WHO WAS VINCENZO (VINCENT) SEMPREVIVA?
 The Driving Force Behind a Tampa Street Name Change

Page 1 - Italy to New York     To Page 2 - Tampa

 

VINCENT SEMPREVIVA - Italy to New York
Vincenzo Sempreviva was a son of Francesco Sempreviva and Angela (Mollina) Sevpreviva.  He was born on March 4, 1886, in Carinola, Italy, which is about 25 miles NNW of Naples.

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At the time he left Italy, he was living in nearby Francolise.

 

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VINCENZO SEMPREVIVA ON THE SS MASSILIA ALIEN PASSENGERS MANIFEST

Vincenzo left the port of Naples, Italy on Oct. 24, 1905, sailing on the S.S. Massilia.  He arrived at the Port of New York on Nov. 11, 1905.  His voyage lasted 19 days.
The S.S. Massilia was built by Gourlay Brothers & Company in 1890 for the Fabre Line of Marseilles. The ship was launched on January 10th, 1891 and sailed her maiden voyage on May 1st that same year from Marseilles to Naples to New York. In 1906, she transferred from the French to the Italian Line continuing the same Mediterranean route. In 1908, the ship was reverted back to the French flag and still continuing the same route. She was sold and scrapped in Italy in 1911.  Image courtesy of Deep Roots.

 

 
 

The image of the Massilia's manifest was one row but has been split into three here so it can be presented larger. The text has been added to the images for easier reading.
 

The Massilia's ship's manifest shows Vincenzo was 19 years old, single, could read and write, and worked as a laborer. He was living in Francolise when he left Italy.

 

 

His final destination was Brooklyn, NY, and he didn't have a ticket to get there.  He paid his own way for the voyage and had $12 on him.  This was his first time in the U.S. and he was coming to join his cousin, Crescenzo de Camillo on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn.  Vincenzo would have undergone immigrant processing at Ellis Island.

 

VINCENT SEMPREVIVA ON THE 1910 CENSUS, MANHATTAN BOROUGH, NEW YORK CITY

Vincent was living at 127 Mott Street in Manhattan in April of 1910.  This was a large boarding house with over 50 individuals listed by their dwelling numbers, most all of which were born in Italy.  This image has been edited to show only Vincent's row, but the record showed he was boarding in the apartment of the family consisting of Charles and Pauline Sensoni, who were born in Italy, and their four year old son Tony born in NY.  Several columns have been removed such as Vincent's place of birth and place of birth of his parents, which were all Italy.

Vincent was 24 and single.  His immigration year is incorrect, showing 1904 instead of 1905.  His citizenship shows an invalid entry, it should have shown "A" for Alien (Naturalized citizen would have been Na.)  He didn't speak English, he spoke Italian, and was working as a wood carver in a factory.  It shows he was working on his own account, which meant self-employed, but seems incorrect if he worked in a factory.

ABOUT VINCENT'S OCCUPATION

Many of the heads of the families on this census page on Mott St. have occupations showing "Aeolian Works." 

One definition of aeolian is

"giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind." 

It's possible that Vincent worked in a factory carving wood to make musical woodwind instruments such as clarinets or flutes, or even parts, functioning or decorative, for organs as they were powered by air being forced out of a bellows.

THE AEOLIAN COMPANY advertised heavily in the New York newspapers.  The Aeolian Orchestrelle was marketed as a "piano" but actually was an organ, powered by air, and containing practically all wooden parts. It incorporated the use of a "music roll" and performed much like a piano player instrument, but required the musician to operate the instrument.   It is likely that Vincent worked for this company.  

 

Orpheus in the Underworld
 

 
 

STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER

 

 

 

Vincent's 1910 Census location was in the area of "Little Italy" in Lower Manhattan at 127 Mott St.

 
 

 

 

VINCENT SEMPREVIVA APPLIES FOR U.S. CITIZENSHIP IN 1910

On March 22, 1910, 24 year old Vincent Sempreviva filed his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen.  The document shows his occupation was a wood carver.  He had a dark complexion and was 5 ft. 6 in. tall, weighed 135 lbs, had black hair and brown eyes, and had no visible distinctive marks.

Click the image to see it larger.

He states he was born in Carinola, Italy on March 4, 1886 and was now residing at 48 Chrystie St.  He came to the U.S. on the SS Massilia and was living in Francolise, Italy at the time.  He renounces allegiance to the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III and states he arrived in New York on November 11, 1905.

His signature appears near the bottom of the page, along with the signatures of the Clerks of the Supreme Court dated March 22, 1910.

 

Vincent had moved a short distance from his previous location on Mott & Hester streets closer to Chinatown on Chrystie St. just across from Sara Roosevelt Park

 

 

VINCENT BECOMES A U.S. CITIZEN ON JULY 6, 1912

 

  

1910 Declaration of Intent - Typewritten

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Mar. 22-27, 1912 Petition for Naturalization - P.1

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Mar. 22-27, 1912 Petition for Naturalization - P.2

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 Vincent's Petition for Naturalization includes a typewritten version of his 1910 Declaration of Intent.  On his petition he indicates he's now living at 163 Christie St. and his occupation is still a wood carver.  He restates his date of birth, Mar. 4, 1886 at Carinola, Italy, and his date of arrival in NY, Nov. 11, 1905 on the SS Massilia.  He declared his intention on March 22, 1912 in NYC with the Supreme Ct. of NY.  He declared he continuously lived in NYC since his arrival date.  The petition was filed March 27, 1912.

The bottom of the page has his affidavit and that of his witnesses:  Paul Jules Mazayer, a printer residing at 900 6th Ave., and Dominick Lambiente, agent, residing at 117 Mott St.  They both affirm they have known Vincent to have resided continuously in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 1907.

The second page shows Vincent's signed Oath of Allegiance along with the clerk's signature, Lawrence J. Fagan, on July 6, 1912.

The Order of the Court Admitting Petition is dated July 6, 1912 is signed by Judge John J. Brady and bears Vincent's Certificate of Naturalization handwritten number 283281 issued the same day.

 

 

    

 

 

VINCENT SEMPREVIVA MARRIES GIUDITTA (Judith) La PIA, 1915
This information is from an indexed marriage license so there is no image of the license online.

On Jan. 25, 1915, Vincent Sempreviva married Giuditta La Pia in Manhattan.  Vincent was 28, Judith was 20 and born in Cessinale, Italy in 1895.  Her parents names appear on the record: Giuseppe La Pia and his wife Rosa Jovino La Pia .  Vincent's parents are also named: Francesco Sempreviva and Angel Mollina Sepmpreviva.

 

 

THE La PIA FAMILY ON THE 1910 CENSUS, WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY

Judith La Pia is on the 1910 Census of New Jersey at age 15 living with her parents, Joseph & Rosie La Pia in Westfield. Joseph immigrated in 1899, then the rest of his family came to join him in 1906.  Notice that Joseph was a laborer at the Aeolian works and is probably how Vincent came to meet and become friends with the La Pia family.  Judith had two younger brothers, (Raymond) Uldenco and Thomas, and a younger sister Esther, age 11 mos., was born in NJ.  In 1912 her brother William (Guy) was born.

 
 

VINCENT OWNS LAND IN SUFFOLK COUNTY ON LONG ISLAND

New York Land Records, 1630-1975, show Vincent owned land in Suffolk Co., NY.  This is New York's easternmost county and is located on the eastern end of Long Island.  In December of 1915, Vincent granted his land in Suffolk to his wife, Guiditta.  He probably didn't give up ownership but was only adding her as a co-owner now that they were married.


 

 
VINCENT REGISTERS FOR THE WORLD WAR 1 DRAFT IN 1918
 
In 1918 Vincent was 32 when he registered for the WW1 draft and was working as a law clerk for Stuart H. Benton located at 299 Broadway in Manhattan.  Perhaps it was his original intention to become a lawyer in America and worked as a wood carver to save up for his education. Vincent was still 5 ft. 6 in. tall.  He had dark gray eyes and dark gray hair.

Vicnent and Judith lived at 2308 Crotona Ave. in the Bronx.
This was about 11 miles from where he previously lived.

 

VINCENT SEMPREVIVA AND FAMILY ON THE 1920 CENSUS, MANHATTAN BOROUGH, NEW YORK CITY

Vincent and his wife Judith appear on the 1920 Census living at 2359 Crotona Ave. in the Bronx.  There is severe damage to the bottom of the page which was apparently repaired with adhesive tape, and over the years the tape has darkened.   Vincent's full name is legible, as is all the info in the rest of his row.  His wife's first name is obliterated, but the rest of her row is undamaged and thus legible. Their ages (33 & 25), immigration years (1905 & 1906) and citizenship (both Naturalized), birth places and occupation is clear.  Vincent was a clerk at a bank. 

It is apparent that they had two children but there names are obliterated.  They are clearly a daughter age 4, and a son age 2 yrs 5 mos., both born in NY.
 
 

 

 

VINCENT OBTAINS A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO EUROPE AND CUBA

On Mar. 8, 1921, Vincent applied for his first passport to travel abroad.  He was again working as a law clerk. (His occupation on his 1920 census was "bank clerk" but this may have been an enumerator's error.  His 1918 draft registration shows "Law clerk.")  His application indicates he intended to depart on Mar. 30, 1921 on the Giuseppe Verdi to travel to Italy for pleasure and visit his relatives there, then continue on his trip to France, Switzerland, and Cuba for pleasure and planned to return in six months. 

 

 

No passport application has been found for his family, it appears that Vincent intended to travel without them.  No evidence can be found that he ever took this trip or if he did, when he returned to New York.

  

 

 

 

The Affidavit of Identifying Witness was provided by his brother-in-law, Raymond La Pia. 

His address is the same as Vincent's, so he and his family were living with Raymond La Pia.  Raymond says he's known Vincent for ten years, which means they knew each other four years before Vincent married Judith, and worked as a self-employed broker.

 

 

 

 

PASSPORT APPLICATION OF RAYMOND ULDENCO LA PIA

Two months earlier on Jan. 27, 1921, Raymond La Pia had applied for his passport to travel to Cuba and Mexico on Feb. 15, 1921 for six months.  Raymond stated that he was born in Naples, Italy on Aug. 1st, 1896 and came to the U.S. from there on May 20, 1906.  This would have been the voyage with his siblings and mother to join their father Joseph (Giuseppe) La Pia in NY.  Raymond lived in the U.S. continuously to this time in Westfield, NJ and presently 2357 Crotona Ave, Bronx, NYC, where he was working as a commissioned broker.

Raymond was 24 years old, 6 ft. 1 in. tall, black hair, brown eyes, ruddy complexion, no distinguishing marks. 

Raymond had just become a U.S. Citizen two years earlier.  One of his two witnesses who affirmed his identity was Vincent Sempreviva.

THE LA PIA FAMILY

Sometime between 1915 through 1919 Raymond's mother, Rosa (Jovino) La Pia died and Joseph appears on the 1920 Census as a 50 year old factory worker, a widower, with only his 9 year old daughter Esther and 7 year old son William in the home.

On Oct. 3, 1920, Joseph La Pia remarried in Bronx, NY.  His second wife was 44 year old Teresa Dimelo nee Castilauno, herself widowed.  Their marriage record shows Joseph's parents were Thomas and Filomena La Pia.  Teresa's parents were Costantino Castilauno and Madelena Parlotti.

Joseph & Teresa La Pia are still living at 701 Central Ave. in Westfield, NJ on their 1930 Census.  In their home are Joseph's children Esther (21) and William (18). 

Raymond moved to Tampa by 1930 where he became a car salesman and lived on Bayshore Blvd.

By 1935, Joseph, Teresa, Esther, and William moved to Florida and lived in Tampa.  They appear on Florida's 1935 Census, the 1940 U.S. Census, and Florida's 1945 Census.  The 1940 Census shows Joseph (73) widowed again, son Raymond (43) single, and daughter Esther (30) single, all living at 3419 11th St. in Tampa.  Guy (William) La Pia also moved to Florida and lived in New Port Richey.  Raymond Ulderico La Pia married Angelina Graziano in Tampa on Dec 22, 1940.

 
VINCENT SEMPREVIVA BUSINESS AND LAW EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

It was in these late 1910s early 1920s that Vincent received his legal education and business experience, as later sources reveal.  He obtained his legal education with Professor Samuel Greason, Jr. lawyer and professor of the New York University Law School** and was associated with Charles McAlpin, a hotel builder in New York, and John K. Tener, the former governor of Pennsylvania.

**No evidence has been found that Greason was a professor at the NY University law school.  It appears that he was only a graduate of this school and a practicing attorney and later a legal mediator (according to his obituary.)