A Real Shot in the Dark

[MaddalenaNYC]

My paternal grandparents, Anthonio Alessandro Gardella, a/k/a Alex and Maria Musa a/k/a Mamie were both born in the States.
Alex in Detroit in 1875. Mamie in East New York, Brooklyn in 1888.

Their marriage fell apart. Their six children were sent to orphanages. None of the children had been adopted out.

My favorite cousin on my Gardella side had often speculated that we might have had different grandfathers,

I believe that we had.

This favorite cousin was the daughter of my father’s younger sibling.

I am earnestly seeking to find a man named Joe with an Italian last name starting with the letter M who lived in Mount Vernon, NY circa 1940 and who drove a truck and who might have had the illness NF1.

[warriorrabbit]

That is…. very broad. Unfortunately I think you need relatives of that man to also be looking, and looking now when you’re looking, and that’s a tall order.

I guess you’ve done some DNA, based on the illness? I ask because I was able to use Ancestry records and DNA to figure out relatives, and even meet them, when we had zero records due to adoption.

I guess maybe get in contact with Mt Vernon historical society or libraries? See if there’s a relevant Mt Vernon Reddit ?

Phone books back then listed occupations. A lot of work, but at least you’re only looking at 1 letter.

[darkerhorse]

I tried an exact search on Family Search: Joseph (or Giuseppe), M*, Mount Vernon, NY, and 1940 Census. Then I started clicking on results with Italian last names and looked at occupation. After many tries I gave up. If I had known the age I would have added birth year plus or minus 5 or 10 years.

Maybe you can search in Ancestry, adding occupation. I don't have access to it.

I don't think DNA testing is an option for her.

[darkerhorse]

Was that illness even diagnosed c.1940?

WWII draft registrations list some distinguishing marks, like scars. I wonder if they recorded diseases?