Recently in fun #genealogy mysteries, I'm researching my wife's GGM Rose, b. 1901 in a small US town. She had a brother Frank, b. ~1894 in Italy. He's with them on the 1900 and 1910 censuses, but then he disappears. He's included in obits for his mother (d. 1944) and brother (d. 1947). We haven't found his birth record yet.
The mystery? We recently got their mom's will (1933). She names all her children, some to mention they already got theirs so they get $1. She doesn't mention Frank AT ALL.
We ordered the will hoping it might clear up other mysteries around the parents. We haven't found any immigration records for them or even a marriage record. We haven't found birth records for Frank or his dad. We think we know what Italian town dad is from, and he has siblings born there, but no record for him. No marriage banns in mom's town. Just nothing. Oh, and when dad died in 1927 here in the US, his obit also named Frank.
So yeah, safe to say mom's will did NOT resolve any mysteries.
Did you look through the Antenati records? Sometimes the birth name is a little different - or 2 names are given but then the person goes by the 2nd name OR the child was born in a nearby town. I've done a lot of research using these records and may be able to help or give you tips.
@girasoli I've searched, but I'm certainly happy to have another pair of eyes, thanks!
The short version is that Luigi Gigliotti was probably born around 1854-59 in or around Caraffa di Catanzaro. His birth year varies from doc to doc, and the location is pieced together from family members.
Antenati has births for Caraffa di Catanzaro from 1809-1865. 1866-1910 are on familysearch.
@girasoli There's a Luigi Gigliotti born in Caraffa in 1875 (atto #1) who seems way too young. The atto says his mother is the widow of another Luigi, so I guess it's conceivable that there's funny business going on there with dad.
I haven't found a lot of the neighboring comuni on either antenati or familysearch. Awkwardly if he's descended from Antonio Gigliotti and Angela Pucci then their other kids' atti di nascita name them as Don and Donna, so they might have just had money to travel.
*1st, is Caraffa di Catanzaro in the Calabria region?
*I'm a little confused. Was the name you were looking for Frank but the records you did find were for a Luigi?
*Do you know the parents of this Frank/Luigi or is that part of the mystery?
Sorry... just trying to figure out from the info you posted.
Gah... posted 2 more replies but they just went to me! Trying again:
I don't have access to the family search records - they are locked for me :<
BUT I'm happy to search the Antenati records .
I checked on Ancestry and just found a tree (maybe yours?) with a Frank Chillot - his father Luigi Gigliotti - Luigi's parents - Antonio Gigliotti and Angela Pucci ... is this the family?
@girasoli Yep, that's them, and quite possibly my wife's account (which I use more than she does, tbh).
Some of the links in there are a bit hypothetical: In particular I feel like I have only moderate circumstantial evidence linking Luigi to Antonio and Angela.
Some of the atti di nascita for the family I got lazy and linked in Notes, planning to come back to them later (whoops). Happy to share the links I found if it helps.
@girasoli Oh gosh, sorry for the confusion! I did jump around there!
Yes, Caraffa di Catanzaro is in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria.
Luigi is Frank's father. I haven't found birth records for either of them. Luigi is my wife's direct ancestor; Frank is a great granduncle.
Frank was probably born around 1894.
I just found this naturalization record on Ancestry for a
Frank Gigliotti
Birth Date
19 Nov 1894
Birthplace: Serrastretta ... looking that place up - it's in the province of Catanzaro ... Did Frank live in PA?
This is the link if you have access to Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2717/images/31311_134490-00227?treeid=18589948&personid=162410323398&usePUB=true&_phsrc=TKO63159&_phstart=successSource&pId=121055
Looking at it again - I need to clarify - Serrastretta was the last place of residence in Italy.
@girasoli So, our Frank's family is in Easton, PA, om the far east side of the state. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4115151_00668?pId=52561986
IIRC the Frank from Serrastretta shows up in Pittsburgh, the entire opposite side of the state, practically a different world. I wasn't able to find Serrastretta's nati online (to hopefully verify the connection), but maybe I missed them. Of course it's possible the Frank from Easton could move to Pittsburgh, but I feel like there were other things that made him not a great fit.
Ok... so to get this straight, you are looking for info on a Frank (Francesco or maybe Francesantonio) Gigliotti ... maybe shortened his name in the US. He lived where in PA?
He was the brother of Rose.
You don't know anything further for him as far as who he married/if he married?
Here's a WWII card for the Frank with the same birthdate as the naturalization record living in Pittsburgh - https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1002/images/PA-2240253-2776?treeid=18589948&personid=162410323398&usePUB=true&_phsrc=TKO63161&_phstart=successSource&pId=2311353
Sorry, reading your latest message again - he lived in Easton, PA? Just looked at a map (I only know some areas of PA). I see... it's pretty far BUT if he had a falling out and disappeared from the family/not in the will, maybe this is him?
I don't have access to Italian Family Search records (locked for me) so I can't do a search since the Antenati records don't go that far for that area.
Has your wife done a DNA test? That might find relatives to confirm??
I get it. I avoided DNA testing for a while BUT I have to say, I have broken down a few huge brick walls with DNA testing. You can make your tree private and don't use the real name for the test person's name. I just use initials. Also for my ancestry account. I even changed my trees to just "maternal tree" and "paternal tree".
I probably went off on a wild goose chase. Looking at that tree and the city directory records - my guess - he changed his name to either Gillot or Chillot. Without knowing any other family info - at least a wife's name, it's hard to pin him down.
Going back to your original post - I just looked at his mother's obit. So he was still alive in 1944. My guess, if he was living in Italy, that might have been noted (but not necessarily).
*In his father's 1927 obit - says all children of Easton (including Frank) and the obit does mention a brother/sister living in Italy.
Also from the 1910 census - he was a laboror at a saloon and not naturalized.
His brother, Angelo's 1947 obit indicates Frank was still alive (as you mentioned) and notes all siblings from Easton AND last name was Gigliotti.
@girasoli Oh, hey, I actually missed that Frank was working in a Saloon in 1910. Neat! Easton has a _big_ history with saloons, and Frank's sister Rose ended up owning one with her husband after Prohibition.
Definitely not during Prohibition. That would be illegal *cough* *cough*
Anyway, Frank was also 15 in the 1910 census, so no surprise he hadn't naturalized. His parents never did.
I discovered in the 1950 census that my grandfather was a manager of a pool hall! Shocked! It didn't last long as we never heard of that occupation.
Trying to get more info for him.. his occupation was hosiery worker in 1916 - from the city directory.
My guess with all we know ... he didn't have a complete falling out or he would have also been ignored in the obits. I don't know what to say about the will but maybe he didn't need the $1.
Latest we know he was alive was 1947 - sill living in Easton. Is there a good genealogical center or group in that town? Maybe they can help track him down.
Maybe he changed his last name? OR entire name! I have a couple of cousins that did that. Makes it tough to track them BUT he went by Frank in 1947 so I think it's his last name that was modified and that's why we can't find him.
@girasoli Oh, I hadn't considered the possibility that he might have changed his last name (other than to re-Italianize it). That's certainly another trail to follow.
I also want to see if I can link him to any WWI record. There seem to be a couple military folks with his name.
I definitely still have trails to follow, I'm just getting into the more difficult ones by now.
@girasoli Wild goose chases are fun!!
Frank's father Luigi definitely went by Louis or Lewis Chillot. I have _tons_ of records linking him to that name. I'm almost certain that Gillot is just the nice German-American census workers having no idea how Italian works.
It's possible Frank stuck with Chillot. Some of Frank's siblings went back to using Gigliotti later. Since Frank was born in Italy, he might have used either. I haven't found him as Frank Chillot either, fwiw :-)
I've been on many a wild goose chase 😂. So from all the records/what we know - he was alive in 1947 - living in Easton - went by the name Gillot, Chillot OR Gigliotti.
Also not mentioned as living in 1971 - brother Ralph's obit
Have you looked in the census records for Frank's siblings? 1930, 1940? 1950? I've sometimes found a family member that way.
@girasoli Definitely possible there was a falling out. Heck, there's strong evidence for one since he's in family obits but conspicuously missing from his mother's will. It's also possible he went off to WWI and then relocated to elsewhere in the US or even in Italy.
Also there are at least a few other Frank Gigliottis around the US, including one in San Quentin prison, and another in rural Northampton County PA.
I'll see if I can dig up why I concluded Serrastretta Frank isn't Rose's brother.
@girasoli Ah, here's why Serrastretta Frank is definitely not Rose's brother, son of Luigi and Mary. Here's Serrastretta Frank's death certificate:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/15149169:5164
It lists his parents as Felix Gigilotti and Mary Molinaro. Here he is in Pittsburgh in 1910:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/121605305:7884
And here's Frank, Rose's brother in Easton in 1910:
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/4449774_00270?pId=119087604
@girasoli Right. Frank, brother of Rose. (Also their father Luigi, but focusing on Frank for now is great.) Most likely Francesco since his 1900 census entry lists him as Francis. He does have a Felice in the family, though, so it's not inconceivable that he has that name and still got anglicized to Frank.
I have him in Easton living with his parents in a 1916 in a city directory, and he's not in town (afaict) in the 1920 census.
I Forget
girasoli 🌻🌻