Rio Mangini
Mangini in 2017, pic by Prphotos
Birth Name: Dante Vittorio Ronaldo Mangini
Place of Birth: California, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 6, 2002
Ethnicity:
*father – Italian
*mother – Māori (seven sixteenths), German, as well as Scottish, English, Swiss-German, and Irish
Rio Mangini is an American actor, musician, composer, and pianist. He is known for his roles on the shows Bella and the Bulldogs, Everything Sucks!, Home Before Dark, and Wolf Pack, and in the film The Little Rascals Save the Day. His father is sound editor Mark Mangini.
A picture of Rio with his parents can be seen here.
Rio’s paternal grandfather is Victor/Vittorino/Vita Paul Mangini (the son of Gaetano Mangini and Julia E. Brandolini). Victor was born in Massachusetts, to Italian parents. Julia was born in Frosinone, Lazio.
Rio’s paternal grandmother is named Barbara Anne DeMarco/De Marco (the daughter of Salvatore DeMarco/De Marco and Delia). Salvatore and Delia were born in Massachusetts, both of them to Italian parents.
Rio’s maternal grandfather was Ronald Lawrence Whatu (the son of Te Whatu Apiti and Elizabeth Te Orahi/Oraihi Paki). Ronald was born in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand, of Māori, of Ngāti Porou, and one eighth Scottish, descent. Te Whatu was the son of Te Apiti Ranga and Taku te Miri/Parekatangi Te Hoanga Takutai. Elizabeth was the daughter of Pouaka Paki and Ani Tanaha Ngahooro Erueti Edward/Edwards, whose own father was Scottish or from Essex, England. Elizabeth was a prominent leader in the Māori community in Hamilton.
Rio’s maternal grandmother is Sharon Rose “Sherry” Tyler (the daughter of Earl Keith Tyler and Mildred Pearl “Milly” Bierman). Sharon was born in Iowa, and is of German, and small amounts of English, Swiss-German, and Irish, descent. Earl was the son of Dr. John Knox Tyler and Augusta/Agusta Snell/Schnell, whose parents were German, her father from Landkreis Tuttlingen, Baden-Württemberg, and her mother from Prenzlau, Landkreis Uckermärk, Brandenburg. Mildred was the daughter of John Carl Bierman, whose parents were German, and of Ida May Eberling. A picture of Rio with his maternal grandmother can be seen here.
Rio is said to be a direct descendant of U.S. President John Tyler (1790-1862) through his maternal grandmother. This is not accurate.
Sources: http://www.ysbnow.com
Rio’s paternal grandfather, Victor/Vittorino/Vita Paul Mangini, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Rio’s paternal great-grandparents, Salvatore DeMarco/De Marco and Delia, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Rio’s paternal great-grandmother, Delia DeMarco – https://www.legacy.com
Obituary of Rio’s maternal grandfather, Ronald Lawrence Whatu – https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Genealogy of Rio’s maternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth Te Orahi/Oraihi Paki – https://www.geni.com
Rio’s maternal grandmother, Sharon Rose “Sherry” Tyler, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rio’s maternal great-grandparents, Earl Keith Tyler and Mildred Pearl “Milly” Bierman – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Rio’s maternal great-grandmother, Mildred Pearl “Milly” (Bierman) Tyler Shingledecker – https://www.wittichfuneralhome.com
Ani Tanaha Ngahooro Erueti Edwards father was from Essex, England.
A bizarre thing in this tree is that Te Whatu Apiti may descend to an Israeli man, Shalom Abbot Abraham, from Haifa.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KWJV-TW1
This says Scotland:
https://www.geni.com/people/John-Edwards/6000000029406580346
This says England:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127493521/john-edwards
I believe he was part Scottish (Campbell). However it says he “arrived” (sailed?) from Essex.
Edwards surname is not Scottish though (Welsh or English).
I wouldn’t conclude anything from the surname Edwards alone. Plenty of Scottish people have English surnames anyway.
“A bizarre thing in this tree is that Te Whatu Apiti may descend to an Israeli man, Shalom Abbot Abraham, from Haifa.”
That’s very unusual. I think that’s a mistake. There weren’t a lot of Israeli people in NZ in the 1800s.
Te Whatu Apiti’s grandfather Abraham’s Māori name was likely Te Apiti Aperahama. (Here you can see his family tree: https://ngatiporou.com/node/591/results scroll down to the comments.)
Not sure if Hunoa Mahuika and Te Ringi Maiwhati Aruhia are his parents or his parents-in-law. Rio Mangini is Ngāti Porou through them.
His paternal grandfather was Victor/Vittorino Paul Mangini (Gaetano Mangini and Julia Brandolini). Victor was born in Massachusetts, to Italian parents.
His paternal grandmother was Barbara Anne.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/walthamnewstribune/obituary.aspx?n=constance-t-enik&pid=189219403&fhid=15213
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQPT-DNF
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4F1-JXK
I’m now about 95% sure this is his maternal grandfather (it HAS to be, right?). I can’t find any other person named Whatu in the U.S. (except for his daughters) and his first name happens to be Ronald, which is the middle name he said he got from his grandfather (although slightly Italianized):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29D-VJW4
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9KH-J3X?from=lynx1UIV8
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TAH196606.2.3.1
It would mean his maternal grandfather was Ronald Lawrence Whatu (the son of Te Whatu Apiti and Elizabeth Te Orahi Paki). Ronald was born in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand, of Maori and 1/8th Scottish descent. Elizabeth was the daughter of Pouaka Paki and Ani Tanaha Ngahooro Edward, whose father was Scottish.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/ronald-lawrence-whatu-24-fc66bd
https://www.geni.com/people/Elizabeth-Apiti/6000000029946893235
He is said to have the birth name Dante Vittorio Ronaldo Mangini.
His paternal grandmother is named Barbara.
His maternal grandmother is Sharon Rose “Sherry” Tyler (the daughter of Earl Keith Tyler and Mildred Pearl “Milly” Bierman). Earl was the son of John Tyler and Augusta Snell, whose parents were German. Mildred was the daughter of John Carl Bierman, whose parents were German, and of Ida May Eberling.
https://www.wittichfuneralhome.com/obituary/88941/Mildred-Milly-Shingledecker/
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29P-VT6Y
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMB3-CJ3
I don’t know where you got Hispanic from. Whatu seems to be a Maori name from what I’ve seen so far.
Whatu is definitely Māori.
I wouldn’t have thought he was Māori just from looking at him. He certainly takes after the Italian side.
He does not look Italian whatsoever. Probably his Māori side makes him looking Hispanic, either part South Asian or other “brown” ethnicity. It can be helpful at castings.
A bit like Cliff Curtis then. Cliff’s played almost all non-white ethnicities (except for native american).
“He does not look Italian whatsoever.”
How so? He could pass for Sicilian in my opinion.
Andrew, are you Italian?
Italian Citizen. Finland-born though.
@comrade
For example this is his Italian grand-uncle: https://www.currentobituary.com/member/obit/163373
@andrew I can see Rio’s Polynesian traits now but the eyes and nose threw me off track. The eyes aren’t very polynesian they’re definitely more Mediterranean (or Scottish?) imo.
Looks like Kate Micucci.
Haha, precisely what I was thinking!
No, he does not look Sicilian or Southern European of any kind (actors who play “Sicilian” roles in Hollywood productions are often not Sicilian then). I see some resemblance with Kate Micucci too. who is basically the human version of an Anime character.
Rio’s father may have ancestors from Tuscany. One of the official Mr. Bean’s doubles is named Arnaldo Mangini
When I first saw him, I thought he looked South Asian, but he can also pass for a ton of other ethnic groups. As “Andrew” said, this probably helps in casting.
Honestly, aside from his skin tone (and a few other subtle hints), he looks predominantly European. and obviously that’s expected since he’s about 80%. But as a whole, he doesn’t look Italian or German or Anglo.
Just found what appears to be something he has written himself, and it confirms what I’ve found:
http://www.ysbnow.com/en/detail/586e97e579615204654aafb7/-13thingsthursday:-rio-mangini-spills-13-facts-you-didn-t-know-
Among what’s stated is:
“I have 2 middle names (Vittorio and Ronaldo- after both my Grandfathers)”
“I am Italian and Maori mixed”
“President John Tyler is my ancestor on my mom’s mom’s side.”
The part about him being descended from John Tyler wasn’t true.
https://sv.findagrave.com/memorial/157175274/earl-keith-tyler
Earl was the son of John Tyler and Augusta Snell —> Earl was the son of John Knox Tyler and Augusta Snell/Schnell
His maternal grandmother’s ancestry was German, with small amounts of English, Swiss-German, and Irish
https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=paxson99&id=I7679
“I am Italian and Maori mixed”, odd how he leaves out the fact that he also has maternal Anglo/Irish and German heritage. His mother isn’t even half Maori, in actuality she’s around 40%.
Then again, look at how how Taika Waititi use to always claim to be “half Jewish” and that his mothers family were Russian Jews, but he’s only 1/8th and now the media is claiming he’s only 1/4th. I guess its just very common to lie/embellish your background, especially if you’re in the public eye.
I guessed Italian and I guessed Hispanic and he ended up as both.lol