July 7, 2025
My Path to Italian Citizenship: Q & A with client Frank DiGiacomo
I have identified as Italian since I was a child. My parents were both children of Italian immigrants — my father’s mother and father, from Ragusa, Sicily; my mother’s father, from Trieste, although he was of Slovenian heritage. Because they decided to make a life in the United States, my parents were always told, “We are Americans,” which was repeated to my siblings and me. I understand today their desire to assimilate, but Italian culture was so strong in our household and among my extended family that I see it as an essential part of my identity. And why not? Our family bonds are very strong, warm and nurturing, and, this is a crucial but underappreciated part of Italian culture, we love to laugh and make others laugh. I cherished my extended family’s annual get-togethers, sometimes 40 relatives strong, especially the Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, the First Communions, and the weddings where we all did the “Tarantella.” The gatherings of our family at funerals made the sadness of losing loved ones easier to bear. Much credit is due to my late mother, Barbara Ann, who, despite growing up in the Slovenian and Croatian cultures of her parents, shadowed my Sicilian grandmother in the kitchen. She learned how to make calamari stuffed with tentacles and breadcrumbs for Christmas Eve, sciadone for Easter, sauteed dandelion greens, arancini and meatballs and sauce that insured her many grandchildren found a reason to visit most Sundays.
My identification with Italian culture only intensified in adulthood. Long a pop culture aficionado, at college, I fell in love with the films of Martin Scorsese, who I eventually got the opportunity to interview when I moved to New York for a career in journalism. His self-education in literature, film, art and music is awe-inspiring and led me to discover the work of Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci and Luchino Visconti. Told by my cousin that Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard would give me essential insights into my “Sicilian DNA,” I devoured the book and often paraphrase Tancredi’s quote that, “Everything must change in order for everything to remain the same.” Cynical perhaps, but so wise.
When I could finally afford to experience Italy firsthand, I traveled to Florence and Tuscany, briefly to Milan and then, in 2017, I decided to explore my father’s Sicilian roots. His family’s history had always been a bit of a mystery, and after one of my cousins unraveled a significant portion of it, I sought to build on that. I did not accomplish much initially. I didn’t know where to start, and I did not speak the language. Most significantly, I was so enchanted when I arrived that I lost all desire to engage in detective work. I felt at home in the streets, the countryside, at cafés, restaurants and the fabulous lidos. Next time, I told myself. By the time I returned for a significant birthday, I had met a genealogist — the husband of a friend and former coworker — who connected me with a tour guide in Ragusa who spoke English. He took me to the local archives, where I finally uncovered some clues about my family’s origins. Thanks also to the genealogist, I learned that I might have the opportunity to obtain Italian citizenship. Enter Lorenzo Agnoloni….
When I began researching my family’s origins, a friend and former colleague introduced me to her husband, who is a genealogist. He connected me with a tour guide in Sicily who helped me obtain archival records regarding my father’s ancestors. He also explained to me that if my paternal grandfather became a U.S. citizen after my father was born, I had a chance of becoming an Italian citizen. It was a happy day when I found out that this was indeed the case.
I became passionate about uncovering my Italian ancestry long before I applied for citizenship. I have identified with my Italian roots and cherished its culture and traditions since I was a child.
4. There are many paths to citizenship—why did you choose to go through the court system in Italy?
When I told my genealogist friend that I had determined my grandfather became a U.S. citizen after my father was born, he advised me to find a lawyer who could represent me in the Italian courts. At that point that we had this discussion, I believe it was no longer possible to obtain citizenship through the consulate.
5. What were your initial concerns or hesitations about going through the courts? How did those evolve over time?
The hardest part was figuring out where to start. I needed to find an attorney who I could trust and afford. Searching via the internet, I kept finding law firms that wanted as much as $30,000 to secure citizenship.
6. Were there any unexpected moments in the process—either challenges or small victories—that stood out to you?
The first big victory: My partner Patricia, who is in the public relations business, mentioned to a colleague that I was interest in obtaining Italian citizenship. The colleague mention that she had retained Lorenzo Agnoloni to successfully get her citizenship and highly recommended him. I contacted him immediately.
The big challenge: Gathering all of the records I needed took more than a year and was, at times, very frustrating, particularly when it came to ordering federal documents. There can be months-long waits to receive these documents, and I encountered several dead ends. What made it worse is that the advice given to me by the officials who responded was, in two cases, wrong. The phone line for assistance is also largely useless. If you are in the United States, I recommend starting out by looking for birth and death certificates, old passports and immigration records that members of your family might have. That will help you pinpoint dates, cities, villages and other information you will need when requesting federal documents through the National Archives (archives.gov/research/geneaology).
7. What was it like working with Lorenzo and his team?
Working with Lorenzo and his team was the easiest part of this journey. First of all, his fee is fair compared to the other law firms I researched. Next, when I had a question about documents I was gathering, he answered promptly. And finally, once I had gathered all of the documents and sent them to Lorenzo, he took over from there. It was also reassuring that he has offices here in Florida.
8. What, in your opinion, sets Lorenzo apart from other professionals you’ve worked with—either in law or otherwise?
Lorenzo clearly has an intimate understanding of the Italian citizenship process and stays on top of changes in the process. He’s very effective, and he’s also one of the warmest and most reassuring attorneys I’ve met.
9. How would you describe Lorenzo to someone just beginning this journey—especially someone who might be overwhelmed by navigating a legal process in another country?
I’ll be honest. Collecting the documents needed to apply for citizenship is not easy, but once you put yourself in the hands of Lorenzo and his team, you can rest easier.
10. What did it feel like the day you received confirmation of your Italian citizenship?
I won’t forget the day that Lorenzo called me and said with a chuckle, “You might want to sit down for this.” And then he told me that my application and my son’s had been accepted. I was elated — still am. Throughout this process, I had prepared myself for disappointment because I thought Italian citizenship was an unobtainable dream. Lorenzo made that dream come true. I now dream of living at least part time in Sicily and leading a much simpler but richer life in my golden years.
