Identified! PA - Philadelphia - 'Boy in the Box' - 4UMPA - Feb'57 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli #4

[MissUnderstood]

It seems the birth mother had many children with different fathers. I’m quite surprised considering it was the 50’s. Was she bouncing around to different husbands? Living with her parents? Seems a very unstable life. I get the feeling JAZ, and the other children were not taken care of and abuse was the norm in the home. Not sure if mum or step dad or a grand parent or other sibling or person in the household is responsible. I think that’s why they have not released the birth mothers name. Maybe there is no one alive who actually knows what happened.

 

[Daphne1972]

What helped ID Joseph Augustus Zarelli? His mother’s family dabbles in genetic genealogy.

How curious third and fourth cousins and a dogged forensic genealogist helped identify Joseph A. Zarelli.

www.inquirer.com

Joseph Augustus Zarelli was born Jan. 13, 1953, to a woman who was not married to Joseph’s father during an era when out-of-wedlock births carried a tinge of shame. Although the name of the father appeared on the birth certificate, the name alone wasn’t proof that he was Joseph’s biological father, Gillis said. That would take more DNA digging.

 

[Alleykins]

It seems the birth mother had many children with different fathers. I’m quite surprised considering it was the 50’s. Was she bouncing around to different husbands? Living with her parents? Seems a very unstable life. I get the feeling JAZ, and the other children were not taken care of and abuse was the norm in the home. Not sure if mum or step dad or a grand parent or other sibling or person in the household is responsible. I think that’s why they have not released the birth mothers name. Maybe there is no one alive who actually knows what happened.

RBBM for focus

Having children out of wedlock, as taboo as it was until recently, has been going on all throughout human history, so this hardly surprises me. Mostly because my grandmother did it in the 1930s, but she was engaged at the time. Her fiance abandoned her when he found out. My gr grandparents supported her decision to raise him on her own, totally going against societal expectations and risking public shame. Sadly, he passed at three days old.

I was watching a recent episode of Finding Your Roots, and actress Julia Roberts found out she's not even a Roberts. The last name was handed down by a widowed 2nd great grandmother, whose husband with the last name Roberts had been dead for 10 years when she started having kids, and hadn't remarried. I think she had three children, who were given her late husband's last name. Turns out, the biological father of her "Roberts" line was the married son of a neighbor. This was back in the mid 1800's. Her family had no idea.

 

[iamshadow21]

My great great grandmother had three children out of wedlock as a teenager, two of whom were sons who carried her surname in life. This name still exists today in our family line because of this. People think of names as this monolith, and they're so, so fluid. My partner's grandfather was such a puzzle! The first name everyone knew him by wasn't his name but a nickname, he had three surnames - bio family, adoptive family, adoptive family's second husband's surname - and cheerfully used them interchangeably and in conjunction throughout his life. And he was an honest citizen! No criminal reason for it, his identity just reflected his multifaceted origins. I myself chose to change my surname in adulthood. I've had transgender friends who've changed their names to reflect themselves more truly. We really do transcend the labels put on us at birth, in so many ways. We have to keep the genealogists on their toes somehow!

But to swing this back to being somewhat on topic, yes, Joseph is a Zarelli, somehow. But we won't know for sure unless they tell us officially in the future where that name comes from - father, mother, grandparent, other? But that's only a small part of his story, and if it was simple, it wouldn't have been such a puzzle for the folks at Identifinders, who do this for a living!

 

[txsleuth70]

Sketch!

Ugh. He probably didn't look like the sketch much.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

If I'm reading this correctly, only 779 people in Horsham in 1950?

I would guess the older lady in the photo was 50 (people aged quicker back then). So, in 1950 she may have been early 40's. The young man in the photo looks 12-15. I would say 13. So he would be 6 in the census.

The man not pictured said to be in his twenties would be prob 15-16 in 1950. Maybe the young woman with this baby is his wife? She likely would not be with the family in 1950.

Maybe the household could be narrowed down in the census? Get busy, sleuths! ;-)

I wonder if there is an actual list of farms somewhere?

I do believe I found this household in the census. A 40-ish female head (widow), her teenage daughter, and three foster children, including a 6-year-old boy. No one in the household worked. I'm guessing there may have been a revolving door of foster children and that was probably the primary source of income beside whatever money the widow may have gotten after her husband's death. The makeup of the household likely changed between 1950 and 1957.

If not this house, there were other farms nearby with young hired help and farm hands as enumerated in the census.

 

[osadelnorte]

I don't think we're allowed to discuss possible suspects by name or initials unless they have been named by law enforcement.

 

[Cattydcat]

I didn't think so either and am confused by why it suddenly appeared - I think I need more coffee to understand what I am missing.

 

[CocoChanel]

As no POI/suspect has been named by LE, attempts to identify the parents or family is covered under our policy of not sleuthing anyone who is not officially named a POI/suspect.

This thread is open again with zero tolerance for posts that sleuth or attempt to identify the parents or the family until such time as LE releases that information.

Putting this forward from just a few short weeks ago.
Posts are being deleted that violate this very clear instruction from senior administrator Sillybilly. Consequences will result.

ZERO TOLERANCE = ZERO TOLERANCE

 

[Toots1]

Yes, it was a home for wayward, troubled girls.
Girls did not give birth there.
They don't believe there is a connection
__________________
There was a foster home 1.5 miles away, which was looked at extensively.
However, I'm sure they're looking at it again. The foster home is no longer in existence. The owners have long died. A detective felt the boy may have been from there.
However, now that we have a name, (JAZ) maybe they can make some headway.
MOO: I always thought this was a good lead. There were some wacky conspiracy theories about the proprietors, however those were just that. (Such as one of the foster parents was the child's parent..or something. I believe DNA ruled it out) Nevertheless, any foster home always deserves a second look.

There are too many coincidences to not find a connection between JAZ and the Good Shepard School, which was named "Tekakwitha Hills", after the Native American Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha . I'm not saying that the good sisters had anything to do with the murder of JAZ, but there's no doubt in my mind they knew of JAZ as he was probably adopted out (either by school or some agency associated with the Phila Archdiocese).

1) JAZ was dumped almost literally at the end of the driveway to the School. This tells me that someone "returned" JAZ back to where he came from.

2) John Powroznik - an 18-year-old high school junior told police that he had discovered the body of the murdered boy in Fox Chase on the weekend of February 22-23, 1957, but was afraid to tell anyone about it. John Powroznik's home was located on Pine road near Susquehanna road. Powroznik claimed ownership of a number of muskrat traps in the vicinity.

John's parents, Waclaw and Apollonia spoke limited English. Waclaw, the Father, a farmer, and Apollonia, the mother, worked in the laundry at “Tekakwitha Hills”

3) Upon attending an estate sale at the foster home, an investigator in the medical examiner’s office, Remington Bristow discovered a bassinet similar to the one sold at J.C. Penney. He also discovered blankets hanging on the clothesline similar to that in which JAZ's body had been wrapped. I wonder where the foster children living at this home came from? I wouldn't doubt, "Tekakwitha Hills”.

4) The Medical Examiner's office took the blanket to the Philadelphia Textile Institute, for testing. It was determined that the blanket had been made either at the Beacon Mills, Swannanoa, N.C., or the Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec, Canada.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha lived the end of her life in an Indian reservation named Kahnawake in Quebec, Canada.
The Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec is a 1 hr drive from the Indian reservation. She had smallpox, which left scars on her face and she always wore a blanket, which would hide her scars.

The 1939-1964 mayor of the town of Granby, Pierre-Horace Boivin, was instrumental in developing Granby as one of the largest (at the time) textile manufacturing towns. Boivin was a devout Catholic. The Catholic Church honored him as a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory, a title bestowed on him by the Pope.

The Esmond Mills employees' union was created in 1936, the year the Syndicat Catholique National du Textile de Granby (SCNTG) was created, set up to organize all the weavers in the city. Known as the Syndicat catholique national du textile de Granby, Esmond Mills section, it is one of the six components of the SCNTG.

Can someone research whether Esmond Mills supplied the entire Catholic organization in Canada and US with linens/blankets?

I think it's pretty obvious that JAZ was adopted, especially since the Philadelphia police didn't release the names of the birth parents. Hopefully they are getting a subpoena to find out who orchestrated this adoption.

BTW, what happened to the "prominent family" that was mentioned in the press? Were the Zarelli's prominent? Or are the police referring to the adopted family?

 

[Friday Fan]

There are too many coincidences to not find a connection between JAZ and the Good Shepard School, which was named "Tekakwitha Hills", after the Native American Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha . I'm not saying that the good sisters had anything to do with the murder of JAZ, but there's no doubt in my mind they knew of JAZ as he was probably adopted out (either by school or some agency associated with the Phila Archdiocese).

1) JAZ was dumped almost literally at the end of the driveway to the School. This tells me that someone "returned" JAZ back to where he came from.

2) John Powroznik - an 18-year-old high school junior told police that he had discovered the body of the murdered boy in Fox Chase on the weekend of February 22-23, 1957, but was afraid to tell anyone about it. John Powroznik's home was located on Pine road near Susquehanna road. Powroznik claimed ownership of a number of muskrat traps in the vicinity.

John's parents, Waclaw and Apollonia spoke limited English. Waclaw, the Father, a farmer, and Apollonia, the mother, worked in the laundry at “Tekakwitha Hills”

3) Upon attending an estate sale at the foster home, an investigator in the medical examiner’s office, Remington Bristow discovered a bassinet similar to the one sold at J.C. Penney. He also discovered blankets hanging on the clothesline similar to that in which JAZ's body had been wrapped. I wonder where the foster children living at this home came from? I wouldn't doubt, "Tekakwitha Hills”.

4) The Medical Examiner's office took the blanket to the Philadelphia Textile Institute, for testing. It was determined that the blanket had been made either at the Beacon Mills, Swannanoa, N.C., or the Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec, Canada.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha lived the end of her life in an Indian reservation named Kahnawake in Quebec, Canada.
The Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec is a 1 hr drive from the Indian reservation. She had smallpox, which left scars on her face and she always wore a blanket, which would hide her scars.

The 1939-1964 mayor of the town of Granby, Pierre-Horace Boivin, was instrumental in developing Granby as one of the largest (at the time) textile manufacturing towns. Boivin was a devout Catholic. The Catholic Church honored him as a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory, a title bestowed on him by the Pope.

The Esmond Mills employees' union was created in 1936, the year the Syndicat Catholique National du Textile de Granby (SCNTG) was created, set up to organize all the weavers in the city. Known as the Syndicat catholique national du textile de Granby, Esmond Mills section, it is one of the six components of the SCNTG.

Can someone research whether Esmond Mills supplied the entire Catholic organization in Canada and US with linens/blankets?

I think it's pretty obvious that JAZ was adopted, especially since the Philadelphia police didn't release the names of the birth parents. Hopefully they are getting a subpoena to find out who orchestrated this adoption.

BTW, what happened to the "prominent family" that was mentioned in the press? Were the Zarelli's prominent? Or are the police referring to the adopted family?

I highly doubt he was adopted via the archdiocese as it would have been a closed adoption and there would have not have been a reason for LE to release his birth name. If he was formally adopted, he would have a different name. His BC would have been sealed and amended. There would be no reason to release his birth name because he would not have been associated with his birth parents at the time of his death.

 

[Toots1]

I highly doubt he was adopted via the archdiocese as it would have been a closed adoption and there would have not have been a reason for LE to release his birth name. If he was formally adopted, he would have a different name. His BC would have been sealed and amended. There would be no reason to release his birth name because he would not have been associated with his birth parents at the time of his death.

Phila police said they obtained a subpoena to receive the birth certificate. So, if it was sealed, I would think the subpoena would unseal it. Also, per the Captain of the Phila Police, at the Press conference, "the name on the birth certificate is not exact".

 

[Toots1]

Phila police said they obtained a subpoena to receive the birth certificate. So, if it was sealed, I would think the subpoena would unseal it. Also, per the Captain of the Phila Police, at the Press conference, "the name on the birth certificate is not exact".

It's also likely that in 1957, it wouldn't have been a "formal adoption".

 

[Friday Fan]

It's also likely that in 1957, it wouldn't have been a "formal adoption".

If it is through the church it certainly would have been!
Adoptions in 1957 tended to be very closed.
They would have released his adoptive name instead of the name on his birth certificate because that would have been his identifying name.

 

[LaLa723]

There are too many coincidences to not find a connection between JAZ and the Good Shepard School, which was named "Tekakwitha Hills", after the Native American Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha . I'm not saying that the good sisters had anything to do with the murder of JAZ, but there's no doubt in my mind they knew of JAZ as he was probably adopted out (either by school or some agency associated with the Phila Archdiocese).

1) JAZ was dumped almost literally at the end of the driveway to the School. This tells me that someone "returned" JAZ back to where he came from.

2) John Powroznik - an 18-year-old high school junior told police that he had discovered the body of the murdered boy in Fox Chase on the weekend of February 22-23, 1957, but was afraid to tell anyone about it. John Powroznik's home was located on Pine road near Susquehanna road. Powroznik claimed ownership of a number of muskrat traps in the vicinity.

John's parents, Waclaw and Apollonia spoke limited English. Waclaw, the Father, a farmer, and Apollonia, the mother, worked in the laundry at “Tekakwitha Hills”

3) Upon attending an estate sale at the foster home, an investigator in the medical examiner’s office, Remington Bristow discovered a bassinet similar to the one sold at J.C. Penney. He also discovered blankets hanging on the clothesline similar to that in which JAZ's body had been wrapped. I wonder where the foster children living at this home came from? I wouldn't doubt, "Tekakwitha Hills”.

4) The Medical Examiner's office took the blanket to the Philadelphia Textile Institute, for testing. It was determined that the blanket had been made either at the Beacon Mills, Swannanoa, N.C., or the Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec, Canada.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha lived the end of her life in an Indian reservation named Kahnawake in Quebec, Canada.
The Esmond Mills at Granby, Quebec is a 1 hr drive from the Indian reservation. She had smallpox, which left scars on her face and she always wore a blanket, which would hide her scars.

The 1939-1964 mayor of the town of Granby, Pierre-Horace Boivin, was instrumental in developing Granby as one of the largest (at the time) textile manufacturing towns. Boivin was a devout Catholic. The Catholic Church honored him as a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory, a title bestowed on him by the Pope.

The Esmond Mills employees' union was created in 1936, the year the Syndicat Catholique National du Textile de Granby (SCNTG) was created, set up to organize all the weavers in the city. Known as the Syndicat catholique national du textile de Granby, Esmond Mills section, it is one of the six components of the SCNTG.

Can someone research whether Esmond Mills supplied the entire Catholic organization in Canada and US with linens/blankets?

I think it's pretty obvious that JAZ was adopted, especially since the Philadelphia police didn't release the names of the birth parents. Hopefully they are getting a subpoena to find out who orchestrated this adoption.

BTW, what happened to the "prominent family" that was mentioned in the press? Were the Zarelli's prominent? Or are the police referring to the adopted family?

But the experts in the case that have been talking (Colleen Fitzpatrick most recently) have stated that they believe he wasn’t adopted out.

 

[HarmonyE.]

But the experts in the case that have been talking (Colleen Fitzpatrick most recently) have stated that they believe he wasn’t adopted out.

Speculation only, but I think we will eventually learn that he was not adopted and that he lived his life with family. Maybe not with a biological parent but with people or a person with whom he was related in some way. Parent, grandparents, aunts/uncles, stepparents. If LE believed he'd been adopted I think they'd be hinting in that direction. If no names are mentioned, what would be the harm?

 

[RaspberryMama]

Upon attending an estate sale at the foster home, an investigator in the medical examiner’s office, Remington Bristow discovered a bassinet similar to the one sold at J.C. Penney. He also discovered blankets hanging on the clothesline similar to that in which JAZ's body had been wrapped. I wonder where the foster children living at this home came from? I wouldn't doubt, "Tekakwitha Hills”.

SBM

The girls lived at the school, there would've been no need for them to be in a foster home. If you are insinuating that the girls at this school were there to have babies who were then put in foster homes, that's incorrect. There definitely were maternity homes for young unwed mothers in Philadelphia, but Tekakwitha Hills was not one of them. This was a school that parents sent their girls to in order to curb their delinquent ways and, in short, to keep them from becoming girls that needed to go to a maternity home.

There are lots of stories about the different schools within the city and which were which kind if you do some digging.

 

[Sneaker33]

But the experts in the case that have been talking (Colleen Fitzpatrick most recently) have stated that they believe he wasn’t adopted out.

Yes! Colleen Fitzpatrick's statements from the interview indicated Joseph was with at least one bio parent.

SBM

The girls lived at the school, there would've been no need for them to be in a foster home. If you are insinuating that the girls at this school were there to have babies who were then put in foster homes, that's incorrect. There definitely were maternity homes for young unwed mothers in Philadelphia, but Tekakwitha Hills was not one of them. This was a school that parents sent their girls to in order to curb their delinquent ways and, in short, to keep them from becoming girls that needed to go to a maternity home.

There are lots of stories about the different schools within the city and which were which kind if you do some digging.

 

[Daphne1972]

Phila police said they obtained a subpoena to receive the birth certificate. So, if it was sealed, I would think the subpoena would unseal it. Also, per the Captain of the Phila Police, at the Press conference, "the name on the birth certificate is not exact".

The father's name is not exact.

 

[DFWNF]

That young man looks possibly undernourished and has a bruised eye.

My eyes aren't great but the markings do not look like chest hair to me, on such a young looking man, and goes up to the left side of his neck area?