OK...where to begin.
I am a Lupiano, but not sure how it relates to you. Growing up in NJ, I was told a story several years ago, that I have not been able to substantiate.
Apparently, my father, Vincent Lupiano, encountered an elderly man working in the same building as he. Upon seeing my father, the elderly man grabbed his chest, fell to the floor, and began mumbling in Italian. My father, not fully understanding what was happening, thought the man was having a heart attack. However, after several minutes, the man calmed down, and in broken English, told my father a fascinating story.
Many years earlier, this man, who grew up in Avellino, Italy (outside of Naples), was an orphan. He was taken in and raised by a man who looked like a carbon copy of my father. When he asked my father what his name was, the elderly man nearly had his second coronary. As the story continues, the man explains that not only did his adopted father look like my father, but they shared the same first, middle, and last name - Vincent Carmen Lupiano!
It seems my great grandfather, this man's adopted father, immigrated to the United States with his wife and at least one son, Alfredo Lupiano. After a few years, he grew to dislike America and returned home. Well, Alfredo, after spending his early childhood and teenage years here, either decided not to return to Italy, or came back soon after, to once again live in America. It was Newark, NJ to be exact.
Now, the story gets sketchy here. It seems my great grandfather, (who we believe to be Vincent) adopted several orphaned children in Avellino. Apparently, he chose to do this since he himself was an orphan. It is unclear if his adopted family name was/is Lupiano, or his birth name. The elderly man explained that his father had many children, but again, we have no knowledge of this.
I find many aspects of the story to be believable. One, the family names "Vincent" and "Alfred(o)" have travelled with us through time. I myself am named after my gradfather Alfredo. My father was named after his grandfather, and so on. Since my grandfather died at a very young age, nearly 50 years ago, and his wife, my grandmother, is also deceased, we don't know too much about our ancestry.
One thing is clear...the name Lupiano is very uncommon. It seems to be centered around the Naples area today, but that's it. I was very suprised to see the number of Lupiano's on the census from the late 1800's. To my knowledge, my family came here through Boston in the early 1900's, but no ealier.
Another point...if indeed my great grandfather returned to Italy, perhaps he had a falling out with his son who stayed in the US. I am certain, however, that he had more than one child, as it was unheard of to have only one in those days. Perhaps you are a decendant of one of my grandfather's brothers, if indeed he had one? How "we" got to Nevada is unclear. I would imagine it was in response to the Gold Rush...but who really knows.
I would suggest looking in the Naples/Avellino area for more clues.
Good Luck!