Surname - Romano, southern Italy, late 1800's

[jeri71]

I am just starting the search for my Italian ancestors. This is what I know:

Mary Romano married Joseph Romano sometime in the very late 1800's They immigrated to the US before 1910. They were from a town that sounds like Castallana in southern Italy.

The shared last name, and the common-ness of it are hanging me up

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jeri

[wldspirit]

Have you located ship manifest? You must have the town of origin in Italy
to trace/obtain records. Do you know where they resided in the
US and time frame? They could be located on a census, which members of this site have access to. If you do not know birthdates, do you have age at time of death?
Lee

[suanj]

I am just starting the search for my Italian ancestors. This is what I know:

Mary Romano married Joseph Romano sometime in the very late 1800's They immigrated to the US before 1910. They were from a town that sounds like Castallana in southern Italy.

The shared last name, and the common-ness of it are hanging me up

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jeri

Hi some Giuseppe Romano listed on ellis island, coming from Castellammare (Castellammare del Golfo-Sicily-Italy south).. is possible that this is just town? Also in Italy exist Castellana Grotte town in Puglia region(also Italy south), but from an first search, are not Romano from Castellana Grotte......
regards, suanj

[jeri71]

Have you located ship manifest? You must have the town of origin in Italy
to trace/obtain records. Do you know where they resided in the
US and time frame? They could be located on a census, which members of this site have access to. If you do not know birthdates, do you have age at time of death?
Lee

We have searched for the ship manifest for years. No one can remember the exact name of the town in Italy, only that it sounds like "Castelelana or Castelavilla.... or via" Castele-something. That really narrows it down huh? It was in southern Italy

They had relatives in Canada, is it possible they did not come through Ellis Island?

My grandmother Josephynne was born in Utah in 1917. Her parents (Joseph and Mary) might have immigrated with her older sisters Rose or Minnie, sometime around 1910-15. One of them may have had a brother named Frank, I know there is a Frank Romano buried near their graves in Helper, Utah.

They lived in Carbon County, Utah for the rest of their lives. Joseph Romano was a coal miner. He died before my mother was born in 1956. Mary died around 1990. I have not been able to find death records or obituaries for Joseph or Mary.

Thank you for all your help!!

jeri

[mfjp]

Hi Jeri,

I did find a 1920 census...

Name:   Joe Romano
Age:   33 years 
Estimated birth year:   1886
Birthplace:   Italy
Race:   White
Home in 1920:   Castle Gate, Carbon, Utah
Roll:   T625_1862 Page:   15A ED:   38 Image:   0032

Please confirm if these are yours, as it will help with other information that can be found....

http://img180.exs.cx/img180/8479/rom19202xb.jpg

mfjp

[wldspirit]

mfjp.....searched for ssdi and turned up nothing. thought maybe application could be sent for.....could be the right census.....minnie is listed
as a daughter........

Lee

[jeri71]

Hi Jeri,

I did find a 1920 census...

Name:   Joe Romano
Age:   33 years 
Estimated birth year:   1886
Birthplace:   Italy
Race:   White
Home in 1920:   Castle Gate, Carbon, Utah
Roll:   T625_1862 Page:   15A ED:   38 Image:   0032

Please confirm if these are yours, as it will help with other information that can be found....

http://img180.exs.cx/img180/8479/rom19202xb.jpg

mfjp

Yes, this is the right family.

[mfjp]

By any chance... do you think Maria Romano lived in New York before settling in Utah? Do you think she was married in the USA?

...this is a tough one

[jeri71]

By any chance... do you think Maria Romano lived in New York before settling in Utah? Do you think she was married in the USA?

...this is a tough one

No, I am pretty sure they were married in Italy and came over together. They had an arranged marriage, that I know for sure, and I think that would be something that would take place in Italy.

jeri

[mfjp]

Arranged marriages happened here too

I am having trouble reading the year of immigration on the 1920 census I posted... also, how old would you say she was in 1920?? anyone??

To me it looks like age 25 or second guess 28??

To me it looks like Giuseppe immigrated in 1904, and she in 1913? But then again... this section can also be misleading... also, how did you find out that they immigrated before 1910?

mfjp

[Buona]

Hi jeri,
Take another look at that census. It shows Joe as 33 immigrated in 1904. Mary looks to be about 22, maybe 28 and immigrated 1913. I think mfjp raises a good point. It's possible Joe went back to Italy to marry but it also is possible Mary came here to be married.

Good Luck

[mfjp]

Buona, Thank You!

Long shot....

I did find a manifest of a Maria Romano who immigrated in 1913... age is close... (I based my findings on her being 25... in 1920) only she traveled alone to join her father in New York...

Still something is not right.... I am also looking for Rosa and Minnie? and possibly Frank...

First Name: Maria
Last Name: Romano
Ethnicity: Italy So. Italian
Last Place of Residence: Castellaneto, Italy
Date of Arrival: September 16, 1913
Age at Arrival:  19y    Gender:  F    Marital Status:  S  
Ship of Travel: Venezia
Port of Departure: Naples
Manifest Line Number: 0014

http://ellisisland.org/search/shipManif ... 0081%2ETIF


page 2

http://ellisisland.org/search/shipManif ... 0081%2ETIF

Her mother is Maria Romano...as closest living relative in Italy, and will heading out to her fathers home in New York.... the name of the father is listed on page 2... Buona are you there?? Anyone? can you make out the name??

mfjp

[Buona]

mfjp,

That's a tough one. Looks like Tatalvo????? I'll go back and look again.

As for the daughters, if the census is even close to having their right ages, then they should have been born in the U.S. In 1920 Minnie is 4 yrs 3 months and Josephine is 2 yrs 6 months.

Good work!

[mfjp]

(Joseph and Mary) might have immigrated with her older sisters Rose or Minnie, sometime around 1910-15. One of them may have had a brother named Frank, I know there is a Frank Romano buried near their graves in Helper, Utah.

This threw me off too... Maria's sister was also a Minnie (Domenica)

Domenica- Minnie, Mamie...

mfjp

oh yes...

That's a tough one. Looks like Tatalvo??

the father mentioned on the manifest- page 2-.... P??aldo?

[Buona]

mfjp



Buona