Unable to locate port of entry

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eyetalgal
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Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

I cannot locate a port of entry for my father. He arrived in the US from Carini in 1920. About 55 yrs ago in a conversation unrelated to genealogy he told me he didn't come thru Ellis Island. He said he landed in (if my memory serves me right) Bayonne NJ. He could have said Hoboken but I don't remember it that way. He didn't mention being a seaman but he could have been part of crew of a cargo ship I guess. One of the problems is that he has a common name (at least it seems to be common in Carini). His name is Pietro Candela and he was born in 1900. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for listening (reading)
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by VaDeb »

Hi,

Family stories are a wonderful starting place for research, but you need to remember they are stories. Often contain some facts or hints on where to start, but stories usually change over time.

I haven't found any indexes or manifests for Bayonne or Hoboken. Could be he arrived at Ellis Island and the manifest went there, he was cleared on board the ship and went on or transferred to NJ port.

Have you tried looking for him at Ellis Islannd? Have you found him on the 1930 census? The census will give a year of immigration and his naturalization status. If he filed any naturalization papers, findinng them maybe simpler and answer many questions.

If you need help finding him on the 1930 census please provide:
Where he lived in 1930 - State, county and city as known
Year of birth - 1900
Was he married in 1930?
If yes name of wife and any children's names.
This will help find the correct family.
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

Thanks for replying so quickly.

I have checked the Ellis Island records. The Pietro Candela on their records, who landed in 1920, is not my father. I corresponded with a relative of that Pietro and we confirmed it was not him. I have the enumeration record from 1930 which lists my family and grandparents on my mother's side. I know he settled in Philadelphia on his arrival. I know he had his first papers in 1930 and I have located a naturalization certificate number for him.

The other problem I have is that he went back to Sicily in 1963, a very ill man. He died in a Palermo hospital soon after he arrived there and was buried in 'the fishermen's cemetery' in Carini. I've been told that this is part of the main cemetery in Carini, called 'Villa Cemetery' located on Via Villa. Whether this is part of Villagrazia I can't say. I've been trying for years to get info on the cemtetery but haven't had any luck there either.

I thank you for your suggestions and welcome any others you may have.
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by mfjp »

How about the port of Boston?

Name: Pietro Candela
Arrival Date: 17 Apr 1921
Age: 21 years
Estimated Birth Year: 1900
Gender: Male
Ethnic Background: Italian (South)
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Ship Name: Princess Matoika
Port of Arrival: Boston, Massachusetts
Friend's Name: Pietro Candela
Last Residence: Palermo
Birthplace: Corleone, Palermo
Microfilm Roll Number: 265

Grandfather in Italy is Nicolo Pellerito in Carini?

mfjp

Further info...
Was Pietro 5' tall? ...fair skin brown hair...
Born Palermo, Corleone

This Pietro was going to his cousin Pietro Candela's home at 821 Christian St. Philadelphia.... (must be quite a popular street... seen it come up many times through research)...

mfjp
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

Wow! What an interesting reply!!

I'll have to broaden my scope..lol...My father's mother's name listed on his marraige license is Serafina Pellerito. Do ya think I'm finally getting somewhere with your help? And I have a brother Nick...the naming protocol fits perfectly!

Now that I've picked myself up off the floor...........is there a place to get a copy of this original manifest. My father could easily have departed from Naples since he came here straight out of the Italian Army.

I must say you are WONDERFUL.....Grazie, grazie, grazie!!!

Angelina
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by mfjp »

Hi Angelina, the housework can wait... lol...

I can link a file here in a few minutes...

Hang in!

Maria
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

I was so flabbergasted by your response I missed the part about the microfilm #.

All of your info checks out!! The cousin referred to in Philadelphia is the Pietro that came over in 1920.

In my travels through the maze of trails I've followed, I find that 821 Christian street was the settling location of many Candelas, Passalacquas, Finazzos who were also cousins. This may have been a bank or agency. I haven't been able verify that, and the photo I have of Christian street in 1920 stops at 817 ... 2 doors away.

Thank you so much.
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by mfjp »

Nicely typed too!!

These images can be downloaded to your computer. I don't know what the command is for a PC.. I am on a Mac computer.

page 1

http://img499.imageshack.us/img499/8281 ... pg10dx.jpg

page 2

http://img499.imageshack.us/img499/2327 ... pg27wq.jpg

A good clue would be his height... since your father and I would certainly see eye to eye... :P :!:

Hope it is him... never thought to look at the other passengers near him.. maybe some paesanos on board... you never know.

Interesting meeting place for your paesanos!


mfjp
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

He was 5'10 but might have been still growing...ya never know with boys...LOL

Ang
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

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Something I found really helpful in my travels was the 1930 Census. I was born after the census (not much after) and I sorta scanned the list of other families on the page, never thinking I would remember anyone. Lo and Behold! There were my godparents and their daughter. I could never remember the daughter's name and now I have it on an official document (lol) The building was torn down about 50 years ago and everyone scattered to the four winds. This was the only connection left. And while searching thru the Ellis Island records I found several immigrants that had gone to that address on arrival. Some of whom still lived there when I was growing up. I was so fascinated by this that I started trying to remember names I'd heard or knew back then. I remembered the last name of cousins I hadn't seen of heard of since WWII and did a search. One of them is still living and I took a chance and called him. Good lord! he remembered us.

I'm sure none of this surprises you..but at my age...remembering my way home suprises me....rofl.

My brother has threatened to gag me because I've been jumping up and down saying I've found Pop...He said 'I didn't know he was lost and stop all that noise!'

Thanks again Maria ....

P.S. I clicked on the links you posted and the images came over fine
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by mfjp »

As for the microfilm # ?? You can order Family History film... you would have to search through www.familysearch.org to see if they have Boston ship records.

I've research ship records from microfilm.

I don't know what kind a copy you will get from microfilm... since some microfilm readers have a photocopy size limit... (8.5 x 11) at my FHC.

If you want large size copies, you could call one of those "fast print" Print Shops and get a quote for printing... use specs below should you wish to call them.

The page 1 - I linked shows up as 33.5" wide by about 35.5" high... at almost 900 kb in Black & White.

maria
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by mfjp »

Just read your last post. Nice that you can share this with your brother... that's funny!!

Thank you for your reply, you made my day...

maria
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by ricbru »

eyetalgal wrote:Thanks for replying so quickly.

I have checked the Ellis Island records. The Pietro Candela on their records, who landed in 1920, is not my father. I corresponded with a relative of that Pietro and we confirmed it was not him. I have the enumeration record from 1930 which lists my family and grandparents on my mother's side. I know he settled in Philadelphia on his arrival. I know he had his first papers in 1930 and I have located a naturalization certificate number for him.

The other problem I have is that he went back to Sicily in 1963, a very ill man. He died in a Palermo hospital soon after he arrived there and was buried in 'the fishermen's cemetery' in Carini. I've been told that this is part of the main cemetery in Carini, called 'Villa Cemetery' located on Via Villa. Whether this is part of Villagrazia I can't say. I've been trying for years to get info on the cemtetery but haven't had any luck there either.

I thank you for your suggestions and welcome any others you may have.
Hello,
request the cemetery record ("riscontro di tumulazione") to the municipality of Carini

Municipio
Ufficio servizi cimiteriali
Via Municipio, 3
90044 Carini (PA)
Italy

I hope it helps, bye ricbru :lol:
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by eyetalgal »

Thank you very much. This is the first time I've been able to find anything that relates to the cemetery.

Angelina
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Re: Unable to locate port of entry

Post by skiptonr@hotmail.com »

RE:

In my travels through the maze of trails I've followed, I find that 821 Christian street was the settling location of many Candelas, Passalacquas, Finazzos who were also cousins. This may have been a bank or agency. I haven't been able verify that, and the photo I have of Christian street in 1920 stops at 817 ... 2 doors away.

Thank you so much.

From researching my Grandfather...he lists 821 Christian Street and his cousin on the Ellis Island entry form. His last name was Neroni. I have been looking for a photo of 821 and also cannot find. However, I have come to believe that this was one of several boarding houses run by Antonio Palumbo, the first in 1884. It was the "largest boarding house in the neighborhood that catered to Italian workers. The workers, who usually came from Abruzzi, sought inexpensive food and lodging. It is said that many italians arrived at he dock speaking no English, but wearing a sign reading "Palumbo's." Italian men often clustered together because work on large projects such as construction and maintenance of the railroads required hundreds of men to be assembled quickly in work crews." My grandfather was from Campli, a small town in Abruzzi. http://m.philaplace.org/story/107/
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