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Randazzo Family Crest
Randazzo, Sicily, Italy
History
Archeological findings show that the area was colonized by the Greeks, later conquered by the Romans, and from the 8th century was subject to raids of the Arabs, until the Normans led by Count Roger drove them out of Sicily. At that time each ethnic group settled in a different quarter, and each continued to speak their own languages well into the 16th century: the Greeks in San Nicola, the Latins in Santa Maria and the Lombards (the last to come, with the Normans) in San Martino.
In 1210 Emperor Frederick and his wife Costanza of Aragona took refuge in Randazzo from the plague that was spreading in Palermo, and appreciating the climate and great hospitality of the people, fortified the town establishing there his residence. In the following centuries the history of Randazzo followed that of the whole island, and was a sequel of different dominations. Other kings and emperors stayed in Randazzo, among them Charles V of Spain, who, moved by the generos welcome of the people, proclaimed they were all knights.
A decline from its glorious past as royal residence came since the 1536 eruption, and the black death plague that stayed for five years (1575-80) in the quarter of Santa Maria. But the largest destruction took place during the Second World War, when the Anglo-American bombings destroyed 80% of the houses. Finally on in march 1981 a violent Etna eruption sent out a magma river towards the town, but changed course at the very last moment. And the population still tells the story of an apparition of the Virgin Mary in remote times to an old hermit who lived in a cave near Randazzo, and to her promise that the town would never be destroyed by the lava.
Randazzo Grandparents on our father side
Giovani Randazzo - Ignasia Noto
Randazzo from --- Italy (Sicily): Randazzo
Noto from --- Italy (Sicily): habitational name from Noto in Siracusa province
Giovani Randazzo - Ignasia Noto (I believe it is spelled Ignazia)
Giovanni Randazzo from Randazzo Sicily? Yes...Palermo, Sicily
Noto From Sicily...Also Yes...Palermo, Sicily...probably the countryside
Randazzo Family farmed & owned department stores called Randazzo's (Uncle Tony Lapicola told me this as he and aunt Rosalie made a trip to Sicily.....the homeland of both of them!) They were told by cousins that they owned all the Randazzo Department Stores.
Vineyards Grapes / Wine
Olive Olives / oil
Cattle / Goats
Noto family in the shipping business
One possible steamship they owned was the Francesco Crispi (sunk 1898) not
confirmed
Note: Family story is they came here on the Hesperia as guest of the ships
captain not in steerage). I thought it was Grandma Randazzo's father's ship (the Hesperia). The story I was told from Dad and Aunt Angie that our Grandparents had the use of the Captain's quarters. Perhaps the Captain owed the Noto's a favor. I was always told it was the Noto family that was in the shipping business along with the farming business....which developed into department stores after they left Sicily.
Our Paternal grandparents were first cousins and I don't believe they lived to far from each other. There is a Noto Bay on the East coast of Sicily where a lot of Noto's originated. The town of Randazzo is not far from the Bay of Noto. However, was always told they both came from Palermo. Left to come to New York via Naples as they had 3 children out of wedlock and it was too embarrassing to leave from Palermo.
General Information could be researched:
Left from Palermo Italy 1898 on the ship Hesperia (No left from Naples, Italy on the ship Hesperia)
Went from Italy to New York in 1898 and settled in Kings County (Brooklyn) Correct. Lived on Union Street which is now located in "Carroll Gardens".....a very ritzy and expensive part of Bklyn due to the beautiful homes. They were previously homes of shipowners, doctors, etc. and they moved out when the Dagos started moving in! Their loss! Years ago it was considered part of Red Hook, but Red Hook is down by the waterfront and has a lot of tenements and was once one of the toughest areas of Bklyn...still pretty dangerous place. However, the houses up the hill from the docks were gorgeous and Dad was truly a little rich boy. Was sent for violin lessons, wore upper class clothing, but would change his clothes at a friends house and put on "street clothes" as he wanted to be accepted and just one of the street kids down at the docks!
Sailed with:
Giovani Randazzo 24 years old (Giovani and Ignasia possible cousins)Definitely first cousins!
Grandparents Ignasia Noto 27 Years old (Traveled with maiden name?) Have no idea??? The 3 kids had the last name of Randazzo as Giovanni (John) was their father and she bore them.....go figure!!
Francesca Noto 19 years old (Grandmother sister) YES
Vincenzo Randazzo 5 years old (uncle) Dad's oldest bro....Uncle Vinnie!!
Carolina Randazzo 2 years old (aunt)Dad's oldest sister.....I met her when she lived in Flatbush, Bklyn but she was very ill and they had the typical people weeping all around her the candles the priest, everything....she died of Leukemia, so did her daughter, our cousin Carolina...died at 16 yrs from Leukemia! Also remember Aunt Carolina at a very early age....she lived in a basement apt. and was a nice lady and, of course, she was cooking with the big apron on!
Giatano Randazzo 1 month (uncle) died after getting to NY
Grandparents professions:
Giovani – Butcher - owned a chain of butcher stores in Brooklyn 18 butcher shops....he was lease them out to other butchers as he would rather work the Bklyn docks. He was a very tall man ca 6-4 with red hair and blue eyes. Dad told me he could walk through the Irish neighborhood and everyone left him alone because he didn't look like a Ginny and the Irish and Italians had their own neighborhoods and you never walked into an Irish neighborhood along or prepared for a fight and vice versa!
Ignasia – College Grad – Real estate/investor – owned property in Cony Island Brooklyn--Yes college Grad and Medical School...she was the neighborhoods "doctor"
Had gas stations, all types of buildings she would purchase and lease out to a person to run them. When Depression came, people couldn't get gas, meat and other things and the Randazzo's were quite overextended and the various rentors couldn't pay the rent so she couldn't keep up with the real estate taxes and lost just about everything. Grandpa Randazzo lost it and became senile and wouldn't talk to anyone. He just would stay in the basement shoveling coal into the furnace. This Daddy told me....he was a broken man!
Note: Lost most in Great Depression….
Giovani and Ignasia Children:
Vincenzo (Oldest)
Carolina
Giatano(Gaetano (Thomas) died at 3 yrs. old...consumption or something like that!
Rose (On her mass card, her real first name was Gertrude)
Charles
Angelena
Rosealea
Paul
Joseph (Youngest)
(21 year difference - oldest to youngest)
Our Paternal Granmother also had a stillborn baby before Dad was born and several miscarriages. If that didn't happen...they probably would be a family of 12+!
Current James Street where the Randazzo's first stayed when arrived in this country (cousin / sponser)
Francesco Crispi
Italian Mail Steam Navigation Co. - Italo-Britannica, Naples
Francesco Crispi Built 1891
Period 1895 ~ 1914
Captain Provo W.G.
Crew 30
09/27/1914
Where the Randazzo's get their fire and fury from..................
Click on underlined words for more information
John, Duke of Randazzo (died 1348) was duke of Randazzo, Athens, and Neopatria, Count of Malta and regent of Sicily (1342–1348).
The fourth son of Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou, he was the most powerful nobleman in Sicily during the reigns of his brother Peter and his nephew Louis, during whose minority he was regent.
He kept the peace during regency, though he supported the Catalan party over the local Italian nobility. Thus he appointed Blasco II de Alagona, a Catalan, as his successor. War broke out upon his death during the Plague.
He was buried next to his father and nephew in the cathedral of Catania.
More Coming Soon............