Need Help! Great-Grandfather Mystery

Are you looking for an Italian surname? Do you need more information about your family heritage?
This is the right place to start your genealogy search.
Post Reply
ChrisLettiere1
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Jun 2015, 02:49

Need Help! Great-Grandfather Mystery

Post by ChrisLettiere1 »

Hello everyone! First time on this forum, and I am hoping all of your collective knowledge can help my family and I.

For the past 75 years, my family has known NOTHING of our Italian history; i,e,. who/what/where we came from. I just stumbled upon some documentation of my great-grandfather. We think his name was Nicola Lettieri, born 1873 or 1874, arriving on the Nord America in 1904 via Ellis Island.

Our problem is that all the US documentation has his name as Nicholas Lettiere, and all the birthdays and immigration dates are different all all the census records. I have contacted the city of Rofrano, but they said it would be difficult since there are so many Lettieri's in Rofrano. Not sure where or how else I could get more info on him in the US and outside. Any help would be great.
User avatar
adelfio
Master
Master
Posts: 9334
Joined: 27 Oct 2010, 13:47
Location: Chicago

Re: Need Help! Great-Grandfather Mystery

Post by adelfio »

Welcome to IG website to narrow it down where did he settle in the US?
Do you have his wifes name? Is this him

Name: Nicholas Lettiere
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: Richmond (Districts 1-250), Richmond, New York, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 57
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1873
Birthplace: Italy
Immigration Year: 1908
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Nicholas Lettiere Head M 57 Italy
Maria Lettiere Wife F 43 Italy
Anthony Lettiere Son M 21 New York
Anna Lettiere Daughter F 20 New York
Frank Lettiere Son M 16 New York
Minnie Lettiere Daughter F 13 New York
Dominick Lettiere Son M 7 New York

Marty
Researching Trabia, Palermo surnames Adelfio, Bondi, Butera, Scardino,Rinella, Scardamaglia

Marty
User avatar
adelfio
Master
Master
Posts: 9334
Joined: 27 Oct 2010, 13:47
Location: Chicago

Re: Need Help! Great-Grandfather Mystery

Post by adelfio »

Is this him wife Maria?

Nicola Lettiere

United States World War I Draft Registration Cards

Name: Nicola Lettiere
Event Type: Draft Registration
Event Date: 1917-1918
Event Place: New York City no 188, New York, United States
Gender: Male
Nationality: United States
Birth Date: Dec 1872

PG LINK TO RECORD
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXB3-WXH


Nome: Nicolantonio Lettieri
Classe di nascita: 1872
Comune di nascita: Rofrano
Full text: Nicolantonio Lettieri son of Pietro Lettieri and Anna Monaco nato il 12/02/1872 a Rofrano

Marty
Researching Trabia, Palermo surnames Adelfio, Bondi, Butera, Scardino,Rinella, Scardamaglia

Marty
User avatar
Robin B Mc
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 162
Joined: 18 Jan 2015, 00:02
Location: CO (PA at heart)
Contact:

Re: Need Help! Great-Grandfather Mystery

Post by Robin B Mc »

It's really very normal for details on records, especially census record, to be slightly off. Most of them recorded ages, not birth dates, so they could vary depending on the time of year. Additionally, the data was dependent on the knowledge of the informant, which could be off. Censuses are taken for demographic purposes, not for identification, so things like exact spelling of names were not a priority. Minor errors in the details doesn't mean it's not the right record.

It's also normal to see foreigners using the Anglo version of their name - ie, Nicholas instead of Nicola - or anglicizing their surname.
Post Reply