Genealogy, really important to me! Help!?

Question

Ok, I don’t know exactly how to put this. My great grandmother who died 3 yrs. Ago told me that my great great grandpa’ was Charles “Lucky” Luciano the mobster. My mom will not tell me anything and every time I ask her about it she’ll change the subject. I would really like to know exactly how and by who I am related to him through. My mom married my dad who’s a Imperiali. No one in my family will tell me about it or even likes to hear the word mafia. It’s like they’re all ashamed of it. I know Lucky changed his name from Lucania to Luciano. I’ve looked on every site on the web and there are just too many Lucania’s to count and find the right set of Lucania’s. I never figured that trying to find this out would be easy seeing as Lucky was a gangster and a pimp so you can imagine all the women he was with and around. I know of at least 3 women he was around a lot; g*y Orlova a show girl, Betty Cook and Igea Lissoni who he met when he was deported back to Italy. It’s really important to me that I find this out. Because frankly I think I have a right to know whether my mom likes it or not. I’m not really sure if this stuff you can find on the web [or books] is really correct seeing as I’ve found his birth date as Nov. 11 1897 when it’s Nov. 24 1897. I know of a Anthony “Tony L” Lucania Lucky’s nephew is in the Genovese crime family and a Giovanni Lucania who lives in Italy who’s a relative, his parents Antonio and Rosalia Lucania and I believe a brother Bartolo but again, I’m really not sure about stuff on the web. So If anyone knows anything or could give me some advice on how I could find some of this out, I would really appreciate it more than anything! Thanks! ~Christina.

Answer 1

You have a lot of information, but you don't mention who he was supposed to have fathered. You would have to track birth and marriage records on that line of the family until you see what's listed. Even then, there's no telling if it's true or not. He could have had an affair with a married woman and her husband would have been listed as the father on the birth certificate. But it's the only way you can track it. I guess you just wait for your mom to open up one day. But she's obviously not ready for that today. The story may be much more lurid than you're prepared for, and in that case she may have her reasons for not sharing it. It's even possible that someone was killed in the story and that could be the cause of the pain. Put it away for a few years. It's not a life and death thing that has to be answered today. Just let your mom know that you'd like her to write it out for you and let you have the whole story when she's ready to tell it. Then drop it and don't come back to it for a few years.

Sometimes the truth is hard to tell. She obviously knows the truth, so give her the time and space to compose her thoughts.

Answer 2

Charles "Lucky" Luciano 1897-1962 - National crime syndicate founder

wikipedia.org

Charlie "Lucky" Luciano (born Salvatore Lucania) (November 24, 1897 in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy--January 26, 1962, Naples, Italy, age 64) was a Sicilian-American mobster.

His parents: Antonio and Rosalia (Corporelli) Luciano immigrated  to the United States in 1907. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, Luciano was diagnosed with smallpox, an affliction that pockmarked his face for life.

    In 1917, Luciano dodged being drafted into the United States Army and fighting in World War I. Luciano did this by intentionally catching chlamydia (a sexually-transmitted disease).

    Lucky's love was  Igea Lissoni, a beautiful blue eyed, blonde haired Italian dancer, who was 20 years his junior, and who he met after being deported back to Italy. .Living in Naples, Luciano immersed himself in the high life of Italian culture, dining in the finest restaurants and living in luxurious apartments with the love of his life. In old age, Lucky also became a charitable man, financially helping many poor Italians before he set up a medical supply store as a front for his illegal businesses. But no matter how much success he achieved, Lucky was homesick. He would often talk with G.I.s and tourists in the California restaurant for the sole purpose of speaking to people in the English language.

    Lucky and Igea lived together peacefully until they learned that there was a hit contract on Lucky and the two went into hiding. They changed apartments many times throughout the month and moved from hotel to hotel before the hit was called off. Lucky and Igea then  lived together in Lucky's 60 room house on Via Tasso in Naples.

It was said that Igea was Lucky's life, so when she died of breast cancer he began to go to pieces,as did his control of the Mafia businesses. After living together for 11 years, there was never any confirmation that the two ever married. Although if they had, it would been illegally, seeing as Lucky's deportation barred him from Marriage;

     Lucky Luciano's luck finally ran out, and he died of a heart attack at the age of 64 on January 26, 1962 at Naples International Airport. He was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Queens, New York.

Trivia: Lucky was known to curse. If there ever was a lady in the room when he cursed, he would always apologize.

www.ancestry.com

Salvatore Lucania

Born: 24 Nov 1897 or 1898 ,Lecara- Friddi Italy  

Died: 26 Jan 1962 ,Naples Italy  

Father: Antonio Lucania

Birth:  1863 ,Sicily, Italy  

Death:  1941

    Married:

Rosalia Roslyn Cafarelli

Birth:  1870 ,Italy  

Death:  1935  

   Their  Children's Names-- s*x-- Birth  

Joseph Lucania-- M-- Italy    

Bartolomeo Lucania --M--b. abt 1890    

**Salvatore Lucania-- M--b. 24 Nov 1897 or 1898 in Lecara- Friddi Italy    

Filippia f***y Lucania-- F--b. 31 Jan 1901 in Lecara-Friddi Italy    

Concetta Lucania-- F--b. 1 May 1903

1920 United States Federal Census

Name: Anthony Lucania

Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 8, New York, New York

Age: 60 years  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860

Birthplace: Italy

Relation to Head of House: Head  

Spouse's Name: Roslyn

Father's Birth Place: Italy  

Mother's Birth Place: Italy  

Marital Status: Married  

Race: White

s*x: Male

Home owned: Rent  

Year of Immigration: 1906  

Able to read: Yes  

Able to Write: Yes  

Household Members: Name Age

Anthony Lucania-- 60  

Roslyn Lucania --53  

Besth Lucania-- 28  

**Salvatore Lucania-- 22  

f***y Lucania --18  

Concetta Lucania-- 16  



Ellis Island Records of arrival:

1. First Name: Antonino

Last Name: Lucania

Ethnicity: Italian

Last Place of Residence: Sercara

Date of Arrival: Jun 22, 1906

Age at Arrival:  48    Gender:  M    Marital Status:  M  

Ship of Travel: Sofia Hohenberg

Port of Departure: Palermo

Manifest Line Number: 0012





2. First Name: Salvatore

Last Name: Lucania

Ethnicity: Italy, Italian South

Last Place of Residence: Lercara, Sicily

Date of Arrival: Oct 24, 1907

Age at Arrival:  20y    Gender:  M    Marital Status:  S  

Ship of Travel: Campania (1901)

Port of Departure: Palermo

Manifest Line Number: 0014

3. His sister--First Name: Filippa

Last Name: Lucania

Ethnicity: Italy, South

Last Place of Residence: Sercara

Date of Arrival: Nov 19, 1903

Age at Arrival:  20y    Gender:  F    Marital Status:  S  

Ship of Travel: Nord America

Port of Departure: Palermo

Manifest Line Number: 0030

4. Sister--

First Name: Concetta

Last Name: Lucania

Ethnicity: Italy

Last Place of Residence: Dalerino, Sicily

Date of Arrival: Jan 02, 1915

Age at Arrival:  9y    Gender:  F    Marital Status:  U  

Ship of Travel: Sant Anna

Port of Departure: Palermo

Manifest Line Number: 0013

5.Brother--

First Name: Concetta

Last Name: Lucania

Ethnicity: Italy

Last Place of Residence: Dalerino, Sicily

Date of Arrival: Jan 02, 1915

Age at Arrival:  9y    Gender:  F    Marital Status:  U  

Ship of Travel: Sant Anna

Port of Departure: Palermo

Manifest Line Number: 0013





(I'm hoping I have the right ones listed, especially the Ellis Island records. Couldn't seem to find the family listed as coming over at the same time or on the same ship).

Also hope this info helps you a little bit.

Answer 3

You've given a lot of information but it's all over the place. :/ What you really need to focus on, is your late great grandmother. From what you say either her father or her husband's father was Lucky.

Your major stumbling block is going to be whether their birth was registered, or if it was illegitimate. If it was registered you should have no trouble finding it out, as the records would be sufficiently old enough to be free to view. If it was illegitimate you really don't have a hope of finding out.

What you normally do with genealogy is start with yourself and work backwards, instead of all over the place like you have - the main reason is that it's easy to fit convenient information in accidentally, and before you know it you're down the wrong path.

The idea that you could be a direct descendant is very interesting though, so if you want to pm me your great grandma's name (or if it's your great grandpa's his) along with her approximate age and DOB I'll do a bit of digging for you.