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.