Searching for Vincenzo Silvestri

[Butterfly]

I'm helping someone who is not very tech savvy and he is looking for information on his Great Grandfather, Vincenzo Silvestri. Here is the information he gave me:

His name was Vincenzo Silvestri.
He was married to Gemma Arena.
They had a son (my grandfather) named Ugo Osvaldo Silvestri on June 18, 1918 in Napoli, Italy.

On my own I was able to find that Gemma and Vincenzo didn't stay married, and Gemma went on to get married to a Giovanni Improta. The gentleman I am helping said that lines up with everything he knows. He doesn't have a birth year for Vincenzo or any information about him. It appears Ugo was raised with Gemma and her several children that she had with Giovanni Improta. Gemma was very young (around 15) when she got married to Vincenzo and as the story goes, he was away for work and she hooked up with this Giovanni guy and Vincenzo just disappeared. By 1921, the first Improta child was born, so it had to be a very short marriage between Vincenzo and Gemma. However, Ugo kept the last name of Silvestri.

I have found several Vincenzo Silvestris in various databases, but no hardcore evidence that he is my gentleman's great-grandfather. A marriage or birth certificate for any of these parties involved would be very helpful.

Thank you for any help you can give me!

[Italysearcher]

Since divorce in Italy didn't become legal until 1962 then someone must have died for Gemma to marry again.
In Italy you don't get to choose your surname. You get the surname of the man who declared he was the father at the time of birth (or the mother if they were not married)

[Butterfly]

Interesting! I passed the information on and this is what the gentleman told me:

"I’m pretty sure that my great grandfather and great grandmother never divorced even though she went on to live with Improta for many years later and having many Improta children. My Great Grandfather Vincenzo who was married to Gemma Arena is my great mystery. I have no information on him other than he worked for a railroad and when he found out his wife was having an affair he left."

[rlw254]

This request will be difficult as the records in Napoli for the times you will need are not digitally available yet. It is also a large place that is broken into several districts so without knowing specific areas it can be difficult even when records are available. Can you provide the names and dates of the Improta children you know?

I am not sure if it is your account but there is someone with the username Silvey1 on ancestry.com that has several photos and documents for Ugo Silvestri, it could be useful getting into contact with them.

[Butterfly]

Here are the names that I have been able to find:

Lidia Salemme (born Improta) - 1921-2015
Salvatore Improta - 1923-2000
Silvia Imparato (born Improta) - 1928-2014
Anna Russo (born Improta) - 1931-2018
Clara Formichella (born Improta) - d.2015
Olga Colella (born Improta) - d.2000

The gentleman also included this information:

I also know that there is a very good chance that Vincenzo Silvestri worked as a train conductor for Ferrovie cello Stato near Naples in 1916-1919 or longer.