Prior to traveling to Italy in 1983, I tried to find out what part of Italy the Vollaro and Deflories families were from. Much of that information was clarified in later years but my notes from various conversations with family members follows. The information was so sparse and hazy at this time that we could not make sense of it  until after we got back from the trip. A subsequent trip to Italy in 1989 yielded much better results for tracing the Vollaro and Deflories roots.

    INTERVIEW WITH JOSEPH VOLLARO SR.    MAY 29 1983
 
    - THE FAMILY RETURNED TO ITALY ON JULY 6 1904
      (THAT WOULD MAKE JOE ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD)
 
    - THERE IS GERMAN BLOOD (ON THE VOLLARO SIDE I THINK)
 
    - LUISE VOLLARO'S MAIDEN NAME WAS ACAMPORA
      SHE CAME FROM A TOWN NOT FAR FROM NAPLES "GERAO?"
      THE FAMILY LIVED IN A LARGE CEMENT HOUSE AND WERE WELL OFF
      THEY HAD A GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TO MAKE GUN POWDER
 
    - JULIANO ACAMPORA IS AN FAIRLY WELL KNOWN ARTIST THAN HAS
      DONE RESTORATION WORK IN THE VATICAN
 
    - ANDREW VOLLARO CAME FROM A TOWN NEAR NAPLES "GRAGARO?"
 
    - THEY WERE INVOLVED IN A MACARONI FACTORY
 
    - EDITH PARILLA SAID THAT GRANDPA DEFLORIES WAS FROM
      A SMALL FARMING TOWN NEAR NAPLES CALLED BIANO
      THE ACHETINI FAMILY WAS ALSO FROM THAT TOWN AND
      THERE IS STILL A SHOE STORE THERE CALLED ACHETINI'S
      THE FAMILY NAME MAY BE KNOWN AS CHETINI
      WHEN THEY RETURNED TO BIANO (EDITH AND TINA) THEY
      FOUND IT TO BE A POOR TOWN THAT HAD NOT APPEARED TO
      HAVE STOOD STILL AND NOT PROGRESSED WITH THE PASSAGE
      OF TIME.
 
6-13-83
    Fr Bill Hase called with information about Italy
 
        write to the American College to reserve
        tickets for the pope's wednesday audience
        say that you are catholic, give the name of
        your parish and the wednesday that you will
        be there
 
        michealangelo hotel is airconditioned and
        St peters square can be seen from there
 
        Fr Al Victor is going to rome in october
 
        call 212 736 9233 for father's day mesage
 
7-28-83
    Mom says that aunt Evelin visited the town in Italy that
    the Vollaro's are from. She belives it was Castel Del Maro.
 
    Evelin Vollaro
    2911 So. Pharr Ct. N.W.
    Apt 736
    Atlanta Ga. 30305
 
    Carlo Vollaro
    RT 6 Box 384
    Garren Creek Rd.
    Ashville N.C.
    704-628-1707
11-6-83
    Met with uncle Andy and uncle Joe today in Pleasantville
and found out the following:
 
    The town in Italy that Grandpa Andrew was from is GRAGNANO
 
    The town in Italy that Grandma Luise was from is AGEROLA
 
    These town are about 4 miles apart and are located about 25 miles
south of Naples. Grandpa often spoke of CASTELLAMMARE which is a seaport
town about 5 miles east of GRAGNANO.
 
    Mom said that Grandpa Andrew had a brother Vincent who had
11 sons and two daughters. Some of them have seteled in the Westchester
area.
 
    Grandma Luise's father Juliano Acompora is said to have been
in the buisness of manufacturing gun powder and was wounded in a gun
battle.
 
    Grandpa Andrew's family is said to have been involved in the
manufacture of pasta.
 
    Uncle Joe said that he has Luise and Andrew's naturalization
papers and other documents in his possesion (in the vault).