Samuel Cavalieri = Sammy the Knight Joseph Biondo = Joe the Blond Carmine Dellacava = Carmine of the quarry Joseph Riccobono = Joe Good and Rich Nicky Bianco = Nicky White Robert Occhipinti = Bobby Small Eyes Salvatore Mangiamelli = Sally Apple Eater Anthony Antico = Old Anthony Joseph Barone = Joe the Baron Frank Campanello = Frankie Bell Michael Coppola = Mikey Flat Cap Giuiseppe La Bruno = Joe Brown Mario LaFiore = Mario the Flower Vincent Gigante = Vinny the Giant Rudolph Santobello = Rudy Beautiful Saint Paul Bevacqua = Paulie Drink Water Michael LaRosa = Mike the Rose Giuseppe Magliocco = Joe Bad Eyes
........there are so many Italian surnames that translate into interesting words. Remember that dating back to antiquity, most people had only 1 name. And it was typically related to what they looked like, their vocation, or the hometown.
Very interesting thread you started Furio. Good man.
The surname should derive from nicknames that indicated that the progenitor had curly hair. Traces of these surnames are found in Mazzo (SO) in the second half of 1500 with a certain Giovannino Rizzettus.
Albert "Albie" Vena= vein Bruno Caruso= a sicilian word forkid Michael "Mags" Magnafichi=figseater John "Pudgy" Matassa=Skein Robert "Gabeet" Bellavia= nice street
