Surname Saturday: Casillo/Casell

Each Saturday this year I am posting one of my surnames, going in alphabetical order.  This weeks surname is Casillo, which was changed to Casell after immigration to the US to fit in better on the railroad where my gg grandfather worked.

According to Gens, Casillo is most common in the Campania region of Italy, which is where my family came from.

Looking at Italy in Full Detail, Casillo is most popular in the Napoli province today, although 17.15 people with the surname still live in Roccaromana, Caserta, Italy, where my ancestors came from.

I currently have 2 microfilms on order for Roccaromana, which should be arriving any day now.  I am hopeful these will expand upon this line.


Descendants of Guiseppe Casillo
-------------------------------
1-Guiseppe Casillo d. Bef 1868
 +Unknown
|--2-Pietro Casillo b. Abt 1835
    +Angela Rosa Palmiero b. Abt 1845
   |--3-Marcantonio Maria Casillo (Marco Antonio Casell) b. 11 Jan 1868, Roccaromana, Caserta,
   |    Campania, Italy, d. 26 Nov 1937, Colden, Erie, New York, USA
       +Caroline Izzo b. 3 May 1876, , , , Italy, d. 2 Oct 1934, Buffalo, Erie,
        New York, USA
      |--4-Amelia Angela Maria Casillo b. 14 Jun 1903, Buffalo, Erie, New York,
      |    USA
      |--4-Alfredo Marco Casillo (Alfred Marco Casell) b. 28 Jun 1906, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA,
      |    d. 25 Jan 1981, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
      |--4-Angela Casillo b. 28 Jun 1906, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
      |--4-Lucia Marian Casillo b. Dec 1910, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA, d.
      |    1993, , , California, USA
      |--4-Clara Casillo b. Abt 1914, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

Genealogy Happy Dance - Marcantonio Casillo

I had the best night ever at the FamilyHistory Center today. I walked in, grabbed my microfilms and the woman working asked what I was looking at today. I said Canadian land records and Italian birth records, but I wasn't so sure on the Italian. She said that Italian records were her favorite and offered to help!

Apparently, back in the day, someone helped her at a FHC with the Italian records and now she was going to help me. She asked about my family and my interest in genealogy. I told her I was looking for my great-great grandfather Marcantonio Casillo's birth record. According to his daughter who told her nephew (my grandfather) Marco was born 11 January 1868 in RocRoma, Caserta, Italy. Try as I may, I never have been able to find a RocRoma, but in checking familysearch.org, I saw many Casillos listed in Roccaromana, Caserta and thought that was close enough and ordered the microfilm. According to my grandfathers family tree Marco's father was Peter, mother Unknown. According to Marco's death certificate his parents were John and Angeline.

The woman who helped me said it was the worst microfilm she ever saw. Very tiny, bad writing and very fuzzy. It took quite a while, but then we FOUND IT!!!

Registered on the 15 January 1868. Father Pietro Casillo, son of the dead Guiseppe, age 33, profession Guardilegata(?any ideas anyone? hard to read), living in Roccaromana. Baby, masculine, born 11 January 1868, at 4 o'clock. Mother Angela Rosa Palmiero, daughter of the alive Rafeal and Maria Guiseppa Agua/Agia/Igia/Izio, age 23. Baby named Marcantonio Maria.

And I got luckier still, on the side of the page was a notation that Marcantonio married Carolina Izio 5 December 1901 (I had September from my grandfathers information. This explains why I couldn't find a certificate in Buffalo, they married in Italy. I also had Carolina Izzo)

Now I need to try and find some relatives on the film... Even if I can't though, I found him! I have a town! And parents! And grandparents! And proof of a marriage! Woo-hoo!!!