Hello All,
I am posting this family photograph in the hopes that someone may have a suggestion as to how I might find further information about the people in it. Presumably this is a photo that is somehow linked to my father's mother's family (my grandmother who died long before I was born). His mother's name was Francesca Vitale and she came to America around 1900 or so. I don't know if she was married to my grandfather when she came, but I suspect she was. My grandfather was Francesco (Frank) Chirco and they came from Sicily. I was always told that my grandfather Chirco was from Palermo and very poor. They eventually settled in Queens, NY and had 13 children (not all of whom survived to adulthood). My father is the youngest of the family.

I found this photograph after my mother passed hidden among the family belongings. I know nothing about it but the following is handwritten on the back:

"Al.Signoria Rosaria Vitale
Via Venuti
N 141
Cinsi
Prov. Palermo"

I know this is an address in Cinsi but I don't know who Rosaria Vitale might be (my great grandmother, aunt, cousin, ETC). It is a mystery especially since I know very little about my Vitale Grandmother. Any suggestions to flesh out further information would be appreciated. I would love to learn more about the people in the photo and how they might be related to me. HELP!

Hello and welcome,

The town of Cinsi doesn't exists while there is Cinisi in the province of Palermo. I guess the family said your grandfather was from Palermo as Cinisi is a very small town. Many times people mentioned the province instead of the town. Both surnames, Chirco and Vitale, are found in Cinisi. The street "Via Venuti", still exists in Cinisi. On the Italian White Pages there are many people with the surname Vitale in Cinisi but two of them live in Via Venuti: one is in Via Venuti, 105 and the other in Via Venuti 181.

White Pages

You may write to those people and send a copy of the photograph asking them if they are related to your family. Of course you'll have to write in Italian. If you post here your letter we can help you in translating it.

Ada

Thank you Ada for the informative reply - it is much appreciated. I will consider your suggestion to write to the two Vitale families still living in Via Venuti (thank you for taking the time to look that information up for me!). It may be a long-shot but perhaps it will reveal some interesting information and even connect me with some living relatives in Italy. I may take you up on the offer of translating the letter into Italian. It would be a gift to finally find names for the faces captured in this photograph. They certainly meant something to someone in my family and I only wish I had known of its existence while my father was still living! Vicki C.

I have collected a significant amount of information on families from Cinisi. My family is from there as well. I have many Chirco's and Vitales in both my family and in my records. What exactly are you looking for?