Anna (Reitz) Pasquin (1906)

Born 26 Jul 1906 in Oswego, Oswego, New York, United States

Ancestors

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Biography

Anna Reitz was born on 26 Jul 1906 in Oswego, Oswego, New York.^[1] She was the daughter of Vincenzo Rizzo and Anna Russo.^[2]

Anna was adopted by Matteo Santoro and his wife after her parents were incarcerated at Auburn Prison. The Santoros changed Anna's name to Guiseppina Santoro. She was known familiarly as "Josephine", the anglicized version of her name.^[3]

Josephine grew up in the city of Utica, Oneida, New York.

When she was a teenager, Josephine learned the secret of her birth. She reunited with her siblings, and moved in briefly with her brother, Joseph Reitz, in Oswego, New York, before she married and moved back to Utica, New York.

Josephine married Vincent Anthony Pasquin on 16 Jun 1923 in Utica, Oneida, New York.^[4] Josephine's adopted father, Matteo Santoro, gave his consent to the marriage as Josephine was only sixteen years old. Matteo's wife, Nellie (Dugastino) Santoro, was deceased by this time.

Josephine and Vincent had a son:

1. Matthew Vincent Pasquin, born 20 May 1924 in Utica, Oneida, New York.

Josephine and Vincent separated in the spring of 1927.^[5] Vincent maintained custody of Matthew and moved to Queens, New York where he lived with his mother and stepfather. Vincent eventually remarried and had two more children. He passed away on 27 Oct 1936. Matthew remained in the care of his paternal grandmother.

Census Enumerations

1910 Utica, Oneida, New York Josephine (age 3) was living with her adopted parents, Matteo and Christine Santoro, at 659 Bleecker Street. She was enumerated with the name that they had given her, "Guiseppina Matteo".^[6]

1925 Utica, Oneida, New York Josephine (age 19) lived in Utica with her husband, Vincent Anthony Pasquin (enumerated as "Anthony Pasquin") and their infant son, Matthew Pasquin (enumerated as "Matteo Pasquin").^[7]

Newspaper Articles

FINDS BROTHER AFTER 14 YEARS

Utica Girl Learns That Her Real Name is Anna Reitz and Not Josephine Santoro - After being separated from members of her family for 14 years, Josephine Santoro, who learns that her real name is Anna Reitz, has found her brother, Joseph, and is leaving Utica to make her home with his family.

The reuniting of the brother and sister has not been without obstacles. This afternoon in City Court before Special City Judge Joseph Hopkins, the girl was arraigned upon a charge of vagrancy and although the case had not been decided at 3 o'clock it will undoubtedly be in favor of the girl, who feels secure in the protection of her brother.

Matteo Santoro, of Morris St., who claimed to have adopted the girl, secured a warrant charging vagrancy, and had the girl brought to Utica. But, with her came the lawyer, Thomas L. McKay, and her brother, Joseph.

It was learned that the girl's parents died before she was a year old (Vincenzo and Anna (Russo) Reitz were not deceased, they were serving time in Auburn Prison) and she was placed in St. Francis's Home, Oswego. From there she was supposed to have been adopted, but it is claimed by her brother that the alleged adoption papers show the names of Albert and Rosa Reitz as the parents, while they are really uncle and aunt.

Joseph Reitz now claims that Santoro had not legally adopted the girl, nor made any attempt at legal adoption, but that she was turned over to him and his wife by another party. This case is one of complications, but one important fact remains and that is that the brother and sister are happily reunited and they will not again be separated.^[3]

Transcribed verbatim by Ave Maria Norway on 21 Mar 2024.

Anna Reitz Rejoins Her Oswego Brother

Anna Reitz, 19, was yesterday given her freedom and reunited with her brother, Joseph Reitz of Oswego, in City Court by Special City Judge Joseph Hopkins. Matteo Santoro claims to have adopted her when she was a little girl and she has been living with him ever since, but when she found that her brother was alive and in Oswego, she desired to go to live with him. Santoro charged her with vagrancy.

Her brother retained Thomas McKay, an Oswego attorney, who questioned the legality of her adoption.^[8] Anna was not 19, she was 16.

Transcribed verbatim by Ave Maria Norway on 21 Mar 2024.

Research Notes

• Vincent Pasquin's surname was incorrectly spelled "Psaquin" in their marriage record. He was the son of Joseph Pasquin and Concetta Carnivale, whose surname may have been shortened from Pasquini to Pasquin.

Sources

1. ↑ New York Birth Indexes Outside of New York City, 1881-1942. Anna Reitz; born 26 Jul 1906; Oswego, New York. Digital Images: Family Search. Images acquired by reclaimtherecord.org and donated to FamilySearch. Image 772 of 1050. Accessed 21 Mar 2024. New York Birth Index
2. ↑ Oswego Palladium Times; Oswego, New York; 13 Oct 1945, page 5, column 6, 0182.pdf. Digital Images: Old Fulton, NY Postcards; Tom Tryniski. Search "Anna Reitz", "Oswego" and "1945". Accessed 13 Mar 2024. Anna (Russo) Reitz Obituary
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} The Utica Observer; Utica, New York; 2 Dec 1921, page 24, column 3, 1572.pdf. Digital Images: Old Fulton, NY Postcards; Tom Tryniski. Search "Anna Reitz" and "Utica". Accessed 21 Mar 2024. Reunited With Her Brother
4. ↑ New York County Marriages, 1847-1848, 1908-1936. Vincent A. Psaquin & Josephine Santoro, married 16 Jun 1923, Utica, New York. Citing Oneida County Clerks Office. Digital Images: Family Search. Images 248 of 512. Accessed 21 Mar 2024. Pasquin/Santoro Marriage Record
5. ↑ Utica Daily Press; Utica, New York; 12 May 1927, page 10, column 3, 2373.pdf. Digital Images: Old Fulton, NY Postcards; Tom Tryniski. Search "Pasquin". Accessed 21 Mar 2024. Vincent Will Pay No Debts of Josephine's Contracting
6. ↑ United States Census, 1910. Utica, Oneida, New York, United States. Guiseppina Santoro in the household of Matteo Santoro; enumeration district 125; sheet 2A, line 24, house visitation number 9, family visitation number 23. Citing National Archives and Records Administration; NARA microfilm publication T624. Digital Images: Family Search. Image 262 of 1149. Accessed 21 Mar 2024. 1910 US Census
7. ↑ New York State Census, 1925. Utica, Oneida, New York, United States. Josephine Pasquin in the household of Anthony Pasquin; page 72, line 41. Citing the Oneida County Clerks Office. Digital Images: Family Search. Image 37 of 51. Accessed 21 Mar 2024. 1925 New York Census
8. ↑ The Utica Morning Telegram; Utica, New York; 3 Dec 1921, page xx, column 8, 0910.pdf. Digital Images: Old Fulton, NY Postcards; Tom Tryniski. Search "Anna Reitz" and "Utica". Accessed 21 Mar 2024. Anna Moves to Oswego With Her Brother