Petini

[dvaccaro]

i am trying to find the italian town of origin of my friend's "Petiny" or, maybe more accurately, "Petini" family.

here's what i know....

Joseph Petiny was born 18 Oct 1892 in Boston or Cambridge, Mass. (although one family account says he was born in Sicily and arrived at Ellis Island around the age of 12).

Joseph's father was apparently born in Italy and is listed on one document as Gaetano Petini and as Joseph Petini on another.

Joseph's mother was born in either Italy or France and is listed on one document as Angel Anastas and as Anastasia Conte on another.

Joseph Petiny enlisted in US Army at Fort Slocum, Westchester Co., New York on 10 Mar 1917. he was married in Westchester Co., NY in 1918 to Annette Slezak (non-italian) and is found in Yonkers, Westchester, New York in both the 1920 and 1930 census. both of his parents are born in Italy according to these census records. all documents say Joseph was born in Massachusetts.

Joseph died in Flint, Michigan on 13 Dec 1970

i have never been able to find him anywhere in the 1900 or 1910 census. absolutlely maddening.

i have never been able to find his parents coming into Ellis Island, or anywhere else, for that matter. even more frustrating.

Petiny has sometimes been spelled or misspelled, Petiney, Petney, Petini, Pettini in this family.

there are so few things that we have found, and so much conflicting information in those things, this has been a very difficult line to trace.

help!

[misbris]

hi,

The name is fairly uncommon. Just putting this up here as a possiblity because ship came from France. Could it be Joseph's father?

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passR ... 4768040730

[PeterTimber]

......and were they from Abruzzo or Toscana? In any event you could write away for the social security application for Joseph and it may reflect palce of birth with more certainty but the $27.00 fee is inhibiting I must admit. =Peter=

[dvaccaro]

hi,

The name is fairly uncommon. Just putting this up here as a possiblity because ship came from France. Could it be Joseph's father?

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passR ... 4768040730

it is possible, i suppose. i also wondered about this guy: http://tinyurl.com/22f996 ...a Gaetano Petisi arriving from Serradifalco 1903 with a son, Giuseppe Petisi, age 11.

i am fairly convinced, however, that Joseph was born in Massachusetts and both parents would have been in America before 1892. otherwise, he's lying on his military records...

[dvaccaro]

......and were they from Abruzzo or Toscana? In any event you could write away for the social security application for Joseph and it may reflect palce of birth with more certainty but the $27.00 fee is inhibiting I must admit. =Peter=

the SS application has recently been ordered. we are waiting.

whether he was born in Mass. or Sicily, however, it would seem he should be somewhere in the 1910 census at about 18 years old. somewhere between Mass. and Yonkers... single...

[dvaccaro]

additional info...

two additional possible spellings for this name i have now run across are Pettine and Pettineo. a shot in the dark, but i have been trying everything.

and a question...

if this "Joseph Petiny" was indeed born in Massachusetts on 18 Oct 1892, would there be ANY reason he wouldn't show up in the Massachusetts Archive Vital Records Search?

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecords ... earch.aspx

thanks again