Guido Luigi Emanuele Hocke-Caselotti (1884 - 1978)

Born 20 Jun 1884 in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Husband of Maria Josephine (Orefice) Caselotti — married 14 Oct 1909 (to 1933) in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States

Husband of Anna (Karp) Caselotti — married Aug 1935 in Monrovia, Los Angeles, California, United States

Died 30 Jul 1978 at age 94 in San Gabriel, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Guido Hocke-Caselotti migrated from Italy to United States.

Guido was born 20 Jun 1884^[1], in the city of Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in north-eastern Italy, not far from the Serbian border. He was the son of Giovanni and Louisa Caselotti who later lived in Tivoli, a town about 20 miles east of central Rome.^[2][3] As a teenager, Guido performed in the first ever production of Puccini's opera Tosca, which premier at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, 14 Jan 1900.

Guido arrived in New York from Italy aboard the ship Lomarida, 25 Apr 1903. He was then 18 years old. Initially, he resided in New York City, where he studied voice and piano at the New York German Conservatory, and then opened a music school of his own at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

Guido eventually moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he served as the organist for the Holy Rosary Church. There, he met Maria Ordich, who was a singer in the church choir. The couple was married on 14 Oct 1909, at Bridgeport. He was 25, she was just 16. The couple had two daughters, Marie Louisa (1910) and Adrianna (1917).

In 1915, the couple was living in an apartment on Vermilyea Avenue in New York City, with their four-year-old daughter, Louisa.^[4] In 1917, Guido registered for the draft listing a home address on Plainfield Ave., Floral Park, Nassau, New York, and referring to himself as a self-employed musician working from 1425 Broadway, in New York City.^[5]

In 1920, the family was residing on Plainfield Avenue in Hempstead, Nassau County, New York. That year, Guido's was listed as a self-employed piano professor.^[6]

Guido filed his Declaration of Intent to become a U.S. citizen 30 Sep 1921, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. At the time, he gave his address as 145 Lenox Ave. in Bridgeport.^[7] He became a naturalized citizen three years later on 3 Feb 1925, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.^[8]

In 1924, the family moved to Italy for two years, where Maria performed, Guido taught, and their daughters took vocal lessons. When the family returned to the United States in the summer of 1926, they moved to Los Angeles, California, home to a booming movie industry which just happened to be going through the bumpy transition from silent films to "talkies". In 1930, the family was residing at1340 N. Douglas Street, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, where Guido and Maria established a voice studio.^[9] Among his pupils was Officer George Stinson, known as the "Signing Cop".

In March 1933, Guido's wife filed for divorce, claiming her husband had become cool and indifferent toward her and had refused no take out socially or to places of amusement.^[10]

In 1934, Maestro Caselotti, as he had become known, was consulted by a Walt Disney casting scout who was looking for a voice that was "ageless, friendly, natural, and innocent," to play the lead part in the studio's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Rather than select one of Guido's students, however, Disney selected Guido's daughter, Adrianna, to play the role of Snow White.^[11]

In August 1935, Guido married Ann Karp, at Monrovia, California. He was 45 years old, she was 20.^[12] Although the record isn't clear, we might suspect she was a vocal student of his, as she did perform in the Monrovia High School operetta of 1933.^[13] In 1940, Guido and Anne were residing at 129 Atlantic Blvd. in San Gabriel, California.^[14]

In 1942, Guido registered for the World War II draft, citing his address as 120 S. Atlantic Blvd, in Alhambra, California. He listed his occupation simply as "self-employed" and named his daughter, Louisa Bagarozy of New York City, as his closest next of kin.^[15]

In the 1940's, he served as director of the San Gabriel (CA) Opera Company.

In 1950, Guido and Ann were residin in San Gabriel, California. Guido was a voice teacher; shw was a file clerk at a local department stote.^[16]

In 1960, Guido and Anna moved to Locarno, Switzerland for two years. Upon returning to California, he continued teaching voice until his retirement in 1967.^[17]

Guido died 30 Jul 1978, in San Gabriel, California. He was 94 years old. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.^[18]

Sources

1. ↑ Date of birth / data di nascita: Registro dello stato civile di Udine
2. ↑ California Biographical Index Cards, 1781-1990, Ancestry.com (database online with images) Guido Hocke-Caselotti
3. ↑ New York Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists 1820-1957, Ancestry.com (database online with images) 17 Sep 1912, ship: Duca Di Genoa. [image 9]
4. ↑ 1915 New York State Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New York County, City of New York, AD 23, ED 79, p15, household of Guido Caselotti [image 7].
5. ↑ World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, New York, Nassau County, Draft Board 4, serial no. 02911(?), order no A 662, Guido Hocke-Caselotti
6. ↑ 1920 U.S Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New York, Nassau County, Hempstead, ED 33, p3B, dwelling 52, family 60, household of Guido Caselotti [image 6].
7. ↑ Connecticut Federal Naturalization Records, 1790-1996, Ancestry.com (database online with images) Court of Common Pleas, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Declaration of Intention no. 19702 (1921) [image 341].
8. ↑ California Federal Naturalization Records, 1843-1999, District Court for California, Los Angeles (1929-1933), Mrs. Maria Orefice Odrich Hocke-Caselotti.
9. ↑ 1930 U.S Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) California, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, ED 717, p 2B, dwelling 44, family 56, household of Guido Hocke-Caselotti [image 4].
10. ↑ Singer Asks Divorce, Modesto Herald, 22 Mar 1933.
11. ↑ "Voice of Snow White, Adrianna Caselotti, 80, dies. Kenosha (WI) News, 21 Jan 1997, p. 14.
12. ↑ License Issued, Ventura County Star, 13 Aug 1935, p 2.
13. ↑ U.S. School Yearbooks, Ancestry.com (database online with images), California, City of Monrovia, Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School, The Monrovian, 1933, p. 75.
14. ↑ 1940 US Federal Census, Ancestry.con (database with images online) California, Los Angeles County, City Ocean Gabriel, ED 12, page 15A, Family 413.
15. ↑ World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, Ancestry.com (database online with images), California, serial no. 1604, order no. 205, Guido Hocke Caselotti [image 171].
16. ↑ 1950 U.S. Federal Census, California, Los Angeles County, City of San Gabriel, ED 19-1642, sheet 72, dwelling 130, household of Guido Caselotti, Available at Ancrstry.com $$. (Image 29.
17. ↑ Voice Teacher Plans to Retire, South Pasadena Review, 18 Nov 1968, p. 3.
18. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for Guido Hocke Caselotti (1884–1978), Maintained by Mark Masek (contributor 46541486), https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70641080 : (accessed 18 April 2021)

• "Italia, Udine, Stato Civile (Archivio di Stato), 1806-1815, 1871-1911," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1Z-KNSS : 12 August 2019), Guido Luigi Emanuele Hocke, Udine, Udine, Italia; citing Birth, Udine, Udine, Italia, Ministero per i beni e le attività (Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities), Rome, FHL microfilm .