I have searched through the records that mention anything about a Loiacono family and have not found anything that could possibly match what I am searching for.
My paternal great grandfather was Vincenzo G(J)iacomo Loiacono b.15 Feb 1890 in Modugno, Bari, Puglia, Italy, m. Antoinette Famiglia (I know...Not a "real" Italian surname. More on that in another post) in abt 1920 in Chicago Illinois USA, d. 1 Mar 1966 Chicago Illinois USA. He departed Naples, Italy on the Ship "Bulgaria" and arrived at the port of New York, New York on 3 May 1907. He seems to have arrived alone and the Passenger List says something to the effect that he was going to meet is uncle, Dominic Vitale, but the location is illegible.
All of the details that I have about Vincenzo, who was always though to be named James among his grand children, come from US Immigration Passenger lists, birth and death certificates of himself and his family members, and the US Federal Census. He apparently did not share any information about his "Italian past" with his children/grand-children.
On that note, the next record I can find for Vincenzo is the 1930 US Federal Cenus, which he lists himself as James Loiacono and is Married to Antoinette with 3 children. He seems to vanish(on paper that is) in between 1907 and 1930. I am even unable to find a marriage record for James and Antoinette around 1920 and in Illinois, which was always where they were believed to be married. James was a Labourer and worked wherever he could get work around the city of Chicago. He could neither read nor write.
So in short, if this story sounds at all familiar to you please respond, I would appreciate and information I can get. Also, I would very much like to know if I have relatives in or around Modugno and/or Bari. If you are from either one of these cities and recognise this story, please respond, even if it is in Italian. Unfortunately I do not speak Italian, but I will figure out the message.
Thank you
L. Loiacono

