Expanding on Julia’s Notes

The importance of finding primary sources.

My Mom, Julia K. Petorella Studlo, penned this brief Petorella family history:

Julia’s Notes circa 1992 [my notes in orange]

Petorella or Pedorella--Dominico Petorella’s Family [Domenico is the correct spelling per 27 Apr 1918, Declaration of Intention for U.S. Citizenship, Birth Certificate of son Innocenzo born 1910 and Social Security application dated 26 Jun 1930.]

Mother and Father’s first names are unknown. [according to Domenico’s Death Certificate, his mother’s name was Madeline and on his Social Security Account application, he listed his father as James and his mother as Madeline Fusco]

1) Son [Angelo] Charles [aka Charles A.] was born  [Ship manifest for the Victoria, arriving 10 Apr 1890 states Angelo’s (Charles A) birth year as 1868, the 1905 Rhode Island Census lists Angelo’s birth date as 16 Oct 1868, Angelo’s death record states Angelo was born in 1869, U. S. Naturalization Record Indexes 1791-1992 states Angelo’s birth date was 17 Oct 1872] in Caserta, Naples, Italy. Married Concetta [born 15 Aug 1872]. Died 2 Feb 1924, 55 yrs. old of heart disease. Had three children: 1 boy Americo [aka Amerigo, born 6 Dec 1896, according to 1905 Rhode Island Census] who was a doctor-married had daughter; another son Victor [Vittorio born 25 Mar 1900, according to the 1905 Rhode Island Census] played violin; and a daughter Julia [born 1 Apr 1903, according to the 1905 Rhode Island Census].

[The family resided at 59 Thames, New Port, Rhode Island, as listed on the 1900 U. S. Census; 84 Thames, on the 1905 Rhode Island Census and 86 Thames on the 1910 U. S. Census. Immigration year for Angelo is listed on the 1900, 1905 and 1910 census reports is 1888.]

[The 1925 Newport City directory lists the Charles Pedorello family as follows:

• Americo physician boards 84 Thames
• Concetta widow Charles A. provisions 86 Thames house 84
• Julia M boards 84 Thames
• Victor music teacher boards 84 Thames

In the 1924 directory Charles’ passing is noted.]

2) Dominico [Domenico]. Born in Caserta, Naples, Italy on 6 Aug 1884 [alternate date 6 July 1884 per Social Security Account application dated 26 Jun 1930]-died 17 Apr 1940 in Chicago, Illinois.  Married Pearl Giunta born 29 Apr 1892, Chicago, Illinois AKA Ganta-died 19 Oct 1956, Hinsdale, Illinois. 5 children: Mildred, James, Sylvia, Julia born 4 Nov 1914, Julia (the second one) born 1 Apr 1916.

3) He had a sister I don’t know her name. She married and had three children

4) [Giacomo] James Petorella born 8 Dec 1887 and died [11] July 1913 age 26 [25 y, 7 mos], Chicago, Illinois. Never married. Died of lockjaw after stepping on a nail. He played the guitar and liked to dance.

Charles was 16 years older than Dominico. I think the sister was born before Dominico, James was about 3 years younger than Dominico.

The Charles Pedorello family spelled the name correctly [? I believe the correct spelling is Petorella. The only Pedorella’s I have encountered are the Rhode Island Pedorella lines.  I did a “white page” search of Italy and did not come up with any Pedorellas but found Petorellas ]. Charles lived in New Port, Rhode Island, James with Dominico  [lived] at Charles house then the two brothers traveled around the country. [Ship manifest for the SS Roma lists 17 year old Domenico as a passenger.  His destination was the home of his brother Angelo in Newport, RI, however, the address listed for Angelo on the manifest does not match his actual address as shown on either the 1900 US Census and the 1905 Rhode Island Census. I cannot find any record of a Chaney Street in Newport where Domenico was to stay.  I have no reason to doubt that he was in Newport after he arrived, as I have found an address listing for him at 6 Duke (around the corner from Angelo and Concentta’s home on Thames), in the 1904 Newport City Directory. Sixteen year old Giacomo, on the other hand, arrived in April of 1903, on the SS Citti di Torino.  Giacomo’s relative and final destination is listed as brother Petorella, Domenico at 86 Thames (which is the address of (Charles) Angelo and Concetta’s grocery business).  It is my belief that Angelo and  Concetta owned adjacent buildings at 84 and 86 Thames.  In later Newport City Directories I have found the names of Angelo and Concetta’s children residing at 84 Thames.]    They worked at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, La.  [Have evidence that the two Petorella boys were actually at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, LA as we have in our possession some flatware labeled as such.] Then went to Montana and finally settled in Chicago, Illinois.

Dominico married Pearl Giunta and James lived with them until he died. Dominico worked in laundries, and then he went into business with three partners. They called the laundry The Universal Laundry. They had it for many years, then in 1936 or 1937 he retired and ran a gas station, until he died 17 Apr 1940 at age 56 of pneumonia. He had 5 children one died at 5 months old. When he died he had 2 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Pearl died at age 64 of a stroke. She had 9 grandchildren 2 boys and & 7 girls.