Ercole/Ettore Dozzino - Celico Rota Greca, Calabria

[dianesato]

I have been posting on here for a few years and done exactly what everyone has said to do to find my grandfather families information and to no avail I have not found out anymore then when I started this search. I have wrote for the LDS Microfilms from Celico, and Rota Greca, I also sent letters to the government 2 times and nothing. Each time waiting months and months. I will give a little re-cap of my grandfather's story:
His name was Ercole/Ettore Dozzino/ia, he was born on Dec 20, 1887 in Celico Rota Greca, Calabria, Italy. I have heard from the family that he was a orphan/ fondling. I also know that a family by the name of Mantuano/Mantovano took him in as a baby and raised him. Hw was in the Italian Military abt 1905/06. Then after he married my grandmother Dorothea Casimira in or around Dec 3 1908. They had one daughter on Sept 7 1909 named Maria Gisella "Jessie" Dozzina. He came to the states on May 9 1912 on the ship SS Madonna from Naples to NY joining brother-in-law Vincenzo Migliano in Kenosha WI - born in Celico (Cosenza Calabria
I have tried to find out who or what his real birth name was and his parents names were. I truly need some help! I have gone over and over all the info I have collected over the years and all the information that I have been given off of this site and others. I am lost! Please help!

Thank You in advance,
Diane Sato

[TriciaFierro]

Hi Diane, I have a great-grandmother that was a foundling as well so I understand your frustration. With all of the info you have above is it a fact that you have your grandfather's birth records, marriage, daughter's birth and his immigration manifests? I won't help you seach for those if you already have them, that's why I'm asking? Also, do you have the info you need from after he came to the states? Such as where he lived, etc?

[dianesato]

Hello Tricia!
I only have his manifest. I do not have any of the other info. That is what I have been trying to get with no luck. I do have evrything when he came to the states as to where he settled and so fourth.

[TriciaFierro]

In reviewing his manifest I believe that the numbers written above his occupation are his naturalization numbers and date. Have you attempted to pull his naturalization papers? They might or might not give you more info but I myself found a wealth of info from many of these papers. There is generally a declaration of intent and the naturalization petition on file at the county courthouse where he was naturalized. Did he stay in WI? Also, did you notice where he is at line #2 on the manifest he has a traveling companion at line #6 going to the same address as your grandfather and it states that Vincenzo is his brother but his brother's last name under Ettore's line doesn't match the brother's last name on line #6. Could have been a boarding house or maybe brothers from different fathers/marriages. Just thought that might give you a tip. Also, if it was in fact Ettore's brother-in-law it makes sense that it was his sister's husband since his brother-in-laws name does not match Ettore's wife's surname. This could be a tip that he eventually was reclaimed by his birth parents or came to know his birth family in some way. Let me know your thoughts.

[TriciaFierro]

I should add of course, that it could have been that he was going to visit his wife's sister's husband, hence being his brother-in-law as well but I would investigate that particular line of the family to search for a connection to your grandfather since that's who he came to stay with upon settling here in the states.

[TriciaFierro]

Do you have the ship info from when his wife and daughter, MAria came to the states in 1913?

Name: Maria Dozzina
Arrival Date: 13 Jun 1913
Birth Year: abt 1909
Birth Location: Cosenra
Birth Location Other: rofa grua
Age: 4
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Italian (South) (Italian)
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Berlin

[TriciaFierro]

When I did a search of the last name Dozzina in Caserta I did find several Dozzina births with parents unknown so this may have been one of the provinces that gave all abandoned babies the same last name for a time. There are several good books written about abandoned babies. One in particular that I loved (sad story) was recommended to me on here by Peg and it's "Amalia's Tale" by David I. Kertzger. It tells the story from a wet nurse's perspective that got ill from a foundling she nursed, This was a huge problem in Europe prior to pasteurization of milk and the invention of penicillan. If you're interested in the history surrounding foundlings you should definitely look up that issue. Even though the book I mention tells the story of one woman it is written by a historian so it gives a complete history of that era in Italy and the atmosphere of the peasants at that time. Hope some of this helps you.

[dianesato]

Hi Tricia,
Yes he did come with his brother in law. That was my grandmothers brother, she to was a foundling and raised by that family. That is another issue. I never was able to get his naturalization papers. Where did you say to get them? He did come to Kenosha Wisconsin and lived, had the rest of his children and died here. He and his wife did have their own boarding house. You may be right about they gave him Donzzino from where he was born in Italy. But that is northern and the family story has always been that he is from southern. It may be incorrect. They did not say to much. This is why I am having so many problems.

[TriciaFierro]

I understand the issue with family folklore vs the facts. Happens in every family. Even those without foundlings

Google online the couty in WI in which he lived for their prothonatary's office. Some state and counties have the records online or at least an index of the records that you can search for. The website should give you all of the info you will need to obtain those records. Let me know how you make out with that.

[dianesato]

Hi Tricia,
ok, I tried what you said and looked into the neutrual papers from Kenosha county where he lived and died and It showed me all the info I already have. Nothing new. I had to pay some to get into the site for our county. Do you have any other advise? I am so stuck.
Diane

[mcquesj]

I too have grandparents from Rota Greca that moved to Kenosha. Their last names were Mantuano, and my grandma's name was Gisella (Jessie), could be related, my grandpa was also an orphan. I was responding to Tricia's post!