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Page 14 of 16
13. The Cofrancescos migrations
In relatively recent times many Cofrancescos from S. Lorenzello, Cerreto, and Massa have moved to other nearby places (S. Salvatore, Gioia, Castelvenere, Solopaca, and Lazio), or emigrated abroad, especially to the United States of America, Australia, and Argentina, as well as to Northern Italy.
Ellis Island records show that 88 Cofrancescos immigrated to the United States through this New York point of entry between 1893 and 1920. A few Cofrancescos entered New York earlier through Castle Garden and the Barge Office. Among the first Cofrancescos to immigrate to the United States were Simone Cofrancesco from Massa, son of Ferdinando and descendant of Simone (son of Giovanni Donato), and his wife Maria Cofrancesco, who arrived in New York in 1889. He settled in Connecticut and was later joined by his siblings and parents. Cofrancescos from Cerreto also immigrated to Connecticut.
These families were among those who formed one of the largest concentrations of Cofrancescos in the US. In 1901 Alfonso Cofrancesco, also from Massa, the son of Nicola and Nicoletta Ciarlo and a descendant of Carmine (son of Alessandro), arrived in New York and moved to Delaware to start another concentration of Cofrancesco families.
Today Connecticut has more people with the Cofrancesco surname than any other state, followed closely by New Jersey and New York. Presently there are over 700 individuals with this surname in states ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as California (see the map below, taken from the gens.labo.net web site, with the number of families in each US state).
Distribution of the Cofrancesco families in the United States (2008)
Silvestro Cofrancesco immigrated to Australia in 1955. He was the son of Tullio Cofrancesco, descending from the lines of both Simone and Carmine. Tullio was born in Massa and moved to Egypt before marrying and raising a family. In 1958 Tullio and the rest of his family immigrated to Australia to join Silvestro. Tullio's children and grandchildren are still living there. Tullio's family, although probably the first Cofrancesco family to immigrate to Australia, were definitely not the first Cofrancesco to arrive in Australia. From the Australian military forces records, we find that Umberto Cofrancesco, born on 4 March 1911 in San Lorenzello, was captured in a place called Bardia on 4 January 1941 and sent to work the fields in the state of Victoria. He was finally repatriated to Italy on 1 February 1947. There are no known descendants.
Many Italian immigrated to South America. Among them there was a Lorenzo Cofrancesco who entered Argentina around 1890. His ancestors came from S. Lorenzello. His grandson now lives in Buenos Aires.
In the mid-1950s other Cofrancescos, mainly from Massa and Cerreto, moved to the North of Italy, in places not far from Milan, such as Garlasco (in the province of Pavia), Magenta (in the province of Milan) and Cantù (in the province of Como). Several other families, also from Massa and Cerreto, and elsewhere in the Province of Benevento, moved to Tuscany, Lazio, and other places in Italy, as shown by the following map (also from the gens.labo.net web site).
Distribution of the Cofrancesco families in Italy (2008)
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