NY naturalization records HELP!

[hollyolly7]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for my GGF naturalization records--I've tried NARA and it only goes up to 1906 so that's no good. Is USCIS my only other shot or can I contact somewhere else that will maybe answer a bit faster? Thanks!

[johnnyonthespot]

Do you know exactly where your ggf naturalized? If, for example, Westchester County, you can contact the Westchester County Archives at http://www.westchestergov.com/wcarchives/

Tell us what you know about your ggf including full name, date of birth, and city he lived in in the US and we may be able to help you out.

[hollyolly7]

I'm not even sure if he did naturalize.
It would have been in either NYC or Brooklyn. I've written to NARA, the NY county clerk and the Kings County clerk and nothing. The strange thing is that his death certificate lists him as a citizen, as well as a WWI registration card, and 2 US census'.......yet no one has been able to find it for me.

[maestra36]

Have you checked all of the NYC naturalization indexes at the following website? Possibly his name was badly misspelled-

http://www.italiangen.org/databaselist.stm

[hollyolly7]

yeah I've checked...they said it didn't correspond to the data I gave them.

[johnnyonthespot]

This is Giovanni Molinelli you are looking for?

He wasn't a doctor by any chance, was he?

http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz12 ... inelli.jpg

[johnnyonthespot]

I was looking at another of your threads, http://italiangenealogy.com/Forums/view ... html#86547 and feel the need to bring up a point which I haven't seen addressed yet.

You mentioned, "He came in 1901 from Italy and my grandmother was born in 1915..." which I take to mean that your planned lineage is great-grandfather -> grandmother -> father (or) mother -> yourself. Correct?

This being the case, it is critical to be aware that regardless of your great-grandfather's naturalization date, your grandmother could not pass citizenship to any of her children who were born prior to January 1, 1948. Before that date, Italian citizenship was passed only by the father.

[hollyolly7]

Thank you that was very kind of you, but thats not him. They never lived in PA and he was a grocer first in Manhattan then in Brooklyn. I recently wrote to the NY clerk because I found something on ancestry.com that was very interesting. I think it was a petition in 1911 from 38 city hall place in Manhattan but they said nothing was found.
My GGF came in 1903, I must have written that wrong, but my father was born in 1952 so I'm still qualified thank god!
If you find anything from 38 City hall place that would be great. It would be really helpful if ancestry.com allowed you to put in an address and find it that way because I have all of his residences. After 38 City Hall Place he moved to 630 Union St in Brooklyn, and then 643 Carroll Street in brooklyn. Thanks again for your help!

[pink67]

Holly, don't know if this lead could be of any help...

I found a second arrival manifest for John's wife Giovanna and three child, Bartolomeo (Albert on the censuses) who was born in Italy, Celestina and Maria teresa born in the U.S.

October 25, 1910

page 1:
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0027
page 2:
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0027

Giovanna stated she was joining her Husband John Molinelli on 474 Pearl street NYC. She stated she was in the u.S from 1903 to 1907

Laura

edit to add:

this is a 1907 arrival manfiest for Giovanni Molinelli (possible it ws his return in the U.S. after having accompanied his wife and chidlren in Italy..)

15 october 1907:

page 1:
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0023

page 2:
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup ... &line=0023

he's listed as "non immigrant alien", and was joining his brother Edoardo on 24 St. James street...

[hollyolly7]

Wow! Thank you so much. I have seen those ship manifests but the second page of the 1907 one I've never seen! In 1921 John Molinelli (hoping its my GGF) did his petition for naturalization with 24 james street as his address. I also just looked up in the 1910 census Edoardo Molinelli and thats exactly where he was too! Thank you so so much......you've made my day
Holly

[pink67]

Prego Holly!

Giovanni stated he was "alien" on the 1910 census and Naturalized on the WW1 draft card (september 1918).... so maybe he obtained the naturalization in this frame time?..

Laura

[hollyolly7]

This is what I've found on him:

http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view. ... &rc=&zp=50

It's the correct address and occupation so it must be him. From what I can see (can't read it very well) it says US Citizen, then has a check under naturalized. This is from 1918. Is this what you found? Are you able to see it better?

[johnnyonthespot]

Holly,

See this thread for info on how to possibly get a much better copy of the WWI draft card at reasonable cost: http://italiangenealogy.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15686/

[pink67]

This is the draft registration card I was referring to:

from Ancestry.com:

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
about John Molinelli
Name: John Molinelli
City: Brooklyn
County: Kings
State: New York
Birth Date: 19 Sep 1875
Race: White
FHL Roll Number: 1754304
DraftBoard: 38

Address: 630 Union street, age 42, race White, U.S. citizen = Naturalized, occupation grocery, place of occupation 8 Franklyn Street, Brooklyn,
nearest relative Jennie Molinelli living at the same address (630 Union street)

image:
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqEqW4S

this is a blank form for the draft card:
http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/DraftCardC.pdf

(copy and past the address)

Laura