Month: May 2020
Memorial Day Mention
Honoring
Joseph Civitano, Private U.S. Army
114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division
Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal, France
Purple Heart
Son of Frank and Mary Civitano
2310 Valentine Ave, Bronx, New York
May your memory be a blessing
Robert G. Caso ~ Solves a 75 Year Old Mystery
Robert G. Caso was my 2nd cousin 1x removed. His grandmother Rita Marvulli and and my great grandmother Nicoletta were sisters. Robert was born on July 19, 1924, N.Y.C. to Domenico Caso and Rose Haughey. He was the oldest of three children, brother to Rita G. born 1926 and Arthur Caso born 1929.
At age 18, Dec. 16, 1942 Robert registered for the draft.
TitleU.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Ancestry.com
Using Ancestry and Fold3, I did find Muster Roll entries for a Robert G. Caso, the earliest for March 10, 1944 giving the date of July 10, 1943 for date of enlistment. The branch of service was for the Navy. With no other information to confirm this was truly our Robert, a clue on the November 3, 1945 marriage license application below, for Robert to Louise Kaiser confirmed that this was Robert serving in the Navy. On the application, under occupation, US Navy.
The Navy brought him out to the west cost of Washington State where he met and married Louise Kaiser, 18, daughter of Otto Kaiser and Bernice Mary Meyer. Bernice was no longer married to Otto however but remarried to Elmer Barth, a Stevedore (longshore man).
Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013, Ancestry.com
It was here in Washington State that Robert and Louise would eventually make their home by 1950. They were the parents to three children.
Robert ‘s (Bob as he was known) story does not stop there. In fact it truly does have quite a dramatic tale attached to it which can best be told by the LA Times article at the link below. Bob can most certainly be credited in solving the mystery of the disappearance of Russel and Blanche Warren on July 3, 1929. Please take a moment to read this fascinating story.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-12-na-mystery12-story.html
Robert G. Caso passed away on
December 16, 2018
Port Angeles, Washington
May his memory be a blessing
Wordless Wednesday: John & Rose D’Attoma
John & Rose (Marvulli) D’Attoma
Lucia DiGirolamo and Giuseppe Marvulli
Lucia DiGirolamo and Giuseppe Marvulli
Courtesy of Vita Andreoli nee Caso
Giuseppe/Joseph is my 2x great Uncle – brother to my great grandmother Nicoletta Marvulli.
I can not get over the gentleness in the face of Lucia and just how beautiful she truly was. Sadly, as I have written before, Lucia passed away on the 11 June 1908, in Grumo Appula, Italy, just three years after the birth of Vera.
In this photo, Lucia is pregnant with Vera/Vita and off to the side barely visible is daughter Rose. Vera was born in 1905. I do not have a birth month or date so at this time I am dating this photo between 1904 -1905.
The story that was shared with me was that after Lucia died Giuseppe was forced to put Rose into an orphanage as he was not able to care for both children. Lucia’s mother, Vita DiGirolamo nee Serveddio actually wet nursed her grand baby. After some time, Giuseppe, in a better position, had Rose return home.
A very big thank you to Vita Andreoli for sharing her memories and this photo with me to share with you 🙂
Wordless Wednesday Photo Follow Up: Who Am I
For Wordless Wednesday I shared a picture with no markings or identification.
The photo was shared with me recently by my cousin Isabella. We share the same great grandmother Nicoletta Civitano nee Marvulli. Our first assumption was that this was Nicoletta. However I have started to wonder if perhaps this could be a picture of her sister, Angelina Civitano nee Marvulli. (These two sisters married brothers Vincenzo and Vito Luigi.) You may remember these sisters from the wonderful photo’s shared also recently with me by the Fraticelli Family. Their branch descend off of a third sister, Rita Caso nee Marvulli.
We have no known photo of Angelina younger to compare the photo too but I do for Nicoletta.
There is something in the shape of the nose that gives me cause to pause
After posting the photo I heard from another cousin, Rose who shared the woman looked very much like her mother, Mary Nappi nee Simone, granddaughter of Angelina. Below is the only photo of Mary that I have at this time to compare with. I too see a strong resemblance between the two and see what Rose saw in the photo.
It would not be out of the question to believe that a photo of Angelina or even Mary would be in the possession of Isabella, past to her from her grandmother Julia, to her mother Nicoletta on down to her. I don’t know if we will ever know for certain who this is in the photo, but it is another reminder for us to label.
This is a shout out to all Civitano family branch members to please dig deep into your photo archives, label what you know, question who you don’t and reach out to members of your family to try and identify them. If you come across any photo’s of Angelina – or any you would like to share on the blog please contact me.
I would also love to read your thoughts on the photo’s above and what you think about the comparison’s that I shared. I look forward to hearing from you.
Wordless Wednesday: Who Am I ?
Nicoletta Civitano, Another Twist In Her Story
A wrench was thrown into the works when this Immigration card was discovered by my cousin Isabella a week ago and forwarded to me. Innocent enough, however a name on this card was a shock. Nicola (often seen for her name Nicoletta, Marvulli (her maiden name), Civitano (1st marriage name to Vincenzo Civitano) missing from this document is her 2nd marriage to Gisdoni, and then the name Palumbo?
Nicoletta, born in Grumo Appula, returned to Italy from her home in NYC (abt1910) when her husband Vincenzo was murdered. Once there, family was aware of her second marriage to a man named Nicholas Gisondi. While no other information is known about him, we do know he existed as both my grandfather Frank and his sister Julia (Giuditta) lived with him until their return.
Always believed to be a photo of Nicoletta with Nicholas Gisondi
But now add the name of Palumbo to the mix, who and why was Palumbo added to this card for her? Had there been a 3rd marriage no one was a ware of?
A check for her passenger record in conjunction with this also turned up the name of Palumbo being used. In this passenger record from Ancestry.com, she returned aboard the Vulcania, using the name Palumbo, departing from Naples and arriving on the 22 Sept., 1947, traveling to her son Frank @ 1244 Rosedale Ave., Bronx, N.Y. (last entry on page)
I have been in contact with cousin Peter Marino in regards to doing some more research on this development. (With the closure of the archives it will have to wait.)
Just another twist and turn, another family mystery.
A random thought…could Palumbo be the maiden name of Gisondi’s mother? Was there a naming custom that would allow for this too be used?
Branches On Our Civitano Family Tree 