Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga in 2013, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: March 28, 1986

Ethnicity:
*75% Italian [including Sicilian]
*25% mix of French, English, German, Scottish, and remote Swedish, Irish, and Dutch

Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and businessperson. She is known for her eccentric fashion and clothing, and versatile image, and has released music in the soft rock, dance-pop, electronic rock/dance, techno-pop, and jazz genres. Her songs include “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” “Paparazzi,” “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” “Alejandro,” “Born This Way,” “Judas,” “The Edge of Glory,” “You and I,” “Marry the Night,” “Applause,” “Million Reasons,” “Shallow,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “I’ll Never Love Again,” “Stupid Love,” “Rain on Me,” and “Die with a Smile.” She has starred in the films Machete Kills, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, A Star Is Born, House of Gucci, and Joker: Folie à Deux, and on the show American Horror Story: Hotel. She is the first woman to have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award in one year, and notably collaborated with singer Tony Bennett. She has launched vegan cosmetics brand Haus Labs. She founded non-profit Born This Way Foundation, focusing on the well-being of young people, and has participated in mental health awareness and LGBT philanthropy and activism.

Lady Gaga is the daughter of Cynthia Louise (Bissett), a philanthropist, activist, and entrepreneur, and Joseph Anthony Germanotta, an internet businessperson. Her mother is from Wheeling, West Virginia. Lady Gaga is of three quarters Italian descent, through her father and maternal grandmother. Lady Gaga’s maternal grandfather was of French, English, German, Scottish, and remote Swedish, Irish, and Dutch, ancestry. A picture of Lady Gaga’s mother can be seen here. Her sister is fashion designer and stylist Natali Germanotta. Lady Gaga was raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Lady Gaga has pointed out similarities she shares with pop idol Madonna, including being of heavily Italian origin, starting out in the New York underground scene, and becoming famous when dying their hair blonde. The two are not related through common French-Canadian roots, despite press statements to the contrary (see here).

Lady Gaga’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to her fifth great-grandfather, Giovanni Germanotta, and to his wife Antonia Leonetto.

Lady Gaga’s paternal grandfather was Joseph/Giuseppe Anthony Germanotta (the son of Antonino “Anthony” Germanotta and Rosaria “Rose” Lipari or Galipo). Joseph was born in New Jersey. Antonino, a shoemaker, was born, c. 1881, in Naso, Province of Messina, Sicily, Italy, and was the son of Francesco Germanotta and Rosaria Guerriero/Gumina. He moved to the U.S. in 1904 with Lady Gaga’s great-grandmother Rosaria, who was also born in Naso. Rosaria was a peasant, who was the daughter of Antonio Lipiari/Lipari and Benedetta Merendino.

Lady Gaga’s paternal grandmother is named Angelina/Angeline C. Calderone (who is possibly the daughter of Antonio Calderone). Angelina is of Italian descent. Lady Gaga has used the male alias Jo Calderone, after her grandmother’s name. Antonio was born in Santa Lucia del Mele, Messina, Sicily.

Lady Gaga’s maternal grandfather was Paul Douglas Bissett (the son of George Lindsey/Linsey Bissett and Sarah Ann “Sally” Leach). Paul was born in West Virginia, and had French, English, German, Scottish, and remote Swedish, Irish, and Dutch, ancestry. George was the son of John Bissett and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Burghardt. Sarah was the daughter of John Lewis/Lee Leach and Georgianna/Georgeann W. Morningstar.

Lady Gaga’s maternal grandmother is Veronica Rose Ferrie/Ferri (the daughter of Vincenzo/Giacomo “James” Ferri/Ferrie and Filomena/Fleminia G. “Minnie”/”Fannie” Campagna/Campana/Cambangnia). Veronica was born in West Virginia, to Italian parents, from Brocco, Province of Caserta, Campania, now Broccostella, Province of Frosinone, Lazio. Filomena was the daughter of Giovanni/John Campagna.

Sources: Genealogies of Lady Gaga – http://ladygaga.wikia.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://4.bp.blogspot.com
https://www.geni.com

Article about Lady Gaga’s Sicilian ancestry – http://ladygagadanceinthedark.forumcommunity.net

Obituary of Lady Gaga’s paternal grandfather, Joseph/Giuseppe Anthony Germanotta – http://www.findagrave.com

Obituary of Lady Gaga’s maternal grandfather, Paul Douglas Bissett – http://obituaryarchive.altmeyer.com

Lady Gaga in 2010, photo by kathclick/bigstock.com