Birth Record not found - suggestions?

[mlc]

I’m in the process of pulling together documents to request Italian citizenship. The only document I still need is my grandmother’s birth certificate – Hannah Faggella. The information I have is that she was born on Nov 5, 1915 in NYC – however there’s no record with that name. I know her father's name is Giuseppe (or Joseph) Faggella. But her marriage and death certificates show her mother as Mollie Rosenberg, and the application for social security number shows her mother as Margaret Anderson. Census records don't clear it up because she's listed as living with each of these women at various points in time. Giuseppe was married to Margaret from 1911-1915 – divorce was finalized a week before Hannah’s birth. And he married Mollie in 1927 (but was living with her as early as 1920 according to the census). HELP – how do I find my grandmother’s birth certificate? Any suggestions? Her sister’s name was Marian Faggella but her birth record (January of 1921) shows Merium Levy Figella (and her mother is listed as Mollie Rosenberg). I’ve been searching the NYC birth index for 1910-1965 on ancestry (looking under all of the last names starting with F, also Anderson and Rosenberg, etc.) but haven’t nailed down any really good leads… I’ve found Giuseppe and Margaret’s church marriage record in an index at a church in the Bronx so I’m trying to request a copy of it. And if Hannah was Margaret’s daughter, she may have been baptized so I’m trying to research that a bit. I've already wasted a bunch of money and time on not found statements shooting in the dark trying to find this document! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also, 2 other questions… if I do miraculously stumble upon a baptismal record, would the Italian Courts accept that as a substitute for her birth certificate (I have a 1948 case)? And/or if I just can’t get my hands on a record confirming her birth, am I just out of luck on the Italian citizenship or is there another way to prove her birth? I’ve read a bit on declaratory judgements – is that an option (and does anyone have an “inexpensive” way of obtaining one)? Thank you!!!

[mler]

If Hannah was born after the divorce, she may have been registered under her mother's maiden name and later took her father's name when she lived with him and his second wife. If that's the case, you would need to provide evidence that Giuseppe is the father. (His name on the birth certificate and a copy of his marriage certificate to her mother--his wife at the time of conception--would be helpful).

If Hannah represents the primary line, her bc is very important.

[mlc]

I've searched for her using both of the women's maiden names. I just haven't been able to come up with a record. Giuseppe is the father and his name is on all of the other documents. Her mother is the only inconsistent piece...

[mler]

Ancestry is an excellent source, but NYC may be better. Try contacting them at:

https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/genealogy.htm

They will do a three-year records search for a small fee, you may have to use "Figella," "Figgella," and "Anderson," but maybe you will have some luck with them.

There is a possibility that the birth registration date is slightly different from the birth date she used. Midwives were commons during that period, and registration dates were sometime different from the actual birth date.

There is also a possibility that her birth was never registered. That sometimes happened.