I am researching my northern Italian ancestors in Illinois. They lived primarily in Torino, Reed Township, Braidwood and Joliet. Some of them moved to Grundy County and others moved further west to Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. Guglielmo Valeriano (later changed to William Valerio), wife Caterina Enrietto and family emigrated from Italy in 1880. Initially they settled in Braidwood where William worked in the mines. The children were as follows: Ignazio Valeriano (later changed to George Ignatius Valerio) - my great-grandfather; Charles Valerio who married Teresa Gianetti (Gunetti?); Maria Valeriano (Mary Valerio) who married Bernard (Barney) Perona and lived in Joliet - they later divorced; and Frank Valerio who married Ellen Herman. William and Catherine Valerio moved to Diamond in 1883 but William is buried in Braidwood and I believe Catherine is buried there as well. Other members of the Valerio family have also been buried in Braidwood through the years. My great-grandmother was Ida Fenoglio-Gaddo. She was Ignazio's second wife. His first wife was her sister, Giovanna (or Johanna). She died in 1904. They also had a sister Margherita who married Anton Danzero. I think the Danzeros lived either in Braidwood or in Joliet but they may have lived in Grundy County. Ignazio's oldest son, William Joseph Valerio was a foreman at the Moore Stove Works and died as a result of injuries received there in 1925 (a falling clutch shoe struck him on the head and he died 5 days later at St Joseph Hospital). His widow was Josephine Craterfield. I am wondering if we are reading the spelling of her maiden name correctly because I can find no reference to that surname anywhere on the net - not even in the SSDI. Does anyone know of others with that surname either in Will County or some of the surrounding counties? Ignazio and Ida ran a saloon in Torino called the Alhambra. The family moved to Coal City in 1920 but according to my aunt - the saloon they ran there had no name. I am researching the surnames mentioned above as well as the following related surnames: Gomora, Marsaglia, Corsini, Burla, Pomatto, Delorenzo. I receive info about other Italian families during my research- examples: bios, death certs, marriage licenses, indexes, etc - so I am interested in hearing from anyone researching Italian families in Illinois. I may have some pieces for you and vice versa. Barry Jernigan Son of Winston Eugene Jernigan and Marion Alice Valerio Daughter of Leslie Paulino Valerio (b. Torino, Reed Twp) and Marion Alice Southcombe Son of Ignazio Valeriano/George Ignatius Valerio and Ida Fenoglio-Gaddo Ignazio, son of Guglielmo Valeriano/William Valerio and Caterina Enrietto Ida, daughter of Anton Fenoglio-Gaddo and Liberata Vallero (they never left Italy)