Giuseppe Ciavattone and Lucia Giammarco

Giuseppe Ciavattone 1894-1973

Third born child of Leonardo and Maria was Giuseppe(1894-1973).  According to family stories from Sandra Aimone Muck, Giuseppe was sent to live with brothers in a seminary when he was young.  This may have been in 1905 when, at the age of 10, his father, Leonardo, died suddenly.  January 30, 1912, Giuseppe age 17 arrived in Boston on the ship Canopic.  Listed below his name on the ship manifest was Gaetano Ciavattone age 18, presumably a cousin and probably the same Gaetano who accompanied Giuseppe's older brother, Panfilo, in 1920.  Both indicated their final destination was Pennsylvania.

Lucia Giammarco Ciavattone 1899-1995

On July 28, 1916, Lucia Giammarco, age 17, arrived in Boston on the Cretic from Naples.  Lucia indicates she is going to Hamilton, ON to a friend, Giuseppe.
On August 3, 1916, 22 year old Giuseppe Ciavattone married 17 year old Lucia Giammarco in Hamilton (Wentworth) Ontario Canada.  They listed their residence as 27 Imperial St. Hamilton, ON.  Witnesses to this marriage were Sabato and Raffaela Colichio.  

On August 24, 1916, Giuseppe entered the US from Canada with the destination of Buffalo, NY.  He indicated he was living in Hamilton, ON.

On February 9, 1925 Lucia and her 4 year old daughter, Elena (Helen) arrived in New York from Naples following a visit to Sulmona.  Their final destination was Detroit, MI.

Joseph Ciavattone 1938 in Detroit

Lucia and Giuseppe first appear in the US census records in 1930.  At that time they were living at 14010 Mitchell Ave. in Detroit, MI with their daughter, Helena and son, Adolph in a home valued at $3000.  Giuseppe, had Americanized his first name and was listed as Joseph employed at a gas station.

Lucia's younger sister Loreta Giammarco and Giuseppe's younger brother Michele Ciavattone married and emigrated to America in the early 1920's.  Their story will be in future posts.

Lucia and Giuseppe's children and grandchildren settled in and around Detroit and many Ciavattone's in the Detroit area are descendants of the combined Ciavattone/Giammarco families.