Hello list, My name is Gene Breindel and have recently joined this list. My wife is Italian, (Ranno, Labella, DiBattista, Lucenti). She was born in Meriden and lived half of her childhood there and the other half in Middletown. Her parents were born in Middletown and New Britain in the 1920's but all her grandparents were born in Italy. At least as far as I know. I have no birth certificates or naturalization papers. Her paternal grandparents both came from Melilli, Sicily. I am told that it was a tiny mountain village. They came to Middletown in the time between 1906 and 1920. I recently went to the Genealogy library in Middletown and looked in the census and in the town directories to try and isolate when they arrived. I got a lot of useful information but still do not know exactly when they arrived. Anyway, I am glad to have joined. Gene Breindel [email protected] Interested in Families: Breindel, Walker, Weidenboerner,Stauffer, Cobble, Grammer, Loichinger, Seel, Bopp, Eder, Meisel http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/r/e/Eugene-F-Breindel/ Someday YOU'LL be an ancestor too!

> birth certificates or naturalization papers. Her paternal grandparents both > came from Melilli, Sicily. I am told that it was a tiny mountain village. > They came to Middletown in the time between 1906 and 1920. Gene, welcome to the list.. Have you tried the Ellis Island site at http://www.ellisisland.org/ yet? You might be able to find them there as I believe that was the principal point of entry during the time period you specify. Good luck! Jane list mom http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/