Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

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anima87ag
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Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

Buon giorno a tutti!

I am here to find further information about my grandparents Teresa and Franco Griffo that were born and married in the region of Calabria. At the moment, I do no have further details as to their hometown in Calabria or date of immigration. Unfortunately, I am an American living abroad in London and do not have access to their information.


I was wondering if obtaining the birth certificate of one of my grandparents (one of whom is deceased) could prove jure sanguinis. I've been reading that this is the main document required when applying for this type of Italian passport through the bloodline.

I would tremendously appreciate any assistance. Mille grazie! Ciao!
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johnnyonthespot
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by johnnyonthespot »

You need a complete chain of documents beginning with your Italy-born ancestor and proceeding all the way to yourself. Assuming you would be following the male line all the way, this would usually mean:

a) your own birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if applicable)
b) your father's birth, marriage, and death (if applicable) certificates
c) your grandfather's birth, marriage, and death certificates
d) proof that your grandfather naturalized as a US citizen after the birth of your father (mother?) or that he never did so at all

Are we speaking of your maternal or paternal grandparents? If maternal, is it safe to assume that you were born on or after January 1, 1948?

Any additional information you can provide will assist us in finding the correct records. You grandparent's approximate years of birth? Your parents anmes and years of birth? Where did your grandparents settle in the US? Where were your parents born?
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anima87ag
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

Hello,

Thanks for such a quick response.

I am referring to my paternal grandparents that are both Italian citizens. I myself was born in 1987 and I believe my father was born in New Rochelle, New York on January 13, 1961 as Frank Griffo Jr. My mother's name is Patricia Anne Battista.

My grandparents had settled in New Rochelle, New York which is where the death certificate of my grandfather would be filed.


Both of my parents were born in New Rochelle, NY too (I presume).

I will have to check into my grandfather's birthdate which I am unsure of because I a somewhat out of touch with that part of the family now.

I hope this helps for starters and I will keep you posted on the rest. But, I am sure by locating my father's birth certificate that my grandfather's information would follow.

Again, I truly appreciate the assistance.

Mille grazie,

Amanda
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Biff83
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Biff83 »

Amanda,

This is a good possibility for you grandfather's SSDI record.

Social Security Death Index
Name: Francesco Griffo
SSN: 060-34-5074
Last Residence: 10805 New Rochelle, Westchester, New York
Born: 13 Sep 1931
Died: 30 Jan 2010
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (1958-1960)

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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Biff83 »

Obituary from White Plains News Journal


GRIFFO, FRANCESCO VINCENZO

Francesco Vincenzo Griffo, a longtime resident of New Rochelle, died on January 30, 2010. He was 78. Mr. Griffo was born on September 13, 1931 in Stefanaconi, Calabria, Italy to the late Giuseppe and Anna (Loiacono) Griffo. On March 7, 1957 he married Theresa Costa in Italy. They emigrated to the US in 1958. Before his retirement he worked for the Village of Pelham Manor for 23 years. In his retirement he enjoyed gardening, his grandchildren, and playing cards. In addition to his wife Theresa he is survived by six sons, Joseph, John and His wife Kathy, Frank and his wife Patricia, Albert, Vincent and his wife Laurie, and Anthony and his wife Holly; seven grandchildren, Amanda, Michael, Loren, Anthony, Isabella, Nicholas, and Vincent; his siblings, Caterina Franze, John Griffo, Vincent Griffo, and Marianna Bonelli; and many relatives and friends. He is predeceased by his sister, Elvira Loschiavo. Visiting Monday & Tuesday 2-4 & 7-9PM at Lloyd Maxcy & Sons Beauchamp Chapel, 16 Shea Pl, New Rochelle. Mass Wednesday 9:30am at Blessed Sacrament Church. Interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. www.LloydMaxcy.com

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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Wow! It doesn't get much better than that, Biff.

Amanda, you owe Biff a kiss. Or at least a donut and a cup of coffee. :)
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

This is truly excellent information! Thank you so much!

My follow-up response would be to inquire how precisely and which office to contact to retrieve the birth and marriage certificate in Stefanaconi, Italy. I did a Google search and can't seem to even find a town hall.

I would think it would be more simple to find my father's birth certificate and grandfather's death certificate (I hope). Again, I still don't know which offices to contact in New York...

Lastly, naturalization of my grandfather (or not)? I am really lost here. I believe this is an amazing start though. Many thanks to Biff for the most recent info.

Hopefully, with further assistance I would know which offices in both Stefanaconi and New York to contact to retrieve these documents, then I will be on my way to applying for a passport!

Great work guys!
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anima87ag
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

The town email for Stefanaconi is invalid apparently.
info@comune.stefanaconi.vv.it
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Biff83 »

I'm betting that this is Francesco Vincenzo's father Giuseppe mentioned in the obituary. Based on issuance of SS# he likely came over in mid 1960s.

Social Security Death Index
Name: Giuseppe Griffo
SSN: 105-40-0205
Last Residence: 10805 New Rochelle, Westchester, New York, United States of America
Born: 6 Nov 1905
Died: Jan 1973
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (1965-1966)

And mother Anna Loiacono Griffo

Social Security Death Index
Name: Anna Griffo
SSN: 070-52-9175
Last Residence: 10805 New Rochelle, Westchester, New York, United States of America
Born: 31 May 1909
Died: Feb 1986
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (1973)

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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Biff83 »

Another News Journal Obituary about Griffo family

FRANZE, ALFONZO - Alfonzo Franze, of Melbourne, Australia, died May 27, 2006. He was born March 24, 1930 in Stefanaconi, Italy. He was the beloved husband of Caterina Griffo. He was a devoted father of Nancy, Frank, Joe, Anna and Marie. Mass Monday, June 5, 2006, 7:30 pm at Blessed Sacrament Church, New Rochelle offered by brothers-in-law: Francesco Griffo (Teresa), Vincenzo Griffo (Maria) and sister-in-law Marianna Bonelli (Antonio).

Biff
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anima87ag
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

This is very useful data. Many thanks.

Is there anyone here who could locate these documents necessary to apply for citizenship?

I would be willing to provide a small amount of compensation. I am sure there are many experts in these forums. I am just wondering how to actually find the real documents needed to go forward with my application for an Italian passport.


Any ideas how to progress from here?

Thank you very much again for the latest findings!!!
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anima87ag
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

Thanks for this useful info. I am still awaiting advise on how to locate the naturalization records in NYS. If someone could please help me with this info, id be very thankful. This document along with the Italian records are the most difficult to find. Any advice on obtaining either of these documents would be appreciated.

Grazie tutti!
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Rodio
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Rodio »

Amanda--

The address to send for your GF's birth and marriage certs:

Ufficio Dello Stato Civile
Comune de Stefanaconi
Piazza Repubblica
89843 Stefanaconi VV
ITALY

Use a template to write the birth cert request in Italian:
http://italiancitizenship.freeforums.or ... y-t85.html

check the website: http://italiancitizenship.freeforums.org/index.php
There is info regarding more templates and requesting docs from NY

Buona fortuna


edit--here's another good site for generating templates in Italian:

http://www.circolocalabrese.org/resourc ... civile.asp
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anima87ag
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by anima87ag »

Excellent findings!

I will absolutely post to the other forums as well to find additional info. At the moment, I'm still trying to determine which office the naturalization records would be found in.

Millie grazie tutti!

Will keep you updated!
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Rodio
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Re: Please help with documents for Italian passport- Griffo

Post by Rodio »

To try to find naturalization records, contact Westchester County, assuming he naturalized there, also contact/visit the local National Archives in NYC:
http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/

Usually, getting info from the archives is quicker than going through USCIS:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/ ... 18190aRCRD

Do an index search to find the C (certificate) number, then use the c-number to do a record copy request.

I would start out with the county, then NARA, then USCIS.

Buona fortuna.
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