Maria Antonia Giuseppa Cascio (1863 - 1939)

Born 18 Mar 1863 in via S. Pietro, Corleone, Palermo, Italy

Ancestors

Wife of Giovanni Ragusa — married 20 Feb 1887 in Corleone, Palermo, Italy

Died 27 Jul 1939 at age 76 in 836 East 214th St, Bronx, New York, United States

Biography

Maria Antonia Giuseppa Cascio is born 18 March 1863 at 6PM in her parents' home in via S. Pietro, Corleone. Her birth is reported by the midwife, Francesca Paola De Luca, age 59. Her mother is Bernarda La Torre, age 34 (b. 1829). Her father is Leoluca Cascio, age 44 (b. 1819), falegname (carpenter).^[1]

Maria Antonia Giuseppa is baptized the next day as Josepham Mariam Antoniam. Note that her baptismal names are not in the same order as her civil birth name. In the baptismal index, she appears as Antonia. I originally thought Maria Antonia Giuseppa and Josepha Maria Antonia Cascio were two different people, but have since found her civil birth record, which gives the same birth date as her baptismal record. Her godparents are Biagio Buccheri and his sister Maria, widow of Giuseppe Gagliardo.^[2]

Antonia marries Giovanni Ragusa on 20 February 1887, when she is 23 years old^[3][4]. According to the civil marriage publication of 12 March, Antonia's parents are living at this time in Corleone.^[5]

Antonia and Giovanni have at least two children, Francesco (1888) and Leoluca (1890).

Their son, Francesco, is born nine months after his parents wed, on 1 January 1888, and baptized 5 January. He is named after his paternal grandfather. His godparents are his maternal grandparents: Leoluca Cascio and Bernarda la Torre.^[6]

Leoluca is born 7 July 1890 and baptized ten days later, named after his maternal grandfather. His godparents are Antonino Cascio and his daughter, Lucia.^[7] Antonino is Maria Antonia's first cousin.

In September 1890, Maria Antonia, age 27, and her two young sons, Francesco, age three and Leoluca, age two months, immigrate without Giovanni, first taking the train from Corleone to Palermo, then a ferry to Naples, where she boarded the SS Alesia. They arrive in New York 14 October and are processed through Castle Garden.

Giovanni's fate is not yet known. No record of his death or immigration has been found.

Antonia, who is called Maria from the time of her immigration, remarries in New York to Giuseppe Lomezzo on 29 January 1896, under her married name, Antonia Ragusa.

Dr. James Ragusa, who has researched Maria Antonia Giuseppa's life, has not found her in the New York censuses for 1900 and 1910. In 1915, she lives with her husband, now called Joseph, and son, Joseph Jr., at 2967 Webster Ave in the Bronx. Her husband and son are both cabinet makers. Joseph Jr. is evidently Leoluca, her youngest child from her first marriage. Francesco does not appear in the 1915 census.

In 1920, Maria Antonia Giuseppa, now called Annie, and her husband, Joseph, and son Louis Ragusa (Leoluca), live at 2967-2969 Webster Avenue (same address as in 1915 but expanded). Louis is single.

In 1925, she is called Marie and lives at 836 East 214th St in the Bronx. Her husband still lives and works as a cabinetmaker. They have not pursued citizenship. According to Ragusa family lore, this house enjoyed a private, enclosed garden and walled front yard. Because of the way the street had been built up in front of the house, the second storey became the ground floor.

In 1930, Marie, now called Antonette, and husband Joseph still live at their 1925 address. Also living in their home is Louis, Maria's son, and his wife Maria Concetta Durante, and their children Antoinette, 9, and John, 7. Louis and Maria Concetta later purchased the house he lived in with his parents.

In 1933, Antonette and Joseph still live in the house with Louis and Maria Concetta.

Joseph dies 22 April 1934, age 76, and is buried three days later in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx, in range 34, section 10, plot 60. The gravestone erroneously gives his year of death as 1932.

Maria, his wife, dies at age 76 in their home in the Bronx on 27 July 1939. She is buried beside her second husband two days later under the name Mari Antonia Lomezzo.

Sources

1. ↑ Estratto d'atto di nascita, Maria Antonia Giuseppa Cascio, record no. 145, 20 March 1863, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32378-38153-27?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-F68:351055601,352253401,352366601 : accessed 12 Jun 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Allegati (nati, matrimoni, morti) 1883-1887 > image 2642 of 2998; citing Tribunale di Cagliari.
2. ↑ Baptism of Josepham Mariam Antoniam Cascio, 19 March 1863, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11610-134431-98?cc=2046915&wc=MG37-K68:351041801,351041802,351125301 : accessed 02 Apr 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1858-1863 > image 349 of 388; citing Archivio della Diocesi di Palermo.
3. ↑ Marriage of Joannes Ragusa and Josepha Maria Antonia Cascio, record no. 39, 20 February 1887, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11622-19566-31?cc=2046915&wc=MG37-L29:351041801,351041802,351107101 : accessed 8 April 2015), Corleone > San Martino > Matrimoni 1872-1887 > image 514 of 535; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo [Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo].
4. ↑ Marriage of Maria Antonia Giuseppa Cascio and Giovanni Ragusa, 12 March 1887, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32358-17044-77?cc=2051639&wc=M9SX-996:899098084 : accessed 09 Mar 2014), Italy, Palermo, Palermo, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1910 > Italy, Palermo, Palermo, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1910 > Palermo > Corleone > Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, cittadinanze, morti 1882-1893 > image 1636 of 3063.
5. ↑ Certificato di defissione, Giovanni Ragusa and Maria Antonia Giuseppa Cascio, 11 March 1887, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32378-37091-46?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-F68:351055601,352253401,352366601 : accessed 12 Jun 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Allegati (nati, matrimoni, morti) 1883-1887 > image 2640 of 2998; citing Tribunale di Cagliari.
6. ↑ Baptism of Franciscus Ragusa, record no. 16, 5 January 1888, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12332-68966-5?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SP6:351041801,351041802,351287601 : accessed 05 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1884-1888 > image 321 of 398; citing Archivio della Diocesi di Palermo.
7. ↑ Baptism of Leolucas Ragusa, record no. 331, 17 July 1890, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12332-67361-56?cc=2046915 : accessed 26 November 2015), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1889-1895 > image 88 of 427; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).

Ragusa, James M. The Ancestors and Descendants of Vincenzo (James) Ragusa (1870-1952) and Related Sibling Families (Before 1676-Present). Unpublished review copy dated 2015 March. Mailed to Justin Cascio from Titusville, Florida 6 June 2015.