This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: pratazzi Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.stlouis/1049.2079/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello Emanuel, the part I know from our familiy history was told from my grandma (she got parts from a friend of her in Germany, Mainz, working in a bureau of ancestry research - so far he could look without costs...). But it's the time before George Ratazzi was travelling to St. Louis: In the 14th century in Hungary there was an peasant uprising. The peers Ratazzy had to go... Later this family found a fabric for cigars in south Italy. Parts of tis family comes later to north Italy and change the name to Ratazzi. There was in the 17th Century a governing mayor in Alessandria (north of Italy) (I saw also a bust from him there, in a old community center). His son was an italien ambassador in Bavaria (at this time not really Germany). The governing mayor got trouble with the pope in Rom and so he have to leave. He went to his son in Bavaria. In 1775, so far I know the whole german Ratazzi family immigrate to Frankfurt/Main (Germany). And the whole german Ratazzi family is still there, around of Frankfurt. I think Michael Ratazzi was a member of my german family in Frankfurt/Main. Best regards, Patrick Ratazzi Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.