Frankie Dettori
Dettori in 2011, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Lanfranco Dettori
Place of Birth: Milan, Italy
Date of Birth: 15 December, 1970
Ethnicity: Italian
Frankie Dettori is an Italian-born, British-based horse racing jockey. He has been described as the best jockey currently riding; during his career, he has won more than 500 horse races.
Frankie’s father, Gianfranco Dettori, is a horse racing jockey, who was born in Serramanna, Sardinia, Italy. Frankie’s mother, Iris Maria Niemen, was born in Milan, Italy. His mother is a member of Niemen circus family. The family may have had a Romani origin.
Frankie’s maternal grandmother was named Secondina. She was born in Casalpusterlengo, Province of Lodi, Lombardy, Italy.
Source: Genealogy of Frankie Dettori (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://gw.geneanet.org
his mother is a member of Niemen circus family.
According to a legend, the first Niemen who settled in Northern Italy was a jester of the Zar’s court from Belarus/Lithuania lands: http://www.unimaitalia.net/famiglia-d-arte-niemen/
In fact “Niemen” surname is after a major Eastern European river: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neman
Hence I am pretty sure his mother has at least some Romani ancestry too.
his mother is Iris Maria Niemen, who was born in Milan, Italy. Iris’s mother was named Secondina, and was born in Casalpusterlengo, Province of Lodi, Lombardy, Italy.
http://gw.geneanet.org/omarmoli?lang=it&pz=omar&nz=molinari&ocz=0&p=iris+maria&n=niemen&oc=0&type=tree
correction: “he has won more than 500 horse races”