Adoptions in Italy

[PunzoNewHaven]

Thank you to one of the pros I found out my ggf was orphaned in Italy, anyone know how to find out how he got the surname he did or how to find out where he was from the time he was born until he was 12 when he came over?

Would an orphanage send him to America or would he had to have been with a family?

I looked it up online, but not much on this.

Thanks so much.

[adelfio]

You know Beth if you do some thinking about Catello Punzo
Heres what we have Catello Punzo born in Atrani Jan 18 1886 no parents listed
came to the States and lived with Salvatore Gargano in New Haven Conn. in the 1900 Census. OK you could try to get Certificato dello Stato di Famiglia for the Gargano's in Atrani which might have Catello on it............or maybe the Census for that area. Also it could be that maybe the parents where someone in the Gargano family
Certificate of Family Status or Genealogy
Certificato dello Stato di Famiglia
If your ancestors left Italy after about 1880 and you know the name of the town in which they lived, you can write to the local Ufficio Anagrafe (Registry Office) and request a cerificato di stato di famiglia. This certificate, unique to Italy, records information on the entire family, rather than just an individual. It usually contains the name, relationship, and date and place of birth for each family member, often including family members who moved away or died. Some towns began keeping this record as early as 1869, but it wasn't in widespread use until after 1911.
Census Records
Censimenti
The first Italian census was taken in 1871, with new censuses taken each successive decade. The censuses taken from 1871-1901 are inconsistent from region to region, and usually only name the head of household, his/her occupation, and the number of people living in the household. Census records from 1911 on, however, list names, ages, occupations, birthplaces and relationships to the head of household for each resident. Census records from 1911 to 1991 are usually found in each comune's anagrafe (register office), and in the state archive of each province. Availability differs from comune to comune, and all census records may not be yet open to the public.

Marty A

[PunzoNewHaven]

Marty,

I didn't think of it that way, maybe the Gargano's knew about him? I will write to them, with the stamps! And see what they have on Gargano. I don't see where Punzo fits into Gargano, in the earlier census in the US they had him listed as Catello Gargano, one Cargano (transcription error) but when he married, he took Punzo back, or used Punzo.

I am still totally stunned. I thought it odd that my dad didn't know anything about Catello's parents, but he was so young when Catello died that we attributed it to that.

[PunzoNewHaven]

Marty, what is all the other writing on the birth certificate, someone told me about the foundling wheel, but there is a lot of writing. No matter how I enlarge or lighten it I can't get enough to get it into a translator. Does it have any details?
It also has his birthdate 4 days before the one Catello used his entire life, which was January 22nd. I wonder, did he know?

[adelfio]

You know what is really weird about this Livio did a little more translating I posted the bottom half of the document again the name of the person caring for the baby is Carmela Esposito and if you look on the Catello ship manifest who comes over with him Ann Esposito and Francesco Airone all going to see Salvatore Gargano in New Haven both of them Esposito's Heres the manifest
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/3342/punzoship.jpg

Marty

[PunzoNewHaven]

Wow, I looked at it, but I thought it said Ann Esposito's said Husband Giovanni Esposito, so she was like his nanny?

Any idea what it means by Carmella taking care of him? Was she at the orphange? Or a person?

This is too amazing!

[liviomoreno]

You must consider that the surname Esposito (usually given to foundlings...) is very popular and the chance that the Carmela Esposito who found Catello was related to the Ann Esposito in the manifest is very low.
Also the birth act of Catello indicates that he was physically found by Carmela Esposito, an employee of the "Congrega dei poveri". The act does not say anything about a specific person feeding or growing up Catello who, I believe, lived in the "Congrega dei Poveri", a kind of orphanage.

[PunzoNewHaven]

Thank you, Livio. I looked that name up and get some results. Can you tell me what Congrega dei poveri translates to? I wanted to try to contact them and see if they have any records. And this was in Atrani, correct?

Was this a very normal thing back then?

[liviomoreno]

Congrega dei poveri = Congregation (confraternity) of the poor.

I could not find them.

[PunzoNewHaven]

Livio,

Would the orphanage have sent him to the US? Was that standard?

Thank you, you are such a wealth of information.

Congrega dei poveri = Congregation (confraternity) of the poor.

I could not find them.

[liviomoreno]

Livio,

Would the orphanage have sent him to the US? Was that standard?

Thank you, you are such a wealth of information.

Congrega dei poveri = Congregation (confraternity) of the poor.

I could not find them.

No, to my knowledge.