Gardella Family from Neirone

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Patrizio
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Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Patrizio »

I am looking to connect with anyone who knows any information about Giovanni Gaetano Gardella (my G-G-GF). He was born in Neirone and likely died in Neirone sometime after 1924 (FamilySearch doesn't have digitized records after that). He was married to Caterina Rosa Basso in November of 1878. His father's name was "Antonio Gardella" and his mother's name was "Teresa Diana Lagomarsino". His son Luigi "Louis" Gardella is my G-GF and was born in 1889.

I'm trying to see if anyone knows of any already-searched information about this genealogy. I'd like to know if the family has any roots beyond Neirone within the greater Genoa region.

Thank you for reading my humble post.
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joetucciarone
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by joetucciarone »

Hi - In case you're interested, here's the current distribution of the Gardella surname in Italy:

http://www.gens.info/italia/it/turismo- ... IaMhy1h1qs
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

I’m a Gardella with family roots in Neirone.
I have reason to believe that my great great grandfather was Antonio Gardella married to Teresa Lagomarsino but the dates you have provided aren’t adding up quite right with m8ne.

My great grandfather was Pietro married to Louisa Biggio.
Pietro was born circa 1850 in Neirone.
Death unknown.
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by joetucciarone »

On May 18, 1900, Mary Gardella of Cleveland married James Colucci, the son of wealthy Youngstown businessman Stephen (Stefano) Colucci. There were several Gardella families in Cleveland back then, including one headed by Angelo Gardella. On his 1912 passport, Angelo said he was born in Roccataglia, which is just two miles from Neirone. He also said he was born in 1845 and he'd been in Cleveland 43 years, which (if correct) means he immigrated in 1869. On January 2, 1872, the steamship Erin docked in New York with 549 Italians aboard. There were four Gardella's among them. That voyage was covered in nationwide newspapers for weeks, because seven Italian passengers died in transit, and hundreds more were defrauded by bogus shipping agents.

p.s. Mary Gardella's mother's maiden name was Schiappacasse, which is rare in Italy today and occurs almost solely in the Genoa area.
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

The Gardellas and Schiappacasse families intermarried. I have such occurrences in my line.
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Tessa78
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Tessa78 »

You have this baptism/birth act for Pietro?

#8
Dated 4 February 1850 in Parish of S. Maurizio, Town of Neirone
Birth on 3 February at 4 AM, son of Antonio Gardella, farmer residing in Neirone; and of Teresa Dima Lagomarsino, tailor residing in Neirone, spouse of Gardella,
Baptism imposed the name PIETRO LUIGI
Godparents: Luigi Gardella, son of Angelo, shopkeeper residing in Neirone; and Chiara Oliva, wife of Angelo Gardella, housewife residing in Neirone.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

How can I possibly tank you for this? This is wonderful.
May I ask if you might be able to find one for Rose Gardella, whom I believe might have been Pietro’s sister. She would have been born in 1847, 48, or 49.
Tessa, you are wonderful!
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Tessa78 »

I checked the births from 1846 through 1949 and did not find a SISTER to Pietro.
However, I found these 3 possibilities for your Rosa Gardella :-)

1846 - Maria Rosa Gardella of Luigi Gardella and Cattarina Gardella
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 1.jpg.html

1848 - Maria Rosa Gardella of Antonio Gardella and Angela Guernieri.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 2.jpg.html

1848 - Rosa Gardella of Stefano Gardella and Teresa Gardella
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 2.jpg.html

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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

The Gardella, Schiappacasse, and Guernieri families of Neirone all intermarried.
I had had reason to believe that Rose’s father was Antonio. So possibly the second listed might apply.


I hate to ask for more as you have done so very much for me but the exact person I am looking for is Rosa Gardella who married Luigi Schiappacasse prior to 1870 in Neirone.

The same woman, on a visit from the US to Neirone died in Neirone circa April 1922.

Is there anything on her? I truly promise not to ask for more. Thank you, Tessa. You are great.
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Tessa78 »

MaddalenaNYC wrote: 30 Aug 2021, 17:53 The Gardella, Schiappacasse, and Guernieri families of Neirone all intermarried.
I had had reason to believe that Rose’s father was Antonio. So possibly the second listed might apply.


I hate to ask for more as you have done so very much for me but the exact person I am looking for is Rosa Gardella who married Luigi Schiappacasse prior to 1870 in Neirone.

The same woman, on a visit from the US to Neirone died in Neirone circa April 1922.

Is there anything on her? I truly promise not to ask for more. Thank you, Tessa. You are great.

Happy to help!

Thank you for the information about the approx. year of Rosa's marriage, and that her husband was Luigi Schiappacasse.

While searching for that marriage, I found this one. This appears to be a sister of Pietro...
#33
Dated 24 October 1868 in Neirone.
Bride is Rosa Giuditta Gardella, daughter of living Antonio, innkeeper, and of living Teresa Dima Lagomarsino, tailor. :-)

HOWEVER, her husband's name is Michele Schiappacasse.

The record begins on the bottom of the previous page.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1482818

The birth dates for both the bride and groom are given in the record. I will search for them and post here as an edit if I find them.

EDIT TO ADD:

Here is the correct birth act for the Rosa Gardella for whom you were searching...

#6 - Birth and Baptism of Rosa Giuditta Gardella

Birth on 14 April 1848; baptism on 15 April in the Parish of S. Maurizio, town of Neirone.
Father: Antonio Gardella, son of Giovanni, farmer residing in Neirone.
Mother: Teresa Dima/Dina(?) Lagomarsino, cucitrice (seamstress) residing in Neirone, spouse of Gardella.
Godparents: Angelo Gardella, son of Giovanni, shopkeeper;; and Rosa Guernieri, wife of Agostino, tailor.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

AND... the birth/baptism for her husband, Michele Schiappacasse, on 27 June 1845 in Neirone.
#25
Father: Gio Battista Schiappacasse, son of deceased Carlo, farmer residing in Neirone.
Mother: Giulia Cuneo, daughter of Bartolomeo, weaver residing in Neirone, and wife of Schiappacasse.
Child given the name MICHELE
Godparents: Giacomo Cuneo, son of deceased Antonio, farmer; and Marianna Debarbieri, daughter of Stefano, seamstress
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 9.jpg.html


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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

You did it. You found the connection. I have been searching on and off for seven years to confirm that Rose Gardella Schiappacasse was the wealthy relative from Detroit who sought to adopt my father and four of his siblings from the NY Catholic Protectory (orphanage) in the Bronx, NYC circa 1920.

I had had just a moment or two to view this scant information on the microfiche of the orphanage’s records. She had only been noted as the wealthy and devout Catholic, Mrs. Schiappacasse.

Rose had been married to an extremely wealthy, self made wealth, man named Luigi Schiappacasse in Detroit.

I’m not troubled that his given name on record is Michele as my family has a long history, even to this day, of going by middle names.

My grandfather was born Antonio Alessandro but went by and died as Alexander.
My father was born Alessandro Edoardo but went by and died as Edward Alexander.
My son and daughter both go by their middle names.
Oh Tessa, you have confirmed my suspicion that Aunt Rosa was the sister of my great grandfather, Pietro.

It might seem like a small thing to some but to have my suspicion confirmed means the world to me.

Brava, Tessa!
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Tessa78 »

I was able to find a photo of "Aunt Rosa" for you!

It is her application for a US Passport in 1922. Lots of information there (some not accurate :-D )
On the second page is a photo of Rosa Schiappacasse at age 72 - her age at her application.
Page 1
https://i.postimg.cc/P5NzNHyX/USM1490-1824-0727.jpg
Page 2
https://i.postimg.cc/sfcpcx0f/USM1490-1824-0728.jpg
Here is the link on Ancestry if you can access.
The right side of the second image is the application for her daughter Jennie Schiappacasse.
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/co ... Id=1009367

While visiting Neirone, Rosa died. Here is the Report of the Death of an American Citizen by the American Consular Service. Rosa died 13 April 1922.
https://i.postimg.cc/CxpyCwPN/31070-171021-00101.jpg

AND... here is what appears to be Louis and Rosa, with their first child, residing in NYC soon after their arrival.
This is the 1870 US Census. They are residing on Mulberry St. (between Bayard and Canal Sts.) Louis is a Rag Dealer. Modest beginnings to wealth in later years :-)
See lines 17, 18, 19
https://i.postimg.cc/nhHS2Mxn/4274861-00531.jpg

ALSO... a Directory entry from 1890 in Detroit, Michigan
Louis Schiappacasse; Peter Gardella in the Detroit, Michigan, Directory, 1890
Name: Louis Schiappacasse; Peter Gardella
Residence Date: 1890, 1891
Residence Address: 37 Woodbridge W
Residence Place: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Business Name: Schiappacasse L & Co
Occupation: Fruits

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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

For goodness sake back in the mid 1970s, I decided to return to my roots. No, I didn’t go to live in Italy, rather I went to live in a run down tenement flat in Manhattan’s Little Italy. I had had no idea that Gardellas had lived in that area but as it always felt like home, I suspect that their spirits were there looking over me.

Luigi, a rag dealer? Well, you got to start somewhere.
Mostly, the Gardella and Schiappacasse families were fruit dealers or grocers or operated restaurants. There is a Gardella branch that owned candy stores in Detroit. Then there was a bowling alley, also in Detroit.

It seems that Italians were enamored of bowling, probably owing to Bocce which is still played in my Brooklyn neighborhood.

It is not just genealogy, names, places, and dates. It is history. To know how our ancestors lived and the geography of their living places, to know of their successes as well as their failures, is the goal.

Thanks to you, Tessa, I can feel the grandparents and great grandparents I never knew watching over my shoulder now saying, it was all for you, the descendants.

And that is true.
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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by Tessa78 »

It is not just genealogy, names, places, and dates. It is history. To know how our ancestors lived and the geography of their living places, to know of their successes as well as their failures, is the goal.
Well said, Maddalena :-)

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Re: Gardella Family from Neirone

Post by MaddalenaNYC »

Tessa here I am bothering you again. My father’s maternal side was from Soragna. I have his grandfather’s passport attesting same. As well as other old family papers. Would the Soragna records be housed in Parma?

I need to find out about my grandmother, my fathers mother.

The Ellis Island records state, as the family travelled back and forth from Brooklyn to Italy, that my grandmother had been US born. I did a Freedom of Information Act to obtain her original social security application and it appears that she used a US Baptismal certificate from a Brooklyn church, a church we still worshipped at through the 1960s,
as proof of her birth and lineage but we can find no birth record for her.

A very nice gentleman on this site searched through the records he could access and found no record.

I think at this point, I need to write to Soragna or Parma for a search conducted throughly of the actual written records.

I never knew my grandmother as she had died two years before I was born.
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