6.

ROCCO VINCENZO SARLI in DENVER

It is probably safe to say that Rocco Vincenzo Sarli arrived by ship in either New York City or New Orleans. It is possible that he came from Italy with one or two true uncle(s) and became separated. It is also possible that he came over with someone who was like an uncle, such as Giuseppe Pecora (1827-1875). Since Pecora was proficient in both the harp and violin, he may have been Rocco's music teacher in Laurenzana. As yet, we have not found a close familial relationship between Rocco Vincenzo Sarli and Giuseppe Pecora, but I'm still looking.

Either way, Rocco was somehow associated with Pecora's band of boy musicians in Denver in the fall of 1875. According to the account in Hands Up! the group had recently come to Denver from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Before that, they may have been in Chicago. I heard a number of times growing up that my great-grandfather was "away" when the killings in Denver happened.

There were numerous newspapers articles nationwide surrounding the 1875 Denver Italian murders at the little brown house at No. 634 Lawrence Street. The facts are that on October 21, 1875, the lives of an Italian man and three youths were brutally ended by another Italian faction. The man killed was identified as Giuseppe Pecora. Some believe that his two sons, Giuseppe and Giovanni, and a nephew Luigi were the other victims. His ten-year-old son Frank (1865-1941) somehow survived. I am providing the link to the account starting on page 57 in Hand's Up, along with a graphic violence warning. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43379/43379-h/43379-h.htm

There was a trial, and an attempt to mete out justice, but in the end, there was a law that if you pled guilty, you wouldn't get the death penalty. Some of the suspects were acquitted, some turned state's evidence, some served ten-year terms, and several served life sentences with early releases.

GIUSEPPE PECORA

I have searched available civil records regarding Giuseppe Pecora's marriage and his children:

familysearch: Laurenzana marriage record 6 Sep 1851 #49
Giuseppe Pecora (age 23),
son of Francesco Antonio (1801-) and Mariantonia Fanelli (1797-1851)
and Mariantonia Pavese (age 18),
daughter of Marco (1787-1842) and Maria Milano (1797-)

familyseach: Laurenzana birth records,
All children born to Giuseppe Pecora and Mariantonia Pavese
1. Francesco Antonio Pecora born 1 Nov 1852, died 13 Nov 1852, both in Laurenzana
2. Maria Carmela Pecora born 19 Aug 1855, died 31 May 1864, both in Laurenzana
3. *Maria Carmela Pecora, born 5 June 1858 in Laurenzana, died 15 Sep 1915, New York City
4. *Francesco Antonio Pecora born 9 Aug 1865, Laurenzana; died 9 Jan 1941, Boise, Idaho
5. Rocco Carmelo Pecora born 15 July 1872, died 4 Nov 1874, both in Laurenzana

According to the records I have found, two of Giuseppe Pecora's and Mariantonia Pavese's children lived to adulthood - Maria Carmela, born in 1858 and Frank, born in 1865. The other two sons and one daughter all died in Laurenzana.

5.

ROCCO VINCENZO SARLI (1857-1894) in AMERICA

Tracking Rocco Vincenzo Sarli's arrival in America is elusive. Elmer Mott, his oldest son, related that his father said that he came over with an uncle. Was it an actual uncle? A brother of his father or his mother? Or was it a distant relative from Laurenzana?

The word "endogamy" comes to mind when researching family history in communes such as Laurenzana. Endogamy is the custom of marrying within a partiicular social or cultural group in accordance with custom or law. Laurenzanesi young women and young men in the 1800's rarely married anyone from outside their village. A brother and sister from one family might marry a sister and brother from another family. I have seen this a number of times. Some of them even married cousins with the same surname.

Without definitive proof, we can only speculate about Rocco Vincenzo Sarli's arrival by boat in America. Since he ultimately changed his entire name, Rocco may have already been trying out a new name. If you were going to change your name, what names would you choose and why?

SHIP LISTS

1) Ship name: Jules Cezard    Arrival date: May 2, 1872
Port of departure: Marseilles, France; Port of arrival: New York, New York

All in deckhouse:
 1. Giuseppe+ Gioia, age 19, tailor                     11. Egidio Ferro, age 5, musician
 2. Egidio Pavese, age 35, musician                    12. Michele Maggio, age 9, musician
 3. Benedetto Rocco+, age 12, musician             13. Michele Larocca, age 10, musician
 4. Giuseppe+ Borgoni, age 10, musician            14. Giuseppe+ Marone, age 9, musician
 5. Giovanni Borgoni, age 9, musician                 15. Rocco+ Martino, age 7, musician
 6. Emilio Iula, age 9, musician                            16. Nicola Martino, age 9, musician
 7. Domenico Pellettieri, age 8, musician             17. Vincenzo Padula, age 12, musician
 8. Luigi Greco, age 38, musician                        18. Pietro Paulo Merula, age 12, musician
 9. Michele Ferro, age 22, musician                    19. Giuseppe+ Antonio Greco, age 14, musician
10. Renato Ferro, age 4, musician

+Rocco's and Giuseppe's in group. - Was one of them Rocco Vincenzo Sarli?


2) Ship name: Spain     Arrival date: July 22, 1872
Port of departure: Liverpool, England, & Queenstown, Ireland; Port of arrival: New York, New York

Steerage: Passenger list of interest
523. Giuseppe Peccora*, age 43, male, laborer    532. Domenico Lieta, age 11, male, child     
524. Francesco Monaco, age 22, male, laborer     533. Frederico Presidi, age 26, male, laborer
525. Rocco+ Motta, age 11, male, child                 534. Rocco+ Pavia*, age 10, male, child
526. Michel Motta, age 10, male, child                   535. Francesco Pavia*, age 11, male, child
527. Rocco+ Arnbrezzio*, age 10, male, child        536. Giovanni Pavia*, age 8, male, child
528. Giovanni Arnbrezzio*, age 8, male, child        537. Rocco+ Dillentendini, age 11, male, child
529. Giovanni Pelusco*, age 9, male, child            538. Doroto Dillentendini, age 8, male, child
530. Giuseppe+ Cursano, age 11, male, child        539. Final Whincanzi, age 9, male, child
531. Giuseppe+ Crispallo*, age 9, male, child        540. Egido Whincanzi, age 8, male, child

*correct spelling: Pecora; Arnbrezzio is probably Ambruso; Pelusco is probablly Peloso; Crispallo is probably Cristallo; Pavia is probably Pavese;

+ Rocco's and Giuseppe's in the group - Was one of them Rocco Vincenzo Sarli?


3) Ship name: The Queen   Arrival date: 12 Dec 1872
Port of departure: Le Havre, France & London, England; Port of arrival: New York, New York

Steerage: Passenger list of interest
1. Giuseppe Dallesandro*, age 34, laborer               6. Pasquale Liuzzi, age 1, infant
2. Vincenzo Motta, age 32, laborer                           7. Emma Liuzzi, age 21, spinster
3. Michel Despersia*, age 26, laborer                       8. Alexandro* Marone, age 41, laborer
4. Biagio Liuzzi, age 48, laborer                                9. Giuseppe+ Marone, age 10, child
5. Maria Liuzzi, age 40, wife

* correct spelling: D'Alesandro; correct spelling: Di Persia; correct spelling: Alesandro;
+ One Giuseppe, accompanied by Alexandro Marone who could be a male relative of his mother


4) Ship name: Br. S.S. State of Louisiana     Arrival date: June 8, 1874
Port of departure: Liverpool, England; Port of Arrival: New Orleans

Names of interest
1. G. Sarli, age 54, male
2. V. Sarli, age 21, male
3. V. Sarli*, age 16, male

* born about 1858, Vincenzo and Vito are the most common boy's names starting with "V" in Laurenzana

4.

VITO MARIA SARLI (1855-1944)
The Brother Who Stayed Behind

Before following Rocco Vincenzo Sarli's life in America, what we know of it, it would be well to mention Vito Maria Sarli, the older brother he left behind in Laurenzana. They were about two years apart in age. We have made multiple DNA connections with his posterity, providing positive proof based on appropriate centimorgan (cM) numbers for relationships. I have made written contact with a handful of them and have spoken to a couple of them.

Vito Maria Sarli shows up first in Laurenzana civil records with his birth.
familysearch: Laurenzana birth records 1855 #69
Vito Maria Sarli born 14 March 1855
son of Egidio Sarli (age 37) and Maria Carmela Marone (age 34)

Next is his first marriage:
Ancestry: Laurenzana marriage records 5 Feb 1879 #6
Vito Maria Sarli (age 23), son of deceased Egidio Sarli and deceased Maria Carmela Marone,
to Maria Vittoria Fanelli (age 24), daughter of Francescantonio Fanelli and Rosagnesa Cafarella

Children of the first marriage:
1. Rosa Maria Sarli born 3 Oct 1881, died 26 Sep 1882, both in Laurenzana
2. *Egidio Antonio Sarli born 8 July 1883 in Laurenzana, died 24 Feb 1920, Cook County, Ill.
3. Francesco Giuseppe Sarli born 19 Mar 1885, died 7 Apr 1885, both in Laurenzana
4. Rocco Carmelo Sarli born 23 Apr 1886, died 8 May 1886, both in Laurenzana
5. Maria Carmela Sarli born 30 Jan 1888, died 23 Nov 1891, both in Laurenzana
6. *Francesco Antonio Sarli born 7 Dec 1889 in Laurenzana, died 28 Mar 1933, Bloomington, Ill.
7. Maria Rocca Carmela Sarli born 27 Jan 1892, died 27 Sep 1892, both in Laurenzana

First wife Maria Vittoria Fanelli died June 20, 1892 in Laurenzana.

Next is his second marriage:
Ancestry: Laurenzana marriage records 8 Oct 1892 #30
Vito Maria Sarli (age 37), son of deceased Egidio Sarli and deceased Maria Carmela Marone,
to Angela Carmela Mastro (age 29), daughter of deceased Giambattista Mastro and Mariantonia Cirigliano

Children of the second marriage:
1. *Battista Sarli 1894, Laurenzana, died Apr 1984, Worcester, Massachusetts
2. *Maria Carmela Sarli born 15 Oct 1998, died 7 Feb 1990, both in Laurenzana
3. Rocco Carmelo Sarli born 1 Dec 1902, died 12 Aug 1904, both in Laurenzana
4. Rocca Sarli born 16 Dec 1904, died 16 Dec 1904, both in Laurenzana

* denotes survival to adulthood

Of Vito Maria's eleven children, only four of them survived childhood. Egidio Antonio, Francesco Antonio, and their half-brother Battista all emigrated to the United States, married, and had families. Maria Carmela remained in Laurenzana and married Luigi Polycarpio De Carolis August 7, 1921, in Laurenzana, where she gave birth to at least one child, a daughter named Angela on August 27, 1923. Angela died November 2, 1943 in Laurenzana.

Vito Maria Sarli's posterity is numerous. Below is a photo of his son Francesco Antonio Sarli from a 1932 Declaration of Intention for naturalization. He was 42 years of age in the photo, and was the nephew of my great-grandfather Rocco Vincenzo Sarli AKA Joseph Louis Mott.

3.

ROCCO VINCENZO SARLI/JOSEPH LOUIS MOTT
Decides to Leave Laurenzana for America

           by Dr. Elizabeth Schellman

                                                    Laurenzana

According to Joseph Mott's son Elmer, who was almost eight years old when his father died, Joseph came to America with an uncle. A reason for leaving Italy was shared with me by Gwen Mott, second wife of Elmer, in a letter of January 1973, as related to her by Edith Hunnicutt, daughter of Leander Kelly Westbrook, the sister of Joseph Louis Mott's wife Mary Emeline Kelly.

"It was Joe's (Elmer's father) job as a boy to herd the sheep. He took his harp with him and played as the sheep fed on the hillside. One day a donkey came and bothered him as he was playing. He tried to drive it away, and finally threw rocks until it went on up the hill and exploded in a burst of flame. He was very frightened but took the incident as an omen. At the time he was trying to make up his mind whether to come to America or not. That donkey incident made him think he should."

The following was written by Marlene Taylor Mott, wife of Elmer's son Harvey Mott:

"Joseph Louis had told Elmer his family lived in northern Italy. He described rolling hills with grape vineyards. Olive trees and other orchards grew in the area. Elmer always said his father told of seeing the snow-covered Alps to the north. He also talked about the family olive trees and making olive oil. He also told of beautiful homes on the hills and the big wineries. I asked if his father had ever told him about his home or family. I wrote down that he said the house in Italy was big and white. Bigger than their cabin. He had a younger sister named Josephine and I think he had heard she had died after he left. His father had died and his mother remarried. He did not care for his stepfather. That is one reason he came to America."

Through much research and multiple DNA confirmations, we can now surmise that "north" is relative.  We now know that Rocco Vincenzo Sarli was born in Laurenzana, province of Potenza, region of Basilicata, Italy. He is from what was known as Lucania, the most ancient part of Italy, still in vernacular use as being synonymous with Basilicata.

Laurenzana is one of the handful of towns, along with Viggiano, Calvello, Marsicovetere and Corleto Perticara, which exported "viggianesi," itinerant bands of musicians playing violins, harps, and pipes, to Paris, London, and American state capitals in the mid-1800's. The ruins of a 12th to 13th-century castle are found in the crag atop the village. The Madre dell'Assunta with a stone portal dating from 1780 is the main church. Near town is a trail in the Abetina. The Italian Botanical Society has considered the Abetina of extraordinary environmental interest and has designated it a natural regional reserve.

        Laurenzana Castle Ruins

I found this information in a Nov 2014 article "Basilicata, Wild Olive of Southern Italy" by Aldo Pesce: "A land of grapes, olives and tragic beauty, Basilicata is one of the smallest regions of Italy, and its oil is not as well known as some others. In the middle of Mezzogiorno, this region has a perfect climate for olive growing." 

 Mezzogiorno simply means "the South of Italy."

2.

E-MAIL MESSAGES TO & FROM Joe MOTT                            Discovering the Sarli DNA Connection

March 27, 2018
Joe,
A new name keeps surfacing in my DNA - Sarli. I need to research to see if perhaps it could be the surname of Mary C.'s (Maria Carmela Marone) 2nd husband.
Elizabeth


March 29, 2018
I found the name Sarli in Laurenzana!
Elizabeth


June 23, 2018
Anxious to see what the results will be for your Y-DNA test when they come back. The surname Sarli keeps popping up. They are the American Beauty macaroni people.
Elizabeth


November 15, 2018
Family Tree has received my DNA.
Joe


December 8, 2018
Hi Elizabeth,
My Y37 DNA test came back. There was only one DNA match. It was an F. Sarli* . . .
Family Tree says my haplogroup has a tight association with Jewish or Semitic people.
Joe


May 18, 2019
Good morning!
Gary Mott's** Y37 DNA test results are in, and he has two matches:
(1) Joe Mott
(2) F. Sarli*
Have a good one!
Elizabeth

*F. (Francesco) Sarli, born in Potenza, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy, and lives in Rome (May 2019).
**Gary Mott, lives in Utah (May 2019).

Welcome to the Sarli Journal

1.

My name is Elizabeth Turney Schellman. To your left is the only photo we have of my mother's paternal grandfather. She knew of him as Joseph Louis Mott. Through research and DNA testing, we now know him as Rocco Vincenzo Sarli. He was born August 12, 1857, in Laurenzana, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy, to Egidiantonio Sarli (1817-1860), son of Michele Sarlo (1774-1828) and Angelina Asselta (1787-1821), and Maria Carmela Marone (1821-1869), daughter of Vito Marone (1799-) and Rosa Robortaccio (1798-1869).

Egidiantonio and Maria married October 7, 1844 in Laurenzana. They were the parents of seven children, all born in Laurenzana. All but two, Vito Maria Sarli and Rocco Vincenzo Sarli, died before the age of ten. All died in Laurenzana except for Rocco/Joseph. He died in Morgan, Conejos, Colorado, USA.

1. Rosa Mariangela Sarli born 19 Oct 1845, died 15 Dec 1846
2. Michele Arcangelo Sarli born 18 Sep 1847, died 15 Oct 1847
3. Vito Sarli born 6 Dec 1848, died 15 Apr 1850
4. Michelarcangelo Sarli born 26 June 1852, died 24 Mar 1857
5. *Vito Maria Sarli born 14 Mar 1855, died 11 May 1944
6. *Rocco Vincenzo Sarli born 12 Aug 1857, died 4 Aug 1894
7. Maria Giuseppe Sarli born 19 Mar 1860, died 19 Aug 1869

Rocco Vincenzo Sarli AKA Joseph Louis Mott was born in 1857, the year of a big earthquake. The 1857 Basilicata Earthquake, or the Great Neopolitan Earthquake, occurred on December 16th. The epicenter was in Montemurro, on the western border of the province of Potenza. Several towns were destroyed and estimated fatalities were around 11,000. At the time, it was the third largest known earthquake, estimated to have been 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale.

Egidiantonio Sarli died in Laurenzana on May 13, 1860, when Vito Maria was five, Rocco Vincenzo was three, and Maria Giuseppe was almost two months old. On May 3, 1862, his widow Maria Carmela Marone married Francesco Urga (1822-1906), widower of Maria Giuseppe Falotico (1823-1861). On January 21, 1864, Maria gave birth to Giovanni Antonio Urga in Laurenzana. Maria died on August 7, 1869, when Giovanni was five years old. Francesco Urga married a third time on July 9, 1873, to Mariantonia Laraia (1825-1904), widow of Rocco Pasquale Pellettieri (1819-1870) in Laurenzana.

*Update: See post #37:  I've discovered that Egidiantonio Sarli was not Maria Carmela Marone's first husband, but her second. Maria's first husband was Giovanni Laraja (1811-1841), son of Gerardo Nicola Laraja ( a carpenter) and Gaetana Marone. I also discovered that Giovanni Laraja and Maria Carmela Marone had a daughter in 1841 whom they named Maria Giovanna. She was born two days after her father Giovanni died. She died in 1844 at the age of 3. 

With their mother's death on August 7,1869, Vito Maria, Rocco Vincenzo, and Maria Giuseppe Sarli had lost both of their natural parents. Maria Giuseppe died two weeks later on August 19, 1869. Vito Maria stayed in Laurenzana the rest of his life. But between the death date of his mother, or perhaps even before, and until Francesco Urga's third marriage in July of 1873, it is evident that Rocco Vincenzo Sarli decided to take his harp, at which he had grown proficient, and emigrate to America either with an uncle or two, or with fellow Potenza-province boy musicians and their leader. He would have been between eleven and sixteen years of age.