Gaetano Bertone (1882 - 1977)

Born 14 May 1882 in Corleone, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Ancestors

Husband of Domenica Ferrara — married 24 Sep 1910 in New York City, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Mar 1977 at age 94 in Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Gaetano Birtone, son of Leoluca Birtone and Rosalia Mustacchia, is baptized on 14 May 1882 in Corleone. He is the twin of Antonio. Gaetano’s godfather is Antonino Marcello, who is unmarried.^[1]

Gaetano's father dies at age 57 in 1899. Gaetano is 18.

At this age, Gaetano becomes ineligible to emigrate alone. He is required to complete premilitary training until he is 21. He has probably just completed his military service requirement when he leaves for New York in 1905.

On the SS Citta di Napoli sailing from Palermo 10 November 1905 and arriving in New York 25 November, are these passengers from Corleone, all bound for New York:

20. Gaetano Birtone, 23 (b. 1882), single, joining uncle Michelangelo Birtone at 238 E. 109th St.

21. Giuseppa Canzoneri, 16 (b. 1889), single, joining uncle Francesco Madonia at 2068 E. 106th St.

22. Antonino Sparacio, 22 (b. 1883), single, connected to line 23 with a bracket, joining cousin Giacomo Badami at 1849 1st Av.

23. Teresa Sparacio, 16 (b. 1889), single, as above

24. Giuseppe Collura, 17 (b. 1888), single, joining cousin Rosario Ruffino at 231 E. 75th St.

25. Leoluca Saltaformaggio, 39 (b. 1866), married, joining brother Francesco at 146 E 129th St.^[2]

Gaetano Bartone, 25 (b. 1885), born in Italy, son of Leoluca Bartone and Rosa Mortano, marries Domenica Ferrara, 19 (b. 1891), born in NYC, daughter of Giuseppe Ferrara and Giuseppina Luechesa, on 24 September 1910 in Manhattan.^[3]

Gaetano, who is later known as Thomas, and Domenica, who is called Mamie, have four children: Louis (c. 1912), Giuseppe/Joe (1913), Rose (c. 1916), and Victoria (c. 1919).

Giuseppe is born 1 June 1913 at 250 E 109th St., NYC.^[4]

In 1916, Gaetano's brother-in-law, Frank Ferrara, is arrested as the driver in the murder of poultry magnate Barnet Baff. Jack Dragna was most likely Baff's killer.

Tom Bertone of 2071 Second Av, NYC registers for the draft for WWI on 12 September 1918. He is 35, born 14 May 1883 in Italy. He has declared his intention to naturalize. He is a plasterer for Hodgman Rubber Co., of Tuckahoe, NY. His nearest relative is Mamie Bertone at the same address. Tom is of medium height and build with brown eyes and black hair.^[5]

Mariano Marsalisi registers for the draft for WWI from the same home address.

According to the 1925 census, Gaetano/Thomas becomes a US citizen in May 1920 in the state of New York.

In the 1925 New York state census of the Bronx, taken June 1, Thomas Bertone, 42 (b. 1883), born in Italy, a plasterer, heads a household at 636 Costa St. with his wife Mamie, 34 (b. 1891), and children Louis, 13 (b. 1912), Joseph, 12 (b. 1913), Rose, 9 (b. 1916), and Victoria, 6 (b. 1919). Thomas was naturalized in NY in May 1920.^[6]

In the 1930 federal census of the Bronx, taken 7 April, Thomas Bertone, 45 (b. 1885), born in Italy, heads a household at 2017 Hughs Ave with Mamie, 39 (b. 1891), his wife, and children Louis, 18 (b. 1812), Joseph, 16 (b. 1814), Rose, 14 (b. 1816), and Victoria, 11 (b. 1819). They married when he was 27 and she was 21. He was born in Italy. She was born in New York as were the children. He emigrated in 1910. He is a plasterer, as is Louis. Joseph is a clerk in a fur house. They rent their home. On this sheet and the previous one, all their neighbors are US born or from Eastern Europe. None are Italian.^[7]

According to a family tree on Ancestry.com created by laurenbartone, Tom's wife, Mamie, dies in 1931. According to the 1935 prison blotter, his wife died in 1929.

In the last two years of Prohibition, Tom is self-employed as a candy store owner.

Thomas Bartone assaults a man with a knife, causing his death, on 9 October 1934 in New York City. He is found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree, and sentenced on 10 January 1935 by Judge Rosalsky. He is received the following day at Sing Sing Prison.

The prison blotter reports that Thomas was born in Italy on 14 January 1883 and is 51 years old. He entered the United States through NYC in 1906 and is a naturalized citizen. His parents died when he was young: his father when he was 7 (c. 1890---this is incorrect), and his mother when he was 2 (c. 1885---unconfirmed). He has one living brother and two living sisters. He was third born in his family. He married in 1911 and was widowed in 1929. He has four children. He received three years of education in Italy, and left school at age ten.

He was unemployed for a year at the time of his arrest. Previously he was self employed at a candy store at 120 E. 130th St., NYC, in 1932-33. He has also been a plasterer. He had lived for three weeks at 115 E. 129th St. in NYC at the time of his arrest, had been living in New York state for 29 years. His nearest relative is his son Joseph Bartone at 4435 Carpenter Av., in the Bronx.^[8]

Thomas Bertone registers for the draft for WWII on 25 April 1942. He lives at 4424 Furman AV, in the Bronx. He was born 15 May 1885 in Sicily, Italy and is 57 years old. His nearest contact is Dominick Petrillo of 820 E. 230th St., NYC. He is employed by P. Grass & Bro. Inc. of 205 E. 42nd St, NYC. He works at 244 Seventh Av., NYC. Thomas is 5’6” and 150# with brown eyes, black hair, and a dark complexion.^[9]

Death of Thomas

Thomas dies on 26 March 1977 in Los Angeles, California. He last resided at 90807 Long Beach, Los Angeles, CA.^[10][11] The records of his death give his birth day and month as 14 May but report the year as 1883 or 1884. He is 95 years old.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptisms of Cajetanus Birtone and Antonius Birtone, records 298 and 299, 14 May 1882, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LSS-ZXP?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SP8%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351280701 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1879-1883 > image 224 of 354; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
2. ↑ Year: 1905; Arrival: New York, New York;Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 0644; Line: 1; Page Number: 90
3. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZH-TQC : 10 February 2018), Giuseppina Luechesa in entry for Gaetano Bartone and Domenica Ferrara, 24 Sep 1910; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,503,754.
4. ↑ Birth certificate posted on Ancestry.com by laurenbartone on 14 November 2007. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
5. ↑ This draft card was shared to Ancestry by dartmoor on 30 August 2017. The user has provided his full name, Gaetano (Thomas) Bertone and date of death, March 1977. Retrieved from [https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/72493803/person/330131822571/media/212bb6 92-b961-47f6-9107-fc538bb1a7de?_phsrc=Wwy112&_phstart=successSource Ancestry.com]
6. ↑ New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 47; Assembly District: 03; City: New York; County: Bronx; Page: 28
7. ↑ Year: 1930; Census Place: Bronx, Bronx, New York; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0558; FHL microfilm: 2341219 District: 0558; Description: BRONX BOROUGH, ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 7 (PART), BOUNDED BY (N) E. 180TH; (E) BELMONT AVE.; (S) E. 179TH; (W) ARTHUR AVE. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
8. ↑ State of New York Department of Correction, Sing Sing Prison. Receiving Blotter. Number 89960.
9. ↑ The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147 Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
10. ↑ SSN 130-10-2502 issued in New York before 1951. Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.
11. ↑ SSN 130102502. Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.