Guy Coniglio's Page

Guy Vincent Coniglio (born Gaetano, named after his paternal grandfather Gaetano Coniglio) Born in Serradifalco, Sicily on 21 December 1913. Arrived at Ellis Island December 14, 1914 and Mary Modica (born Maria Antonia, named after her maternal grandmother Maria Antonia Ferrantelli)	1
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Guy's birth record, below, shows he was born at Via Prizzi No. 11, not as previously believed at Via Migliore No. 10, where his father Gaetano was born in 1889. Gaetano (b. 1889) was in the U.S. in 1913, and Rosa must have been staying with her family on Via Prizzi (she was born at Via Prizzi No. 9). Extended families often lived in two, three or more adjacent houses. The record shown below was at the bottom of one page of the town's register of births, and at the top of the next.

ATTI DI NASCITA

Numero 323
___
Coniglio Gaetano

^*S'indiche la professione o la condizione.

   L’anno millenovocento tredici addi ventiuno di Dicembre,
a ore nove e minuti trenta, nella Casa comunale.
    Avanti di me Sorci Giacomo Segretario Comunale delegato con atto del Regio Commissario in data 25 Giuno 1913, debitamante approvato, Uffiziale dello Stato Civile del Comune di Serradifalco ______________
è comparsa Barravecchia Rosaria, di anni ventisette,^*levatrice domiciliatia in Serradifalco, il quale mi ha dichiarato che alle ore tre _________ ____________e minuti ____________, del di ventuno del corrente mese, nella casa posta in Via Prizzi al numero undici _______________ da Alessi Rosa, casalinga,noglie di Coniglio Gaetano,
zolfataio, entrambi residenti in Serradifalco _______________________
e nato un bambino di sesso maschile che ella mi presenta e a cui da il nome di ____Gaetano __________________________________________
   A quanto sopra e a questo atto sono presenti quali testimoni Petix Luigi
____ di anni ventinove,^* impiegato, e Barone Giovanni_______
____, di anni trentatre,^* impiegato, entrambi reidente in questo Comune. La dichiarante ha denunciato la nascita suddeta per avere nella suindicata sua qualità prestati sussidii dell' arte sua
alla Alessi Rosa nell' atto di parto, ed in luogo del marito di questa il quale non ha potuto denunciarla perché assente da Serradifalco ____
Letto il presente atto agli intervenuti, l'hanno quest meco sottoscritto.
   Barravecchia Rosaria
Luigi Petix
Giovanni Barone
Sorci

RECORDS OF BIRTH

Number 323
___
Gaetano Coniglio

*Indicates occupation or status.

In the year nineteen hundred thirteen, on December 21, at hour nine and thirty minutes, in the Public Office.
Before me, Giacomo Sorci Town Secretary delegated by act of the Royal Commissar dated 25 June 1913, duly approved Official of Civil Records of the Community of Serradifalco ______________,
appeared Rosaria Barravecchia, age 27, *a midwife _______,
living in Serradifalco, who has declared to me that at hour three _________,
and _____________ minutes, on day twenty-one of the current
month, in the house at Via Prizzi number eleven ______________,
by Rosa Alessi, housewife, wife of Gaetano Coniglio,
sulfur miner, both residents of Serradifalco _____________,
was born a baby of masculine sex who she presented to me, and he was given the name
Gaetano.

To the above and to this record are present the witnesses Luigi Petix _________, age twenty-nine, *employed, and Giovanni Barone
_____, age thirty-three, *employed, both residents of this community.
The declarant announced the above having as indicated above applied her skill in her female arts
for Rosa Alessi in the act of birth and in lieu of the husband, who could not make the announcement because he is absent from Serradifalco
The present act was read to those assembled and they have signed with me below.
Barravecchia Rosaria
Luigi Petix
Giovanni Barone
Sorci

Guy's 14 December 1914 passenger manifest for the SS Patria, below, shows he was eleven months old, immigrating with his mother Rosa Alessi, that his grandfather in Serradifalco was Leonardo Alessi, and that he was traveling to his father Gaetano Coniglio at Box 52 in Robertsdale, Pennsylvania.

Guy and Leonard
about 1924

Guy Coniglio with Connie
about 1926

     Jesse Ketchum was a philanthropist who gave away much of his wealth to the Buffalo Public Schools. The Jesse Ketchum medals in gold, silver, and bronze, and in two sizes (49 mm and 36 mm) were awarded in Buffalo to public school students starting in 1873; over 12,000 have been awarded. Originally, medals were awarded to high school seniors and to grammar school students in the last two grades of grammar school.
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     Since I spoke only Sicilian and could not speak English when I started grammar school, I'm sure that the rest of my siblings, including Guy, were under that same handicap. In spite of that, my brother Gaetano Coniglio, an immigrant boy born in Serradifalco, Sicily in 1913, received the Jesse Ketchum award for high average at School 35 in both 1927 and 1928.
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    Thanks to BuffaloBilly Greco for the information!

Obverse of #2518,
36mm, silver, 1927
7th grade, P. S. 35

Reverse of #2322,
49 mm, silver, 1928
8th grade, P. S. 35.

Marie Marinaccio, Phil Cordaro, Maria Rosaria Cordaro,
Charles Cordaro, and Mary
Crystal Beach, about 1931

Guy about 1935
Photo on the right enhanced by Peter Pietro Mantione

Mary DiBenedetto, Salvatore Balistreri, Mary, Guy, Mary's sister Bessie Modica, Leonard, Mary Butera
Tony, Mary's cousin Bessie Modica June 29, 1935

Guy Coniglio
1939