When life throws you a curve ball, it is easy to get caught up in sorrow, anger and regret.  And truth be told, I have been felt my share of these emotions over the last few month.  But as the dust settles, I mostly feel safe and secure.  It has taken a terrible loss to remind me that I am self reliant, and I will be just fine.

As I peered at Ellis Island today, I was aware that another very self reliant woman, my great grandmother Condelia Cervone, departed from Naples 105 years ago today.  Condelia, and her youngest son, Raphael, arrived in the Port of NY on Sunday, January 14th, 1906 aboard the SS Brasile.  (The ship was owned and operated by the La Veloce Line.  Click here for more information about the ship.) Ironically, her ship sailed past my "front lawn" as it made its way to Pier 64 on 34th Street, where the first and second class passengers disembarked.  From there, Condelia and the other third class passengers were put on a ferry and brought to Ellis Island.   

Once inside the complex, she and Raphael were directed to the registration unit in the Great Room. It was there that they were questioned by government officials, who determined they were eligible to land.

They subsequently underwent a medical examine, to determine if they were physically and mentally fit to stay. I have read that the entire process typically took 5 hours. 

For some, the ordeal ended there.  Condelia and Raphael were not so lucky. They were detained for another day until Gaetano Cervone (Condelia's oldest son) came to get them. 

Neither Condelia, nor Raphael, are here to describe what the trip across the Atlantic (in January, in steerage) was like for them.  I shutter to think, but there is no sense going there. Condelia's life was never easy, and at least this time, she was going to be reunited with her husband, who she had not seen in ten years.

I do wonder, though, what she was thinking as the ferry approached Ellis Island?  Did she imagine that one day, her great granddaughter would have a view of the island from her front yard?  Or that her great great grandson would celebrate his fourth birthday mesmerized by the barges on the river, and the tourist helicopters circling over the island? 

Who knows?  But one thing is for sure: Condelia did not come to New York for the boat ride.  Clearly, she had far loftier intentions in mind.

Happy New Year Everyone and Happy Birthday Dillon!  

Courtland Madison Butler was born to Ethel M. Butler February 17, 1911 (father unknown)

Madelene Elaine Butler was born to Ethel Butler August 15, 1927 (father unknown)

Harry Eugene Lorets (not Loreto-I will check further on the spelling) was born August 30, 1931 to Harry Lorets and Ethel Butler

James Arnold Butler was born November 14, 1932 to Harry Loreto and Ethel Butler

I will be sending information on Samuel and Olive M. soon

May 3, 2010

Nicholas,

Thank you for your thoughtful article about the Catholic Church in Sudan. After reading it, I was reminded of another "lowly" Catholic Nun who lives and works closer to home.  Her name is Sister Margaret Smyth.  She nominally runs the North Fork Spanish Apostolate on the East End of Long Island.  However, I have heard my parents say, on many occasions, that when Sister Margaret leaves her post, it will take 25 people to replace her. 

My parents know Sister Margaret through their volunteer work at Maureen's Heaven (and the St. Agnes Parish Council).  The Times ran a piece on the homeless crisis on the East End on Oct 17, 2004, entitled "Long Island: Homeless in the Hamptons".  The original article had a picture of my mother, Barbara, serving food to the clients at the program.  When she is not serving food, she is cooking it (often for days) and worrying if there will be enough to go around.

I agree that the Catholic Church would collapse without the likes of Sister Cathy in Sudan and Sister Margaret in Greenport.  But the church would also collapse without the likes of my parents, Barbara and David. For me, all of these folks are the true pillars of the church.

Be safe, and thank you again for your provocative column.

Michelle Cervone

Our trip to Abruzzo had 3 legs, including a stop in Popoli, Serramonacesca and San Salvo. Our tour of Popoli was brief and and a bit disappointing.  We spent most of our time walking through the old part of town, where my relatives lived before immigrating to the US.  This section of the town was in a state of disrepair and felt very inaccessible (the churches were encased in scaffolding and locked; people looked at us with suspicion). The newer part of town felt generic.

After leaving Popoli, we drove to Serramonacesca hoping for (at least) a snap shot of life, as it use to be.  What we got, however, was full frontal exposure. Or putting it another way: when modernity was passing out tickets, Serramonacesca was not in line.

The village was, and remains very small (approximately 600 residents, mostly elderly). The town is anchored by the Catholic Church of Santa Maria Assunta.  My great grandfather was baptised in this church, and his parents were married there. The town has one municipal building, but there is no school, grocery, restaurant, or hospital.  If there is a fire department, I didn't see it.

On the day we were there, there was a funeral being held in the church.  Mrs. D'Orazio was being laid to rest.  The entire town was at her funeral; the church is small, so many people spilled out into the street.  At the end of services, her casket was put onto a cart and the priest and all the parishioners walked with the body to the cemetery. It was a very touching scene, straight out the Seventeenth Century.

After the funeral procession left, we were able to go into the church. I do not know exactly when the church was built, but I do know that the parish was part of the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585).  I suspect that the church is much older than that, however, as the Abbey of San Liberatore a Maiella (located a little further up the mountain) dates back to the 781 AD.

When my father and I walked into the church, there was an elderly custodian cleaning up inside.  It turned out that he spoke English, after many years of living in Canada.  After my father struck up a conversation with him, he verified what I already knew: there are no Cervones left in Serramonacesca. He also volunteered to drive up the mountain, and open the church of San Liberatore a Maiella for us. "You can't leave without seeing it."

Our driver was flabbergasted that this old man volunteered to do this for us. "Things like this just don't happen in Italy."  On one hand, I totally understood where he was coming from.  Who has unfettered access to one of the oldest Medieval Churches in Italy? But on the other hand, he was thinking in modern terms, and we were in an ancient place with a old man.  Our driver also failed to understand that despite outward appearances, my parents are quite provincial.  In Rome (and in Manhattan), you don't talk to strangers. On the East End of Long Island, you talk to everyone.  Hence my father had no reservations about speaking to this old man in the church. I realize, in hindsight, that it was actually my father who opened the door to the church.

After leaving Serramonacesca, we traveled 90 minutes (due west) to San Salvo. My great grandfather, and (at least) two of his siblings immigrated from here around the turn of the Century.  His youngest brother, Vitale, was still unaccounted for.

San Salvo is a very large city (17,000 people), situated on the Adriatic Coast. Unlike Popoli and Serramonacesca, it is a very modern place which boasts both a marina and amble light industry.  The condos hugging the coast line also suggested a degree of affluence that we did not see in Popoli or Serramonacesca.

It took our driver quite a while to find parking, but he finally settled for a spot directly across from a cafe that sold gelato.  It turned out that the cafe was out of gelato, so I walked outside to stretch my feet and get some air. Before I knew it, my mother was yelling from inside the cafe, "Michelle, come in here.  There is someone in here that knows a Cervone." Dino Cervone, to be exact.

It turned out that Dino's family was originally from Serramonacesca.  They immigrated to San Salvo around 1870. He also said that his grandfather's name was Vitale, and most of his family had immigrated to the New York.  His grandfather visited the family several times in New York.  At this point, all I could think was, "no, this just can't be.....".  But Dino extinguished all of my doubt when he told me that his grandmother's maiden name was Angela Cieri.  My great grandfather's brother, Vitale Antonio, married Angel Cieri in San Salvo on the 19th of November 1891. I had a copy of their marriage certificate with me.

It turned out that the man who recognized our name was married to Dino's niece, Vitalia.  Vitalia and her husband asked us back to their home, and we visited with them for about one hour before returning to Rome. 

When we got back into the car, the enormity of the moment was palpable. We found Vitale's grandson. Even our driver was crying. "Things like this just don't happen in Italy." 

Ceil was my father's oldest sister. She was born on September 2, 1930 in Greenport, Long Island and spent her entire life on the "East End". Ceil married Henry Stepnoski on June 14, 1949 in St Agnes Roman Catholic Church in Greenport and they subsequently had four children together: Corinne, Josephine, John and Angelo. Ceil did an amazing job raising her kids and her kids, in turn, did an amazing job caring for her at the end of her life.

After her funeral, I went to Ceil's apartment for the very last time. (From the time I was a child, Ceil and Henry lived in that apartment.) While there, my cousins generously let me go through her old photos, which are now part of my genealogy treasure chest.  But truth be told, my most enduring memory of my aunt will be our long talks about our family.  Ceil was, and will always be, my genealogy buddy.  

Ceil taught me alot about my family, and in the course of our conversations, I learned alot about her. At times she could be grumbly and inpatient, but under the chutzpah was a real mensch.

Ceil had vivid memories of my great grandmother, Condelia, and always talked about her with great affection. Ceil shared with me that my great grandmother's favorite flower was a gardenia.  She also told me that Condelia came to my grandfather on the day of her death, and he sent her away impatiently.  (They found her dead later that day from a stroke.)  Ceil remembered how bad her father felt, and over 60 years later, she still felt bad for him.

Ceil could also be colorful and witty -- and some of our converations were like a Laurel and Harry skit. For example, one of our more memorable conversations went like this:

Michelle: "Hi Aunt Ceil. How are you feeling?"

Ceil: "Lousy."

Michelle: "Sorry to hear that."

Ceil: "Grumble, grumble, grumble......."

Michelle: Yap, Yap, Yap.........."I still can't find grandpa's (Vincenzo's) brother, Dominico.  I wish I could figure out what happened to him."

Ceil: "Don't know. Never met the guy. Yap, yap, yap.......(something about) Cousin Nic from the Bronx. He use to visit grandma (Condelia)."

Michelle: "What did you just say? Cousin who?"

Ceil: "Cousin Nic from the Bronx.  He worked for a big bank in the city."

Michelle: "What are you talking about?  You never mentioned a 'Cousin Nic from the Bronx' before. How was he related to us?"

Ceil: "Don't know. He was a relative, yap, yap, yap........."

It turned out that "Cousin Nic from the Bronx" was Dominico Cervone's oldest living son. Ceil helped me find Dominico, without even knowing it.

In another conversation, she talked about her"Uncle Harry". You might want to check the Cervone Family Tree at this point.  No "Harry" Cervone there.

Michelle: "Uncle Harry?  Who are you talking about?"

Ceil: "Grampa's brother. He lived behind Grandma, with 'a half Indian half Black woman'.  He called her his 'squaw'."

        Michelle: "His what?"

        Ceil: "His squaw."

Oh my, this one took some unraveling.  It turned out that my grandfather's brother, Gaetano Cervone, was raised by his Aunt Cesidia (and her husband Casimero Loreto). Ceil later told me that "grandma couldn't raise him, so they adopted him".  "Uncle Harry" Loreto was born Gaetano Cervone in San Salvo, Italy. He married a woman of color. No one but Ceil knew a thing about him. I am still trying searching for information about Harry's kids.

The last time I spoke to Ceil was in November 2009, just before Thanksgiving.  She had just come home from radiation therapy, and things were clearly not good.  She had no patience for my questions, and it was very difficult to engage her.  I knew, at that moment, it was the beginning of the end. Ceil always had time for me.

I will miss her dearly.

L'Aquila is the capital of the Abruzzo Region and is also the capital of the Provence of L'Aquila. It is a university town, and is well known for it's Medieval Architecture and churches. Like Serramonacesca, it is a fortress town nestled in the mountains. It is located very close to Popoli and Sulmona, where my maternal great grandparents were born.

The human, historical and cultural impact of this disaster is incomprehensible.  I can not stop thinking about it.

I was particularly interested in the records from the Provence of Chieti (where Serramonacesca and San Salvo are located) and the Provence of Pescara (where Popoli is located).  There is an index called Status Animarum San Salvo 1839-1846, which indexes the head of each family in the town.  Among the names I found were:

1. Raffaele di Loreto (di Carunchio = from Carunchio), who is my Great Great Great Great  Grandfather. He married Sabia Manacelli in San Salvo in 1834. (I need to look up the marriage certificate to get the exact date.) Anna Quintilia D'Orazio Cervone's mother was a Loreto.
2. Fedele di Loreto (di Carunchio = from Carunchio), who I am presuming is his brother.
3. Giacomo D'Orazio (di Serramonacesca = from Serramonacesca), who is my Great Great Great Great Granfather.  He married Maria Saveria Lattanzia. (I do not have the date or place of their marriage as of yet, but I am assuming they that were married around 1820.) He was Anna Quintilia D'Orazio Cervone's paternal Grandfather.

MAC

Anna Quintilia D'Orazio Cervone

Condelia had three half siblings from her father's first marriage to Audrie Sorge. Graziano married Audrie in San Salvo on the 26th of January 1854, but was widowed eight years later (April 1862) when Audrie died at the age of 29. Audrie and Graziano had 3 children during their marriage, two of whom died in infancy:

1. Anna D'Orazio, b. 1854, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 03 Dec 1854, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
2. Giacoma D'Orazio, b. Abt. 1857, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 1886, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
3. Michele D'Orazio, b. 29 Sep 1860, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 01 Oct 1860, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy

Graziano married Maria approximately one year later in San Salvo on March 26, 1863. The couple had seven children together, (at least) three of whom survived to adulthood:

1. Gaetano D'Orazio, b. 20 May 1864, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. unknown
2. Anna Quintilia D'Orazio, b. 07 Apr 1866, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Vincenzo Cervone, 14 Sep 1884, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 02 Apr 1946, Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA
3. Antonia D'Orazio, b. 01 Jan 1868, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 25 Jul 1868, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
4. Michele D'Orazio, b. 09 Feb 1870, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 09 Jul 1871, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
5. Anna Saveria D'Orazio, b. 21 Sep 1871, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Luigi di Nizio 23 Nov 1889, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. unknown
6. Michele D'Orazio, b. 07 Mar 1873, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 02 Nov 1873, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
7. Berinice D'Orazio, b. 26 Mar 1875, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Giacinto Bracciale, 25 Aug 1895, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. unknown

______________________________________________________________________________________ 

Birth Certificate for Anna Quintilia D'Orazio

To the left is a photograph of Condelia's birth certificate from San Salvo. (Click on the image to enlarge)  It is in Italian (of course!), but please see below for a partial translation:

 L'anno mille ottocento sessantasei nel giorno nove del mese di Aprile =The year 1866, the nineth day of April

Giuseppe Ciavatta Sindaco ed uffiziale della Stata Civile del questa Comune di San Salvo, Circondario di Vasto, Provincia di Chieti e comparso = Giuseppe Ciavatta, Mayor, an official of the civil registration of the Comune of San Salvo, District of Vasto, Provence of Chieti presents

Graziano d'Orazio, di Giacoma, di anni trentasei, di professione calzolaio, domicilaiato in San Salvo strada del Vasto, il quale ci ha presentato una bambina = Graziano d'Orazio, son of Giacoma, age 36, shoemaker by profession, living in San Salvo on Vasto Street, who presented to us a female baby

ed ha dichiarato che lo stesso e nato nel giorno sette del volgente Aprile alle ore cinque = and he declared that same was born on the seventh day of April of the current year at the hour of five

moglie Maria Loreto di Raffaele, di professione filatrice =  (of) mother Maria Loreto, daughter of Raffaele, (who is a ) spinner by profession

dichiarato di dare il nome di Anna Quintilia = (The same) declared to give (his daughter) the name of Anna Quintilia

The presentation of the child was made in the presence of two witnesses:

Michele Viedi (?) fu Nicola, di anni quarantasei, di professione contadino = Michele Viedi, son of the deceased Nicola, age 46, peasant by profession

e Giuseppe Torino fu Nicola, di anni ventiquattro, di professione contadino, domiciliati in questa comune = and Giuseppe Torino, son of the deceased Nicola, age 24, peasant by profession, (both of whom) live in this town

 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Marriage Certificate for Vincenzo Cervone and Anna Quintilia D'Orazio Condelia married Vincenzo in San Salvo on September 14, 1884. To the right is a copy of their marriage certificate. (Click on the imagine to enlarge).  Below is a partial translation of the document:

ATTI DI MATRIMONIO = Act of Marriage, or Marriage Document

L'anno milleottocentottanta quattro, addi quattordici di Settembre =  The year 1884, on the day fourteen, of the month September

nella Casa Comunale di San Salvo, aperta al pubblico = in the city hall of San Salvo, open to the public

Avanti di me Livino (?) Cavatta, Sindaco, Uffiziale dello Stato Civile, vestito in froma ufficiale, son personalmente comparsi= Before me Livino Cavatta, Mayor, an official of the civil registration, officially and personally appeared:

1. Vincenzo Cervone, di anni venticinque, contadino, nato in Serramonacesca, residente in San Salvo, figlio del fu Gaetano, residente in Serramonacesca e della fu Teresa Michitti, residente in San Salvo= Vincenzo Cervone, age 25, peasant by profession, born in Serramonacesca, living in San Salvo, son of the deceased Gaetano, who resided in Serramonacesca and the deceased Teresa Michitti, who resided in San Salvo

2. Anna Quintilia d'Orazio, di anni diciotto, contadina, nata in San Salvo, residente in San Salvo, figlia del fu Graziano, residente in San Salvo e di Maria Loreto, residente in San Salvo= Anna Quintilia d'Orazio, age 18, born in San Salvo, living in San Salvo, daughter of the deceased Graziano, who resided in San Salvo and Maria Loreto, who resides in San Salvo

i quali me hanno rechiesto di unirli in matrimonio = who made a request of me to unite them in marriage

___________________________________________________________________________________

Condelia and Vincenzo had six children in San Salvo (three of whom survived to adulthood) and two children in Greenport: 

1. Teresa Cervone, b. 13 Jan 1885, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 21 May 1885, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
2. Gaetano Cervone, b. 08 Feb 1886, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 02 Jan 1887, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
3. Antonia Cervone, b. 19 Nov 1887, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Antonio Nanni, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 13 Jul 1982, Sag Harbor, Suffolk, New York, USA
4. Gaetano Cervone (aka Harry Loreto), b. 02 Feb 1890, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Ethel B, Sep 1926, place unknown; d. 01 May 1959, Sag Harbor, Suffolk, New York, USA
5. Lucia Cervone, b. 17 Jan 1892, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; d. 13 Sep 1892, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
6. Raphael Cervone, b. 11 Aug 1894, San Salvo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy; m. Felixa Binkowsky, 15 Feb 1920, Shelter Island, Suffolk, New York, USA; d. 29 Jun 1965, Suffolk, New York, USA
7. Casmiro R Cervone, b. 04 Mar 1907, Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA; m. Rose J Cervone 14 Nov 1926, Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA; d. 14 Mar 1963, Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA
8. Frances Cervone, b. 04 Jul 1908; Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA; m. Louis R Reiter 1 Nov 1924, Greenport, Suffolk, New York, USA; m. Otto Sinramm unknown date, Suffolk, New York, USA; d. 13 Oct 1990, Cedarhurst, Suffolk, New York, USA

__________________________________________________________________________________

Over a 15 year period, Condelia, Vincenzo, Antonia, Gaetano, and Raphael all immigrated to New York from San Salvo. Vincenzo was the first to immigrate, probably around 1894. (This appears to be the date of immigration listed on the 1910 census, which I found online. Unfortunately, the online copy is very poor quality, so I will need to go to the NY District Branch of the  National Archives to examine their copy on microfilm.)  Even without official documentation, it is reasonable to assume that Vincenzo immigrated around this time, as the couple had their last child in Italy in 1894. Condelia had my grandfather, Casimero, approximately 15 months after arriving in the US.

Gaetano immigrated to New York from Naples on June 10, 1903, aboard the SS Nord America. He was accompanied by his paternal aunt, Cesidia Cervone Loreto. Gaetano and Cesidia arrived at Ellis Island on June 24, 1903 and were detained until June 25th at 10 AM, when Cesidia's husband (Casimero Loreto) came to collect them. (About 20 percent of immigrants were detained at Ellis Island, mostly due to health and legal reasons.  In addition, unescorted women and children were detained until their safety was assured through the arrival of a telegram, letter, or a pre-paid ticket from a waiting relative. Most were not kept more than five days, and were housed in a dormitory on site. Woman were only released to a male relative.)  On the manifest, it indicated that Gaetano was going to his father, Vincenzo Cervone -- 78 Mulberry Street. Casimero was living in Greenport at that point, but it is unclear if Vincenzo was still living in Little Italy or if he too had moved to Eastern Long Island (in other words, they had an old address).

Condelia and Raphael left Naples on December 31, 1906 aboard the SS Brasile  --  103 years ago today. On the ship's manifest, it indicated that their passages where paid for by Vincenzo. Condelia and Raphael arrived at the Port of New York (Ellis Island) on January 14, 1906. They were detained until 4:30 PM on January 15, 1906, when Gaetano came to get them. At this point, both Gaetano and Vincenzo were living in Greenport.

Interestingly, Condelia indicated at departure that she was in possession of $10.  This sum was subsequently crossed out when she arrived at Ellis Island, and simply replaced with a zero.   Basically, Condelia arrived in New York with the clothes on her back and a little boy in toe.

Antonia, her husband (Antonio Nanni) and her three year old son (Vitale Nanni) were the last family members to immigrate to New York. They left Naples on February 12, 1909 aboard the SS Prinzess Irene.  They indicated that their passage was paid for by Antonia's uncle, Casimero Loreto, and that they were in possession of $20. The family arrived in Ellis Island on February 27, 1909 and interestingly, they were also detained.  The reason for detension was listed as "too late". They were "released to destination" the following morning at 10 AM. Their final destination was "Uncle Casimero Loreto, Greenport NY".

As I noted above, Condelia had my grandfather Casimero on March 4, 1907 in Greenport, approximately 15 months after she arrived in the US.  Frances was born exactly sixteen months later on July 4, 1907. According to the census, Vincenzo, Condelia, Raphael, Casimero and Fanny were living on Fifth Street in Greenport in 1910. Vincenzo was not working at that point, most likely due to failing health (see below). Condelia's occupation was listed as a "laundress", who worked in the home. Rapheal was working as a laborer at the (Sage's) Brick Yard.

On November 5, 1911, Condelia became a widow when Vincenzo died at the age of fifty from Emphysema.  She was fourty five years old. 

I was told by more than one relative that Vincenzo was buried in a "pauper's cemetary".  I took this at face value initially.  But after I received a copy of his death certificate from New York State, I realized that this was actually family lore.  Vincenzo was (in fact) buried in St. Agnes Cemetery in Greenport on November 6, 1911.  The undertaker was S B Horton.  I am not sure how she did it, but Condelia scraped together enough money to give her husband a proper burial.

According to the census, Condelia was living in the "rear" of 516 Fifth Street with Raphael (25 years), Casimero (12 years) and Philnino (11 years) in 1920. Her occupation was still listed as a "laundress" in the home; Raphael was working as an "oyster opener" in a shop.  Harry Loreto (aka Gaetano Cervone) was living a few doors down at 449 Fifth Street with Nan Johnson, a single Black woman who was listed as a "servant" (more on this at another time).  Harry's occupation was listed as a "laborer on oyster boat".

In 1930, Condelia was living at 451 Sixth Street.  Her rented home was between Wiggins Street and Flint Street, just before the railroad tracks heading south. By than, she was technically retired; Raphael was working as a "oyster opener" at the Oyster House. On the other side of the tracks (no pun intended), Angelo Corazzo, Louisa, Angelo B were living at 414 Sixth Street.  Casimero Cervone, Rose and Cecila were also living at this address. Tony Nanni and Antionet were living at 428 Sixth Street.

In all, Condelia lived in Greenport for 40 years. During this time, she married off four children and lived to see the birth of 8 healthy Italian American Grandchildren (Cecilia Cervone 1927, Theresa Cervone 1930, Robert Loreto 1931, Vincent Cervone 1934, Ralph Cervone 1936, David Cervone 1942, Otto Sinramm 1942 and his older sister; Vitale Nanni was born in San Salvo in 1906).  She died on April 2, 1946, 5 days before her 80th birthday.

I have not gotten around to ordering Condelia's death certificate from New York State (Cervone, Cornelia A; Greenport; 84 y; Certificate # 25716), so I am not clear what her official cause of death was.  According to my Aunt Ceil, she died in her home of a stroke.  She was also laid out at home "in a room full of gardenias". She is buried in St. Agnes Cemetery.  It is extremely difficult to find her plot in the cemetery, as she does not have a proper headstone. She has a marker, which is flush to the ground, that says "Cornelia Cervone 1861-1946".

____________________________________________________________________________________

As many of you probably know, I have been actively researching my father's family history for the past few years. When I started the project in 2004, I was particularly interested in learning more about my great grandfather, Vincenzo Cervone.  At that time, the only thing that was known about Vincenzo was his approximate year of death (based on the age of my grandfather when he died), and that he was survived by his wife, Condelia, and five children: Antonia, Gaetano, and Raphael, Casimero and Bonny. It was not known, however, how old he was at his death or where he was buried. More vexing yet, no one knew Vincenzo's place of birth.

Luckily for me, information about Vincenzo's children was easier to come by and provided valuable information about the family's history.  This was especially the case for Raphael, who immigrated to New York with his mother in 1906 at the age of eleven. Early in my research, I found a copy of Raphael' s WWI Draft Registration Card, which indicated that he was born in San Salvo, Italy on August 11, 1894.  Armed with this information, I eventaully located records at the (Morman) Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which confirmed that Condelia and Vincenzo where married in San Salvo in 1884.  The couple had six children while living there -- three of whom died in infancy.  The marriage and birth records also confirmed that Condelia was born in San Salvo and Vincent was born in a small town approximately 67 miles inland called Serramonacesca.

It turns out that San Salvo and Serramonacesca are both located in the Abruzzo Region of Italy, approximately 50 miles due east of Rome. I now know that between 1810 and 1871, my great great great grandfather, Dominico, and my great great grandfather, Gaetano, lived in Serramonacesca with their families. (If you look at the map above, you will see that Serramonacesca is located at the northern tip of the Majella National Park, just to the east of Mannopella.)  Some time between 1871 and 1875, Gaetano Cervone's family immigrated to San Salvo, on the Adriatic Coast just east of Vasto.  It was from here that three of his children (Vincenzo, Cesidia and Dominico) immigrated to New York with their families around the turn of the century. Approximately 25 miles to the south of Serramonacesca is the cityof Popoli. My great great grandparents, Pietro Caffarelli and Lucia Bucci, and their three married children (Lucia Carozzo, Prudenza Picozzi and Giuseppe Cafarelli) immigrated from here around the turn of the century. Approximately 12 miles to the south of Popoli is the city of Sulmona. My great grandfather Angelo Carrozzo was born here in 1871.

My entire family (with the exception of Dominico Cervone) eventually settled in the town of Greenport on Eastern Long Island. I will never really know what brought them east, but one thing is for sure:  Abruzzo was the starting point for many Italian Families who settled in Greenport. And if nothing else, the abundant farm land and the access to the sea must have made them feel oddly at home.