Searching De Cicco and Todisco families

[patg]

I'm going to start researching my paternal and maternal families but since I'm only 2nd generation American I'm finding it difficult.

I have been on Ancestry.com and also Ellis Island.org and have found nothing!

I would love to travel down the family tree so I could possibly find distant living relatives still in Italy.

I have more info about my maternal side because I received my Italian citizenship through my maternal grandfather.

Any info would be great as to where I could start this process.

Thanks in advance......Pat

The only info I have so far is:

MATERNAL SIDE: Todisco

My maternal grandfather (Antonio Todisco) came here in the early 1920's via a ship called the SS Vulcano. He left behind in Italy his mother and father and only sibling (sister).
I do know his mother's (my great-grandmother) maiden name was Irace.
I do have my grandfather's bc from Italy.

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Aida Pezzano.
Her mother's (my great-grandmother) maiden name was Acquaviva.
She came to America as a little girl I believe around the age of 8 with her parents/siblings. I also have her bc from Italy.

Both my maternal/paternal grandparents are from Naples.

PATERNAL SIDE: De Cicco

My paternal grandfather (Benvenuto De Cicco) came to America I think around the 1920's along with his siblings. I do not have his birth cert. but I could write to the commune to get it. Don't have any other history about his parents either. He was born in Avellino (Naples area)

My paternal grandmother (Rosa Suozzo) was born in America but I don't have any other information other than she had one sister also born here in America. Don't have any info on her parents. It should be easy to find her birth cert though.

[wldspirit]

Using this search site is easier than using EllisIsland.org.......

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/EIDB/ellisgold.html

wldspirit

[patg]

Thanks but all that revealed was the 1930 census which I have already on my maternal grandfather. Would it be best for me to contact the commune where I got my grandfather's bc and see if I can get the bc/death cert for his sister and trace her down to her children etc. ? I think I may only have relatives living in Italy on my maternal grandfather's side since he left behind a sister.
I don't know her first name though. But, I guess since I have my great-grandparents names I could ask for the commune to search for their daughter's name. I do know she married a German man by the surname Kohler. What do you think?.....thanks, Pat

[wldspirit]

Sorry...but the above was a search engine for ship manifest, not census
information.....

Since you know the towns of origin, try using the following and search for current persons with surname of interest:

http://www.paginebianche.it/index.html

cognome=surname
dove=town/province or region
cerca=search

wldspirit

[wldspirit]

Can you confirm this record?

1930 United States Federal Census

Name: Benvenuto DE Cicco
Home in 1930: Queens, Queens, New York
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1898
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Rose
Race: White
Occupation: works in cigar factory
Age at first marriage: 23 for husband, 19 for wife.
Household Members: Name Age
Benvenuto DE Cicco 32 - born in Italy
Rose DE Cicco 29 - born in New York, both her parents born in Italy.
Benedetta DE Cicco 9 - born in New York
Modestino DE Cicco 5 - born in New York
Ines DE Cicco 2 - born in New York

Immigration listed as 1913, and is already naturalized.

wldspirit

[patg]

Wldspirit - Thanks a lot ....yes, that is my Grandfather. But I'm really not sure what a census really proves because I already know this info.
I'll have to try that website you posted! Thanks, Pat

Update - I just tried the white pages and found both surnames but I can't see how any of them would be related to me because.....

My maternal grandfather (Todisco) had only one sister who married a Kohler (didn't find this name at all in the white pages) and I'm assuming she had children and if her female children changed their names (if they got married) it would be impossible to trace.

Is there a way I could find out what my grandfather's sister's first name was?
At least if I could find her birth cert. I can then follow the trail.

On my paternal side (De Cicco) I don't think I'll pursue it because he had (I think) 4 brothers and they all came here to America including a lot of his aunts and uncles. So I'm not sure if any of his aunts/uncles/cousins were left behind in Italy....only his parents. It may not be worth the effort.

I know even less of my paternal Grandmother since she was born here in America. But maybe her parents had siblings still in Italy...who knows

This is all so confusing. And I thought getting my citizenship was a bit time consuming

Thanks for all your help!

[wldspirit]

Genealogy is best done by working backwards, one generation at a time.
By pulling your US documents first, you uncover clues and verified facts,
before starting research in Italy.

You can send for a birthact, but if you don't know the parents names,
how do you ascertain that it is indeed the right person, and not another person with the same name.......

There are more records listed for the above person at Ancestry, on one of these documents you could discover the names of his parents.
wldspirit