Cyndi's List

Any serious genealogist would tell you that one of their most valuable research tools is Cyndi’s List.  Cyndi’s List is a very large collection of genealogical resources on one website.  It is a labor of love by one person, Cyndi Howells, and a handful of volunteers.  Genealogists, both amateur and professional, have been using it for almost 20 years now.  It does not contain all the answers, but it probably can tell you where to find all the answers. 

A website or blog must be reviewed and approved before it is included on Cyndi’s List.   Not every blog or website makes it.  I am proud to announce that the Ambruso Family History blog that you are reading has just been added to Cyndi’s List.   This means that anyone searching for information on Ambruso genealogy can go on Cyndi's List, type in the surname "Ambruso" in the Search Box, and will be directed to this blog as one of the available resources.  

By the feedback I have received, I know that this blog has been helpful to many people, and that they enjoy the images and stories.  Anything that has been accomplished thus far in this endeavor has been made possible only because of the contributions by family members.  Please continue to send me family stories and photos.  I will gladly include them in future blog articles.  

I wish you all a very happy, blessed and peaceful Christmas.

Featured Family Photo #2

 

As I mentioned previously on this blog, the importance of 139 Harrison Avenue, Garfield NJ cannot be overstated.  That house was the cental location for my branch of the Ambruso family when they first decided to travel to the America.  It was built by Patsy Bonelli and his wife Mary Ambruso in 1909.  It was where Mary's siblings and mother came when they first entered the United States.  Patsy and Mary had a daughter, Rose, who married a guy named Mike Melfi, who lived just around the corner.  Rose and Mike came to live at 139 Harrison Avenue.  They raised their family there.

 



The picture above shows my mother Esther Ambruso Casteline with me and the three children of Mike Melfi and Rose Bonelli, all sitting on the front steps of 139 Harrison Avenue.  The year is about 1948.  My mother is holding Tommy, the youngest.  On the far left is Michael Melfi Jr.  On the far right, with the bannana curls, is Marie Annette.  I'm the little guy with the wavy hair sitting next to my mother.  Tommy Melfi, the baby, still lives in the house today. 

Italians in America and the Great War

Unidentified Italian soldiers in Austria during World War I

 

The following is the opening paragraph of a research paper published in Italian Americana in 1978 by Fiorello B. Ventresco.  The title of the paper is: Loyalty and Descent: Italian Reservists in America during World War I:

“In the summer of 1915, an angry mob of Italians in Philadelphia stormed the hall at Eighth and Christian Streets where a meeting was taking place and attacked several of the speakers.  The speakers were attempting to convince reservists not to return to Italy, where they would fight in the Great War. Such conflicts became common in various parts of America as the war continued.  The clash of opinions among Italians in the United States emerges as one of the most interesting and complex chapters in American history.” 

The entire 29 page article can be read at www.jstor.org .  The author goes into great detail about the reasons for and reactions to Italy’s reach to America to get its young men to come back home and help fight in the war it just entered.  The enormous exodus of young Italian men to the United States and other countries during the last decade of the 19^th century and the first decade of the 20^th century drastically depleted the number of able-bodied young men available to serve in the Italian Army.  The Italian government never thought that these young men were permanently lost.  They considered them Italian citizens working in a foreign country and reservists in the Italian Army.  They assumed that they could get about 100,000 young men to return to Italy from the United States.  At the outbreak of the war, the U.S. government was neutral and formally announced that no foreign born residents could be forced to join foreign armies as long as they remained in the United States.   The records show that by December 1915, about 41% of the Italian men in the United States returned to Italy to fight in the war.  A remarkably high percentage.

How did this situation affect our Ambruso ancestors?  Consider the fact that the angry mob assembled at Eighth and Christian was just two blocks down the street from where Frank Ambruso and his sons and their families were living at the time.  Were they part of the protest? 

 Frank Ambruso was 70 years old in 1915, and already a naturalized American citizen since 1900. His sons, Michael and Leonardo were also naturalized citizens and fully absorbed into the American culture.  There is no indication that they served in the U.S. military, however they did fill out the required WW1 draft registration cards in 1918. 

Also in Philadelphia in 1915, Frank’s brother Joseph had two sons old enough to serve in the Italian Army.  Michael was 24 and Eugenio was 23.  Michael was married with two children and lived just four blocks from the scene of the 1915 demonstration.  He submitted his application for naturalization before that, in January 1914 and was granted United States citizenship in May 1918.  Obviously, he had no intention of joining the Italian Army.  The same must have been true of his brother Eugenio who was granted U.S. Citizenship in 1923. 

My own grandfather, Michael, was in Garfield, NJ in 1915 when Italy entered the war.  He had already served in the Italian Army before he came to America.  In 1918, near the end of the war, enlisted in the U.S. Army and gained U.S. citizenship.  His brother-in-law, Lawrence Mancini married to Felicia Ambruso, enlisted with him.  Unlike many of their fellow Italian immigrants, my grandfather and his brother-in-law seemed to have cut ties with the old country and embrace the new one. 

We do know what one Ambruso ancestor did answer the call.  “Hartford Mike”, Michele Ambruso (b. 1890) was in the USA in 1915 when he decided to return to Italy to serve in his country by joining the Italian Army.  It also helped that his wife was still in Italy.  He was not alone.  When he eventually returned to the United States in 1923, the passenger manifest of the ship he was on shows scores of young men who must have done the same thing.  The record shows that they were in America until 1915 and then returned to Italy.  So it seems that Hartford Mike was the only Ambruso family member that answered the call from Italy and joined the Italian Army during the Great War…La Grande Guerra.



Marriages & Families – Michael Ambruso and Angela Onorati

Original 1911 marriage document from Salandra for
Michele Ambruso and Angela Onorati

Michele Ambruso (b. 1890), the first son of Michele Ambruso (b. 1847) married Angela Maria Onorati in Salandra in June of 1911 (see marriage document above).  As stated in the previous post, Michele (Michael) made several trips to the United States and back to Italy before finally settling with his family in Hartford, CT. 

Michael and Angela had their first child, a son, they named Antonio.  He was born in Salandra in March 1914.  His father, Michael was in America at the time.  In 1915, Michael returned to Salandra to serve in the Italian Army during World War 1.  According to his daughter, Mary, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war for eight months.  After the war, he stayed in Salandra for a few years.  In November of 1920, their second son Giuseppe Vincenzo is born.  He is named after Angela’s father, his grandfather. 

The Salandra birth records show that Michael and Angela then had two daughters, Assunta , born in August 1923, and Michelina, born in September 1925.  Both of these girls died at a young age.  Neither was alive in 1930. 

Michael and Angela's names on the Ellis Island plaque.

Michael eventually settled in Hartford, Connecticut where Angela’s brother, Angelo had been living with his family since before 1909.  According to the Hartford City Directory, in 1929 Michael was living in Hartford and working as a plasterer.  Also in 1929, Michael was naturalized and became a U.S. citizen.  In early May of 1930, his wife Angela left her parents in Salandra and traveled with her two young sons to the ship leaving Naples for New York.  On May 12^th 1930, she arrived at Ellis Island with her two sons, Antonio and Giuseppe.  The manifest states that they were going to her husband Michael at 113 New Britain Avenue in Hartford.  Interesting note: On the manifest, sixteen year old Antonio has his occupation listed as “barber”.  

 

Michael and Angela had two more children while living in Hartford.  Maria (Mary) was born in 1931, and Rocco Giuseppe was born in August 1936.  All four of their children married and settled in the Hartford area.  Michael and Angela had eleven grand children, and their many descendants now spread throughout Connecticut and New England. 

Michele Ambruso (b.1890) – Bird of Passage

Much of what we know about the early life of Michele (Michael) Ambruso (b. 1890) comes from ship’s manifests.  As a young man he traveled back and forth across the Atlantic several times.  On at least three occasions, he left his wife Angela pregnant in Salandra and took off to the USA, presumably to find a job and a better life for his family.  Here is a chronology of facts that were available from public records:

12 Sept 1913 – Michele arrives at Ellis Island.  He states on the ship’s manifest that he is heading to his uncle Francesco in Philadelphia.  It also says that he left his wife in Salandra.  What it doesn’t say is that she is about three months pregnant with his first son, Antonio.

 

6 Mar 1914 – Michele’s first son Antonio is born in Salandra.  Michele is in the USA.

1915 – Michele returns to Italy to enlist in the Italian Army to fight in World War 1.  He was a prisoner of war for eight months.  After the war, he stayed in Salandra for a few years.

 

28 Nov 1920 – Michele’s second son Giuseppe is born in Salandra.

2 Mar 1923 – Michele returns to the USA.  This time he states that he is going to his other uncle, Giuseppe, in Philadelphia.

 

21 Aug 1923 – Angela gives birth to a daughter, Assunta, in Salandra.  The birth record says that Michele, the father, is in America.  This means that Michele left for America when Angela was just a few months pregnant.

14 Sept 1925 – Angela gives birth to another daughter, Michelina, in Salandra.  As with Assunta, this birth record also says that Michele is in America.  This means that sometime in late 1924, Michele must have returned to Salandra to conceive Michelina, and then hopped back across the Atlantic (although we cannot find the ship’s manifest for this crossing).  Sadly, both Assunta and Michelina died as young children.

 

1929 – Michele is living in Hartford and has a steady job. 

13 May 1930 – Angela and her two sons sail to America to join Michele in Hartford.

In all, that makes five trips across the Atlantic over a period of twelve years.  And you think you have a long commute to work. 

Research indicates that in the early 1900’s there were many Italian immigrants who came to America to find work and earn some money with every intention of returning back to their home town in Italy.  We call these people “birds of passage”, going back and forth like a migrating bird.  The fact that Michele went back to serve in the Italian Army during World War 1 is an good indication that in 1915 he still considered himself an Italian, who made a trip to America.  The fact that he became a naturalized U.S. Citizen in 1929 shows that he eventually became permanent part of a new country where he decided to raise his family.

Family of Michele Ambruso (b. 1847) and Antonia Maria Lauria

1872 Salandra Marriage Document
 for Michele Ambruso and Antonia Maria Lauria.
Difficult to read because of the old script and the slightly out of focus microfilm.
(click on photo to enlarge)

Michele Ambruso was the second son of Michelarcangelo Ambruso and Maria Giuseppa Iula.  He was born in Salandra in 1847.  He married Antonia Maria Lauria in Salandra in May 1872.  They had five children.  The first child, a girl named Maria Giuseppa after her maternal grandmother, was born in April 1874.  She married Rocco Querrieri in 1891, and then, later on in life in 1919 after Rocco passed away, she married Leonardo Gagliardi.

The second child was born in 1880.  Following naming customs, she was named Angela Maria after her maternal grandmother.  She married Nicola Castellano in 1896.  The third child was also a girl, born in 1887.  She was named Rosa Maria.  Rosa married Rocco Belmonte in May of 1903.  There is no indication that any of the daughters of Michele and Antonia, or their husbands, ever came to the United States. 

The fourth child was a boy, their first son.  He was born on 31 Aug 1890. They named him Michele after his paternal grandfather.  For some unknown reason, as I mentioned in the previous post, Michele was also the name of his father.  Michele (b. 1890) married Angela Maria Onorati in Salandra in 1872.  Michele and Angela and their family came to the United States and settled in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Michele (b. 1847) and Antonia had a fifth child, Domenico, in 1893.  Domenico married Rosaria Albanese in 1913, and later married Margherita Saponara in November 1919.  Michele died in Salandra in 1909.

Michele, son of Michele, son of Michelarcangelo

In Salandra, in 1847, Maria Giuseppa Iula, wife of Michelarcangelo Ambruso, gave birth to their second child.  Their first child, a boy was named Francesco Domenico after Michelarcangelo’s father.  This second child was also a boy, the second son.  By the naming customs of the time (see my post dated May 17, 2013), this second son should have been named after his mother’s father.  Maria’s father’s name was Francescantonio, but they couldn’t name the child Francesco.  They already had a Francesco.  They could have named him Antonio, but for some unknown reason which we will never know, they named him Michele, the same name as his father.
 
The naming customs in Basilicata at that time were normally followed very strictly.  As a matter of fact, in later years after Italy was unified, it was against the law to name a child after his father, because of possible confusion of records.  In any case, the second son of Michelarcangelo and Maria Giuseppe was named Michele, with no middle name.  This has been verified by record extracts directly from the town clerk in Salandra.

This Michele Ambruso (b. 1847) had a first son who was born in Salandra in 1890.  Unlike his father, he did follow the naming customs and named this first son Michele, which was the name of his grandfather …but also the name of his father.   But guess what, that Michele (b. 1890) named his first son Antonio, the name his father’s father should have had, the “second” name of his great grandfather Francesantonio Iula. 

Michele Ambruso born in Salandra in 1890 was one of "the four Michaels" I talked about in an earlier post (see my post dated May 10, 2013).  He and his family eventually settled in Hartford Connecticut.  To avoid confusion with the other Michael’s, I have labeled him “Hartford Mike”.   We will talk more about Harford Mike and his family in the next few postings. 

Featured Family Photo

Ambruso Cousins (ca.1946)  From left to right (using their 1946 names): Esther Ambruso, Isabella Graziadei, John Angiulli, Rose Graziadei, and Millie Ambruso 

 

Thanks to my Aunt Millie (far right in the photo above) and her fabulous collection of old photos, we have many great old photographs to post, like the one above.  From time to time, I will post a random family photo on this blog as a Featured Family Photo.  I would be more than happy to post any family photos that you might have, even more recent ones.  Please send them to me digitally, as a "jpg file" attached to your e-mail.  My e-mail address is jmcast@rcn.com.  Please include a description of the photo, identify all the people, and give an approximate date.  Let's share some of these wonderful old photos with each other.

Remembering: Michael Anthony Ambruso (1889-1976), Part 2 – USA



the "Mayor of Wallington"

When my grandfather Michael got to Garfield, NJ in 1913, he started working as a laborer in the woolen mills like so many other immigrants. The loud noises and harsh smells of an industrial textile plant must have been a shocking change from riding a horse in the fresh air of the Italian countryside, the life he was used to.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1918, near the end of World War 1, and was honorably discharged six months later.  His military career was short, but enough to gain him U.S. Citizenship. 

 

In 1920 he married Jennie Lammard, my grandmother.  Jennie was Italian-American with the emphasis on the “American”.  She was born in Brooklyn, not Italy.  She refused to let Italian be spoken in the house.  As a result, Michael spoke very little Italian except for some slang and funny expressions.  He taught me a few phrases and how to count in Italian.  I now wish I would have learned more Italian from him.  My grandfather was an emotional man.  Jennie died in 1956, but I remember seeing him shed tears for his Jennie every year, on the date of their anniversary and the date of her death.

 

Life was not always easy for Michael.  He and Jennie had a nice house in Garfield, but they were forced to sell it during the Great Depression.  They moved to a rental apartment in Wallington.  After his wife died, my mother cooked dinner for my grandfather every night, so he spent a lot of time at our house.   I’m happy to say that I got to know him pretty well.

From the 1940’s until he retired, Michael worked at Midwest Pipe Company.  He mentioned that he worked at the “bending table”, but it did not mean anything to me at the time.  By total coincidence, I got a summer job at the same plant just after I graduated from high school, after my grandfather had already retired.  I mostly did helper jobs like painting, cleaning or loading trucks, but there was a two week stretch when an employee was on vacation that they asked me to work on the bending table.  The bending table was used to bend large diameter pipes to a certain angle.  The pipe was filled with sand and heated in a furnace until it was red hot.  The pipe was bent using blocks and tackle and heavy ropes, but there was a lot of crashing sledge hammers and clanging metal next to a red hot metal pipe.  This was before OSHA.  One slip and a person could be badly burned.  It was hot, dangerous, dirty, backbreaking labor.  It was the hardest two weeks of work I ever experienced in my life.  I was glad when it was over.  I am amazed when I think that my grandfather Michael worked at that same horrible bending table every day for over 15 years!  He was small in stature but very strong.  I remember him swinging a sledge hammer to help break up the old sidewalk in front of our house.   He was about 70 years old at the time.

Of course, he took off his suit jacket before he swung that sledge hammer.  He was always dressed as a gentleman, in a suit, a nice tie and a hat.   People called him the "Mayor of Wallington”.  He would smile and say hello to everyone.  Almost every day, he would walk over the Market Street Bridge into Passaic.  He would stop and talk to all the Jewish merchants in the shops along the way.  Often he would come to dinner at our house with a new hat or watch and brag about the bargain he got. 

He would start his day with a large healthy breakfast.  It would always include an egg, some cereal and “prumma juice”.  It would also include a shot of sweet vermouth.  Probably because of the good breakfast  and the daily 2 to 3 mile walk, Michael remained very healthy until he died suddenly of a heart attack in 1976, at the age of 86. 

My grandfather was physically strong, hardworking and honest.  He was dedicated to his wife and family.  He knew when to laugh and when to cry.  He was always willing to help a person in need.  I have inherited many of his attributes.  I am proud to be Michael Ambruso’s grandson.

Remembering: Michael Anthony Ambruso (1889-1976), Part 1 – Italy

Michele Antonio Ambruso was the oldest son of Rocco Vincenzo Ambruso.  He was born in Salandra on 4 June 1889.  He was my grandfather.  His father owned horses, so Michele learned to ride at an early age.  It has been said that Rocco was the postmaster in Salandra and that Michele helped him deliver the mail on horseback to the outlying rural areas. 

Michele’s sisters often told me stories of his mischievous adventures as a young man.  One story described an incident where the parish priest was sitting in the pew of an empty church talking with an attractive woman of the village.  They were apparently sitting very close together.  When the people started coming in to church for the service, they quickly moved apart, but, to their embarrassment, the woman’s dress and the priest’s cassock were connected by a safety pin which Michele had attached by crawling under the pew.  There is also the legend that Michele had bought seven inexpensive rings and was engaged to seven girls at once.  Family legends: probably not exactly factual…but not totally fabricated either.  Details get changed as they are passed from one generation to the next, but there is always some grain of truth in any of these legends.

 

Because he was an experienced horseman, he served his two years of military service (1910 to 1912) with the Italian Cavalry and was discharged with the rank of Corporal Major. 

In 1909, his older sister Maria followed her husband, Pasquale Bonelli, to Garfield, New Jersey in the United States.  Michele and two of his sisters decided to follow Maria to Garfield.  The three siblings arrived at Ellis Island two days before Christmas, 1913.  They didn't speak a word of English.  Their instructions were to go by train to Passaic.  I can visualize them holding a piece of paper with the word “Passaic” written on it, and carefully comparing it to the name of each station stop.  That is probably why they mistakenly, got off at Passaic Park, one stop before Passaic.  They had to take a taxi cab to Garfield.  This must have been quite an experience for them since there were probably no taxi cabs in southern Italy in 1913.  They eventually got to Harrison Avenue in Garfield.  The cab driver held up three fingers, indicating a three dollar fare.  My grandfather said: “Si, one…two…three” pointing to himself and his two sisters. 

Giuseppe's Family Photo

We will end our overview of the Ambruso ancestors of Philadelphia with this wonderful photo of Giuseppe Ambruso and his family (ca. 1911).  The photo was provided by Rob Bradley, a family genealogist and husband of Vito's granddaughter.  In the back row are the two oldest sons, Michael (b. 1891) and Eugenio (b. 1892).  I'm not sure which one is which.  Across the front, from left to right are: Mary (b. 1895), Assunta (b. 1904), mother Maria, little Vito (b. 1907), father Giuseppe, Frank C. (b.1900), and Adeline (b. 1897).  Certainly a grand family.  These people lived their lives as proud Americans with strong Italian roots and traditions.  Giuseppe and Maria dreamed of a better life in America for their family.  Today, their grand children and great grandchildren are living out their dreams and keeping the traditions alive.  Evviva per le famiglie!

Marriages & Families - Vito Ambruso and Anna Gervasio

Wedding Photo of Vito Ambruso and Anna Gervasio - 1940

Vito Ambruso was the youngest child of Giuseppe Ambruso and Maria DiDio.  He was born in Philadelphia in 1907.  His given name was Vito, not Davito, but most of his friends and relatives called him “David”.  It is said that his teacher in school started calling him David and it stuck.  Like his older siblings, he worked on farms in southern New Jersey when he was young.   By 1930, at 23 years of age, he was working as a barber, a profession he stayed with for the rest of his life.

 

In 1940 Vito married Anna Ida Gervasio.  Anna was born in 1918 in Philadelphia.  Their only child was a girl they named Kathleen.  She was born in May of 1943.  In September of 1943, when Kathleen was 4 months old, Vito joined the Army to fight in World War 2.  He was discharged in 1945.  In 1953, the family moved to Delaware Township, New Jersey, which was later renamed Cherry Hill.  Vito passed away in Maple Shade, NJ in 1989.  Anna passed away in 1996.

Marriages & Families – Frank C. Ambruso and Mary Bombaro

Francesco Ambruso came to the USA in May of 1901 as a baby, in the arms of his mother, Maria Giuseppa.  He was born in Salandra in April 1900, so he was only 11 months old when he came.  Maria took him and his two sisters to Philadelphia.  By 1918 Francesco was going by the name “Frank” and living and working as a farmhand in Moorestown, NJ according to his World War 1 Draft Registration Card.   His older brother Eugenio was working also working as a farmhand in Moorestown at that time, probably at the same farm.   

In 1925, Frank married Mary Bombaro in Philadelphia and set up residence at 917 Daly Street.  Mary was born in Philadelphia in 1907.  According to the 1930 U.S. Census, Frank was working in the wooden cabinet shop of the Victor Talking Machine Co. in Camden, NJ, recently purchased by RCA.  He probably took the ferry across the Delaware from Philly to Camden every day.  Frank and Mary had four children: Rita (b. 1927), Adeline (b. 1929), Maryanne (b. 1932), and Joseph (b. 1932).  Maryanne and Joseph might have been twins.  Does anyone out there know for sure?  If so please send me an e-mail.

Between 1935 and 1940, the family moved to the Chesilhurst, NJ, way out in the newly forming suburbs, about 16 miles southeast of Camden.   Frank must have had a car, since he was still working for RCA in 1940.  Frank and Mary retired to Deerfield Beach, Florida.  Frank died there in 1979.  Mary passed away in 1995.  If anyone would like to share some stories or photos of Frank and Mary and their family, I would be happy to post them.

Did Adelina Really Move Out West and Marry an Indian?

Adeline Kane in the 1940 U.S. Census from Mullan, Idaho

According to her husband’s Petition for Naturalization, Adelina “Lena” Ambruso was born in Salandra on September 12, 1898.  We know she arrived at Ellis Island with her mother Maria Giuseppa, her older sister Maria, and her infant brother Francesco in May of 1901.  They were all going to Adelina’s father in Philadelphia.  In 1915, she married Joseph Bonviglio in Philadelphia.  Joseph was from Garaguso, a town near Salandra.
 
Then, on the 1930 U.S. Census, she was back living in her parent’s home and listed as “divorced”.  In doing this research I have pouring over many 1930 census records.  I can say with certainty that it is extremely rare to see anyone listed as “divorced”.  Divorce was not very common in 1930, especially in South Philadelphia. 

From that point on, the record of Adelina’s life becomes a little fuzzy.  An Ambruso relative found a funeral prayer card for an Adelina Kane who died on January 16, 1971, at age 71. The funeral home was in Pennsauken, NJ.  However, there is also a family rumor that Adeline was married to an Indian out West.  Recently we found a 1940 U.S. Census record from Mullan, Idaho which lists an Adeline, married to Albert Kane, a lead/zinc miner who was born in Arizona.  It lists her age in 1940 as 40 years old and born in Italy, naturalized and it says that she was living in Philadelphia in 1935.  Could this Adeline be Giuseppe’s daughter? She must be.  All the facts match.

Was Albert Kane a Native American?  Why did Adelina move out West?  How did she wind up in such an out-of-the-way place as Mullan, Idaho?  Where did she meet Albert Kane?  Why did she later come back to the Philadelphia area?  Did Albert Kane also come back to the Philadelphia area?  Why did she get divorced from Joseph Bonviglio in the first place?  These are questions we are still trying to answer.  Sounds like it would make a good novel.  If you could shed any light on the Adelina Mystery, please send me an e-mail. 

Marriages & Families – Antonio Lauria and Mary Ambruso

Maria Giuseppa Ambruso arrived in the USA with her mother and sister and brother in May of 1901.  She was 6 years old at the time.  They all were headed to Maria’s father, Giuseppe, who was just getting settled in Philadelphia.  In 1913, at the age of 18, she married Antonio Lauria.  Antonio was born in 1892 in Cosenza, Italy.  He was a barber.  They had five children: Ralph (b. 1914), Margaret (b. 1916), Marie (b. 1917), Joseph (b. 1922), and Anthony Jr. (b. 1927).

According to the 1920 U.S. Census, they originally lived at 917 Daly Street.  The family later moved to 1438 Porter Street and then moved to Upper Darby, just west of Philadelphia.  Antonio died in April of 1964.  At this point we don’t know much about Maria Ambruso Lauria.  If any relative has any more information, please contact me and I will add it to this posting.

Marriages & Families - Eugene and Carmella Ambruso

Eugenio Ambruso's
World War 1 Draft Registration Card

For a genealogist, World War 1 and 2 Draft Registration Cards provide a wealth of valuable information.  Since the card is a serious, official government document that was filled out by the person himself, the information is usually very accurate.  The photo to the left shows the WW1 card filled out by Eugenio Ambruso the second son of Giuseppe.  First, we notice that, when the card was filled out in 1918, he was still using the name Eugenio instead of Eugene, or "John" as everyone later called him.  He states that he was born on Novber (sp) 25, 1893 in "itley".  It should also be noted that his WW2 Draft Registration Card says he was born on Nov 25, 1892 (different year) in Salandra, Italy, which proved that this is indeed Giuseppe's son Eugenio. 

Eugenio came to the United States with his father Giuseppe and his older brother Michele in October of 1900.  They went to Giuseppe's brother Francesco in Philadelphia.  Eugenio's mother, Maria, came over with the rest of the family in 1901.

The WW1 card also tells us that Eugenio is living at home with his father, mother and brother at 812 South 12th St. in Philadelphia.  However, he is working as a farm hand in Moorestown, NJ.  In 1918, it would have been very difficult to commute from Philadelphia to Moorestown every day.  He may have stayed at the farm during the week and come home on weekends, or it might have only been a seasonal job during the harvest. 

Two years later, in 1920, he married Carmella Laina in Philadelphia.  They had two girls: Mary "Mae", born in 1921, and Theresa, born in 1925.  Eugenio applied for U.S. Citizenship in 1923.  By that time the family was living at 2321 Percy Street and he had a job as a punch press operator.   According to his WW2 Draft Registration Form, he was working at that same company, Pillings & Sons Surgical Instruments in 1943, but living at 1229 Wolf Street, where he resided for the rest of his life. 

Eugenio, (or John as he was called for most of his life) became fairly successful, and owned eleven properties in South Philadelphia.  He died in May of 1973.

Marriages & Families - Michael and Mary Ambruso

Michele, the first son of Giuseppe Maria Ambruso, was born in Salandra on 1 Feb 1891.  That was the date and place he gave on his World War 1 Draft Registration form in 1918.  He came to Philadelphia in 1900 with his father and brother when he was 9 years old.  Twelve years later, in 1912, he married Maria Giuseppa Coscarella in Philadelphia.  According to Michael’s Naturalization Petition, she was born on 25 Jan 1895 in Cosenza, Italy. 

Their first child, Joseph (Giuseppe), was born in January of 1914.  He was named after his paternal grandfather.  Their next child, May (Maria Giusefina), was born in March of 1915.  Their third child was a son named Anthony (Antonio Giuseppe), born in May of 1917.  Their last two children were girls, Rita, born in 1919; and Violet born about 1923.  All children were born in Philadelphia. 

 

Over the course of his life, Michael had several occupations and the family lived at several different addresses.  This information is found on a number of different documents over the years.  In 1914, Michael(still calling himself Michele) filled out a Declaration of Intent for citizenship.  He listed his occupation as cabinet maker and his address as 1238 Christian Street.  In 1918, his Petition for Naturalization, listed his occupation as “driver” and his address was 1508 South 12^th Street.  The 1920 U.S. Census, he is a driver for the Steel Works and living at 928 Snyder Ave.  By 1930, he and the family had settled at their final, permanent address of 1725 Tasker Street.  His occupation is listed as grocer. We know he operated a grocery store at that location, but in 1942, he lists his address as 1723-25 Tasker and he is also listed as a bartender.  He probably bought the adjoining storefront and also operated a tavern as well as the grocery store. 
 

Michael did well for himself and also bought a house at the shore in Sea isle City, New Jersey.  That became the gathering place for members of the family.  Michael died in 1957.  His widow, Mary, died in Sea Isle City in 1996.  All five of their children married and had families of their own.  Today, there are many descendants of Michael and Mary living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Someone yelled "MICHAEL" at an Ambruso gathering and 29 people turned their head.

In the later part of the nineteenth century, four brothers from Salandra, Italy, followed Italian customs for naming their children.  Each named their first son after their own father, Michelarcangelo Ambruso, the boys’ grandfather.  There were four first cousins, all born around the same time, who all came to the United States, and they were all called Michele Ambruso.  (I talk about these Four Michaels in my post of 10 May 2013.)   If you think this would add confusion to any genealogical research, you would be correct. 

In an attempt to simplify things, I gave them my own identifying names.  The oldest was Francesco’s son Michele.  He was born over a decade before the others, so I call him Michael Ambruso (b. 1874).  My own grandfather, Rocco’s son, had a middle name so I simply call him Michael Anthony Ambruso.  He was born in 1889. Michelarcangelo broke the naming convention and named one of his sons “Michele”.  That Michele (b. 1847) then went back to following the convention and named his first son Michele.  That son settled in Hartford, CT.  I call him Michael Ambruso (“Hartford Mike” b. 1890).  The fourth Michael was Giuseppe’s first son.  He settled in Philadelphia.  I call him Michael Ambruso (“Philly Mike” b. 1891). 

As you can see, the custom of naming a first son after his paternal grandfather can be both a blessing and a curse to genealogists.  It helps determine who’s who, but unless you give each grandson some differentiating nickname or ID number, it can get very confusing since they all have the same name, which in this case is Michael.  Of course each of those four Michaels had grandsons, living today, that are also named Michael.  Too many Michaels!

A Call for Photos

Great grandfather

Great grandmother

 

Imagine a newspaper or magazine without photos.  It would be pretty dull.  The same is true for this blog.  We need interesting old family photos to tell the history of the family.  I know those photos exist.  They are stored in box on the shelf in your closet, or in the old trunk in your attic, or they are framed on top of the shelf in your living room.  They are precious memories and one-of–a-kind family heirlooms.  But they all can be scanned.  And once they are scanned the digital files can be sent to me for use on this blog.  Then they can be seen by all the family members.

Relatives in my branch of the Ambruso Family have shown great interest in learning about the other branches of the family and seeing pictures of second cousins they never knew they had.  These pictures were meant to be shared.  Together let’s form a history for future generations to enjoy. 

 

Any photos that I have used thus far have been the kind contributions of just a few family members.  We need more, especially from Giuseppe’s family in Philadelphia and Michael’s family in Connecticut.  Please scan your old photos and send the files to me at jmcast@rcn.com.  We all thank you for your contribution of photos.

Giuseppe Maria Ambruso + Maria Giuseppa Di Dio

The third son of Michelarcangelo Ambruso and Maria Giuseppa Iula was born on 8 Dec 1855 in Salandra.  He was named Giuseppe Maria Ambruso.   In 1883 he married Maria Giuseppa DiDio, who was born in Salandra in 1867.  If you look closely at the Salandra Marriage Record shown above (click on it to see it larger), you will notice that he was 27  years old (di anni ventisette), and she was 16 (di anni sedici) when they married.  Sixteen seems young for a woman to marry, but at that time in southern Italy, it was not uncommon for brides get married at that age.

Their first son, Michele Giuseppe, was born in Salandra in February of 1891.  Following naming conventions, he was named after his grandfather.  Their second son, Eugenio was born in November of 1892.  By naming customs, this son should have been named Vito (Davito) after his mother’s father, but for some reason he was not.

They then had two daughters, Maria, born about 1895 and Adelina, born about 1897.  Their third son, Francesco, was born in April of 1900. 

As stated in the previous post, Giuseppe and his two oldest sons came to America in October of 1900, six months after Francesco was born.  His wife, Maria and the rest of the family all came to America in May of 1901.  They all settled in Philadelphia, on South Mildred Street, the street where Giuseppe’s brother, Frank, and nephews Michael and Leonardo, already lived. 

In 1904 they had their first child born in the USA, a daughter they named Assunta.  Then in February of 1907 their fourth son was born.  They named him Vito. 

I cannot find Giuseppe and Maria with their family of eight children anywhere in Philadelphia in the 1910 U.S. Census, even using possible misspellings and alternate spellings of the name “Ambruso”.  A thorough search of each address on South Mildred Street shows that they were definitely not living there, or anywhere in the immediate area, in 1910.

Neither can I find Giuseppe (or Joseph) in the yearly Philadelphia City Directories, or any other Philadelphia data base.  So we don’t have a good idea of where they lived or what Giuseppe did for a living until 1920. In the 1920 U.S. Census we find the family living at 2014 South Tenth Street.  The last name is misspelled as “Ambrusia”.  It lists Joseph’s occupation as “laborer”. 

Also, on the passenger manifest for his nephew, Michele, who came back to the USA in 1923, it says he was going to his uncle Giuseppe at that South 10^th Street Philadelphia address.   Other than that, the only thing we have is the grave stone for Giuseppe and Maria in Holy Cross Cemetery, which says that they both died in 1932. 

That grave stone also has two other interesting facts:  First, their daughter Assunta died before her parents.  She died at the young age of 26.  Next, besides Assunta, Maria and Giuseppe, the grave stone also lists Anthony Lauria Jr. Maria and Giuseppe's daughter Maria married Anthony Lauria.  They had a son named Anthony Jr. who sadly died at the young age of nine.  He was laid to rest with his grandparents.

The Other Ambruso Family in Philadelphia

For the last month I have been posting articles about the family of Francesco Domenico “Frank” Ambruso.  It’s time to move on to the other branch of the Ambruso family that also settled in Philadelphia. 

 

Between 1845 and 1858, Michelarcangelo Ambruso and Maria Giuseppa Iula had four sons and two daughters, all born in Salandra, Italy.  Two of those six children came to America and settled in Philadelphia.  As we learned previously, Francesco was the first son to emigrate.   He came over in about 1881.  By 1900 he was fully settled in Philadelphia.  His three children were grown and newly married, and he even had a grandson born in the USA.  By that time he was already a naturalized US citizen and was going by the name “Frank”. 

 

In that same year, Frank’s younger brother Giuseppe decided to follow his older brother and venture into the New World.  Frank may have sent him a letter urging his brother to join him in Philadelphia.  Giuseppe arrived at Ellis Island on October 17^th 1900, on the S.S. Alsatia, with his sons Michele (age 9) and Eugenio (age 7).  On the ship’s passenger manifest it says that he was headed to his brother Francesco’s house at 714 South Mildred Street in Philadelphia.  

 

Ship's Passenger Manifest  from the S.S. California showing Maria Giuseppa Di Dio Ambruso
arriving with her three children at Ellis Island on May 22, 1901

Seven months later, in May of 1901, Giuseppe’s wife Maria arrived at Ellis Island on the S.S. California, with three children:  Maria (age 6), Adelina (age 4) and Francesco (11 months).  There were a few other people from Salandra making the voyage with them and listed on same page of the ship’s manifest.  I’m sure they helped this young mother with her three small children traveling without her husband.  The next line below them on the manifest was Nicola Puzitiello, a 31 year old married man from Salandra who was going to his relative at (would you believe) 810 Bainbridge Street in Philadelphia, just around the corner from South Mildred Street.  He probably accompanied Maria and the children on their train journey from New York City to Philadelphia.

If you look at the far right side of the manifest shown above, you will notice that Maria listed that she and the children were going to her husband at 723 South Mildred Street.  So it seems that in just a few months, her husband, Giuseppe, already had a home ready for the family, just up the street from his brother Frank.  Giuseppe and Maria eventually had three more children who were born in Philadelphia, making eight children in all.  Most of the descendants of these children stayed in the Philadelphia area, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware.  There are probably over fifty direct descendants of Giuseppe and Maria alive today. 

Angelina's Grave - Connecting the Families

Angelina Iula (1899-1934)
Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon, PA

All the wonderful photos of Francesco Ambruso’s family that I have been posting were provided by his great grandson Michael, who today just happens to be living only blocks away from the old family homestead on South Mildred Street in Philadelphia.  He also sent me a number of photos of family graves stones which gave important dates and clarified family relationships.  The photos were all taken in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, PA, just west of the Philadelphia city line, where most of Francesco’s family were buried.  The photo to the right was included with the others.  Michael’s note said it was some Ambruso relative, but he wasn’t sure who it was.  When I saw the name and dates, I immediately knew who it was.  It was Angelina, my grandfather’s sister!  She was married to John Iula and lived in Camden, NJ.  But why was she buried in a cemetery in the western outskirts of Philadelphia, so far away from Camden? 

Michael told me what he knew.  It seems that Angelina’s husband couldn’t afford a burial plot, so Leonardo “John” Ambruso, gave him his own burial plot to bury Angelina, who was his first cousin, and then later bought a new plot for himself.  He also provided the grave stone.  That all made sense.  It was 1934, in the middle of the Great Depression.  Angelina died young and unexpectedly.  They probably did not have a burial plot or the money to pay for one.  Leonardo was probably doing OK financially.  His act of kindness showed how closely the two branches of the family were connected at that time.  It also explains why my grandfather would have traveled by train from northern New Jersey to Philadelphia to attend Leonardo’s funeral.