Celia Milano began her research 20 years ago before the internet tools we have today. Listen to how she contacted family by letter. We also discuss her three books. I was born in New York City and raised in Yonkers, New York. I have several degrees, including an Associate Degree in Applied Science and Technology from Thomas A. Edison State College in Trenton, NJ, a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ and a Master of Science in Management from College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ. I attended college for over 20 years and one of the sisters at Georgian Court University called me “a lifer.” For over 30 years, I worked as a computer software engineer in the military and petroleum industries. I am retired and devote my time to researching my family tree. In my free time, I help guide people in writing their memoirs, as I feel it is the most precious gift to the family. I have written three books: Sicilian Family Adventures; Life’s Curves: When the Present Triggers the Past and Tuscany in July: An Adventure of a Lifetime. I am also on the board of directors for The Sicilian Project, a non-profit organization that offers free English instructional camps to the children in Sicily. The Sicilian Project is important to me because as a child, I was not allowed to learn the Sicilian dialect, as the thought at that time in New York was to be “Americanized.” The idea that Sicilian children will become bi-lingual and have a greater advantage in the world is very rewarding to me. Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video

The story of Italian Immigration to Argentina is fascinating!  I had no idea when I started my research that Argentina had one of the largest Italian populations.   It is estimated today that there is at least 25 million Argentines with some Italian descent or roughly 62.% of the entire population.  Italians began arriving in Argentina in great numbers from 1857 to 1940, totaling 44.9% of the entire post-colonial immigrant population; more than from any other country (including Spain at 31.5%). In 1996, the population of Argentines with partial or full Italian descent numbered 15.8 million[3]when Argentina’s population was approximately 34.5 million, meaning they consisted of 45.5% of the population. Today, the country has 25 million Italian Argentines in a total population of 40 million. Wikipedia Argentines. Period Northwest Italy Northeastern and central Italy Southernand insular Italy Total 1880–1884 59.8% 16.8% 23.4% 106,953 1885–1889 45.3% 24.4% 30.3% 259,858 1890–1894 44.2% 20.7% 35.1% 151,249 1895–1899 32.3% 23.1% 44.6% 211,878 1900–1904 29.2% 19.6% 51.2% 232,746 1905–1909 26.9% 20.1% 53.0% 437,526 1910–1914 27.4% 18.2% 54.4% 355,913 1915–1919 32.3% 23.1% 44.6% 26,880 1920–1924 19.7% 27.4% 52.9% 306,928 1925–1929 14.4% 33.1% 52.5% 235,065 According to an article in Argentina Excepcion, there is no equivalent of a little Italy in Argentina, as the cultural influence is so strong.  Almost 3 million Italians arrived from 1857 through 1940, 45% of all aliens to arrive!  They were called “tanos” from Neapolitan.     The first wave of Italian Immigration to Argentina, like most other countries, was made up of mostly poor people.     And, as in America, Canada and Australia they worked hard , saved money and sent it back to Italy to bring over more family.  They shared rooms in big houses or tenements.  La Boca was a port neighborhood, initially for slaves, but was modified by Italian Immigrants, using mostly ship parts.  Today it is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. La Boca Video By Eugenia Varas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w72a195QpbI For anyone researching Italian/Argentine records, Italian Genealogy.com has a board.  There is also a site for Argentine Records, but they charge a fee. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

After several years of doing research and finding out details about the multitude of 3rd and 4th cousins in Italy, I began to wonder why my paternal grandparents migrated to America.  The only person from my paternal grandfather’s family that came was his brother, but as far as I could figure, no one from my paternal grandmother’s family came.  Her last name was Piromallo, which is very uncommon in Italy, and almost nonexistent in America.  My grandmother was quite well off in Italy, and so it really had me wondering.  This is the record of my grandmother’s arrival in 1915. Doing research on Ancestry.com, I often came across a Maria Piromallo that migrated to NYC in 1904.  She was only a few years younger than my grandmother’s father, and I began to wonder if and how they might be related,  Eventually, I came across an address in NYC on 15th street.  And found that she was connected to the last name Petix.   In the 1950’s and 1960’s, my parents often mentioned that name, and also mentioned an aunt Beatrice.  As it turned out, there was a granddaughter of Maria Piromallo named Beatrice.  I also found another name Della Torre. As I began to piece this together, I called my cousin that is about 14 years older than me.  I gave him my hypothesis, he told me that he didn’t think so, and that my grandmother did not have any relatives in the United States.  He told me that Petix was a friend of my uncle and no relation ( he wasn’t, but his wife Beatrice was ).  So I hit him with Della Torre, and he said that he remembers visiting an Uncle Aniello in the 1940’s in NJ.  I said, “Well you wouldn’t travel from Queens NY to NJ to visit strangers”.   Slowly, he began to put the pieces together. A short while after that is when I found the address where Maria Piromallo lived.  I called my cousin and I said do you know this place?  He was shocked that I knew this address and said that his mother lived on the same street as a child.  Bingo?   So know I know that Maria was most likely my great aunt, but still no hard evidence.  Maria Pergamo ( Maria Piromallo) 428 E 15th St NY NY Luisa Sorrentino (Luisa Piromallo) 419 E 15th St NY NY Eventually, a fourth cousin her in America, a great great granddaughter of Maria contacted me.  She was also doing family research and wanted to know my connection to  Maria.  I explained my theory and my conversations with my cousin.  She said that sounds plausible, but we still did not have any hard evidence.  Linda was in the process of testing her DNA and so we figured we’ll find out soon. Shortly before Linda received her DNA she contacted me very excited.  She said, “I have the proof”.  Amazingly she found an obituary that her aunt, that once worked for my grandfather, had left her.  It’s from 1927 and is a paragraph from a local NJ newspaper advising of the death of Count Nicola Piromallo in Italy, and that he left a surviving sister Maria in the United States.  Quite remarkable that Linda had an obituary over 90 years old.  The aforementioned Mrs. Thomas Pergamo is Maria Piromallo. Linda also had an anniversary announcement from two years earlier, showing my grandmother’s parents.  Count Nicola and Princess Emilia. A couple of week later, Linda’s DNA came throughand yep, we are cousins. The evidence is out there, keep searching.  I have found that even when you are just about to give up, you’ll find a piece the puzzle.  Sometimes it’s best to walk away for a while to clear you head and come back later.  But it’s there, I promise. For some great tools and advice check out my friend Diann’s blog.  My Italian Family Tree.     Click here to join our Facebook group

Bob and Phillip discuss how they found their noble Italian Ancestors, and who they have in common. Some very interesting similarities. Mangone Family  Schipani Family Visit Our Shop Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video Check out my book Farmers and Nobles On this site or Amazon and Kindle Constantina Tulelli and Nicola Opipari marriage record 6th GGF Medical Acknowledgement:Degree Grandpa Apollo Norman Tower in Zagarese Paolo Emilo Tulelli papers referring to the Opipari as Nobles in Taverna PET 2 PET

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