searching for adoption verification

[zonfrillo]

I'm an American applying for an Italian passport. I have an appointment with the Italian consulate in October and I have to have all the documents ready by then. I have everything except for one crucial document.

My mother was born in Italy in 1938, birth name Zonfrillo. Her parents were killed in the bombing and she, her brother and sister lived in an orphanage (Rocco Di Papa and Monte Mario). She and her brother (but not her sister) were adopted into this country by a priest (Father Fusco) in Queens, NY to a couple named Eramita. Sort of shady; it almost seems like the church was handing out kids, but I don't know. Ten years or so after that, she was married to my dad by the same priest. She had no birth certificate at that time.

We have obtained her Italian birth certificate and we have her marriage licence and naturalization papers. What we do not have is any record of her adoption. As such, the name on her birth certificate (Zonfrillo) is different than the name on her marriage licence, naturalization paper, as well as my birth certificate (Eramita) and we have no official document stating Maria Zonfrillo is in fact Maria Eremita. We've been trying to get information from the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and The Office of Child Welfare of Catholic Charities but so far we have nothing.

A woman at the Italian consulate said it might be possible to draft a statement explaining the situation which my mother can sign and we would get authorized and translated. I have no idea how this statement would be worded or if it even it would work. My mother has an older sister who still lives in Italy (yes, the church split them up); maybe a statement from her would help. This is a whole grey area I have no real information about.

[suanj]

Hi, on the Maria Zonfrillo ship's manifest, it is wrote that she arrived in USA for adoption by aunt and uncle: John EREMITA ( right spelling)122-10 Rockway Blvd, Ozon Park NYC.

I believe that the uncle Alessio Falso in Castelforte(Latina) maybe guardian of orphans in Italy, it authorized the adoption and the emigration in USA; and all must be made by notary or by Commune..
so, some document must be in Italy abt adoption and emigration...
New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Maria T Zonfrillo
Name: Maria T Zonfrillo
Arrival Date: 23 Jun 1947
Birth Date: abt 1939
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: latina
Age: 8
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality: Italian
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Saturnia

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse. ... pl&indiv=1

also it is possible that Maria Zonfrillo never legally adopted; the WWII ended and many italian orphans joined at relatives emigrated in USA, and they raised it... simply, without a legal adoption..
maybe you can make a affidavit stating that Maria Zonfrillo and Maria Eremita/Eramita are one and the same..
Also by ship's manifest and a similar affidavit by living Eramitas in USA, stating that Maria was raised by John Eramita family, and used Eramita surname on the marriage document...

regards,
suanj

[zonfrillo]

Thank you so much for your research. This is from the ancestry.com page? Where could I get an official copy of the ship's manifest?

[suanj]

Hi here the ship's manifest:
pag 1


pag 2

I believe that you can order the ship's manifest, in official copy here:
https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonl ... chives.gov
maybe some US member of IG can help better,
regards,
suanj