Wasn't there a brother Remo, too?
http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passRecord.asp?MID=01461929400939282176&pID=101045010615&fromEI=1

Here's Antonio's Ellis Island record for his first trip to West Virginia. Apparently meeting cousin Domenico?
http://www.ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup_weif_5a.asp ...

What a cool discovery. Now I really wish I spoke & wrote in Italian. I used Google translator to at least get the gist. It appears I am your fourth cousin. Making my father your third cousin, and my grandfather & great-aunt your second cousin. I didn't know I had any relatives still living in Italy ...

Pistolpete,

If you remember the earthquake that happened last April in Italy, your great grandfather's village suffered pretty extensive damage. Below is a link to a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_szX7r836o

Biff

I remember hearing something about an earthquake in Italy.

Wow, wonder ...

Thank you guys so much. You've been incredibly helpful and I'm grateful.

This Ellis Island report says he was blind.

http://ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup_weif_5a.asp?src=%2Fcgi-bin%2Ftif2gif.exe%3FT%3D\\\\192.168.100.11\\IMAGES\\T715-2242\\T715-22420016.TIF%26S%3D.5&pID=100820010087&name=Ovidio ...

Thank you guys so much. You've been incredibly helpful and I'm grateful. Never dreamed it would take 2 days to track down my biological great grandfather. Not only that, but know his mother's name, where he was born and where he lived. This happens to be my my only non-Sicilian Italian ancestry ...

I'm sure that the naturalization index card I posted previously is for Marianna Amari Chelli aka Marion Chelli.

I located the engagement announcement for daughter Carmella in 1949 which shows mother as Mrs. Joseph Sgroi, address as 1085 De Kalb Ave in Brooklyn, one of the addresses shown on the ...

Valarie,
If you get a chance, could you check and see if you can find any information on Paul Chelly and/or the Royal Roman Orchestra on the newspaper archives site?

Biff

Hi Biff & suanj!
No luck (yet)
Valarie

Here's an outline I started on the possible Amari family
(contains quite a few ...

Great finds, suanj :D !

From google books, 23 Dec 1950 issue of Billboard magazine, information on Paul Chelly and his Royal Roman orchestra:

http://books.google.com/books?id=vR0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=%22paul+chelly%22&source=bl&ots=HlkMITBA4a&sig=HIHvc6R9J5-dWM7QScnjiuZhQYw&hl=en&ei=q ...

Here's a 1914 trip with daughter Eleanora, son Vito did not sail
joining son Domenico in NYC
husband Giuseppe is in Santa Ninfa

26 Apr 1914 Manifest
page 2

Antonina Lo Truglio 44, abt 1870
- possible naturalization notation 2-1018848(?) 505 no c/a 7/24/42
- last residence S Ninfa
- in S ...

1913 manifest, line 11
Ovidio Chelli
Occupation: Music Master
Year of bireth: about 1889
Last residence and place of birth: San Demetrio
Nearest relative in Italy: mother Carmella
edited to correct destination city
Destination: Morgantown WV to join brother Antonio

Page 1

Page 2

Biff ...

and abt this record:

Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001
about Paul O Chelli
Name: Paul O Chelli
Gender: Male
Spouse's name: Marion A Chelli
Divorce Date: 1946
County: Dade
Certificate Number: 19002

???
suanj

It's intriguing, but it's a Florida record when they were in NY. The divorce ...

Okay, Ovidio Chelli might not be him because he was 28 and in Virginia. Thought be around 1917 - now unless he moved to Kings Borough NY then I don't think it could be him. He would need to do so in the next 8-9 years from that point because my great aunt was born in 1928.

As a musician/composer ...

I believe that the draft cards and the ship manifest belong to the same person. Check the name of the relative who will know his address on the WWII card-Remo Chelli.

WWI Draft Card for Remo Chelli
Name: Ramo (Remo) Chelli
County: Monongalia
State: West Virginia
Birthplace: Italy
Birth Date ...

Apparently he was an Italian composer or musician.

WWII Draft Card
Name: Ovid Paul Chelly
Birth Date: 28 Jun 1893
Birth Place: Rome
Residence: New York City
Race: White
Unemployed

WWI Draft Reg Card
Name: Ovidio Chelli
County: Warwick
State: Virginia
Birthplace: San Demetrio ne ...

Biff83 wrote:Hey, Pete, thanks for responding.

I need to call it a night but if I've got some time tomorro, I'll see what else I can find.

A presto,
Biff

Thank you for all the help so far. Both you and VJ. Very grateful and appreciative of it.