Do I qualify for Italian citizenship?

[manckj]

Hi,
Did My GF not participate in census taking because he was not a citizen of the US?
I'm stuck, also.
Does SS # lead us anywhere?
Thanks,
Jack

[johnnyonthespot]

In theory, everyone was counted, whether citizen or not. It is true that some people deliberately hid from census takers out of irrational fears but this is unlikely. Likewise, anyone could (had to, if they wanted to work) get a social security number, so this is not an indication of citizenship.

Giovanni's 1918 draft card places him at "76 Chase" in the city of Burlington (Chittenden County), Vermont. Google maps shows both a Chase Street and nearby Chase Lane in Burlington. I determined that both of these streets would have been recorded in the 1920 cesnus of Burlington Ward 1 District 42 and reviewed each page of the census.

I found both Chase Lane and Chase Street, but Giovanni does not appear to be listed on either, at any house number. If you have an Ancestry . com account, you can look at Sheet 12 and at Sheet 26. See pages 7 through 10 also; it is certainly possible that he is there and I missed him.

[manckj]

Hi,
I discovered that my GF and GM most likely lived with my GM's family, the Nardella family in Chittenden, VT. Giuseppe, Clorinda, sister Anna and brother Ambrosio.
The Chase Street address may have been the Nardella home.
The Nardella Family had very close friends, the Mele Family whom I believe lived close by. Fiore and ,I believe, Madelena.
Thanks for your help!
Jack

[johnnyonthespot]

Well, close, but not quite:

1920 United States Federal Census about Fiore Mela
Name: Fiore Mela
Home in 1920: Colchester, Chittenden, Vermont
Age: 31
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
[Head]
Spouse's Name: Lena Mela
[Corinda Nardella]
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of immigration: 1906
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Fiore Mela 31
Lena Mela 21
Mary P Mela 1
[1 7/12]
John Mela 0
[1/12]
Joseph Nardella 46
Corinda Nardella 45

[johnnyonthespot]

Giuseppe WWI draft registration:



The town/city is "Winooski" in Chittenden County, VT

[manckj]

Hi,
Those are the names of the Mele family. I meet them all when I was a small boy in Worcester in the 1950's.
John Mele, 92??, is the son of Fiore and Madelena.
He is still alive and living in Hartford, CT.
The timeframe of 1920-25 is very difficult to track.
My GF and GM were in the process of moving to Worcesrter, MA. I believe.
Can track them after Chittenden, VT.
Jack

[manckj]

What's very interesting about the Nardellas is that they were a very well to due family from Sava with a large villa surrounded by much land.
My GM would tell us how her grandfather was given this very large
property right after the unification of Italy because her GF was very close to Garibaldi.

Why would they have left that behind?
Jack

[johnnyonthespot]

Well, this might explain some of it:

Giuseppe Nardella and wife Lorinda returned to the US December 5, 1930 after being out of the country for who knows how long. They may possibly have not been present at the time of the 1930 census (typically taken in April). Lines 7 & 8 on images below. Unfortunately the "Whether going to join a friend or relative..." column on page 2 is very faint; I can make out Worcester, but not much else.


New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Giuseppe Nardella
Name: Giuseppe Nardella
Arrival Date: 5 Dec 1930
Birth Year: abt 1874
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: sava
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Italian (South) (Italian)
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Conte Biancamano

[johnnyonthespot]

The Mele family still in Vermont in 1930:

1930 United States Federal Census about Fiore Mele
Name: Fiore Mele
Home in 1930: Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont
View Map
Age: 41
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Anna N Mele
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Fiore Mele 41
Anna N Mele 29
Mary Mele 11
John Mele 10
Joseph Mele 7
Anthony Mele 1 4/12 (1 year and 4 months)

[johnnyonthespot]

The Nardella's 1930 manifest very clearly says they were previously in the US for "8" years, in "Mass", and a small handwritten notation "_____ 1920".

From the 1920 census, we see that they entered the US in 1911. My take on this is that they returned to Italy sometime very soon after the 1920 census.

On their return, it says they are joininng their "daug." the rest is very hard to make out but there is a street number and name in there; the next line says "Str Worcester Mass".

The daughter they are joining cannot be Lena Mele/a, because she is still in Vermont; well, she was still in Vermont in the earlier part of 1930 according to the census in my last post.

So, what is the name of the daughter they were joining in Worcester?

[johnnyonthespot]

Wait a minute...

In 1920, Fiore was 31 years old and his wife, "lena", was 21. They entered the US in 1906 and 1911, respectively.

In 1930, Fiore is 41 and his wife, "Anna N" is 29; they entered the US in 1900 and 1912, respectively.

Any thoughs on this discrepancy in the wife's name and age?

[johnnyonthespot]

Possibly your father was actually born in 1925, not 1926?

Social Security Death Index about Mario Mancini
Name: Mario Mancini
SSN: 027-18-0731
Last Residence: 01540 Oxford, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
Born: 8 Feb 1925
Last Benefit: 01540 Oxford, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
Died: May 1981
State (Year) SSN issued: Massachusetts (Before 1951)

[johnnyonthespot]

Frank (Mario's brother) Mancini's obituary:

Frank R. Mancini
Frank R. Mancini, 84 passed away on Saturday, January 10, 2009.

He leaves his wife, Eleanor J. (Fulginiti) Mancini, a son, Dr. John F. Mancini and his wife Margaret of Chatham, and a daughter, Patti-Lynne and her husband Robert J. Campomizzi of Worcester. Frank also leaves three grandchildren, Joseph, Michael and Kristi Mancini; a great-grandchild, Emma Rose Mancini, and two sisters, Gilda Tomashunas and Rita and her husband George Allen all of Worcester. A brother, Mario Mancini pre-deceased him.

Frank was born in Worcester, son of the late John and Mary (Nardella) Mancini. He attended Commerce High School and served his country in the Navy during WWII and in the Marines during the Korean War. He worked as a locksmith at WPI for many years before retiring.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 11:00 am in Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln St., Worcester, MA. Burial will follow in Notre Dame Cemetery. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Worcester VNA, 120 Thomas Street, Worcester, MA 01608 or to Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, 189 May Street, Worcester, MA 01602. For directions please visit

[johnnyonthespot]

Jack,

There is a John Mele (member "melejohn") who is a member of ancestry . com with some Nardella's in his private family tree. Perhaps you would want to contact him?

If you don't have an ancestry . com account, I can act as a go-between ...

[manckj]

Hello Carmine,
Are you still out there.
Jack Mancini