Sylvester Stallone
Stallone in 2010, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: July 6, 1946
Ethnicity:
*50% Italian
*25% French Breton
*25% unclear; possibly German or Ashkenazi Jewish
Sylvester Stallone is an American actor, director, producer, and filmmaker.
He is the son of Jackie Stallone (born Jacqueline Frances Labofish), an astrologer, dancer, and women’s wrestling promoter, and Frank Stallone, Sr., who owned beauty salons and played polo. His brother is actor Frank Stallone.
Sylvester’s nickname is “The Italian Stallion.” Sylvester’s father was an Italian emigrant, from Gioia del Colle, Apulia. Sylvester’s maternal grandmother was French, of Breton ancestry.
It is not completely clear what Sylvester’s maternal grandfather’s ethnic background was. There are some indications that the family was German, and lived in the Russian Empire. An article in The Daily Mail, a British middle-market tabloid, stated that Sylvester’s maternal grandfather was of Jewish heritage, but it is not clear if this is accurate. There are many indications that he was not Jewish, and, it appears that, at least after they moved to the United States, Sylvester’s maternal grandfather’s family were Christian by religion (although it is possible that they were born Jewish).
Sylvester was raised Catholic, and is a practising Catholic.
Sylvester is married to model, entrepreneur, and business owner Jennifer Flavin. He has two children, including late actor Sage Stallone, with his first wife, Sasha Czack; and three children, including actress Sophia Rose Stallone and internet personality, model, and actress Sistine Stallone, with Jennifer.
Sylvester’s paternal grandfather was Silvestro Stallone (the son of Domenico Stallone and Maria Giuditta Patarino). Sylvester’s grandfather Silvestro was born in Gioia del Colle, Provincia di Bari Puglia, Italy. Domenico was the son of Silvestro Stallone and Pasqua Guida. Maria was the daughter of Gaudenzio Patarino and Maria Masi. Pictures of Sylvester’s father and paternal grandfather can be seen here.
Sylvester’s paternal grandmother was Pulcheria Nicastri (the daughter of Francesco Nicastri and Nunziata Speranza). Pulcheria was Italian, from Gioia del Colle.
Sylvester’s maternal grandfather was John Paul Labofish (the son of Charles Schachan/Shashan Labofish/Labofisz and Rose Ethel Lemlich/Lamlec/Lamletz/Lemletz). John was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. On census records and in other documents, Charles and Rose were listed as born in Germany most of the time, or in Russia, some of the time. Their language was usually listed as “German.” Charles was a patent attorney, and was the son of Eiel Labofish and Dora Brier.
Sylvester’s maternal grandmother was Jeanne Victoria Adrienne Anne Clérec (the daughter of Louis Victor Clérec and Marie Pauline Rodrigue). Jeanne was born in Brittany, France, to Catholic parents, and was of Breton ancestry. Louis was the son of Victor Clérec and Marie Perrine Calonec. Sylvester’s great-grandmother Marie was the daughter of Jean Jacques Edouard Rodrigue and Jeanne Marie Cavallan.
Sources: https://www.histoire-genealogie.com
Genealogy of Sylvester Stallone – https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Sylvester Stallone (focusing on his father’s side) – http://geneasud.com
Immigration record of Sylvester’s father – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Sylvester’s father – https://www.washingtonpost.com
Sylvester’s maternal grandfather, John Paul Labofish, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
John Paul Labofish on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
John Paul Labofish on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
John Paul Labofish on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Sylvester’s maternal great-grandfather, Charles Schachan/Shashan Labofish/Labofisz – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/frank-stallone-polo-player-and-father-of-actor-sylvester-stallone-dies-at-91/2011/07/12/gIQAZ8wMBI_story.html?utm_term=.811cb9b2b388
Pulcheria Nicastri was also born in Gioia del Colle
@bablah
Have you checked?
I did. It seems that his mother’s story of them being Jews from Odessa is true. Her story is just missing the ”via Berlin” part, since some of the Labofish kids were born in Berlin.
Have you seen any evidence that they were Jewish?
I think none of the Labofish children married Jews in the U.S., which almost certainly means they were Christian by religion when they came to the U.S. I believe the Labofish father re-married to a non-Jew in the U.S., as well.
But they could have been Jewish back in the Russian Empire.
Interestingly, I’ve rarely encountered whole families of Jews who converted to Christianity and then moved to the U.S. during that time period (as opposed to an individual who converted by themselves; Jewish families who specifically adapted Christian Science are a little different). John Kerry’s paternal grandparents were among the rare examples.
Shashan sound like something Hebrew (like maybe Shashak), and his last name sounds suspiciously like Leibowitz.
If Mrs. Stallone’s story is correct, they were rich. Rich people rarely follow the norm.
I think “Schachan” is a German surname. That’s one of the reasons I think they may have been ethnic Germans.
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3ASchachan~
I haven’t really heard of Jews named “Shashan”. (“Shashak” seems non-Jewish – https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3AShashak~).
Speaking of rich people, I thought perhaps Ansel Elgort’s paternal grandmother’s family were wealthy Russian Jews, which could explain some of the assimilated first names.
Not sure if that’s the case there or here.
Schachan in German is pronounced as Sha-hun.
Shashak is Biblical, and it’s a first name. It’s not very common nowadays.
Example:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VMWZ-T4C
Most reference books spell the name specifically as “Schachan”.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=%22Schachan%22+%22Labofish%22&btnG=Search&hl=en-CA&gbv=1&tbm=bks
But it’s still his middle name, not his last name. His last name is Labofish, which is not very German.
“Labofish” isn’t very anything. I think it could be German or changed from something German. There are lots of German surnames like “Kleefisch”.
I also think it would be odd for a Russian Jew to have this German surname “Schachan” somewhere in their name.
https://www.geni.com/people/Sylvester-Stallone/6000000007954839377
Looks 100% Italian.