Julia (Giuditta) Civitano ~ 1909 – 2004
Month: April 2020
Angelina ~ John ~ Nicoletta Marvulli
For Wordless Wednesday I shared this photo of three Marvulli siblings, Angelina (93), John (77) and Nicoletta (75). The year was about 1952.
The photo was just one of a group of pictures that was graciously shared with me by the Fraticelli family. Featured in the above photo is Angelina Marvulli who married Louis (Vito Luigi) Civitano, brother John (Giovanni) Marvulli who’s name was more commonly spelled Marvilli and Nicoletta Marvulli who married Louis’s brother Vincenzo Civitano (my great grandparents)
Angelina seems pretty intent to share something important
From Lt to Rt Vera (Marvulli) D’Attoma, John Marvulli, Michael Caso, Nicoletta, Angelina, Rosa Caso, unknown and Angelo D’Attoma. Photographing the evening was Anthony Fraticelli husband of Rita (Caso) daughter of Michael and Rosa (as seen above)
It was a family gathering and a special one at that, with all three of the siblings finally together. Nicoletta had recently returned (1949) from living the last 39 years in Grumo Appula, having returned to her home town (abt) 1910 after the murder of her husband Vincenzo in 1909. The only sibling missing was Joseph (Giuseppe) Marvulli who passed away in 1950. The time frame of these photo’s is estimated to be about 1952 based on the age of Toni Fraticelli at the time, sitting with the back of her head (with bow) visible. It was a warm evening and the air was thick with cigar smoke at times. Italian was being spoken non stop under the homemade 3 sided gazebo attached to the house. I am not sure of the exact location of the photos but Toni wrote her Aunt has shared that these were taken at John Marvilli’s home. John operated a small neighborhood grocery story and lived in the apartment above it. This gazebo was attached to the building. I did find a WWII draft registration card, 1944, for his son Thomas listing the address was 340 Stockton St. consistent with 1940 census for John. If there was no move since this could be the location
The evening was all about a good old fashioned belly full of laughter.
You might say John loved his beer with this bottle front and center but what I have learned is that while that may actually be beer it could be just the bottle with home made wine in it, which might account for the smiles on these faces. In the photo below, I had the bottle removed, having posted it on the FB group ‘Genealogist Photo Restoration’ page. One of the members shared with me what the objects were on the table, taps for barrels when making ‘wine’ and then I heard from Toni who shared with me
“Something just didn’t sit right in my mind about that bottle of beer. If you look closely you can see bits or sediment clinging to the inside of the bottle. I showed the picture to my husband and he pointed out the wooden object on the table…it has a hole in the center…that other long thin piece of wood with the dark tip fits into that hole and acts as a turnkey. You put that in the hole of the wine barrel. When you want to pour out some wine from the barrel you insert that into the hole of the turnkey and pull it out and get some wine!”
Knowing this now does seem removing the bottle changes the integrity of this photo in a
way. I do love the photo of these three siblings with out the battle too.
This has been quite a ‘gift’ to receive these photo’s from the Fraticelli’s, as no other known full photo of Angelina has yet to surface (I have a poor snippet head shot of her) She is the matriarch of a very large group of our Civitano’s and I know these photo’s will be so appreciated by her descendants and those to come.
Thank you for sharing them with us
Wordless Wednesday ~ Marvulli Siblings
Angelina Civitano (Marvulli), John Marvulli, Nicoletta Civitanon (Marvulli) ~ 1952
Marriage Photo of Vera (Vita) Marvulli and Angelo D’Attoma
For Wordless Wednesday I posted this beautiful wedding photo of Angelo D’Attoma to Vera (Vita) Marvulli that was shared with me by my 3rd cousin Toni. Below I have identified the members in this photo.
From left to rt seated: Rosa (Marvulli) D’Attoma (sister to the bride), Vera (Marvulli) D’Attoma, Maria Covito, Rosa (DiGirolamo) Caso standing: John D’Attoma (brother to the groom) Angelo D’Attoma, Antonio Scici, and Gaetano Caso (Rosa D. husband)
This photo screams roaring 20’s to me with Rosa on the left, the poster girl for the era. Notice the shorter skirts especially for the bride. Those flowers and that headdress, seed beads and/or pearls, the cascading gorgeous delicate veil – all makes me swoon. I have tried to look very closely at this photo and while impossible to see all the detail there really is so much to see. I am guessing there are 24 white roses in Vera’s bouquet, I could actually count 18 with some blurring for the rest. Satin ribbons cascade out of the bouquet with ferns for the greenery. There is a very wide satin ribbon that can be seen below the skirt line and covering her legs with possibly a scalloped edging to the dress. I am not spotting any jewelry on Vera although she may be wearing pearl stud earrings with sparkling through on the left. Maria looks regal with a three strand pearl necklace and satin shoes. Her dress does not appear to be sleeveless, with maybe a 3/4 sleeve of some type of sheer material and she is wearing elbow length gloves with a delicate ribbing on the back of the hands. Her bouquet has a large satin ribbon bow cascading down but impossible to tell the type of flowers. The bodice of her dress is embroidered. Rosa Caso’s dress is really quite something. The deep V neckline is decorated with some type of sparkling beads, seed pearls perhaps or maybe some type of sparkling glass beading which is also along the sleeve cuffs. Her inside blouse is done in a material that matches these beaded accents. At the hip you can see there is a nosegay of sorts. White short gloves and possibly an accent bracelet or watch is on her left wrist. Love her shoes too.
Their marriage took place on Dec. 12, 1926 at the Immaculate Conception Church, Long Island City, Queens, New York.
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Vita, know as Vera, was born on June 4, 1905 in Grumo Appula, Bari, Italy. She was the daughter of Giuseppe (Joseph) Marvulli and Lucia DiGirolamo; the birth took place on Via Giardino Ugenti 37 @ 3:30am
She joined 1 sister, Rosa who was born March 9, 1903; Piazza Independenza 39 @ 2:00am
Happiness for this family was extremely short lived as Joseph became a widow with the passing of Lucia on June 11, 1908, Grumo Appula. Lucia was only 24, leaving Joseph with two small daughters ages 3 and 5. Such sadness must of prevailed. While researching this family, one document attached to Joseph really left and impression on me. Rosa arrived in 1921 and Vera followed the following year, in 1922, leaving Joseph home in Grumo where he would remain until 1938 before he traveled to N.Y. to join his daughters, his 3 sisters, Rita, Angelina and Nicoletta and 1 brother, Giovanni (John) and their families, already here. From Joseph’s passenger record his profession was listed as barber and under the heading ‘nearest relative or friend from whence alien came’ Jospeh replied – no-one. At age 49 it was time for Joseph to leave home and follow his family.
Joseph Marvulli Passenger Record
Vera’s older sister Rosa had immigrated to New York arriving on the 15th of April, 1921. She was 17 and listed her father as her nearest relative left behind, traveling to her Aunt Angela (Angelina) Marvulli (spelled Marzulli) living at 351 W. 25th St. Traveling with her was Anna Peragine, 20, and Rosa DiGirolamo, 19 (in the wedding party picture) On their travel record, for Rosa it was written ‘marriage’ ‘Promised’ Caso, Michele, W. 25th St 432
RosaMarvulli, Anna Peragina and Rosa DiGirolamo
Vera immigrated the following year in 1922, 17 years, leaving from Naples in July arriving on the 5th of August aboard the Conte Rosso. Her records states she left behind her father Giuseppe and was traveling to her cousin Michele Caso @ 432 W. 25th.
Vera, traveling under her given name Vita
All passenger records are from Ancestry.Com
Rosa listed Michele as her cousin. It’s a bit confusing and here is my best explanation for the relationship. Rosa DiGirolamo born 1901, married to Michele Caso, was the daughter of Giuseppe DiGirolamo and Vita Servidio. Giuseppe and Vita had another daughter named Lucia DiGirolamo born 1883 (18 years age difference between them) who was married to Joseph Marvulli, they were the parents of our Vera and Rosa. Michele was Vera and Rosa’s mothers sisters husband so really he was her Uncle by marriage. The ages and generation difference however did seem to line up more as cousins.
You may be asking who was Anna Peragina going to her sister Antonia and how and if she is connected to the family. With out going down the rabbit hole and getting lost for days, to understand the connection to the Peragina family I had to go back to my 3x great grandfather Vitobino Luigi Civitano (1803) in Grumo who married Isabella Elisabetta (1806) D’Amico also of Grumo. Their daughter Rosa Civitano, (1828) married Giuseppe Peragina ~ and from here the family connection was established.
The parents of Angelo D’Attoma were Giovannantonio D’Attoma and Antonia Stanisci, both of Conversano, Bari Italy. And as you have seen in the photo above Vera’s older sister Rosa married Angelo’s brother John (Giovanni). Their marriage took place 2 years earlier on 21st Sept., 1924, in N.Y.C.
And this wraps up some of the details for this amazing photo shared with our family by the Fraticelli family.
Wordless Wednesday: Wedding Bells 1926
Angelo D’Attoma and Vera (Vita) Marvulli
Celebrating Family
Caso, Marvulli, D’Attoma Branches
Photo courtesy of Toni Fraticelli
left to rt seated: Rita Fraticelli (Caso), Vera D’Attoma (Marvulli), Rose D’Attoma (Marvulli), Michael Caso, Rose Caso, on lap Lucy D’Attoma (Vera’s daughter), unknown friend. 2nd row: Angelo D’Attoma (Vera’s husband), Guy Caso, Elizabeth Caso (Panacciulli), Elizabeth’s Uncle, Elizabeth’s brother Frank Panacciulli, woman with glasses another Panacciulli family member. In Middle: man with glasses white hair and woman next to him are Elizabeths parents Antonio and Antonia Panacciulli. Back row: John D’Attoma (Rose’s husband), Giuseppe Marvulli, Antoinette D’Attoma, Joe Panacciulli, Toni, John D’Attoma.
This timely photo was shard with me by my 3rd cousin who I have recently connected with through this blog. Timely, because, Toni shared it was taken in the spring, possibly on Palm Sunday. Looking at the photo closely you can see a plant in the center of the crowd and the table is filled with an array of baked goods, dessert, traditional for Palm Sunday and Easter. The picture was taken by Anthony Fraticelli, Toni’s father who was an amateur photographer. The family was gathered at the home of her grandparents Michael Caso and Rosa DiGirolamo, who I have been featuring these last few postings. Their home was located at 37-21 28th St, Astoria, Queens, N.Y., a frequent gathering place for their growing branch as the basement featured a full kitchen with seating for all.
Gathering together to celebrate life and family was not only a tradition but a must for all our extended families. My branch gathered together also, to raise their glasses to say ‘all vostra salute’
I am imagining all our branches gathering together and this is by far not all of us
But as we gather this Easter 2020, or I should say as we stay sheltered in place during this Easter Sunday, so many of us alone, not by choice but necessity of this pandemic, as the years have gone by and family gatherings like these have become less and less common, remembering and celebrating our ancestors has taken on a broader and more important meaning to me. Whether we have separated by time, place, or ideas that don’t line up, we are those who came before us with their hopes and dreams becoming our hopes and dreams, we are not alone.
Below is one of my favorite photos of my family taken at our last gatherings when all of my children were together, with their children, add four more grands born since, and then add 6 more to that photo, 1 on the way, the grands with their own children, spanning the country from Oklahoma, Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, Illinois and Okinawa, Japan.
Yucca Valley, CA, 1996
From my home to yours, from my family to your family
A very special thank you to Toni for reminding me of just how precious our family is
Branches On Our Civitano Family Tree 