Need help finding a place of origin for my Italian family

[freeb1893]

I have a line of my family that I can't seem to track down their origin in Italy. The surname is Pezzuti, and was sometimes spelled Pezzuto or Pizzuto.

The parents were Gaetano Pezzuti/Pezzuto/Pizzuto and Rosa Rizzo, and they had 2 known children, Raffaele born May 1857/58, and Caterina born June 1864/65.

Raffaele immigrated to NYC in May 1880 on board the Assyria.

Caterina and their mother Rosa immigrated to NYC in July 1888 on board the Alesia. (Caterina and Rosa appear to have came over with a G. Cavallo, an Anna Martino/Mautino, and Anna's son Pasquale (surname unknown) via the ship record).

Raffaele and Caterina both married their supposes in NYC. Raffaele married Lucia (maiden name unknown) in circa 1885. Lucia was from Switzerland.

Raffaele was naturalized in 1890 NYC. The naturalization record does not contain his place of origin. Neither do church records or vital records for this family.

The family says that Raffaele/Caterina's family were from northern Italy, from the mountains, closer to France.

Looking for any help at all in tracking this place of origin in northern Italy? Appreciate any help!

[Italysearcher]

There is an article on my blog that might give you some tips.

[freeb1893]

Thanks! I read your article. I've proceeded through just about all the suggestions you presented. I think I'm closer, but still no town or origin. I had a couple follow-up questions for you too.

My family has recently informed me the family was from northern Italy, "from the mountains", "closer to France".

I assume they are referring to Piedmont or western Lombardy. Would you agree?

I'm finding with my ancestors neighbors in America, the surnames that are rare are centralized to Piedmont or northern Italy around Como and Varese. But the census records I'm utilizing are after my family had been here for 15-20 years. Would Italians still be living around other families from the same origins 15-20 years after they arrived in America?

[adelfio]

Looking at your tree on ancestry.com is it possible Caterina Pezzuti was born in the same town as her husband Domenico Alfano have you checked

Marty

[freeb1893]

I checked. Caterina's family is definitely not from Salerno province. She had a brother Raffaele who didn't immigrate until he was 22, and his military conscription record is not found at all in Salerno province, nor Avellino or Caserta either for that matter.

[suanj]

Hi, I believe.. it could be very possible that the birthplace was some commune of south Italy... because the port of departure ( Caterina and Rosa) was Palermo... so if they was born in north Italy, why to arrive in Palermo for to travel in USA? for the peoples of north Italy the port of departure was Le Havre or Marseille in France or Genoa IT... also the surnames on Rosa's ship's manifest seeming of south Italy.. just a suggestion...
suanj