Seeking immigration and naturalization papers of Anabolli Conforti

Hi! I am also looking for records of my family who came from Italy in 1907 on SS Roma through NYC. I have many records to find but have found many records that are same/similar but not getting anywhere. I was told during that time. There was mass immigration from Italy 5.5 million people approximately and between the language barrier and processing so many people and a lackluster work ethic in many of the people doing the recording there are many errors.

My great great grandfather came from Italy through New York City in 1907 on the SS Roma his name was Anabolli Conforti. However, in many records his name is spelled incredibly different, and in other records I see his name listed as James. I was told by someone in Washington DC that sometimes  immigrants would take Americanized names but that doesn't make sense to me. I found a record of both my great great grandparents on the SS Roma from 1907 but it was stamped 1933. My great great grandmother was Catherine Millazio. I have found those and also many records Catherine Millagio on ancestry.com. Their birthdays are even more inconsistent. I originally found that my great great grandmother was born April 8, 1888, but I cannot confirm that.

Complicating matters my father passed about 10 years ago. I was never close to his family as my parents divorced. I have an uncle who has been doing a lot of research for many years but he moved from Washington DC to Wyoming about the same time of my father's death and I cannot reach him. Through my research I have found that there were five children from my great grandmother also sometimes listed as Caterina, which is not uncommon as that is the Italian version of Catherine.

they settled in Chicago Illinois and had 5 children: Frank, Bartolo, Margaret, Stephania and Angelina who was my grandmother. Again, I did not know them well, but my grandmother had my father and five other children. My father is the only one who has passed. The other children have no interest in learning about their heritage or Italy, which is some thing I have been trying to do often on through raising my four children. In fact, my aunt Mary had no idea there were five children. All of them had always been told there were only three.

My grandmother Angeline married in Chicago in May 1940 to my grandfather Robert Lee Daugherty. They had a son Robert then my father Patrick Timothy Daugherty in 1943. They moved to Hamilton County Cincinnati Ohio. They went on to have more kids Richard,Jerald ,Mary, and Michael.

I am trying to pursue dual citizenship through dissent. This requires me to have the original birth certificates of my great great grandfather, and my great great grandmother, both of whom were born in Italy. I also need their marriage license from Italy.

I then need their immigration record. I also need their naturalization record. I then need their death certificates and my understanding is both of them died in Chicago. Their daughters, Stefania and Margaret and their sons Bartolo died in Cook County Chicago Illinois, so I'm confident they died in Cook County. 

I also have to get my father's birth certificate, and I know he was born in Chicago. I need to get his death certificate, which is Montgomery County Tennessee specifically Clarkesville. I also have to get my mothers birth certificate in Ohio. I also need to get a divorce certificate itn Cincinnati Ohio. I have to go that because my father born in 1943 five year prior to the 1948 in Italy, were they amended requirement the right Pass on their lineage just as their husbands. Essentially 1948 equal rights type of act. I will have to convert all these records into Italian and then have an apostil for all records to give to the Italian consulate in charge of my area, which is Detroit Michigan.

Since Covid they no longer take phone calls, which is my primary way of getting any of the information I've gotten so far. I'll have to send this to them and I have to have it go before the court in Sicily, where they are from and prove there has been no broken line in our heritage. Great great great grandparents were born in Italy, my great great grandparents were born in Italy. My grandparents of Italian descent was born in Chicago although the entire family is telling me that she was born in Italy as well, but I cannot prove that. My father was born in Chicago five years too soon and trying to gather these records and then have them  prepped and translated and put together for a court in Italy is daunting to say the least. I've spoken to many law firms, and they want thousands of dollars to do this and I simply do not have that. 

How have you managed to get ACCURATE records? I would be happy to help you as I figure it out

  • Tricia,

    Prioritize your requests per one inquiry.  Let's concentrate here on trying to find the immigration manifests of your great great grandparents.  I can't duplicate your search results.  " I found a record of both my great great grandparents on the SS Roma from 1907 but it was stamped 1933."  Where did you find the record?  Was the "record" the ship manifest or some index?  Give us a link to the location of the "record" or attach a scan of it.  What was stamped 1933?  The manifest was used by many governmental entitites.  The 1933 could have been when a certificate of arrival as part of the naturalization procedure was done.  When and where was Anabolli born?  What have you found out from US Census records?

    Also, " I was told by someone in Washington DC that sometimes  immigrants would take Americanized names but that doesn't make sense to me"  It makes perfect sense to me.  They were trying to fit into a strange new country, with strange sounding names, learning a new language, and facing probably discrimination in job opportunities and other areas.  

  • I'm sure others can give you additional advice, but you might want to start here:   Passenger Arrival List Research Tips  

  • Why do you think that the young lady on the Roma is your girl?

    I originally found that my great great grandmother was born April 8, 1888

    And, according to the various census and other doco she was born somewhere between1885-1888.

    However, the Caterina Milazzo on the SS Roma is only 11 years old i.e. born abt 1895/6.

    see: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9R8-HSD6-P?i=31 (#8)

  • Your comment: " I found a record of both my great great grandparents on the SS Roma from 1907 but it was stamped 1933. "  The certificate of arrival is for one person.  Where did you find "both" of your great grandparents on the SS Roma in 1907??

  •  

    I’ve spent quite some time fixing up your ancestors’ story as it had too many holes and inconsistencies. Following is a rough overview in which I’ve given various links, but the rest of the data can be accessed on e.g. Family Search (free access after sign up). I’d advise you to double check the data that I have provided here … mistakes are always possible!

    Annibale (variations: Anabolli /A(n)nibole) CONFORTI (Nickname seems to be “Neps/Nebi”?) born abt 1867-1870 possibly in Marano, Consenza, Italy (NB there are 2 Marano’s in Cosenza, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to locate his BC yet)) 
    He was the son of father Serafino/Seraphina CONFORTI b abt 1839-1842 Cosenza, Calabria, Italy, d 19 Aug 1926 Chicago, occ tailor and mother Francesca BISCARDA.
    He immigrated abt 1885 and was naturalized before the 1900 census. I suspect that he and his father might have arrived on the SS Italia on 18 Jun 1884. Passenger list: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-5T4K-2?i=904 (#63)
    Possible 1893 Naturalization Index card: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GPQ7-WNJL?i=4043
    Although some of the details are a bit off, he seems to have died on 27 Feb 1936 while in a TB hospital and is buried in St Joseph’s cemetery next to his wife (His intermet details: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62TQ-NPP?i=737 )

    Marriage:  23 Oct 1904 Chicago Il – Marriage doc: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCZY-QW?i=74 (#508)
    to:
    Caterina I/America MILAZZO (variations: Millazio/Millazzo/Melozzo) born 16 Apr 1886 Camporeale, Trapani/Parmo, Italy, )
    She was the daughter of Bartolomeo MILAZZO b abt 1837/8 & Caterina SACCO.
    Her Italian 1886 birth certificate: https://antenati.cultura.gov.it/ark:/12657/an_ua36074879/5K2bvvd (#70)
    Caterina arrived in New York on 02 May 1903 (and NOT 1907!!!), Ship: Phoenicia. Caterina traveled with her father Bartolomeo and their destination was Chicago. Passenger list: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L16L-L99?i=654  (#7)
    She died on 10 Sep 1937 Chicago and is buried in St Joseph’s cemetery. She is a widow, so her husband would have died previously (Her interment details: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62TQ-QVY?i=727&cc=1503083 )


    Their children (there could have been more):
    Gaspari Savalino (male, =Seraphina?) b 2 Aug 1905 Cook, IL
    Margaret/Margherita/Marguerite Diodata b 21/25 April 1907, bap 10 May 1907, d 14 Dec 1996
    Bartolo/Benny b 2 Jul 1909
    Stephania/Fanny b May 1911
    Frederico b 24 Jan 1913,  d 27 Oct 1919
    Giorgio b 18 Jan 1915 (? d 20 Mar 1916)
    Angela b 6 Feb 1921


    A few additional things:
    Before his 1904 marriage Annibale appears to have married a Rosina DESPARISIA/ DE PERSIA b abt 1879/1880:
    This couple is living in Taylor street in the 1900 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6GBC-W5X?i=34 (#66)
    In Dec 1900 they will have a daughter Francesca Maria who unfortunately died on 7August 1901. The next day she is buried in Calvary cemetery. Only six weeks later, on 24 Sep 1901 a Rosina Conforti dies and is buried in the same cemetery and the same location.
    (see: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D159-GBW?i=783 and https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D15S-FN3?i=791 ).

    Various siblings of Catherine MILAZZO’s seem to have immigrated to the US as well e.g.:
    Frank (1937 death info: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3WB-GVS)
    Vito (1905 marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCZY-FW?i=86  (#579))

    Annibale seems to have had various siblings in Chicago tool e.g. Joseph, but I suspect that there were a few more.


    rgds, Sylvia

  • Thank you so very much for taking the time to try to help me unlock this mystery. It  just gets more convoluted by the day. I am at such a disadvantage because I was not raised with a closeness with this side of my family. I have learned they were never close growing up. I am astonished my aunt who took care of my grandmother until she died in 2001 had no idea how many siblings my grandmother had. She only knew she had a brother named Bart and she spent a few summers in Chicago with her mothers sister Margaret. I know there was another child named Frank.  I have attached his obituary stating who his parents were and sibling of my grandmother Angeline (always called Angie).

    Other information I have been able to obtain has been that my great grandfather Anaboli Conforti purposefully misspelled his first and last name on many occasions and eventually changed his name to James. My grandmother's sister Margaret married someone named James Hunt. I've also been told that Margaret may not the same person as Diadota margarita.

    I do not know if there are two different families with common Italian names both first and surnames or if it was documentation issues as I have been told by those I have been able to speak to on the phone in record keeping.

    additionally everyone in my family including my father up until the day he died 10 years ago and his living five siblings insist that my grandmother was born in Palermo Sicily and came over as a young child with her parents and siblings. I have tried to let them know that my research has shown she was born in Chicago in 1921 they refused to believe me and there are so many records showing her born in Palermo from people I don't know or don't recognize.I have attached some information.

    Regarding my great grandmother Caterina or Catherine there is some documentation where her last name is spelled Malaggo (see attached in my grandmothers adult handwriting) essentially the letter Z was missed documented in some records as the letter G. My aunt found a document that my grandmother filled out when she lived in Chicago and was about 19 years old you can see how her name was spelled then changed.

    I have attached the obituaries of my grandmother, her sister Margaret and her brother Frank that I have been able to find. I have been told by people who knew my father when he was young that the departure from Italy whenever it was… Was quite scandalous. Apparently they were forced to leave the country due to an issue with a priest at their church. They were devout Catholics I do not know anything beyond that and I do not even know an issue with the priest to be true.

    I can tell you that growing up there was always chatter about my grandmothers brothers and uncles being involved significantly with certain folks in Chicago. I have a few memories when I was under the age of 10 but nothing graphic nothing I would even count on as a reliable memory.

    My mother would not allow my brother or myself to visit the family after my parents divorced because of this reason. Apparently my mother who passed away in 1991 of cancer shortly after turning 45 years old was threatened to never speak of it.

    I have a few more documents of a child about one year old a sibling of my grandmothers that had passed away. I think this one may have to be unsolved.

    If indeed rumors are true that the first migrating family were run out of Sicily followed my involvement in Chicago for decades it isn't likely to me figured out. While it is the fact that they did settle in Chicago. My grandmother Angeline Conforti(e) married my grandfather Robert Lee daugherty in Chicago.my father Patrick Timothy daugherty and his older brother who is my godfather Robert Lee daugherty Jr. were both born in Chicago. My grandparents then relocated to Cincinnati Ohio and proceeded to have 4 more children in Cincinnati. 

    The last document I attached is showing my great great grandfather coming over and living with my great grandfather identified as MIPS I frankly thought that may have been a relative because there's also a Vincenzo in records. But if you look closely at that last document you'll see where Conforti and all of their children are listed that you have identified are followed immediately by a woman name Rose Milazzo who has a son and a daughter listed as well. I find that to be too coincidental as census records were done door-to-door back then which leads me to believe that they are somehow related perhaps a great aunt or a grandparent I don't know but maybe they all lived together.

    I cannot tell you how very much I appreciate this and I wish there was a way that we could meet at a coffee shop and have a discussion as you have been the most helpful and I am very grateful to all who have contributed. I would love to unlock the secrets in the history and the true story but I don't know if that's possible. 





  •  

    Thank you for posting your question on History Hub!

    We see that the community has already located some information for you.  For information about the naturalization records of Cook County, Illinois, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for that county.  See the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records for information about locating American birth, marriage and death records.   See the FamilySearch Wiki page on Italy Civil Registration for information on Italian vital records. 

    We hope this assists you with your research! 

    Sincerely,

    Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)

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