Death Certificate vs. NARA and USCIS Letters

[VinnyInNOLA]

I'm finishing gathering all the necessary paperwork for my Dual-Citizenship Application but I have some questions regarding proof of (or lack there of) U.S. Citizenship.

My GGGF Alberto Ganci immigrated from Italy, through Ellis Island (around 1905), eventually living in Streator, IL. His wife Calagera Scurti and their Daughter joined him roughly 1908.
On a 1910 Census from Streator, it shows that Albert and his wife Calagera are still "Aliens" as far as Citizenship is concerned. In Jan. 1911, my GGF Frank Ange was born. Alberto's last name on this birth certificate was Ange and it stays this way going forward. After having 2 more kids, for which we don't have birth certificates, Alberto disappears. Calagera and all the kids then pop up on a 1930 Census in New York City with a new husband (which we have the marriage certificate for) and her and the kids move around NYC.

But, it seems after 1915 Alberto Ganci/Ange disappears. Word around the family is he got into trouble and possibly went to jail for an extended period of time.
Research wise, the next thing I can find is a 1940 Federal Census in Mount Pleasant, Westchester, New York, stating that an Alberto Angie is residing at the Westchester County Almshouse. Also on the Census, it states that in 1935 Alberto resided in Ossining, New York. This is leading me to the assumption that Alberto was an inmate at Sing Sing Prison at some point between 1915 and 1940. This census also shows that Alberto is now labeled as a Citizen of USA.
Alberto Angie then passes away around 1967 in Westchester, NY. I was able to obtain his Death Certificate and it verifies that it is him, since it has Calagera and his parents names on it. Also on this Death Certificate, it shows Alberto to be a Citizen of the USA.

On my pursuit of documentation for Alberto (prior to finding his 1940 Census and Death Certificate) I contacted the NARA in both Illinois and New York, as well as the USCIS in Washington DC, and the Westchester County Archives, and they all sent me letters stating that they had NO records of Albert/Alberto Ganci/Gangi/Ange/Angie being Naturalized or even Declaring/Applying for Citizenship.

My question to the forum is if this is enough for my own application? If the NARA or USICS doesn't have ANY documentation, but his Death Certificate says he's a Citizen, how would I find his naturalization records? Could he have been naturalized in Sing Sing Prison and it was never recorded?

[markstudios]

Have you looked in the localities where he lived to see if he perhaps filed any Declarations of Intent(ion)? If you can find one of these and they are after your GGF was born, then you know for certain he was not naturalized until after the fact.

[carubia]

Did Calogera Scurti ever naturalize? Have you tried searching for her naturalization documentation?

Have you found any census records for Alberto between 1910 and 1940? How about his WWI draft card?

Have you tried getting no records letters from county courts, in addition to NARA and USCIS? You'll need that. Someone could've been naturalized in a county court and NARA and USCIS don't have any record of it. That's why consulates want letters from all 3 sources.

Does USCIS have any alien registration documentation for him? If not, he probably naturalized before 1940, unless he used a different name, but you've already tried searching under all the names he had used (that you know of).

Also, if his daughter who was born in Italy survived to adulthood, have you looked for her naturalization documentation, too?

[VinnyInNOLA]

Thanks for the response, to answer your questions:

Calagera never Naturalized so there isn't any documentation.

I haven't found any Census records between 1910 and 1940 with Alberto's information, and no luck finding a WWI draft card either. He seems to have disappeared, or have gone to jail during this time, but I havent found any jail records with his name on it.

So far I have a letter from Westchester County, NY, stating they have no Naturalization record, as well as the CONE Letters from NARA (from both Illinois and NY) and the USCIS.
Streator, IL doesn't have any Naturalization records, so I've been trying to find something for the County but nothing yet.

I'm waiting to hear back from the USCIS because a few months ago I paid for the full Genealogical breakdown service through them but no response yet.

I haven't found any Naturalization record for his daughter born in Italy, but I'll take a look into that too!

Thanks!

[markstudios]

Well, it is possible to not naturalize but still have a Declaration of Intent somewhere. I have seen that before. But assuming they never even began the process, you are going about it the correct way by collecting all the other relevant information. You can also have New York state issue you official letters to the effect of them being unable to find him in the NY state census for various years.

Sing Sing Prison records can be retrieved and that will confirm whether he was in prison for the full range of years you expect. They are fairly obliging to these sorts of requests in my experience.

If he indeed never naturalized, and depending on when he died, you could request an AR-2, which would prove "legally" that he never naturalized. You could then have that notarized, translated, etc.

[VinnyInNOLA]

Thanks MarkStudios!

I'll go back and look through some of the Declaration of Intent for Streator, IL and Westchester, NY and see if anything comes up.

If you don't mind me asking, what is an AR-2?

[carubia]

An AR-2 was an alien registration form that aliens residing in the US had to complete, starting around 1940.

[Cristina319]

I had a similar situation..... My grandparents were born in Italy but never naturalized. I have letters certifying that there are no records of naturalization. However, both of their death certificates stated they were citizens of the United States. I petitioned the county (Mahoning County, Ohio) and had their citizenship changed on the DC to "Italy." That change was approved and certified by the county.

Can you perhaps do that?

[VinnyInNOLA]

Thanks Cristina, I never thought of that. What was your process for petitioning? Who did you speak with about getting that done, and what were the costs involved?