Alessandro Gassmann
Gassmann in 2009, photo by Prphotos.com
Place of Birth: Rome, Lazio, Italy
Date of Birth: 24 February, 1965
Ethnicity:
*father – German-Italian-Jewish
*mother – French
Alessandro Gassmann, also credited as Alessandro Gassman, is an Italian actor and film director.
He is the son of actors Vittorio Gassman and Juliette Mayniel. He is a half-brother of actress Paola Gassman. Alessandro is married to Sabrina Knaflitz, with whom he has a son, singer Leo Gassmann.
Alessandro’s mother is French, from Saint-Hippolyte, Aveyron. His father was Italian, and was born in Genoa, Liguria, to a German-born father and an Italian-born mother.
Alessandro’s father Vittorio was of partly or entirely Jewish background. Whether both of his parents were Jewish appears to be a matter of dispute. Alessandro has said (at 1:50 here) that his father Vittorio’s parents were both Jewish, and that Vittorio downplayed his Jewish background throughout his life. Alessandro’s half-sister Paola has stated that Vittorio’s father was Catholic, and that Vittorio’s mother was of half Jewish background.
Alessandro’s paternal grandfather was named Heinrich “Enrico” Gassmann/Gassman (the son of Karl Gassmann). Heinrich, an engineer, was born in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg.
Alessandro’s paternal grandmother was named Luisa Ambron (the daughter of Ugo Ambron). Luisa was born in Pisa, Tuscany. The Jewish Ambron family settled in Italy after leaving Spain in the 1400s. Ugo was likely descended from Isacco Lamprónti, a physician and rabbi of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Isacco is best known for having written the rabbinic encyclopedia Paħad Yitzħak.
Sources: http://ricerca.repubblica.it
Genealogy of Alessandro Gassman – http://www.geni.com
Obituary of Alessandro’s father – http://www.nytimes.com
Articles about Alessandro’s likely ancestor, Isacco Lamprónti – http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com
http://www.treccani.it
http://klingbeil.free.fr/phpgedview/individual.php?pid=I299&ged=klingbeil.ged
https://www.geni.com/people/Luisa-Giulia-Ambron-Errera/6000000001482576915?through=6000000001483023805
Luisa Ambron was born in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, to Eugenio Hizchia “Ugo” Ambron, who was Sephardi Jewish, and Matilde Moretti, who evidently was Catholic. Eugenio was the son of Samuele Ambron and Elvira Lampronti, who were both born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy
One of distant Luisa’s ancestors, Isacco Lamprónti, was a physician and rabbi of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is best known as author of the rabbinic encyclopedia Paħad Yitzħak.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9603-lampronti-isaac-b-samuel
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/isacco-lampronti/
Are you sure that’s the same Luisa Ambron? This Luisa was married to a man named Bettino Errera (who was also Jewish).
I believe Luisa re-married to Errera when Gassmann died.
Maybe, but it could be two different women.
I think both of Luisa’s parents were Jewish, since Errera was Jewish.
so, if Luisa was only half Jewish, couldn’t she remarry to a Jewish man?
If she married a Jewish guy at the time, it’s more likely that both of her parents were Jewish, though not definite. There are lots of Jews named Moretti.
Moretti is in the Top 20 of the most common Italian surnames, and it does not strike me as a typical surname among Italian Jews
http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Moretti_(surname)
And there are others.
That is controversial. Because even “Rossi” (you know the most common one in Italy) was reported as a Jewish surname in “I cognomi degli ebrei in Italia” (Samuele Schaerf, 1925)
https://dagobertobellucci.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/i-cognomi-degli-ebrei-in-italia/
http://www.trio-lescano.it/archivio_documenti/I_cognomi_degli_ebrei_in_Italia.pdf
Btw Jake La Motta’s mother was Jewish, Italian or Italian Jewish?
What was her name?
Elizabeth. It appears that his mother was Italian Jewish from Trieste
This might be her. I don’t know, is there any reason to think this family is Jewish? This Elizabeth is the daughter of Maria (Genito) and Angelo Petrillo.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5MV-BYY
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJG5-R8L
A different family tree says this is her, the daughter of Mary and Joseph Merluzzo. Joseph was buried in a Catholic cemetery.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M57W-TFY
“Lazian” tag does not make sense since he has not ancestry from that region (just by birth)
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/30/movies/vittorio-gassman-77-veteran-italian-star-comfortable-in-classics-and-comedy-dies.html?mcubz=3
http://clandestinoingalleria.blogspot.it/2011/10/per-piacere-intercettate-audio_18.html
it says Vittorio was also Jewish from father’s side (and mother’s one) but he didn’t like to reveal it
So in the link, Alessandro himself says his grandfather was Jewish? At what time in the video?
from 1:50, he claimed that his paternal grandfather was German Jewish and that his father was “entirely Jewish”. He described this secret as a personal “drama”, something he feared for his whole life, even in his late years, for example when he attended the Jewish wedding in New York of his daughter (whose mother is Shelley Winters) Vittoria Gassman to Robert “Bob” Neuman, he had to wore the kippah for the first time in his life.
Btw Paola Gassman (Alessandro half-sister) has stated that Heinrich/Enrico Gassmann was Catholic and that Luisa Ambron was half Jewish
http://www.romaebraica.it/gassman-oggi/
Ambron family settled in Rome at the end of 1400s when they were kicked out of Spain
Just curious, Andrew, where did you read that only his great-grandfather was Jewish? I’ve only seen Vittorio Gassman’s mother referred to simply as Jewish.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorio_Gassman
translation: Luisa Ambron, native of Pisa and of Jewish faith from father’s side.
Wikipedia again, and with no citation.
http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1999/06/18/vittorio-gassman-io-mattatore-da-40-anni.html
“Il padre di mia madre era ebreo”
translation:
my mother’s father was Jewish,
I also listened to an interview where Alessandro claimed his German grandfather was Jewish. (Vittorio Gassman’s 2nd wife Shelley Winters was also Jewish).
Gassmann is listed as Jewish last name in some sites.
What interview was that? (the Alessandro one).