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August 20, 2009

Dear Tom Fusia,

I write this letter because I stumbled upon the website you and your family has put together to honor your heritage. Like you, I share much of the same history and possibly, lineage. My name is Mark Decaria. I am 57 years old. I was born in Ogden, Utah. My grandfather and grandmother on my father's side were originally from Vallelonga, Calabria, Italy. My grandfather, Domenic Decaria, emigrated to the U.S. in 1904, coming through Ellis Island, staying and working in Pennsylvania and upstate New York for several years before catching the train west. His future wife, Assuntina Villela, emigrated with her family shortly after and ended up in Ogden. The two met and were married.

Many of the the other family members also emigrated as well, and now live in Toronto, Canada. The name there is Mandarano. My parents have been to Toronto to visit them, but I have not been able to make the trip.

Do you know if there is a central clearinghouse for turn-of-the-century Calabrian immigrants where information can be located? Some of my cousins have completed a partial genealogy beginning with my great-great grandparents but we have learned that the small church in Vallelonga where birth, baptismal and death records were located has burned and many, if not most, were destroyed.

I enjoyed the history, photographs and other memorabilia found on your website.

Do you speak Italian? If so, Scrivi me quando lei hai ricevuto quest' email.

Grazie per il vostro tempo.

Mark Decaria

November 4, 2008

I was born in Pizzoni and my family migrated to Australia in the 50’s. My parents names are Giuseppe Pasquino and Maria Donato and most of my mothers relatives (Donato) migrated to Toronto around the same time. Her brothers and sisters in Toronto are Carlo Donato, Ottavio Donato, Nicola Donato, Raffaela Capone and Giuseppina De Pace. My uncle in Australia also from Pizzoni was Forunato Monardo (now deceased). My aunt (now deceased) in Toronto was Caterina Donato.

I am wondering if we could in any way be either related or have relatives who are related.

I would love to hear from you.

Maria Salwin (Pasquino)
msalwin@netspace.net.au

November 2, 2008

Tom,

I love your site and all the information on your family and some information on Pizzoni. My name is Maria Caterina Pasquino and I was born in Pizzoni. My great grandmother’s maiden name was La Caria and my grandfather was a Donato. We are trying to put our own family tree together but are having trouble with the Pasquino side of the family and I think that a few years ago I saw a site where either yourself of someone from your family connected Caterina Donato( my grandmother has that name) and marrying a Pasquino from another town. So far we think that the Pasquino family are foreigners to Pizzoni.

So if you have time and would like to write back to me with some information to help me put together my family tree I would appreciate. BY the way I live in Melbourne Australia and we are the only Pasquinos here.

hope the election goes the way you want it to go.

Ciao

Caterina Cook

October 31, 2008

Name:
B1:    Submit

Comments:

Marta, I think you and I might be related. My name is Caterina Pasquino and I was born in Pizzoni. I found this site as I was looking for my grandparents whose surname is LaCaria. I have an uncle with a surname of Monardo and I recognise some of the other names mentioned.
My father is Pasquino married Caterina Donato and on my mother's side, she is a Donato and her mother's surname is Bono, My mother's paternal grandmother goes by the name La Caria and they all lived in Italy and some went to Toronto Canada. I live in Australia. MY sisters and I are currently doing our family tree and would love to know if we have other family we did not know about.

Keep in touch

Caterina Cook
caterinacook@hotmail.com

June 20, 2008

What a wonderful collection of family history! My parents, from Pizzoni, emigrated to Toronto, Canada in the early 50's. My maiden name is Donato. Could we be related?

Marta Spano

mardon58@hotmail.com

_________________________________

Follow up: June 25

Hi Tom,

It's so nice to hear from you. Actually one of my sister's name's is Caterina Donato. Our Donato line in Pizzoni goes back to at least 150 years ago as well (as far as I know). Two of the streets in Pizzoni were named after my father's uncles - Via Salvatore Donato and Via Giorgio Donato. I think they were war heroes. My mother's maiden name was LaNeve. Her mother's was LaCaria and on my father's side, his mother's maiden name was Monardo. There are Macri, Alemanni, Francica, Maida, Pittimada and Arena in the family as well. As both my parents are now deceased, it's a pity I can't ask them any further questions. I still have a cousin who lives in Pizzoni. I visited Pizzoni twice, the last time being in 1980. I guess it's time I went back for another visit!

Keep in touch!

Marta

January 15, 2008

My Grandfather, Domenico, emigated from Vallelonga in 1904. After a brief stay in Pennsylvania and other states east of the Mississippi, he came west to Utah where he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad.

I thoroughly enjoyed this site.

Mark DeCaria

mdecaria@comcast.net

December 17, 2007

All the old family names from Vazzano are great to see recorded here. My father Domenico De Grano was born in Vazzano and now lives in Toronto, Canada. His father lived in Braddock,PA around the 1930's.
My grandfather on my mothers side, Antonino Scida lived in Johnsonburg, PA from 1915 to 1933. Great site !

Claudio De Grano

cdegrano@gmail.com

September 27, 2007

Hello

Beautiful site!

lokimikoj
lokimikoj@mail.ru

September 19, 2007

Hello

Very interesting information! Thanks!

G'night

hiutopor

hiutopor@ramireschat.com

August 31, 2007

Great website..interested in any Pelaia info ..especially in Petone or Serra St. Bruno....I have some

Also, Pisani, Tucci, Pelaia, Giancotti....any of these names in your connections.

Ciao.Loretta

LJPelaia@aol.com

November 14, 2006

Tommy,

Keep up the good work. This is my first time back in a while. I really liked the recent news part. Very Cool!!!!!!

Later brother,

Pooch
rfusia@state.pa.us

September 8, 2006

Wonderful site. I am from Johnsonburg, PA and am very familiar with the family names listed in your site as our community still has many of these names are still very common......my step father is Joseph Malfara!

Justine Paget
jpaget64@adelphia.net

August 27, 2006

ATTENTION: TOM FUSIA

TOM, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS ANTHONY CARLISANO AND IM FROM PITTSBURGH , PA. , AND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IHAVE BEEN RESEARCHING MY FAMILY TREE (CARLISANO) AND JUST TODAY 8/27/2006 WHILE SEARCHING FOR INFO ON MY FAMILY (CARLISANO) FROMTHE TOWN OF PIZZONI , ITALY , I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS SITE !!!

WOW TOM !! WHAT A WONDERFUL PAGE ! HOW DID YOU DO THIS AND HOW DID YOU FIND ALL THIS INFO ABOUT YOUR FAMILY IN ITALY ? THIS
IS FANTASTIC !

TOM, THIS IS THE REASON IM CONTACTING YOU. TOM IM AT A ROAD BLOCK ! I CANT GET ANY WHERE ON MY FAMILY GENEOLOGY ! ALL I KNOW IS THAT MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS NAME WAS NICOLA CARLISANO AND THAT HE CAME FROM THE TOWN OF PIZZONI , ITALY I HAVE CONFIRMED THAT AND I DO KNOW THAT I STILL HAVE FAMILY THERE ! AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ON HIM AND THE CARLISANO FAMILY FROM ITALY ! AND AFTER SEEING THIS SITE I WAS FLOORED ON HOW WELL IT WAS DONE ! I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, HOW DID YOU DO IT ! AND HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE NAME CARLISANO FROM PIZZONI , ITALY ! LOOKING FOR ANY GUIDANCE OR INFO YOU CAN FORWARD ON THE CARLISANO'S FROM PIZZONI , ITALY

ONCE AGAIN TOM WHAT A WONDERFUL PAGE, I SURE WOULD LIKE TO BE
ABLE TO DO THIS FOR MY FAMILY ! HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE SOON,

THANK YOU,

ANTHONY CARLISANO.

anthonycarlisano@alltel.net

I REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS SITE !!!!!

April 8, 2006

Awesome job with the website Tom!! So fun to surf thru and see the photos and all......Congratulations to Kevin and Wendy.....don't y'all think their baby looks just like Uncle Sevvy?? (smile)

ahhhh....look at that cutie little Tina in her flower girl dress!!! Tina and Marian were the sweetest little flower girls.....how precious!!

Amelia (Ortale) Gesch
amygesch1@yahoo.com

April 8, 2006

Papa!!! The website looks great!!! I can't wait to see you in May for graduation!

Ti Amo-
Britty

Brittany Fusia
bfusia@gmail.com