Looking for info on surname Bellezza in Roccalumera

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Hi, today I joined FamilyTreeNow.com and created a family tree of my ancestors. I was lucky to find good resources for 3 out of 4 branches of my parents' descendants, but I came up somewhat short on my father's side of the family. I got some for my grandfather but found nothing for my great grandfather Enrico Ballezza, one of at least 12 children whose family hails from somewhere near Roccalumera, Italy I believe (not certain of this though). I don't even know his wife's name although the name Grasso sometimes pops into my head (not sure why - perhaps in another branch of my family, I don't know).

I used mostly death and census resources to piece things together (and memory). I did not find much for marriages except at some of the death resources (gravestone websites), and in the case of my mother's ancestors, some of whom are well-known - David Rittenhouse married my mother's family, the Coulstons, some of whom are also well-known people in US history.

Someone in the family tree changed the Italian surname Bellezza (with "Be") to Ballezza (with "Ba").

So my last name has the wrong spelling.

Just curious if anyone can help me do better on my great grandfather's history.

Thanks, and glad to join the forum!
Joel David Ballezza
PS Here's a link to my family tree I created just today.

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Sorry, here's the link I mentioned:
http://www.familytreenow.com/trees/13713

Joel David Ballezza

[adelfio]

Is this your Enrico father of Joseph

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

31311_137571-00243.jpg

Marty

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Hi Adelfio - so glad you found that record. I will tentatively say that you HAVE found my great-grandfather's naturalization form. I say that because there is a lot of matching - but not yet perfect:

1. Son Joseph (my grandfather) was born in 1902. I though his birthday was November 2, but according to the naturalization document, it was August 10th. I need to find out more about the birthday.

2. He settled in Philadelphia om 1922 after first coming to New York in 1905. I guess he must have remarried - I don't know, perhaps Marie? His first wife was Agatha.

3. He was one of exactly 12 children.

I would say it's 90% certain that it's him - I just need a little more searching - I'm not coming up with much about him. It will be hard to find stuff. If only I had an obituary - that might help - perhaps I'll find one.

Thanks a lot Marty - it is really fascinating that you found that document! It is exciting to see such a piece of history unfold before my eyes!

Joel

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Sorry, I mean my grandfather was one of 12 children. I had thought that it was my great grandfather who was one of 12 children - I did not realize that my Grandpop Joe was one of 12 children - my grandpop, not my great grandpop.

4. Also, he was an asphalt worker. My grandfather was a construction foreman, as was my father.

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

I have posted to http://www.sicilygenealogy.com/ to track down the marriage - probably hard to find anything in Sicily since no maiden name and I'm not sure there is a marriage certificate.

Enrico 21 Jan 1875/76
Agatha/Agata 13 May 1894

[adelfio]

Agata Grasso was Enrico Ballezzi wifes name Line #30 in the shipmanifest

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NYT715_759-0503.jpg

Paolo Scrivono (Agata must have been married before) Carmela, Giuseppe, and Santi Ballezzi Lines #1-4 on shipmanifest
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

NYT715_759-0501.jpg

Marty

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Sorry, I had just gone to make some Jasmine tea - now I FINALLY know where the name Grasso came from in my head! You are a genius! Now we have a PERFECT match - the odds would be too low to have a combination of Bellezzi-Grasso - I doubt there would be many of those! You have solved the great-grandfather puzzle!

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Now we also know where the Roccalumera was in my head from - Agata Grasso!

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

And finally, we know that the four kids brought over on the Aug. 14 to Sept. 1 trip in 1906 from Mesfina, Italy, they had their names changed when naturalizing to Americanized names as follows:

Paulo became Paul
Santi became Samuel
Giuseppe became Joseph
Carmelo became Charles

Funny!

They would then have 7 more children here in the US - I need to find Domenica - she was the first born - she is not listed on either manifest - she would have been about 9 or 10 years old.

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

And yes, Paulo Serivane, was from a previous marriage, and he is Latin on his Dad's side.

So I need to figure out how Domenica got to the US.

[adelfio]

Paolo Ballezzi says born in Messina 1897 I will check on the Italian records
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENARGE

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Marty

[JoelTheItalianGuy]

Can you explain to me what Turkey and Poland have to do with all of this? Why did the first naturalization document need renunciations to Turkey, and then the second (Paulo's) to Poland?

Strange to me? Did they each have to spend time in those countries - due to war?

[adelfio]

Birth record of Santi Bellezzi
Index#39
1904 Nov 2nd in the town of Roccalumera birth of Santi Bellezzi son of Enrico Bellezzi farmer and Agata Grasso age 28. Agata presented the baby because Enrico was not present at the time of birth

PG LINK TO RECORD
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,179095101

Marty

[adelfio]

Birth record of Carmelo Bellezzi
Index#39
1899 Sept 27 in the town of Roccalumera in a house on via Rosario birth of Carmlo Bellezzi son of Enrico Bellezzi farmer and Agata Grasso age 23. Agata presented the baby because Enrico was not present at the time of birth

PG LINK TO RECORD
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,179095101

Marty