where it started

Like many genealogists, I got my start by being curious about my own family and trying to find answers. In the beginning, I had only imperfect stories and questionable memories to work from, but it was enough to get started. As both the field of genealogy and our access to technology evolved, more and more information came to light. Now, the internet is a treasure trove of useful (and constantly changing) information that might be kept nearby in town or on the other side of the world. Twenty years after I started, I continue to be astounded by the details and the stories I have found along the way.

My Background

I have spent the last two decades working in technology: designing software, analyzing data, figuring out how to hack together different resources to get what I need. These skills have served me well in the modern genealogy world, allowing me to layer different technologies and tools, and to find ways around roadblocks to ultimately get what I’m looking for.

But not all genealogy is digital. Sometimes there is simply no replacement for physically visiting a place, talking to locals, and thumbing through treasured record books that are hundreds of years old. This is where stories are born, and I love it. I love learning about other people’s families as though they were my own.

What Sets Me Apart

I aim to be a conscious, sensitive research partner. For me, genealogy is about more than facts and records found in old books — though both of those things are incredible to find. I’m interested in what those records mean, what kind of story they tell, and how our lives can change once we know those stories. I strive to always deliver results with love, and to provide meaningful results to the people who seek them.

I also have a special place in my heart for how this work can supplement recovery from ancestral and inter-generational trauma. I am not a therapist, but I have experienced first-hand how this type of knowledge can supplement the therapeutic process—especially in families where trauma and shame have kept certain truths hidden from view. I believe this work can be healing at not only an individual level, but also for entire families, communities, and beyond. If you’re interested at more personalized and in-depth ways to explore your family narrative, please take a look at my re/generate offerings.

I have been developing my genealogy expertise in Italy/Sicily, Italian-Americans, Italian migration, English-Americans, and French-Canadian migration, and what is now New England, as well as the First Nations who originally inhabited those lands, namely the Nipmuc, Pennacook, Wampanoag, and Massachuset. I now reside in Portland, Oregon, on land unwillingly ceded by Chinook, Cowlitz, Atfalati, and Kalaputa peoples, where I am getting familiar with the genealogy and story of this place. I am always eager to explore new geological and cultural areas, and the rich histories they offer.

Photos on this page

Top: My grandmother and four of her siblings; My Sicilian immigrant great-grandparents with their first two children in America.
Bottom: The gravestone of my great-great-grandparents when I visited them for the first time; The burial plot of my 3x great-grandparents and with their daughter, my 3x great-grandmother, along with several of her infant children.

** Please Note: Genealogical results are not guaranteed. In some cases, records may not exist due to damage, loss, or lack of existence in the first place due to legal or cultural factors.