Newbie looking for information on great-grandfather Turriano

[Jennifer75]

Hello all, thank you in advance for any help you can provide. I'm trying to find information on my great-grandfather Michael Turriano. He was born 8 Nov 1891 according to his World War I Draft Registration Card. He was married to my great-grandmother in Chicago in 1912. According to the census he arrived here 1904. I searched the Ellis Island records and found a Michele Torina who arrived in New York 20 Apr 1904, he was 12 at the time, aboard the Slavonia leaving out of Palermo. His last place of residence is listed as Ciminna, Italy. I'm afraid I have no other information from the manifest because the record on Ellis Island's website is attached to the wrong original manifest, I have contacted them to see if I could get my hands on the original. We don't believe that any of his family ever came to the US, we know that he had siblings but don't know how many and don't know where they were. I've hit a bit of a wall and don't know where to go from here. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[misbris]

Turriano is a very rare name and appears only in the Genoa area. Name could possibly be Turiani, Turiano, Torriano, Torriani. Have you seen any of these variations in spelling in the records?

Do any of the records say anything more that Italy as a place of birth? If he came as a child, he was probably travelling with someone. Do you have any other names? What was his wife's maiden name?

[Jennifer75]

I've just found his World War II Draft Registration Card and his place of birth is listed as Burano, Italy and his date of birth is listed as 8 Nov 1890. Does it make sense that he would travel from Venice to Palermo before coming to the US? I'm totally confused!

[misbris]

Possible manifest. What do you think?

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0017

Travelling with Antonia Torriano, 23 (perhaps a sister) going to brother Carmine torriano, but I can't read the address.

[Jennifer75]

Turriano is a very rare name and appears only in the Genoa area. Name could possibly be Turiani, Turiano, Torriano, Torriani. Have you seen any of these variations in spelling in the records?

Do any of the records say anything more that Italy as a place of birth? If he came as a child, he was probably travelling with someone. Do you have any other names? What was his wife's maiden name?

I just found his World War II Draft Registration Card and on it his place of birth is listed as Borana, Italy which I am assuming is Burano, Italy. There were no other names associated with his on the text version of the manifest but as I said before I haven't been able to see the original manifest yet.

His wife's maiden name was Christine (in some records Christina) Darks which is another mess, since the records for her family bounce between Darks, Dark, Dercole, Dercoli, D'Ercola, Dercola and Darko. She was born in Pennsylvania but both her mother and father were from Italy. On their marriage license his name is spelled Torriano, but since it was written by someone else I had assumed it was a misspelling. It's actually filed under Corriano in the records, I had to search for her in order to find it. I don't know if that helps any?

[misbris]

This town on the manifest is Boiano

[misbris]

D'Ercole is also a name from Boiano.

[Jennifer75]

Possible manifest. What do you think?

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0017

Travelling with Antonia Torriano, 23 (perhaps a sister) going to brother Carmine torriano, but I can't read the address.

I had found that record as well. Do you think it's more likely since the ship arrived in 1903 and the census states that he arrived in 1904? He would have been 11 or 12 according to the information that I've got from his Draft records, and the record lists him as being 13 on the manifest. That's why I had leaned more towards the record from the Slavonia. He isn't listed as traveling with anyone though and the correct original manifest is not linked to the record.

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/ship_ ... rmo&page=4

[Jennifer75]

D'Ercole is also a name from Boiano.

Christine and Michael were married in Chicago. Do you think the families may have known each other? Does that make the Germania manifest more likely?

[misbris]

The manifest is misfiled, but here is the text version. The woman above is probably his mother.

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/viewT ... 0016020028

I do think the manifest I first posted is more likely. I wish I could read where they were going.

[misbris]

Another manifest for that same Michele. He must have gone back and forth to Boiano. Perhaps that is how he hooked up with Christine? Do you know her parents name? This manifest mentions Michele's mother.

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0021

p2

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0021

[Jennifer75]

The only thing I've found on Christine's parents was for her father. One of the census lists him as having lived with them. His name was Andrew Darks born about 1860 in Italy, arrived 1880 according to the census, he was already widowed by then. Christine had four siblings all of whom were born in Pennsylvania. I haven't been able to find any of their birth records so far so I don't know her mother's name. I know that she had family in New Jersey as well. My Mom and cousin remember going to visit them when they were young but can't remember the surname for the life of them. We also believe that there is still family in Pennsylvania. Thank you so much for all your help! I was banging my head against the Germania manifest for 3 hours last night and couldn't make out the address either.

[misbris]

Looked at both WW I & II registrations. Place of birth is Boiano, it even mentions Campobasso on one.

[Jennifer75]

Looked at both WW I & II registrations. Place of birth is Boiano, it even mentions Campobasso on one.

Okay, pardon my ignorance but I'm new at this so please bear with me. Where did you find his WW I & II registrations? When I pulled them up on Ancestry.com the WWI registration translation didn't list a birthplace and when I tried to pull up the original it gives me an http error. And the WWII registration I found has the information I listed previously. Do I have the wrong records? And again, thank you so much for all your help, you've been absolutely invaluable!

[misbris]

I am so bad at posting images, but I'm sure someone here will do it for us.

here is the WWII info

Name: Micheal Turriano
Birth Date: 8 Nov 1890
Birth Place: Borana, Italy
Residence: Chicago, Illinois
Race: White


I am sure ( if you look closely) it is BOIANO

WWI says

Michael Turriano
City: Chicago
County: Cook
State: Illinois
Birth Date: 8 Nov 1891
Race: Caucasian (White)
FHL Roll Number: 1503822

It gives as place of birth something that looks like BOAUA COMPALASA ITALY

I believe that is Boiano Campobasso Italy