Supposed adopted great grandfather, many questions

[scarlet217]

The story goes that my husbands great-grandfather was left on a doorstep and then adopted. When my husbands mother was young that is all she was told. When the elders spoke they always spoke in Italian, as none of the kids did, and everything was always hush hush. We do have a birthday (though not sure how accurate it is) of March 2, 1890 and a date of death March 4, 1971. He went by a couple different names. First name he went by Rosario or Frank, though whenever he traveled to Italy it was always Rosario. Last name he would go by Ionio or Malazzo. There was never any record of his true name. He was supposedly born in Alcamo, Trapani, Sicilia, Italy and died in Michigan. I did find a Vito Malazzo on a ship manfest, listed as his father, but no one knows of this name. There is another story that was told of that when he was in the military he came across a gentleman that looked just like him and they discovered they were twins, how they discovered this in the field in the middle of war no one knows. There is a possible last name associated with this person, something along the lines of Pacifico. I have searched endlessly and do not know where to go from here, and have so many theories in my head and questions lol. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[suanj]

Rosario IONIO had not been left on a doorstep but at the "wheel of foundlings" of the Alcamo civic hospital on 2 Mar 1890. The lady in charge of receiving the foundlings was Rosaria Canzoneri.
The same Rosaria Canzoneri of 30 years, wife of Vincenzo Renda (so I think the spelling is) asked to have the child in custody and to be able to raise him.
Pages 237 and 238 records 14 https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali. ... d=16072923
suanj

[suanj]

Never adopted, just he used a different name in USA, but no on WWI draft registration card.. the genealogic tree on familysearch is no right, because no one know who was his parents.. but maybe the same rosaria Canzoneri, because she stated to wish be his nurse.. so dry nurse maybe... because if she had mother's milk, she was the biological mother ...

[scarlet217]

Rosario IONIO had not been left on a doorstep but at the "wheel of foundlings" of the Alcamo civic hospital on 2 Mar 1890. The lady in charge of receiving the foundlings was Rosaria Canzoneri.
The same Rosaria Canzoneri of 30 years, wife of Vincenzo Renda (so I think the spelling is) asked to have the child in custody and to be able to raise him.
Pages 237 and 238 records 14 https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali. ... d=16072923
suanj

OMG I completely forgot about that I posted on here Thank you so very much. Unfortunately, the link doesn't work for me It only shows a few words. Is the link where you found this information? I'd like to see it. Though at least now I have something to go to, I will do some digging on the Wheel of Foundlings.

[scarlet217]

Never adopted, just he used a different name in USA, but no on WWI draft registration card.. the genealogic tree on familysearch is no right, because no one know who was his parents.. but maybe the same rosaria Canzoneri, because she stated to wish be his nurse.. so dry nurse maybe... because if she had mother's milk, she was the biological mother ...

I thank you very much for this information. Can you please tell me how you found this, I would like to see it and show it to my Mother-In-Law.

I am also curious who the gentleman was that he listed as his father, I'm assuming this is where he got the Malazzo from.

[Tessa78]

Here is updated link to the birth act of Rosario Ionio that suanj posted.
It begins at bottom of image 237, and on to next image 238.
Birth act #14
https://antenati.cultura.gov.it/ark:/12 ... 23/wQq2d99

His name was given to him by the official because he was a foundling.

T.

[scarlet217]

I thank you so much for that, but wow that's really small writing and scrolling in it gets blurry, how can you read that? Is there another picture of both pages where I can actually see it? or a full translation? Please and thank you.

[scarlet217]

Here is updated link to the birth act of Rosario Ionio that suanj posted.
It begins at bottom of image 237, and on to next image 238.
Birth act #14
https://antenati.cultura.gov.it/ark:/12 ... 23/wQq2d99

His name was given to him by the official because he was a foundling.

T.

I thank you so much for that, but wow that's really small writing and scrolling in it gets blurry, how can you read that? Is there another picture of both pages where I can actually see it? or a full translation? Please and thank you

[Henricoz_]

Hello scarlet217,
it basically says that the child was presented at 9 am of the 2nd of March 1890 by thirty-year-old Rosaria Canzoneri, receiver of foundlings, to the Mayor of Alcamo, who gave him the name of Rosario Ionio. The child was exposed, that is, was placed in the wheel of foundlings of the local Civic Hospital the day before at 11 am, and near him diapers, a cotton cap and swaddling clothes, used to cover him, were found. Then the nurse, who is said to be the wife of Vincenzo Renda, requests the Mayor to take custody of the child and the Mayor, having found nothing to object to this request, gave her the child. The declaration was made in presence of Benedetto Di Giorgi, aged thirty-three, and Mariano Pace, aged thirty-six, both villagers residing in Alcamo, even though I don't think this is relevant to your research. Hope this helps!

[scarlet217]

Hello scarlet217,
it basically says that the child was presented at 9 am of the 2nd of March 1890 by thirty-year-old Rosaria Canzoneri, receiver of foundlings, to the Mayor of Alcamo, who gave him the name of Rosario Ionio. The child was exposed, that is, was placed in the wheel of foundlings of the local Civic Hospital the day before at 11 am, and near him diapers, a cotton cap and swaddling clothes, used to cover him, were found. Then the nurse, who is said to be the wife of Vincenzo Renda, requests the Mayor to take custody of the child and the Mayor, having found nothing to object to this request, gave her the child. The declaration was made in presence of Benedetto Di Giorgi, aged thirty-three, and Mariano Pace, aged thirty-six, both villagers residing in Alcamo, even though I don't think this is relevant to your research. Hope this helps!

Yes, thank you very much. I don't think I could have deciphered that. I really wish I could find out more for my MIL but at least it is something. Maybe someday her or my husband's DNA will pull up someone related from that line. Again, Thank you so very much.