Rocco Giuseppe "Joseph" Loccisano

GEDCOM Note

From Aunt Mae's memory alone, she knew the birth name, year, and place of her father as being: Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano, born September 1889, in the village of Gioiosa Jonica, Reggio Calabria, Italy. She also knew the parents names were Luigi Loccisano and Marianna Ritorto. This was confirmed by the Civil Records office in Gioiosa Jonica, who sent me an extract of Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano's birth certificate: Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano, born October 27, 1889, with parents Luigi Loccisano and Marianna Ritorto. ( The Gioiosa Civil Records office was off on Rocco's birthdate by a month and a day; Aunt Mae seemed sure his birthdate was September 26, 1889 and that the Civil Records Office probably made a mistake. I also believe this to be the case, since other important documents give his birhdate as September 26, 1889 - See below. This certificate still confirms what I expected, however, since it gives the correct parents names and year of birth. This one month difference will not affect me tracing back the lineage.)

I have further evidence that Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano's birthdate was on September 26, 1889: On Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano's Natuarlization Record and World War 1 application, it gives his birth date as September 26, 1889. On his death certificate, it gives his birthdate as September 15, 1889 (not as significant since this is not a primary source filled out by Rocco Giuseppe himself). For this family tree, I will use the birth date on Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano's Naturalization Record and World War 1 Application since they are primary sources and were filled out by Rocco Giuseppe himself and they coorelate with what Aunt Mae is sure was his birthdate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- Aunt Mae believed the reason that Luigi Loccisano came to USA was to better his and his families life. She did not recall her grandfather Luigi Loccisano knowing anybody in New Castle, Pennslyvania as a reason that he settled there. When he came with his son Rocco Giuseppe in 1899, this was his 2nd trip to USA so he undoubtedly had relatives here in this country and in New Castle for that matter...(we just have not been able to uncover who these people were yet)...Actually, his passenger list in 1899 says his destination was New York... some connection ended him up in New Castle, Pa. Aunt Mae remembers, however, that there was much work in the coal and steel industries for immigrants, and that this was a factor in settling in New Castle, Pa. (As a side note, a lot of people from the Caserta part of Italy settled in New Castle, Pa..) (Another side not is that many Italians settled in Boston, Connecticut, New York).

A SIDE NOTE: Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano's sister (Teresa Loccisano Murdocco) settled in Boston for a while ( I believe before coming to visit the family in New Castle, Pa.). I believe therefore that there is a Boston connection to our family history and we need to research this more.... I also believe that there is a specific New York Conncetion. This is because on Luigi Loccisanos 2nd passenger list in 1899, it states that his destination (along with son Rocco Giuseppe) is to New York. I speculate they soon after moved to New Castle... If I am interpreting correctly, this same 1899 passenger list states that his first trip to the USA was spent on Mulberry St. in New York... Luigi Loccisano's first trip began about 1886...I have not yet found this passenger list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------

Rocco Giuseppe Loccisano had a first cousin Giuseppe Nicola Loccisano, whose family settled in Ellwood City, Lawrence County, Pa... This was the Ellwood City "clan" of the Loccisano family. It is important to remember that Rocco Giuseppe's father Luigi Loccisano was a pioneer who brought many people over from Gioiosa.