Giovanni Ciancimino (1894)

Born 1 Aug 1894 in Corleone, Palermo, Italy

Ancestors

Husband of Pietra Martorana — married 25 Apr 1922 in Corleone, Palermo, Italy

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Biography

Giovanni Ciancimino is a barber, the youngest son of Vincenzo Ciancimino, a shoemaker, and Maria Concetta Frisella, and the father of Vito Alfio, a corrupt politician,^[1], who is born April 2 1924^[2][3] Giovanni is born on 1 August 1894 in his parents' home on via Jannazzo #66 in Corleone.^[4]

Several sources note that Vito's father lived in the United States, where he worked as an interpreter, before WWII.

Giovanni's grandfather, Calogero Ciancimino, age 72 (b. 1814), a shoemaker, and the unmarried son of the late Pasquale Ciancimino and Vincenza Stilla, dies on 1 August 1886 at via Jannazzo, #68 in Corleone.^[5]

Giovanni, 16 (b. 1894), a barber, and his brother Calogero, 33 (b. 1877), a shoemaker, immigrate together from Corleone, arriving in the Port of New York on 5 October 1910 on the Carpathia. Their father Vincenzo lives in Corleone at 68 via Jannazzo. The brothers are going to New York. They will meet Mr. Domenico Liggio, their cousin, living at 2829 8th Ave.^[6]

On the manifest of the SS Canada sailing from Palermo on 21 February 1920, there is a Giovanni Ciancimino, age 25 (b. 1895), who appears. There is no information given as to his hometown, occupation, marital status, or nearest relative. However, everyone above him whose hometown is given, is from Corleone. Above him are Vincenza Saporito, 49 (she is 30), daughter of Bernardo, her nearest relative at home, and wife of Alfonso Pomilla, at 1797 3rd Ave, New York, to whom she is traveling to meet, with their children Gaetano Pomilla, 6, and Alfonso Pomilla, 3. Below Giovanni are Gaetano Streva, 25 (b. 1895) (possibly Streva-66, born in 1893), Vincenzo Ciancimino, 34 (b. 1886), and Carmela Priolo, 35. None of those three have any more information about them on the manifest. It's not certain that these individuals sailed. Based on the April manifest of the Patria, I presume they are still in Sicily.^[7]

The same Giovanni, now age 25, and his brother Vincenzo, age 34, both barbers, and unmarried, appear on the manifest of the Patria, which arrived in New York on 14 April 1920. Lines through their names indicate the brothers did not sail. However, this record gives their mother's name, Maria Concetta Frisella.^[8]

There is an index entry that says Giovanni marries Pietra Martorana, daughter of Vito, on 25 April 1922.^[9]

Open Issue: The baptismal record for Pietra Martorana says she marries in Misilmeri on 10 October 1920 to Giuseppe Greco, son of Giuseppe.^[10] Possibly, she marries and is widowed, and remarries two years later.

Giovanni and Pietra have at least one child, Vito (1924), named after his maternal grandfather.

In Vito's childhood, his father runs one of two barber shops in Corleone, both in the Piazza Garibaldi. Giovanni's shop is where the important men of the town go, including the mafiosi.^[11]

Giovanni became the manager of a transport company, immediately after the Allied landings in WWII.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ "Vito Ciancimino." Wikipedia. Accessed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_Ciancimino 4 May 2016.
2. ↑ Philip Willan. "Vito Ciancimino" (Obituary) The Guardian. Published 25 November 2002. Accessed http://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/26/guardianobituaries.philipwillan 4 May 2016.
3. ↑ Attilio Bolzoni. "è morto Vito Ciancimino la Dc ai tempi dei Corleonesi." Published 20 November 2002 in La Repubblica. Accessed http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2002/11/20/morto-vito-ciancimino-la-dc-ai.html?refresh_ce 5 May 2016.
4. ↑ Atti di nascita, record no. 300, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-L716?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-6PD%3A351055601%2C352253401%2C352283501 : 22 May 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, cittadinanze, morti 1893-1895 > image 225 of 743; Tribunale di Cagliari (Cagliari Court, Cagliari).
5. ↑ Atti di morte, Calogero Ciancimino, record no. 281, 2 August 1886, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32358-17684-30?cc=2051639 : 22 May 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, cittadinanze, morti 1882-1893 > image 1560 of 3063; Tribunale di Cagliari (Cagliari Court, Cagliari).
6. ↑ Ciancimino, Calo Gero, Passenger ID 101450100280, Frame 388, Line No. 20, Manifest of the SS Carpathia, Accessed http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-details/czoxMjoiMTAxNDUwMTAwMjgwIjs=/czo4OiJtYW5pZmVzdCI7 5 May 2016.
7. ↑ Ciancimino, Giovanni. Passenger ID 603220050192, Frame 511, Line No. 11, Manifest of the SS Canada. Accessed http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-details/czoxMjoiNjAzMjIwMDUwMTkyIjs=/czo4OiJtYW5pZmVzdCI7 6 May 2016.
8. ↑ Giovanni Ciancimino, Passenger ID 603278030357, Frame 241, Line No. 17, Ship Manifest, SS Patria. Accessed http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-details/czoxMjoiNjAzMjc4MDMwMzU3Ijs=/czo4OiJtYW5pZmVzdCI7 5 May 2016.
9. ↑ "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11580-167222-75?cc=2046915 : accessed 7 May 2016), Corleone > San Martino > Indice (Matrimoni) 1529-1951 > image 150 of 584; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
10. ↑ Baptism of Petra Martorana, record no. 31, 25 January 1896, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12350-74286-35?cc=2046915 : accessed 7 May 2016), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1895-1899 > image 64 of 309; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
11. ↑ Bolzoni, Attilio and Giuseppe d'Avanzo. "The Boss of Bosses: The Life of the Infamous Toto Riina Dreaded Head of the Sicilian Mafia." Accessed online 12 November 2105.
12. ↑ Massimo Ciancimino and Francesco La Licata. Don Vito. Quercus, 2013. Accessed https://books.google.com/books?id=0VT8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT111&lpg=PT111&dq=vito+ciancimino+is+the+son+of&source=bl&ots=qWxpHms4QM&sig=uwS4fJQBdDBqj1bUWbArKqIej9w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrmILwwcbMAhXhDsAKHVEqCPI4ChDoAQg8MAY#v=onepage&q=vito%20ciancimino%20is%20the%20son%20of&f=false 5 May 2016.