I just received a very long but very interesting email from South America. From what I can understand there is a lot of historical content, talk about light colored eyes and hair and the Aberesh. She is Aberesh I think and wants to see photos of the Chicagoans. Her and me both! Abereshe? Yikes! Very possible. My grandfather was pale skinned and had brown (not black) hair. I wish I had lots of money so I could hire an interpreter. These emails in other languages are getting overwhelming.
Hablo muy poquito espanol!

LOL. Time to take one of those continuing ed courses in Spanish! I have my Italian one tonight. It is killing me! That is wonderful news though.

I'm trying. I got the 3 page email interpreted. This person is looking into the family history too and would like to know what I know. She does not speak english but heard about me at the Zingone reunion. I must have been a hot topic there because I got several emails saying they heard about me there. She has kept in touch with not only the family but their neighbors in Montalto Uffugo who moved to Argentina. She, like many of the others, were aware of an aunt in Chicago and several of her brothers tried to come to the US but were turned away.
Would there be records of this?

She, like many of the others, were aware of an aunt in Chicago and several of her brothers tried to come to the US but were turned away.
Would there be records of this?

If they made it onto the boat and arrived at Ellis or any of the other US ports, there should be notations on the manifests as well as special inquiry lists.

Biff

All the Garrafa's on Ellis Island came from Italy. Is there anything on Ancestry? Ship manifests are not really my thing...there was a manifest on Ellis Island of a Pietro Garrafa coming from Montalto in 1920. Domenico Garrafa did have a son named Pietro but this one is a few years off in age - unless he lied. Did Pietro get sent back?
www.ellisisland.org/se...&dwpdone=1

Did Pietro get sent back?

Cathy,
Since there are no notations indicating he was held for special inquiry or deported, I'd say he was admitted although I can't find any record of him except for the 1920 manifest.

On another note, I also cannot find any other information on Pietro Folino. The manifest said he was joining a friend Francesco DeLuca in Harrison NY. I found an earlier 1912 manifest with a Francesco Fiore DeLuca, born Montalto, wife Elizabetta Napolitano, going to Harrison NY to join a Ventura.

Maybe the two Pietros returned to Italy.

Biff

Thanks for looking Biff. This is actually very interesting. Now I really have to wonder if Pietro Folino is really my grandfather using another name. If he took and passed his army physical in April, surely they would have called him to active duty by October. Perhaps my grandfather was a draft dodger? I have found more grandchildren of Maria Concetta and Joe. I will have to ask. Perhaps she spoke of who brought her here. My grandfather did go to NY or NJ before he came to Chicago.

As for Pietro Garrafa, perhaps he did go back or went to Argentina from here. I will have to ask the Argentinians.