Anthony Michael Hall
Hall in 2010, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Michael Anthony Hall
Place of Birth: West Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 14, 1968
Ethnicity: Irish, Italian, possibly other
Anthony Michael Hall is an American actor, director, and producer. He is known for his roles in the films Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, among others, and the series The Dead Zone.
He is the son of Mercedes Hall (born Katherine deRosa), a blues jazz singer, and Larry Hall. His sister, Mary Christian, is also a performer.
Anthony’s maternal grandfather was Antonio Joseph “Anthony” DeRosa (the son of Luigi “Louis”/Louie DeRosa and Antonetta Scanzillo/Scaufillo). Anthony’s grandfather Anthony DeRosa was born in Connecticut, to Italian parents. Luigi was born in Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, the son of Vincenzo DeRosa and Antonina/Antonia Scianna. Anthony’s great-grandmother Antonetta Scaufillo was born in Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, and was the daughter of Gaetano Scanzillo and Eufemia Puorro/Purro.
Anthony’s maternal grandmother was Mary Royce Crimmins (the daughter of William Joseph Crimmins and Nora McCarthy). Mary was born in Massachusetts, to Irish parents. William was born in Mallow, County Cork, the son of Jeremiah Patrick Cremins and Ellen Hannah McSweeney. Nora was the daughter of Patrick McCarthy and Katherine/Catherine Buckley, from Carrigtohill, County Cork.
Source: Genealogy of Anthony Michael Hall (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
I find it very odd that they don’t mention his father’s ancestry yet say Hall is “half Irish and half Italian. He may well be that on his maternal side but since HALL is my own surname I can assure you he’s ENGLISH on his father side.
His father’s side probably changed their name to a British name when they came to America, as a lot of people did at the time. For the record, Hall isn’t just an English name, it has a long history in Scotland.
Why do you assume that?. All is says is that his father is “Larry Hall”. I realize that there are some Scots with the surname Hall. But primarily it’s an English surname. I ought to know. I was born there (Devonshire).
Antonetta Scanzillo/Scaufillo parents may have been born in Venice, but were very unlikely Venetian, rather from Campania as the De Rosas.
@madman
In addition to a regional distintion about surnames, also one exists about names in Italy.
You will hardly get a kid from Northern Italy with a name like Pasquale, Gaetano, Concetta, Carmela etc..
Pan-Italian names do exists though, the likes of Giovanni, Giuseppe, Luigi etc..
Tuscany can be an exception, names like Duccio, Cosimo or Leonardo can be much more popular than elsewhere, because of the glorious past.
You’re exactly right. 99% of the Italian immigrants who came to the greater Boston area in the late 1800s and early 1900s are from Campania or Napoli. The Northern Italians emigrated (mostly) to Venezuela.
Also – He leaves out his Hall ancestry (English) entirely.
You are exactly right. We on the Eastern seaboard got all the Soprano-esque “Italians” (Sicilians too).
did he tell the truth?