Anna Vutera (1850)

Born 18 Apr 1850 in Corleone, Palermo, Sicilia

Ancestors

Wife of Francesco Paolo Dragna — married 23 Sep 1872 in Corleone, Palermo, Italy

Descendants

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Biography

Anna Vutera (also spelled "Gutera"), the daughter of Ignazio Vutera, agricola (farmer), and Francesca Governali, is born on 18 April 1850 in her parents' home on via Santa Caterina in Corleone.^[1]

She marries Francesco Paolo Dragna, the son of unknown parents who was raised from birth by Gaetano Dragna and his wife, Francesca Rizzotto, a wet nurse, on 23 September 1872.^[2]

Anna and Francesco Paolo have at least seven children: Leoluca/Louis (1876), Giuseppa/Josephine (1878), two sons named Gaetano (1883 and 1888), Fillip, Ignacio (1891), and Francesco Paolo (1894).

Leoluca is born 18 July 1876 and baptized the next day. His godfather is Giovanni Puccio.^[3]

Giuseppa is born 28 April 1878 and baptized the next day. Her godfather is Giuseppe Morello, who is unmarried. (Two men by this name who are not yet married are Morello-35, the gangster, and Morello-174, who is six years older.)^[4]

The first son named Gaetano Dragna is born and baptized 28 July 1883. His godmother is Concetta Vutera, unmarried daughter of Ignazio.^[5] He is presumed to have died before his brother with the same name is born in 1888.

The second son named Gaetano is baptized 25 November 1888.^[6] He survives to adulthood.

Louis (probably baptized Leoluca) and Fillip (Filippo) are known from a living descendant, J. Michael Liotta. Francesco Paolo is not known to this descendant.^[7]

Ignazio is born 18 April 1891 and baptized the next day, named after his maternal grandfather. His godparents are Salvatore Catalinotto and Calogera Bentivegna, a married couple.^[8]

Francesco Paolo is born 6 April 1894 to Francesco Paolo Dragna, age 48 (b. 1845), contadino, and his wife Anna Vutera (also spelled "Gutera", as in his baptismal record), at their home at #18 via Pertuggio. According to this record, his father is illiterate. ^[9]

Francesco Paolo is baptized on 7 April 1894. His godmother is Concetta Gutera, wife of Leoluca di Gregorio.^[10]

Because Francesco Paolo is not known to his living great-nephew, it is presumed he died in infancy.

On the SS Alsatia sailing from Naples on 26 October 1898 and arriving in New York on 18 November, these passengers from Corleone appear together on the manifest. All are bound for New York as their final destination.

23. Giovanna Zimbardi, 52 (b. 1846), married, going to her husband Giuseppe Musso at 917 2nd Ave 24. Giuseppa Musso, 17, single, same destination 25. Paolo Projetto, 52 (b. 1846), married, going to his nephew/grandson Giuseppe Crescimanno at 1317 E 71st St at 1st Av (this is not very clear) 26. Anna Butera, 48 (b. 1850), married, same destination 27. Giuseppa Dragna, 20 (b. 1878), single, same destination 28. Gaetano Dragna, 8 (b. 1890), same destination 29. Ignazio Dragna, 7 (b. 1891), same destination 30. Benigno Sardigna, 23, single, going to his uncle Antonino Rizzotto at 1317 E 11 St 1st Ave. It looks like the same address as Crescimanno, above. The abbreviation between 1317 and the street number is the same.^[11]

In 1908, Gaetano lives in New York. His brother, Ignazio, joins him there in 1914. Their father is still living at this time.^[12]

Ignazio "Jack" Dragna is an active member of the Mafia in Sicily and in the United States, and is the first Mafia boss of Los Angeles.^[13]

Gaetano is also called Tommaso, or Tom, a common Americanization of the Sicilian nickname "Tanu" for Gaetano. He is 26 (b. 1889) when he marries Vitulia Torisco (later called "Julia"), age 19 (b. 1896), on 5 December 1915 in Manhattan.^[14]

Jack marries Francesca Rizzotto on 30 April 1922 in Los Angeles.^[15]

All siblings but Tom (born Gaetano) died before Jack.^[16]

Jack dies of a heart attack on 23 February 1956 in California.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Estratto d'atto di nascita, Anna Vutera, 20 August 1872, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-XQZK?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-F3D%3A351055601%2C352253401%2C352298701 : 22 May 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Allegati (nati, matrimoni, morti) 1868-1872 > image 2869 of 2993; Tribunale di Cagliari (Cagliari Court, Cagliari).
2. ↑ Marriage of Francisci Pauli Dragna and Anna Vutera, record no. 78, 23 September 1872, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11622-14214-86?cc=2046915 : accessed 12 June 2016), Corleone > San Martino > Matrimoni 1872-1887 > image 61 of 535; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
3. ↑ Baptism of Leonemlucam Dragna, 19 July 1876, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYM7-M87?cc=2046915&wc=MG37-K6D%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351142201 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1872-1877 > image 386 of 419; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
4. ↑ Baptism of Josepham Dragna, 29 April 1878, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LSS-DB3?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SPX%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351275901 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1877-1879 > image 82 of 182; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
5. ↑ Baptism of Cajetanus Dragna, record no. 365, 28 July 1883, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LSS-DTX?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SP8%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351280701 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1879-1883 > image 317 of 354; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
6. ↑ 614, Index. "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6L2S-FT7?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-ZN5%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351319001 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > image 66 of 153; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
7. ↑ Personal communication, 12 September 2017.
8. ↑ Baptism of Ignatius Dragna, record no. 218, 19 April 1891, "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12332-63962-35?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SPD:351041801,351041802,351292901 : accessed 17 Nov 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1889-1895 > image 141 of 427; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo [Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo].
9. ↑ Atti di nascita, record no. 162, "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-L75X?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-6PD%3A351055601%2C352253401%2C352283501 : 22 May 2014), Palermo > Corleone > Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, cittadinanze, morti 1893-1895 > image 180 of 743; Tribunale di Cagliari (Cagliari Court, Cagliari).
10. ↑ "Italia, Palermo, Diocesi di Monreale, Registri Parrocchiali, 1531-1998," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LSS-VCT?cc=2046915&wc=MG34-SPD%3A351041801%2C351041802%2C351292901 : 20 May 2014), Corleone > San Martino > Battesimi 1889-1895 > image 356 of 427; Archivio di Arcidiocesi di Palermo (Palermo ArchDiocese Archives, Palermo).
11. ↑ Manifest of the SS Alsatia, EllisIsland.org via SteveMorse.org Accessed 17 September 2017.
12. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJSV-PY4 : 6 December 2014), Francesco Di Palermo, 14 Mar 1914; citing departure port Palermo, arrival port New York, ship name Santa Anna, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Wikipedia:Jack_Dragna:Jack Dragna entry on Wikipedia. Accessed 11 June 2016.
14. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24QD-36J : 20 March 2015), Tommasso Dragna and Vitulia Torisco, 05 Dec 1915; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,614,235.
15. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8F1-PV6 : accessed 12 June 2016), Jack Ignatius Dragna and Frances Rizzotto, 30 Apr 1922; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,277.
16. ↑ Personal communication with J. Michael Liotta, Justin Cascio, 12 September 2017.

Anna Vutera has Italian Roots.