Just one of my sporadic postings to see if anyone out there can shed any light on one branch of my family tree!  My great grandfather, Luigi Rapetti, supposedly came from Torino but there is no record of his birth at the Torino record office.  I have tried various other record offices in the Piemonte area (also some in Liguria and Lombardia). Nothing.  His date of birth would have been around 1872.  His father, Pompeo was a prison foreman (at least it's stated on Luigi's marriage certificate).  Luigi worked in the UK as a waiter and a watch repairer / watchmaker. Luigi supposedly travelled to Argentina and the US with his brother who stayed there and didn't join Luigi when he came to the UK. Luigi's children (one of whom is my late grandfather) were named : Claudio Felice Andrea Meani Ugo Oreste Mario Louis Ronaldo Celeste I am assuming that Meani is another family surname as I am not familiar with it as a first name.   Would anyone agree with this assumption? As Luigi died when my grandfather and his brothers were very young, there is very little known about him.  My grandfather's mother (not Italian) remarried very quickly and mention of her late Italian husband was forbidden! I have a very old photo of Luigi with some very faint writing on the back (unintelligible to me and maybe not even relevant) - would there be any clues in the setting or format of the photo? I am really at a loss as to my next move.  I have written to many record offices.  I have contacted various Rapettis & Meanis from the telephone books.  I have looked up various people on Ellis Island's website.  I have been on the UK's 1901 census (probably too early for Luigi but I'm not sure of this).  I have been on Family Search, Genealogy.com, and other well known websites. Nothing produces any clues.... Any advice would be very gratefully received. Best wishes Sarah Lucia RAPETTI