I've been unable to locate the surname of my MGGM. My mom (who got the information from her aunt...my maternal great aunt and one of my MGGM's daughters) tells me the surname is Virgola, but I've been unable to find it on any ship manifest. I've been able to locate a few ship manifests on my MGGF, Vincenzo Ali, as he came to America a few times before marrying my MGGM and raising a family, of which my MGM, Teresina Santa Carmela Alia, was one of their daughters.

What would be my next step? Grazie.

Lynne, we need to get you the Birth Act for one of the children which will clearly list the name of your MGGM. This is the only way I can think of.

Have you been to the Cosenza Archives site? Maybe you can find something there.

Hi Nuccia,


Why the Cosenza Archives if my MGGM was born in Caulonia? However, I did type in her name, birth year, and place of birth, but came up with nothing.

Below are copies of baptismal records I received from Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter's Church in Syracuse, New York where my grandmother, Teresina Santa Carmela Alia (No. 111) and great aunt Cristina Maria Alia (No. 276) were baptized. To my eye, it clearly states on both records their mother's (my MGGM) name as being Maria Virgola from Caulonia, Reggio di Calabria. Hmm...

Lynne..

I have no idea why I linked that site to you! I think I must have been half asleep or something! I'm sorry.

No problem, Nuccia.

Hey, what do you think of the above entries? The name does say Virgola, right? Thus, my confusion as to why I've been unable to locate the name on any ship manifest...unless, of course, it was spelled incorrectly. Any ideas?

Lynne, I searched high and low last night and early this morning and the name is not at all common. I thought too maybe a spelling error was possible. Seriously, we NEED a copy of some original act to show us the correct spelling so we can move forward. With the Reggio Archives being on summer hours (they are closed I believe for the summer) I can't even contact a friend or two to see if they can help but I am going to contact someone in Italy to see just where that surname deprives from or if it even exists

This one has me stumped but we will crack it. I love summer but hate the limited research options available. I was actually going to check out my FHC tonight but they're also closed because its a long weekend here (Civic Holiday) so perhaps next week. We will figure this out.

You're a sweetheart, Nuccia! I hope you know how much I appreciate all of the help you've been to me thus far...the knowledge you possess is irreplaceable. I know this mystery will be solved at some point...my patience has certainly been tested for sure!

I found an e-mail address for the Comune di Caulonia, and I sent an e-mail yesterday requesting the same info I had asked in the letter I sent to them back in April. I'm not getting my hopes up...but I thought I might as well give it a try. I'll keep you posted...

BTW...what exactly are the summer months with regard to the Reggio archives?

Oh you are so welcome! I wish I knew more but I have so many wonderful people to help me here and that I can call on for advice.

I think that as soon as the sun comes out, Italy goes on holidays but officially I know the mid August EVERYTHING shuts down or works on a skeleton staff. A friend just mentioned last week about the Reggio Archives since he researches there weekly so I will ask him for more information. My husband has also been home all week and as much as I love him, its such a pain in the you know where when the spouse is around. They want your full attention which is hard sometimes. Thank God he goes back to work on Tuesday!

Will try to be up early on Saturday morning before everyone and see if I can contact some friends. And yes, the email won't hurt. You never know unless you try. Did you include your address int he email? I find they sometimes like to mail responses back instead of emailing.

Lets face it..before September we will all be at the mercy of "Italian Holiday Hours". I don't even send for requests anymore before then..nor do I send requests in December.

It has just occured to me that some Comunes will not release certificates unless they receive proof of identification from the person seeking information. I know that I have sent letters fo individuals to a variety of Comunes and Have always included a photocopy of either a driving license or the info page of a passport.

They are funny here about the Privacy Laws. Some seem to have adopted their own Provincial versions of the National Privacy Laws and are really 'hot' and yet others, it would seem, don't even give it a thought.

So, I guess what I'm saying is - include a photocopy of an ID document with your requests. It can't do any harm and may just be the 'key' to gey helpp from some offices.

Thanks for the info, Nuccia. And, yes...I did include my full name and address in the e-mail (along with my telephone number...just in case!).

And, Carole...thanks for the very helpful tip about including proof of identification along with my request, which definitely makes sense. If and when I decide to re-send my letter to the Comune di Caulonia, I will include a copy.

Lynne,

I was just curious of how your search has gone?

AmorC027 wrote:

Lynne, I was just curious of how your search has gone?

Hi! Thanks for asking! Okay, in a nutshell...I recently spoke with a second cousin on the Alia side of the family who told me she had pictures of my MGGF and MGGM, as well as pictures of my grandmother and her siblings from their younger years! I was very excited to hear this as I was unsure if anyone had any old pictures. I'm hoping to have copies made for my own use. To be able to see a pic of my great grandparents would be priceless! My cousin also told me that on her father's death certificate is written his mother's name...Mary Rivoli! (On my grandmother's death certificate is written her mother's name...Mary Virgola). So, there's another surname to add into the mix! Ugh! My plan is to visit Syracuse (where my MGGF and MGGM lived and raised their family) in the next month or two and visit the cemetery where they are buried and visit the county clerk's office to obtain a copy of their marriage license and death certificates. Also, I'm hoping to visit the public library. And, of course, I'll be visiting my cousin whom I've never met! I'll also be visiting her brother who lives in Massachusetts at the end of May on our way to Cape Cod! So much to do...and I'm so excited! : - )

Hi Lynne! It's nice to see you again. Rivoli is at least a more common name. The only issue is that Vincenzo arrived to the US in about 1892 (maybe earlier) and he was naturalized by 1893. I did find one Maria Rivoli on Castle Garden arriving in 1889- but I'm not sure it's her. Here's the link to the manifest but it doesn't give much information

www.castlegarden.org/q...id=9581736

nuccia wrote:

Hi Lynne! It's nice to see you again. Rivoli is at least a more common name. The only issue is that Vincenzo arrived to the US in about 1892 (maybe earlier) and he was naturalized by 1893. I did find one Maria Rivoli on Castle Garden arriving in 1889- but I'm not sure it's her. Here's the link to the manifest but it doesn't give much information www.castlegarden.org/q...id=9581736

Hi Nuccia, From what I understand, Maria was born in 1882, so I'm fairly certain this isn't her. See why I'm going crazy?! Virgola...Rivoli...argh! Thank you, though.

Ok, so what was her husband's name and when was he born? The only Vincenzo Alia and Maria I found in the 1900 Census gave their births as Dec 1868 and Sep 1869 - then again, I found later census records (1910, 1930) that had Vincenzo born in about 1871 and Maria in 1875 ...

What census records have you found and can you remember how they were indexed?