Descendants of Marco Vespignani
First Generation
1. Marco VESPIGNANI was born in 1785.
General Notes: According to his son Domenico’s birth record he was a laborer.
1841 Italian Census
Age 56
Living in Modigliana, Italy
Occupation – Operates Daily, assume this means he was a day laborer.
There was a Cattani Catterina – Age 58 – living with his family. They were Indigent.
All the family members were Illiterate
Marco married Maria FANTI. Maria was born in 1789.
Children from this marriage were:
2 F i. Maria Stella VESPIGNANI was born in 1822.
3 F ii. Domenica VESPIGNANI was born in 1824.
4 F iii. Rosa VESPIGNANI was born in 1827.
+ 5 M iv. Domenico VESPIGNANI was born on Oct 3, 1830 in Modigliana, Italy.
Second Generation
5. Domenico VESPIGNANI was born on Oct 3, 1830 in Modigliana, Italy.
General Notes: Baptized October 3, 1830. Church – S. Stefano in Modigliana. Italy.
Godmother – Elena Zauli
1841 Italian Census
Age 11
Living with parents and siblings in Modigliana, Italy
He was Illiterate
According to his son Arturo’s birth certificate he was a farmer.
Domenico married Paola BOSI, daughter of Giovanni BOSI and ?. Paola was born in Italy.
The child from this marriage was:
+ 6 M i. Arturo Marco Domenico VESPIGNANI was born on Oct 9, 1864 in Modigliana, Italy and died on Jul 11, 1931 at age 66.
Third Generation
6. Arturo Marco Domenico VESPIGNANI was born on Oct 9, 1864 in Modigliana, Italy and died in Jersey City, New Jersey on Jul 11, 1931 at age 66.
General Notes: Sailed from Naples, Italy on June 11, 1906 on the ship Italia.
Arrived in the United States on June 28, 1906.
Ships Registry has name listed as Arturo Vespignano
Age at arrival – 42
Occupation: Peasant
Could read and write (not sure if this means Italian)
Citizen of Italy
Race South (he wasn’t really southern Italian, he was just living in Southern Italy at the time he left to come to the US)
Last residence: Palazzo San Gervasio, Italy
Going to Jersey City, New Jersey
No ticket to final destination
He paid for his passage himself
In posession of $20
Never in US before
Going to Brother-In-Law Luigi Lamastra at 425? 2nd Street, Jersey City, New Jersey (Don’t think this was literally his brother-in-law, although Luigi and his wife Maria were the god-parents to Arturo’s son Pasquale born in 1914)
In good health
(This record is indexed at Ellis Island as Arturo Vupignano, it was not transcribed correctly)
Ship info – Built by D. & W. Henderson & Company, Glasgow, Scotland, 1903. 4806 gross tons; 400 (bp) feet long; 49 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engine, single screw. Service speed 14 knots. 1420 passengers ( 20 first class, 1400 third class). Built for Anchor Line, British flag, in 1903 and named Italia. Mediterranean-New York service. Later Glasgow-New York service. Scrapped in 1923.
Tombstone and birth certificate both say born in 1864.
Birth certificate info:
Born at 5am on 9th October 1864.
His father was Domenico Vespignani (he was a farmer) who was the son of Marco Vespignani (it’s unknown whether he was still alive at the time). His mother was Paola Bosi (she was a housewife) who was the daughter of Giovanni Bosi.
The parish in which they lived was Saint Stephen in Montevecchio (near Portico and Modigliana) and the baby’s godmother was Caterina Piancastelli. The baptism took place on 9th October 1864 in Modigliana (possibly at the church of Saint Stephen in Modigliana, to not be confused with the little parish in which he was born).
Passport Information
Name listed as Vespignano
Father- Domenico
Mother- Paola Bassi
Born in Modignano(should be Modigliana), Italy
Coming from Palazzo S Gervasio, Potenza, Italy
Other Passport Info Translated:
Height: high
Age: 42
Forehead: right
Eyes: brown
Nose: thin
Mouth: medium
Hair: brown
Beard: /
Moustache: /
Skin color: natural
Body: slim
On the right it says that the passport has been released for his move to New York, for work and that it is 3 year-valid.
In addition, it says it has been released for free according to some 1901 law. It has been signed in Melfi, which is in the same province as his wife Teresa’s birthplace.
Declaration of Intent information:
Renounced allegiance to Victor Emmanual III, King of Italy on January 9, 1918
Says he arrived in New York at the port of New York on June 27, 1904. (this conflicts with Ellis Island records showing he arrived in 1906, unless he returned to Italy and then came back)
Name Arturo Vespignani
Age 54
Occupation- Mason
Color- White
Complexsion- Dark
Height- 5 ft 5 in
Weight- 125 lbs
Hair- Black
Eyes- Gray
Born in Modigliana, Italy
Born on October 9, 1863(should be 1864)
Lived at 245 Wanye Street, Jersey City, NJ
Came to the USA from Naples, Italy on the vessel Italia
Last residence in Italy was Gervasio
Wife’s name – Teresa
1920 US Census
Name listed as Arthur Visfunjun
Lived at 245 Wayne St. in Jersey City, NJ
Age 50 (really 56)
Came to US in 1906
Alien
Can read and write (Assume this means Italian)
Born in Italy
Parents born in Italy
Did not speak English
Bricklayer in Buildings
Jersey City Directory 1922-1923 says living at 245 Wayne St, and he is a bricklayer. Name spelled Auturo.
1930 US Census
Lived at 245 Wayne St. in Jersey City, NJ
Rents for $20 per month
Age 66
Age at first marriage 30
Can read and write
Born in Italy
Parents born in Italy
Came to US in 1900 (not correct)
Alien (so may never have actually become a citizen?)
Can speak English
Bricklayer in the Building industry
Did not work the day before census
Arturo married Teresa DI PAOLO, daughter of Gervasio DI PAOLO and Maria Rosaria BELSANTI, on Jul 2, 1891. Teresa was born on Jan 4, 1873 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died on Mar 10, 1951 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA at age 78.
Children from this marriage were:
7 M i. Hugo VESPIGNANI was born on Feb 28, 1894 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died on Apr 5, 1963 at age 69.
8 M ii. Pasquale VESPIGNANI was born on Jul 22, 1896 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy on February 19, 1914.
9 M iii. Michael VESPIGNANI was born on Jan 19, 1898 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died on Mar 8, 1974 at age 76.
Michael married Madeline DI NARDO, daughter of Dominick DI NARDO and Isabella GRIESI, in Jul 1920. Madeline was born on Dec 16, 1903 and died on Jan 9, 1991 in Upper Arlington, Franklin, Ohio, USA at age 87.
10 M iv. Dante VESPIGNANI was born on Mar 1, 1900 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died on Mar 12, 1985 at age 85.
Dante married Nicoletta TROPIANO. Nicoletta was born on May 13, 1907 and died on Jan 20, 1998 at age 90. Another name for Nicoletta was Minnie.
11 M v. Marco VESPIGNANI was born between 1904 and 1905 in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Italy and died before 1911. (It is possible that his name was actually Paolo and that his birthdate was Jan 2 , 1907)
12 M vi. Silvio VESPIGNANI was born on Mar 6, 1912 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA and died on May 1, 1915 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA at age 3.
13 M vii. Pasquale Michael VESPIGNANI was born on Jul 5, 1914 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died on Mar 19, 1968 in Jersey City, New Jersey at age 53.
Pasquale married Name withheld – Still living
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