Casamassima Family from Puglia Italy

[BCasa]

I am researching my Husband's line and am stuck. Does anyone have anything on Antonio (anthony) Casamassima born 09/20/1889 who married Maria Rosaria CalVano. I know they came from the Bitonto Puglia area as I have found her ship record showing DOB 1892-1893 she went by Rose. They resided in little italy new York where he worked as a tailor on Broome street and from there I am stuck. Any help would be appreciated when I search surname Casamassima I get more on the town which is by Bitonto but nothing on our family line.

[Italysearcher]

It's not easy to do research in Italian records on line. Go to your nearest family History Center www.familysearch.org (click on Library) and order and view the films. Unfortunately for that are they are a bit of a mess and mixed up with other towns around.
Translations and tips can be found on my website.

[Biff83]

WWI Draft Record for Antonio Casamassima
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/4430 ... ssawwi.jpg
Birthdate: 20 Sep 1889
Place of birth: B? Italy

Could this be Antonio's death record?
Possible Death Record from stevewmorse.org
Casamassima Tony
Age: 29 years
Date of death: Jul 24 1919
Certificate#: 22344
County: Manhattan
Approx year of birth: 1889 - 1890

Possible 1907 ship manifest
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0003
Approx year of birth: 1889
Marital status: single--the 1913 manifest you referenced for Maria Rosa Calvano showed her as single.
Last residence: Cassano M possibly Cassano Murge, province of Bari, Puglia

Biff

[BCasa]

Thank you both for replies.. Biff your right the 1913 shows single but I have one from 1937 With her full name and she traveled with her daughter Maria who was my Husbands Aunt Mary. The nicola listed as a friend I believe is her son my husbands grandfather. The WW1 record I have I was excited to find as I know they were tailors. Just seems on others I find a lot and this couple had very few records.

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=Vi ... d=23829539


Not sure if that link will work I am new to this. The records are very few on her she went by rose so I believe I found her death information.

[BCasa]

I'm also going to look into the death record you gave me I hadn't seen that Ty Ty Ty

[Biff83]

1936 ship manifest for Nicola Casamassima
Born NY, 12 Jun 1915
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8867 ... ia1930.jpg

Could Rose have returned to Italy with the children after Antonio's death in 1919, and then returned to the states in 1937 after her oldest son returned the year before?
That might explain why you (and I) haven't been able to find 1920 and 1930 census records.

Biff

[BCasa]

I rechecked the 1937 manifest it does show her as a widow when she returned.

[BCasa]

So what I have gathered in total is a little more than I had
Antonio born 09/20/1889 died possibly July 24 1919 (will order record to see if spouse is listed)
He had 2 children Nicholas Nicola Casamassima born June 12 1915
And Maria born 1918 they would of been 4 and 1 when he died so its very likely your right she returned with her two little ones to Italy and came back in the 1930's

Antonio worked on Broome street as a tailor that address is now Cafe Romma in Little Italy. I saw a record somewhere with an address of 8 centre street in ny but can't locate it at the moment to verify it matches up now with what I have learned.. If anyone else finds anything please let me know. Thank you!!

And Biff thank you for looking into it all shedding light where I wasn't looking.

[Biff83]

Antonio worked on Broome street as a tailor that address is now Cafe Romma in Little Italy. I saw a record somewhere with an address of 8 centre street in ny but can't locate it at the moment to verify it matches up now with what I have learned..

Recheck Antonio's WWI Draft Reg Card posted above; it shows his home address as 8 Centre Market Place.

Biff

[Biff83]

Current images of 8 Centre Market Place

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/5760 ... 20plac.jpg


http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9648 ... t20pla.jpg

Biff

[BCasa]

thank you I ordered the death record under Tony waiting for it to arrive to see what it shows

[BCasa]

Death record came! Now I'm more curious than ever shows him as a tailor and he was assaulted and died of head trauma and fractured skull been searching old ny papers in library of congress but nothing yet Ty again Biff for leading me in the right direction.

[Biff83]

Since his death record indicates his date of death, place of death and that it was a result of a homicide, you might try contacting the NYPD and seeeing if there are police reports and/or case files available.

I've been checking online with the NY Times and the Library of Congress but come up empty thus far which might be because his surname was really corrupted in the paper.

If anyone is on the forum who has a suscription to Newspaper Archive, could you check New York newspapers for news of an assault/homicide about 24 Jul 1919 in Manhattan for Antonio aka Anthony/Tony Casamassima, occupation tailor residing at 8 Centre Market Place. Married to Maria Rosa aka Rose Calvano, two children Nicholas and Mary. Possible employer Catanzaro or Catanzano Brothers, 385 Broome Street.

Thanks for your help.

Biff

[BCasa]

I forgot too it shows his address at death as different it was 139 chrystie st ny
Dad was Nicholas
Mom Maria Sagone.. I did find a Maria Sagone ship manifest but looks like she was rejected it had a line through her name.
I called Nypd I have to send a FOIA request in which I will do hope they have something
He is buried at Calvery Cemetary I called them and it's 85 bucks and all they tell you is basically what I got from the death Cert.

[tatifatz]

A few questions. Was the place of death of Antonio Casamassima listed as Elizabeth Street in New York, New York? Was the cause of death listed as "extradural hematoma" (now called epidural hematoma)? Was the date of birth of Rosa Calvano September 21? Finally, did Antonio and Rosa have a third child besides Nicolo and Maria? If the answer to all four questions is "yes", I may have some information for you.