Filomena Farinacci Passarella

This section introduces the Ancestry of the Farinacci and Passarella families and other related families.  Many of  the topics that preceded this section revealed the ancestry of the Nannariello family beginning with Luigi and Francesca Nannariello and then focusing on their children and their immigration and many of the families in that lineage. Their son Canio Nannariello was born  in Calitri in 1901, immigrated to the United States in 1921, and married Angelina (Angie) Passarella in 1927.

Thereby,  an additional branch, specifically the Passarella’s,  was added to the family tree. Angie’s mother, Filomena , was born in the region of Molise, Italy.  Filomena’s full name eventually became  Filomena Farinacci Nardolillo Passarella Gillett Tucci. She married four times, was widowed three times, had seven children, two with her first husband, and five with her second husband. It is believed that there were few if any one alive at the time of the writing of this Ancestry, in any of the Families mentioned in this Ancestry,  who knew or could explain the ancestry of Filomena and her multiple marriages.

The following ancestry story is told

• Filomena from her birth through her first marriage to Pietro Nardolillo that produced two children, only one of whom survived childhood.
• The ancestry with  Pasquale Passarella when he became Filomena’s second husband and they had five children. Pasquale died several months after the birth of their fifth child.
• Filomena’s next marriages to Nicolas Grellett, a widower who had five children, and  who died after about ten years of marriage.
• Filomena’s final marriage to Nicolas Tucci who survived Filomena’s passing in 1949.

See Personal Perspectives  Grandma’s Pennies

Filomena Farinacci

The name Farinacci is spelled consistently in this Ancestry as indicated in this sentence. However, in research such as Ancestry.com and other public records from various sources, the spelling of the name often varied.  The spellings have included, Farinaccia, Farinaccio, and Farincoccia. Fernatch, etc.  We are accepting and using this one spelling version.

Filomena Farinacci (5/30/1880-1949) was born in the town of Gildone in the province of Campobasso and in the region of Molise  in Italy on May 30, 1880;  and she died in 1949 in White Plains, New York. She is buried in Mt Calvary Cemetery in White Plains, NY. She was born with a twin brother, Michelle, who died July 2, 1880 of an illness that has not  been identified.  Her family lived at a home on  Vico Melogni in Gildone.   Filomena immigrated to the United States on the Ship Bolivia from Naples and arrived in Ellis Island on April 23, 1900, at the beginning of a new century and at the age of twenty. She immigrated to join her mother who had immigrated in 1898.

Molise and is one of twenty regions in Italy. The province of Campobasso is both a commune and a city and is the capital of Molise. A region, such as Molise, is comparable to a state in the United States and has a regional capital and regional government. Campobasso is renowned, going back to the 14^th century, for crafting blades for swords, scissors, and knives. Also,  Campobasso is well known for the production of pears and scamorza cheese and the  wonderful cuisine that adapted these ingredients to many culinary offerings.  It is flanked on the east by the Adriatic Sea and on the west by the region of Campania and the Apennine Mountains. Molise is in the Mezzogiorno or the southern part of Italy. The Mezzogiorno is an imaginary line that runs across Italy from  east to west below Rome. It defines Italy in many ways: its politics, use of the Italian language, cuisine and wine, economy, traditional customs, social and political issues.

Filomena’s parents were Domenico Farinacci (5/21/1833-1902) and Maria Saveria (Sarah)  Colini Farinacci (1839-4/12/1924). As with many female Italian names, the “Maria” was added as a prefixed name, because of the religious tradition and respect for the Virgin Mary.  However, the name  was not the name used by the person. Saveria immigrated to the United States in 1898 on the ship SS Tartar Prince. She immigrated about two years prior to her daughter Filomena immigrating. Saveria left her husband Domenico back in Gildone because of his medical problems A daughter remained in Italy to take care of Domenico.

Saveria Farinacci initially lived in The Bronx with her son Fernando Farinacci before moving to White Plains with him and his family. Her husband initially remained in Molise when she immigrated because of his ill health. His daughter remained to take care of him. Sarah returned to Gildone, after the death of her husband.  He died, never having had the opportunity to go to the United States. Sara returned to the United States for the second time.  She lived there until her death in 1924. She is buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in White Plains, New York. Many Passarella’s are buried in this cemetery..

Filomena parents, Saveria and Domenico Farinacci had the following children:

• Ferdinando Farinacci (1869-1872)

• Orsola or possibly Orsolano (Rose) Farinacci (1871-1944) immigrated to the United States. She married Michael Graziano (1873-1963) and spent her life in White Plains and at one time lived on Richard Street.  They had two children:
  • Dominick Graziano (1909-1961) married Rita Visomi and they had three children. Marion Graziano (1933-), Earnest Graziano (1934-), Irene Graziano (1939-).
  • Antoinette Graziano.
• Ferdinando Farinacci (1873-1973)
• Ferdinando Farinacci (1875-10/31/1937) immigrated to the United States and initially lived in The Bronx, New York. He married and relocated to White Plains and at one time lived in the Italian neighborhood of White Plains at 41 Ferris Avenue in 1922.  They had three children:
  • Fernando Farinacci (1869-1872)
  • Fernando Farinacci (1873-1873)
  • Caterina Farinacci   (187-1880)
• Caterina Farinacci  (1978-1880)
• Filomena Farinacci (5/30/1880-1949)
• Michelle Farinacci  (1880-1880)

Filomena’s maternal four generations of grandparents chronologically starting with the most recent were

• Michael Angelo Vitale
• Antonio Pilla            
• Pasquale Vitale
• Francesco Pilla            

Filomena Farinacci Nardolillo

Filomena married Pietro Nardolillo (1875-1902) on June 14, 1900 in the United States. It is not known when Pietro immigrated to the United States. Their first child was  Elizabetta (Lizzie) Nardolillo (1902-1966)  who was born in 1902. They had a second child, Serafina Nardolillo  that died in early childhood in 1903. Pietro Nardolillo died December 17, 1902 shortly after his second  daughter was born. He was  twenty seven years old and died in Manhattan, New York City. Filomena became a first-time and very  young widow at the age of twenty-two with one child.

Pasquale Passarella

Filomena’s second husband was Pasquale Passarella (1879-1916). Note that the name began in Italy as Passarelli. Therefore, in researching  records in Italy that name distinction must be considered. In the United States, by some unknown circumstances, the spelling became Passarella. It was not uncommon that the immigration processing in Ellis Island would unintentionally change the spelling of names. Consider that at the time all records were handwritten and often in script rather than printed  and mistakes were made. Other situations that may change a name included an employer or a school teacher changing the spelling of a name.  The name Passarelli became Passarella in the United States for Filomena and her family.

Following is some of the Passarelli lineage:

• Filippo Passarelli (1759-1788) married Cecelia Granata (1759-)
• Francesco Passarelli (1779-1825) married Maddalena Santella (1791-1841)
• Pasquale Passarelli  (1811-1876) married Concetta Cutrone (1815-). They had the following children:
  • Maria Pasquale Passarelli (1837-)
  • Francesca Passarelli (1839-1840)
  • Francesco Passarelli (1841-1842)
  • Francesco Passarelli (1845-)
  • Maria Francesca Passarelli (1848-1848)
  • Francesco Passarelli (1850-)
  • Rosaria Passarelli (1850-1850)
• Francesco Passarelli  (1850-) married Marla Matteo (1855-) They were the  parents of Pasquale Passarelli who married Filomena Farinacci.

Pasquale was born in 1879 the town of Lelsi,  the province of Campobasso, the region of Molise. Pasquale’s parents were Francesco Passarelli and Maria Matteo Passarelli.  His birth town of Lesli and  the birthplace of Filomena in  Gildone were nearby  towns.  It is not known if Filomena and Pasquale knew each other in Italy before each immigrated to the United States at different times and circumstances.  However, circumstances would evolve that they would meet in the United States years later. Pasquale was one of  three  brothers and his  brothers were Michelle Passarella  and  Antonio Passarella.

Michelle (Michael) Passarella (1889-1966) immigrated in 1906 to White Plains, New York. Michael married Nancy Devico (1894-1986) and lived in White Plains for his entire life. Nancy was born in White Plains. Michael was in the business of selling fruits and vegetables from a truck and probably started the business selling from a horse and wagon. Those were the years when the poorest of Americans could buy fresh food products delivered in the streets by wagon.  Michael and Nancy had the following  children: Mary Passarella  (1914-2002) married Angelo Belmont. Angelo Belmont was a boarder at the Passarella home prior to marrying Mary. They had three children: Angelo Belmont, Jane Belmont Churchill, Linda Bellmont Bologna.

• Pasquale (Patsy) Passarella (1916-1995) married Doris McIntosh who died 1997.
• Millie Passarella Rovello (1918-2013) married Louis Rovello.
• Frank Passarella (1920-2006) married Fedora Clement.
• Michael Passarella (1925) married Angelina Perilli who died May 24, 2011. They had no children. When writing this Ancestry in 2022, Mike was living in his home in White Plains with nursing care at the age of 97. Mike was in the Navy at 18 years of age in 1942;  and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He worked for Pelligrino Bakery in White Plains. Later he spent over thirty years in a maintenance position in the Scarsdale School system.

Antonio Passarella (9/11/1882-) was born in Lesli in the province of Campobasso. He married  Maria Stantopuoli Passarella in Italy. He and his wife  immigrated to the United States, departing from Naples and arriving in the United States on September 20, 1912.  Antonio worked as a mason and lived on Hunts Lane in White Plains in 1914.  Current research did not determine whether they had children.

Filomena Farinacci Nardolillo Passarella

Pasquale immigrated to the United States and arrived on the ship Roma in Ellis Island New York on July 7, 1902. He arrived the same year that Filomena’s first husband Pietro Nardolillo died.  Filomena and Pasquale met and married in January 17, 1904 in The Bronx, New York. Filomena was twenty three  years old and had one child, Elizabetta, and had lost one child in her first marriage.  Pasquale worked as a laborer in Westchester County and in Putnam County, New York.

Filomena and Pasquale lived in Brewster Heights, Putnam County, New York for some period of time.  Brewster Heights was later  incorporated into what is now Brewster, NY. They had five children, to join Filomena’s daughter Elizabeth who was born to Filomena and Pietro Nardilillo.

• Elizabeth (Lizzie) Nardolillo Mucci (1902-1966) born in New York
• Maria (Mary) Passarella Fusco (4/5/1904-8/1987) born in Brewster Heights, Putnam County, New York
• Natalie (Lula) Passarella Altamura (1907-1979) born in Brewster Heights, Putnam County, New York.
• Angelina (Angie) Passarella Nannariello (12/19/1909-1/29/1996) born in Brewster Heights, Putnam County, New York
• Rosa (Rose) Passarella Ferrer Passarella (9/4/1910-2003) born in Brewster Heights, Putnam County, New York
• Frank (Gobby) Passarella (1915-1969) born in White Plains, New York

Filomena and Pasquale moved to White Plains where Pasquale continued to work as a laborer. They probably first moved to the Ferris Avenue section of White Plains which at the time was predominantly Italian.   The children attended their first elementary schools at both Ferris Avenue School and Hillside Avenue School.  

The children attended White Plains High which at that time was  located on Main Street in downtown White Plains. It was  just a short walk from the intersection of the current intersection of Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue.  That downtown location of White Plains High School was replaced by a new White Plains High School located in the Highland’s area of White Plains in a campus environment. Frank Passarella attended White Plains High School in the new location and was a four-letter man in sports. Frank, being the youngest sibling and the only boy, was spoiled by both his sisters and mother. In later years when the sisters were all older and married, the spoiling of Frank continued.

Pasquale Passarella died in 1916 in White Plains at the very young age of thirty-seven and leaving Filomena as a widow for the second time,  and with six children. Frank, the youngest child, was born a year before in 1915. It would be eight years before Filomena  married again, and one can only wonder how she and her family survived. There was no social network available at the time, though she did have local family on both her Farinacci side and on the Passarella side. Also, her mother Sarah, lived in White Plains.

Filomena Farinacci Nardolillo Passarella Grellett Tucci

This section of the Ancestry continues after Filomena  lost her second husband Pasquale Passarella in 1916. She had been widowed for the second time and had six children, the youngest being less than a year old when Pasquale Passarella died in 1916.

Filomena met and eventually married Nicholas  Grellett (1895-1932) on September 15, 1923 in White Plains when she was 43 years old.  Years before,  Nicholas changed his last name to Grellett from Alligretti, but  research has not revealed when the name change was done and if he had it legally changed. When he married Filomena  his name was indicated as Alligretti, which may be because that was on his birth certificate.  Nicholas was born in Italy and was  a widower. Nicholas was  married to Fannie Grellett, also born in Italy. Grellett had four children with his first wife Fannie and they became step children to Filomena.

• Silvester Grellett
• Albert Grellett
• Albino Grellett
• Rose Grellett

Unfortunately, Nicholas died in 1932 of an illness not identified. Filomena was widowed for the third and last time.

In 1935 Filomena married Nicholas Tucci (1888-1954), her fourth husband,  and for the first time she was destined to be survived by a husband.  They married on February 7, 1935 in White Plains after Filomena had been widowed for  three years. Nick was born in Italy. They lived at 16 Hillside Avenue in White Plains. They lived on the third floor of a three story frame house. Filomena’s daughter Lizzie lived on the first floor. The second floor was a non-Family renter.  The home had a large garden facing Hillside Avenue that Filomena and Lizzie tended.  In the back yard was long grape vine along a fence that separated their backyard from the house behind.

Nick had a brother Ferdinando (Frank) Tucci (1875-10/31/1837) and a sister Orsola Tucci Graziano (1873-4/17/1944) who both lived and died in White Plains. Research has not uncovered if Nick had other siblings or had  previous marriages. Nick was physically a big man and had a façade that earned him the nickname of “Bulldog.” He worked on the New York Central Railroad in White Plains as a laborer. Filomena lived until 1949 and died while still living at 16 Hillside Avenue. Nick survived her and died in in 1954.

When Filomena died in 1949, she was buried with her second husband, Pasquale Passarella, the father of five of her children. At her death, she was survived by six children and approximately twenty-five grandchildren. This does not count the step children and step grandchildren from her marriage to Nicholas Grellett. One can only imagine the number of great grandchildren and great great grandchildren that are now her descendants.

The burial place for Filomena and Pasquale is Mt Calvary Cemetery, 575 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, New York. Buried in the same cemetery are many Passarella descendants including Frank (Gobby) Passarella, Filomena’s only biological son.

Maria Severia (Sara) Farinacci

The story of Filomena Farinacci can be best understood by explaining the part her Mother played in her life in both Italy and the United States. Maria Severia  Colini Farinacci (1839-1924) was born in 1839 in the city of Gildone, province of Campobasso, and region of Molise in Italy.  Sara’s parents were Lorenzo Colini  and Antonia Pilla Colini. Sara married  Domenico Farinocci (1838-1902) on June 8, 1868 in Gildone. Various spellings of this last name have been found in the research and the resolution is to use one standardized spelling, specifically “Farinacci.” Therefore, throughout this Ancestry, the name is standardized to use that spelling, though it was spelled various ways when completing the research.  Should further research reveal there is a more correct spelling of the last name than Farinacci, future changes will be made.  

Domenico and Sara Farinacci had four children:

• Orsola Farinacci Graziano (1873-1944)
• Ferdinando Farinacci (1875-1937)
• Michele Farinacci (5/301881-7/2/1881)
• Filomena Farinacci Nardollilo Passarella Grellett Tucci (5/301881-1949). Note that Michele and Filomena were born twins and Michele died before achieving his first year.

Sara emigrated to the United States in 1898 through Ellis Island in New York City. Her immigration was about two years prior to sending for her daughter Filomena. Sara’s decision to have Filomena join her and Sara’s  location of Brewster, New York would determine the direction of Filomena’s life.

At the time of her immigration, Sara’s husband Domenico was in Italy and  sick and unable to travel. Sara’s daughter Orsola Farinacci Graziano provided care for her father in Italy during her mother’s absence. Domenico Farinacci died in 1902. Sara returned to Italy at that time and then permanently returned to the United States.

Sara lived in Brewster New York with or near her daughter Filomena and Pasquale Passarella until the unfortunate death of Pasquale at an early age  in 1916. At the time of Pasquale’s death, Filomena had six children. We can speculate that Sara was a very large part of Filomena’s life during the birth and raising of her children; and particularly after Filomena was widowed for the second time. About the  time of Pasquale’s passing, both Filomena and her children relocated to White Plains along with  her mother Sara and Sara’s son Michele Farinacci.

Sara Farinacci died in 1924 at the age of 85 in White Plains, New York. Sara is buried in Mt. Cavalry Cemetery in White Plains, New York among many Passarella’s from her daughter’s side of the family. She was buried without a tombstone.  Apparently the family could not afford it. It was only through recent research that the location of the site was  identified  and the absence of the tombstone were discovered.

See Personal Perspectives Grandma’s Pennies

Mt. Calvary Cemetery