The Children of Daniele D'Amore
This post will review the family tree of Daniele D'Amore, son of Cirillo D'Amore, brother of Ferdinando and Michelangelo D'Amore. The majority of Daniele's children migrated to Philadelphia and their descendants constitute what I refer to as the "Philly Branch". As the result of these migrations, Philadelphia became a D'Amore from Montefalcione safe-haven which served as a landing spot for many branches from other lines who established themselves in Philly as well.
The Children of Daniele D'Amore and the Philly Branch:
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As noted in the previous blog post regarding my great-grandfather Antonio D'Amore, Daniele, Ferdinando (father of Antonio), and Michelangelo (father of Massimino) were all the sons of Cirillo D'Amore. Cirillo was born in 1797 in Montefalcione. His father, Ferdinando Sr. was 21 and his mother, Elisabetta, was 22. Cirillo married Carmina Forcillo and they had two children together. He then married Mariantonia Carbone and they had six children together: Maria Carmela, Michelangelo, Maria Cristina, Ferdinando, Emanuele, and the youngest Daniele. Mariantonia Carbone was from Lapio, which is about 9 kilometers from Montefalcione. Carbone remains the most common surname in Lapio today.
The Children of Cirillo D'Amore Mariantonia Carbone:
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Daniele D'Amore was born on February 13, 1845, in Montefalcione, Avellino, Italy, and died in 1907 in his hometown at the age of 62. Daniele married Maria Giovanna (Jennie) Alario on October 31, 1868, in Lapio, Avellino, Italy. Currently, there are Alario's living in Chiusano Di San Domenico and Lapio, both located abt 6-8km from Montefalcione. Daniele and Maria Giovanna had twelve children in twenty three years: Erminia, Pasquale Guisseppe, Sabatino, Antonio, Giuseppe, Felice, Olimpia, Felice (Phillip), Marionnina, Alessandrina, Elizabeth, and Sofia.
The Children of Daniele D'Amore and Maria Giovanna Alario:
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Daniele's first child, Erminia D'Amore was born on April 8, 1869, in Montefalcione. Daniele, was 24, and her mother, Maria, was 18. She married Francescantonio Di Giovanni on July 1, 1897, in her hometown and they had six children together: Mariantonia, Carolina, Giuseppe, Antonia, Giovanna, and Antonio.
Daniel's second child, Sabatino (Samuel) D'Amore was born on December 21, 1872, in Montefalcione.
Sabatino arrived in New York aboard the Bohemia on May 25, 1895, and made his way to Philadelphia. Italian immigrants generally were drawn to Philadelphia by their ties with friends and relatives already living in the region and work opportunities. It is unknown why Sabatino chose Philadelphia instead of New York, but what was typical of the time was that one member of a family who had immigrated would establish a foothold, and then once secured others from the same branch would follow soon after.
Italians often came as temporary workers with the intention of returning their wages and eventually themselves to Italy once money had been made. However, when they were not able to save the money needed to make the return trip home or once home failed to establish themselves and their families they often chose to return to or remain in the United States.
Based on the date of his immigration (1895) it is conceivable that Sabatino was the first D'Amore family members from Montefalcione to settle in Philadelphia, a pioneer establishing what would become one of the largest D'Amore family enclaves outside of Boston.
Philadelphia 1900.
In 1870, the unification of Italy, the dismantling of the Kingdom of Two Siciles, and the unsettling changes that followed prompted many to leave for other parts of Europe, South America, and North America.
The number of Italians in Philadelphia skyrocketed from only 516 in the 1870 census to 18,000 by 1900. The surge continued with 77,000 Italian immigrants and their children living in Philadelphia in 1910, 137,000 in 1920, and 182,368 by 1930–making Italians the second-largest ethnic group in Philadelphia.
During this period, South Philadelphia resembled New York’s Lower East Side as large numbers of immigrants arrived right off the boat from Europe or by train from New York or Boston. Philadelphia’s Little Italy was the second largest in the country–surpassed only by New York.
The Italian Market, Philadelphia.
The Italian market, located in the Bella Vista neighborhood of South Philadelphia, evolved as the principal food shopping hub for the Italian immigrants who began to settle South Philadelphia in large numbers at the end of the nineteenth century. The market began in the mid-to-late 1880s when Antonio Palumbo, an Italian immigrant, opened a boarding house in the neighborhood for other Italians.
Businesses sprang up to serve this growing community and began to form the largest, outdoor, continuous market in the country. Ninth Street grew rapidly as the commercial catalyst for the Italian community, as waves of new immigrants in the early twentieth century found the neighborhood to be a familiar cultural, architectural, and linguistic setting in which to live, earn a living, and shop.
Sabatino's first wife was Rosina Pecario. They had one son together, Daniel D'Amore, born in 1901.
Daniel D'Amore.
Daniel had one son and five daughters with Theresa Capone between 1921 and 1938: Daniel Jr., Grace, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Helen Irene, and Dolores. Daniel died in February 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 68.
The Children of Daniel D'Amore and Theresa Capone:
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When Daniel's son, Daniel Jr was born on August 24, 1938, his father, Daniel, was 37 and his mother, Theresa, was 35. He had five sons and one daughter with Margaret "Peggy" Burns. He died on January 24, 2010, in Lititz, Pennsylvania, at the age of 71.
The children of Daniel Jr. and Peggy Burns:
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Daniel's daughter Helen Irene D'Amore was born on December 22, 1925, in Pennsylvania, when her father was 24, and her mother, Theresa, was 22.
She Married Frank Sarni (Sarne) and had one son Frank Sarne Jr. in 1946. She died on November 19, 1995, in her hometown at the age of 69.
In 1920 Sabatino married his second wife, Elizabeth Copertino in Philadelphia.
Sabatino and Elizabeth had nine children together: James Steven, Carmino, Camilla, Samuel, Silvio James, Violet, Mary, George, and Mafalda.
The Children of Sabatino D'Amore:
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Sabatino died on July 21, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 55.
Sabatino's son James Steven D'Amore was born on January 25, 1911, when Sabatino, was 38 and his mother, Elizabeth, was 22. He married Mary Perone in 1936 in Philadelphia and they had one child, James D'Amore Jr., during their marriage. He died on October 17, 2001, in Voorhees, New Jersey, at the age of 90, and was buried in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.
Sabatino's son Carmino D'Amore and his twin sister Camilla were born on February 20, 1913, in Pennsylvania. Carmino married Minnie Disanto in 1941 in Philadelphia and they had nine children during their marriage: Michael, Anthony, Joseph, Charles, Frank, Mario, Nancy, Caroline, and Millie.
The children of Carmino D'Amore:
Carmino died on January 5, 1972, in Philadelphia at the age of 58.
Sabatino's son Samuel D'Amore was born on November 11, 1914, in Philadelphia and had two sons Samuel Phillip and Robert Frances with Julia Firko between 1938 and 1943. He died in February 1982 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, at the age of 67.
Silvio James D'Amore was born on September 21, 1916, in Philadelphia when his father Sabatino, was 43 and his mother Elizabeth was 28. He had one son Robert, and one daughter, Carol. He died on November 18, 2005, in Henderson, Nevada, at the age of 89.
Violet Damore was born on March 8, 1919, in Philadelphia when her father Sabatino was 46 and her mother Elizabeth was 30. She had one son with Joseph Mastromatteo in 1941. She died on April 29, 2004, in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, at the age of 85.
Mary D'Amore was born on July 14, 1920, in Philadelphia She married Thomas Abruzzi in 1944 in her hometown. They had one child during their marriage. She died on June 28, 1997, in Broward, Florida, at the age of 76.
George D'Amore was born on December 14, 1923, in Philadelphia.
When George was only 5 years old his father Sabatino died. On the advice of a family friend, George's mother admitted him to Girard College, a well-regarded orphanage for boys in Philadelphia. When he was 15 his mother passed away. In World War II George fought in the Pacific in the Battle of Pelileu and the invasion of Okinawa as a Marine in the K Company, 3rd Regiment, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division. After the war, he attended Lynchburg Christian College in Lynchburg, VA on the GI Bill. While there, George met Eloise Killgore of Dallas, TX, and they were married for 57 years. They had four children during their marriage: Karen Elizabeth, David Wayne, George, and Rebecca. George died on May 19, 2009, in Bexar, Texas, at the age of 85.
Sabatino's youngest daughter Mafalda was born on November 30, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She had one son and one daughter with Dominic Marincola. She died on February 25, 2019, in Bowie, Maryland, at the age of 90, and was buried in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Daniele's second child, Pasquale Giuseppe D'Amore, was born on March 22, 1872, and was the next to immigrate to Philly in 1988.
He married Josephine (Giuseppa) Messina in 1898 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They had six children in 21 years: Isabella, Agnes, Jeannette, Bernard Anthony, Daniel, and Antony Pasquale.
The children of Pasquale Giuseppe D'Amore and Josephine Messina:
Pasquale Giuseppe died on February 25, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 56.
For reasons unknown, possibly to insulate his family from Italian American discrimination which was all too common during that time, Pasquale's son Bernard changed his last name from D'Amore to D'Amour in the french spelling, changing the surname of his children and line forever more (despite the fact that they are listed as D'Amore here).
Daniel's third son, Antonio D'Amore was born on February 19, 1878, in Montefalcione. Antonio married Giuseppa Maria Angela Carbone on October 8, 1905, in Boston, Massachusetts and they had one child, Giovannina, during their marriage. He died as a young father on January 20, 1907, in Boston at the age of 28.
Daniel's daughter Olimpia D'Amore was born on January 26, 1884, in Montefalcione when Daniele was 38 and her mother Maria was 33. She arrived in New York with her sister Alessandrina D'Amore aboard the Trave from Naples on Dec 23 1902. She married Salvatore Deleo in January 1905 in Philadelphia.
Salvatore and Olympia DeLeo.
Olimpia and Salvatore had six children during their marriage: Margherita, Margherita, Joseph, Jenny, Margret, and Salvatore. Olimpia died in January 1983 in Philadelphia at the age of 99.
When Daniele's son Felice D'Amore was born on August 27, 1886, in Montefalcione, Avellino, Italy, Daniele was 41 and his mother Maria, was 36. He married Maria Gaetana Alario in 1910 in Philadelphia, and they had two children during their marriage He died in 1946 at the age of 60.
Daniele's daughter Marioninna D'Amore was born on on February 7, 1889, in Montefalcione. She married Peter (Pietro) Leone Romano in 1908 in Philadelphia.
Marionnina D'Amore and Peter Romano.
They had five children during their marriage: Catherine, Salvatore, Dorothy, Vivian, and Melba.
The children of Marionnina D'Amore and Peter Romano:
Marionnina died on February 5, 1977, in Philadelphia at the age of 87.
Alessandrina (Lena) D'Amore was born on December 24, 1892, in Montefalcione. She arrived in New York with her sister Olimpia D'Amore aboard the Trave from Naples on Dec 23 1902. She married Salvatore Petruzzi in 1908 in Philadelphia and they had two children during their marriage, Andrew and Carmen. Alessandrina died on January 31, 1975, in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 82.
Elizabeth D'Amore was born in 1892 in Montefalcione when her father Daniele was 47 and her mother Maria was 42. She married Anthony J. Olivio in Philadelphia
Elizabeth D'Amore and Anthony J. Olivio had six sons and three daughters between 1912 and 1929: Kathrine, Jeannette, George, Daniel, Joseph, John, Bernard, and MaryAnn.
The children of Elizabeth D'Amore and Anthony J. Olivio:
Elizabeth had 24 grandchildren at the time of her death. She had lost her husband when her youngest child was only 10 years old. She lived life trying to keep a roof over her children's head. She suffered from a stroke, was bed ridden last 10 yrs of her life, and died in 1965 in Vineland, New Jersey, at the age of 73.
Thanks to their efforts, the descendants of Daniel D'Amore managed to create a colony in the city of Philadelphia for the D'Amore family from Montefalcione, which has evolved into a thriving community to this day. We honor their struggles and sacrifices by how we live, by sharing their story with others, and by memorializing how we are connection to them and understanding its significance.