Will ship manifest show place of birth?

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Graffeo
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Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

Now that you all have helped me find my great grandfather's first name I have just one more request and a question.

Could someone look up the New Orleans ship manifest for immigration in 1889 by George Graffeo? He was about 12 years old at the time. I am so hoping it will tell me the specific town in Sicily were he came from.

And if it does tell me that town name, that still does not mean it is certain that he was also born in that town right?

At any rate I won't have to pester you again because I am getting to the point that I wll have to start writing letters to Sicily. I should write to the Vital Statistics people there is that right?
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by ricbru »

Graffeo,
I have not Ancestry but after a little research you can, as a first step write to

Archivio di Stato di Trapani

Archivio di Stato di Palermoand to

Archivio di Stato di Agrigento

to request his military draft card (lista di leva).
George Graffeo was drafted even if he left Sicily when he was 12 years old and never came back.
After you find it you can write directly to the vital statistics, but this is another step to do later...
I hope it helps, bye Riccardo :lol:
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by brujaojos »

Graffeo wrote:Could someone look up the New Orleans ship manifest for immigration in 1889 by George Graffeo? He was about 12 years old at the time. I am so hoping it will tell me the specific town in Sicily were he came from.
Hi there,

I have two possiblities for you. This is a from the Post of New Orleans.


Per the manifest below, the parents are Carlo Graffeo and Lucia Cardaro and a brother, Vito.

Name: Georgio Graffeo
Arrival Date: 30 Oct 1883
Age: 6
Gender: Female *child is a male not female*
Port of Departure: Leghorn and Palermo, Italy
Ship Name: Egbert
Port of Arrival: New Orleans, Louisiana
National Archives' Series Number: M259_65

The other manifest is

Name: Giorgio Graffeo
Arrival Date: 26 Dec 1888
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Genoa, Italy
Ship Name: Columbia
Port of Arrival: New Orleans, Louisiana
National Archives' Series Number: M25


Most of the people with the surname Graffeo who came throught New Orleans are all from the town of Sciacca.

Also, I know for a fact the the surname Graffeo is in the town of Sciacca for I've done research for the town of Sicacca so I also know there is microfilm for the town from the Family History Center.

On the film you will find copies of the birth, marriage, and death acts of your ancestors. The films cost $5.75 a roll. Here is the link for the film numbers.

click here

Here is the link to find the nearest Family History Center.
click here

I hope this helps some,
Trish
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

Can't seem to get my response to post on the original thread where you both helped me to find my Great grandfather's arrival date and departure place. If you get this on the original thread it will mean I figured out what I was doing wrong.


Trish wrote: "Also, I know for a fact the the surname Graffeo is in the town of Sciacca...."

You are so right. I've looked at a surname distribution map and that is where about 200 Graffeos live today. If I am not mistaken in interpreting the translated article I read about Sciacca many noble families of Sicily had their palaces in Sciacca and the Graffeos had a palace there too.

However, I think my great great grandfather is the one who departed from Genoa! The immigration date and age line up just about right with the information he gave on the 1900 census.

And there ARE a few Graffeos in Genoa today and it seems that Graffeos had a presence there as far back as the 15 century. I found an essay with the name Graffeo in it. It's called Islands, Corsairs and Pirates in the Mediveal Mediterranean. Seems the Graffeos were involved in maritime trade or warfare or something. I can't tell much about it because the translation from Italian to English is horrid. But it seems they are connected with Genoa in that article.

Thank you so much Trish. It looks like the next stop will be Genoa. I am sorry to take so long to respond it has been a very busy day. And thank you too Riccardo. Those addresses and the draft record suggestion are great. I would not know where to start without your help.
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

Just thinking....I need to remind myself not to assume my great grandfather was born in Genoa, Genoa was the port of departure. But I am surprised he was in Northern Italy. I was always told about Piana dei Greci. Come to find out it seems my great grandmother was born there but he might have been born in northern Italy. They did not meet and get married until they were in America. Anyway that is how the picture is shaping up NOW. One thing I am learing is not to jump to any conclusions right away.
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by jcsm400 »

Hi Graffeo & everyone.

I'm sorry if I'm stepping on anyones toes here, but without his parents names, it is possible that you end up with the wrong military and/or draft card (Re: naming tradition in Italy). That is why it is so important to get as much information as you can from US documentation.

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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by brujaojos »

jcsm400 wrote:Hi Graffeo & everyone.

I'm sorry if I'm stepping on anyones toes here, but without his parents names, it is possible that you end up with the wrong military and/or draft card (Re: naming tradition in Italy). That is why it is so important to get as much information as you can from US documentation.

jcsm
Hi Everyone,

I agree with JCSM, the poster needs as much physical documentation as they can get on Georgio Graffeo.

Graffeo -
Do you have the Naturalization records of Georgio?
Do you have his marriage application?
Do you have his death certificate?
What documentation do you have?

The more proof you get the more the clues will lead you in the right direction.

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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

Do you have the Naturalization records of Georgio?
Do you have his marriage application?
Do you have his death certificate?
What documentation do you have? "

No to all three. All the documentation I have came from census records, a ship manifest and the SS death index. So I know his name, date of birth, date of death, year of immigration and port of departure and arrival. I also think I know the town where he died and the cemetary where he was buried. All well and good, but what documentation in the USA that I don't have now will show his parents name and the town in Italy he was born in? I don't think any will.

Maybe a marriage liscense but I doubt it. Would naturalization records show his parents name and where he was born in Italy?
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by brujaojos »

Graffeo wrote:Maybe a marriage liscense but I doubt it. Would naturalization records show his parents name and where he was born in Italy?
Hi Again,

The marriage application (depending on the year) should show his parents' names. It could also list the town of origin.

The death certificate should show the parents names.

The naturalization records should list the town of origin.

Also, a Baptismal Certificate of one of his children could list a town of origin in the notations of the Church's record.

You should obtain all the necessary documents for you never know what kind of clues you could get.

I hope this answers your question,
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

To Trish:

Great then I can keep searching. Thanks so much.
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by jcsm400 »

Graffeo wrote:I was always told about Piana dei Greci. Come to find out it seems my great grandmother was born there but he might have been born in northern Italy. They did not meet and get married until they were in America.

Did you mean Piano del Greco, which is a hamlet of the town of Tito in the province of Potenza? Have we provided film information?

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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

To jscm


Oh my gosh there's two?!

I had no idea there was a Piano del Greco, in Italy (the boot). I only knew about Piana dei Greci in Sicily which was where the Albanians fled from the Ottoman Turks. I was told as a kid that people thought the fleeing Albanians were Greek so they called the town Flat of the Greeks and that's where my ancestors in Sicily came from. I do think that only my great grandmother came from Piana in Sicily. I think it would be a freaky coincidence if my great granfather came from Piana in the boot. So for now I think I will just run with the Piana in Sicily story. However I will keep in mind that other Piano and explore that if my other options run out.
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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by jcsm400 »

Hi Graffeo,

I'm not coming up with one in Sicily. Have you found it on a map? Here is a list of towns beginning with Piano.

http://www.italyworldclub.com/italian_f ... o-piaz.htm

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Re: Will ship manifest show place of birth?

Post by Graffeo »

Oh I am sorry I forgot... the one in Sicily used to be called Piana dei Greci when they lived there, but now it is called Piana degli Albanesi. http://sicilia.indettaglio.it/eng/comun ... anesi.html
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Re: Graffeo's of Scicca Sicily

Post by graffeonyc »

Hello,

My grandfather comes from Scicca Sicily. His parents, Lena Marino and Anthony Graffeo came by boat to Ellis Island, NY back in the 1800's.
My grandmother's family name is Matranga-they come from a town in Sicily where it's predominantly of Albanian ancestry. She is of Albanian ancestery.

My grandfather's name is Accursio (Gus) and my grandmother's name is Concietta (Constance). They grew up in Manhattan then moved to Brooklyn, then to Long Island.

Hope this info helps. My grandfather has told me that there was a Duke Graffeo in the family and that the Marino's had a family business in constructing tombs I believe and that til this day in Scicca Sicily any Marino can be buried in this special cemetery set aside for The Marino's.
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