Jo-Ann ~~ I think you have a great abundance of information, even though you don't have all of your questions answered yet. I think starting with the Arthur Murray Dance Studio is a good beginning. Here is the best place to start [email protected] Please also try this site: <A HREF="http://www.jgsny.org/resource1.htm">GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA</A> I have also taken the liberty to rewrite your letter. Below is an example of how you might begin to talk with Arthur Murray Studios. November 13, 1999 Dear Arthur Murray Studios: I am searching for my birth mother. Here are the details. If you can help, please contact me. "My a mom worked at Arthur Murray Dance studio in Newark, N.J. in 1947 (plus or minus a year or so). So she was already married when she worked there so I could have been someone she worked with that had the baby. Ellen (maiden name Thomson) and Alexander Maholage were my my adopted parents; both are deceased. They lived in New Jersey until at least 1952, then moved to New York (East 4th Avenue) until at least 1957, then they moved to 1964 E 9th Street. Alexander was also known as "Ben." Ellen was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on 30 Dec 1923. Ellen Maholage was a foster mother in New Jersey (Carlton Avenue) in 1951 (plus or minus a year). The foster license was issued by the New Jersey Board of Vital Statistics in Hudson, New York, but there is no record of her being authorized to do this. I have her marriage certificate stating that she was married in New Jersey in May of 1944. My adopted dad, Alexander "Ben" Maholage worked all over New York city. He had two friends; a Mr. Grant and a man named Goldstein or Gladstone who I believe were both attorneys. I have checked these names with no results. Everything else he did was cash under the table. He had also been a maintenance man and the "super" of an apartment building in New York at one time. He had also been a Merchant Marine. Two of his addresses were: S.S. J.C. LINCOLN STOCKARD S.S. CO 17 BATTERY PLACE, NY NY S.S. J.C. LINCOLN STOCKARD S.S. CO C/O SOCIETY NAVAL DELMAR VEL JAUX PARIS FRANCE He traveled and was gone alot, so I could have been born anywhere and then brought back to NY to be adopted. He also owned some property in Massapequa, New York and owned a store (with a man named Fred Bijou) named "Sundown To Sundown" in New York. I believe the store may have been in a Massapequa shopping center in the 1960s. At one time, I believe, my mother worked as a waitress in a restaurant named RUDLEYS in New York. I think my adopted dad may have managed or worked in the same restaurant. My mother also worked for RCA and a Telephone Company (not sure if those were in NY or NJ). I also believe that she may have worked in a plant of some type in Harrison N.J. (year unknown). My mother also worked in Macy's department store in New York in the 1960s. My adopted parents are both deceased. I am not familar with any of my adopted mother's three brothers; Charles, John, and Frank, but I have posted queries for them on Ancestry.com. My adopted mother's maiden name was Thomson, but she spelled it as Thom(p)son. Her her marriage certificate shows Thomson. There is a letter from one of her nephews, Robert F. Thomson; also spelled without the P. Her mom's name was Anne Willmes. The certificate shows that a woman named Margaret Harley from North Arlington witnessed the marraige. Either her brother or father's name was name was Francis Bernard Thomson. I could have been born in New Jersey, New York, or even Pennsylvania. I am petite, Italian-looking, with brown hair and big brown eyes. I have always looked younger than I am, so my birth year could be later than 1960. I have a lot of photos of myself from age three and up, and also some photos of unidentified people. I now have my non-ID, with mother listed as 31 years old and father listed as 45 years old, born in US. That is all the information I received for $75.00. I have tried every geneology site, every free post site, every registry including international soundex, New York adoption registries and all surname mailing lists from New York to New Jersey." If you have any information, please contact me. All leads greatly accepted. Sincerely, [email protected] Jo-Ann Never give up hope. Everyone can be found. Believe me. Regards [email protected] B.E.C.K. I.S. C.U.R.R.E.N.T.L.Y. R.E.S.E.A.R.C.H.I.N.G. A.N.C.E.S.T.R.Y. N.A.M.E.S. ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ B.A.R.L.E.T.T. B.L.A.C.K.W.E.L.L. B.R.A.D.L.E.Y. C.A.R.T.E.R. C.O.U.N.C.I.L. C.U.R.R.Y. F.U.L.L.E.R. G.I.B.S.O.N. H.O.O.D. K.I.R.K.E.N.D.A.L.L. K.R.E.B.S. K.U.Y.K.E.N.D.A.L.L L.I.L.L.A.R.D. M.A.Y.F.I.E.L.D. M.C.K.I.N.N.O.N. P.R.I.C.E. P.R.O.F.F.I.T.T. P.R.U.G.H. P.U.G.H. S.A.M.S. S.A.U.N.D.E.R.S. S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D. T.A.L.B.U.T. T.E.N.B.R.O.E.C.K. W.A.L.D.R.O.P. W.A.R.R.E.N. W.H.I.T.T.I.N.G.T.O.N.