Filippo Romano

Our Romano family patriarch is Filippo Romano. He was born in Contessa Entellina, Sicily. He married Antonina Marino in Contessa. (Click “Family Tree” link for dates). Together they had 8 children. Giovanni was the oldest son, and the first to immigrate to the US. He and his wife, Anna Giovingo sailed into Ellis Island on the ship San Guglielmo on Sept. 16, 1912. On the manifest, Giovanni states that he was coming to visit his uncle, Paolo Pirillo on 779 Main St., Tampa. I did find Paolo’s immigration record also, and he stated he was coming to live with his brother inlaw in Driftwood, PA. Could’nt make out the brother inlaw’s name, however, it looked like Domenic Leto. Anna stated that she was from Bisaquino.

The next record I have is for Filippo and his eldest daughter, Andenzia (my g-Nana). Filippo must have come to the US at an earlier time, and gone back to Sicily to get Andenzia, because on his manifest record it states that he had been to the US before; however, I can’t seem to find the record of his earlier travels. Filippo and Andenzia came over on the ship The Canada on Dec. 28, 1912; only 3 months after Giovanni. They stated their relative in the US as “son Giovanni, Main St., Tampa.”

Next to immigrate from the Romano family was Filippo’s son Domenico. Domenico arrived in 1913 on the ship Venezia from Palermo.

Finally, Filippo sent for his wife and the remaining children in Contessa. Antonina, along with children, Salvatore, Francesco, Rosa, Carmella and Vincenzo sailed from Palermo Feb. 14, 1914 on the ship America. This was nearly 2 years after Filippo came over with Andenzia. Also making the voyage on the ship with the family was Domenico’s wife, Rosaria Cuggino and her 1-yr old son Filippo.

From their entry into the US through Ellis Island, our Romano family made it’s way to Tampa, FL, where they got jobs in the cigar factories in Ybor City. Most of them lived on 12th Avenue in Ybor. Ybor is now a historical section of Tampa, and has been extensively renovated.