POINT Chapter 15 Meeting - February 2, 2008

POINTers In Person
Lou Costello Chapter 15

Northern New Jersey




Pursuing Our Italian Names Together
February 2, 2008

ALBERT MAROTTA (#1018)
The Northern New Jersey chapter of POINTers In Person met on February 2, 2008 at the Elmwood Park Municipal Building.  Eighteen people attended.

Maria Carparelli (#2100) opened the meeting.

Maryanne Graham (#3654) presented the treasurer’s report.  The chapter has 69 members who have kept their membership current.  Also, the chapter’s annual dues were collected.

Lillian Pappas (#2717) spoke about the New York Times archives online, German genealogy and the importance of fire insurance atlases to finding information about an ancestor’s property and neighborhood.

It was mentioned that Dr. Stephen P. Morse, from San Francisco, will present four sessions at Bergen County Community College in Paramus in April.  He is well known for his excellent Ellis Island and other genealogy-related databases.  Dr. Morse will be joined by
David Kleiman.  This seminar, “Using 21st Century Technology to Trace Your Ancestors”, is being sponsored by The Genealogical Society of Bergen County.

Al Marotta (#1018) told members that Montclair State University, as part of their centennial celebration, is hosting an Italian Festival 2008 from January-April 30, 2008.  It will feature art, photography, music, symposiums on architecture, cinema, cuisine, lectures on Italian Jews, etc. See www.montclair.edu/italianfestival for details.

Maria then presented to the chapter a slate of this year’s future speakers.  These presentations promise to be very educational.  She also is planning research trips for those interested in order for members to take advantage of the numerous genealogical research resources available in the New York/New Jersey area.  There were sign-up sheets for future trips to the Newark Public Library New Jersey Room, the New York Public Library, New Jersey State Archives, Jersey City Public Library and the Genealogy Room of the Morristown Public Library.

 A member exchange followed.

Susan Berman (#4405) alerted the chapter that Dr. Sandra Lee of Seton Hall University is in the process of completing a book, “Italian Americans of Nutley, Belleville and Newark”, to be published this year.  Dr. Lee is seeking family photos from the Italian neighborhoods of those areas from the 1920s-1950s.  Sue lent some of her family photos for the book.  If anyone wants to contribute photos or stories for the book, contact Dr. Lee at [email protected]. Sue showed members some of the photos that she submitted for the book

Loretta Tito (#4717) told the chapter that she could never find a photo of her great-grandfather, a family patriarch noted for always wearing a large gold watch on a chain.    However, at a recent family get-together, she met a cousin who showed her a family photo, which included a man wearing the famous pocketwatch (her great-grandfather!).  Both Carolyn McNamara (#4772) and Loretta’s relatives came from Cava dei Tirreni (Province of Salerno).  Carolyn hired someone who lives in that town (who happens to have the same name but believes he is unrelated) and he researched the family back to the 1700s.  Now Loretta plans to contact the same researcher.
 

Future meetings will be held on:

     May 3, 2008
     August 2, 2008
     November 1, 2008
     February 7, 2009

For details, see our website:     https://sites.rootsweb.com/~njpoint/


 

Previous Meeting Report
Home
Next

E-mail POINTers Chapter 15