Lisanti in Potenza

[pgerald]

Hello,

I've used this forum to help narrow down a search for the origins of my mother's family, the Lisanti, but could use some assistance. I believe they are from Potenza (the province, per family history), and all settled in New York starting in 1884. My great-great grandfather Gerardo Lisanti was born May 12, 1866 (though his age is listed as 71 on a 1941 death record) and arrived in New York on May 15, 1884, according to his 1892 naturalization in Long Island City, Queens. I suspect the particular ship, which I haven't figured out, isn't useful, but his younger brother Bartolomeo arrived two years later (in 1886) on the Independiente from Naples & Palermo.

A distant relative online listed the Lisanti family as either from San Fele or Muro Lucano. I've checked the birth records (the scanned books available on FamilySearch) for the relevant years (1866 for Gerardo, 1869 and beyond for his siblings), to no avail. There are many Lisanti (and Lapenna, another family surname through marriage in Queens) in Muro Lucano, but not these specific ancestors. Searching for Lisanti on this site, I've seen the name referenced in Rionero in Vulture and Salandra, in Matera. Neither town, nor some of the other nearby towns I've checked, seem to have this Gerardo Lisanti. Per records in Queens, his parents were Donato Lisanti and Rosa Zaccardo (though it's listed as Zaccini and other variants, per transcriptions on FamilySearch records).

Does the community here have any suggestions for finding the specific town? Could they be from the city of Potenza rather than just the province of PZ (and if so, how do I access those records)? I was hoping to access Gerardo's original marriage license in case that narrowed down the spelling of his parents' names, but it requires access to a Family Search location, which I cannot do for the time being.

Thanks,

Paul

[darkerhorse]

The 1909 marriage record of Alfredo Lisanti, son of Gerardo Lisanti and Antoinette Arcieri states Potenza as place of birth for both parents.

Plus, there's a church named San Gerardo in the town of Potenza.

Name: Alfredo Lisanti
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 29 Jun 1909
Event Place: New York City, Queens, New York, United States
Sex: Male
Race: White
Father's Name: Gerardo Lisanti
Father's Birthplace: Potenza, Italy
Father's Age: 40
Mother's Name: Antonietta Arcieri Lisanti
Mother's Birthplace: Potenza, Italy
Mother's Age: 28

Other information in the record of Alfredo Lisanti
Name: Alfredo Lisanti
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 29 Jun 1909
Event Place: New York City, Queens, New York, United States
Sex: Male
Race: White
Father's Name: Gerardo Lisanti
Father's Birthplace: Potenza, Italy
Father's Age: 40
Mother's Name: Antonietta Arcieri Lisanti
Mother's Birthplace: Potenza, Italy
Mother's Age: 28

Source Details: Item 4 cn 3103
GS Film Number: 2022367
Citing this Record
"New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27YD-CJP : 11 February 2018), Gerardo Lisanti in entry for Alfredo Lisanti, 29 Jun 1909; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference Item 4 cn 3103 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,022,367.

[darkerhorse]

Is this his birth record, Number 238

?

[darkerhorse]

Maybe the record number is 237? It's the one on the top right-hand page.

[darkerhorse]

Hard to read but could be:

Birth of Gerardo Lisanti on May 15, 1866 in the town of Potenza; appearing was the father Michele Lisanti age 32, son of deceased Giuseppe; mother is Lucia Muro? age 22, daughter of deceased Gerardo.

[pgerald]

Thank you so much! Yikes, I have the birth record for Alfredo Lisanti in my family tree, but never looked closely enough to see Potenza as his parents' birthplace - it's good to have that confirmation.

I have also been on that page of birth records and thought the last name didn't look like Lisanti. I can see the other two records on the page as #236 and #238, so this Gerardo is definitely #237. I just went through the birth records of Potenza in 1866 again, and record #237 is listed under "C", not "L", as if the last name is Cilanti (or Cisanti?) rather than Lisanti. I'm unable to read the record you've seen carefully enough, so thanks for trying to parse that! Given that Gerardo's records in the U.S. (and those of his siblings) always list Donato and Rosa as the parents, I suspect this may not be him. But, if this is him, is it possible that they somehow changed their last name from Cilanti/Cisanti to Lisanti? Or in Italian is "Li" somehow filed under "C"?

And yes, I've looked up that the patron saint of Potenza is a Gerardo, but Muro Lucano's patron saint is also (a different) Gerardo, so I worry that the clue may be ambiguou, unfortunately :/

[darkerhorse]

Sorry if it's a false alarm. The eye sees what it wants.

[darkerhorse]

Could be Cilenti.

[pgerald]

Of course, I wish it were so, too! This might be a useful check - I know he has a brother born in 1871 named Vincenzo. There's a Vincenzo Lisanti in the 1871 Potenza birth records (attaching here). I'm having difficulty reading the handwriting, but perhaps you or someone else who sees this record can see if the parents are the same as the Gerardo Cilanti/Lisanti you found above!

[darkerhorse]

The father is Donato Lisanti, son of deceased Giuseppe, age 37. I first thought the mother was Vita but it could very well be Rosa. I think she was age 25, father Vincenzo.

If you can find the baby's name Vincenzo written larger in bold then count 8 lines up on the right-hand margin and you will see the father's name. It looks like Donato - split between two lines without a hyphen. Just before his name are the words "e comparso" meaning "appeared". The name of the person reporting will using follow "e comparso" or "sono comparsi" if plural. I'm not sure but the word endings may change depending upon gender -"e comparsa" and "sono comparse" for females?

[darkerhorse]

I had also looked for the birth record of Bartolomeo but I failed to find it.

Is it possible they lived in a different town in the province before living in the town of Potenza?

Have you found their marriage record (Donato and Rosa)?

[darkerhorse]

The name "Vita" or "Rosa" follows "sua moglie" (his wife) located in the middle three lines up from Vincenzo.

I don't think her last name is recorded.

[darkerhorse]

That last record is very hard to read. Perhaps someone else will give their opinions.

[darkerhorse]

Name, Events, and Relationships
Domenico Lisanti

Male
Birth
1864
Potenza, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy
Spouse
Maria Lucia Vendegna

Female
Parents
Donato Lisanti

Male
Rosa Lacegguino

Female

[darkerhorse]

Vincent Lisanti

Male
Birth
17 November 1871
Potenza, Basilicata, Italy
Death
18 May 1952
Long Island, New York, United States
Spouse
Carmela Ruscillo

Female
Parents
Donato Lisanti

Male
Rosa Zaccagnini

Female