Bronte's Families, Genealogies

Bronte's  history, together, in the Web

So writes Professor Don Luigi Minio talking about the origins of the Family Camuto, whose mother belongs to:

«The family Camuto could descend (the conditional is obligatory) from most illustrious ancestors; could descend in fact from the Prophet Muhammad himself.

The last emir of Girgenti (Agrigento) Ibn Hamud was a descendant of the sacred lineage of Ali, cousin and son in law of Muhammad, having married Fatima, daughter of the Prophet.

In Arabic, his name is pronounced with a sound similar to Hamud or Kamut and by the Bene­dictine Monk Malaterra Godfrey, official chronicler of Hauteville, was transliterated into Latin as Camutus', which became Camuto in the vernacular.»

(L. Minio, family albums, October 27, 2005).

The first traces of the Bronte's family are in the records of marriages of 1600, kept in the church of SS. Trinity, and showing a Camuto Pietro, (see the sequence number of The family tree: 1.), who, the 12 of December1628, married Rosalia Mavica.

From Peter and Rosalie descend all Camuto of Bronte (and others emigrated from here all around the world) that, in the course of about four centuries, have gradually close ties of kinship with many other families (Zerbo, Barbaria, Aidala, Minio, Politi, Toscano, Catania, etc.).

The ancestors, Pietro and Rosalia, as we understand, have only one son, born the 25 of December, 1690 Natale (Seq.# 1.1) that in 1729 married Grazia D'Aquino.

The descendant of Natale and Grazia D'Aquino was born a year after their marriage, the 14 of October 1730, and bears the name of Biagio (Seq.# 1.1.1, also only son), who, at twenty-three years of age, the 8 of January 1753, related to the first family Camuto Zerbo, marrying twenty years old Vita Zerbo.

We have no news of their children only Signorino, born in June 14, 1754 (Seq.# 1.1.1.1) who married in 1719 Anna Maria Manzella and, having lost his wife, married, at 65 years of age in 1819, Concetta Portaro.

With his first wife, Signorino had three children:

- Carmelo (born 1782)
- Giuseppa Francesca (1786) and
- Giuseppe Vincenzo (1789, Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.3).

The latter also gets married twice, like his father and his the older brother: in 1810 with Grace Galvagno and three years later, in 1814, with Antonina Rizzo.

Carmelo (born from Anna Maria Manzella the 3 August, 1782, Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.1), first son of Signorino, continues the family tradition of two weddings: married his first wife Ignazia Mazzeo in 1804 and widowed, married in 1855 at the age of 73, Angela Longhitano.

With his first marriage to Ignazia Mazzeo, nine children were born:

- Caterina Giuseppa Nunzia (9.5.1805) that eighteen years later is married to Nunzio Pettinato;

- Carmelo Antonino (11.12.1806);

- Antonina Caterina (16.2.1808);

- Maria Giuseppa Illuminata (22.10.1810);

- Antonino Giuseppe Signorino (25.3.1813);

- Illuminato Antonio Biagio (15.8.1815);

- Sebastiano Giuseppe Vincenzo (1.6.1818) who marries the fifteen Nunzia Russian;

- Anna Maria Concetta (19.1.1821) and

- Nunzio Vincenzo (23.1.1924) that in 1850 married the coetaneous Carmela Di Bella (from their marriage, in the years 1851 to 1879, were born 13 children).

Also from the marriage of Antonino Giuseppe Signorino (Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.1b.5), fifth son of Carmelo and Ignazia Camuto Mazzeo, were born nine children.

Signorino married Maria Nunzia Aidala on 8 January 1821 and, from 1837 to 1864, were born:

- Carmelo (1837),
- Nunzio (1839),
- Antonino (1841),
- Anna Maria (1843),
- Giuseppe (1844),
- Anna Maria (1846 nun)
- Concetta (1848),
- Nunzia (1861), and
- Francesco Paolo (1864).

The first son, Carmelo, (Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.1, born the 15 September 1837), married in 1857, as had already done his great-grandfather Biagio Camuto, a century earlier, yet another Zerbo, Nunzia, the 29 of June, 1858. He has the first child to whom, according to a centuries-old tradition, gives the same name, Carmelo. (who married Giuseppa Lo Castro and had six children).

On the12 of March 1861 the second son was born, Luigi (Seq. # 1.1 .1.1 b.1b.5.1.2), who married in 1865 Carolina Sanfilippo (1870 - 1946).

It has been more than two centuries from the marriage of Pietro Camuto with Rosalia Mavica (they were united in marriage in 1628) and many are now their descendants as numerous are the ties of kinship with other families not only from Bronte.

From the marriage of Luigi Camuto and Carolina Sanfilippo six children are born:

- Nunzia (1887 - 1965), married to Joseph Minio and mother of five children, including the Professor Don Luigi Minio (Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.1.2.1.1.3);

- Giovanna (1891 - 1930);

- Carmelo (1898-1974, Seq. 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.1.2.3 #.) Married with Nunziatina Politi, parents of fathers Luigi and Nunzio Camuto and his brothers Giavanna and Pippo Camuto;

- Nunziato (1901-1962) who became a lawyer, moved to Venice in 1925 and married Albina Zambon, generating Sira, Gluco and Alessandro;

- Giuseppe Luigi (1904-1991, Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.1.2.5) who in 1928 married Nunzia Mavica (known as Elvira, 1907-1953). From the couple are born: the teacher Luigi (Gigi, 1928), sister Maria (1933) and his brother Salvatore (Toto, 1940) who in 1966 married Zina Portaro.
Maria, married in 1953 with Luigi Mineo, is the mother of Dr. Biagio (Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b. 5.1.2.5.2.1), head of the department of Radiology in the Hospital Castiglione-Prestianni, and his brother Giuseppe.

- Angelina, the last of the daughters (1906 - 1997, Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.1.2.6), in 1928 married the builder Francesco (Ciccio) Toscano giving birth to Luigi, Pasqualino, Marian­na, Nunzia and the dean Salvatore (Turi).

Another fairly well known group originated from Giuseppe (Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5, fifth son of Antonino Giuseppe Signorino Camuto and Nunzia Aidala), born on the 24 August, 1844 and in 1867 marries another Zerbo: the twenty-four years old Francesca (1842) and from 1865 to 1893 becomes a father of 11 children:

- Giuseppe (1865, in 1892 he married Maria Meli)
- Antonino (1868),
- Vincenzo (1873),
- Nunzio (1874, in 1921 married Carmela Luca)
- Giuseppa (1877),
- Nunzia (1878, become a nun),
- Francesco Paolo (1882),
- Luigi (1885),
- Salvatore (1887),
- Francesca (1890) and
- Carmelo (1893).

The first child, according to customs of the time, bears the same name of his grandfather and father, Giuseppe (1865 - 1942 Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.1).

In 1892 he married Maria Meli, (“Tilluzzo”, from 1872 to 1934) and from this pair, we can say, originate the American branch of the Camuto-Barbaria.

Of their nine children, at first, emigrate Enrico (Henry), (1893 - 1972, who married Grace Lanzafame, Seq. #  1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.1.1), Francesco (Frank, 1903-1981 ) who married Mary Lanzafame (Seq. #  1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.1.4), then Paul (1910 - 1965, Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5. 5.1.5) that, on the 29 of April 1937, married Cecilia Musumeci, (1912 to 2002) and finally Ignazio (Dino), (1915 - 1977, Seq. #  1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.1.6) that in February 1937 married Antonina Emma Barbaria, (1917 to 1988).

Of the other children of Giuseppe and Maria Meli Camuto we include Giuseppe (1896 - 1974, who bears the same name of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Seq.# 1.1.1.1b. 1b.5.5.1.3) and manages a shop for the sale of glass and petrol for lighting in Minissale street, opposite the woodwork shop of his brother Ignazio.

In 1929, he marries Innocenza Catania (“Sciarella”, from 1899 to 1984) and from the marriage is born Maria (1940), the physician Dr. Giuseppe (1930) who in 1960 married Vincenza Catania (“Ninfia”), Xavier (1938, Seq.# 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.1.3.3), who moved to Rome where, in 1964, he married Anna Di Bello, and Margarita (1944).

The fourth of eleven children of Giuseppe Camuto and Francesca Zerbo, Nunzio (14/08/1874, sec,# 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.4) marries Angela Abramo (in 1895) and after the death of Angela, Carmela Luca (1921).

From the first marriage was born Giuseppe (1898 - 1987, Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5. 5.4b.3), who in 1922 married Nunziata Lupo.

If I recall correctly, they ran a tobacconist shop located in the left, before the corner of Scialandro, and their first son, Nunzio (1925), in 1973 moved to New York where he continued his activities as a lecturer in prestigious institutes and where several times was reached by his father.

The other brother, Giovanni (1929 - 1991, Seq. # 1.1.1.1b.1b.5.5.4b.3.2) remained in Bronte, as did Fedele (1960).

Nunzio Longhitano
April 2008