Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

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fiammetta
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Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

Hello - I am hoping someone might have suggestions for where I should look for records of a fire that took place in Italian Harlem (approximately 113th street between about Lexington and First Avenues) sometime around late 1922. My great-grandmother died from injuries sustained in the fire. My grandmother was only a year old at the time but remembers seeing a newspaper story about the fire when she was a girl. I am trying to find out information about the fire and my great-grandmother to share with my grandmother and to fill in gaps in our family history.

I have recently requested my great-grandmother's death certificate from the city and hope that might provide some information. I have also found references to several fires in that neighborhood in the fall of 1922 in the NY Times archives, but my great-grandmother's name isn't listed as a victim in any of the articles. At one time my aunt spent a long time going through microfilm records of older NY papers but had no success (we believe the newspaper my grandmother remembers from childhood was one of the older tabloid papers in the city).

Does anyone have tips on sources I might look into? Is there any way to find records of the victims of fires in that time period/neighborhood? I'm very grateful for any advice.
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by suanj »

here a article of harlem fire 1922

23 oct 1922
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%205/ ... ehtml&.pdf

more....
22 oct 1922:

Dead in Harlem Fire.
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%206 ... ehtml&.pdf
Miss Anna Sugarman, twenty-eight.
Sidney Sugarman, twenty-two.
Miss Katherine Sugarman, twenty-six*
Mrs. Anna Matilsky, twenty-eight.
Abraham Matilsky, thirty-two.
Samuel Silver, eleven.
Fanny Silver, thirteen.
Beatrice Silver, seventeen.
Sarah Silver, twenty-three.
Tony Amorrosa, nine.
Anthony Englise, seven.
Eugene Amorrossa, seven.
Mathilda Englise, thirty.
A man and a woman. At Bellevue Hospital Morgue.
•
Reported Missing.

The known missing are:—
Nathan Silver, fifty.
Benjamin Silver, nineteen.
Michael Nolan, eleven.
Mrs. A. E. Guinnee.
Mr. and Mrs. Vacarro.
....Carvinalia.

List of Injured.

Among the injured are:—
Mrs. Minnie Goldfob, twenty-six, burns on body. Betli David
Hospital.
Mildred Goldfob. Beth David Hospital.
Mrs. Angelius, fifty-five, Beth David Hospital.
Unidentified boy, seven, Beth David Hospital. •
Emily Kroch ,fourteen, Beth David Hospital.
Samuel Fine, Beth David Hospital.
Yetta Silver, fifty, home of friends.
Abraham Sugarman, fifty, Beth David Hospital.
Hose Ingalls, eighty-five, Harlem Uispital.
Frederick Scliralisch, twenty-one, No. 127 East Ninety-third
street.
Lillian Lindquist, two years old, Beth David Hospital.
Mary M. Easy, thirty-seven, No. 152 East 110th street.
William Goldfob, six, Beth David Hospital.
Unidentified boy, six, Beth David Hospital.
Kinglas Nicholas, twenty, Beth David Hospital.
Emily Bach, twenty-eight, Beth David Hospital.
Mrs. Ella Lindquist, twenty-nine, Beth David Hospital.

maybe helpful,
regards, suanj
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

Thank you so much, suanj. I am not able to open those articles on this computer but I will check them when I get home. I believe this is the fire I read about in the NY Times archives - the victims' names look the same. I am not sure whether this is the fire I am looking for, although the date is in the right time period and the location is about right. My great-grandmother (Anna Marigliano Liguori) is not listed among the victims. I believe she died after a couple of months in the hospital though.

Does anyone know of any public records archives in New York that I should visit and that might have relevant information? Or is my best bet just to keep scanning through microfilm of old newspapers at the public library? Thank you!
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by suanj »

fiammetta wrote:Thank you so much, suanj. I am not able to open those articles on this computer but I will check them when I get home. I believe this is the fire I read about in the NY Times archives - the victims' names look the same. I am not sure whether this is the fire I am looking for, although the date is in the right time period and the location is about right. My great-grandmother (Anna Marigliano Liguori) is not listed among the victims. I believe she died after a couple of months in the hospital though.

Does anyone know of any public records archives in New York that I should visit and that might have relevant information? Or is my best bet just to keep scanning through microfilm of old newspapers at the public library? Thank you!
The article is abt the Harlem fire that you are searching for.... it are a "man and a woman" died also; so no names....
but it is possiblealso that she died after some month...

I know not what records are available... but
I cannot find nobody death record of your ancestor in all NYC for 1922/3...
Marigliano was birth surname?
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

I just used a link for NYC Death Records 1891-1948 (http://www.stevemorse.org/vital/nydeath.html) that I found on another thread here, and I think I've located Anna's death record:

Surname Given Name Age Month Day Year Certificate
Number County Born
Liquori Anna 41 y Dec 19 1922 30836 Manhattan 1880 - 1881

They've spelled her name "Liquori" instead of "Liguori." Do I now need to request this death certificate from New York City or is it available online? Is it likely to have any information on it beyond what is written above?

I had no idea these databases were available online, so thanks to everyone on this forum!
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

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suanj wrote:The article is abt the Harlem fire that you are searching for.... it are a "man and a woman" died also; so no names....
but it is possiblealso that she died after some month...

I know not what records are available... but
I cannot find nobody death record of your ancestor in all NYC for 1922/3...
Marigliano was birth surname?
suanj
Thank you, suanj. Yes, Marigliano was her birth name; Liguori was her husband's name. Since it appears she died on December 19, 1922, then it seems very likely that the October 22 fire is the one that caused her injuries. I guess I should focus my microfilm research on that date and see if I can find any newspaper articles that mention her. My grandmother believes that the article she saw as a child referred to her older brothers Michael, Ben, and Alfred as having escaped from the fire.
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by suanj »

yes I found it also just now
Liquori Anna 41 y Dec 19 1922 30836 Manhattan 1880 - 1881


in 1920 Anna living in East 96th st Manhattan
1920 United States Federal Census
about Anan Liguori
Name: Anan Liguori
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 15, New York, New York
Age: 38 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head-of-house: Wife
Spouse's name: Joseph
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Female
Year of Immigration: 1895
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 60
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Joseph Liguori 35
Anan Liguori 38


so she died in hospital...
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

Thanks again! But that census record is not her. Her husband's name was Raffaele and she immigrated on Sept. 14, 1910 (I found the record on Ellis Island's website). I have not been able to locate a 1920 census record for Anna and Raffaele yet, but they would have lived on about 113th or 114 Street at that time. By the time of the 1930 census, Raffaele (Ralph) had moved to the Bronx with his children and Anna, of course, was deceased.
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by suanj »

I understood, but I also cannot find your ancestors in 1920 .. it are this other record:
1920 United States Federal Census
about Annie Laguri
Name: Annie Laguri (Liguori)
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 18, New York, New York
Age: 38 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head-of-house: Wife
Spouse's name: Rafael
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Female
Year of Immigration: 1909
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 894
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Rafael Laguri 40
Annie Laguri 38
Mike Laguri 5
Venny Laguri 3 1/12
Alfreda Laguri 1 5/12

address: Third avenue
???
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by vj »

:D Hello!
suanj, you're right
2066 Third Ave, New York is between E 113th and E 114th Street
Valarie

edit: added link
suanj's 1920 census find
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

I think you've found it! At that time, my grandmother's siblings would have been:
Michael - 5 years
Ben / Benny / Bonaventura - 3 years
Alfred - 1.5 years
Gemma - newborn or not yet born

Thank you so much! This helps me pinpoint where they might have been living at the time of the fire. I would never have thought to try that spelling of their last name.
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by fiammetta »

Just one more question - does anyone have any advice on where I might possibly locate an obituary for Anna Marigliano Liguori? I'm not if there was one, but I don't know where to look. Thank you!
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Re: Researching fire in Italian Harlem c. 1922

Post by suanj »

I searched, but no luck.....
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