Abbo/Abballe Irish in italy or break in tree more likely?

[lyn1982]

I took a DNA test years ago. I've been very lucky with it and for every branch on my tree, it's confirmed my paper trail. Except, however, in the case I'd most like it to, which is my father's maternal grandfathers side, Joseph Abbo/Abballe. (I am very interested in Roman history and he is my only Roman ancestor). From looking at my DNA results it seems that my ancestor Joseph Abbo might not have been my grandmothers actual father and that an Irish man with the surname of Caldwell was instead. This or though Joseph was born in Rome, one or more of his grandparents was born in ireland.

Now, to be fair, I don't have Joseph Abbo's tree traced back as far as my other ancestors, as I've been unable to locate his parents marriage record. According to his census and marriage record though they were both born in Italy as was he. From all his documents I know that he was Italian and born in or near Rome and his parents were Domenico Abbo (possibly Abballe) and Mary Paris.

However, when I search my DNA matches, there are none from or around the area of Rome. Every match that there is I have determined based upon shared matches or other birth locations, is likely related to me in another way. There are also no Abbo, Abballe, surname matches either, though there is a 4th cousin match with the Parisi surname, however, they also have a shared surname and locations with ancestors from my father's paternal side so it looks more likely they match me that way.

I did notice something alarming though. 5 4th cousins that all share matches with each other and seem to descend from different ancestors with the surname of Caldwell, as well as some distant matches too that they shared, some also with the surname of Caldwell in them. These Caldwells have other 4th cousin matches too that I share with them, mostly people without trees or small trees. The 4th cousin caldwell matches and matches I share with them share on average around 30 cm's with one or 2 segments shared.

These Caldwell's are all Irish, and my paper trail has traced everyone in my tree back to their countries of origin. My mother's ancestors all immigrated from Poland, Germany, Hungary and my fathers from Italy. (I am 100% sure I'm right on this info, I have several documents from each ancestor to support this, not just the fact that it's what I've been told.) It may also be worth noting that according to the paper trail all off my ancestors immigrated to the USA by the mid 1800s. My father's grandparents all immigrated in the 1900s, as well as my mother's polish grandparents, and her Hungarian grandmother. Only her German ancestors were in the US longer, having immigrated in the early to mid1800s.

In my DNA matches I have exactly a dozen first, second and third cousin matches on both my mother's side and my father's paternal side (which was in Sicily for hundreds of years), along with hundreds of 4th cousin matches that match these closer matches. None of these Irish matches match any of these matches or any of the fourth cousin matches these closer matches share. I also have 4th cousin matches that match my father's maternal grandmothers side. I only am lacking matching on the Abbo/Roman side (my fathers maternal grandfathers side).

This concludes me to believe these Caldwell matches likely match on this Abbo side, which is the side that I cannot find any DNA connections to. I also, if it counts for anything have a fair amount of distant matches that are purely Irish, which shouldn't be possible given my ancestry. I also as well have a small but unexplained amount of England, Wales & Northwestern Europe DNA, tho I have no Irish DNA any longer (I used to have 5% before ancestry changed its system).

I did too, find an unmarried Caldwell in his 30s living on the same street as my ancestors in the 1920 census. I've researched him and he has ancestors that lived in PA before Niagara Falls, just as some of my Caldwell matches do. He died without having any children, according to his obit. I plan to research him more to see if I can find any actual ancestoral connection, though I'm not sure if in doing so I'm wasting my time or being too far fetched.

So my questions are what is the likelihood that my ancestor from Rome had a grandparent/grandparents that immigrated from Ireland to Rome, Italy or the surrounding area in say the early to mid 1800s? Or does this sound more like a break in my tree or could there be some other explanation?

[lyn1982]

Thanks to the help of suanj in this topic https://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/emigration/46617 I've found that it appears my ancestor Joseph Abbo lied about his surname being Abbo. I also think now that perhaps he lied about being anywhere from or near Rome and may have not even been Italian. I've also confirmed these Caldwell matches definitely match on my paternal side, which is supposed to be 100% Italian. The matches don't appear to be related to the lines of any Caldwell men who lived in Niagara Falls around the time when my grandmother was conceived so it also doesn't look to me that this is caused by a case of cheating.

I guess my only question now is why would someone in the 1910's America lie about being Italian? In western NY he married my great grandmother who was born in Cerda, Sicily, so I'd think he'd claim to be sicilian if meeting and falling in love was the reason. Brides family her father and several siblings lived nearby too and I've heard Sicilians always prefered to marry other Sicilians.