Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans

by John Philip Colletta

Since "Finding Italian Roots" first appeared in 1993, an ever increasing number of Americans have become interested in tracing their Italian heritage. This thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded Second Edition provides up-to-date information about accessing and interpreting the vast universe of materials available for tracking Italian ancestors and recording their stories for future generations. Whether you are just beginning your investigations or have been doing genealogy for years, this guide will help maximize your investment of time, effort, and money.

206 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

Reviews

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I rated 3 stars, I did not like the book. Colletta packs way too much information into to small a space. The information is solid and introductory; but too superficial. That format may have been forced on him by the publisher. Or, he sought to boost his own reputation with a quick book that does less than introduce the sources. In fact, it goes in the opposite direction by presenting too many sources. The ultimate summary of the book could be "use ancestry.com or the Mormon church. Anything above and beyond will probably be too much work for too little gain."

The book can roughly be divided in half. The first half is a basic overview of resources available to Americans. Granted, the second edition came out in 2003, so it is already substantially out-dated. Colletta repeatedly refers readers to Mormon research centers or the new web portals for the Mormon church and ancestry. He mentions specific tools; but he does not go much deeper than a basic introduction. In several places throughout the book, usually in concluding material where he packs in way too much with little or no substance, he says that readers should check X for additional records. One example is p. 82 where he is concluding coverage on American records. He says there are other state records that could be useful. You may find military service records or employment records. Too little or too much information. Even with the digital tools of ancestry.com and familyheritage.com, these resources have dozens of pitfalls and difficulties of their own without even trying to access Italian resources.

The second half of the book pertains to resources available through Italian agencies. Again, Cullotta both introduces and overwhelms his readers with superficial overviews. There are few hints or pieces of practical advice. Instead, readers are more likely to find red flags of discouragement. Repeatedly, Colletta reminds his readers "You are not entitled to the information. They are extending a privilege to you." Nothing else says prepare yourself for a lot of stonewalling and outright rejection and hostility. That being said, it is possible to get records. However, what a reader may obtain from an Italian agency is uncertain. Rather than offer services, Italian agencies seem to do the bulk of the research and issue statements rather than copies of the original documents. That is if, the Italians can read their own documents from previous centuries. Colletta warns readers that neither modern Italians nor typical Americans are prepared to translate documents that predate the Fascist period. In sum, the Italians do not have time to help you, they do not want to help you. They may be unable to help you. Why bother?

Having read the Italian section twice, I am still uncertain how to proceed. Are Archivi di Stato specific documents, or a general classification of documents? Do I try to contact the Archivo di Commune (if I am lucky enough to locate the specific commune from which my ancestors left)? This information is necessary before contacting anyone in Italy. What could make this more difficult? It seems that some people used entirely different names for unclear reasons. The so-called "detto" means that Salvatore Zanella may have been legally known as Salvatore Iannuzzi in different documents. The detto sounds like a last attempt to discourage readers from pursuing records in Italy. It is one of the last things Colletta discusses.

Colletta does refer readers to other resources. Some of these are books in university archives. Some are books written in Italian dialect. Some are articles in genealogical society newsletters. These are instances where is asking his readers to reinvent the wheel. In effect, why should I fill in the gaps with detail in this book you chose to read. Look for the answers in this resource. It is a minor quip on my point; but it does come up throughout the text.

Overall, I learned some things. If I cannot track my Italian ancestors through ancestry.com or familyheritage.com, I have reached the end of my limits. There is a vague option of hiring a professional genealogist in Italy - but Colletta noticeably avoids referring readers to any place to engage their services. There are a lot of records available in Italy; but they are largely inaccessible either by overburdened civil servants and ecclesiastics, or they are indecipherable because of an archaic usage of regional Italian-Latin writing.