Lucia Avila

Lucia Avila was born to Refugil (?spelling) and Cecelia Avila in Los Angeles county of California on February 28, 1926- as far as we can tell.

She had a social security card, and yet we're having difficulties getting documentation on her. She was Yaqui Indian from her mother and Mexican from her father- which probably means more mixed Indian blood with a sprinkling of Spanish. Hard to know for certain.

We do know she didn't have it easy as a child, her mother did everything a non-English-speaking person could to support her family when she was widowed before 1930. Lucy didn't have a step-father until sometime after the 1930's.

Lucy's first marriage was to Roczi Fragassi, a hot blooded latin like herself. She would have been about 20 years old, tops, when she married him. Think of the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" and how young women were taught back then their chief goal in life was to land a good breadwinner husband and to put up with incredible amounts of... stuff.

The children were not taught Spanish so they could understand their grandmother who lived close by, but they knew her love. This is the case of many immigrant families, where the pursuit of a new life meant abandoning the old.

Lucy and Rocky had two boys and four girls together. Boy, Girl, Girl, Boy, Girl, Girl. or something like that. The second boy was the silent victim of domestic violence, and as a result was stillborn. There was, supposedly, a record on him nevertheless. His tiny body was buried just above his grandfather's. The other living children suffered in other ways, as did Lucy.

We don't know for sure what "last straw" led to Lucy leaving Rocky for Harold Emerson. They never actually married, after some years, Lucy left him as well. (Live and learn?)

When a decent fellow named Robert Karg, shown right here, came along, he and Lucy did marry in the 1970's. These photos are in much later years, and a little silly- but it's all we've got! If you have some better ones, please send them along!

She had a good sense of humor, was an excellent seamstress, and would drop anything to help someone in the family. She is remembered fondly by many of her posterity, and we would like more positive experiences to share here. She passed away in November of 2001 in Hayward, California. We do not know as of yet where she and Bob are burried.

All throughout her years, she tried to Always Be There for her Family...

Mike and Frances Fragassi

The parents of Angela, Rocky, (and Emmalina) Fragassi... Shrouded in mystery until recently.

Mike came from Southern Italy, not Sicily, and Frances was born in Mexico although her father was French.

Here are the hard facts we have on this couple so far.

1920 Federal Census January 5
Norwalk Township, Precinct 2, Los Angeles, CA- Center Street

Head of House FRAGASSI, MIKE (this is where we first discovered
his name)
Rents the home, Male, White, age 28 at last birthday, Married, Immigrated 1909, Alien, Attending School and can Read and Write. Born in Italy, mother tongue Italian. Father and mother both born in Italy. Can speak English. Occupation: Gardener at Rail Road Company for wages.

Wife of Mike: FRANCES
Female, White, age 20 at last birthday, married, Immigrated 1912 (or 02- hard to read), Alien, attending school, can read and write. Born in Mexico, mother tongue Spanish. Father born in France, mother tongue French. Mother born in Mexico, mother tongue Spanish. (Frances) can speak English.

Daughter: ANGELINE
Female, White, 1+ year old, single, born in California. Father born in Italy, Mother born in Mexico.

1930 Federal Census- April 14
Montebello Township, Los Angeles County, California-
1135 South Wilkins Avenue

Head of Household: FRAGASSI, MIKE
Owns the home, valued at $3000, the family has a radio set, it is not on a farm. Male, White, age 39, married, age 26 at first marriage, has not attended college since September 1929, Can read and write. Born in Italy, mother and father born in Italy, language spoken in home before coming to the US- Italian. Year of Immigration 1906 (?) as an alien? Can speak English. Works as a gardener doing odd jobs for wages, actually employed, not a veteran.

Wife of Mike: FRANCES
Female, Mexican, 39 years old, married, age 17 at first marriage, no college since 1929, can read and write. Born in Mexico, father from France, mother from Mexico. Spoke Mexican in home before coming to the US in 1911 as an alien. Can speak English.

Daughter: ANGELINA
Female, Mexican, age 11, single, attending school, can read and write, born in California

Son: ROCZI
Male, Mexican, age 9, single, attending school, not specified whether he can read,
born in California

We have several Ellis Island accounts with good information, but there is some confusion about trips taken in 1909. One record that does make sense states Mike's father back home is named Rocco. The rest is difficult to read.

Another interesting discovery recently was that there was another daughter born to Mike and Frances. Her name was Emalina Fragassi in the California Birth Index. She was born on March 5, 1923 in Los Angeles county. It also added to the arguement of which birth year was the right one for Rocky. He COULD NOT have been born in October of 22 if his sister was born in March of the following year. The strange thing was that she was not in the 1930 census, so that tip was set aside. Recently, in a trip to the State Library, I found in the California Death Indice that she died at the age of four months, on July 11, 1923. We have not gotten a death record on her yet, so we do not know the cause.

We're still looking for more information.

Fragassi Mysteries, pt 2

Madeline said:

There are many mysteries of the Fragassi family. Including the information regarding my grandfather Michele Fragassi, when he arrived at Ellis Island his name was not Fragassi. It was changed to Fragassi when he entered the United States. Frances Lambert his wife was born in Mexico. There are many......cousins still living in California. You can start looking for them and see what they can provide you with. Roczi Fragassi had five other children with another women when he was married to my mother Lucy Fragassi. Lucy was his wife, the other women were his mistress.

So the new questions,

1. What variant of Fragassi was ours?
2. Who changed it? Michele and his brothers/cousins or the clerk?
3. Where in Mexico was Frances born?
4. When did Frances' father come from France, and why?
5. Who are the other children Roczi fathered, do we know names?
6. Who are their mothers?
7. Do they know anything about their family history?