Maria Concetta Amato - Looking for info on her husbands

[rp76226]

My wife's 90 year old cousin has asked me to get more information on the life of an aunt she admires as a "liberated woman" in the early 1900s. While, with her help - mostly her memory, we have found many of her descendants (though we do not know how to contact them to find out what they know), we know very little about the ancestors of her three husbands. Maria Concetta Amato made multiple trips to Italy and may have even married there. Maria was born March 6, 1872 in Prizzi, Palermo, Sicily to parents Antonino Amato and Francesca Costa. She died in 1939 in Oneonato, Ostego, NY (don't know the exact date). She married Gaetano Sturiale (also known as Thomas Stewart) on April 28, 1906 in Oneonato, NY. They had 3 children (Thomas, Frances, and Anna). Gaetano, who was born about 1885 in Italy (don't know the town) died about 1910. Looking to find that missing information plus his parents and grandparents.

Soon after, she married Joseph DiMatteo (date and place unknown), and had two children with him (Caterina and Andrea). We do not know when or where he was born and died, nor his parents and grandparents.

Her third husband was Joseph A Zito and they had one child, Giuseppina. We have no dates of the marriage, no dates nor places of Joseph's birth and death, and none of his ancestors.

I know this is a long shot given how many pieces of the puzzle that we are missing, but I'm hoping that this group might find more details of her husbands' ancestors.

[PippoM]

It seems that there were several Gaetano Sturiale's born about same years...they all came from Santa Teresa di Riva, province of Messina. What is difficult is to find who is who...

[rp76226]

Yes, so many people share the same name. Italian naming traditions after grandparents first, then often parents second, is one of the causes. Thanks for trying.

[Sara_79]

Hello,

I found some information on MyHeritage site from a family tree. Some information match, some don't and some are just strange (like the fact that Alfonso was having kids well into his 70's). So I would take the information with a grain of salt.

Joseph Giuseppe DiMatteo was born around 1867 in Altofonte, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy. He married twice:
- Maria di Piona (born 1871 and married on April, 5 1889 – Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey)
- Mary Concetta Amato (born in sep. 1870 – Bivona, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy)

Mary’s father is listed as Alfonso Amato (1819-1895)

Mary lived in Oneonta, Otsego, New York in the 1930.

Her brothers and sisters:
- Luciano ‘Joe’ Amato (1862-1928)
- Vincento Amato (1873-?)
- Giuseppa ‘Jenny’ Gallo (born Amato) (1875-1911)
- Antonina Barresi (born Amato) (1878-1962)
- Crucifissa ‘Frances’ Mortellaro (born Amato) (1880-1975)
- Salvatore Amato (1883-1964)
- Rose Lino (born Amato) (1884-1979)
- Baldassore ‘Ben’ Amato (1887-1955)
- Carlo Giuseppe Amato (1891-1958)

[Sara_79]

Searching some more I found another family tree for Francesca Amato (born Costa).

She was born oct. 3, 1836 – Prizzi, Palermo, Sicilia, married apr. 30 1861 to Antonino Amato.

Her parents are Pasquale Costa and Giacoma Costa (born Raimondi)

Her children are listed as:
- Tommaso Amato
- Anna Spera (born Amato)
- Giocoma Petralia (born Amato)
- Maria Vaiana (born Amato)
- Pasquale Amato
- Giuseppe Amato

Her siblings:
- Rosa Costa
- Giuseppe Costa
- Giuseppa Costa
- Maria Butera (born Costa)
- Salvatore Costa
- Tommasa Fucarino (born Costa)
- Francesco Costa

Concetta is not listed as her daughter. Maybe these are two different families, that are somehow related? One was based in Prizzi and the other in Bivona?

[rp76226]

Thank you for all your research. There is a lot there. Let's review starting with Francesca Costa. I have her on my Tree as the mother of Maria Concetta Amato with the same date of birth as you have found. The parents that you have for Francesca Costa also match the parents that I have for her. So we agree on this person, except that you do not have Maria Concetta Amato as her child. Nor do you list who her husband was in your second reply (or do i assume that the husband in the first reply is who you have?

As far as her husband and the mother of Maria Concetta Amato, I have Antonino Amato born December 19, 1930 in Prizzi as the husband and father. From your first reply, you have the father listed as Alfonso Amato 1819-1895. So this difference also needs to be resolved. Neither you nor I have actual civil records verifying what we have found - the information came from other Trees that also do not have civil records verifying the facts.

As far as the children of Francesca Costa, the siblings of Maria Concetta Amato, I have Tomasso Amato born September 22, 1862 in Prizzi, and Giacoma Amato, born June, 1872 in Sicily. You have those two siblings (without dates and places) plus 3 more that I do not have plus one more who was born Maria Amato but you show as having been married to a Viano which does not match the 3 husbands that I have for my Maria Amato. We do both have her living in Oneato, Ostega, NY in 1930.

As far as the siblings of Francesca Costa, I have the same ones that you have, plus a second Rosa Costa that you do not have who was born 9 years after the death of the first Rosa Costa.

Going to your first reply with a husband of Maria Amato, named Giuseppe DiMatteo, the first discrepancy (in addition to the previous one about her father's name) is the date of birth of Maria Amato. I have her born March 6, 1872 in Prizzi. You have her born September 1870 in Bivona. I have the DiMatteo husband born about 1886 (making him 14 years younger than Maria Amato - possibly a red flag on my part), while you have him born around 1867 (5 years older than Maria Amato).

The following link is a screen print of her family tree. I had to make the names small to fit them on one screen - https://i.postimg.cc/CxkvDrCs/Maria-Con ... y-View.jpg

[Sara_79]

Hello,

It seems that the main difference is Maria Concetta herself. I have her in one family tree and you in another.

The person you have as Maria Concetta DiMatteo I have as Maria Vaiana born march 7 1872 in Prizzi, Palermo and married to Giorgio Vaiana (born nov. 16 1869 to Gaspare Vaiana and Giuseppa Canzoneri). They had one son – Gaspare Vaiana (born between 1896 and 1898 and died on apr. 14 1900)

The Concetta in the Heritage tree:
Her father is Alfonso Amato. He was born in Bivona, Agrigento, Sicilia on feb. 09, 1819. His parents were Luciano (di) Amato (1796-1841) and Rosa Amato (born Sardegna) (1791-1845). They married around 1815.

Their son Alfonso married twice:
- On oct.15 1855 to Maria Amato (born apr. 20 1839). They have two kids Rosa Amato (1857-1857) and Luciano Amato (1859-?)

- Around 1876 to Felicia Amato (born june 16 1847) and their children are:
- Luciano ‘Joe’ Amato (1862-1928)
- Benedito Amato (1865 - ?)
- Maria Concetta DiMatteo (1870-?)
- Vincento Amato (1873-?)
- Giuseppa ‘Jenny’ Gallo (born Amato) (1875-1911)
- Antonina Barresi (born Amato) (1878-1962)
- Crucifissa ‘Frances’ Mortellaro (born Amato) (1880-1975)
- Salvatore Amato (1883-1964)
- Rose Lino (born Amato) (1884-1979)
- Baldassore ‘Ben’ Amato (1887-1955)
- Carlo Giuseppe Amato (1891-1958)

Luciano Amato parents were Baldassare Amato (1763-1833) and Rosalia Apollo (1768-1834)
Rosa Sardegna parents were Liborio Sardegna and Maria Rizza

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/L23V-5RB

I think that the first thing to figure out is to which family Concetta belongs to and then go from there. Or not. If you are interested in the descendants you could just cut everything above Concetta and simply start with her.

[rp76226]

Since she is the deceased aunt of my wife's 90 year old cousin and that cousin knows who her aunt married (the three husbands given for my tree), I am comfortable with what I have on my Tree.