Earlier this year I got to meet some long lost cousins.  After doing a great deal of genealogical research, combined with some amazing coincidences, some of my American cousins made contact with our Sicilian relatives (the ones that never immigrated to America).  My great grandfather, Sebastian Guidice and his wife Maude Pizza came to America via Ellis Island and had a prolific family.  Sebastian’s brother stayed in Sicily and did the same.  Well, long story short with lots of letters trips to Sicily, several of our distant cousins came to visit our family and spent two weeks traveling all over the US.

My brother Ryan and I rendezvoused with the entourage in New York City for a couple of days, and we actually caught up with them and met, in of all places, the Boat to Ellis Island.  This seemed beautifully serendipitous, since the boat to Ellis Island is what separated the family in the first place.

We had an amazing time with the group for a couple of days before we had to part ways again.  Here are some shots from the trip.

On the Ferry to Ellis Island.

Approaching Ellis Island

Entering!

Adorably, Giovanna looked strikingly similar to many of the immigrant images in the museum.

My brother searching the Wall for Sebastian and Maude's name.

Found it! Sebastian Guidice. That's my American Cousin Judy in the background who did all the leg work and research to make this happen. She even wrote a book about the whole saga.

View from the top of Rockefeller Tower.

Wall street was way cooler that I thought it would be.