Eligibility: Illegitimacy and Name issues

[antonius2987]

Good afternoon,
I recently found out that I may be eligible for Italian citizenship, but my case has a few twists that I would like to get some further information on before I start pushing heavily on this process. My situation is this:

My g-grandfather, Corradino Cola, was born in 1906 in Morro d'Oro and emigrated in 1923 to the US. My grandmother, A.F., was born in 1928 in the US; her birth certificate lists her mother's name and 'Carl Cola' as the father's name. However, as far as I have been able to find, my grandmother's parents were never married, and her biological father was never a part of her life. Corradino Cola later married another woman; I haven't been able to find a naturalization record for him yet, but I believe he was naturalized between 1930 (census lists him as 'alien') and 1934 (an mining employment card lists 'citizen? yes').

My two concerns are:
(a) is illegitimacy a factor when considering parentage? I read that it could be a factor in proving parentage between fathers and children, but I don't know how strict this is. Is there any supplementary material that could be used to reinforce illegitimate childrens' claims (not that I have any at the moment)?
(b) Is the fact that his name is listed differently on her birth certificate (Carl vs Corradino) a big issue? Or more precisely, what would I need to prove they are the same person? I have one census record that lists his name as Carl, and the obituary that his family published gives his name as 'Corradino "Carl" Cola'.

I realize this is a lot, but hopefully someone may have some insight into these issues. I have tried contacting the Italian Embassy (which covers my residence for these issues) but so far haven't gotten a reply.
Thanks!

[jennabet]

If your grand-mother's name is listed on her father's naturalization certificate, then yes he acknowledged that she is his child. If it does not appear on the Nat. Cert. his name solely on her birth certificate and the fact that he was not a part of her life would not be enough if he were not married to her mother.

[antonius2987]

Thanks for your reply. I will keep that in mind as I move forward. I still have some digging to do and may be able to find something like that yet.

[Alphazip]

Doubtful that A.F.'s name would be on her father's naturalization certificate, since A.F. was born in the U.S., and thus a U.S. citizen by birth, not naturalization.

[jennabet]

All immigrants who become naturalized are required to list the names of their living descendants on the certificate. My father was born in the USA. His name, place of birth, and birthdate appears on his father's naturalization certificate and shows that he was born before his father naturalized and is the reason Italian citizenship passed down another generation to me. It also shows that my grand-father was married and that he recognized his son.

[mler]

I think you mean the petition. All children are listed on the petition which is completed by the applicant. They are not listed on the actual naturalization certificate which is issued by the government. The petition can be obtained through NARA.