Looking for my ancestors from Sicily.

[Romano1970]

Hello all, I am new to this site and also very excited I ran accross it. My name is Michael Romano Born 02-18-1970. I am looking for any information regarding my Fathers parents. Here is the info I have. understandably I do not expect for anyone on this site ( unless they are related to me LOL ) to have knowledge of them. However any search options you may have I will apreciate greatly.

Father was Frank Romano 04-29-1928 to 04-13-2001 from Clifton , Passaic NJ.
His parents Lena ( Nigrelli ) Romano from Musomelli Sicily 1893 to 1971 and Lorenzo Romano from ( town unsure of ) Sicily 1889 to 1955 came to america in 1910 to 1920. They resided in Passaic , NJ ( to my Knowledge). They are now burried in Calvary cemetery along with my father. I do not think they came together as my grandmother from what I have been able to review came to live with her brother Salvatore Nigrelli in Passaic NJ.

I was able to get my Father Social Sec # and with this I was advised I could request a copy of his original application for a SSN#. I was also told that this application will also have on it my Grandparents info such as place of birth and where they lived in Sicily. If anyone on this site can provide either info on my grandparents or know another way for me to abtain some I will be very greatfull. it will be wonderful to know where you actually come from and then be able to visit and do research on theat place.

Thank you all in advance.

[Biff83]

Hello and Welcome!

Is this your grandfather's WWII Draft Reg Card?
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1032/z ... wiiau6.jpg
Name: Lorenzo Romano
Birth Date: 2 Feb 1889
RESIDENCE: 295 Oak St, Passaic, New Jersey
Person who will know address: Lena Romano
Birth: Piazza Maria Caltanissetta, Italy
Race: White

Biff

[Romano1970]

OMG that was the fastest response I ever saw....Biff ....that was amazingLOL. That is and was his wife Lena.I was just looking through some papers and saw Piazza E Maria on it. Where exactly is that in Sicily. I spoke to someone on a website and they said there was no town by that name only a piazza Aremina or something to that effect. I do remember a picture at my aunts house on Roosevelt street in clifton showing my Grandfather ina uniform.

Thank you and anything else you know how to locate would be extremely usefull for me and my family.

Please contact me if you wish on my email MICHAEL_ROMANO@RYDER>COM

[vj]

Brother Salvatore Nigrelli?
1913 manifest
page 2
special inquiry page
15 Nov 1913
Line 19
Salvatore Nigrelli, 23, born abt 1890
- single
- blacksmith
- mother Marianna Rizza? in Mussomeli (Caltanissetta, Sicily)
- destination Passaic
- born in Mussomeli

[Romano1970]

Wow you guys are FAST.

Yes. She had a brother Salvatore. I saw information on him for 228 Monroe street in Passaic. I was unsure if this was accurate info or if it was just a coincidence.

Thank you ever so much.

Please contact me if you wish to. Email in above string.

[vj]

Lorenzo & Lena?
possible 1930 census
Home in 1930:
295 Oak St, owns $8000
Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey

Head Lorenzo Romans (Romano) 40, abt 1890 IT
- married age 33, abt 1923
-immig 1914 Al
- proprietor, grocery store
Wife Leva (Lena) Romans 34, abt 1896 IT
- married age 26, abt 1922
- immig 1920 Al
Daughter Phillipmas Romans 7, abt 1923 NJ
Son Joseph Romans 4 4/12, abt 1925 NJ
Son Frank Romans 1 11/12, abt 1928 NJ

[Biff83]

Dupe post of above.

Biff

[Romano1970]

You guys are great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What else can I provide to you ???

[vj]

One possibility for Lorenzo’s manifest…
1913
page 2
Sep 1913 SS Palermo, Palermo to Boston
Line 28
Lorenzo Romano 24, abt 1889
- single
- last residence Piazza Arm.
- father Salvatore
- desination NY
- joining cousin at 330 Passaic St
- traveling with line 27 to the same destination
- born in Piazza Armerina (now in Enna province)

[vj]

Michael,
If the towns of birth are correct, you can order and view
microfilmed records for your family at your local
Family History Center (records in Italian & perhaps Latin)
Valarie

film info
Italy, Enna, Piazza Armerina - Civil registration
Registri dello stato civile di Piazza Armerina (Caltanissetta), 1820-1910
Piazza Armerina (Caltanissetta). Ufficio dello stato civile

film info
Italy, Caltanissetta, Mussomeli - Church records
Italy, Caltanissetta, Mussomeli - Civil registration

[vj]

I was able to get my Father Social Sec # and with this I was advised
I could request a copy of his original application for a SSN#.
I was also told that this application will also have on it my Grandparents
info such as place of birth and where they lived in Sicily

I believe the SS Application will now cost about $27
From ancestry.com (written in 1998)
about the SS Application

[Romano1970]

Valarie, Biff

Thank you so much. I saw a couple of these things online in some form or another but wasnt sure if I was looking at the right passages. I want to learn as much as possible about my families history. Who they were what they did, what kind of people they were.

I did see my grandfathers arrival in Boston but I did not think it was his due to me being in NY/NJ area. I have ordered my fathers SSN application today. It was 16 dollars for the computer print out form. 27-29 for the original handwritten one. I thought it would be better to get the electronic one so that it was readable.

Biff was able to supply me with my grandfathers draft card. The info on the card stated he owned a grocery store. However there was no info as to where it was. I assume it was in Passaic NJ close to where he lived at the time. This is the kind of info I love to get. The little things...you know.

I assume when I rec my fathers application for a SSN card # I will have even more info on his parents due to them being on the application as well.

If either of you should find anything else in you travels please let me know. I only wish I was knowledgable enough to return the favor to you both.

[Romano1970]

Good Morning Valarie / Biff. Hope you are well. I was pouring over the information you sent to me yesterday. It was pretty amazing info. Which now at this point only makes me want more and more.

This Saturday I am going to take a trip down to Passaic NJ to locate the address that biff was able to supply me from the Reg card of my Grandfather. Possibly take some pictures of the building for my records. ( if it still exists there)

I do have some other questions though. being that on the top of the reg card that Biff had sent me. It states Alien Registration. Would this mean that my Grandfather and Possibly also my grandmother did not have SSN cards?? If not how would I locate thier "Green Cards "??
Could there pssoibly be info out there regarding his store front??

I also Know my father was in the Navy. Where can I look for that info??

Sorry for all the questions at one time. i will try to keep them singular as we go.

[Biff83]

Good morning, Michael.

I believe that the handwritten "Alien Registered" on the top of your grandfather's WWII Reg Card indicates he had not naturalized and had registered as an Italian alien living in the US per governmental regulations during WWII.

You might be able to locate where his grocery store was located by checking Passaic City Directories at the Passaic County Historical Society Library. Following years are available.
Passaic 1867/68, 1873/74, 1874/75, 1875/76, 1877/78, 1880/81, 1882, 1883/84, 1884/85, 1885/86, 1897/98, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1909-23, 1925, 1927, 1937, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1962, 1966
Website for the Passaic Couny Historical Society

Your father's Navy records should be available but you should check to see if you he still has his discharge papers. Or if he remembers his serial number. Details on how to write for his records is contained in the link below.
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/milita ... cords.html

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Biff

[Romano1970]

Thank you again Biff.

I would love to be able to ask my father unfortunatly he is no longer with us anymore. I will however go the the links you sent over.

How long have you been retreaving info like this?? it seems you know exactly where to look every time.