Giuseppe Napolitano

Giuseppe Napolitano began his life in the Parantoro section of Montalto Uffugo on November 11, 1892. My grandfather's father and both his grandfathers were property owners and millers. What exactly they milled I have not figured out yet. I know they must have had a vineyard because I know they made enough wine to sell in the neighboring towns of San Fili and Paola. They were also farmers.

Since I have never found his ship record, we are not sure when he came to America. The family story says he was 17 which would probably make the year 1910. But a recent discovery in Italy has proved that he did not come to the United States before May, 1912. The discovery is Giuseppe's Italian Army registration, in which it documents the results of his Italian Army physical. This record is called a "lista di leva". Giuseppe reported for his Army physical, which he passed successfully. In May, 1912 he lived in Paola and was 19 years old. Here is a copy of the 2 page registration: Page 1 and Page 2 The record states he was a mule driver. He was living in Paola at the time. Paola is the next town west of Montalto Uffugo - just the other side of the mountain from Parantoro.

Actual signature of Domenico Enrico Napolitano

Giuseppe's Family

Giuseppe's father was Domenico Enrico Napolitano who was born in 1869 to Filippo Napolitano and Caterina Nicastro. Everyone called him Enrico. Like his father and grandfather before him, he was a miller and owned his own farm. In 1889 at the age of 20 he married Angelina Napolitano who was 18 at the time. Angela was the youngest child of Costantino Napolitano and Pasqualina Aiello. Their first child was not born until April, 1891. They named him Giuseppe. He may have been named after Enrico's Uncle Giuseppe Napolitano. Giuseppe only lived 8 months before he died. Less than a year later their second son was born and they named him Giuseppe also.

The children of Enrico and Angela were:

• Giuseppe Born April, 1891 Died: December, 1891
• Giuseppe Born: November, 1892 Died: 1949
• Maria Agnesa Born: January, 1895 Died: April, 1895

Enrico Napolitano died in 1895 at the age of 26. We do not know how he died but there was an epidemic of cholera that struck Calabria the same year of his death. At the age of 24 Angela was a widow with a young son and a farm to take care of.

Angelina's Second Husband

In January, 1898 Angela Napolitano remarried. Her new husband was Raffaele Antonio DeSeta, son of Giuseppe DeSeta and Maria Carmela Garrafa. Together they had 6 children. The DeSeta children were the half siblings of my Grandfather.

The Children of Angela Napolitano And Raffaele DeSeta

• Delfina Born: 1898
• Emilia Born: 1899
• Enrico Born: 1901
• Antoinetta Genovaffa Born: 1903
• Carmela Born: 1903
• Alfredo Born: 1906

Angela Napolitano died in December, 1907 shortly after giving birth to her last child. She was only 36 years old. She left 7 living children after giving birth to 9 children. Giuseppe and the DeSeta children were taken in by Domenico Garrafa and his second wife Giuseppina Ferrante. Domenico's first wife was Emilia Napolitano, Angela's sister. Domenico's grandmother was the sister of Giuseppe's great great grandfather.

Giuseppe's Ancestry

Here is the ancestral line of Giuseppe Napolitano on his father's side.

• His Father:Domenico Enrico Napolitano
• His father's parents: Filippo Napolitano and Caterina Nicastro
• His grandparents: Luigi Napolitano and Maria Rua
• His great grandparents: Antonio Napolitano and Anna Filippo
• His great great grandparents: Raffaele Napolitano and Savaria Licciardi

Giuseppe's Ancestry

Giuseppe's ancestral line on his mother's side of the family is listed below.

• His Mother: Angelina (Angela) Napolitano
• His grandparents: Costantino Napolitano and Pasqualina Aiello
• Vincenzo Napolitano and Maria Stella Nicastro




Since I have not found more on Vincenzo other than his father's name was Arcangelo, I am stuck here on Vincenzo. There is a possibility that our Vincenzo is the same Vincenzo that married Caterina Filippo around 1840 after the death of Maria Stella Nicastro, but I need to find proof of this.

To read about Giuseppe's life in the United States, click here.



Read about Giuseppe's wife Caterina Maiuolo here.