Hello,
I am looking for any information I can find on the surname 'Patafio'. My great-grandfather Frank Patafio emigrated from there in 1900, and it looks like he came over with at least one family member, a sister named Della. Unfortunately, it's like pulling teeth trying to find any record of his emigration. I don't know what village he came from, or even what dialect they spoke. I have tried every combo I could of that last name and got zip. I have seen lots of Patafios in my research, but I can't connect them to my family. The only info I have is the 1920 census, and I am waiting for a marriage certificate from the City of New York. Anyone ever come across any Patafios in their travels?
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My Grandmother's name was Maria Patafio, she was born in 1896 in Scilla, Calabria, Italy. She emigrated sometime prior to 1910 to Westchester County New York. She married Antonio Cartisano and they had several children, including my mother, Antoinette Cartisano.
I am searching for more information about her parents whose names were Antonio and Maria (unknown maiden name).
If you have found out anything further, please let me know.
Gino DiQuinzio
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Hi Mr. DiQuinzio, Thank you for your message. Since my posting, I actually have found out quite a bit about the Patafio side of my family.
My grandfather's name was August Patafio. He was born in New York in 1918. His father, Francesco Patafio, emigrated to the US in 1900 with his mother Lucia Ventura and two siblings. His father was Agostino Patafio.
According to Francesco's naturalization record, he was born in 1888 in Reggio Calabria. Now whether that was the city or the province, I don't know. However, on passenger manifests for Agostino (Francesco's father) and his son Vittorio, Agostino's birthplace was either Nicastro, in Catanzaro or Scilla, all of which are in Calabria.
On one manifest in 1913 (during which Agostino and his son did not sail because their names were crossed out) Agostino lists his birthplace as Scilla and Vittorio, Nicastro. They both listed their last place of residence as Scilla. On the second manifest in 1913 (when they did sail) they both list their birthplace as Nicastro and last place of residence as Scilla. So, I am not sure which was the birthplace of both, although, they most definitely lived in Scilla.
From Agostino Patafio's death certificate, his father was named Antonio and they incorrectly list his wife, Lucia Ventura as his mother's name, so I am not sure who Agostino's mother was.
I do know that the family lived mostly in and around NYC.
I know that's a lot of information to sort out!
Maria could have been a sibling to Agostino, but I do not know much about Agostino's siblings. I think he had a brother Mariano and a brother named Rocco. Rocco had a son named John, who had several sons of his own. My mother remembers these sons who are cousins who owned a business in or near NYC. I only know that this Rocco was related to my family because my mother remembers these distant cousins, so I know that if they were cousins with the name Patafio, Agostino must have had at least one brother.
Well, I hope you can sort through all of these details. I think I may have confused myself in the process. I will ask my family if they remember a Maria somewhere. Talk to you soon.
- Laura
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Thanks so much Laura for your wonderful information. I appreciate the time you took to write. I'm sure, in one way or another we must be related...If I find out anything more on my side as well I'll keep in touch.
Gino
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Reggio is the place to start..my grandfather was from there, Dominick Patafio, married to Maria or Mary Cuomo...
Most came here and settled in the Bronx, then drifted to Westchester County.
Many surnames connected...Romanello, Rende...good place to look in the obits...will give kids names and maiden names
From what I have heard, the name is linked to a Pope...don't know when or why, but the phrase 'prisoner of the vatican' comes to mind.
Also rumors of a connection with the infamous Borgia name, but no proof.
From what I see of my family, and the extended group on facebook and when I google the name, we are a very good looking family.
Also quite a few Patafio's in Canada.
Hope this helps..
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I've definitely been through the Ellis Island records - but I can't connect all the Patafios to mine, which they may not be.
You mentioned something about a papal connection, as well as one with the Borgias. Any recollection where you may have seen that? I'd like to investigate the same sources if possible.
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Never saw either in print...I believe I remember my father's older brother Anthony mentioning the Pope when I was a kid (many years ago). Could have been a Pope Clement or Pius..fyi lots of Patafio's with the first name of Clement.. My uncle did a family tree thing and I will try and dig it up...we have a coat of arms, which I find hard to believe...it is a shield split into 4 sections...the top right or left and the bottom right or left are the same, two snakes in a figure 8..pretty cool...can't remember what the other two sections were, but will try and find it. I also did the family tree and they sent me the same coat of arms.
I can't see how all of us are not related...I can only find us being from that one town of Reggio. From pictures I see on the web, and from my own family, we all resemble each other..squinty smiling eyes and a big smile, most have a good head of hair with a prominent 'widows peak'.
Medical stuff... Grandfather had strokes in his legs and throat in his 50s, but lasted into his 80s....semi bald. Grandmother died in her early 50 from cirrhosis of the liver, but never touched a drop of alcohol in her short life. Father died of pulmonary fibrosis at age 86...semi bald. His brother, who perspired heavy all his life, had a bad heart...bald in his teens. I believe his son, my cousin has the same problem..also bald early. My son has a fatty liver...will never be bald...his two kids, both under 10, are pretty healty I have asthma and had a minor heart attack at age 61 from a semi collaped artery (30 years of partying between marrages will do that)...good head of hair. One other male cousin Donny also bald early. Also the women seem to have had quite a few miscarrages.
Not all that familiar with my Father's side of the family. Grandfather had some money, owned property in NYC but lost it all in the Depression. We are (were) from Westchester County in NY...there were about 7 Patafio families but now probably 20 families (lots of kids in their 30s and 40s now). Some doctors, lawyers, politicians, but the old-timers were mostly blue collar.
My cousin Jenny Patafio from Tuckahoe NY married a guy from Canada with the last name of Patafio back in the 70s.
That's about all I have for now...will try and find that family tree paperwork.
Keep in touch cousin... Thomas (very little if nothing when googled)
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I went into the Air Force with Bill Cartisano from Port Chester back in the 60s...found out he was a cousin. My grandmother was a Cuomo (I am pretty sure). Your last name is unfamiliar to me. Thomas Patafio
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Hi Thomas,
Thank you for responding so quickly. You have a lot of interesting information there. My grandmother has a coat of arms in her home, but she said it was from one of those companies years ago, so I do not think it is genuine. It also is completely different from the one you described. I'd definitely love to see a picture of that crest, that would be interesting. Maybe I can decipher what it means.
On my great-grandfather Francesco Patafio's citzinship papers, it only says Reggio Calabria as his birthplace, so I was never sure if that meant the city Reggio or somewhere in the region of Reggio Calabria.
I have also come across many Patafios with the name Clement.
I know we have some Patafios in Nassau County and around that area.
I'll ask my mother (she was a Patafio by birth) if she knows of a Canadian link.
My grandfather was August Patafio. His father was Francesco Patafio and his mother was named Rose Corso (although there is some debate about the spelling of Corso).
From what I know so far, great-garndfather Francesco Patafio was born in Reggio Calabria in 1888 and emigrated to the US in 1900 with his mother and two sisters, the names written down as being Antonia and Serafina. Later in the 1910 US Federal Census, he shows up with his mother and two sisters, although by this time the names became Sarah and Della. Della married a Frank Benfatto. Not sure how she got the name Della, must be a nickname.
Francesco's father was named Agostino. Agostino Patafio emigrated in 1913 with apparently another son, Vittorio. I am not sure what happened to Vittorio. Agostino's father was named Antonio. I have them on two ship manifests. On the first, they did not sail, but it indicates that Agostino was born in Scilla and Vittorio was born in Nicastro. This manifest says they lived in Scilla. On the second sailing, they did sail, and that one says that Agostino was born in Nicastro, Catanzaro and Vittorio the same. They lived in Scilla. A bit of confusion there, I'm afraid.
I do know of some Patafio cousins in Nassau who owned some sort of paper or stationary company. My mother remembers them so I know that contingent is related.
If you could find that tree, that would be great. I'll see if I can out together a Patafio tree today (the one on Ancestry that I have has more than Patafios in it) and maybe we can see how we could be related.
P.S. I checked a bit on what the snakes in the crest mean, and they symbolize wisdom. Is there a motto written below the crest? Also, my mother and grandmother have recounted an odd story about a brother of Francesco's who was adopted by an earl or something like that. Sounds like a weird story, and it must have come from someplace, but I yet to prove or debunk that one, but it would be interesting to do so. Maybe that has some sort of grain of truth to this papal Borgia/coat of arms thing, who knows, that will definitely take some research!
Talk to you soon.
- Laura
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