Questions for Nick Cimino – Roots tourism

 My wife and I recently returned from 28 days in Europe including 6 days in Carlentini with visits to Lentini, Villasmundo and Sortino.

Our Lentini visits included a tour of the Archeological Museum led by Nuccia Silvana Pirruccello.  She introduced us to two of her students that are working on a Roots Tourism project.

The students sent me a series of questions and here are my replies:

Questions for Nick Cimino – Roots tourism

🌱 Questions about the roots tourism

Cosa spinge, secondo lei, così tanti italo-discendenti a intraprendere un viaggio per riscoprire le proprie origini familiari?

In che modo il turismo delle radici può contribuire allo sviluppo culturale ed economico di piccoli centri come Lentini o Carlentini?

 Ha notato un cambiamento nell’approccio degli italiani verso il turismo delle radici, ora che anche le istituzioni iniziano a promuoverlo?

What, in your opinion, drives so many  Italian descendants  to undertake travel to rediscover  their family origins?  

The pressure to Americanize or assimilate into the mainstream American culture was very strong in Italian immigrant families.  Americans of all ethnicities are discovering the wonders of Italy. Italian descendants are naturally curious about the geography and culture that their families left behind. For those of us with roots in eastern Sicily, the spiritual draw of the island, the sea and Mama Etna is very strong.

How can roots tourism contribute  to the cultural and economic development of small towns like Lentini or Carlentini? 

These towns are not on the itinerary of the conventional tour groups so capitalizing on roots tourism makes a lot of sense. Cultural and economic connections with the Lentinese and Carlentinese throughout the world creates enthusiasm for travel to discover their roots.  The first time I visited these towns in 2022 we stayed in Agnone Bagni and drove into town.  I notice that many roots tourists on the first visit prefer to book their lodging in Taormina, Catania or Siracusa. This year in 2025, we stayed in a rental house in Carlentini on Via Padre Luciano Aletta for six nights.  This allowed us to patronize Bar Derby, the local Conad and many other stores in Lentini and Carlentini. Cultural connections included 1) a visit to the Lentini Archeological Museum with a tour by Nuccia Silvana Pirruccello, 2) a movie on emigration at the Convent of Carmine hosted by Ciro Militti, 3)three visits to local churches to meet with the priests and view the parish registers, 4) a visit to my cousin Marinella Cassarino at the Carlentini library to borrow a book called Protagonisti: Dizionario Biografico di Carlentini, 5) a meeting with the mayor of Carlentini that included my cousins, 6) a music and dance party at the Santa Anna church to celebrate our cultural connection, 7) a visit to a Lentini book shop to purchase a copy of Populu di Lintini, sintiti, sintiti..Viaggio tra ricordi e racconti di vecchi artigiani e antinchi mestieri, 8) meals in the homes of cousins and friends to celebrate the local cuisine and tell stories, 9) visits to local schools to meet the teachers, staff and students.

In addition, I am in communication with many other Americans that have plans to buy property as vacation homes/short term rentals in Carlentini and Lentini.

Have you noticed a change in the Italians’ approach towards roots tourism, now that  the institutions are also starting to promote it? 

Promotion of roots tourism by the institutions is a very positive step in the process. However, most of the effort for promotion of roots tourism is happening through a grass roots network of motivated individuals.  More institutional support of the genealogical connections is needed.  The increase in interest in dual Italian citizenship has made it practically impossible for the local officials in the Stato Civile and the Uffizio Anagrafe to assist me in my efforts to locate living relatives for roots tourists. More support needs to be given to these offices so that they can help identify the roots tourism connections.

🧬 Questions about your work as a Genealogist

Qual è stato il caso genealogico più emozionante o sorprendente che ha seguito nella sua carriera?

Come riesce a costruire un albero genealogico partendo da poche informazioni? Quali sono le fonti più utili?

Ha mai trovato storie o segreti di famiglia che hanno cambiato completamente la narrazione che una persona aveva delle proprie origini?

What was the most emotional or surprising  genealogical case you followed in your career? 

Probably the most surprising case involved a former slave that became a public official and a minister.  I wrote about it here: http://www.ancestorpuzzles.com/2015/04/the-mysterious-bob-sloan-his-journey.html

I was surprised to learn that freed blacks were elected to public offices in Texas in the period following the American Civil War because shortly thereafter, black men were deprived of their right to vote.

The most emotional genealogical case involved my maternal 2nd great grandmother, a woman known as Annie Moss who worked as a domestic servant in California from the 1880s to the 1920s. Around 1900 she got involved in a scheme to impersonate the daughter of a wealthy man who died without a will. The court ruled that she was an imposter. She was never prosecuted for this fraud as far as I can tell but the story was clouded in mystery by my family.

How do you manage to build a genealogical tree  starting from a few information? What are the most useful sources? 

The answer to that question depends on whether the tree is for an American or an Italian. The general rule is that you start with the individual person and their dates and location of birth. You ask them for the names of their parents and grandparents. Sometimes they know the dates of birth and death but often they do not. In America, we have access to numerous databases. For example, we have a database called the Nebraska Birth Index 1912-1994. We also have other sources such as marriage and death indexes, the U.S. Census from 1950 back to 1790. American newspapers often have news articles, obituaries and wedding anniversaries about a particular ancestor. So the sources in the USA are numerous.

In Italy, we have access to birth, marriage and death records but they are much more limited in their time period. For example, birth records are only available prior to 1916 and death records are only publicly accessible prior to 1946.  We have compiled cemetery records for Carlentini and Lentini which are very helpful for locating the dates of death for most grandparents on a family tree of an older person. Italian cemeteries are also very useful to the genealogist because they often provide a photo of the person buried.

Have you ever found family stories or secrets that completely changed a person’s  narrative of their origins? 

DNA testing is a genealogical tool that occasionally results in surprises.  I have worked with many people who have learned through DNA testing that they have Italian ancestry. Once they learn this, they become very interested in learning about their Italian ancestors including the history and culture. Even conventional genealogy research can lead to surprises about the accomplishments or the failures of our ancestors.  Genealogy research can help us to have pride in our actual origins. Sometimes families tell mythical or grandiose stories about their origins.  Genealogical research can help to either substantiate those stories or debunk them. In any case, our ancestors have overcome great odds to support and enlarge their families.  We can all be proud that we are the product of many generations of people who worked hard in order to make our lives possible. 

🇮🇹 Questions about your personal relationship with Italy

Essendo di origini siciliane, cosa prova ogni volta che torna nella terra dei suoi antenati?

Cosa le ha insegnato la cultura italiana che ancora oggi porta con sé nella vita quotidiana americana?

In che modo la sua identità è influenzata dal fatto di essere italo-americano? Si sente più italiano o più americano, o entrambi in modo diverso?

Being of Sicilian origins, what do you feel every time that you come back in the land of your ancestors? 

I feel a sense of belonging and that I have returned to my home.  The Sicilian people have been very warm and generous to me so I feel very comfortable when I return.

What did Sicilian culture teach you that you still carry with you into your daily American life today? 

Sicilians have an appreciation for food, family and friends that resonates with me.  Sicilians have a love of their island that has inspired me to make others aware of the vast treasure that is Sicily.

How is your identity influenced by being Italian-American? 

Ever since I was a small child I have had a love of spaghetti and pizza. As a high school student, I learned to appreciate the Italian language and culture.  As a father and a grandfather, I have tried to teach my children and grandchildren the strength and the richness of Italian heritage. As a genealogist, I have become committed to helping others connect with their Italian family history.  I am constantly trying to project positive images of Italian Americans, native Italians and Italy, to overcome the Mafia stereotypes in the media. Since visiting Sicily in 2022 and both Sicily and Italy in 2025, I have taken greater pride in being Italian American. I have learned so much about our rich cultural heritage.

🔍 Questions about reflections and perspectives 

Qual è, secondo lei, il valore più profondo che una persona riscopre quando si riavvicina alle proprie radici?

Come immagina il futuro del turismo genealogico tra le nuove generazioni? I giovani sono interessati a conoscere le proprie origini?

Quale consiglio darebbe a chi vuole cominciare un percorso di riscoperta genealogica, anche senza esperienza?

What do you think is  the deepest value that a person rediscovers when  he gets closer to his own roots?  

My motto on my blog is: “Nick Cimino believes that genealogy is a path towards reconciliation and reunion with families transcending the boundaries of time and space.” So perhaps the deepest value is the perspective and understanding that genealogy can provide for the struggles that our ancestors faced and the ways that they were able to overcome those challenges and provide for their families.

How do you imagine the future of genealogical tourism among the new generations? Are young people interested in knowing their origins? 

It is a struggle for younger people to have the leisure time and the funding required for genealogical tourism.  Many young people are interested in knowing their origins but they do not have the time or the energy to devote to the research.  When I find a young person who is interested in genealogy, I become very excited and try to support them in their efforts. I wish that schools had a greater understanding and appreciation of the role that genealogy and genealogy tourism can have in establishing and strengthening the sense of identity and belonging that comes with knowing about your roots.

What advice  would you give to anyone who wants to start a genealogical rediscovery, even without experience? 

Start with yourself and write down your own personal biography in chronological order. Then do the same for your parents and grandparents. Make a list of questions to ask your family about their education, employment, residences, travel, values, religion, goals and dreams, etc. Start entering your information into an online family tree or a story or some other form of documentation. Make digital copies of family photos and add captions with names to the photos. Add information on the date and location of the picture. Write a story about what happened the day the photo was taken. Search for documents, photos, certificates and family papers in your own house and other houses in your family and add them to your database. Write more stories about these items. Keep writing more questions at every step in the process.

💬 Final  personal question

C’è un luogo o una persona in Sicilia che per lei rappresenta simbolicamente le sue radici?

Is there a place or a person in Sicily that symbolically represents your roots for you? 

I have always been spiritually tied to mountains in California. I think this might come from my ancestors in Sicily that grew up within view of Mount Etna. I remember traveling as a young man to Mt. Shasta in northern California.  I was entranced by this volcanic mountain and I spent several days near there.  After seeing the view of the mountain from Carlentini and every other place in eastern Sicily, I knew there must be a spiritual connection for me to Mount Etna.