Finding Adoption Papers

[adelfio]

I would try with Giovanni Bonanno Mar 1881 in the town of Salaparuta (Trapani)
from Family History Library film records
FHL Locator
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... et_fhc.asp
Ordering films from FHL
https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki ... ory_Center
About Italian records
https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki ... al_Records
Reading records
https://www.familysearch.org/learningce ... 22Italy%22
Records available from Salaparuta (Trapani), 1820-1910
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... +Salaparut++

Marty

[Tessa78]

First, let me say that you did NOT need to be naturalized to get a Social Security card. So that is still a possible lead to follow...

Taking a look at the Alien registration record, it does look like he arrived in port of New Orleans, on the Manilla, but can't read the date very well... (Since he was married in 1908 we can assume it was before that )

He was working for Tagliarino as a farmer. He states that he filed a "petition of naturalization" in 1934 in Beaumont, Texas.

Since this card was filed about 1940, I'm thinking the naturalization information may be accurate (closer in time)... He states that he has been in US for 38 years, and first arrived (on page 2) about October 1902. Good leads.

I would follow Marty's advice and look at the LDS records for Salaparuta (Southwestern Sicily), for a birth registration. He gives this town as birthplace on first page.

From wikipedia...
In 1968 the original site of the town was near epicentre of the Belice Valley earthquake.[1] As a result, Salaparuta was completely destroyed and rebuilt not far from the original location. The current Salaparuta is still home to many of the citizens of the old town.

Chances are there may not be records available in the town.
But if you would like to write to the town and inquire...
Address:
Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Via Regione Siciliana, 10
91020 Salaparuta (TP)
ITALY

Help with letters of request in Italian...
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/pearlsofwi ... talrecords
http://www.circolocalabrese.org/resourc ... civile.asp

Link to the town website...
http://95.231.16.163/salaparuta/hh/inde ... vs=0&acc=1

T.

[MCKay]

I recently contacted a cousin of mine and he said that he had checked in Salaparuta for birth certificates but he came up with nothing. I have another document that states John Bono was born in Gibellina but I've been coming up with nothing on the LDS website. Do you think that I might have a lead if I were to check with the town itself or even if I were to check at the LDS archives in Utah?

An odd thing that I remember was that my grandmother was talking about how some men came to her father (John) when she was a child. She said that they were dressed nicely and drove a big black car. Apparently John wasn't too pleased with them and told them that he wouldn't come work for them. That's how rumours got started in the family about him having some brief affiliation with the Italian mafia. I haven't been able to find any census records on John Bono so the fleeting thought about him hiding from the government for a time keeps coming back to me. I don't know if this is valid at all but it's just something weird... plus I don't even know if he spent any time in New York at all.

[Italysearcher]

If you are sure about his birthdate you might consider searching the microfilms for abandoned children born on that date. Often the record will state the names of the people he was fostered to. Even if they 'adopted' or kept him after the payments from the town stopped it is unlikely he was formally adopted as we know it. Once he got to AMerica he probably changed his surname to theirs without any problem. After all its is not against the law to be known by another name as long as it isn't for frudulent purposes.

[MCKay]

That sounds plausible. Where do you think I could find these microfilms?

[Tessa78]

I recently contacted a cousin of mine and he said that he had checked in Salaparuta for birth certificates but he came up with nothing. I have another document that states John Bono was born in Gibellina but I've been coming up with nothing on the LDS website. Do you think that I might have a lead if I were to check with the town itself or even if I were to check at the LDS archives in Utah?

An odd thing that I remember was that my grandmother was talking about how some men came to her father (John) when she was a child. She said that they were dressed nicely and drove a big black car. Apparently John wasn't too pleased with them and told them that he wouldn't come work for them. That's how rumours got started in the family about him having some brief affiliation with the Italian mafia. I haven't been able to find any census records on John Bono so the fleeting thought about him hiding from the government for a time keeps coming back to me. I don't know if this is valid at all but it's just something weird... plus I don't even know if he spent any time in New York at all.

Here are the film listings for Gibellina on LDS microfilm.
They have civil registrations (birth, marriage, death) from 1821 - 1910
http://familysearch.org/eng/library/fhl ... +Gibellina++

If you decide to write to Gibellina
Address:
Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Piazza 15 Gennaio 1968, n. 1
91024 Gibellina (TP)
ITALY

T.

[MCKay]

Oh wow, so this has taken me quite a ways. I've been looking for John Bono's birth certificate by rooting through Italian birth records manually thanks to the LDS Website. However, I was told by my grandmother that John Bono was born illegitimate to a guy named Thermany (or that's what it sounds like when she says it). Apparently this Thermany guy was an official or a lawyer or something down in Sicily. Would anyone here have any information on this? John Bono was allegedly born in Sicily in 1882.

[Italysearcher]

You have a date of birth, you have never looked in Gibellina, so I suggest you write to Gibellina for his birth record as Giovanni di Genitori Ignoti forse affidato a Bonanno or Bono.
Both surnames are found in Gibellina today so I suspect this is his foster parents surname.
If you need help with this send me a PM

[carmine1917]

My great-grandfather was adopted also. I was able to find his birth record on FHC films by luck. I was able to determine the exact town he was from in the province of Avellino, because my sister went to the records office and got his marriage record from 1900. Avellino marriage records only go to 1899.

I got his exact birth year from the WWI registry.

Also, I did a lot of searching to check the town name he came from on ellis island. I knew I had the right town name, because his adopted parents had a son, Andrea a few years after he was adopted, and they both came to America.

Although he was born in Monteforte Irpino, he was raised in the town Mercogliano and I found the birth record in Monteforte nati films, not the town he was raised in. Also, I was told his last name was supposed to be Somma, but they added the rio so he was Sommario, although his adopted parents were Speranza.

I got the same story, that his mother had an affair with the mayor of the town and that is why he was illegitimate.

I suggest contacting the province directly, the people on this site can help you with that. Good Luck!

So my suggestion to you would be to contact the province directly.

[MCKay]

Well, it looks like I've found something very interesting. I'll be contacting the town of Gibellina soon but I first wanted to confirm that the documents I needed were there. I have been waiting for films from LDS and they just arrived the other day. So I went down there yesterday and found this interesting thing that I've attached. The birth date is near 8 March 1881 which is what my great grandfather consistently listed as his but I can't really read exactly what it says. I think I found twins who both have the same birthday and last name as my great grandfather. What does it sound like to you?

[MCKay]

AHHH! I spent two hours trying to get the picture down to the right size and now I'm getting the message that the board attachment quota has been reached. What do I do???

[Tessa78]

Use an image-sharing site such as http://postimage.org
It's free...
Browse, then upload your image (family friendly)...
When it is uploaded, copy the "thumbnail for forum 1 link" and post it in this forum
We can view it from here...

T.

[MCKay]

Thanks Tessa!

[Tessa78]

First, let me say that these are not twins.
However, the "Nicolina Bonanno" written in the margin of the first record COULD refer to a twin sister, possibly on the page before?

First record is for child PAOLO BONANNO
born on 28th of February, registered on the 2nd of March, 1881
Declared and presented by his father Lorenzo(?) Bonanno, 40, and
born to Francesca Bonanno, his wife living with him.

The second record is for FILIPPO BONANNO
born on the 2nd of March, and registered the same day, 1881
Declared and presented by Margherita C????, age 73, the midwife.
Born to Angela Tenna(sp?), spinner, and wife of Giacomo Bonanno.

T.

[MCKay]

There was no one with the last name Bonanno on the page before. What is the purpose of the signatures in the margin? I noticed that some of the entries had them but most did not.