Need help finding ancestors, Celli/Cella from Avellino

[aerandel]

Hello everyone! I am working on a family geneology project and I am struggling with my father's side of the family.

My father's mother (my grandmother) was Sylvia, and our understanding was that her maiden name was Cella and that her family came here from Avellino, Italy before she was born. Her sister, Florence, was living when they came through Ellis Island but was very young. According to family information, their parents names were Aniello Cella and Tomasina Covina Cella.

When I actually started doing research for documentation on this, I found NOTHING for quite a while, until I finally stumbled upon a document on ancestry.com and additional documentation on ellisisland.org that stated that a Mr. Aniello Celli (rather than Cella) came through in 1915 at age 22 from Avellino with his final destination being Sharon, PA (which is where my family came from, so this would be accurate). I am thrilled to find this, and am now searching for documentation with the last name of Celli rather than Cella. If the age is accurate, he would have been born approximately 1893.

That same document states that he was meeting up with an uncle named Luigi or possibly Luis or something similiar in Sharon, and the last name of said uncle is impossible to read. The document also states that his wife was still at home in Avellino, and I can't read her name, but it doesn't appear to be Tomasina Covina as I had understood his wife's name to be. There is additional documentation saying that he had also come through Ellis Island in 1907 and 1914, also with the destination of Sharon, PA and to meet the same uncle.

I have searched and searched for documentation of Florence and her mother coming through Ellis Island possibly at a later time, but have found nothing.

The understanding within my family has always been that Celli/Cella was not the original last name of my grandmother's parents, that it was probably shortened when they came through Ellis Island. I also understand that my Grandma's name was actually supposed to be Caesarina, but was changed to Sylvia to fit in better in the US. I don't know if it made her birth certificate in that form or not. Her sister was Florence, and the family says that it wasn't originally florence but something similiar and was changed at Ellis Island.

I understand that there were additional siblings also...Aniello's daughters Angeline, Connie, plus the ones I mentioned Florence and Sylvia. There were 3 sons also, which I understand all died in Italy before they immigrated here. The sons names may have been Tony, Guiseppe, and Samuel. Two of the boys were twins.

I am writing all this because I am desperate for more documentation, and am hoping to trace this information farther. I want to find out Aniello's wife's name, who Luis or Luigi was, what Cella/Celli was when they were in Italy...the list goes on and on. I am going to include links to the documentation I've found in case anyone wants to scrutinize and try to help me.

I don't know if it will help, but my grandmother Sylvia married James Francis Murtaugh and they lived in Sharon, PA.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse. ... 4038204430

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/shipm ... 2430120037

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/shipm ... 0342110033

[Tessa78]

Hello and welcome!

The first link for Ancestry isn't working.

On your second link (the 1905 manifest for Aniello) the uncle to whom he's going is "Luigi Grieceo" at, what looks like, Box 8, Sharon Mercer, PA


The 1915 manifest does list his wife "Tommasina" in Avellino. You may be having trouble with the script.
The uncle's last name here is Vitolo, at 1120 Idaolo (sp?) St., Sharon, PA

T.

[aerandel]

Fantastic! Thank you so much...I've enlarged it and scrutinized it but somehow couldn't quite make out the letters. I'm so excited that it actually says Tommasina, yay! Is there a last name or anything else written, or just Tommasina? You found that on the 1915 document from Ellis Island? I don't see that on there anywhere...am I missing something? His actual name is cut off too on my computer, I wonder if I'm not getting the whole document here for some reason.

The one on ancestry.com is giving me trouble, but it can be viewed by visiting ancestry.com, go to home, and search for Aniello Celli. The first document that comes up is the one I was trying to link to.

[Tessa78]

You are missing page one of the Ellis Island Manifest...
I'll post it for you

T.

[Tessa78]

Line 3

Page 1 of above reference manifest (1915)

http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0003

T.

[Tessa78]

I have searched and searched for documentation of Florence and her mother coming through Ellis Island possibly at a later time, but have found nothing.

May not have come through Ellis Island...
Could have been Boston, Philadelphia, etc.

T.

[aerandel]

Good idea, that never occurred to me honestly.

[vj]

In case you haven't seen this record
Valarie

Here's a possible 1917 WWI Draft Registration Card
(misfiled on ancestry, it is image 337 of 693)
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/325/1917t.jpg

Not Signed

Annelo Cillo
1710 Hamilton Ave
Farrell, Mercer, PA (near Sharon)
born 12 Apr 1887 in Bagnoli Italy
(probably Bagnoli Irpino, Province of Avellino, Region Campania)
Alien
Boiler Fireman for Carnegie Steel Co in Farrell
Supports Mother, Father, Wife & 2 Children
Military service: Private in Italy
---

note on age, 33 on 1915 manifest - born abt 1888

[vj]

Interesting 1930 census from Farrell
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4594/1930b.jpg
next page
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/1852/193001.jpg

Names don't all line up
But wife and daughter (Florence) both born in Italy
1 child missing, referenced on WWI Card

Home in 1930:
1038 Beachwood, rents $16
Farrell, Mercer, Pennsylvania

head William Cello 41, abt 1889 IT
- married age 25, abt 1913
- immig 1906, Al (alien)
(1906 may be 1st trip, before marriage)
- laborer, steel mill
wife Josephine Cello 35, abt 1895 IT
- married age 18
- immig 1920
daughter Florence Cello 16, abt 1914 IT
- immig 1920
son Samuel Cello 8, abt 1922 PA
daughter Evelyn Cello 6, abt 1924 PA
daughter Angeline Cello 3 11/12, abt 1926 PA
daughter Jennie Cello 1, abt 1929 PA
---

edit: added

possible 1920 census
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/2855/1920l.jpg

Home in 1920:
1120 Beechwood Ave
Farrell Ward 2, Mercer, Pennsylvania

head Joe Crne 35
Gatinella Crne 33
James Crne 12
Jennie Crne 2 3/12
Amellia Crne 8/12

Boarders:
Aneilo Campo 35
Aneilo Clle 32, abt 1888 IT
- immig 1915, Al
- laborer, coke works
Dominic Bonelli 26
Donato Dicapna 26
Peter Sarnasky 19
Sam Monico 21
Sam Rubert 19
Joe Rubert 17
Tonie Ross 26
Joe Pendigon 22

[vj]

1920 manifest
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0030
page 2
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0030

29 Sep 1920, SS Duca Degli Abruzzi, Napoli to NY
lines 29-30
Lucia Cellao (Cella) 25, abt 1895
- last residence Bagnoli
- leaving mother Angela at 20 Strada Ioniaio (Strada Ionia?), Bagnoli
- destination Farrell, PA
- joining husband Aniello Cella at 420 Idaho St Farrell
- born in Bagnoli
daughter Concetta 6, abt 1914
- possible naturalization notation

[Biff83]

Hi, Valarie !

Great finds.

Un abbraccio,
Biff

[vj]

Hi Biff!
Great to see you
Valarie

[Tessa78]

Hey Valarie!

Super finds with the wife's manifest and the 1920 and 1930 Census!!!!

Couldn't find them at all...

Great work!

T.

[vj]

Hey T !
Thank you.
I finally gave up on Census searches by name and just searched in Mercer county for folks born in Italy 8O .
Valarie

[aerandel]

Valarie and Biff,
Thank you so much!! Where did you find these images and information?? I'm very impressed with your abilities...I've been searching for a solid week and I guess I haven't looked in the right places!

I have a lot of information to sift through now. I am intrigued as to the Lucia Cella rather than Tommasina, and I also wonder if Concetta could have been my Grandmother's sister, whom we knew as Florence.

Thank you sooo much! I will see what I can piece together and I might be back to ask more questions, obviously you both are better are finding this information than I am!!

By the way, one of my grandmother's sisters is still living. I mailed a letter to her the day before yesterday and am hoping she will respond. She would be in her 80's though and I have no idea what sort of health she is in, so I don't know if she would be able to help me or not.