Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

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PunzoNewHaven
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Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

Is there any way from the US to trace the records of those who were/are still in Italy? I joined Ancestry.com, but they come back with nothing.
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Tessa78
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by Tessa78 »

Hi :-)

What exactly are you looking for?

If you are looking for Italian records (birth, marriage, death) of ancestors - those who immigrated and those who remained - you can write directly to the comune (town) since all records are kept at the local level.

Do you know the town of birth?

T.
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Tessa78
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by Tessa78 »

Saw your other posts... :-)

If you think your ancestors came from Atrani, you can write to:

Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Via dei Dogi
84010 Atrani (SA)
ITALY

You should write in Italian to make your request, and include any information you can about the person whose birth record you are requesting, such as date, parents' names, siblings, etc.

Help with letters in Italian...
http://www.circolocalabrese.org/resourc ... civile.asp
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/pearlsofwi ... talrecords

T.
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adelfio
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by adelfio »

Question is this the family 1900 census
Catillo Ponzo
[Catello Pozo]
Home in 1900: New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut
Age: 14
Birth Date: Jan 1886
Birthplace: Italy
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1895
Relationship to head-of-house: Son
Father's name: Vincenzo Ponzo
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's name: Ginlia Ponzo
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Vincenzo Ponzo 50
Ginlia Ponzo 38
Catillo Ponzo 14
Maria Ponzo 6
Luigi Ponzo 3
Mariano Ponzo 26


Marty A
Researching Trabia, Palermo surnames Adelfio, Bondi, Butera, Scardino,Rinella, Scardamaglia

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Italysearcher
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by Italysearcher »

First you need to find the names of the brothers and sisters of the person who emigrated. Then by ordering THEIR birth records you MAY find a notation of a marriage.
Italians can typically go back 3 generations from memory but it doesn't always include siblings of the 3rd generation. If you can't get that far it will be difficult to connect with a family member still in Italy.
Looking at your census you would be looking for siblings of Vincenzo born around 1850. If Atrani is the town then it won't be easy as there does not appear to be an records on microfilm.
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

I am awed by your collective knowlegde. What happened was I got a lot of names from my grandmother on her side (Plano) but she died unexpectedly. My grandfather died young, 58 years old, before I was born. They only had my father and my uncle, neither who asked questions. They remember Catello, but that's it. Catello said from Atriani, but was born he stated on his form in Salerno.

Thank you so much.
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

I'm sorry it should read Catello sailed from Atriani.
Researching Italian Surnames: Punzo, Ponzo, Mayo, Penza aka Panza, Polverari, Pucci and Proto.
Thanks to all the pros on these boards, you are all great!
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

Marty,
YES!!!!! That is our Catello, his dob and New Haven is where they lived and my father still lives! I spent about 8 hours total the past 3 days on the web, not including last week and could not find anything. I didn't even see this 1900 census. When I got to your post, I pointed to the screen and showed my husband and said "This man is unbelievable!"
I cannot thank you enough. Ancestry.com which I joined keeps giving me that 1930 census when he was already married.

You are a miracle!!
I hope I am not imposing on your time and knowledge, I have some questions that I hope will lead me in the right direction.
First the one that is (I think) making me run into a lot of dead ends is the Ponzo/Punzo difference. I always thought this was a transcription error. but more and more I am seeing it, would Italians back then have not corrected it? Or maybe they could not read/write in english to fix it?
Next, my father says Catello was Catillo that he remembers, is there a normal spelling for that name? They also in the records have Catelleo, Catellea, etc. When I look at his signature, it looks like Catello to me.
I will try to look up the 1900 census, this sheds a whole new light, I didn't think Catello's parents came here! Also Ginlia, is that a usual name or transcription error? :D
adelfio wrote:Question is this the family 1900 census
Catillo Ponzo
[Catello Pozo]
Home in 1900: New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut
Age: 14
Birth Date: Jan 1886
Birthplace: Italy
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1895
Relationship to head-of-house: Son
Father's name: Vincenzo Ponzo
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's name: Ginlia Ponzo
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Vincenzo Ponzo 50
Ginlia Ponzo 38
Catillo Ponzo 14
Maria Ponzo 6
Luigi Ponzo 3
Mariano Ponzo 26


Marty A
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

With this great info. I searched all manifiests for Ginlia and Giulia and G Ponzo and Punzo. Nothing! Since they were that age in 1900 they would have had to have been married before coming here, but no record of Vincenzo's wife coming though Ellis Island. These are the types of blocks I keep hitting!
Researching Italian Surnames: Punzo, Ponzo, Mayo, Penza aka Panza, Polverari, Pucci and Proto.
Thanks to all the pros on these boards, you are all great!
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johnnyonthespot
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Italysearcher wrote:... If Atrani is the town then it won't be easy as there does not appear to be an records on microfilm.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrani , "With an area of 0.20 km², Atrani is the second-smallest comune in Italy (after Fiera di Primiero), and the smallest comune in Southern Italy."

Which makes me wonder if the Family History Center ( http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... umns=*,0,0 ) might have Altrani's civil records included with those of a nearby comune...
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

I looked on the Google Maps for Salerno, but I will look again. Thank you. The maiden names are really the stumbling blocks. My father and my uncle can't remember!!!!
Researching Italian Surnames: Punzo, Ponzo, Mayo, Penza aka Panza, Polverari, Pucci and Proto.
Thanks to all the pros on these boards, you are all great!
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adelfio
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by adelfio »

First of all Good luck with the Steelers I hope they play the Bears in the Superbowl
I think the Vincenzo wifes first name is Giulia that would make sense and she probally use her maiden name of the ships record.Is her death record in Conn usually there maiden name is on the death certificate. Hers is the website and instructions.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3132&q=390664

Marty A
Researching Trabia, Palermo surnames Adelfio, Bondi, Butera, Scardino,Rinella, Scardamaglia

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adelfio
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by adelfio »

Here you go Guilda Zenparato is her name she came over July 17 1895 with Caletto and Maria just babies its on Ancestry just had to go back and research Maria Ponzo
Name: Maria Ponzo
Arrival Date: 17 Jul 1895
Birth Year: abt 1894
Age: 11 Months
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Italian
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Victoria
Hanno un grande giorno
Marty A
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

LOL, thank you! The Steelers was my boyfriend's team (he passed away in 1994 after being struck by a hit and run vehicle) so I keep the torch going!

adelfio wrote:First of all Good luck with the Steelers I hope they play the Bears in the Superbowl
I think the Vincenzo wifes first name is Giulia that would make sense and she probally use her maiden name of the ships record.Is her death record in Conn usually there maiden name is on the death certificate. Hers is the website and instructions.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3132&q=390664

Marty A
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PunzoNewHaven
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Re: Anyone Trace Back Further Than Immigration to US

Post by PunzoNewHaven »

Marty,

Honest-I tried for four hours straight this morning on every site. I tried to look up Maria. And Guilia Punzo. I cannot thank you enough.
My dad is now 67 and has Parkinson's and he is now interested in this. I cannot thank you enough, if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.

I have to find Catello's wife, her name was Louise though they have her as Lorrine Ponzo. I looked at Catello's death certificate and it says single! He passed away before she did. She was a very tough old Italian lady!

My sincerest gratitude to you from the bottom of my heart!
adelfio wrote:Here you go Guilda Zenparato is her name she came over July 17 1895 with Caletto and Maria just babies its on Ancestry just had to go back and research Maria Ponzo
Name: Maria Ponzo
Arrival Date: 17 Jul 1895
Birth Year: abt 1894
Age: 11 Months
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Italian
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Victoria
Hanno un grande giorno
Marty A
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