Mariano and Providenza










THE JOURNEY TO AMERICA

Historical Note: Italian unification (Risorgimento) began with the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and ended with the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. Rome became the capital of a united Italy in July of 1871. After Italian unification the Italian government did not understand the agricultural markets needed by the southern parts of Italy which sold a large percentage of their agricultural products to Northern Europe. A trade war was declared on France in the 1880's by the new Italian government, effectively blocking the Southern growers' access to their most profitable markets. These actions caused widespread economic devastation to Sicily and Southern Italy. Large numbers of Southern Italians and Sicilians began leaving for America, South America, Australia and other lands, looking for work and a way to support their families. To read a more extensive discussion of what happened to drive so many people from their homes read "Under the Summer Sun, Stories of the Real Italy and the Americans it created" by Paolo Paulicelli, printed by Thomas Dunn books, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2003. Further information can also be obtained about Italian unification thru Wikipedia and Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Immigration to America

main hall ellis island Ellis Island was not the only port of entry for Italian immigrants to America. The location was not an official US government immigration station until 1892. Before that time another station welcomed immigrants in New York harbor. That station was called "Castle Garden". This station was closed when Ellis Island became the official station. Immigrants could also come through other ports, for example, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Galveston, Texas. Before 1892 the control of a particular port was under local authorities. There may not be any records of the immigrants who passed through all of the ports, although local archives in Boston and Baltimore did keep records.

  1. Opened in 1892, Ellis Island was the first federal immigration facility in America
  2. From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island processed 17 million immigrants. Today their descendants number over 100 million, almost half the U.S. population
  3. The Main Building, where immigrants underwent legal and medical processing, was built in 1897 after fire destroyed the original building.
  4. Ellis Island closed its doors in late 1954. A few months later, it was declared surplus property by the U.S. government.

The photo - above left - was created by Sally Cummings for The Statue of Liberty--Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. It shows the Main Hall at Ellis Island before restoration began. Listed above are some facts about the immigration station taken from the back of the postcard where the photo appears.

We begin our family history with the two men who started our family on its journey to America. Their names are Saverio Agostino Iannarino and Antonino La Manna. Saverio is the father of Mariano Iannarino while Antonino is the father of Provvidenza La Manna.

Saverio Agostino Iannarino

Saverio Agostino Iannarino was born August 19, 1851 in Termini Imerese, Sicily. Saverio's father was Pietro Francesco Iannarino, his mother was Rosalia Gelardi. Saverio had five siblings -- Lucia, born September 10, 1853, Giuseppa, born October 31, 1856, Concetta, born December 9, 1859, Cosima, born September 27, 1863 and Liborio, born October 7, 1865.

I have looked at county census records for all Pennsylvania counties for the years 1900, 1910, and 1920 and have found a record which may show our great-grandfather living with several of his sons. That census document is available on the Historical documents page. In that record another son, Liborio, is listed. I have never heard that name related in any stories of grandpa's family. When searching for historical documents, many questions arise. Liborio Iannarino could have been Saverio's younger brother though he is listed as "son" on the census document. It is important to remember that there was a language barrier between the recent immigrants and the census worker.

None of the ships'manifests which have been found for Saverio Iannarino have indicated his height. It may be that Saverio was around 5'5" in height as his sons, except for the youngest Charles, were that height or less. Saverio worked as a fisherman in Sicily, but once he came to the United States, he sold produce. It is believed that he either pushed a cart loaded with produce or carried baskets of fruit and vegetables in the neighborhoods where he worked.

Ellis Island Records

Another manifest record was found for Saverio Iannarino, age 50, a fisherman, going to Pittsburgh. He will be staying with his son Francesco at 556 Tiled(sp?) Street. Saverio was married and had a ticket to Pittsburgh and had $40 in his pocket. The ship arrived on May 28, 1902. He was born in 1852. Accompanying him was Filippo Comella, age 13, fisherman, has $20 in his pocket and a ticket to destination. He is going to Francesco Matrascia 555 ? Street, Pittsburgh.

Castle Garden Immigration Records

Records have been found at Castle Garden Immigration center in New York--this was the port of entry for immigrants before Ellis Island was established in 1892. The records are for Saverio Iannarino and Francesco Iannarino. Saverio Iannarino arrived at Castle Garden aboard the ship "Indipendente" on October 25, 1886. Saverio was 35 years old and reported his occupation as fisherman.

Antonino La Manna

Antonino La Manna, son of Francesco La Manna and Giuseppa Maria Palmisano, was born on May 29, 1851. Guiseppa's mother, Maria Papania in Palmisano, provided the record of the birth to the local authorities. This information is listed on Antonino's birth certificate. This is a record of Provvidenza's father's birth. Antonino had two siblings, although only one survived infancy. Leonardo was born in July of 1848 and died January 31, 1849. Lorenza La Manna was born on September 25, 1853. No further information is currently available for Lorenza. Antonino's mother died when Antonino was only three years old. His father Francesco La Manna then married Carmella Comella in March of 1858. I have found two children born of that marriage -- Ignazio La Manna, a half-brother and Angela La Manna, a half-sister of Antonino La Manna.

Although none of the manifests found for Antonino's travels to the US indicate his height, it is believed that his height was around 5'5" by using the height of his children and that of his wife Concetta, around 5'2", to be the norm at the time. Provvidenza was the tallest of her siblings at 5'5". Antonino worked as a fisherman in Sicily, but once he came to the United States he worked at the produce market in Columbus, Ohio.

In order to support his family Antonino traveled to the United States several times from the late 1880's until his death in early 1906. He worked in Columbus, Ohio where many other Sicilians from Termini Imerese had settled. Antonino La Manna died from heart failure in Sicily after December 1905, although an exact date is not now known. He was deceased before his wife and daughter Provvidenza traveled to Pittsburgh in the fall of 1906. The marriage record of Provvidenza La Manna and Mariano Iannarino in December 1910 lists Antonino La Manna as deceased.

Both Antonino La Manna and Saverio Iannarino would have been known as "birds of passage". This phrase denoted a Sicilian or other Italian immigrant who traveled to United States, stayed for a short while and worked, then returned to his homeland, only to return to the United States after a period of time had elapsed. From the records found and the stories remembered by Provvidenza La Manna, both Saverio and Antonino made the journey several times. Their wives, however, never accompanied them.

Saverio's children

Saverio Agostino Iannarino married Rosaria Longo on April 3, 1875. Rosaria Longo's parents are Antonino Longo and Antonina Balsamo. Rosaria Longo was born on November 4, 1853. No death record has been found for either Saverio Iannarino or Rosaria Longo. Together they had eight children, all of whom survived to adulthood: Rosalia(1875), Francesco(1876), Antonino(1878), Pietro(1880), Giovanni(1882), Michele(1884), Mariano (1891), Saverio (1896). The birth dates of Rosalia, Giovanni and Michele were extrapolated from ship's manifests and census documents as no birth records have yet been found. Francesco listed his age on the ships manifest as older than he was at the time. On the manifests, Francesco reports that he is five years older, born in 1871. Birth records have been found for Francesco, Antonino, Pietro, Mariano and Saverio.

All of the children of Saverio Iannarino and Rosaria Longo emigrated to the United States. Rosaria lived out her life in Sicily and never visited the United States. For further information about the children of Saverio and Rosaria, please click on Mariano's Family. A family tree for Mariano's Family is available for viewing on that page.

Antonino's children

Antonino La Manna married Concetta Bova on December 10, 1879. Concetta Bova's parents are Michele Bova and Ignazia Ardizzone-Caito. Concetta Bova died in 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. No death record has yet been found for Antonino La Manna who died in Termini. The children of Antonino La Manna and Concetta Bova are as follows: Giuseppa born on October 29,1880, Ignazia (1884), August (1885), Anna (1890), Carmella (1892), Provvidenza born on September 12, 1895. Birth records have been found for Giuseppa and Provvidenza, the other dates are extrapolated from manifest and census documents.

Very often in the Sicilian dialect, consonants are doubled such as the "z" in Ardizzone-Caito or the "v" in Provvidenza. Until I found Provvidenza's birth certificate, I spelled her name with only one "v". That was incorrect.

The son of Antonio and Concetta was named August. According to Provvidenza, her mother Concetta Bova prayed to St. Augustine to help her conceive a son, promising to name the boy after the saint. This was the reason that her son August was not named after Antonino La Manna's father, Francesco La Manna. For further information about the children of Antonino La Manna and Concetta Bova, please click on Provvidenza's Family. You will also find additional information and photos of Concetta Bova. A family tree for Provvidenza's Family is available for viewing on that page as well.


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©2010 Franciene McDonald