TENUTA HISTORY

The Tenuta family surname has hailed its name and its ancestors exclusively from Marano Principato for over 200 years. But this researcher found that his 2nd great grandfather, Domenico Tenuta, born in 1807 was the first ancestor to be born in the town of Marano Principato, the Province of Cosenza, in the Region of Calabria, Italy. Further research shows Domenico’s father and grandfather, Nicola and Angelo, respectively, were from the town of Marano Marchesato, the Province of Cosenza, in the Region of Calabria, Italy.

Giovanni Tenuta, US Army 1919

More recently, though, is Giovanni Tenuta, born in Marano Principato in 1887. His parents were Filippo Tenuta and Gelsomina Savaglio. The earliest known picture is his US Army service photo taken in 1919.

Giovanni had four brothers – Francesco, Mercurio and Arcangelo. Francesco made his home, with his family after immigrating to the United States in 1906, with his wife, Francesca Vazquez, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Francesco and Francesco had five children.

Mercurio immigrated to the United States in 1913 and made his home, with his wife, Saveria. Mercurio and Saveria also made their home in Kenosha, Wisconsin with their 11 children.

According to family members, Arcangelo Tenuta died in 1914 after immigrating to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Giovanni also had two sisters – Teresa and Luisa. Teresa married Samuel Bilotto in Marano Principato in 1906 and remained there, where their descendants live today.

Francesco Tenuta Family - early 1920s (Top) Jessie, Francesco, Francesca (Vasquez) (Bottom) Mary, Viola, Josephine, Joseph and Ida

Luisa married Emilio Savaglio in 1926 in Marano Principato. They had 6 children – some who make Marano Principato and Cosenza their home, where other children have immigrated to Canada.

Giovanni made several trips to the United States after the turn of the century. The first trip, of several trips, was made on the S.S. Lahn with his father Filippo in 1903. According to family members, Giovanni made close to a dozen trips to the United States, only to permanently return to Marano Principato in November 1938 after several months of travel due to the onset in Europe of World War II.

Giovanni married Raffaela Covelli, the daughter of Carmine Covelli and Pasqualina Savaglio. Raffaela had seven brothers and sisters, some who also made their home in Kenosha, Wisconsin – others stayed in Marano Principato.

Giovanni and Raffaela married in 1912 in Marano Principato and had five children.

After the fourth child was born, Giovanni and Raffaela made their home in Kenosha for most of the 1920s and the1930s when their youngest child was born. Giovanni, like his brothers and many other Maranese in Kenosha, was employed by the Simmons Manufacturing Company. Because of Raffaela’s health concerns, she, Giovanni and their 2 youngest children traveled back to Marano Principato. The three oldest children remained in Kenosha.

Raffaela Covelli Tenuta died in 1953 and Giovanni Tenuta died in 1954.