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DePaola, Cianciarulo

"A Tale of Two Families"

The following is a chronological timeline starting with my great-grandparents and culminating with my parent's marriage.    This document  consists of  information told to me by my grandfathers,  Raymond DePaola Sr. and  Antonio Cianciarulo Sr. as a child growing up and into my adulthood.    It wasn't until my father's passing that I decided to document the families history for my nieces and nephew as well as my cousins and their families.    With this body of information,  I ventured into the past seeking references and  sources to verify  my stories.   In addition, I have been in contact and talking to 'living' relatives from both sides of the family, whose names I will not divulge for privacy reasons, but they know who they are and I thank them dearly.   As anyone knows who has started on such a journey, the search is never ending, sometimes confusing and perplexing but  in the end each step is very rewarding.

If you  click on the highlighted names you will be taken to  " The Family Tree" and links to my direct ancestors, and all their descendants.  This is becoming  far more extensive as my research progresses and in some cases reaches back  to the 18th century.  

For more insight into the Immigrant experience checkout my other Links under

 "TRACING THE FAMILY'S FOOTSTEPS"
after you enjoy "A Tale of Two Families"

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DePaola  -  Cefaratti Cianciarulo  -  Logiovine
Michele Cefaratti was born in a small village (Jelsi) Abruzzo, Italy in 1858.   In 1889, Michele Cefaratti ,  decides to   leave his home, and with his brother, embarks  from Naples on a journey to America.  He arrives on May 2, 1889 on the ship, Alesia.   His known occupation was a laborer, which was listed on a ship's passenger list.   His mode of travel was steerage.  His traveling companions included his brother Giuseppe, age 21,  and other relatives  Giovanni age 35, occupation ploughman and  Martino age  43.  Michele,  I was told by my grandfather,  verified in the census of 1920 he was listed as a quarryman, and was blinded. His brother Giovanni came over later .

Michele and Giuseppe (brothers) married twin sisters. Michele married  Maria Tamburri,  and had eleven children, the fifth being my grandmother,  Mary Anthony.  Giuseppe fathered nine children, his wife's name was Concetta Tamburri.   The brothers sent for their wives and families in 1897.  They crossed the Atlantic on the Victoria and with them they brought their parents, Francesco and Carmina Tamburri.  The two  families settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to raise their families.

Carmine DePaola was born 1868  in Flumeri, Avellino, Campania, Italy near Naples, he married around 1888.  He had   three children, Filomena (Minnie), Agnese (Annie), and Raimone (Raymond),  my grandfather. My grandfather never knew his mother, her name is unknown, and  it's believed she died giving birth to him or shortly thereafter.  My grandfather's earliest memories he told me  were of being raised by his grandmother in Italy until the age of seven.  I was told the family lived on a farm and owned  olive vineyards.  

In 1892,  at the age of 24, Carmine DePaola makes his first trip to America.  He arrived in New York on April 4, 1892 on the ship, Massilia. The captain's name was Verries.  His mode of travel was steerage. He made his way to Philadelphia, Pa.    After establishing himself, Carmine brought his three children to the United States their ship was the Neustria , they arrived on January 9, 1901. 

Carmine decided to  remarry in 1899 to Rose Elizabeth Fredericks , they had nine children.  The families lived together on a farm in what is now known as the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, where the Roxborough High School sits today.  Carmine became a citizen of the United States in 1903.  In the census of 1910, it is noted for the first time that he Americanized his first name by changing it to Charles.

Carmine started a tailoring business and owned a  factory in Philadelphia, Pa. in  which he employed his children as well as other's.  My grandfather,  Raymond worked for him as a young man and became a foreman.  It was there , he met my grandmother Mary Anthony, a young girl of  14, whose specialty was  'hand buttonhole making'.   Because the family did not approve of the relationship,  Raymond and Mary decided to  elope to  Elkton, Maryland in 1915.  The marriage caused  problems for Raymond  with his father, and from then on, my grandfather found work elsewhere.   Carmine died in 1922.  I do not know if the relationship was ever mended.

Raymond was called for the service during World War I but was not taken.   Raymond and  Mary had five children, Carmen, who died in infancy, a second son,  Michael,  a third,  my father  Raymond Jr. , a fourth,  Edward, and a daughter Mary Jane who died as a toddler.

Francesco Cianciarulo was born in  1853, the fourth of five children of Berardino Cianciarulo and Anna Panella, in the small village of  Marsicovetere, Italy. 

Near the time of his birth Marsicovetere had suffered an earthquake which devastated the village and killed nearly half the population.  Because of this, many villagers decided to leave  the area for a better life.  

Francesco was a farmer  and a musician, he played the harp while his  brothers, Giuseppe and Antonio played  the flute, and violin.  Together, they  traveled throughout North & South America, New Zealand & Australia.  Giuseppe and Antonio eventually left Italy to live elsewhere.

Francesco married  Cristina Curcio  and together they had five children, the fourth child,  Giacomoantonio.  Giacomoantonio (after coming to the US changed his name to Antonio, aka Tony), my grandfather told me he was a farmer much like his mother's family.  On occasion, he would travel down the mountains to the neighboring village of MarsicoNuovo and that is where  he met his future wife,  Assunta Logiovine

Her parents were: Achilles Luigi Logiovine and Maria Serafina Lospinoso.   She was the second of six children.   Assunta  was from a family of tailor's, she herself was a skilled seamstress.   Many of Assunta's brothers and sisters  left Italy and went to Argentina, South America. 

With the advent of World War I, Tony was soon drafted in the Italian army in 1917, after  basic training, sent to the battlefield, and shortly thereafter he was  captured and sat out the war as  a POW.   After the war ended,  he returned to Marsicovetere, Italy, courted and married Assunta (Susie) on July 6, 1922.

In August of 1922, Tony and Susie made the decision  to go to the United States, their ship, the America took them to Ellis Island.  From their they traveled on to Philadelphia, Pa. to  join Tony's older sisters, Anna, her husband Nicola Masino, and Antoinetta and her husband Giuseppe (Joseph) Leone.

Together, Tony and Susie had three children, my mother,  Christina, Serafina (Nina), and Anthony Jr.  On January 16, 1930, Tony became a citizen of the United States.  

Susie suffered an acute appendicitis  and passed away in 1936 leaving Tony to raise his three children with the help of his sister Anna, her husband Nicola Masino  and their family.

Around  the mid 1930's, Tony managed to save enough money to send for his parents,  Francesco and Cristina to come to the US.   I was told Francesco at one time was a strolling musician.    Tony's parents  lived with him and his family until their deaths, Cristina in 1938 and Francesco, 1945.

In the mid 1940's Tony met Anna Mandia at his place of work, the National Biscuit Company (aka Nabisco).  Anna came to the United States as a baby with her parents, Domenico Mandia and Concetta  Barattolo in the summer of 1905 , onboard the Konign Luise.  They settled in the northern section of Philadelphia.  Tony's children encouraged him to court Anna, and he did.   They were married on November 25, 1943.

Shortly after the end of  World War II,  Ray DePaola Jr.  still in uniform, went to a dance after his brother  persisted.   After a few hours of boredom, he spotted a young lady on the dance floor, her name Christine.  
  He  walked over to her, asked her for a dance and a year later they were married.   


~~ DePaola - Cianciarulo  families joined in marriage, February, 1947 ~~

 

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