- Rosario (Thomas) Morano - Birth Certificate (180 KB)
My mother Anna Cornelia Morano’s father was Rosario (Tom) Morano. This birth certificate was obtained from New York City, where he was born in 1893. He was born to immigrant parents, Anna Pilero and Antonio Morano on 203 Mott Street in Little Italy.
- Rosario (Tom) Morano & Martha Whitaker (25 KB)
My maternal grandfathr Rosario (Thomas) Morano married Martha Whittaker. Martha was the daughter of Cornelia Anson and Frederick Whittaker, descendants of a long line of English, Dutch and Indian heritage.
- Cosmo's Citizenship Papers (137 KB)
My grandfather, Cosmo eventually became an American citizen, but not until he was 70 years old. This is his citizenship certificate. My grandmother, Annunziata, who never learned to speak English, never became a citizen and remained a legal alien her entire life in America.
- Tiella Festival (65 KB)
On my last three days in Gaeta, there was a Tiella festival. Tiella (“tee-ay-la”) is a pie-like dish, only found in Gaeta, and it is always made with Gaeta olives and olive oil and whatever else you want – everything from calamari to anchovies to spinach to chicken to cheese to escarole. You name it. They make it. There were dozens of varieties and I tried many of them. For ten Euros (about $13) you got a beer and three pieces of Tiella. Gaeta is known for its olives and olive oil and the Tiella festival is a way to promote those products.
- Nicola DiFraia: Birth Record (153 KB)
This is the first page of a two-page record. Together they say that on Feb 28, 1836 at 9 Am Grazia Antonia Casenova, age 26, midwife, appeared before Vincenzo Leone, Mayor with a male infant Nicola Luigi DiFraia, born of Felice Antonia Cagnardi, age 25 and Antonio DiFraia, age 21, fisherman, on Feb 26 at 3 Pm. Witnesses were Paolo Valente, age 43 and Giani Antonio D’Aquino, age 36, peasant farmers. The baptismal section reads that he was baptized on Feb. 28 by the pastor of San Cosma. (The full name of the church was Saints Cosma and Damiano)
- Map of Central Italy (131 KB)
The DeFraia family came from Gaeta, Italy. This map shows a close up look at the immediate area around Gaeta. The town sits on a small peninsula, at the base of a mountain called Mount Orlando. Gaeta was established on a natural seaport in a bay now called the Gulf of Gaeta. The gulf is part of a body of water called Tyrrhenian Sea, which is actually part of the Mediterranean Sea. Gaeta is also just east of the Ponziane Islands.
- Gaeta's Marketplace (65 KB)
I visited Gaeta in 1973. In the middle of Gaeta, there is this colorful and still active village marketplace that has been there for hundreds of years. My grandparent’s Cosmo and Annunziata may have actually shopped here.
- Ship Manifest of the "Republic" (409 KB)
Cosmo DeFraia first came to America on a ship called “Republic”. This is the ship manifest (passenger list) from the ship’s landing at Ellis Island on January 5, 1905. Cosmo is number 3 on page 9 of the manifest. Cosmo returned to Italy after this trip and came back to America for good sometime before 1912. I could not find a record of his return trip. I think the reason is he worked as a crew member and as such he would not be listed on a manifest.
- Last in Line (124 KB)
This space is reserved so you can meet the newest members of the DeFraia family! The latest reported additions to the family are Layla Sierra Martin, born 1/21/06 and Corey James Martin, born 12/28/06. Their father is Zachary Martin, who is related to Cosmo through the following lineage…Zachary is the son of Kevin Martin and Lorraine Louty. Kevin is the son of Genevieve DeFraia and John Martin. Genevieve is the daughter of Luigi DeFraia and Angelina Lanzarone. Luigi is the first child of Cosmo & Annunziata. So heeeeere’s Layla and Corey who will “reign” in this space until a newer family member comes along (…and I get the photo!)
- Corso Attico Vico 29 (99 KB)
The main road into Gaeta is Lungomare Caboto, running along the edge of the bay to the center of town. Just outside of the center to the west is a very old section that was known as ‘Elena”. In the 1800s, this is where our family lived. At that time, L. Caboto was called “Corso Attico”. A “corso” is a major road while a “via” is a smaller street, such as the Via Independenza - a stone alley that runs parallel to and inland from L. Caboto. The “vico’s” are very tiny alleyways, often no more than six feet wide, running between L. Caboto (then Corso Attico) and the Via Independenza. Our family lived on Corso Attico Vico 29, which means they lived on this tiny alleyway # 29 off Corso Attico.
- Annunziata Spinosa DeFraia (31 KB)
This is a portrait of my paternal grandmother, Annunziatta Spinosa DeFraia. Annunziata’s mother was Maria Evita Tarallo and her father was Gaetano Spinosa. Gaetano died in Italy and Maria later married Usano DiUsanio. Maria & Usano immigrated to America years before Cosmo & Annunziata and would come to own the adjacent property in Highland. This photo was taken around 1974 when Annunziata was about 92 years old. “Bellezza” – beautiful! no?
- Ellis Island Wall of Honor (44 KB)
If you go to Ellis Island, Cosmo and Annunziata’s names are located on Panel 104 (“Dedy to Del G”), which is located just outside the back doors on the baggage room level (first floor). The panel is on the outside of the circular section. Look down the third column and you will see them. Line 12 is Annunziata and line 14 is Cosmo. Their son Anthony is on line 13. Marion Falzone DeFraia - Anthony’s first wife is there as well. Angelina Lanzarone DeFraia is also on the wall, Panel 101 (“Davi to De La”) to left of panel 104. Look in column 4 about 70 lines down.
- Church: Saints Cosma & Damiano - Bell Tower (64 KB)
The church where our family members were married and baptized is the Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano. It is on a very narrow main street of Gaeta, the Via Independenza. Only half of the church survived the bombings of WW II. This is a picture of the bell tower, or at least the left half of it. It was a very poor church and very small to begin with and now it is only half its original size. It was difficult to photograph the whole building because the “street” is a stone alley only about 12 feet wide.
- Cosmo's Birth Certificate (50 KB)
My grandfather, Cosmo Carmine DiFraia was born in Gaeta, Italy on February 5, 1878. He was born at home on Via Corso Attico Vico, Number 29. This birth certificate was obtained from Gaeta in 1994. It says Cosmo was the 13th birth recorded that year and that his parents were Luigi Nicola DiFraia and Maria Giuseppa Spinosa.
- Cosmo & Annunziata's Marriage (50 KB)
My grandparent's Cosmo DiFraia & Annunziata Spinosa were married on March 1, 1902 in Gaeta Italy. This marriage certificate was obtained from Gaeta in 1994. It certifies the marriage and also says that Cosmo Carmine DiFraia was a single male, born in Gaeta, age 24 years old and whose profession was a fisherman and that he was living in Gaeta. It goes on to say that Annunziatta Spinosa was a single female, born in Gaeta, age 20 years old whose profession was a housewife living in Gaeta.
- Ship Manifest for the "Ancona" (302 KB)
This is the ship manifest for the "Ancona", which landed at Ellis Island on November 21, 1913. On page 78, lines 1 to 4, we find my grandmother Annunziata Spinosa and her three sons – Luigi (age 10), Gaetano (age 6) and Antonio DiFraia (age 4). Back in 1972, my uncle Gaetano (Guy) was telling an entertaining “tale” about the Ancona sinking while on the return trip to Italy. It turns out he was partially right! The Ancona, while returning to Italy after a later sailing to America, was torpedoed by an Austrian submarine and went down off the coast of Sardinia in 1915! (Consider our fate if the ship went down en route to America with our relatives on board...Hint - None of us would be here!)
- Church: Saints Cosma & Damiano - Inside (50 KB)
Inside of the tiny Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano, the church where Cosmo and Annunziata were married.
- Nicola Luigi DiFraia (37 KB)
My paternal great grand father was Nicola Luigi DiFraia. Nicola was born on Feb 26, 1836 in Elena, Italy. He married Maria Giuseppa Spinosa on Nov 1 1862, Nicola was a fisherman (a “pescatore”). They lived on 29 Attico Vico Street in Gaeta. The only picture of Luigi we have is a portrait, reproduced here, that Nicola had painted in Italy. Nicola’s son was my grandfather, Cosmo DeFraia. Cosmo’s son is my father, Salvatore. When Cosmo left Italy and came to America, he brought this portrait with him.
- Antonio Morano (22 KB)
My maternal great grand father was Antonio Morano. In the 1890s, after his first wife died in Italy, Antonio immigrated to America with his three children from that marriage. He met Anna Pilero on the ship. They married in America and had three mutual children – one being my maternal grand father, Rosario Morano (See other links for Rosario). Antonio was said to have died at relatively young age during a flu epidemic in NYC. Antonio was a shoemaker.
- Nicola DiFraia: Death Record (118 KB)
This reads that on Aug 6, 1923 at 10:50 Am, Raffaele Triburzio, a 56 years retiree and Giovanni Simeone, a 72 year old, a sailor appeared before the mayor of Elena (Gaeta), Gaetano DiMarco. The men reported that at 8:00 Pm the day before Nicola Luigi, 87 years old, a fisherman, died in his house on Corso Attico Vico 28 in Elena. He was the son of Felice Antonia Bagnardi and Antonio DiFraia, also deceased. Witnesses were Mario Arpente, a 25 year-old sea captain and Erasmo Scalessi, also a 25 year-old sea captain, both living in Elena.
- Map of Italy (84 KB)
The DeFraia family came from Gaeta, Italy, a small town located on the western coast of Italy, between Rome and Naples. This map of all of Italy shows the relative location of Gaeta.
- Anna Pilero (24 KB)
My maternal great grandmother was Anna Pilero. After her first husband died in Italy she immigrated to America with her three children from that marriage. She met Antonio Morano on the ship. They later married and had three children together. Anna was said to have died in NYC during a flu epidemic. Anna and Antonio lived on 203 Mott Street in Little Italy.
- Archivi Stato Civile (71 KB)
The Archivi Stato Civile (Archives of Vital Records). In my search for long lost DiFraia’s, I had record books from the 1800s open all over the place. These are birth, death and marriage records.
- The Author in Gaeta (57 KB)
Yours truly, the author and researcher, hard at “work” on his hotel terrace, overlooking Serapo Beach and Mount Orlando
- Map of Location of the DeFraia Farm (46 KB)
This map shows the location of the DeFraia farm – the section on the map outlined in red - on Bell Drive, Highland, NY. See also the link below under Related Files – “Directions to the DeFraia Farm & Highland Cemetery”.
- Gaeta From Mount Orlando (83 KB)
Gaeta as seen from Mount Orlando, looking toward the center of town. The bell tower is the Archivi Stato Civile, the municipal building where I did all my research. The main town piazza is located in the same area.
- Deeds to the DeFraia Farm (152 KB)
Through a combination of four land deals, one in 1912, two in 1914 and one in 1918, Cosmo DeFraia and the stepfather of his wife Annunziata - Usano DiUsanio bought or divided land between them. The first purchase in 1912, shown in this deed, was for land purchased from the estate of George Eyett, where the family had worked as hired farmers. In 1914, through two separate deeds, they then divided the land. Cosmo & Usano then built their homes and establish their farms. In 1918 Cosmo then bought more land from Raffaele Anzevino - bringing his property to 2 & 1/2 acres. It would remain that way all through the rest of the years the family owned it.
- Gaeta Harbor (67 KB)
Gaeta harbor is filled with ships. There are not many fishing boats as commercial fishing has replaced all the “pescatori” who worked the sea when Cosmo lived there. Fishing boats have been replaced with hundreds of pleasure boats - sailboats, powerboats and commercial ships as well. One section of the bay is a NATO Naval Base. There were American ships docked when I was there. It is a busy port.
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