Looking for Information About The Ancestry of Onofrio Failla

[siskojnash]

I'm searching for info about the ancestry of Onofrio "Norman" Failla. He was born abt 1854 in Castelbuono, and may have died in Pennsylvania. His wife was Esposita "Eloisa" Piraino, who was born in abt 1863 in Castelbuono and died on October 2, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. As far as I know, they had four children: Giovanna, Maria, Lucia, and Giuseppa. I know about Giovanna's family, but not the other 3, except that Maria married Joseph Mannuzza. The last two lived on the lower east side of New York City. I would really like to find out if Onofrio Failla might be related to the other Faillas that I've been researching, also from Castelbuono. Thank you.

[PeterTimber]

There are a number of entries supporting research of the Failla surname originating in Castelbuono in Google.com which might prove to be an assist to your research objectives. Peter

[Biff83]

New York, New York, Death Index, 1862-1948
Name:
Onofrio Failla
Birth Year:
abt 1856
Age:
72
Death Date:
7 May 1928
Death Place:
Kings, New York, USA
Certificate Number:
10580

Purchase Certificate: http://www.nyc.gov/dorforms/deathcert.jsp

Biff

[siskojnash]

Thank you! Are there any birth or marriage records available for Onofrio Failla and Esposita Piraino?

[erudita74]

Here's Onofrio's marriage record. I just found it and need time to look it over and translate it.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,247538901

Erudita

[siskojnash]

Wow! Thank you! I hope it gives the names of their parents. Does it give the ages for people? According to the death record someone found above, Onofrio was born about 1856, not 1854, like I thought.

[erudita74]

I need to work more on this after dinner, which will be shortly. Here's what I understand so far:

The record is dated on Jan 12, 1888 at 7:50 P.M. in the town hall of Castelbuono, but I can't tell from the record where the marriage actually took place. It's in part II of the records, which leads me to believe it took place somewhere else.

1. Onofrio Failla, the groom, referred to as "il Signor" in the record, was age 33 and was born and resident in Petralia Soprana. He was the son of il signor Vincenzo (Failla) and Signora Giuseppa (still need to work on her surname). They were both residents in Petralia Soprano. I also need to work on his occupation, which may have been a peddler, but I am not certain of that. Have to do more work on deciphering the occupation word in the record.

2. The bride: Signorina Piraino Esposita Eloisia, age 25, property owner, born and resident in Castelbuono. She was the daughter of genitori ignoti (unknown parentage)

Witnesses were Giovanni Gazze (sp?), age 56, merchant
Vincenzo Cicerco-39-cabman
Antonio Failla, age 29, mason
Gaetano Failla, age 26, mason
All of them were residents in Castelbuono.

Publications were on Jan 1st and 8th.

The groom and bride both signed the document.

For some reason, the document starts out by saying that Eloisia appeared at the town hall on the date above with a validated certificate concerning the marriage.

As I said, I need to do more with deciphering certain sections of the handwriting, but I don't see another date in the record. I also checked the marriage records in Petralia Soprana in case the marriage took place there. I checked 1887 and 1888 and don't see it, so I need to look further to see where the original record is. So please be patient.

Erudita

[siskojnash]

Thank you! Is Petralia Soprana near Castelbuono? I'm surprised to be hearing that name, since the other Faillas I've been looking at were from there and I expected that he was from there as well. Could his family have had money? Supposedly, he and Esposita were among the first people in Castelbuono to have electricity and had both a town and country house. Also, is Savoy anywhere near this area? There was a story of her being important there, maybe some sort of nobility or something. There is also an oil painting of Onofrio and Esposita with their first child that was passed down.

[erudita74]

I think Onofrio's mother's surname was Macaluso. Still working on deciphering some of the handwriting in the record.
Erudita

[erudita74]

Thank you! Is Petralia Soprana near Castelbuono? I'm surprised to be hearing that name, since the other Faillas I've been looking at were from there and I expected that he was from there as well. Could his family have had money? Supposedly, he and Esposita were among the first people in Castelbuono to have electricity and had both a town and country house. Also, is Savoy anywhere near this area? There was a story of her being important there, maybe some sort of nobility or something. There is also an oil painting of Onofrio and Esposita with their first child that was passed down.

By today's standard, Petralia Soprana is a little over 35 km from Castelbuono, so it was a distance in those days. I don't know about Savoy. Can't find that info. I'm still having a problem with deciphering the very beg of the record, so it would be good if another translator took a look at it. Also I'm surprised that she was a property owner, especially since she was of unknown parentage. In looking over the record again, I think that Onofrio's occupation was the word merciaio (the second i is written as the letter j). That would mean he wasn't a peddler but rather that he was a haberdasher. So, if he owned such a shop, he may have had some kind of money.

That's all I think I can do with this record.

Erudita

[siskojnash]

Thank you! Is there a birth record for Esposita Piraino around? Maybe that would give the names of her parents.

[erudita74]

Haven't found her birth record. Been through the indices for 1862, 63, 64, and 65, I do see other children of unknown parentage listed in those indices, so her record should be there, if she was born in any of those years.

That's all I can do for tonight.

Erudita

[siskojnash]

Thank you. I wonder what brought these two together. Doesn't seem like they would have normally run into each other.

[PeterTimber]

There is a website where someone started a PIRAINO FAMILY SEARCH at http://www.genforum.genealogy.com (just put in Piraino) that consists of 4 entries burt mentions several family members bearinf the Piraino name that may help your research objective. Peter

[erudita74]

Here are some more records-

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,248576201

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,247457601

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,247457601

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,247457601

the first is the marriage publications for Onofrio and Eloisia from Castelbuono. In this record, Onofrio's mother's name was given as Vincenza Solaro, which I have confirmed is an error from the other records I found below. The mother was Giuseppa Macaluso, as I originally told you. We do learn from the publications though that the father, Vincenzo Failla, was age 62 at the time, so you now have an estimated year of birth for him as 1825. From his son Michele Failla's records, also below, we know the father was a mason. In the marriage publication, Eloisia, called Luisa in the one from Castelbuono, was said to be a housewife. In the publication from Petralia Soprana, she was listed as a property owner.The publications were posted in both towns on Jan 1 and Jan 8, 1888.

In the marriage record for brother Michele Failla in Petralia Soprana. Dated Nov 26, 1887. He was 25 and had been born and was resident in Petralia Soprana. The bride, Elisabetta la Placa, was age 33, and the daughter of deceased Matteo la Placa and living Maria Santa Puleo. Michele's father, Vincenzo, is listed as a mason and his mother, Giuseppa, is listed as a spinner.

Eloisia is continually listed as being of unknown parentage in the records above.

Erudita