Tomaso di Savoia Passenger Ship

The Tomaso di Savoia passenger ship was built by Barclay Curle & Company of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909, for Lloyd Sabaudo, Italian flag. The ship could hold 1500 passengers (150 First Class, 150 Second Class, and 1200 Third Class).

The ship had twin screw steam quadruple expansion engines with a service speed of 16.5 knots. It weighed 7714 gross tons, was 450 feet long, and 55 feet wide.

The Tomaso di Savoia was named after an Italian military commander who lived from December 21, 1596, to January 22, 1656. This man was the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy, which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861 and as kings of Italy from 1861 until until the deposition of the dynasty in 1946.

The travel route of the Tomaso di Savoia passenger ship was Italy-New York and Italy-South America. It was scrapped in Italy in 1928.

Ship image and information source here.
Italian military leader information source here.

Antonio Rizzo's Declaration of Intention

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

NATURALIZATION OFFICE

___________

No. 4768

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

___________

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA                                                           IN THE DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF DELAWARE                                             (THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE)

I,   ANTONIO RIZZO  , aged  41 years  , occupation  laborer  , do declare on my oath that my personal description is: Color  white  , complexion  dark  , height  5 feet 0 inches  , weight  125  pounds  , color of hair  dark brown  , color of eyes  brown  , other visible distinctive marks  none   .

I was born in  Pietrostornina, Avellina, Italy  on the  18th  day of  June  , anno Domini 1  881  ; I now reside at  Montchanin, Delaware  .

I emigrated to the United States of America from  Naples, Italy  on the vessel  "TOMMASO DiSAVOIA"  ; my last foreign residence was  Pietrostornina, Italy  ; I am  married  ; the name of my wife is  Filomena  ; she was born at  Pietrostornina, Italy  and now resides at  Montchanin, Delaware  .

It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to  Victor Emmanual III King of Italy  , of whom I am now a subject;

I arrived at the port of  New York  , in the State of  New York  , on or about the  24th  day of  June  , anno Domini 1  910  ; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside therein; SO HELP ME GOD.

  Antonio Rizzo  (signature)

(Original signature of Declarant)

Subscribed and sworn to me in the office of the Clerk of

said Court this  8th  day of   December , anno Domini 19  22 

  H. C. Mahaffey, Jr.  (signature)

Clerk of the  U.S. District  Court.

By  C.R. Walsh  (?) (signature),  Deputy  Clerk.

Antonio Rizzo's Certificate of Arrival

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL--FOR NATURALIZATION PURPOSES

(This certificate is for the use of the person applying for it only, and is issued for naturalization purposes in compliance with the Act of June 29, 1906, sec. 4, subd. 2, par. 4, requiring a certificate from the Department of Labor stating the date, place, and manner of arrival in the United States.)

_______________

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

BUREAU OF NATURALIZATION

__________

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL DIVISION

ELLIS ISLAND, NEW YORK

(stamped May 5, 1925)

This is to certify that the following-named alien was legally admitted into the United States on the date and in the manner described below, at Ellis Island, New York.

              Name of alien:               Rizzo, Antonio

              Date of arrival:               June 24, 1910

              Manner of arrival:         Tomasso di Savoia

(stamped 1198)

BY DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY OF LABOR:

              Raymond J. Crist (signature)

                                Commissioner of Naturalization

Antonio Rizzo's Signature

Antonio Rizzo's Naturalization Papers

Antonio Rizzo's Certificate of Arrival transcription

Antonio Rizzo's Declaration of Intention transcription

Research Questions

Research question: What was the maiden name of Angelina Angelone, whose mother's name was Willomena or Philomena? (I'm thinking it was Rizzo, and that her last name after her 2nd marriage was Gagliardi).

Research question: About what year did Irene Angelone's grandparents immigrate? Did they immigrate as a family?

Research question: Was their arrival in Delaware, Boston, New York?

I've already answered my own questions!
1. Rizzo (not sure about the Gagliardi yet; may be maiden name, not 2nd married name)
2. 1910; yes
3. New York

Melvin E. Bird SSDI

Verified information from Social Security Death Index, ancestry.com

Name:	Melvin E. Bird
SSN:
Last Residence:	19320  Coatesville, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Born:	11 Feb 1914
Died:	19 Apr 1989
State (Year) SSN issued:	Pennsylvania (Before 1951)

Bird-Angelone Nuptials

 

Newspaper unknown.

Irene Gabriella Bird

Unverified information:

Middle name - Gabriella
Marriage date - Sept. 27, 1954
Marriage location - Chester Co., PA
Married to - Melvin E. Bird

Source: The Jackson Family Tree, ancestry.com

Irene G. Bird SSDI

Verified Information: Social Security Death Index, ancestry.com

Name:	Irene G. Bird
Last Residence:	19320  Coatesville, Chester, Pennsylvania
Born:	28 Mar 1934
Last Benefit:	19320  Coatesville, Chester, Pennsylvania
Died:	2 Feb 2009
State (Year) SSN issued:	Pennsylvania (1952-1953)

Back Traveling

This blog will document my research into a family not my own. This is the information with which I begin:

"Irene G. Bird, maiden name Angelone; 100% Italian. Related to Rizzo and Gagliardi (by marriage, I think). Her mother's name was Angeline Angelone. Her grandparents came right off the boat from Italy (she always told me Naples, but sometimes referred to it as Terme). He was a stonemason in Delaware. I don't know his name, but I think her name was Willomena or Phillomena.  Before they left for DE, he was studying to be a priest but didn't take his final vows. Grandma spent most of her life there in Wilmington DE (her biological father, Frank Angelone,  was a butcher, I believe). Her paternal grandmother was also named Irene Angelone (purportedly a fortune teller, according to family legend).

"Melvin Earnest Bird, born in PA (not sure exactly where). His parents were very religious (maybe missionaries at one point), and definitely farmers. Melvin was never sure when he was born because different family Bibles had different years. He was born Feb 11th of either 1912 or 1913. A European mongrel - English, Scottish, and a bunch of other stuff.

"Related somehow to the Freeds, and the Bairds (family lore suggests that the Bairds immigrated from Scotland and anglicized their name). Allegedly related to the Byrds - at some point there was a family rift and some of the Birds became Byrds (someone told me that the Byrds moved to TX).

"Robert D. Reifsnyder. His father's name is Robert Reifsnyder. I believe there was a relative who worked for the Reading Rail Road by the name of Rufus Trout (somehow a grandparent). Pennsylvania Dutch.

"Irene and Melvin buried in Limerick Gardens, PA, because it was the only place that offered a crypt at the time...no religious affiliation.

"Angeline had several sisters: Mary, Vicky, and another. May have had brothers."

And we're off!