Joseph Mazzello

2010 Primetime Emmy Awards - HBO's Post Award Reception - Arrivals

Mazzello in 2010, photo by PR Photos

Birth Name: Joseph Francis Mazzello III

Place of Birth: Rhinebeck, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: September 21, 1983

Ethnicity: Italian (three eighths), Irish, one eighth Ashkenazi Jewish, smaller amounts of English and Dutch

Joseph Mazzello, also credited as Joe Mazzello, is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his roles in the films Jurassic Park, The Cure, Simon Birch, Star Kid, and The Social Network.

Joseph’s father was of three quarters Italian (Catholic) and one quarter German Jewish descent. Joseph’s mother is of Irish, and smaller amounts of English and Dutch, ancestry.

Joseph’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Francis Mazzello (the son of John Mazzello and Rose Vertullo). Joseph’s grandfather Joseph was born in New York, to an Italian father, and to a mother who was born in New York, of Italian descent.

Joseph’s paternal grandmother was Irene T. Callamari (the daughter of Albino/Albine Callamari and Mae/May Abrams/Abraham). Irene was born in New York. Albino was born in New Jersey, to Italian parents, Marcello/Michele Callameri/Calamari and Alfonsia/Alphonsa/Rose Queiroli/Quiroli, with roots in Ferriere, Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna. Joseph’s great-grandmother Mae was born in New York, to German Jewish parents, Leopold Abrams/Abraham, from Neumagen, Prussia, and Rosa/Rose Frank.

Joseph’s maternal grandfather was Joseph F. Strong (the son of Asa John Strong and Margaret Theresa Gately). Joseph was born in New York. Asa was the son of George J. Strong and Mary Meehan, whose parents were Irish. Margaret was of Irish descent, and was the daughter of Michael Gately and Elizabeth Kennedy.

Joseph’s maternal grandmother was Virginia Louise “Ginnie” Mulry (the daughter of George E. Mulry and Zelma E. Ellor). Virginia was born in New York, and had Irish, English, and Dutch ancestry. George was the son of James Charles Mulry and Adelaide/Addie McGill. Zelma was the daughter of Louis/Lewis A. Ellor, whose father was English, and of Vera Z. Vanvoorshis.

Sources: Joseph’s paternal grandfather, Joseph Francis Mazzello, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Joseph’s paternal grandmother, Irene T. Callamari, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Joseph’s paternal great-grandparents, Albino/Albine Callamari and Mae/May Abrams/Abraham – https://www.familysearch.org

Joseph’s paternal great-grandmother, Mae/May Abrams/Abraham, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Joseph’s maternal grandfather, Joseph F. Strong – http://www.tributes.com

Marriage record of Joseph’s maternal great-grandparents, Asa John Strong and Margaret Theresa Gately – https://familysearch.org

Joseph’s maternal grandmother, Virginia Louise Mulry, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Joseph’s maternal grandmother, Virginia Louise “Ginnie” (Mulry) Strong – http://www.tributes.com

Marriage record of Joseph’s maternal great-grandparents, George E. Mulry and Zelma E. Ellor – https://familysearch.org

Joseph’s maternal great-grandfather, George E. Mulry, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

11 Responses

  1. andrew says:

    >Marcello Calamari and Alphonsa Quiroli, with roots in Ferriere, Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna.

    https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LDMG-QFJ

  2. madman says:

    You got the wrong Joseph F. Strong as his maternal grandfather.

    Joseph’s maternal grandfather was the son of Asa John Strong and Margaret Theresa Gately. Asa was the son of George Strong and Mary Meehan, whose parents were Irish. Margaret was of Irish descent, the daughter of Michael Gately and Elizabeth Kennedy.

    Grandfather’s obituary – http://www.tributes.com/obituary/show/Joseph-F.-Strong-90693682
    Marriage record – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XVP4-CBW

    • follers says:

      Thank you. I had read that Mazzello has Polish ancestry, before 2012. Evidently not.

      • madman says:

        Zelma was the daughter of Louis/Lewis A. Ellor, whose father was English, and Vera Z. Vanvoorshis.

        https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2468-5KN

        So he also has Dutch ancestry.

        Can you figure out what fraction his mother’s Irish ancestry is? I suspect that his great-great-grandfather George Strong was of English descent, his parents were both born in New York, and at least his mother’s parents were also New York-born. And I assume that Joseph’s maternal grandmother was at least half Irish.

        • follers says:

          George J. Strong was the son of Asa Smith Strong and Helen M. Jackson. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin Strong and Frances F. Smith.

          So he was probably mostly of English descent.

          George E. Mulry might have been of entirely Irish ancestry, though his family did live in New York for a few generations before he was born.

          • madman says:

            He’s more Italian than Irish. So I would write:

            *Italian, 1/4 Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
            *Irish, English, Dutch (mother)

            Or something like that.

  3. Capricious says:

    He was so cute in JP.

    Why is he looking ginger as he’s aging? He was a blond/light brunette in JP….Odd

    • coco says:

      He’s always been a natural ginger lol he’s dyed his hair for some roles, but in most of his work he’s a red head.

  4. andrew says:

    that’s why Italian immigrants used to marry Catholic women of Irish or Polish extraction

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