Researching Avellino The Valleriano Brothers' Heritage Quest

[@jeffdamelio]

Very interesting.

[@LaskMaestro]

What is the easiest way to find Italian military records? I have tried to find records of my great grandfather in Italy and can only find his birth record from 1889 Montemarano and marriage certificate from May of 1909 in Castelfranci, both cities near each other in Avellino. I don't know who raised him or if he was in an orphanage. He was a foundling and his parents are listed as "Ignato and Ignata" (unknown) I have a picture of him wearing his Italian Infantry Uniform. He was handed to a wet nurse as a baby, and she brought him to the Montemarano Office to record his birth. In Italy he was named Pomponio Adama in Montemarano. On his immigration manifest from Naples, his name was the same on the steamship, "Taormina" in 1914 with his wife Rosina Naccarelli. In America, he switched his first and last name. In America, he was known as Adama Pomponio, later changed to Tony Pomponi or Anthony Pomponi. They settled in Norristown, PA and later Bridgeport, PA. Omg. Any assistance would be soooo appreciated!

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

Online I think it depends on the location in Italy in reference to what is available. I am somewhat fortunate that Family Search has the "Liste di Leva" [Levy Lists] for the City of Torino, Italy. They go all the way back to men eligible for conscription born in the year 1790. My great great grandfather was a foundling as well. His birth name was Valeriano Guglielmino. He is on the levy list for men born in 1825 with the name Valeriano Guglielmo. He was given up shortly after birth and was first in Pratiglione with the wet nurse and then after that in Prascorsano where he grew up and married twice and had children with both wives. His name there as an adult was Guglielmo Valeriano [incidentally how his name appears on the Liste di Leva created in the year 1845 and THAT gives his residence then as Prascorsano. Around 1881 or so he moved with his family [second wife -- my great great grandmother] and his children to the US. In the census of 1900 he is called William Valerio and that is the family name today. It helped me a great deal first of all to learn Italian including taking an online course and especially to understand the verbs and present and past tense as well as the gerunds. Those are the ones used most often in documents. Especially the past tense [most activity occurring, of course, before the document was created]. Also learning ALL of the surnames and common given names of my ancestors' comuni -- not just the known ancestral names. This helps me a great deal when I am looking at documents in reading the handwriting. Also using the name indexes which are massively helpful in both figuring out the handwriting [being alphabetical] and narrowing down which documents will yield the most results. Also being aware that not everything in the microfilms or in the actual books of documents are in perfect order chronological or otherwise. And eventually after using them so much you can scan through the thumbnails and just seeing the cover page you know which ones will be the most useful to your research.

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

I also have a membership book from 2003. It shows somebody researching the surname Pomponio and stating that it originates in Montenero di Bisaccia, Campobasso, Molise and possibly lived in Philadelphia. So you might check that. Also in Philadelphia, person researching the surname Ferro from Montella, Avellino and persons researching names from Montemarano of Myrtle Beach, SC and surnames from Castel Franci of Philadelphia. So you might check census, ship passenger, etc with those possible connections.

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

Also to add in my research the Allegati of my great great grandparents' marriage in Prascorsano gave the information that he was a foundling given a number born in the Maternity Hospital, City of Torino on 18 April BUT gave the year of his birth as 1821. Correct day and month but wrong year. I found his actual civil birth record 18 April 1825 not 1821. Valeriano Guglielmino, the son of Gaspare Guglielmino and Maria Teresa Silvano.

[@TodiJaz]

I have my grandfather's actual passoporto. His name was Salvatore Ariano from Ariano Irpina. He was born in 1887. Just starting to explore. I findit curoius that his name is the name of the town he was born in. Suggestions are appreciated.

[@ItalianRootsandGenealogy]

That's not unusual.