Sunday, October 6, 2024

Homeland 2024: Family Reunion in Marsico Nuovo

NOW PLAYING: RUSS, MEG AND MONICA MEET THE FAMILY
While visiting Marsico Nuovo with my wife Meg and sister Monica, I couldn't escape feeling like we were in a movie. The script was perfect. The setting was a small Italian town resting on three hills rising out of the Val d'Agri. It was surrounded by the Apennine Mountains and exuded history.

The cast was full of people who were warm and welcoming and I felt an instant connection. The only villain was time (We needed more!). The plot was rich with twists and turns we didn't see coming (our newly found cousins are awesome!). When our visit was over, we couldn't stop talking about it. I can't wait for a sequel. Keep reading and you'll know why....and hopefully begin to plan your own trip to meet the D'Agrosa family in Marsico Nuovo. 

PROLOGUE: A LONG TIME AGO...
Family history can be complicated. Lot's of names, dates, and places. So, before we delve into the details of a this adventure, let's set the stage for how Marsico Nuovo fits into the history of the Cipollo family.

On May 28, 1881 Domenica "Minni" D'Agrosa was born in Marsico Nuovo, a small town nestled in Italy's southern region of Basilicata. Almost twenty-one years later, at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Philadelphia, Domenica used her adopted "Lagrosa" surname when marrying Felix Cipollo (born Felice Cipolla) on April 28, 1902.  

How did they come together? The Cipolla and D'Agrosa families immigrated to Philadelphia in the 1880s and 1890s seeking a better future. Both families would have experienced the lasting impact of a decimating earthquake and the political and economic fallout from the unification of Italy (1861), including violent episodes with local "brigands" (See outlaw Angelantionio Massini for example). Felix was originally from Muro Lucano, a community in Basilicata thirty-six miles from Marsico Nuovo. While mountains (and about fourteen hours of walking) would have kept Felix separated from Domenica in Italy, they were neighbors on Montrose St, in Philadelphia.  

This might sound like a straightforward story, but officially connecting Domenica to Marsico Nuovo took decades to piece together. The fact that the "D'Agrosa" surname morphed into "Lagrosa" and other variations didn't help. Unfortunately, I have no idea why the name morphed into "Lagrosa". Clues pointed to a Basilicata origin story for the family, but it wasn't until 2022 that we had proof that Domenica's parents (Born: Francesco Saverio D'Agrosa and Annunziata Votta), brothers (Born: Donato D'Agrosa and Gianuario D'Agrosa), and sisters (Born: Agostina "Augustina" D'Agrosa, Peppina "Josephine" D'Agrosa and Carmela "Millie" D'Agrosa) were from Marsico Nuovo. 

Sadly, Domenica's brothers would not live to see America. Her sister Agostina would marry Donato Di Grossa and Joseph Fortunato. Her sister Peppina (Josephine) married Domenico Cianciarulo. It is unknown if any of these spouses were from Marsico, but I think it is likely some were. Carmela never married, but she did retain the original D'Agrosa name in many documents, which later proved to be an important research clue.  

Once it was clear Marsico Nuovo was Domenica's homeland, I knew I had to visit. It took time, but it all came together in 2024. 

Domenica "Minni" Cipollo (born D'Agrosa) and
Annuniziata D'Agrosa (born Votta) were born in Marsico Nuovo

Domenica & Her Grandchildren


ACT I: HATCHING A PLAN
One thing I learned from a 2018 trip to Muro Lucano was that having a local guide is invaluable when exploring your roots in small rural Italian town. So, when planning our trip to Marsico Nuovo I searched for a local connection. I tried and failed multiple times and I think maybe my great grandmother Domenica took notice and threw me a miracle. After a desperate "Hail Mary" on Facebook I found myself directed to Marsicuore.it. From there I was connected to Carmelinda Castellaneta ("Carmen"), a Guardian Angel for those who trace their roots to Marsico Nuovo. 

On August 10, just four days before takeoff to Naples from Philadelphia, I had video call with Carmen. I didn't know what to expect, but she was gushing with enthusiasm and immediately started to put plans in motion to make our visit to Marsico Nuovo on the 18th a magical event. She brings a passion for reuniting those with roots to Marsico Nuovo, the Marsicani, to their ancestor's hometown. 

While waiting to board our plane to Naples, Carmen chatted me on What's App, "How happy would you be on a scale of 1 to 10 if I told you...that I found relatives in Marsico?" I was floored. A few days prior I envisioned wandering the streets of Marsico Nuovo hoping to find a few landmarks, now we were going to meet family! 

Ideally we would have planned for more time in Marsico Nuovo, but the die was already cast. Before Carmen came into the picture, we had built an itinerary with a few things we couldn't budge. After three days in Sorrento (with day trips to Capri and Positano), we would travel to Marsico Nuovo on Sunday, August 18th and spend the day there before heading to Muro Lucano (about 1 hour from Marsico by car) for two nights. We'd dig deeper into the history of the Cipollo family while in Muro Lucano (more to come!)

That said, Carmen's "fingerprints" made an impression on our Italian adventure even before we arrived in Marsico Nuovo. The night before we departed Sorrento we followed Carmen's dining recommendation (she even made the reservation) and we had a wonderful meal of seafood, pasta, and deserts at Il Gozzo in the charming Marina Grande district of Sorrento.  

Mariana Grande in Sorrento


ACT II:  AT HOME IN MARSICO NUOVO

The Journey to Marsico Nuovo

With my International Driving Permit and Europcar reservation in-hand, I picked up our rental on the 17th and parked it for the night so we could exit Sorrento early on the 18th. Having observed some crazy driving habits in the area (Vespa's make their own lane!) and wanting to arrive before 11:00, we got out of Sorrento relatively early for people fatigued from three days of intense heat, thousands of steps and jet lag. If I hadn't inadvertently directed Google Maps to avoid toll roads (which resulted in us detouring through the less attractive parts of modern Pompeii) we probably could have shaved 30 minutes off the roughly 2:30 minute trip.  

The drive was scenic as we left the Mediterranean coast, moved away from (and around!) Mt. Vesuvius, and headed east of Salerno into the Apennine Mountains. I learned from my 2018 Muro Lucano trip that it is best not to drive a stick shift when navigating the landscape of the Basilicata region. It was easy driving this time.

As we neared the exit for Marsico Nuovo, the town of 4,000 came into view. The central area of Marsico sits on three hills: Civita, Portello and Casale, which rise from a valley surrounded by rolling green mountains with rugged stone faces. Carmen had said, "follow Google and you won't get lost", but she overestimated my ability to follow directions (even straight lines apparently). After creating a traffic snarl and frustrating a few local Marsicani, we arrived at our meeting point in front of Palazzo Pignatelli. Following a warm greeting from Carmen and a generous packet of info for the places we were about to see and a family tree she created, we set out on foot to climb our first hill of the day....I wasn't joking when I said the town was built on three hills. 


Our Volkswagen...ready for a road trip!

Catching our first glimpse of Marsico Nuovo

Approaching Marsico Nuovo! 


Church of Saint Michele Arcangelo (Chiese San Michele) & Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art

You don't just show up at in a remote Italian town on a Sunday and find things open and guides who speak English. In fact, the signs are not translated into English either. So, to fully immerse in the history of Marsico, you need keys, local experts and a translator (unless you are fluent in Italian!). This isn't Rome where almost everyone seems to know English, but this is a place where people want to talk to you and even exchange a friendly "Buongiorno." Fortunately, Carmen knows the people with the keys and she is fluent in both Italian and English! So, when we arrived at Chiese San Michele we were introduced to Luigi Lopopolo (a local historian), Massimo Macchia (the mayor!), Beppe Chierici (singer-songwriter performing that night in the Summer Fesitval), Father Don Michele, the parish priest. Carmen helped with the translations, but in some ways the beauty and history of things spoke for themselves. 

The church is thought to have been built in the 8th century under the rule of the Lombards. Yes, people aren't really sure of its age, that is how old it is! The church has evolved over the centuries and it has been rebuilt after multiple earthquakes. Standing in it I came to realize that regardless of what has changed, thousands of masses were been held within the walls and some of my own family undoubtedly prayed there.  

For me the most intriguing thing at Chiese San Michele is in the diocesan museum of sacred objects behind the altar. There you'll find a painting of the "Last Supper" unlike any other. "The Last Supper by Todisco" reflects the culture, food and traditions of Lucania (the ancient name for this region). This work is dated to 1599, but it was hidden by plaster until it was rediscovered in 1980 at the Convent of San Francesco. 

The Last Supper by Todisco

Chiese San Michele

Church of Saint Gianuario (Chiese San Gianuario) & Philly Connection

Around the corner from the church of Saint Michele is the Church of Saint Gianuario. It was a strange feeling to be standing in front of the ancient church. Having gazed at it online with Google Maps Street View, it was like I had now stepped into the picture. 

Luigi, Carmen, Monica, and Meg at Chiese San Gianuario

The building itself is a former abbey (Santo Stefano) and it sits upon ruins of a temple dedicated to the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis. It is one of many indications that the history of this region is centuries older than the Roman Empire. The history of the church dates to at least the 8th century. If you've been to Venice, Florence or Rome, you will observe that this church looks spartan by comparison on the outside. Many of those churches are much younger (e.g., Saint Peters in Rome was completed in 1626). The true beauty of this church is etched in the weathered stone portal and the modern bronze door which tell the story of Saint Gianuario.  


Saint Gianuario was born in Carthage in the 3rd Century while the Roman Empire was in decline. This African bishop is recognized as a martyr having been beheaded in the nearby woods of Monte Arioso after visiting Marsico. His head then rose up to speak to his executioners and his body was later hidden away. He would appear in visions of a Marsicana woman centuries later and with the miracles that followed, his remains were returned to Marsico. He is recognized today as the patron saint of Marsico Nuovo. His story is captured on the doors of the church.

My focus inside the church was on the statue of San Gianuario (1714). This is where a surprising Philly connection comes into the picture. Every year on August 26 there is a procession in Marsico where the statue is carried on the shoulders of the faithful. It turns out, there is another statue of San Gianuario (very similar to the one in Marsico) in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia equivalent is included in the annual Procession of Saints which takes place from Saint Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi Church. This is because Luigi Di Santo, an immigrant from Marsico Nuovo, donated the statue in 1911. It isn't hard for me to imagine my great grandmother Domenica and her family watching that same statue parade through south Philly with a sense of pride and nostalgia as their mind wandered to Marsico Nuovo.   

Decedents of Luigi Di Santo, including Linda Berenato and her family, carry on the tradition of parading the San Gianuario statue in Philadelphia. They are so dedicated that they visited Marsico Nuovo to participate in the procession there on August 26, 2024, just days after we left! I've seen photos and videos of their participation (they even got on TV!) and it looks like it was a great day for the community.   

So, yes we missed the procession of San Gianuario in Marsico by a few days and it was kind of embarrassing that we didn't plan better. The good news is that we might have some folks from Marsico Nuovo pay a visit to Philadelphia for the Procession of Saints in the near future. We've heard from Linda that we are invited to join in celebrating San Gianuario too. We are all Marsicani!


Statue of San Gianuario




Russ & Carmen

Co-Cathedral of Saint George the Martyr (Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire)

As a descendent of great grand parents who were from Muro Lucano and Marsico Nuovo, I was interested to learn that in 1986 the dioceses of Muro Lucano, Marsico Nuovo and Potenza were merged into one diocese. The bishop is at the Potenza Cathedral, while Muro Lucano and Marsico Nuovo each host a "Co-Cathedral" (Cattedrale di San Nicola and Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire). When I visited San Nicola in 2018, I had no idea I'd be visiting its co-cathedral peer in 2024. The exterior of both are strikingly similar and both suffered serious damage in a tragic earthquake that rocked the region in 1980. Both reopened in 2017 after massive restoration efforts. 

We walked to the Cathedral of San Giorgio through the narrow streets of Marsico that were clearly built before anyone even thought about cars, trucks and SUVs. These "streets" were made for donkeys and people on foot. We steadily climbed up Civita, the highest point in Marsico Nuovo, to arrive at the Cathedral with a history dating to 1131. Before entering we observed rumbles of thunder and lightning strikes on the mountains around our exposed position. The keys hadn't yet arrived for the church so we took some pictures of the surroundings and learned about a family connection to Georges Brassens, a famous folksinger born to Elvira D'Agrosa (still need to map those family tree details!).


The "road" to Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire


Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire


Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire at the top of Civita

Each church we visited presented a different architecture and style. As you might expect, the cathedral was larger than all the other churches. It contains several beautiful frescoes and statues. What struck me most was the dome, which has a simple and elegant in design. To fully appreciate the beauty of the dome, you need to know the story behind it. On November 23, 1980 there was a mass scheduled in the cathedral. Due to some confusion, the priest, Gerardo Marscio, did not celebrate the mass. So, when the massive 6.9 magnitude Irpinia Earthquake shook the region and collapsed both the dome and apse, nobody was in attendance. A miracle. You know what (who?) was in attendance? The statue of San Gianuario, which survived "intact under the rubble." 


Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire

Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire

After admiring the art, beauty and resilience of San Giorgio we made our way back to the car through narrow alleys, steep steps and past a few cats and some friendly faces. I would love an opportunity to explore some of these local houses. Maybe a B&B is in our future. 





Sampling Biscotti at Pastificio Tre Spighe

One thing I learned from planning this trip is that you need to use Italian words when conducting Google searches for communities like Marisco Nuovo. You also need to be prepared to let Google Chrome do some translation for you. That approach lead me to two stories touting visits to Pastificio Tre Spighe (See My Social Wanderlust and a post in a Suitcase full of Travels). I mentioned Pastificio to Carmen and of course she new the people there. With some encouragement she got them to stay open a little late (it was Sunday after all) so we could pay a visit and both sample and purchase some of their unique "Biscotti" and sweet treats. When you visit Marsico, you should pay them a visit!


Pastificio Tre Spighe

Lunch at Agriturismo Vignola

When looking for lunch recommendations in Marisco Nuovo, we of course sought Carmen's input. She gave us a few choices and then made us a reservation at Agriturismo Vignola. This is a great place to eat and stay (you can rent rooms). The venue sits about 10 minutes outside the central part of Marsico. Their website describes it best: "....surrounded by the greenery of the Marsican hills, stands our Agriturismo...on about 10 hectares of cultivated fields, vineyards, olive groves and woods." I think we could have spent a full day wandering the landscape, eating and ultimately spending the night. Maybe next time!


Agriturismo Vignola

If you are a "foodie" or just looking for quality food authentic to the region, this is the place to go. Vignola is a farm to table experience where everything is locally sourced and organic. The menu is fluid (at least on Sunday's) based on what is available fresh from the farm. Sitting outside with our carafe of local wine and surrounded by local Marsicani celebrating a christening, we indulged in multiple courses. 

It was a big big lunch! I lost track of how many dishes we were served over multiple hours. There was an array meat dishes favoring lamb and pork. We had bread, cheese, ravioli, stretched pasta and more made with resources from the farm and prepared with local touches. Overstuffed (and cognizant that we had dinner plans in a few hours) we tried to get away with sharing a single desert, but were instead presented with three per person! They were so generous and kind. When I mentioned that I loved raspberries, they gave me a whole container to take with me. It might sound like a stereotype....but these Italians (Marsicani!) made sure we didn't go home hungry. Domenica would be proud. 

Also, I can't say enough about our waitress, Francesca. I think she was the only person who spoke English with any confidence and she looked after us (and kept in contact with Carmen to explain why we were running late for our next appointment with her!).  




Outdoor dining at Agriturismo Vignola


Sampling Dessert & Fresh Fruit 

Russ and Monica with Francesca at Agriturismo Vignola


ACT III:  REUNION WITH FAMILY, CHURCH & PARISH

"I'm already here at Palazzo Manzoni" was the text from Carmen at 3:36 PM, so we headed straight there from Agriturismo Vignola. With a pin-drop from Google Maps we left the valley and drove up Casale, the lowest of the three hills in Marsico Nuovo. At the end of our route (and after questioning our navigation...didn't want a second traffic snarl) we were back under the supervision of Carmen who met us a short distance from Chiesa Madonna del Carmine. The vista was beautiful. You could clearly see the Cathedral resting on Civita. 

Russ & Meg at Palazzo Manzoni

Church of Madonna del Carmine (Chiesa Madonna del Carmine)

Before departing for Italy, a visit to Chiesa Madonna del Carmine was near the top of "to do" list. Why?  Carmen uncovered a hidden truth about the marriage of Annuziata Votta (Age 20) to Francesco Saverio D'Agrosa (Age 29), the parents of my great grandmother Domenica. The official record for their marriage on November 25, 1865 indicates that they were married in the parish of Santa Caterina. I originally assumed they were married in the physical building of Chiese Santa Caterina. Seems reasonable, right? Well, that church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1857 which explained why I had a hard time finding it on any maps.   

Carmen was able to resolve this puzzle after speaking to Luigi, the local historian I mentioned earlier. "At that time S. Caterina was the biggest parish in Marsico and it kept this status until the '90s. On all documents you can read 'parish of Santa Caterina' but it means that the celebrations took place in that parish but not in Santa Caterina Church itself. All the weddings at that time were celebrated at Madonna del Carmine so this means your ancestors got married there." 

We thought we'd only be able stroll the exterior of the church, but Carmen surprised us when we arrived...the mayor helped get the church unlocked! Almost 160 years after Saverio and Annuziata were married at Chiesa Madonna del Carmine I found myself walking towards the same doorway that welcomed them on their wedding day. 

The church dates to between the 13th and 14th centuries and was restored in the 20th. It is part of wider complex connected to the Monastery of St. Thomas of Canterbury. Like many things in Marsico it predates Columbus arriving in America and the country Saverio and Annunziata would call home less than two decades after their union. 

Soft off-white and cream colors blanket both the interior and exterior walls of the church. A colorful wooden statue of Madonna del Carmine rests near the altar. Less than a dozen rows of wooden pews sit on each side of the aisle. It felt almost like a chapel. One man sat praying, probably the man who brought the keys, as we gazed and took pictures. I remember thinking that Annunziata and Saverio's wedding ceremony must have been modest and that this church would be fitting to host them. In the years that followed, their children were most likely baptized in this church, not far from their family home in the Sant' Elia district of Marsico Nuovo. 

Approaching Chiesa Madonna del Carmine


Inside Chiesa Madonna del Carmine


Meg, Russ & Monica at Chiesa Madonna del Carmine

 Donato & Davide D'Agrosa 

The climax of the movie vibe we were experiencing started when two figures came walking up the path towards us as we exited Chiesa Madonna del Carmine. Within a minute we were shaking hands and embracing Donato and Davide D'Agrosa, cousins I didn't know I had just a few days before. Davide is Donato's son and with the help of a family tree diagram prepared by Carmen, we were able draw a line to how we are connected. Ancestry.com tells me Davide and I are "4th Cousins" and Donato is "3rd Cousin 1x Removed". Those distinctions don't really matter. They are family and couldn't have been more welcoming. Any concerns that maybe we'd be inconveniencing them were quickly washed away. This meeting felt like destiny fulfilled after decades of research into family history. 

Over the next hour we traded stories about our roots, exchanged gifts and got to know each other. It wasn't long before we learned Davide (33) had a passion for music (including Bruce Springsteen) and football (soccer). Davide is both a singer-songwriter (he was performing the next night at the Brassens festival in Marsico) and captain of FC Sancto Elia, the local football team representing the district of Sant' Elia where my great grandmother Domenica lived. In fact, Davide and Donato live in Sant' Elia today! We were given multiple gifts connected to the football club and we gave a small gift we had brought from the US (a tote bag with Philly landmarks...including the Italian Market, of course). 

We walked the grounds around the former monastery taking "family pictures" at scenic overlooks. A cannon even fired in the distance, a daily reminder of the upcoming festival for San Gianuario. Eventually after suggesting we go get drinks together, we strolled back in the direction of our car, but we wouldn't be leaving just yet. Instead we headed towards the front door of a former convent for the Benedictine nuns of San Tommaso. It is a large building with a rich history (even served as a "princely residence" in a former life). 

It was very unassuming from the outside. Much to our surprise parts of the complex have been transformed into a cafe, bar and restaurant. We passed through the building to an outdoor space with seating and another beautiful overlook...this time with our ancestral home of Sant' Elia in the distance. In retrospect, we were at the the "Waikiki Bar" which I know sounds Hawaiian...I have no explanation for that name. 

Donato, Russ, Davide & Monica


Gifts from Davide and our shared Family Tree

Davide, Russ and Carmen


Davide D'Agrosa playing Streets of Philadelphia


Val d'Agri and the district of Sant' Elia


Our D'Agrosa Family Tree from Carmen

After taking pictures we grabbed some seats with our D'Agrosa cousins and were introduced to Carmen's fiance and members of her family. Before long I was drinking a local beer and we were all toasting our how lucky we were to be together. The highlight was still to come when Davide asked for the outdoor music to be turned off. He then pulled out a guitar and played a version of "Streets of Philadelphia" that would make Bruce Springsteen proud. He had the perfect voice for it. I couldn't make this up if I tried. For an encore he covered "Purple Rain", which was also beautifully done. We were filming it of course, but it felt like we were in a movie. 

It was around 7 PM and since we still had to travel to Muro Lucano we began to plan our exit. Davide had one more idea and invited us to see where his FC Sancto Elia would be playing in the championship match a few days later. When we arrived at the stadium it was a pleasant surprise to discover that there was an actual match being played (semi-final between Portello and Sancto Vito). I just loved the sense of community on display. 

We moved to the section supporting Portello, Carmen's team, and were joined by Donato, Davide, and others. We posed for pictures under the FC Sancto Elia sign before settling in to watch the match. Still full from our lunch we were offered pizza and Peroni and did our best. Again, the generosity made us feel at home. After a few scores from the much stronger Sancto Vito we had to say our final goodbye. 




A panoramic view from Stadio A. Incerto 

As we left Marico Nuovo behind in the fading light of the day, we had time to reflect on the amazing experience. Just days before I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to visit Marsico Nuovo, and now my only regret was that we didn't have more time to spend there. We will be back. There is more to see and do (e.g., Walk through Sant' Elia, participate in San Gianuario festival, visit the nearby national park).  Most importantly, we have family there! 

Carmen and Marsicuore.it understand that Marisco is, "a place of the heart and if you visit it, you will want to take it with you." We took memories with us and I encourage you to visit. If you are thinking of making a trip, happy to provide some thoughts and would recommend you engage Marsicuore.it too. 

ROLL THE CREDITS

If you've followed along this whole journey, you know that Carmen and Marsicuore.it really brought the magic to this whole production. The passion is genuine. Thank you! 


BONUS MATERIAL

I couldn't figure out where to place this nugget. From various documents we know Domenica's family were farmers who resided in the Sant' Elia district of Marsico Nuovo. Sometimes that got lost in translation (e.g.,  US Naturalization document for her sister Millie notes that she lived in "Saint Leo" before she immigrated to the US...but that didn't make sense). It took a few years to figure out that what she was trying to communicate was Sant' Elia. If I hadn't met Carmen, I don't think I would have had that epiphany 

RELATED LINKS

Websites (I recommend you use Google Chrome and allow it to translate some of these pages):

Marsicuore.it 

In Italy Today article

My Social Wanderlust 

Suitcase full of Travels

Agriturismo Vignola

Pastificio Tre Spighe 

Municipal Website for Marsico Nuovo

Marsico Nuovo Wikipedia page in IT (holds a lot more info than the English verion)


Instagram:

Marsicuore


Facebook:

Marsicuore


Wednesday, February 1, 2023

All Aboard: The Ships of Our Family

NOTE: LAST UPDATED 12 MARCH 2023

The Cipolla and D'Agrosa families traveled from their respective hometowns of Muro Lucano and Marsico Nuovo and began arriving in Philadelphia in the late 1800s. Over time they would flourish under the names Cipollo and Lagrosa (and several varied spellings of that name!). Below you will find information about the voyages that brought them to America. Hopefully more details reveal themselves in future, so check back for updates.  

PARTS OF THE PUZZLE WE SOLVED

S.S. ALESIA
Departure:
Naples (24 Apr 1893)
Arrival: New York (14 May 1893) 
Who: Felice Cipolla (age 16); Rosamaria (née Cipolla) Crusco (age 19); Vincenzo Crusco (age 24)
About the travelers: For details there is a separate blog post written about this journey. The short story is that this is the voyage that first brought the Cipolla (now Cipollo) family to America. It was a perilous journey as several people died from small pox. Felice Cipolla (soon to become Felix Cipollo) joined his sister Rosamaria and her husband Vincenzo for the journey. There were other people traveling from Muro Lucano as well, but any family ties are unclear. Vincenzo had been to Philadelphia before with his father, but this time he would be starting a family in his adopted country with his new bride, Rosamaria. 

Learn more about this ship 





S.S. ALSATIA
Departure: Naples (Abt 26 Oct 1898)
Arrival: New York (Abt 18 Nov 1898)
Who: Michele Cipolla
About the travelers: For context, Michele Cipolla (Michael Cipolla) was a younger brother of Felix Cipolla. The passenger list captures him as a 15 year-old "carpenter" who purchased his own ticket to visit "brother Felice Cipolla" in Philadelphia. Among the hundreds of passengers, only four are coming from Muro Lucano and of them, only two are headed to Philadelphia. There isn't any evidence that Michael traveled with anyone else since he is found pages apart from in the log, but given that he was only 15, it also seems strange (at least by modern standards) that he would journey alone. 

Learn more about this ship


S.S. WERRA
Departure:
Naples
Arrival: New York (05/1900)
Who: Rosamaria (née Cipolla) Crusco; Michael Crusco; Maria Vincenza (née Trotta) Cipolla 
About the travelers: Maria Vincenza was the mother of Rosamaria and Felice Cipolla (Felix Cipollo). She was the grandmother of Michael Crusco. Rosamaria originally arrived in the US in 1893.  Her son Michael was born in the US. This was the first trip to the US for Maria Vincenza. It appears Rosamaria  returned to her native Muro Lucano to bring her mother to the United States. All of them would permanently reside in Philadelphia. 

Learn more about this ship



PARTS OF THE PUZZLE STILL TO BE SOLVED

In seeking the ships of the D'Agrosa (Lagrosa) family I've explored variations of both D'Agrosa and Lagrosa names as well as Votta, since women often traveled using their maiden names and Annunizata Lagrosa was born Annunziata Votta. Unfortunately, despite numerous clues left behind, we have significant gaps in the story for the people listed below.  

Domenica"Minnie" (née Lagrosa) (born D'Agrosa) Cipollo is listed as arriving in the US at various dates according to US census records including 1882 (~age 1), 1891 (~age 10), and 1893 (~ age12). No documentation has been found to support any of those dates.  

Augustina (née Lagrosa) (born D'Agrosa) Fortunato reported in her Declaration of Naturalization documentation that she arrived on June 4, 1887 in New York, from Naples under the name DiGrossa.  She would have been 12 years old. Searches of ship manifests for ships arriving around that time (June 4: Adriatic, City of Chester, EMS, Gellert) (June 6: Australia, Britannia) have not yielded any positive results. In various US census records Augustina's arrival in the US is identified identified as 1887, 1888, and 1889. 

Guiseppina "Jospehine" (née Lagrosa) (born D'Agrosa) Cianciarulo is listed as arriving in the US at various dates according to US census records including 1886 (~age 10), 1887 (~age 11), and 1888 (~ age12). No documentation has been found to support any of these dates.  She is mentioned in an 1893 news article when her father was trying to force her to marry someone she didn't want to marry, so we know for certain she was present in Philadelphia by that time. 

Carmela "Millie" Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa) recorded in her Naturalization records that she arrived in New York on December 12, 1892 on the "S.S. Guerra".  She would have been 5 years old. Speculation is that the "S.S. Guerra" was actually the "S.S. Werra".  That ship arrived on December 6, 1892, but nobody fitting Carmela's profile is found. One interesting note is that she says the last place she lived before arriving in the US was St. Leo, though she acknowledges being born in Marsico Nuovo. The only St. Leo I have found in Italy is considerably further north from Marsico Nuovo. Carmela's connection to that town is another mystery. In various US census records Carmela's arrival in the US is identified identified as 1887, 1889 and 1894.   

Annunziata"Nunzie" (née Votta) D'Agrosa (later Lagrosa), is the mother of daughter's Minnie, Augustina, Josphephine, Millie who immigrated to the US. She is also the mother of two sons (Donato and Gianuario) who do not appear to have immigrated to the US. There are several different arrival dates reported in US Census records for her including 1880, 1882, 1888, 1894. There are no official records to support any of these dates.  There are a few things to ponder.  Her daughter Minnie was born in Italy in 1881 and her daughter Millie was born in Italy in 1887. So, if she arrived in the US 1880 or 1882 she must have returned to Italy before finally settling in the US. 

Francesco Saverio (born D'Agrosa) Lagrosa is the father of Minnie, Augustina and Millie. There are several different arrival dates reported in US Census records for him including 1875, 1882 and 1888. We can can be confident that he traveled between the US and Italy multiple times. The earliest Philadelphia residence record found for him so far is1890.

There is an interesting adjacent plot. There is a Francesco Saverio D'Agrosa traveling from Marsico Nuovo traveled on the S.S. California in 1898 and was headed to 833 Montrose St. in Philadelphia. This is a known address for our "Lagrosa" family.  In the S.S. California manifest it says he is going the home of his "daughter Grazia Maria" while his traveling companion Rosaria Fortunato, is going to join "husband Fiore Antonio".  He is identified as a 67 year-old widow while she is listed as 53.  Contrary to my initial thinking and despite all the similarities, research suggests that this Saverio D'Agrosa is NOT the father of Domenica Cipolla (nee Lagrosa). This Saverio is found living with his daughter Maria Grazia and her husband, Agostale Lauria at 641 Washington Ave. in the 1900 census. He would die later that year, but seemingly not before marrying a woman named Rosaria. Interesting. Regardless, it seems likely that this Saverio was related to "our" Saverio meaning that the D'Agrosa family that we know, likely had relatives living in their Philadelphia neighborhood.  So our extended family today is probably even larger than we might have originally suspected. 



Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Cipollo & Lagrosa Family History on the Map!

NOTE: LAST UPDATED 4 MAR 2023

Many of the homesteads and important addresses for Felix Cipollo (born Felice Cipolla), Domenica "Minnie" Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa) and their families are found in the maps below. If you have anything  you'd like to add (addresses, stories, pictures, etc.), send an email to russdath@gmail.com

ON THE MAP: PHILADELPHIA REGION, USA (1880s-1950s) 
With data from a range of historical records we are able to identify many of the places the Cipollo and Lagrosa families called home in the decades that followed their late 1800s arrival in Philadelphia. With custom interactive mapping available from Google Maps, we can see how members of both families came together and drifted apart over the decades.   

Upon arriving in Philadelphia from southern Italy, the Cipollo and Lagrosa families would have found many different immigrant groups from Italy and beyond in the area where most Italian families were settling. Among Italian immigrants, those from southern Italy dominated the scene in a neighborhood bordered by 8th Street, 9th Street, Christian Street and Carpenter Street. You can see this in census documents. US Census takers often noted when someone was "Southern Italian" rather than simply "Italian".  Italy had only unified into a single state in 1860 and a united Italian identity wouldn't solidify in the minds of many until the next century. 

According to an "Italians and Italy" article in the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, the majority of Italians moving to Philadelphia from the late 1880s to the 1920s came from Abruzzi. Philadelphia's Italian-born population and their children grew from about 10,280 in 1890 to 136,793 in 1920.   

Because of social and economic dynamics southern Italian immigrants to Philadelphia often settled nearby people from their own towns and regions. This proved fortuitous for generations yet to come since it brought together the Cipollo and Lagrosa families from the region of Basilicata. As shown on the maps below, the Lagrosa family from Marsico Nuovo and the Cipollo family from Muro Lucano became close neighbors in Philadelphia almost immediately.   

The early South Philadelphia neighborhoods that hosted the Cipollo and Lagrosa families and their legacies have gone by different names over the years. Early family addresses are found in neighborhoods now called Bella Vista and Queen Village. Most other addresses that played host to families in the 1940s and 1950s are found further south in neighborhoods identified as Passyunk SquarePoint BreezeWest PassyunkMelrose, and Southwest Philadelphia's Elmwood Park. Some family members married and found themselves in University City and on the move to Northeast Philadelphia's Fair Hill neighborhood. Family could also be found across the Delaware River in Collingswood and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Beyond the 1950s families would spread across the region and country. 

How do you read the interactive map? 

  • Addresses tied to the Cipollo (Cipolla) family are identified with RED icons (houses, crosses, etc).  
  • Addresses tied to the Lagrosa (D'Agrosa) family are flagged with GREEN icons.
  • Use the "legend" to toggle different decades on/off from your view. 
What can be learned from the map?
Click on any of the icons to learn more about who lived at the address and to view pictures such as snippets of old maps that place the address in the context of a relevant time period.  

How can you view the map? 
You can look at the map embedded in the page below or click one of the links provided. 


PHILADELPHIA HOMESTEAD HIGHLIGHTS 
The Google Map above shows a wide range of addresses that hosted members of the Cipollo and Lagrosa families over the decades. A few addresses are spotlighted below. If you want some context for what life was like at the turn of the century in the neighborhood, I recommend reading "Housing conditions in Philadelphia" by Emily W. Dinwiddie from 1904 (see free eBook). It paints a detailed and vivid picture of the Italian quarter and the often difficult conditions families found themselves in. We can be grateful that the Cipollo and Lagrosa families overcame significant economic adversity and established roots in Philadelphia. 

South 8th Street Addresses
We don't know exactly where Felix Cipollo lived in 1893 after he arrived with his sister, Rosamaria and her husband Vincenzo Crusco. However, when Rosamaria arrived in the US for the second time in 1900 onboard the S.S. Werra with both her son Michael Crusco and her mother Maria Vincenza (née Trotta) Cipollo, we get our first address for Felix. Both Rosamaria and Maria Vincenza indicated they would be joining Felix Cipollo and Vincenzo Crusco at 914 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia.  We don't find them at this address in the 1900 US Census, which suggests that maybe they moved out of that location in the summer of 1900. It seems probable that Felix, Rosamaria and Vincenzo lived there for a period in 1899 and possibly earlier. While living there, they might have become well accustomed with the bank that operated on the first floor according to Emily Dinwiddie's 1902 "Italian District" map. It appears that the current house at that address is from 1920 (according to Zillow).

If Felix lived at 914 S. 8th Street when he arrived in 1893, his future wife Domenica "Minnie" Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa) might have been his neighbor at 912 S. 8th StreetThat property is listed in an 1894 directory as the home of Saverio Lagrosa (Minnie's father).  At this time we don't know exactly when Minnie arrived, so we can't know for sure that she was Felix's neighbor on 8th Street. We do know that Saverio purchased the property in October of 1891 and that he sold it in October of 1901 for $5,000. The transactions indicate that the property was 16 x 53.6 feet, so it was far from spacious if the whole family was living there at any one time. 

Emily Dinwiddie's 1902 map indicates that there was a cobbler business on the first floor of 912 S. 8th Street.  The housing was described as "tenement housing" (often characterized by low-quality, run-down and/or cramped living conditions). Like the Cipollo address from that period, it appears that the current house at 912 S. 8th Street is from a later period (1920 according to Zillow). 

The Cipollo and Lagrosa families would have been separated by about 35 miles in Italy, but their homes on 8th Street in Philadelphia made them neighbors and maybe nurtured some important relationships. This wouldn't be the last time the Cipollo and Lagrosa families were neighbors. Both families arrived on Montrose street next and maybe at about the same time. 

Montrose Street Addresses
The most notable family connections to Montrose St. (formerly Marriott St.) are 829, 831 and 833. In 1900, around the time the "Italian District" map below was compiled, Felix was with his mother, Vincenza, at 829 Montrose. They were hardly alone. Forty-eight (48!!!) other people were also documented living at that address in the US census.  Vincenza was a new immigrant and was without work while Felix worked as a bootblack (shoe shiner). It had been seven years since he arrived with his sister, Rosamaria and her husband Vincenzo Crusco. 

In a 1902 marriage record Felix Cipollo identified the "rear" of 829 Montrose as his home. As seen in the map image below (click image to enlarge) there are multiple three-story dwellings found behind 829 Montrose in what is called "Cassidy's Court".  The "court" lifestyle was a communal one. Dozens of people would share a courtyard and "privy" outside their small overcrowded dwellings. The individual dwellings did not include running water.  In all likelihood others in the court were from the same general region as Felix and Vincenza. 

The earliest documented family record for Montrose Street belongs to Saverio Lagrosa (born Francesco Saverio D'Agrosa) in an 1890 city directory which captures him being at 831 Marriott (which would eventually be known as 831 Montrose). Who he resided with is still to be determined. It is believed that most of his family followed him a few years later and that he may have arrived in the US for the first time as early as 1875. For sure he traveled to and from Italy more than once. His last journey to the US may have been in 1898 where he references that he is returning to the US from Marsico Nuovo and that he would be residing at 833 Montrose. 

Domenica "Minnie" Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa) was among fifteen people living at 833 Montrose in 1900. Her parents, siblings, in-laws and possibly some extended family shared the same address.  This address was adjacent (to the east) of a large vacant lot that stood next to "Donnelly now Darrien St." captured in the map below.  The vacant spot was eventually occupied by a public bathhouse to help improve the health and hygiene of the local community. The Lagrosa homestead appears to be outside of the court environment, but it was just around the corner.

Source: Map accompanying report by Emily W. Dinwiddie detailing building usage in the “Italian District.” The Octavia Hill Association commissioned Dinwiddie to investigate housing conditions in the neighborhood. Map. 1904. Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

A few other things standout in the Dinwiddie map. The reference to "St Paul R.C. School" identifies the exact location of Our Lady of Good Counsel church and school.  The map above seems to be a bit behind the times since the church opened in 1898. St. Paul's school was converted into a church on two floors while the third floor served as a school. The sacristy and back of the church was on Montrose according to Michael DiPilla's book, "Images of America, South Philadelphia's Little Italy and 9th Street Italian Market".  The parish was established to serve the growing southern Italian population of the neighborhood. Minnie and Felix married there in 1902.  

Kaufman Street
The 1910 Census captures Felix (age 33) and "Minnie" (age 28) living at 526 Kaufman Street, just around the corner from future homesteads on Passyunk Avenue.  The immigrants in this neighborhood were more diverse and there would have been an interesting mixture of languages on the street (Yiddish, German, etc.). By 1910 Felix and Minnie were joined by four children (Mary, Luigi, Samuel and Nancy) as well as Felix's mother, Maria Vincenza (age 54). We don't know exactly when they left, but it appears their next address would first serve as a business venture before it became their home.   

East Passyunk Avenue Addresses
The first documented connection between the Cipollo family and Passyunk Ave is for 811 E. Passyunk Ave..  Business directories connect Felix to the address as early as 1904. So, while the family lived at 526 Kaufman, Felix ran a retail liquor business (probably a saloon) at 811 E. Passyunk Ave. Various records confirm the family was living there in 1920.  Oddly enough, no 1920 US Census for the family has been found. Having combed through all available records for that neighborhood, I'm resigned to the fact that the record no longer exists, and possibly never did.  

By 1930 the family owned and occupied 801, 803, 805 and 807 E. Passyunk, but no longer occupied 811. Salvatore Pascale and his family had moved into that address and opened a candy store.  So, how and when did the Cipollo family move into 801-807 E. Passyunk? If we look back at the 1920 census, we find 801-803 occupied and rented by Christian Pfaff's family who immigrated from Germany. 805 was occupied and rented by the Yiddish-speaking Weitzenbrod family from Russia and Poland. They supported themselves as tailors, possibly onsite.  807 was occupied and rented by the Yiddish-speaking Winegrad family who were also from Russia and ran their own upholstery business. It might be that all of the properties from 801-807 were primed for retail businesses on the first floor by the time the Cipollo's moved in and established their own enterprises. 

The transfer of properties to the Cipollo's for business purposes was likely gradual. Christian Pfaff was a "liquor dealer" who passed away in 1920 at the age of 78. It has occurred to me that maybe he was a mentor to Felix Cipollo. It has been suggested that a German businessman took an interest in Felix when he was a young man working as a bootblack. No way to know. Christian's family would continue to live at 801 for several years, but Felix applied for a liquor license applicable to both 801 and 803 by no later than December 1921 while he resided at 811 Passyunk. It seems likely that Felix and family took over a pre-existing bar/saloon at that time. However, it is not yet clear why Felix along with dozens of others can be found applying for liquor licenses during prohibition which began in January 1919. Maybe there was some hope that Prohibition wouldn't be enforced or that it would be repealed.  

While the Cipollo family lived on the 800 block of E. Passyunk, Minnie was just a block away from her mother and father (Annunziata and Saverio) in 1910.  The census for that year finds them living with Minnie's married sister Josephine (née Lagrosa) Cianciarula and her unmarried sister Carmela. It was a full house at 901 E. Passyunk with a total of 12 people from multiple generations (ages 1-78) of Cianciarla and Lagrosa calling it home. The house from their era is no longer standing. It's worth noting that both Saverio and Josephine's husband Domenic report that they are working in a saloon. Maybe they worked with Felix Cipollo just down the street? 

BASILICATA REGION, ITALY (1800s)

What can be learned from the map?
The Cipollo (Cipolla) and Lagrosa (d'Agrosa) families lived in rural towns in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. The distance between them is about 27 miles, but there isn't a direct road given the mountainous terrain. It seems highly unlikely that the families ever crossed paths before they arrived in Philadelphia. 

Several addresses have been identified for the Cipollo family in Muro Lucano. Among them are Stratda Castello,  13 Via Raia Superiore and 19 Strada Torrine.  Thus far we haven't been able to precisely plot them on a modern map of Muro Lucano. However, after consulting with local experts in 2018 we can reasonably place them near the famed castle that still stands today.  Earthquakes have severely damaged the area that would have played host to the Cipollo family. You can read more about this in a blogpost covering a visit to Muro Lucano

We also have addresses for the Lagrosa family in Marsico Nuovo. Via Sant Elia (possibly 8 Via Sant Elia) is listed as the home of the D'Agrosa family in the 1887 birth record for Carmela "Millie" Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa). 78 via Sant Elia is listed as the home of the D'Agrosa family in the 1881 birth record for Domenica Lagrosa (born D'Agrosa), future wife of Felix Cipollo.  Via Sant Elia (possibly 4 Via Sant Elia) is listed as the home of the D'Agrosa family in the 1871 birth record for Gianuario D'Agrosa, one of two brothers that don't appear to have made it to the US. The exact addresses for Via San Elia aren't found in Google Maps today, but it does place us on the street that may have hosted them. It suggests they were living on the outskirts of the town. 

There is also a 1 Via Vittorio Emanuele address. It is listed as the home of the D'Agrosa family in the 1876 birth record for Josephine Lagrosa (D'Agrosa). The exact address isn't found in Google Maps today, but we can find a street with that name. This address was likely in the heart of the town. 

How do you read the interactive map? 

  • Addresses tied to the Cipollo (Cipolla) family are identified with RED icons (houses, crosses, etc).  
  • Addresses tied to the Lagrosa (D'Agrosa) family are flagged with GREEN icons.
  • Use the "legend" to toggle different decades on/off from your view. 

What can be learned from the map?
Click on any of the icons to learn more about who lived at the address and to view pictures such as snippets of old maps that place the address in the context of a relevant time period.  

How can you view the map?