Antonino Matranga (1854 - 1909)

Ancestors

Biography

Salvadore Madranga, age 32 (b. 1822), shoemaker, resident of Ustica, reports the birth of a son to his wife, Rosa Greco, age 30 (b. 1824), on 28 August 1854 in their home. He is named Antonino^[1], after his paternal grandfather.

The Sicilian Bark Anomino left Palermo bound for New Orleans. On board were Salvatore Matranga, a 40 year old (b. 1817) shoemaker, his wife, 36 (b. 1821), and 2 sons, 2 yrs (b. 1855) and 2 months old (b. 1857). His wife and sons’ names aren’t recorded. They are from Sicily. The ship arrives 22 January 1858, according to the same manifest indexed in Ancestry. Based on their ages, the sons are Antonio and Charles.^[2]

In the 1870 federal census of Ward 3, New Orleans, LA, taken 30 June, Salvador Matranga, 42 (b. 1828), heads a household with his wife Rose, 40 (b. 1830), and children Antonio, 16 (b. 1854), Louis (this is Charles/Carlo), 12 (b. 1858), Paulina, 8 (b. 1862), and Joseph, 2 (b. 1868) Salvador is a low Shoemaker and his two older sons are apprentice shoemakers. Paulina is at school. The three youngest children were born in Louisiana and Antonio and his parents were born in Italy.^[3]

Salvadore is the leader of the local Stuppagghieri Mafia, a faction of a Mafia organization in his parents' native Monreale. Charles and Tony join when they are still teenagers.^[4]

Anthony or Antonio Morin or Matranga marries Josephine Bertuchi on 10 December 1873 in Orleans Parish, LA.^[5] Vincenzo Mascari gives his consent in the marriage of Josephine Bertuchi, 18, to Anthony Morin on 10 December 1873. Anthony Morin signs his name Antonio Matranga. A witness signs as Salvatore Matranga.^[6][7]

Anthony and Josephine have four children: Rosie (c. 1874), Lulu, a third daughter, and Salvador.^[8]

In the 1880 federal census of New Orleans, LA, Supervisor’s First District, ED 20, Third Ward, taken 7 June, Antonio Matranga, 26 (b. 1854), heads a household at 150 Basin St. with his wife Josephine, 23 (b. 1857), daughter Rosa, 6 (b. 1874), brother Charles, 23 (b. 1857) and boarder John Moran, 21 (b. 1859). The adults were born in Italy and Rosa was born in New Orleans. Antonio is a saloon keeper. Charles and John are both listed as bar keepers.^[9]

In May 1890, Tony is injured in an ambush and loses his leg.

In 1891, Charles is a defendant in the murder of Police Chief David C. Hennessy. While a lynching takes the lives of eleven of his co-defendants, Matranga and a man reputed to be his "enforcer," Bastiano Incardona, are unharmed.^[4]

Their mother, Rosa, dies 24 September 1896 at age 74 or 75 in New Orleans. She is buried in Metairie Cemetery in NOLA. ^[10]

Their father, Salvadore, dies 13 November 1896 at age 75 or 76. He is buried with Rosa.^[11]

Anthony dies in his home at 3322 Canal St., unexpectedly, from heart failure on 12 December 1909. He was fifty-five.^[8][7]

Tony dies intestate. He leaves an estate valued at over $52,000, which is split between his wife, and four children.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Atto di nascita, Antonino Madragna. (1854, August 28). Record no. 55. Posted 11 May 2020 by Richard Warner to The Los Angeles Mafia group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10222169095365581&set=p.10222169095365581&type=3
2. ↑ "Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5JR-D4?cc=1916009&wc=MFVK-6M9%3A1029673801%2C1029684901 : 8 October 2015), 1820-1902 (NARA M259) > 045 - 6 Nov 1857 - 19 May 1858 > image 457 of 696; citing NARA microfilm publications M259 and T905 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QZY-KM?cc=1438024&wc=92K1-G54%3A518653901%2C519016601%2C519417001 : 12 June 2019), Louisiana > Orleans > New Orleans, ward 03 > image 516 of 654; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Hunt, Thomas and Macheca Sheldon, Martha. (2007). Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.
5. ↑ "Louisiana Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJ8-Y5KB : 4 April 2020), Anthony Or Antonio Morin Or Matranga and Josephine Bertuchi, 10 Dec 1873; citing Orleans, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 1,783,813.
6. ↑ "Louisiana Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJC-MY25 : 4 April 2020), Anthony Morin and Josephine Bertuchi, 10 Dec 1873; citing Orleans, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 903,924.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 April 2020), memorial page for Anthony Matranga (Aug 1854–12 Dec 1909), Find a Grave Memorial no. 152287738, citing Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Judy Ber2c W (contributor 47928814) .
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.), 18 Dec. 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86074033/1909-12-18/ed-1/seq-1/>
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB6-HLY?cc=1417683&wc=XWHN-DP8%3A1589403898%2C1589404396%2C1589404395%2C1589395526 : 24 December 2015), Louisiana > Orleans > New Orleans > ED 20 > image 18 of 92; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 April 2020), memorial page for Rosa Greco Matranga (1821–25 Sep 1896), Find a Grave Memorial no. 126510262, citing Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Graves (contributor 47171280) .
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 April 2020), memorial page for Salvatore Matranga (1820–13 Nov 1896), Find a Grave Memorial no. 126509980, citing Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Graves (contributor 47171280) .
12. ↑ Judgment In re Succession of Antonino Matranga, No. 92323, Civil District Court, Division A. Case Papers, 1880-1929; Author: Louisiana. Civil District Court (Orleans Parish); Probate Place: Orleans, Louisiana