Bob and Linda Match Click here to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook I’ve made several cousin connections using ancestry.com.  With many of them we will simply exchange an email here and there on ancestry.com and compare some notes.  I find that most people go to ancestry.com mainly to have a DNA test, an aren’t that interested in building a family tree, making connections, or sharing information. Occasionally, you hit the jackpot like I did with Linda.  Linda, who was researching her Piromallo grandmother came across my tree and sent me a message.  I always suspected that my grandmother’s aunt had come to the US in 1905, but I could never really make a firm connection.   Over the course of the next 18 months, we would message back and forth with some known or new information and share storied and photos.  I invited Linda to our Family Facebook group as well as some of her immediate family.  While I had a lot of information from Italy, from both my own research and from a local research specialist, Linda did not.   Recently, Linda hired a researcher also, that turned up a lot of information that started to prove the theory.  I was 100% certain, however, Linda still had some doubts.  Earlier this year she did her first DNA test and BINGO 3rd cousins once removed.  In the last few days Linda has been sending some photos.  Her Great Grandmother and my Grandmother were 1st cousins, so this is very exciting to see. For more on the Piromallo Family check these posts. Piromallo Family History Nicola Piromallo Count Giacomo Piromallo     Research Links 1st Cousins Maria Luisa Piromallo Maria Pergamo I am still working on verifying the photo below,  but I am now leaning towards that these are the 2 cousins above with their grandmother. Update:  I think we confirmed based on photos.  My Great Grand Aunt ( My great grandfather’s sister ) Maria Piromallo Update After 18 months of comparing notes and collaborating on email and phone.  Bob and Linda meet for first time.  Linda came over with her first cousin Gene.  What was truly amazing to learn was that Gene and I lived only about 3 blocks from each other in Flushing NY for 4 years.  Gene and Linda’s grandmother had a two family home there.  Their grandmother was my dad’s second cousin.  

Best Italian Surname Search is an update from a our previous post from March 3.  Updated with some new information.  I attempted to find mostly free ones, but a couple may ask for sign up. This is a really cool site as it gives the origin for your name, also variations and popularity in the US — Behind the Name This is a pretty neat one as it shows the map of Italy with the names by region, heat map style — Brilliant Maps This one gives a heat map in a different style, and other countries as well — Italian Surname Map One more map, in a different style — Italian Names Surnames by region, type in a surname for the region and you get a list, you can also get the list of the most common names in a region — Italian Surnames This site gives a list of names by region also — Italy Heritage Italian Side gives you location and pronunciation — Italian Side Seven facts about Italian surnames from Ancestry.com  — Ancestry Italian Surnames Interesting article on the origin of Italian Surnames  ( over 1,000,000 )– La Gazzetta Extensive Italian Surname Searches  from BYU — BYU Italian List Brief article on Italian Surname Searches  from Ancestral Findings The ten most common Italian Surname searches in the US 1. Russo (45,787 people) 2. Marino (26,789 people) 3. Romano (24,280 people) 4. Rossi (23,879 people) 5. Bruno (22,917 people) 6. Esposito (21,438 people) 7. Caruso (19,400 people) 8. Rizzo (17,368 people) 9. Gallo (16,937 people) 10. Greco (16,178 people) Join our Facebook Group Some good articles  Thought.com La Gazetta Italiana Interesting article on where women cannot take there husbands surname Time The 20 most popular names from the Hipster Historian.  No surprise the names above are included, but he gives the meaning.

As part of an ongoing series of posts I’m going to provide information on Italian Immigration to Australia.  I never knew the impact until seeing how many Italian Australians read my blog.  Canada will be next. Click here to join our Facebook group Italian Migration To Australia Italian migration to Australia in the late 19th century and much of the 20th century was fueled by the same factors that drove Italians to the Americas – political upheaval and poor economic conditions at home. But changes in the US immigration policy had a direct effect on the flow to Australian shores. Perhaps the simplest way to document the story of Italian migration to Australia is in the form of a timeline, starting with a historic voyage that marks the beginning of Australia’s colonial history: 1770:  Captain James Cook sailed his ship, the Endeavor, into Botany Bay on Australia’s east coast, claiming the land in the name of the British crown. One of his crew was an Italian seaman named Antonio Ponto, so the first Italian to set foot on Australian soil did so at the very beginning of the colony’s ‘official’ history. But he was not the first Italian to actually see Australia. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage to the Pacific Ocean included a number of Italian crewmen. One, Antonio Pigafetta, recorded the epic journey in his log. Later, in 1789, Alessandro Malaspina led a scientific voyage to the South Pacific on behalf of the Spanish crown. He dropped anchor in 1793 at the British colony at Port Jackson, where two of the Italian artists on board captured the harsh Australian landscape. Early 1800s:  There was a small number of Italian convicts who had been unfortunate enough to be arrested by the British and transported to the penal colony in New South Wales. But the majority of prisoners were from the British Isles. 1840s:  Italian missionaries escaping negative conditions in Italy sailed to Australia to help ‘convert’ the aborigines to Christianity. Many returned home in defeat, but some stayed and enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the indigenous people, much to the chagrin of the British overseers. 1850s:  The first Italian community was established in the Victorian goldfields. In 1854, Rafaello Carboni, a participant in the miners’ rebellion at Ballarat, recorded the only eyewitness account of the infamous Eureka Stockade. 1871:  The 1871 census recorded 960 Italians resident in the state of Victoria. 1881:  The 1881 census was the first to record the number of Italian migrants in all states of Australia. One source reported 1,359 Italians resident in the state of Victoria, while another puts the figure at 947. There were 521 Italians in New South Wales, 250 in Queensland, 11 in Tasmania and 10 in Western Australia. 1883:  A commercial treaty between the King of Italy and the United Kingdom (the governors of Australia) granted Italian residents of Australia the following long-overdue rights: (1) the right to freedom of entry, travel and residence, (2) the right to acquire and own property, and (3) the right to carry on business activities. After the treaty came into effect, a thin flow of Italian migration to Australia continued until 1921. 1891:  The 1891 census recorded 3,899 Italians resident in the state of Victoria. In the same year, several hundred immigrants from Piedmont, Veneto and Sicily arrived in North Queensland to work in the sugar cane industry.  1920s:  The majority of sugar cane growers in North Queensland were Italians who employed other Italians. Older established growers tried (and failed) to drive them from the industry. In the same period, Italians began growing fruit in Stanthorpe in South East Queensland. 1921:  The US government imposed stringent quotas on immigration from Italy, forcing many young Italians who had planned to immigrate to the USA to choose Australia instead.  As an American this is an interesting fact! 1921-1933:  The number of Italians in Australia trebled. Most were poor and illiterate, from rural areas. Their rural backgrounds allowed many to excel in farming and viticulture (wine growing), but others were forced to find work in factories, mining and retail (particularly in food related businesses such as fruit shops, delicatessens and bakeries). 1925:  The first Italian-Australian association was formed in Brisbane, Queensland. Similar organizations had been formed in all the major cities. 1930s-1950s:  Italians farmers revived the Australian tobacco industry, and controlled 75% of tobacco production by the 1950s. 1939:  Approximately 38,000 Italians were now living in Australia. 1939-1945:  Italian immigration to Australia had slowed, but World War II was a time of poor treatment of Italians at the hands of Australians. Italy’s alliance with Germany against the Allies added more pressure to an already negative situation. 4,721 Italian males were arrested and interned in camps as ‘enemy aliens’. Many of the prisoners’ wives were unable to hold onto their homes in the absence of the family breadwinner, and were forced to take their children and seek shelter with friends and relatives. In addition, 8,000 prisoners of war, many of them Italian, were shipped from the United Kingdom and other Allied bases to Australia for internment. Due to food shortages caused by the imprisonment of Italian-Australian farmers, many of the prisoners were commandeered to work on the land, and many chose to immigrate to Australia after the war ended. 1946:  Large-scale immigration of Europeans displaced after World War II created a major shift in the ethnic composition of the Australian population. Established migrants sponsored their families and relatives, leading to a peak in immigration levels. 1955:  As the economy grew, the Italian migration to Australia continued, with many gravitating to North Queensland where they worked in the sugar cane industry. The sugar industry’s rapid growth continued for the next 15 years. 1961:  The 1961 census recorded 228,296 Italian-born residents. 1971:  The 1971 census recorded 660,000 Italian-born residents. 1970-1980:  The economy slowed and unemployment became a growing problem. Many businesses began to go offshore. In Italy, economic conditions had greatly improved so there was no further incentive for her citizens to emigrate. Italian migration to Australia virtually stopped. By the mid-1970s, many Italians who had arrived in Australia after World War 11 ran successful businesses and owned their own homes and at least one rental property. Their children were studying at University or had well-paying jobs. They had seized their “second chance” and run with it, often incurring resentment from their Australian peers, who weren’t driven by the same work ethic. The older Italians who had arrived in earlier decades were now retiring, spending winters in their units on the Gold Coast and traveling overseas to visit Italy and Europe.  The term ‘multiculturalism’ began to crop up in political debates and in the media. And in this changing climate, the Italian contributions to Australian society were finally acknowledged. The 2006 Census counted 199,124 persons who were born in Italy. However, 852,417 persons identified themselves as having Italian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. Italian is the fifth most identified ancestry in Australia behind Australian, English, Irish and Scottish. From www.italianlegacy.com National Archives of Australia Fact sheet provides links to many records regarding Italian Immigration to Australia. Italian Migration to Australia in Pictures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S9i0wISfvs Watching this montage, it’s hard not to see the similarities between the Italians that migrated to Australia and America.  But we say “New Yawk”  I hope you enjoyed.  Please share. Genealogy Books

I call this Bob’s Osso Buco Stew as it is not Osso Bucco in the truest sense as you do not have a veal shank per person.  This recipe uses only one veal shank to keep the cost down, but keeps the flavor and the intent.  Serves 4 1 Veal Shank 1 1/2 Pounds veal or beef stew ( or you can combine ) 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1/2 cup dry red wine Olive Oil Flour 1 Carrot 1 Medium Onion 2 Celery Stalks 3 Garlic Cloves 2 Bay Leaves 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 2 Ounces Tomato Paste 1 Cup Chicken Stock ( I use low sodium ) 2 Cups Water 2 Tbsp Italian Parsley Add some salt and black pepper to flour and dredge all the meat.  Put the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor and chop very fine.  Coat the bottom of a ceramic pot with olive oil and add the vegetables.  Cook for about 5 mins on medium while stirring.  Add the meat and brown on all sides.   Add the lemon juice and wine cook for 2 minute.  Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and worcestershire sauce.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add tomato paste and enough water to cover meat.   Cook covered for 60 minutes.  Stir occasionally, add water if needed.  Uncover and cook until tender and the sauce is reduced.   I serve over risotto made with saffron and 1/2 water 1/2 chicken stock.  If there are left overs I shred the meat in the sauce and serve mixed with ziti. Mangia Visit Our Recipe Page

A lot of people post on how they cannot understand why they are not 100% Italian.  I am lucky enough to be able to trace one of my paternal great grandmothers back over 1400 years to various places in Europe.  Here’s just one example how you get to Italian from French.  Relationship Alberich Alsace’s relation to you: Direct ancestor (36 generations) Here’s how: Note: Piromallo is originally from Spain.  The Italian branch began in Calabria in the 1500’s. Italian 1. Nicholas Victor Sorrentino is your father 2. Maria Luigia Piromallo is the mother of Nicholas Victor Sorrentino 3. Maria Emilia Caracciolo is the mother of Maria Luigia Piromallo 4. Filippo Caracciolo is the father of Maria Emilia Caracciolo 5. Prince Luigi Caracciolo is the father of Filippo Caracciolo 6. Prince Ambrogio II Caracciolo is the father of Prince Luigi Caracciolo 7. Prince Luigi Caracciolo is the father of Prince Ambrogio II Caracciolo 8. Ambrogio Caracciolo is the father of Prince Luigi Caracciolo 9. Prince Marino III Caracciolo is the father of Ambrogio Caracciolo 10. Prince Francesco Marino Caracciolo is the father of Prince Marino III Caracciolo Spanish 11. Francesca D’AVOLOS is the mother of Prince Francesco Marino Caracciolo 12. Innico III D’Avalos is the father of Francesca D’AVOLOS 13. Lucrezia Del Tufo is the mother of Innico III D’Avalos Greek 14. Margaret Palaiologos is the mother of Lucrezia Del Tufo French 15. Anne Alencon is the mother of Margaret Palaiologos 16. Renè Valois is the father of Anne Alencon 17. Jean II Alencon is the father of Renè Valois 18. Jean 1 le Sage Alencon is the father of Jean II Alencon 19. Pierre II Alencon is the father of Jean 1 le Sage Alencon 20. Charles II Alencon is the father of Pierre II Alencon 21. Charles IV Alencon is the father of Charles II Alencon Spanish 22. Isabella Aragon is the mother of Charles IV Alencon 23. James I Aragon is the father of Isabella Aragon 24. Peter II Aragon is the father of James I Aragon 25. Sanchia Castile is the mother of Peter II Aragon 26. Alfonso VII Castile is the father of Sanchia Castile 27. Raymond Burgundy is the father of Alfonso VII Castile French 28. Etiennette Stephanie Longwy is the mother of Raymond Burgundy 29. Adalbert De Longwy is the father of Etiennette Stephanie Longwy 30. Gerhard II Vogt von Remiremont Comte Metz is the father of Adalbert De Longwy 31. Adalbert Metz is the father of Gerhard II Vogt von Remiremont Comte Metz 32. Eberhard IV Nordgau is the father of Adalbert Metz 33. Hugo III Alsace is the father of Eberhard IV Nordgau 34. Eberhard Count Nordgau is the father of Hugo III Alsace 35. Eberhard Nordgau is the father of Eberhard Count Nordgau 36. Alberich Alsace is the father of Eberhard Nordgau Click here to join Italian Genealogy on Facebook Raymond of Burgundy 25th GG Raymond of Burgundy(c. 1070 – 24 May 1107) was the ruler of Galiciafrom about 1090 until his death. He was the fourth son of Count William I of Burgundyand Stephanie. He married Urraca, future queen of León, and was the father of the future emperor Alfonso VII. When Raymond and his cousin, Henry of Burgundy, first arrived in Iberia is uncertain, but it probably was with the army of Duke Odo I of Burgundyin 1086. In April 1087, the army abandoned the siege of Tudela. While most of the army returned home, Odo and his retinue went west. By 21 July 1087 they were probably at Burgos, at the court of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile, and by 5 August he was in the capital city of León. There Odo most likely arranged Raymond’s marriage to Alfonso’s heiress, Urraca. All surviving charters which seem to place Raymond in Spain before 1087 are either mis-dated or interpolated.[1] By his marriage Raymond received as dowry the government of the Kingdom of Galicia(which included the County of Portugaland the County of Coimbra),[2]although shortly after, in 1095, Alfonso VI gave the County of Portugal and the County of Coimbra to Henry of Burgundy, father of the first Portuguese King Afonso Henriques of Portugal, basing it in Bracara Augusta(nowadays Braga). During his government he was titled Count, Dominus, Prince, Emperorand Consulof Galicia or of the Galicians, exercising near absolute power in his domains (“in urbe Gallecia regnante Comite Raymundus”): “serenissimus totius Gallecie comes”, “totius Gallecie Senior et Dominus”, “totius Gallecie Consul”, “totius Gallecie Princeps”, “totius Gallecie Imperator”.[3] He was father of Alfonso VII of León and Castile(1104/1105–1157), already crowned king of Galicia in 1111, while his brother later became Pope Callixtus II. Sancha of Castile 23th GG Sancha of Castile(21 September 1154/5 – 9 November 1208) was the only surviving child of King Alfonso VII of Castileby his second wife, Richeza of Poland.[1]On January 18, 1174, she married King Alfonso II of Aragonat Zaragoza;[2]they had at least eight childrenwho survived into adulthood. A patroness of troubadours such as Giraud de Calanson and Peire Raymond, the queen became involved in a legal dispute with her husband concerning properties which formed part of her dower estates. In 1177 she entered the county of Ribagorzaand took forcible possession of various castles and fortresses which had belonged to the crown there. After her husband died at Perpignan in 1196, Sancha was relegated to the background of political affairs by her son Peter II. She retired from court, withdrawing to the Hospitaller convent for noble ladies, the Monastery of Santa María de Sigena, at Sigena, which she had founded.[3]There she assumed the cross of the Order of St John of Jerusalemwhich she wore until the end of her life. The queen mother entertained her widowed daughter Constanceat Sigena prior to her leaving Aragon to marry Emperor Frederick IIin 1208. She died soon afterwards, aged fifty-four, and was interred in front of the high altar of her foundation at the Monastery of Santa María de Sigena; her tomb is still there to be seen. Jean the Sage 15th GG John I of Alençon, called the Sage(1385 – 25 October 1415), was a French nobleman, killed at the Battle of Agincourt. John was born in Château d’Essay, the son of Peter II of Alençonand Marie de Chamaillard. In 1404, he succeeded his father as Count of Alençonand Perche. He was made Duke of Alençonin 1414. He commanded the second division of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt. When the English broke through the first division, he led a countercharge. He is sometimes credited with killing Edward, Duke of York, wounding Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and cutting an ornament from the crown of Henry V of England; but he was then overpowered by the King’s bodyguard, and slain by the Welsh nobleman Dafydd Gambefore he could yield himself. Palaiologos Alencon D’Avalos Aragon For more info check our blog pages: Prince Marino Caracciolo Italian Ancestor Crests of Caracciolo King Alfonso of Aragon Saint Elizabeth of Portugal Piromallo Family History     LINKS TO ITALIAN SURNAME SEARCHES