Joe Bonamassa
Bonamassa in 2009, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Joseph Leonard Bonamassa
Place of Birth: New Hartford, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 8, 1977
Ethnicity:
*father – Italian, including Sicilian
*mother – Polish (three quarters), English, German, and Irish
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Joe’s paternal grandfather is Leonard D. Bonamassa, Sr. (the son of Dominick “Buddha” Bonamassa and Girloma “Mae” LoPresti). Leonard was born in New York. Dominick was the son of Leonardo Michele Bonamassa/Bonamason and Modesta/Oresta Balzano, who were Italian, with Modesta being from Missanello, Potenza, Basilicata. Girloma was the daughter of Stefano LoPresti and Caterina Arcona, who were also Italian, with Caterina being from Palermo, Sicily.
Joe’s paternal grandmother was named Bertha M. Decesare (the daughter of Peter Decesare). Bertha was born in New York.
Joe’s maternal grandfather was Joseph S. Pal (the son of Joseph S. Pal and Mary F. Cislo). Joe’s grandfather Joseph’s parents were Polish.
Joe’s maternal grandmother was Leona M. Bagniefski (the daughter of Leon Bagniefski and Hazell S. Hammon). Hazell was born in Minnesota, the daughter of Ernest Oscar Hammon and Alice Brown, whose father was German and whose mother was Irish.
Sources: Joe’s paternal grandfather, Leonard D. Bonamassa, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituaries of Joe’s paternal great-grandparents, Dominick “Buddha” Bonamassa and Girloma “Mae” (LoPresti) Bonamassa – http://www.findagrave.com
Joe Bonamassa’s ancestry ignoring the already stated paternal grandfather.
Paternal grandmother: Bertha M Decesare (1929-2000) Utica, New York, to Peter Decesare.
Maternal grandfather: Joseph S. Pal, who was the son of Polish parents Joseph S. Pal (1894-1980) and Mary F. Cislo (1894-1975).
Maternal grandmother: Leona M. Bagniefski, was the daughter of Leon Bagniefski and Hazell S. Hammon. Hazell was born in Minnesota, the daughter of Ernest Oscar Hammon and Alice Brown. Alice was the daughter of a German father named Jacob Brown and an Irish mother named Susan Brady.
To conclude Joe Bonamassa’s mother was 3/4 Polish, and the 1/4 was English, German and Irish.
I had looked into it a few times but found nothing. Brilliant find.
Thanks Andrew!
Joe’s paternal grandfather is Leonard D. Bonamassa, Sr. (the son of Dominick “Buddha” Bonamassa and Girloma “Mae” LoPresti). Leonard was born in New York. Dominick was the son of Leonardo Michele Bonamassa/Bonamason and Modesta/Oresta Balzano, who were Italian, with Modesta being from Missanello, Potenza, Basilicata. Girloma was the daughter of Stefano LoPresti and Caterina Arcona, who were also Italian, with Caterina being from Palermo, Sicily.