My Great-Grandparents of Sicily.

The Family Tree.
The photos below are of my great-grandparents and some of their children.

The paternal grandparents of my father, Johnny.
"The Brai Family of Palermo (PA) Sicily (circa 1890)."

The Brai Family of Palermo.

Standing: unknown, unknown, Anna Maria Semilia-Brai (sitting), Giovanni Brai (standing).
Front: Francesco "Frank" Brai (sitting in lap), Paola and Salvatore "Sam"
Not present are: Margherita, Giuseppe, Emanule, Margherita, Melchiorra, Melchiorre, Paolo & Giovannina. The unknown girls could be a sister and her daughter to Anna Maria or Giovanni.

Margherita, Margherita, Melchiorra and Paolo were taken by the Angels before they had a chance to experience what life was all about. The first Margherita had died in 1875 (an infant) and the second Margherita died in 1884 (age 6). It is an Italian custom to name their children after the grandparents. Since the first Margherita was named after a grandmother (Margherita Taormina) and died in infancy, custom required that the next girl born would be named Margherita. When the second Margherita died (age 6), they did not use the name Margherita again.

Giuseppe died around 1957 (age about 81). Emmanule died in 1939 (age 62), Melchiorra died in 1881 (age 1), Paolo died in 1884 (age 1), Giovannina died in 1970 (age 78). I can't explain why some of the children aren't in the picture. I know that Giovannina wasn't born yet. Giuseppe and Emanule were teenagers, that could explain their absence (teenagers!). All children except four had died before I was born in 1950. I only had the chance to meet Salvatore, my grandfather's older brother. If I had arrived a little sooner to Palermo, I could have met Giovannina and Giuseppe.

The child sitting in the lap of my great-grandmother is my grandfather Francesco Brai. My grandfather was born in 1889 in Palermo, Sicily and he died in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1943, 93 years after his father had been born. I remember when I was seven years old, we would go to the home of Aunt Bessie and Uncle Sam (Salvatore) in New Orleans. I didn't understand who Uncle Sam was at the that time. Many years later I understood that Sam was the older brother of my grandfather. That was the good old days of 1957.

Note: Granduncle Sam has one living daughter, Anna Mary Brai-Plucienski and 2 grandsons, John and Robert and 1 great-grandson. My grandfather Francesco has 2 living children, Uncle Joe and Aunt Sarah and lots of grand and great and great-great-grandchildren, all living in New Orleans area.

The maternal grandparents of my father, Johnny Brai.
"The Falco Family of Highbank, Texas (circa 1920)."

Standing	Tony Falco	Jack Falco	Louis Falco
Sitting	Antonino Lupo Falco	Jasper Falco	Maria Corpora-Falco
My great-grandfather and my step-great-grandmother and their children. Antonino was 53 years old when Jasper was born - Mama Mia!

The paternal grandparents of my mother, Rosalie.
"The Saverino Family of Altavilla Milicia, Sicily (circa 1875)."
Picture from a painting.	Angela Macchiarella-Savarino (circa 1930-34)

Antonino Savarino and Angela Macchiarella-Savarino. My great-grandparents Antonino and Angela arrived in New Orleans sometime around the late 1890s. They had 5 children; 4 children traveled with them while the oldest, Maria stayed behind in Altavilla Milicia, Sicily. Maria was married to Francesco Abbate. Antonino died sometime around the early 1900s in New Orleans from an accident. Angela lived with her daughter Giuseppina and Giuseppina's husband Antonino Sachitano until her death on October 26, 1934 in New Orleans.

For the picture of:
The maternal grandparents of my mother, Rosalie Savarino-Brai. I have been searching for a photo of my mother's maternal grandparents, Maria Rosa Maggiore and Gaetano "Tom" Favaloro of Westwego, Louisiana. They arrived in New Orleans after the American Civil War in 1867. They had 2 children with them and another 9 were born in New Orleans. Tom, like most Italian immigrants, was a farmer. Great-grandpa passed away on August 8, 1910 at age 72. Maria lived the remainder of her life in Westwego, Louisiana until her death on July 13, 1925.

This place reserved for
Antonino Favaloro (1729-1820), Ustica
Husband of Maria Bertucci (1737-1820)
My 5th great-grandparents.


Antonino Favaloro (1809-1864) Ustica
Son of Giuseppe and Rosalia Russo
Grandson of Antonino and Maria Bertucci
Husband of Rosa Di Bartolo (1816-1864)
Father of 7 children and of
Ercole Favaloro (1853-1933) Ustica-New Orleans
My first cousin, 5 times removed.

The children of Maria Rosa Maggiore and Gaetano "Tom" Favaloro.

Thomas Favalora	Rosalia Favalora-Sparacino & Maria Favalora-Macagnoni	Catherine Favaloro-Savarino
Born May 1863 in Ustica, Sicily	Born Sept. 12, 1879 December 16, 1874	Born May 21, 1889
Husband of: Maria Palmisano Annie Fallo Francica J. Verducci	Wife of Vito Sparacino Wife of Antonino Macagnoni	Wife of Francesco Savarino My grandmother Katie
Died November 11, 1950 in New Orleans	Died Dec. 28, 1943 in New Orleans Died June 22, 1950 in New Orleans	Died February 01, 1952 in New Orleans.


Left: Felix Favalora Right: Salvadore "Sam" Favaloro Center: Angelina Favaloro
`Name`	`Birth`	`Death`	Spouse
Felix Favalora	Born March 25,1892	Died November 1973	Katherine Palmisano
Sam Favalora	Born January 1885	Died August 26,1961	Not married
Angelina Favalora	Born March 1882	Died before 1961	Not married

- No photograph available for -
Name	`Birth`	`Death`	`Spouse`
John Favalora	Born about 1866	Died January 1930	Rosalia Manfre
Joseph Favalora	Born March 1869	Died unknown	Never married
Carolina Favalora	Born 1871	Died about 1923	1.) Anthony Bernardo 2.) Michele Lofaso
Anthony Favalora	Born 1878	Died March 27, 1920	Josephina Pittari

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This page last updated on Oct 22, 2005