LaFianza in Ferrandina

[jllaf]

I have every reason to believe that my grandfather Giovanni LaFianza and his two brothers Raffaele and Camillo were all born between 1879 and 1885 in Ferrandina (Matera, Basilicata). However, in searching through both the town's birth records and that of the church there for all the 1870's and 1880's (I was there personally two days ago - awesome!), no record of there births could be found. I did find, however, a birth record for a Giuseppa LaFianza in 1877 and a death record for her in 1883. The mother's name was listed as "Rosaria LaFianza", who I know for certain is the mother to the three males I've mentioned, making them brothers of Giuseppa, with "padre ignoti", or unknown father, for the father's name. Hence, all four children took the monther's last name. I've checked every other town in the Matera region and there are no LaFianza's at all - it was and is still today a very rare name. With Giuseppa being born and passing away in Ferrandina, it's highly unlikely that they were anywhere other than Ferrandina all this time. Why can't I find birth records for the three males? Is it possible they were not reported due to their illegitimacy? Many thanks for your help.

John LaFianza

[suanj]

I found this arrival on May 08, 1897 abt a Maria La Fianza 46 old travelling with children: Giuseppe La Fianza 17 old, Raffaele La Fianza 15 old and Camillo La Fianza 12 old... no birthplace..

First Name: Raffaele
Last Name: LaFianza
Ethnicity: Italy, Italian
Last Place of Residence:
Date of Arrival: May 08, 1897
Age at Arrival: 15y Gender: M Marital Status: S
Ship of Travel: Sarnia
Port of Departure: Naples
Manifest Line Number: 0404
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0404
abt Raffaele/Ralph La Fianza all US documents showing the birthplace: Ferrandina and the birthdate 09 Nov 1882; also on the his wife naturalization the birthplace of husband, Ralph La Fianza (LaFianza in USA) is Ferrandina....
seeming that Giuseppe, Raffaele and Camillo La Fianza was brothers and the mother was Maria La Fianza; I cannot find Giovanni La Fianza arrival... but almost the Ralph La Fianza birth records in Ferrandina on 09 Nov 1882 must be in the civil records...

here is a trip of Raffaele LaFianza and wife Maria Mercaldo LaFianza
New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Raffaele Lafianza
Name: Raffaele Lafianza
Arrival Date: 23 Sep 1929
Birth Date: abt 1884
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Vulcania
the her last residence and birthplace was San Martino...

abt your giovanni.. maybe this record is abt your ancestor:
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 about John Lafianza
Name: John Lafianza
City: Jersey City
County: Hudson
State: New Jersey
Birth Date: 24 Sep 1879
Race: White
Draft Board: 6

wife Angelina... it could be possible that John changed the first name and he was born with Giuseppe first name?
Because Giuseppe La Fianza made another trip :
First Name: Giuseppe
Last Name: Lafianza
Ethnicity: Italy, Italian
Last Place of Residence: Ferrandina
Date of Arrival: May 01, 1903
Age at Arrival: 24y Gender: M Marital Status: M
Ship of Travel: Trojan Prince
Port of Departure: Naples
Manifest Line Number: 0014
in USA from 1896 to 1902 NY and joining at wife Angela Pucciarelli 113 Roosevelt st New York
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0014

However Ferrandina seeming the right birthplace....
sometimes, by my experience, and when a birth act was not in the right birth registry,
well I found that the baby ( sometimes babies: siblings) was registered as illegittimate childrens, as foundlings (in second part of birth registry), witth other name given by registrar; but the birth date was correct; and before of emigration the mother recognized as own son the child/childrens;
the recognition was made the same year of emigration, just some month before... and the recognition was in the second part of birth registry also... so maybe you can make a more deep search in Ferrandina civil records, because my opinion is that Ferrandina is the right birthplace....

regards,
suanj

[jllaf]

Thank you, suanj, I do have those records. The Giuseppi on the manifest is actually the same person as my grnadfather Giovanni, which is the name he was known as when he came here. Again I ask, were some births not reported to the authorities because of embarrassment due to illegitimacy? I know from reading Carlo Levi's book "Christ Stopped at Eboli" that some children were not baptised for years if at all back then, so maybe some births were not reported either. Why else would ther be no record of birth, either with the town or the church?

[jllaf]

I missed the last part of your reply, Suanj. I know about the second part of the birth registry in the civil records and I thought that might be a possibility, but I checked all of the church's birth records myself with the local priest and didn't find them there, and to my knowledge there is no "second part" of the church's records for foundlings or children with unknown fathers. True?

[suanj]

the children was normally baptized the day of birth or just some day after( in old past) and sometimes had a tardive birth registration in the civil records office (Town Hall); for the tardive registration, the registrar needing of Judge order.
Now because the immigrated, they had the passport, and because had the passport they had the birth act. Surely.
Now if you no found the birth act, abt Giuseppe,
I believe that:
in the case that a baby was registered as foundling and after recognized by mother: the search must be made : step 1. right birthdate and fantasy name; step 2. right birthdate and right name

- you can search in the second part of 1879 birth registry and to search the child born on 24 Sep 1879 and registered as foundling with a first name and a fantasy surname; and to search in 1897 birth registry the recognition of mother(in second part of registry) giving the right name...

in the case that the baby had a tardive birth registration: right birthdate and right birthname
- you can search in all second parts of birth registries from 1879 to 1897 for to find the tardive registration...
hoping helpful,
suanj