Finding My GreatGrand fathers Birth Certificate-HELP

[MarissaS]

I hope someone can give me some advise- we have searched high and low for this but dont seem to be making progress. Basically - my great grandfather was born in rhodes Island in July 1896 and we have been told that at the time, he was born the island belonged to the Italians, and therefore he was an italian citizen until he naturalised to become a US Citizen on 27th July 1929, however he had my grandfather while he was still an italian citizen- in 1927. We are therefore trying to claim ancestry but without the birth certificate this seems impossible - it seems we require a rabbi to enter into the synagogues to retreive this information- has anyon been in a similar situation and if so - what can you suggest.???
Any help would be appreciated.?????

[PeterTimber]

What is his familyname? =Peter=

[MarissaS]

His name is Mair Almeleh- so the family name is Almeleh

[PeterTimber]

Is there any indication or hint or family oral history about the Island where he was born..anything!. =Peter=

[MarissaS]

dont understand your question, but i have access to his family tree- if thats any help.

[PeterTimber]

You said he was born on an Island under Italian sovreignty. In Italy the city,town or village of origin (where he was born) has the civil records for births,marriages and deaths.. The Birth record may be on the Island. Isn't there some family oral history about the island?? Italy used to own the island of Samos which is between Greece and Turkey!! =Peter=

[vj]

Re: Island of Rhodes
In this article, Rhodes belonged to Italy from 1912 to 1948
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes

[mler]

Nor is it clear that residents of the island became Italian citizens. Before you begin an extensive search, it may be wise to check with the consulate to determine if, after 1912, Rhodes residents were considered Italian citizens. It would also be important to determine when he emigrated to the U.S.

[pink67]

Marissa,

have you tried to send at least en e-mail message to the Municipality of Rodi?

http://www.rhodes.gr/portal_en/modules. ... ge&pid=331

On the Ancestry.com site there are the naturalization document for you great-grandfather, do you have them? If not we can post the images for you...
Valarie is right Rodi was Italian form 1912 to 1948.

Laura

[MarissaS]

no i have not tried to email them but will do - i have his naturilization document to hand = thanks for the offer. though i am told he had an italian passport- so i know he was an italian

[pink67]

Possible he had an italian passport because maybe he did emigrate after 1912, when Rodi was Italian....
As Mler told, have you found his arrival manifest?
Laura

[MarissaS]

yes we have a manifest in a huge pile of documents that we found, so i will look through them tonight and reply to you all tomorrow- thank you all for your help thus far-
from what you saying, if he had an italian passport and then emigrated does this mean we will not be able to claim, the reason i thought we could claim was because he only naturalised as a US citizen in 1929...

[PeterTimber]

VJ your Rhodes site has a listing of the municipalities with CAP (zip) codes on Rhodes so if she finds the passport and shows the municipality he was living in at the time of passport issue she could write directly to that place if indeed the island is Rhodes??? There are many islands off the coast of Italy as well as Greece. Samos is a small island and I know some italians who saw themselves as Italian and neither Greek nor Turkish. =Peter=

[MarissaS]

thanks Peter, i will get all the documents out and write directly to them, thank you.!!!

[suanj]

Mair Almaleh was born in Rodi island ( Rhodes) that in the old time was part of Italy Reign from 1912 to 1943 abt; he arrived in USA the 26 july 1920 on Megale Hellas ship....
but for italian law, yes he was a italian citizen no born in Italy Reign but born in a italian colony, and son of colony's parents born and resident in the colony... so the citizenship status was not of italian citizen born, but of italian "vassal" .... I believe not possible to ask the italian citizenship as here in a similar case of 1989 ( in italian), but is is possible that I'm in error.. maybe...
http://www.venetoimmigrazione.it/Portal ... guinis.pdf ,

but in any case you can have the greek citizenship and for that the EU citizenship also( the Greek is in EU from 1981).....
Rodi island website http://www.rhodes.gr/portal_en/
hoping helpful, best regards, suanj