Matteo Lai

He was born on 13 December, 1888, in Ozieri, and died on 6 November, 1964 in San Mateo County. He was the son of an Unknown Lai and perhaps an Unknown Fara.

Matteo first married an Unknown Fara 2. Their children were Mattia Lai and Giovanni Lai. Matteo later married Antonia Ruffinu.

Matteo appears in the ship manifest of the Duca degli Abruzzi departing from Genoa and arriving at Ellis Island on December 2, 1920. (This entry can be located by searching for 'Maria Meloni', who is listed on the same page, along with his sons Mattia and Giovanni, and "Antonia Raffin".) He also appears on the S.S. Ferdinando Falasciano with his family in 1921, where text under his wife's name reads "LAI FARA". Is Fara to be taken as his mother's married name? I take his birthplace as Ozieri from that manifest.

Matteo appears with his wife, children and mother-in-law Pietruccia Lai in the 1930 census, and alone with his wife in the 1940 census, where he is listed as Mateo, living at 337 Lux Street, South San Francisco.

Matteo Lai appears with no SSN in the CDI; from that record, I ordered the death certificate, which serves as the source for his birth and death dates. The death was reported by his son "John", who gave Matteo's length of stay in the country as 43 years. Matteo was a watchman at the Fuller paint company.