), a Francesco Costelli and his son, Daniele, both of Torino. Too much coincidence, and many trails to follow.

[vj]

Hello!
Good notes !
I don't think you're reaching too far.
If there's a connection you'll find it eventually (sometimes when you're not even looking).
Did you know you could order a person's Social Security Application (abt $27)?
Valarie

Social Security Death Index

Name: Aldo D. Costelli
SSN: 235-07-6531
Last Residence: 60650 Cicero, Cook, Illinois
Born: 17 Sep 1916
Died: 7 Oct 1993
State (Year) SSN issued: West Virginia (Before 1951)

Name: Aldo D. Costelli
Date of Birth: Sunday September 17, 1916
Date of Death: Thursday October 07, 1993
Est. Age at death: 77 years, 20 days

Last known residence:
State: Unknown

Social Security details:
State of Issue: West Virginia
Number: 235-07-6531


Social Security Application SS-5

SS#'s are available here if you don’t already have them:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... _form=true

About the SS Application:
http://genealogy.about.com/od/online_re ... equest.htm

The SS-5, or Application for Social Security Number is a great resource for learning more about individuals who died after about 1960, and generally includes the following:
- Full name
- Full name at birth, including maiden name
- Present mailing address
- Age at last birthday
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Father's full name
- Mother's full name, including maiden name
- Sex
- Race as indicated by the applicant
- Whether the applicant ever applied for Social Security or Railroad Retirement before
- Current employer's name and address
- Date signed
- Applicant's signature

Order form SSA-711 (can be done online):
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/html/foia_guide.htm
---

Is it possible that Luigina is a badly interpreted, or badly spelled version of (Monica) Luisa Regina (her mother's name)

Luigina = the diminutive of Luigia
Luigia = Louise, Louisa

helpful sites on Italian given names:
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/ita3.php
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Poin ... ame.html#I
http://www.nomix.it/700l.php
---

On Aldo Costelli's marriage record to Diana Dalpasto in 1937, his parents are again Carl & Lois
1937 marriage

[SondraG]

As always, thanks for the assistance and education. The search for here and in Italy continues.

Yesterday, we began the formal paperwork process for dual citizenship, requesting naturalization doc and birth certificate from Italy (through an Italian consulting service). Local docs are in process as well. Tried to make appt. with Philly consulate, out for month of Sept., so that will have to wait.

Letter going to Italy today to grandson (we think) of Angelina's sister.

Genealogy progress is inch by inch. Found a family tree for Grizzaffis in TX and LA, lots of them, one includes mention of a brother Vincenzo in the right time frame, so it could be husband's Great GF. Requested info from them.

Hard to be patient, but I know the process is plodding and plodding until something breaks, and when it does, everything starts falling into place.

Question on letter to Italy re proper addressing. Does this address require more info to get to Italy??

Name
10000 Rivoli (TO)
13 A, Via Novara