MINOSI, MANUS and Serafina Esposito - Redhook, Brooklyn

[marycmus]

Does anyone have information about the MINOSIs in Red Hook, Brooklyn? I am trying to find out where in Italy the Minosi's came from.

All I know is this:

In 1877, Michele Minosi (3 yrs old) came to the US with his brother Francesco and his mother, Serafina Esposito.

Michele and family reunited with the father, Vincent, and settled in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Michele, his dad and brothers all became Longshoremen. Michele married a Mary Smith in 1899 and listed his name as "Manus." After her death in 1913, Michele married an Italian woman using his Italian last name of "Minosi" on the marriage certificate. Michele died in 1936 - "Manus" was on his death certificate. He is buried in St. John's in Queens.

Serafina Esposito was the mother and owned a grocery store in Red Hook.

The problem: the last name is spelled in many different ways on different documents - from Mennousse, Minosi, Manza, Maines. Michele's son, Ralph (my gf) used "Manus" all his life.

Could anyone please help me find out how to locate where Michele Minosi came from in Italy? Any suggestions?

[sal4]

Could this be your family?............
Micheal Manus
Home in 1930: Brooklyn, Kings, New York
View Map
Age: 57
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Maria
Race: White
Occupation:

Education:

Military service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:

Parents' birthplace:

View image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Micheal Manus 57
Maria Manus 47
Mary Manus 29
Rapheal Manus 26
Agnes Manus 12
Margaret Manus 10
Micheal Manus 8
Louisa Manus 4
Salvatore Gavino 20


Sal4

[sal4]

I found this.........there is a Michele Minosi that arrive in New York at the age of 10 with
Domenico Minosi
Arrival Date: 21 Apr 1903
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1844
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Napoli
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: Italian (South) (Italian)
Ship Name: Umbria

Any chance this is his father Vincent?

Sal4

[sal4]

I also found this on Castle Garden for Serafina Esposito and Michele Minosi

SERAFINA ESPOSITO FARMER 30 F 16 May 1877 CASTALIA MEDITERRANEAN PORTS ITALY
MICHELE MINOSI CHILD, YOUNGSTER 2 M 16 May 1877 CASTALIA MEDITERRANEAN PORTS ITALY


I hope this helps you...........Sal4

[suanj]

no sure if the same family..:

1880 United States Federal Census
about Michael Mennosse
Name: Michael Mennosse
Home in 1880: Kings (Brooklyn), New York City-Greater, New York
Age: 6
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of Household: Son
Father's Name: Vinzenci
Father's birthplace: Italy
Mother's Name: Abbey
Mother's birthplace: Italy
Neighbors: View others on page
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Cannot read/write:

Blind:

Deaf and dumb:

Otherwise disabled:

Idiotic or insane: View image
Household Members: Name Age
Vinzenci Mennosse 45
Abbey Mennosse 33
Frank Mennosse 10
Michael Mennosse 6
Mark Mennosse 2
James Poli 23 boarder


the problem is to find the exact surname spelling....
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
about Michael Manice
Name: Michael Manice
City: Brooklyn
County: Kings
State: New York
Birth Date: 14 Mar 1874
Race: White
FHL Roll Number: 1754224
DraftBoard: 28
born in Italy; no doubts that is your ancestor; same profession...

suanj

[vj]

Minosi/Esposito

Hello!
Just for reference, the 1877 manifest listed by Sal4
and suanj's finds:
Valarie

1877 manifest image

1880 Family Census

1918 WWI Card for Michele

[PeterTimber]

Of the 11 cities,towns or villages in Italy, the majority are in the Taranto -Lecce provinces of the Puglia region (heel of the boot) . Go to www.gens.labo.net/en/cognomi and put inMinosi in the top left and click arrow for distribution of the name in Italy.

Your questionas to where your family came from in italy still remains elusive. Is there any old fotos, picture postcardsm family oral history that can shed some light on the town of origin..what saint did they talk about in their town in Italy etc etc. Perhaps we can come up with the answer as to the town of origin for Michael and his older brother Francesco. =Peter=

[marycmus]

Thanks for your help, Peter. I used that site before and also found Minosi to be distributed among the Puglia region.

Unfortunately, my grandfather never discussed his Italian roots and even distanced himself from the Italian part of the family by moving to Queens. My grandfather was in the NYPD but cut off contact with his Red Hook Italian relatives because of some unsavory behavior they may have taken part in.

According to either the 1920 or 1930 census records, the mother, Serafina Esposito owned a grocery store in Red Hook, and was living with her son Frank Manus.

My question - can I safely rely on "Minosi" being their last name in Italy?

[PeterTimber]

Minosi appears tobe the most prevalent and common spelling. There are a small number of Minosio that entered the USA as immigrants in NYC thru ellisisland but this Minosio spelling is very sparse in Italy.

Accordingly I would say it is safe to rely on Minosi. =Peter=

[suanj]

I believe that this census of 1910 could be abt Serafina; the first name on the census is Mary M Manus but I believe is right census because having s grocery store and Frank and Louis ( aka Mark) was longshoremen:


1910 United States Federal Census
about Mary M Manus
Name: Mary M Manus
Age in 1910: 70
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Home in 1910: Brooklyn Ward 6, Kings, New York
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Female
Year of Immigration: 1875
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Mary M Manus 70
Frank S Manus 42 born in Italy
Louis T Manus 32 born in NY
John S Purtela 44 (boarder)


http://s6.imagestime.com/out.php/i405104_1910manus.jpg
the surname could be MINASI ... calabrian heritage
suanj

[franman]

I am Frank Manus, son of George Manus, Jr, son of George Manus, Sr, son of Francesco, and was told that our original last name in Italy was similar to the name you found, (sometime prior to 1900). My father has mentioned a Serafina in relation to Francesco, when talking about our migration to this country, you are welcome to talk to him. They started out in Brooklyn. Thank you, also to the others, who have posted here. I will post more here, if anyone's interested. I've also been told, that we have a relative, who went back to Calabria 30 or 40 years ago, to visit our ancestors there. Feel free to look me up, I am interested in see a photo copy of documents connecting Manus with Minosi.

[marycmus]

Hi Frank! I wrote a private message to you - not sure if you were able to read it yet since I haven't heard a response. I have documents relating to Frank. How should I get these documents to you? Thanks, Courtney