At the age of 20, Federico sailed from Genova Italy aboard the San Rossore and arrived at Ellis Island on 25 May 1921. According to the ship manifest, he was 20 years old, single, laborer, from north Italy, his father is Pietro and his final destination is listed as Minnesota International Falls (a lumber camp). On 19 September 1925, Federico filed his Declaration of Intention with the District Court to become a U.S. citizen. Federico returned to Italy and married Maria Rosa Zilli on 31 January 1926 in Udine, Italy. He then returned to the United States aboard the Conte Biancamano and arrived at Ellis Island on 18 August 1926. While Federico was in the United States, his daughter Lydia was born in Italy on 26 October 1926 at a house located in Via Montello number 79 by a midwife named Amelia De Anna. Maria and Lydia remained in Italy until 1930 when they came to America to join Federico.
Federico filed his Petition for Naturalization on 18 June 1929 and received his Certificate of Naturalization on 15 November 1929. According to the 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Federico was living as a boarder in Cleveland and working as a laborer in the mason industry. By 1931, Federico, Maria, and Lydia were living on West 32nd Street in Cleveland, Ohio. The second daughter, Ada, was born in 1932.
According to family members, Federico was a terrazo worker (marble) and helped build St. Rocco Church, the Halle Building, and St. Procop Church (closed). I recently visited the Western Reserve Historical Society and viewed an exhibit on the North Italian Club located at 3121 W. 33rd Street in Cleveland, Ohio, and Federico is shown in pictures building the Club and also listed as a Sgt. at Arms.
By 1936, when Federico applied for a Social Security Number, he was working at Otis Steel Company in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1937, the third child, a boy, Rino was born. Federico then worked at and retired from Cleveland Marble Mesite. After retiring, he worked part-time at Boys Town which was located on West 25th Street.
Federico died on 29 March 1980 at the age of 79. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Lastly, here are a couple of interesting notes about Federico. He never learned to drive in the U.S. and always traveled by street car or bus. In their final house (the one I know), Federico built the basement which included a coal storage room for the furnace. That room was later changed to a bathroom with the help of his son-in-law who would bring home bricks from buildings being torn down and the scrap tile that Federico brought home. Another room in the basement that Federico built was a cold/wine cellar where he would make homemade wine from grapes he grew and bought.
This post will be updated as new information and facts are learned about Federico.
Thank you for reading and, as always, I welcome your comments.
~Susan
I am so thankful to see the stories of my relatives and ancestors. Some of my first memories are eating cookies at Nonno's house. Every time I eat anisette sponges, these happy experiences come flooding back.
ReplyDeleteMy father, his parents and his entire side of the family going back hundreds of years all hale from Cordenons (Surnames: Ius, Scian, Tedesco, Romanin. I have been wanting to learn more of their trip from Cordenons in 1929 on the Vulcania but I have not gotten far. Any advice would be appreciated on how to locate papers for my father and his parents, who are all deceased. Thank you for sharing this interesting and inspirational story about your family. My family history is so similar, I would love to share it.
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