Vincenzo Was born August 31st 1895. He was from the town of Cattolica, Forli Italy. He came the United States at the age of 17 on April 10, 1913. He departed from Genoa Italy on a ship named Princess Irene and arrived in the US through Ellis Island New York. Ellis Island Ship manifests describe him as a carpenter who was 5 feet 4 inches tall with Brown hair and Brown eyes. His closet living relative back in Italy when he came to the US was a listed as a sister named Eugenia, His final destination was Montreal Quebec to rendezvous with his brother named Gaetano.

Family Story has it that Vincenzo left Cattolica because of a serious family dispute over a fishing business. Story has it that Vincenzo's uncle was trying to kill him over his share of the family fishing business. Vincenzo fled to the United States to start a new life under an alias. A cousin in Italy told me that the story they were told was the Vincenzo and Mabel fled to the US because they got in some trouble with the Mafia. Maybe they were the ones trying to kill them? Vincenzo had a brother named Giovanni the Italian name for John. He took his brothers name John in the United states and went by the name John Dennis Franklin. He did this either to stay un detectable OR to assimilate with a more American name. I believe he took the 1st name John as an Homage to his brother Giovanni who died when he was just 22 years old. He may have selected the middle name Dennis which he was primarily known as because of how closely it sounded to his Italian name (In Italy several men named Vincenzo went by "Cenz" pronounced like "Chains" for short. In the United States many who went by Cenz chose the American names James as it is close to "Cenz(Chains). Dennis may have also been a close pronunciation to Cenz.

Another family member remembers hearing the story that Vincenzo's father owned a fishing business in Italy. When his mother died his father remarried to a women name Adela Torencia. She was said to be "the evil step mother" They story they heard was that when Vincenzo's father died, Adela and her brothers wanted to take over the fishing business and plotted to have Vincenzo killed to do so. They took him on a boat a mile off shore. Vincezo was sure they were going to kill him, so he jumped overboard and swam a mile back to shore, and that was ultimately why he left for North America. They also said that Vincenzo was a GREAT swimmer which is why he was able to swim a mile back to shore. They said he would often siwm the length of the Detroit river in Michigan when he was an older man.

We know Vincenzo had at least 2 brothers and 2 sisters. His brother Gaetano who lived in Montreal Quebec Canada, and his Brother Giovanni and sisters Anita and Marina who later Joined Vincenzo in the US where he finally settled in Detroit Michigan.

Marina, Anita and Giovanni came to the United States on May 26 1921. Anita was 24,Marina was 20 and Giovanni 16 . All were single. Their Final Destination was to be with brother Vincenzo in Detroit Michigan at 2141 Rivard St. They have their closest relative in Italy listed as cousin Eugenio Francolini in Cattolica Forli Italy. They set sale from Napoli port of Genova on May 10 1921 on the ship Pesaro. The girls were both listed as Hausewives who were 5 feet tall with brown complexion, brown hair and brown eyes, and Giovanni was listed as a carpenter who was 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.

I believe Giovanni was actually his half brother because on his death certificate it lists Adelia Torencia as his mother. My mom told me that they always heard stories of how Vincenzo had "and evil step mother" so I wonder if that was his Step Mother and Giovanni was in fact his half brother.

Joe Remembers:

I remember meeting a Mable Franklin and her husband who we called Uncle Danny(Dennis), a carpenter. . I remember holding a ladder for him while he was doing some repairs on his roof and I had to watch myself as he chewed tobacco and would just spit out the juice.

Paula said that Vincenzo was often called Danny and Denny. Could be that it just sounded like Danny with the Italian accent.