The following members were in attendance: Frank Balistrieri, John Balistreri and Patricia Stein, Joseph and Judy Balestrieri, Don Buck (4429), Joe Dentice, George Koleas (1527), Barbara Roberts (1202 ), Jackie Maggiore (4391), Steve and Jean Scalzo, Tana Salvaggio (4835), John and Arlene Jorgensen, new members Angela Dembinski, Maribeth LaMaroa, Eugene and Vi Thompson and guests Margaret Eilers and Peter Gumina.
We reviewed the results of our display at Festa Italiana. We spoke to hundreds of people and handed out over 200 blank family trees to visitors who had surnames that appeared on our list of surnames being researched by our members or the list of surnames we are researching from Palermo, Sant’ Elia, Sant’ Flavia, Solunto, Porticello or adjacent villages in Sicily . The purpose of the handing out the blank family tree form was to provide a data collection tool for people to record their family information and send the information back to us. While only a small fraction have returned forms so far, we have also generated other contacts based on our display. Since Festa, the families that have contacted us include the surnames Alioto, Alfino, Balistreri, Busalacchi, Caravella, D’Amico, Graziano, Foti, Maglio, Morano, Mussomeli, Pitti, Tarantino, SanFelippo, SanFilippo, and Zizzo.
Bonnie Dompke, who volunteered at our display, reports: “First of all, our booth was successful for me. The information you sent me from Ted Foti opened another whole branch of my paternal grandparents. Ted is the second cousin for whom I had been searching. A few of us gathered to share information, family trees and stories. Ted (Salvatore) Foti and his wife, along with my other second cousin, Mary Jane, are going to Milazzo this month. They are connecting with our second cousins, the Alfino's, there and will be able to do even more research and connections. “
Barbara Roberts (1202 ) reported that sometimes it is difficult to help people. We were contacted by someone researching Maglio. Barb, who also researches Maglio, had found a connection. Unfortunately, the e-mail of the person she was trying to help is no longer working and the individual has not re-contacted Barb. Steve Scalzo had a similar experience. Steve reported that he contacted a family with information that he had found for them, but they were only interested in one side of their family and not at all interested in information he found on the other side of their family.
After the cancellation of the Fourth Biennial POINT National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, we received a survey from P.O.I.N.T. asking for information to be used in planning future conferences. We completed the survey at the meeting and will send the results to P.O.I.N.T.. Members expressed more interest in a closer regional conference for possibly one day, like the ones they have attended that have been put on by the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society or the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society.
We set our meetings for 2005. Our meetings will be held on Saturday’s on January 15, April 9, September 17 and November 12, 2005 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting at 10:30 a.m. and concluding at noon.
Steve Scalzo passed out information he had picked up at the Family History Library. The information included information on cemetery research, funeral home research, Federal land records, hiring a genealogist, planning a trip to Salt Lake, flash memory storage devices and Irish research. Yes, Irish research. It appears that some of our members are also researching Irish families.
Steve Scalzo recommended a website that contains a variety of information about Italy. It can be found at www.virtualitalia.com
Barbara Roberts (1202) reported that she made contact with a Maglio family in Pennsylvania. She is sharing information with this family. Based on the information they have shared so far, Barbara has found that this Maglio family is related to hers.
New members Angela Dembinski, Maribeth LaMaroa, and Eugene and Vi Thompson described the families they are researching. Angela Dembinski is researching Filippone and Vella. Maribeth LaMaroa is researching Amoroso, Catania, Falsetti and LaMarca. Eugene and Vi Thompson are researching Marola and Virtucci.
Our website, articles and queries in the Italian Times continue to be successful in locating information about our families and interesting individuals in becoming members of our chapter. If you have a query concerning family information you are looking for, please let me know. I will compile the information I receive and send it to the Italian Times for publication. I will also post it on the new “Queries” page on our website. If you have ideas for articles for the Italian Times, please also send them to me.
Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, November 13, 2004, at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We will meet, starting at 10:30 a.m. and conclude the formal meeting at Noon. Those that wish to, will then go to the restaurant, order lunch and continue to share information and help one another or they may make plans to meet elsewhere. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact George Koleas by e-mail at GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com or by phone at (262) 251-7216 after 7:00 p.m.
Submitted by George Koleas (1527)
