The genealogical tree of my race can reach the upper limit of knowledge in the early decades of the last century, when nine children came to light from Giovanna Vasquez of Spanish origin and Gaetano cafarella. This parent, who was born and raised in the Aeolian Islands, namely in Salina, and who has been the owner of a farmer's craft and boat for transport of grapes from the islands to Mesina and Riposto. Born in June 1810 and died in 1881. These dates are very approximate, since my father, born in 1880, around the age of about one year, was led to be seen by his grandfather, and then his health conditions were very prejudicial to life. In fact, shortly afterwards he died. he was paralyzed for many years, since the age of half. My grandfather was the fourth of nine children and named Domenico in honor of his uncle, his father's brother, named Dominic, who, having embarked on an ecclesiastical career, had become a priest.

 

The male sons of Gaetano's age spent the infancy and adolescence, who became young, emigrated, who in Australia, and who in America settled his son Domenico, except miraculously unharmed from the 3rd War of Independence, he enlisted in the Corpo della Finanza and was assigned as a service center, Stazzo, in dependence on the Custody Hold.  Here he contracted good friendship with a colleague, who gets engaged to a young lady of the vicinity and that earlier groom. My grandfather was head of the estate. From the marriage union, a child was born, to whom the name of Mary Carolina was given and that at baptism, my grandfather was a godfather. So, my grandfather became colleague and godfather. The infant, the eighth month of life, dies, and, the cruel strangeness of fate, death was preceded or followed, I would not know, from that of his father who had been ill for several months.

The young widow, after about a year, step-again marriage to my grandfather.

 

From this marriage, eight living children came to life and lived until late. To these are added other, finished at birth or incubation. Here are the names of the survivors in the order of birth; Giovanna- Giuseppa- Gaetano (my father) - Giuseppe (Peppi) - Francesco- Salvatore- Domenico-Antonino.

Giovanna (Giovannina) for birth range to Giuseppa, at the behestof the husband (my grandfather), was given in a very youngage, still an infant, his grandmother already widow.

She was then led to the island of Salina, where Malfa's small center she grew up under the grandmother's affective care to which she placed her love ties more than a niece but as a daughter, so that she did not want to recognize her natural origin. In addition, there is a need to recognize the setting, from which she no longer intended to detach herself. Having become adolescent, parents wanted to return to the family in Stazzo. In fact, my father (my grandfather) goes to the island, and in spite of the girl's revulsion, now Miss, he returned to Stazzo. Here she was picked up by sadness, melancholy, relentless nostalgia. Grandparents, realizing that her daughter could suffer any nervous and cerebral dystonia, recognized the need to bring her back to her grandmother's island.

 

At the age appropriate to marriage, she was married to a cousin who led her to live in the United States. He had four daughters, but later had the misfortune of having had her husband murdered by strangers, while in a bad winter evening, was alone in his general food store in Maldem, provincial in Boston.

Her daughter, Giuseppa, the only girl left in the house, was a helpful aid to her mother in the raising of five brothers, except for my father, because she was too small then.

A bridal step to a shoemaker-cobbler, with whom she had seven children, quail, four females and three males.

She lived for the rest of her life at Scillichenti, where she died at age 89.

 

My father was born on August 5, 1880. (The broad biography, on the third carpetta on page 35, and on the fifth carpetta on page 38, on the explanatory pages taken from the voice recordings.)

 

Fourth son was Joseph (Uncle Peppi) who, as a child, helped his father in the fishing activity, when the latter was put on leave by the Corpo della Finanza, exercising the fishing.

Joseph, when he was grown, he enlisted voluntarily in 'Marina'. He led the whole career, reaching the rank of major marshal. He retired in 1934. In 1941, on February 2, when he was at home on leave, having been called to serve for the state of War and headquartered in Melilla (Augusta), suddenly and fulminantly collapsed for cardio-circulatory collapse

 

Fifth, Francesco (Uncle Ciccio). Young man learned the shoemaker-cobbler craft that he exercised throughout his life. It was in America, but for a while. Marrying a woman from Macchia (Giarre) who died with a tumor in her throat, very young, leaving an only daughter.

 

This german made a horrible end. In 1946, he became ill of a disease that slowly wound his body, covering it with sores, until it was extinct. The reason: see 2 ^ carp. On pag. 10.

 

The sixth and seventh of the children were; Salvatore and Domenico. Both exercised the trade of fishermen; Unfortunately, the working life was difficult and a bit tricky. The first closed life in Australia and specifically in Melbourne, where he had been called by his children. The second, closed it in Stazzo, lovingly cared for and assisted by his son.

Both took life long. The first 98 years; the second, 96

 

Last, Antonino. His life was very moving. He was more than once in america. At his definitive return, a tiny industry for producing lemon derivatives was opened. The activity, for so many years. Unfortunately, he undertook a major logistical attempt to overturn the situation and went into disarray, losing what he had acquired.

 

.... supported by a son who, in a military career in Livorno, induced parents and sisters to leave the village of Stazzo and to make definitive settlements in that central city of Central Italy.

..... closed his troubled existence at the age of 87 in 1982.

.... name was seen, worthy of heirs of a stipe longeva, with the exception of two sons; ..... their end, touch the 90-year limit and pass, just like the parents: 91 the father; 89 the mother.

.... the family tree, rotten the roots, dried up the stem, sending it down

.... his leaves.

 

 

 

 

L' Mio nonno fu da teste nel patrimonio. Dall'unione e coniugale, nacque una bambina, a cui fu posto il nome di Maria Carolina e che, al battesimo, mio nonno fu da padrino. Cosi, divenne mio nonno, collega e compare.  La infante, all'ottavo mese di vita, muore, e, stranezza crudele del destino, la morte fu preceduta o seguita, non saprei, da quella del padre, che parecchi mesi, si era ammalato.

La giovanissima vedovella, dopo circa un anno, passo a nuovo matrimonio con mio nonno.

 

Da questo matrimonio, vennero alla luce otto figli viventi e vissuti fino a tarda eta. A questi si aggiungono altri, finiti al nascere o in incubazione.   Ecco i nomi dei sopravissuti in ordine di nascita; Giovanna- Giuseppa- Gaetano (mio padre)- Giuseppe (Peppi)- Francesco- Salvatore- Domenico- Antonino.

Giovanna (Giovannina) per nascita ravvicinata alla Giuseppa, per volere del marito (mio nonno), fu data in tenerissima eta, ancora infante, alla nonna gia vedova.

Quindi fu condotta nell'isola di Salina, dove nel piccolo centro di Malfa fu cresciuta sotto le cure affettive della nonna a cui pose i suoi legami di amore piu che da niptote ma da figlia, tanto da non voler riconoscere piu la naturale sua origine. Inoltre c'e da riconoscere l'ambientamento, dal quale non intendeva piu distacacarsi.  Divenuta adoloscente, i genitori desideravano riaverla in famiglia, a Stazzo. Infatti il padre (mio nonno) si reco nell'isola, e malgrado la ripulsa della ragazza, ormai signorina, fece ritorno a Stazzo. Qui fu colta da tristezza, da malinconia,da implacabile nostalgia. I nonni, riscoscendo che la figlia potesse subire eventuale distonia nervosa e cerebrale, riconobbero la necessita di ricondurla nell'isola presso la nonna.

 

All’eta adeguate al matrimonio, fu data sposa ad un cugino che la condusse a vivere negli Stati Uniti. Ebbe quattro figlie, ma ebbe poi la sventura di avere avuto assassinato il marito da sconosciuti, mentre in una brutta serata i’inverno, era solo nel suo negozio di generi alimentary a Maldem, in provincial di Boston.

La figlia Giuseppa, unica di sesso femminile rimasta in casa, fu di valido aiuto per la mamma nella crescita di cinque fratelli, ad eccezione di mio padre, poiche troppo piccola.

Passo sposa ad un calzolaio—ciabattino, col quale ebbe sette figli, dei quail, quattro femmine e tre maschi.

Visse per ilresto della vita a Scillichenti, ove mori a 89 anni.

 

Mio padre nacque il 5 Agosto 1880. (La biografia abbasanza vasta, su terza carpetta a pag.35, e su quinte carpetta con inizio a pag. 38, sulle pagine esplicative tratte dale registrazioni di viva voce.)

 

Quarto figlio fu Giuseppe (zio Peppi) che da fanciullo aiuto il padre nell’attivita peschereccia, allorche quest’ultimo, posto in congedo dal Corpo della Finanza, esercito la pesca.

Giuseppe, divenuto adulto, si arruolo volontario in ‘marina’. Condusse per intera la carriera, raggiungendo il grado di maresciallo maggiore. Si pension nel 1934. Nel 1941, il 2 febraio, trovandosi a casa in permesso, essendo stato richiamato in servizio per lo stato di Guerra e con sede Melilli (Augusta), mori improvvisamente e fulmineamente per collasso cardio-circolatorio.

 

Il quinto, Francesco (zio Ciccio). Giovanetto apprese il mestiere di ciabattino-calzolaio che esercito per tutta la vita. Fu in America, ma per breventempo. Sposo una donna da Macchia (Giarre) che mori con un tumour alla gola, molto giovane, lasciando un’unica figlia.

Questo germane fece orrenda fine. Nel 1946 si ammalo di un male che lentamente contorse il suo corpo, coprendolo di piaghe, finche si spense. La cagione: vedi 2^ carp. A pag. 10.

 

Il sesto e il settimo dei figli, furono; Salvatore e Domenico.  Ambedue esercitarono il mestiere di pescatori; Purtroppo, la vita lavorativa, fu difficoltosa e un po grama.  Il primo chiuse la vita in Australia e precisamente a Melbourne, ove era stato chiamato dai figli.  Il secondo, la chiuse a Stazzo, amorevolmente curato e assistito dal figlio.

Ambedue condussero vita longeval. Il primo 98 anni; il secondo, sui 96

 

Ultimo, Antonino.  La sua vita fu molto movimentata. Fu piu di una volta in america.  Al suo ritorno definitiv'apri una minuscola industria per produzione di derivati di limoni. L'attivita, per tanti anni. Purtroppo, intrapreso un grosso tentativo commercialistico, per capovolgimento di situatzione, ando in dissesto, perdendo cio che faticosamente aveva acquisitato.

 

.... sorretto da un figlio, che, in carriera militare a livorno, indusse genitori e sorelle a lasciare il paesino di Stazzo e prendere definitiva stabilita in quel centro cittadino dell'Italia Centrale.

..... chiuse la sua travagliata esisteanza all'eta di 87 anni, nel 1982.

....nome si e visto, degni eredi di una stipe longeva, ad eccezione di due figli; ..... loro fine, tocco il limite dei 90 anni e passa, cosi come i genitori: 91 il padre; 89 la madre.

.... l'albero genealogico, marcite le radici, disseccato il fusto, mando giu

.... le sua foglie.

Who the Hell Are We Anyway

I was talking to one of our cousins today about family...seems that is all I ever talk about...family with family.  There are worse fates I suppose. Her question to me was what do we say when we are asked who we are ethnically?

Our part of the Mediterranean, actually the Tyrrhenian sea in our case, was a crossroads for every invading culture in the old world.  We have an amazingly diverse genetic pool and it is getting worse as we expand out into the world.  I am not certain that there is a single answer for this question.

  Many of our people have Sicilian roots.. Sicily is remarkably similar to the islands in its diversity and is not a real genetically related group. You will find a genetically different person every fifty feet in Sicily.  If you wanted to say what our ethnicity is, it would include Greek, Sicels, Latins, Arabs, Jews, Vikings, French, Spanish, Phoenecian and you name it.

However, if you needed to choose a name for our islands' sources, you might look at the depopulation of the islands in the 1500s. Red-beard the Turkish pirate laid siege to Lipari and most of the people of the islands were sold into slavery.  A few returned after being ransomed.  These were the old mixed early population. Many of the rest of the people were brought to the islands from Calabria, which is visible from the islands.  Obviously this was close enough to have old connections with the islands' population anyway. (This is about the time the Cafarellas arrived.  Whether we are Calabrian or from farther north...Sorry...don't know yet. But there were Cafarellas in and around Caserta north of Naples at this time, and some of the related names like Colonna suggest more northern connections.) This was not the first depopulation either.  The earliest populations of the islands may not even exist anymore.

The Calabrians are also a mix, but somewhat less diverse, more Latin who were native to the peninsula, Greek  in the form of the descendants of early colonists from mainland Greece and  Spanish who came along with the Spanish rulers based in Naples.

There were a couple more waves of immigrants to the islands over the next centuries, but by far, you could say we are predominantly ethnically or culturally Calabrians, while we linguistically used a more Sicilian dialect as we were governed from Messina and traded heavily with mainland Sicily for a very long time.  Dance, music and other cultural characteristics are closely related to Sicily, but again, economic and political ties can have a powerful influence and Calabrian culture is somewhat similar in some things.

In my immediate family, we have:

 Vasquez..Spanish, possibly Jews run out of Spain after the Christian re-conquest or possibly diplomats or settlers from Spain.

 Lazzaro..Jewish. I have DNA results that say both Ashkenazi and Sepharic Jews in the family.

 Cafarella..Arabic mixed with Italian with contacts in central and northern central Italy. Possibly Rome, Lazio and Campagna.  Malfa(My Grandparents' village) is remarkably similar to Amalfi.(The city state south of Naples)

 Cincotta.. Probably very old Greek and Italian and some even say they were Spanish.  They also note the fact that CINQUE or CINCO and OTTO or 58 makes up the name.

Whatever we are, it is not simple. 

You may say Sicilian because the islands are governed from there...but each individual would have to examine his own roots to really confirm that designation. 

I think that Calabrian (Calabrese) is a better description of most of us and I like that it sounds more exotic. 

Some of us in America just say we are Sicilian because of the glamour associated with the designation...perhaps we like that people believe we are all related to Mafia and the Godfather series and can wipe you out with a phone call...I think it is a testosterone thing!

The funny thing is that Sicilians can only say that they are Sicilian by geographic designation, just as we in the USA can only say that we are American by Geographic luck.
Australians too I guess.

I have mentioned Jewish ancestry a couple of times, so this might be a good place to discuss this.

Jewishness is a hotly debated designation.  You can be called Jewish without a single middle eastern gene but have a sort of religious designation.  There are also a number of theories as to where Jews came from.  Needless to say, the 19th and 20th century origins of some of these theories may be well grounded in the Nazi movements and motivations. Those are debates that will have to continue till everyone is satisfied as to the history of the Jewish people and is not my problem.

 As to who we are, well, I have had some indication that I have both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish roots.
 
New ideas seem to indicate that these two groups may have come from the same European origin.  Rome was one of the largest populations of Jews in the dark and Middle ages.  As the Christians were not allowed to engage in money matters, such as loaning of money at interest, European kings invited the Jews of Rome to form communities in the rest of Europe.  Many Jews of central Europe eventually ended up concentrated in Germany and the east.  There, they formed their own somewhat different culture and language from the western Jewish populations.  These Eastern Ashkenazi Jews spoke Yiddish and had unique pronunciation of Hebrew and variations in customs of their own.

The Jews who stayed in the west, particularly in Spain had their own cultural group which perpetuated through various governing rules in the country in a very friendly manner, till the inquisition of the Christian rulers finally drove them out. These were the Sephardic Jews.

Now the Ashkenazi in many but not all cases may not even qualify as Jews as all.  It seems that genetics tells us that many of the early Jews who settled in the central and eastern areas married local pagans or Christians and whether they converted or not, do not actually qualify in the minds of Rabbis in Israel as eligible to claim return to Israel...that is if they actually find out. 

Do not quote me, as I am relying on fairly new information, and this is still up for debate.  Meanwhile, If you are interested, you should explore this topic for yourselves.  It is a very interesting topic, and by contacting me directly, you may help me clarify and correct all this in time.

Jennie Cincotta Collins Obituary

Jennie M. (Cincotta) Collins

                                                                                   

 

COLLINS, Jennie M. (Cincotta) Of North Reading, formerly of Everett, March 7, 2009, age 79. Beloved wife of 49 years to John P. Collins, Sr. Loving father of Jacqueline M. Collins and her companion Bob King of Reading; John P., Jr. of North Reading; Joseph P. and his wife Dianne of Georgetown; Elizabeth M. Donaldson and her husband Jeffrey and Maryann Murray and her husband Michael, all of North Reading. Sister of Bernie Correlle and his wife Betty of Kissimmee, FL; Anerio Cincotta and his wife Marilyn of Stoneham and Richard Correlle of Haverhill. Sister of the late Paul, Anthony, Lucian and Rose Correlle and Mary Grecco. Grandmother of Jennifer, Jacob and Katelyn Donaldson, James King, Joseph, David and Ana Collins, Maxwell, Mason and Marshall Murray. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow St., NORTH READING on Thursday, March 12, at 9 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa's Church, 63 Winter St. (Rt.62), North Reading. Calling hours will be on Wednesday from 4 to 8 PM. Burial will be in Forest Glen Cemetery, Reading.

Grave Finder, and Jennie Cincotta Collins

I just noticed this site in a random search.  It is my cousin Jennie Cincotta Collins.  I just thought it might be a good tool for someone doing searches.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39054354/jennie-m.-collins

My own DNA

I should have posted information on my DNA tests earlier.  I guess that I have found so much stuff there and I am not terribly tech savvy.  I do not know how or what I want to upload.  So, I just sent the raw data to a distant cousin in Australia so they can upload it to another genealogy site.  I guess his response to me is what people really want to see, so I will just post that for the moment.  So here it is. from my cousin's husband Patrick van der Hoeven:

Your ethnicity report came up on the mobile phone app this afternoon.  Interestingly it says still not ready on the computer website.  Also it may be a few more days before they get the matches listed.

 

However on the mobile app, you are 57.5% Italian, 12.9% Iberian and 24.9% Irish/Scottish/Welsh. Finally, you are 4.7% Jewish.

 

No real surprises there. 

 

I was expecting a larger percentage of  British Isles as no one ever said that my grandfather Mitchell had any Italian in him...but who knows as there is no info on him prior to 1873.

England, Wales & Northwestern Europe35%

Italy27%

Sicily

France18%

Ireland & Scotland15%

Germanic Europe5%

Here is the estimate of ethnicity from Ancestry DNA

Obituary Anerio Cincotta

Anerio Frederick Cincotta

February 21, 1933 - November 09, 2018

North Andover and formerly of Malden and Melrose - Anerio "Fred" Cincotta, 85, a longtime resident of North Andover and previously from Malden and Melrose, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Friday, November 09, 2018.

Born in Revere, to the late Jacob and Rose (Cafarella) Cincotta, Fred was raised and educated in Malden, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of Malden High School and Bentley University. As a member of the United States Air Force he proudly served his country and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
He retired from Raytheon, Andover, and previously owned and operated Mr. Anerio's Hair Salon in Malden. He enjoyed photography, woodcarving, playing the accordion, poetry and story writing, and spending time over the years with his many beloved dogs.

Fred was predeceased by his loving wife, Margaret (Eagan) Cincotta to whom he was married for 35 years.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Florence (Smith) Cincotta; his two loving daughters, Margaret Cincotta and spouse Laura of Athol and Catherine Cincotta of Billerica; stepdaughters, Laura Sullivan (Robert), Lisa Robinson (Frank), Linda McInnis (James); and predeceased by step-son Lawrence J. Smith. Anerio cherished the time spent with his grandchildren, Alex, Joel, Jillian and husband Austin, Francis, Alexandria, Courtney, James, Nicholas, Kaitlyn, and Linda.

He also leaves his loving sister Jennie DeFina of Waltham with whom he shared a very special bond and friendship; and many nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Baldwinville Nursing Center for the kindness and care extended to Anerio and the family.

Jewish? So, that is why people think I am Jewish!

Just a note about the Vasquez family. 
I have known for years about the Vasquez connections in our family.  Also, about the branch that included Onofrio Vasquez and Jennie Cincotta Vasquez.  But I have not been able to find the connection between the two families.  This was one of my prime concerns when I took the family tree to Malfa.  I met Vasquez cousins there, but they seemed unable to make a connection either.  If anyone has a clue about how they are connected or about other Vasquez cousins I would certainly appreciate hearing about it.
On another note, Patrick van der Hoeven has been telling me that local groups in Australia have informed him that the Vasquez family has Sephardic Jewish roots.  Seems logical to me.  During the repopulation of the islands, many Spanish came to the islands along with the Spanish rulers. Whether the Vasquez family is simply a part of a general Spanish influx or were Jews escaping persecution, I cannot be sure.  If someday we were to find records of their arrival, that may shed some light.
That being said, there are Jewish connections in the family even if we do not include the Vasquez family.  Lazzaro is another name in the early family that has Jewish roots.
The Jews in Spain were allowed to exist happily alongside the rest of the population for many years after most of Spain was taken by the Muslim Moors.  When the Christians started taking back the country, most were allowed to stay.  Then as the Christians became the masters of the whole peninsula, Jews were allowed to stay only if they converted to Christianity.  Most did this freely. while secretly remaining Jewish.  When Ferdinand and Isabella finally took Granada at about the same time as Columbus arrived in America...the last Moorish holdout, the Jews were expelled completely and those who had converted and secretly remained Jewish would be burned by the inquisition if they did not prove total conversion.  Finally almost all were expelled, converted or not.
I like to think that the islanders were and are a pretty liberal lot, and accepted their Jewish immigrants pretty readily.  In fact they were probably more offended by the Spanish than the Jews.
This is of course very much up in the air.  No need to immediately adopt the beautiful Jewish traditions immediately.  All the families involved in our tree have been Catholic for a long time.  There are interesting devotions in our family.  There are particular devotions to Santa Anna, San Biagio, San Bartolomeo, Santa Marina and the more universal devotion to Santa Maria.
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