Need help with a dead end

[thermocaster]

Hello, I found this site just recently and I'm happy to see so many people in search of their Italian ancestry. I'm on the same journey myself, but I've hit a bit of a dead end and I'm hoping someone can help.

My family's last name is Clavio, and my great grandfather's name is Paolo Clavio. I know he naturalized on 3-5-1920, and was married to Carmella Clavio (nee Migliaccio). His naturalization papers indicate that he was born on 2-16-1897 in "Sombara, Brazil" to Italian parents, and that he entered the USA on 3-12-14, but it doesn't list the port of entry --- though I assume it was philadelphia. I had always been told by my father and grandfather (both now deceased) that the original family name was "Claudio", and that the family was from Abruzzo originally, but that it had been changed at the docks because of mispronounciation.

The problem I'm having is that I can't find any other information on my great grandfather. My great grandmother and her three children (including my grandfather) all pop up in the 1930 census as living with her parents, but Paolo is not listed as a part of the household. There's no information about the names of Paolo's parents anywhere in the records. I thought maybe I could find Clavio or Claudio emigrants coming through Brazil, but those searches have been in vain as well. Paolo also doesn't appear in the 1920 census for Philadelphia, even though he was there working in the shipyards at the time.

So I don't seem to be able to find any info on my GGF, and I also can't find any information on whether the family name was actually Clavio or Claudio! Very frustrating.

If anyone has any ideas as far as where I should look next, I'd welcome them. Thanks.

[maestra36]

I found the 1918 marriage license info for your great grandparents in Phillie. This morning the image is not available, but the info is as follows:

Marriage License Year: 1918
License Number:381520

Info from the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriages Index, 1885-1951

on the website: www.familysearchlabs.org

[maestra36]

His first name is Paul in the index

[maestra36]

PAOLO CLAVIO 16 Feb 1897 15 Aug 1972 (V) 19147 (Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA) SS#161-12-7143 Pennsylvania

The above information is from the Social Security Index which you can view at www.rootsweb.com

For $27 you can order his application for his social security card either via mail (there is a letter generator right on rootsweb, or you can order it via the internet using a credit card). That will give his place of birth and parents' names.

http://genealogy.about.com/od/online_re ... equest.htm

There is a link on this website for ordering the record online

[maestra36]

I also see him on a WWII draft registration card dated April 27, 1942.

You can view this card on the following website:
www.familysearchlabs.org

Go to United States, and then World War II draft Registration. Then to Pa. and then the cards are alphabetical. Image 32 of 41.

On this card, he was living at 1530 So 12th Street in Phillie. Age 45.
Place of birth: Sombara? (not sure about the first letter)
Date of birth: as you stated
Carmella Clavio is given as the person who would always know his whereabaouts at same address as him.
He was 5"8" tall
250 pounds
light complexion

[maestra36]

There is a WWI draft registration card for a Paolo Clavio, which is probably him, but I don't have a subscription to ancestry.com, so someone with a subscription will have to retrieve that for you.

[johnnyonthespot]

There is a WWI draft registration card for a Paolo Clavio, which is probably him, but I don't have a subscription to <a href="/http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-3166187-10456885" TARGET="_blank">Ancestry.com</a>, so someone with a subscription will have to retrieve that for you.

Here you go:

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

[thermocaster]

Maestra36 and Johnnyonthespot, thanks for the help! I hadn't seen the WWII draft card yet. After poking around a bit on Ancestry.com, I also found his WWI draft card --- which further confused things because he listed his country of birth as Italy on that card, instead of Brazil. 8O

Maestra, I will have to try and get a hold of that marriage certificate --- is it possible that might have the names of the parents on it?

I also found Paolo's naturalization record, and it says he'd been living in the country since 12 March 1914. Where might I find the record for his entry into the country, if he came in through Philadelphia and not Ellis Island?

Again, thanks.

[maestra36]

I've never seen a Philadelphia marriage license, so I can't honestly say what information it would contain. Perhaps someone else on the this forum would know.

I can now see the information online under her name which is given as Migliacci in the index. The marriage index is from the Orphan's Court in Philadelphia. I don't know anything about this court.

Also, since I don't have a paid subscription to any genealogy websites which require payment, I can't see passenger lists for anywhere but Ellis Island. I did do a search though on the www. stevemorse.org website, which has search engines for passengers entering the country from different ports, but his name did not come up in the search for Philadelphia. That does not mean, however, that he did not enter the country through this port. Perhaps someone else on this forum will have better luck in locating him.

[johnnyonthespot]

...

Paolo also doesn't appear in the 1920 census for Philadelphia, even though he was there working in the shipyards at the time.

Having found his June, 1918 WWI draft registration card, I thought it likely that he may have still been at 222-1/2 Simpson Street, Philadelphia, at the time of the 1920 census. I have used this information in the past to do a brute-force, page-by-page scan of census reports to locate families. But, since Philadelphia had a huge number of enumeration districts, it was impossible to determine which group of census reports to scan.

I contacted the Pennsylvania Library Research Desk at the University of Pennsylvania to see if they could help in tracking down the correct ED. At the end of a very long explanation wherin the researcher detailed her efforts, she reported that it appears that - get this - the 200 block of Simpson Street was not counted at all in 1920!

There could be several reasons for this; perhaps a simple error, or perhaps a fire destroyed the buildings on the block sometime between 1918 and 1920. Whatever...

I will let you know if I or the UPenn researcher turn up anything more.

[thermocaster]

First and foremost, I really appreciate the help that both of you are giving me. Thank you so much.

Maestra, I now see what you're saying about the marriage listings on that website. Interesting that he was listed as Paul and she apparently shortened her name from Migliaccio to Migliacci for the wedding certificate. That was an excellent find.

Johnnyonthespot, that's incredible that they didn't survey Simpson Street in 1920. Figures, does it not? I was hoping perhaps I could find the Antonio Migliaccio dwelling to see if they were living there for the 1920 census, but unfortunately I bet that's who Paolo and Carmela were living with at that point.

I guess the next step is to try to find the ship manifest for whatever Paolo came in on in 1914, although I had the same problem Maestra had with the stevemorse site. I also tried searching all the Brazilian sites I could find for baptism or other info --- nothing. Heck, they don't even list that Brazilian city as existing.

After a lot of digging around, I have become convinced that if the family name really WAS Claudio, then we're most likely from Roccamontepiano.

Thanks for your help so far! I will keep looking.

[pink67]

Don't know if you already have seen this document (from the naturalization papers) but maybe it could be helpful...

date is 5 march 1920 and Paolo was living on 222 North Simpson Street - Phila...
Looks like it was a statement of Paolo being honorable discharged (on January 18, 1919) from the United States Army, so possible he served in the army during the First World War?

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

In fact of the first page of his Petition for the Naturalization there is written:

Ent. 9/4/18
Dis. 1/18/19

Petition :

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

date on the Petition is March 5, 1920 and address is again 222 North Simpson street..

Laura

[pink67]

From the 1930 census:

1930 United States Federal Census
about Carmela Clavio
Name: Carmela Clavio
[Carmela Mighaccis]
Home in 1930: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
View Map
Age: 33
Estimated birth year: abt 1897
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father's Name: Anthony
Mother's Name: Angelina
Race: White
Occupation:

Education:

Military service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:

Parents' birthplace: View image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Anthony Mighaccis 67
Angelina Mighaccis 62
Carmela Clavio 33
James Clavio 9
Angelina Clavio 6
Anthony Clavio 3 6/12

address: 1245 St. Albans Street....

Same address on the 1920 census for Antonio and Angelina Migliacci:

1920 United States Federal Census
about Tony Migliaccia
Name: Tony Migliaccia
[Tony Migliaccio]
Home in 1920: Philadelphia Ward 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Age: 56
Estimated birth year: abt 1864
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
[Head]
Spouse's name: Angelina
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of Immigration: 1901
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Tony Migliaccia 56
Angelina Migliaccia 52
[5]
Samuel Migliaccia 20
Susan Migliaccia 17
Filicia Migliaccia 17

Laura

[johnnyonthespot]

Don't know if you already have seen this document (from the naturalization papers) but maybe it could be helpful...

date is 5 march 1920 and Paolo was living on 222 North Simpson Street - Phila...
Looks like it was a statement of Paolo being honorable discharged (on January 18, 1919) from the United States Army, so possible he served in the army during the First World War?

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

In fact of the first page of his Petition for the Naturalization there is written:

Ent. 9/4/18
Dis. 1/18/19

Petition :

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

date on the Petition is March 5, 1920 and address is again 222 North Simpson street..

Laura

I just re-read the very long email the researcher sent me and want to quote one section which clarifies the issue concerning the 200 block of Simpson Street:

I searched about three dozen names listed for N. Simpson Street properties in the Deed Register, c. 1920, in the 1920 Census at AncestryLibrary.com, and found NOBODY. Well, I found a couple people on N. 65th Street and some people on neighboring streets who probably used the N. Simpson properties as investments, but no N. Simpson residents.

I think the 1920 Census did not count anybody on the 200 block of N. Simpson Street.
...

Earlier in the email she makes the connection between "Simpson Street" and the current name, "N. Simpson Street".

[johnnyonthespot]

I guess the next step is to try to find the ship manifest for whatever Paolo came in on in 1914, although I had the same problem Maestra had with the stevemorse site.

I have tried many, many, searches at ancestry . com and have thus far not found anything at all showing Paolo's entry into the US. I will continue to look as time permits.

Be it lost keys, my earbuds, or a missing manifest - I hate it when I can't find something...