Branch A: Romagosa Arteaga/Venecia

Manzanillo/Costa Rica/Camaguey/Havana

Sebastian Benigno Romagosa Arteaga married Emilia Venecia Pedrajas (or Pedraza) on July 2, 1846. Emilia was the daughter of Pedro Martin Venecia, who had been with Sebastian’s father on the first Manzanillo city council formed in 1831. In 1846, among the most important companies in Manzanillo with warehouses for exports to Spain and the United States were: "Ramírez & Sobrinos [Nephews], Guimera & Co., Venecia & Co" (Efemerides, Vol. I, p. 101). In 1862 there were several sugar mills that were water vapor driven, including "Esperanza, property of the Venecia family; San Francisco of Ramírez & Oro; Santa Gertrudis, of Romagosa & Bori..." (Vol. I, p. 127).

Sebastian and Emilia’s family prospered. They had 10 children, all born in Manzanillo, although at least three of the children, Emilio, Jose de Jesus and Maria Emilia, died young. With revolutionary activity increasing against Spain in Oriente province, where Manzanillo was located, Sebastián and his family became involved in the 10-Year War (1868-1878). Sebastian's property was confiscated sometime during the 10-Year war.

On April 4, 1869, a few months after the Bayamo fire on Jan. 16, the Count of Valmaseda proclaimed a war of extermination against Cuban rebels, called mambises, declaring that all those older than 15 years of age who were caught outside of their property without justification would be executed and all housing without a white flag would be destroyed. The confiscation of the property of those who rebelled against Spain was also ordered, as well as that of those who helped or appeared suspicious. On April 6 the first list of those who had participated in subversive activities was prepared, with the property of 177 persons identified for confiscation, totaling 17 million pesos. The list eventually included more than four thousand families. The property of the Romagosa Venecias was confiscated during that time, but their house was returned after the end of the War of Independence in 1898.

Children of Sebastian Romagosa Arteaga and Emilia Venecia Pedrajas (or Pedraza)

Pedro Martín Justo Romagosa Venecia. Born: May 28, 1847. Baptized: June 8, 1847. Godparents: Antonio Venzol and María del Carmen Venecia. [No descendants have been identified.]

Sebastián Benigno Fermín Romagosa Venecia. Born: November 2, 1848. Baptized: November 11, 1848. Godparents: Juan Evangelista Romagosa Arteaga and Andrea Avelina Venecia.

Juan Evangelista Anselmo de los Angeles Romagosa Venecia. Born: April 20, 1850. Baptized: May 2, 1850. Godparents: Sebastian Romagosa Dalmau and Angela Pedrajas.

José Antonio Romagosa Venecia. Born: March 19, 1852. Baptized: April 11, 1852. Godparents: Manuel Suárez and María Ana Arteaga. [No descendants have been identified.]

Antonio María de Jesús Benito Romagosa Venecia. Born: April 3, 1855. Baptized: April 20, 1855. Godparents: Quintín Venecia and María Ana Arteaga. [No descendants have been identified.]

Emilio María de Jesús Romagosa Venecia. Born: May 16, 1857. Baptized: June 3, 1857. Godparents: Manuel de Jesús Romagosa and Rosa Mayol Venecia. [Died young]
José de Jesús Guillermo Romagosa Venecia. Born: June 25, 1859. Baptized July 9^th, 1859. Godparents; José Venecia and Concepción de la Terga. [Died young]

María Emilia Josefa de la Caridad Ana Pabla de Jesús Romagosa Venecia. Born: January 15, 1861. Baptized: February 2, 1861. Godparents: Jose Maria de la Terga Fortich and Viridiana Vinsac Muñoz. [Died young]

Maria de Jesús (Chuchina) del Monte Eleuteria de la Caridad Antonia Romagosa Venecia. Born: February 20, 1863. Baptized April 20, 1863. Godparents: Juan Evangelista Romagosa Venecia. She married her first cousin, Manuel Romagosa Buelta (Branch B).

María de los Angeles (Angela) Cornelia de la Caridad Romagosa Venecia. Born: Sept. 16, 1865. Baptized: Sept. 21, 1865. Godparents: Avelina Venecia and José Agustín Rodriguez. Married Jose Felix Ros and Ros.

After Sebastian’s death, the family scattered. Sebastian Jr. went to Cienfuegos, Juan Evangelista, only 18, went into exile, first in Kingston, Jamaica and then to Costa Rica. Nothing is known about the eldest child, Pedro Martin Venecia, or Jose Antonio, Emilio, Jose de Jesus, Maria Emilia or their descendants. Their stories, therefore, are not included. Of the other children who survived, Ma. de Jesus married her first cousin Manuel Romagosa Buelta and is included under his branch (Branch B).

The following sections describe the remaining Romagosa Venecia families.

I. Sebastián Benigno Fermín Romagosa Venecia (Hereafter Sebastian II)

Sebastian II married Juana Pereda (or Perea) Ramirez in Manzanillo and then moved to Cienfuegos after the family property was confiscated during the 10-Year War. He was identified in Ellis records as a lawyer and is therefore likely to be the Sebastian Romagosa, lawyer, who appears in an American guidebook to Cuba businesses published in 1898, as living in Cienfuegos on Arguelles Street.

Sebastian II and Juana had at least eight children, possibly more since the only information about most of them is from the Ellis Island records that document the family members who traveled through the Port of New York to Philadelphia to study, or, in one case, possibly attend the wedding of one of the children, Sebastian, Jr. in 1895. Following are the children of Sebastian (II) Benigno Romagosa Venecia and Juana Pereda (or Perea) Ramirez who have been identified through Ellis records and their approximate birth years: Sebastian Benigno (hereafter Sebastian III), born in 1876 (see Branch F); Alberto (1880); Emilio (1883); Matilde (1884); Angela (1885); Maria (1887); Juana (1889); and Carlos (1892). An Emilia Romagosa Perea, probably a daughter of Sebastian II and Juana, married Francisco Larrea in Manzanillo.

It is possible that there were more children. A Leopoldo Romagosa, 19, appears in Ellis records as born in Cienfuegos, traveling alone on September 3, 1912, to study at a school in Carlysle, Pa. He would have been born around 1893, so perhaps he had been too young to travel with the rest of the family in 1895. It is also possible that there had been an older child, named Juan Evangelista, older than Sebastian III, and born in Manzanillo, who was the one who married a Maria Petronila Leon and settled in Cienfuegos. He does not show as traveling with the family, maybe because he was older and already married. The Cienfuegos branch (Branch E) descends from a Juan Evangelista who has not yet been identified.

Ellis records show Sebastian II traveling through the Port of New York three times (!894, 1895, 1909). On August 14, 1894, Sebastian II traveled with Sebastian III, aged 17, and Alberto, aged 15, shown as students, probably to bring both to study in Philadelphia. Juana traveled in 1895, 1898, 1903, 1909 and 1913.

In 1895, the family traveled to Philadelphia to visit their son, Sebastian III, probably for his wedding. Sebastian II, identified as a lawyer, lists their closest relative in Cuba as Manuel Romagosa (his brother-in-law, married to Ma. de Jesus/Chuchina), Plaza de Armas, Manzanillo. The following children are listed as traveling: Alberto, Emilio, Matilde, Angela, Maria, Juana and Carlos.

The family traveled again on May 10th, 1909, this time only three children traveled with them: Angela (26), Juana (20), both still single, and Carlos (16), a student. The children are shown as having been born in Cienfuegos and the parents in Manzanillo. They are again traveling to visit their son, Sebastian III at 649 North Fraser Street in Philadelphia. Apparently they also stayed in New York since that same year, a month later, on June 17th, 1909, Manuel Romagosa Buelta and Ma. de Jesus (Chuchina), together with their four children, are shown traveling to visit his brother-in-law/her brother, Sebastian (II) Romagosa at 282 8th Avenue in New York City. They identify their closest relative in Cuba as Juan Evangelista Romagosa (Manuel's cousin/Chuchina's brother).

In 1913, Juana traveled by herself to visit her son (Sebastian III) in Philadelphia, at 402 South 43rd Street. She identifies as her closest relative in Cuba her husband Sebastian at 186 San Lazaro, Havana, where they had apparently moved. The family lost contact with the rest of the Romagosas in Manzanillo, who do not remember the connection to that branch of the family, although they knew about them. Sebastian III's descendants in Philadelphia also had no information about their ancestors in Cuba, other than remembering that Sebastian III's mother (Juana) lived to a very old age and used to smoke a pipe. Unfortunately, their house in Philadelphia had burned to the ground and all family records were lost.

II. Juan Evangelista Romagosa Venecia Juan Evangelista Anselmo Romagosa Venecia (see picture) (1850-1927) was born in Manzanillo. His parents sent him out of the country to protect him during the 10-Year War. He went to Kingston, Jamaica, when he was around 20 years old, and then moved to Costa Rica. Juan Evangelista married Catalina Sánchez García (see picture) (1855-1951), also exiled, on November 28, 1874, on the boat going from Kingston to Costa Rica. Catalina had at least three siblings: Genoveva (Beba) Sánchez; Clemencia, who married a Galvez and lived in Guatemala; another sister who reportedly married a son of the Duke of Alba, who had gone to Cuba and fallen in love with her; and at least one brother who married Victoria Jurado and had a daughter, Ena.

Catalina's dad, Juan Sanchez Izaguirre, had been executed by Spanish troops during the 10-Year war when his safeconduct was not honored. His name appears on a list of those whose property had been confiscated in 1869. He is identified as being 45 years old, married and a lawyer (Efemerides, p. 164.) The Izaguirres were a well known family in Bayamo. Jose Ma. Izaguirre (1828-1905) was a teacher and writer who joined Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in planning the protest at Yara that led to the 10-Year War and was a delegate to the Guaimaro Assembly. He was exiled in Guatemala where he founded the Escuela Normal Central and facilitated Jose Marti's employment at that institution in 1877. Catalina's sister, Genoveva (called Beba), addressed a picture of her "To my dear cousins C.C., Jose Ma. and Manuel Izaguirre to show my affection, Genoveva Sanchez" , dated April 6, 1872, in Kingston, Jamaica).

Juan Evangelista and Catalina lived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where the Romagosa-Sanchez family prospered and multiplied... to the tune of 13 children: Juan Evangelista, called Juanito (1875-1942); Emilia (did not marry); Benigno (b. 1876, died as a child); Alfredo (2) (1881-1945); Sebastián Benigno, called Benigno (3)(1883-1965); Rita (4) (1886-1978); Fernando (b.1888); Angela (1890-1979) never married, and twin,who died young); Ernesto (5) (1892-1986); Roberto (6)(1894-1974); Guillermo (7) (1899-1981); and Adolfo Romagosa Sanchez (8).

Catalina lived until she was 98 years old. She died on April 8, 1951 in la Sierra, Marianao (Havana). She used to keep a bottle of Bacardí rum in the refrigerator and would drink a sip before lunch and another one before dinner. Catalina was a devout Catholic, but Juan Evangelista Sr. was a mason, as were many who became involved in Cuba's war of independence. The secret meetings were used for conspiracy purposes. In Costa Rica, he became the treasurer of a committee of Cubans that raised funds to free Cuba from Spain. José Martí visited the family during his trips to Costa Rica. A newspaper article, provided by Magda Whelchell and Rita Gonzalez-Pacheco, grand-daughters of Juanito Romagosa Sanchez, reproduced a letter from Jose Marti to Juan Evangelista Sr. describing the role he was to play in the invasion that left Costa Rica on March 25, 1895, at the start of the Cuban War of Independence. The invasion consisted of one boat, the Adirondack, with 23 men led by Antonio Maceo, his brother Jose, and Flor Crombet, 13 rifles and 15 machetes. After changing to another ship (Honor) at a stop at the island Fortuna, the expeditioners arrived near Baracoa, Cuba, on April 1 to join other mambises who were already there, including Jose Marti. Juan Evangelista had been assigned the mission of paying $100 to a Costa Rican official to keep the sailing of the small expedition a secret.

The family also took care of Antonio Maceo when he was shot in San Jose. The book Antonio Maceo, El Heroe, by Octavio Costa, 1950, describes how Maceo, a hero of Cuba’s War of Independence (1895-1898), lived several years in exile in San Jose. In 1884, he suffered an attempt on his life as he exited from the theater Novedades after watching a play (Felipe Derblay). He was shot in the back by a group of more than 30 Spaniards. The book describes how “En Puntarenas pasa Maceo la convalencia. La Familia Romagosa lo cuida con extrema solicitud. Son gente de patriotismo acendrado que siente por el heroe una fervida devocion.” (P. 174) [“In Puntarenas, Maceo convalesces. The Romagosa family cares for him with extreme care. They are people of great patriotism who feel great devotion for the hero.”]

In 1904, after 36 years in exile, Juan Evangelista, Catalina and their children, except the eldest, returned to Manzanillo. They were able to get back the old family house, where they initially resided and later rented out to the business "La Gran Muralla," reserving one room as a law office for Adolfo. Later Romagosa properties included Maso 25, where the first floor was rented to the club Colonia China, and Villuendas 35, where Catalina lived for a while, and Villuendas 41, an enormous house, where Benigno, his wife Panchita and their 10 kids lived in one side and Guillermo, his wife and son on the other side. Catalina moved to Havana around 1940.

Children of Juan Evangelista Romagosa Venecia and Catalina Sanchez Garcia:

A. Juan Evangelista (Juanito) Romagosa Sanchez (1875-1942), the eldest, remained in Costa Rica, becoming a legislative representative for Puntarenas and Puerto Limon. A statue of him still exists in the Puerto Limon area. One of the few Romagosa Sanchez family memories that remain are letters sent to him by his mother, Catalina, from Cuba, pictures and even a newspaper article on the ninth anniversary of his death. Juanito studied at the University of Berlin, Germany, but was not able to finish his career since he fell in love with Consuelo Suñol Mora, who was only 15 years old. Since the families were opposed, they eloped and Juanito was not allowed to go back to school. Juanito was Capitán de Puerto and governor of the province of Puntarenas and Capitán de Puerto of the province of Limón, representative of both provinces and director of the National Tourism Council. His descendants relate how when Juanito was Capitán de Puerto, Cornelius Vanderbilt invited him to drink tea on his yacht. Juanito died on December 8, 1942. The family had a sawmill in Chiriquí, Panama. Juanito and Consuelo had four children: Juan, Lydia, Maria and Catalina Romagosa Suñol.

(1) Juan Romagosa Suñol married Ana Fernández Jimenez. They had Magda Cecilia and Rita Maria Romagosa Fernandez, who provided much information for this report. Rita married Manuel Adrian Gonzalez-Pacheco Aguirre and had a son, Manuel Gonzalez-Pacheco Romagosa. Magda married Charles Edward Whelchel and had a daughter, Heidi Marie Whelchel Romagosa.

(2)Lydia Romagosa Suñol (1901-1904) died when she was three after having measles twice.

(3)Maria Romagosa Suñol married Renato Castro Beeche. They had four children: Flora, Hilda, Libia and Aida Castro Romagosa. Hilda married Guillermo Carrillo Cruz and had one daughter Priscilla Carrillo Castro. Libia married Carlos Pacheco Jiron and had seven children: Libia Maria, Iris, Carlos Alberto, Marcela, Milena, Annette and Bernal Pacheco Castro. Aida married Miguel Barzuna and had five children: Patricia, Irene, Jose Miguel, Mario Alberto and Mauricio Barzuna Castro.

(4)Catalina Romagosa Suñol married Francisco Hernandez Hernandez. They had two children: Francisco and Gloria Hernandez Romagosa. Francisco married Ximena. Gloria married Carlos Zayas Bazan and had three children: Jose Francisco, Jorge and Jose Zayas Bazan Hernandez.

B. Alfredo Romagosa Sanchez (1881-1945) returned to Cuba with his parents in the early 1900's. He became an expert setting up sugar cane plantations. He partnered with Francisco (Pancho) Sosa de Quesada to start a plantation at the Francisco Sugar Mill in Camaguey province. There he met Lala (Caridad) Moya de Quesada (1896-1971), the sister of Isabel Carolina, who was Pancho's wife. Pancho was the doctor for the sugar mill. The plantation that was set up was Charco Piedra, with 200 caballerías (about 6,600 acres) and both sugar cane and cattle. It was located between the sugar mill and the port of Guayabal. By this time, several other Romagosas were already in the area, including his brother, Sebastian Benigno, known as Benigno, and Alfredo stayed with him for some time prior to his marriage. Alfredo and Lala married on October 21, 1918, when he was 36 and Lala was 22. They had two children: Enrique Alfredo and Eyda (Beba) Romagosa Moya.

(1) Enrique Alfredo (Freddy) Romagosa Moya was born in the city of Camaguey and died in West Plam Beach, FL. He studied chemical engineering at Rensellear Polytechnic University in Troy, NY. While there, he used to go to New York on weekends and would stay with Don Leandro Rionda, whose family owned the Francisco Sugar Mill. After his graduation, Don Leandro hired him to start a distillery at the mill. Freddy married Matilde García Montes Angulo on November 14, 1943. Around 1950 Freddy started as administrator of the Charco Piedra plantation. In 1951 they moved to la Habana, but continued going to Charco Piedra during the zafra, or sugar cane harvest, from January to May. They had five children, all born in Havana, except for Cristina, who was born in the U.S.:

-Alfredo Antonio Romagosa Garcia-Montes, married Margarita Gavaldá and had one daughter, Christina Romagosa Gavaldá, born in Fort Lauderdale FL;

-Francisco José Romagosa Garcia-Montes.

-Ma. Teresa (Tessie) Romagosa Garcia-Montes (the author of this website), married Emilio Eduardo Herrero and had four children: Eduardo Alfredo, born in Gainesville, FL; Teresa Cristina, Andrew Michael, and Carlos Emilio Herrero Romagosa, in Boynton Beach/Boca Raton, FL;

-Jorge Enrique Romagosa Garcia-Montes, married Patricia Olivera and had one daughter, Sofia Romagosa Olivera, born in Boca Raton, FL;

-Cristina María Romagosa Garcia-Montes, born in Milwaukee, Wis., married Rod Stone, from South Carolina and had two daughters, Isabella and Samantha.

(2) Eyda (Beba) Romagosa Moya, born in Camaguey, married Miguel Falcon Rodriguez (1923-1988), a sugar broker in the Falcon family firm.They had three children, all born in Havana

-Alicia Georgina Falcon Romagosa, married Richard Post. They had one son: Tracy Post Falcon, born in West Palm Beach, FL.

-Miguel Antonio Falcon Romagosa, married Tessie Noval. They had three children: Michael, Carlos, and Ma. Teresa Falcon Noval.

-Alfredo FalconAlfredo Falcon Romagosa married Laura married Laura Webb and had two children, twins Samuel and Max Falcon.

C. Benigno Romagosa Sanchez (1883-1965), called Benigno, had a store in Manzanillo. His wife, Francisca (Panchita) Santandreu and daughters, Catalina and Avelina, were expert seamstresses. Benigno and Panchita had ten children: Catalina, Benigno Gonzalo, Avelina, Francisco, Aida, Roberto, Acacia, Juan Evangelista, Hilda and Ricardo Romagosa Santandreu. Four (Catalina, Benigno, Avelina, Aida) did not have descendants. Of the others:

-Francisco Romagosa Santandreu married Milagro Romero and had two daughters, Miriam and Milagro Romagosa Romero.

-Roberto Romagosa Santandreu married Rosa Montilla and had four children: Roberto Romagosa and Antonio, Dalia and Hilda Romagosa Montilla.

-Acacia Romagosa Santandreu married Rafael Rodriguez and had two children: Acacia and Rafael Rodriguez Romagosa.

-Juan Evangelista Romagosa Santandreu (1928-2004) married Gisela Yturriaga and had two sons, Juanito and Ricardo Romagosa Yturriaga. Juan provided information for this report and his son, Rick, got the process started by his e-mail to Christina Romagosa (see Introduction). Juanito married Lone Thomsen and had two sons, Mark and Alec Romagosa Thomsen. Ricardo (Rick) married Fleur Evers Meinardi and has a son, Sebastian Ricardo Romagosa Evers.

-Hilda Romagosa Santandreu married Marcelino Nogueiro and had two children, Marcelino and Hilda

Nogueiro Romagosa.

-Ricardo Romagosa Santandreu married Alicia Gardy and had Alicia and Victoria Romagosa Gardy.

D. Rita Romagosa Sanchez (1886-1978) married Ricardo Ros, who had a law practice in Manzanillo. Rita and Ricardo moved to the Francisco Sugar Mill around 1918, when Ricardo started working for the mill. They had two children: Juan José and Rita (Ritica) Ros Romagosa.

-Juan Jose Ros Romagosa married Jorgelina Penichet and had two children: Jose Alberto and Rita Maria Ros Penichet.

-Ritica Ros Romagosa married Pedro (Pedrito) Rubiales, who had a pharmacy in the mill town, and had two sons: Sixto (Sixtín) Rubiales Ros and Ricardo (Ricardín). Ritica died in 2002.

E. Ernesto Romagosa Sanchez (1892-1986) married Amparo Diaz (1900-1979). Although he studied dentistry at themso-spacerun: yes">  University of Pennsylvania, Ernesto became well known as the administrator and part owner of the copper mines of Matahambre. Ernesto and Amparo had four children: Ernesto (1930-1986), Tina, Amparo (Neche), and Olga Romagosa Diaz.

-Ernesto Romagosa Diaz married Angela Fernandez Suarez . They had three children: Angel, Marian and Lisette Romagosa Fernandez.

-Tina Romagosa Diaz married Ricardo Sierra and had Ricardo, Rolando and Veronica Sierra Romagosa

-Amparo (Neche) Romagosa Diaz married Raimundo Martinez de Castro and had Roberto and Vivian Martinez de Castro Romagosa.

-Olga Romagosa Diaz married Mart married Martin Lleras and had Brenda, Martin, Lucia and Priscilla Lleras Romagosa. Martin and Priscilla live in Dallas, Brenda in Miami and Lucia in Mazatlan, Mexico.

F. Roberto Romagosa Sanchez (1894-1974), his brother Guillermo Romagosa Sánchez and their cousin Carlos Romagosa Guerra studied at Wyoming Seminary, a Methodist prep school in Kingston, PA, during WWI. After the war, Roberto and his brother Ernesto studied dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, which was then best in that field. While at the university, Roberto won as an award the first denture ever made in the United States. After his first year, Roberto went to Harvard University where he obtained a degree of Doctor in Dental Medicine. Roberto's first wife was Maria and second wife, Raquel Profet (1915-1996), with whom he had three children: Roberto, Rita María and Raquel (Raquelita) Romagosa Profet. Rita Romagosa Profet married Manolo Arguelles and had Amy and Rita Maria Arguelles Romagosa. Roberto Romagosa Profet married twice, first with Sonia Escauriza and had a daughter, Sonia Marie Romagosa Escauriza, and then with Maria Esperanza Marquez. Sonia Marie married Ismael del PinIsmael del Pino and had a daughter, Rachel del Pino Romagosa.

G. Guillermo Anastasio de Jesus Romagosa Sanchez ( 1899-1981) was baptized in Puntarenas on June 15, 1899 by Presbitero Esteban Vasquez. His godparents were Alfredo and Rita Romagosa. Guillermo married Isabel Munguía Santos on Jan. 30, 1932, in Havana, Parish of Vedado and Carmelo, by Fr. Dionisio de Llorents. Guillermo administered the family farm that had rice and cattle. For some time, he lived next to his brother Benigno in Manzanillo. His son, Guillermo (Willy) Pablo Romagosa Munguía, was born in 1933 in Havana, Cuba. He went to elementary school at Santo Tomás de Aquino, in Manzanillo, and to Belén Jesuit school in Havana for part of high school. He spent a year [1949-1950] at Wyoming Seminary, a prep school in Kingston, Pennsylvania, where his father had studied during the first world war. He received a high school degree there and went back to Havana to complete the last year of a bachillerato in Arts (Letters) at Ruston Academy in 1951. He received a law degree from the University of Havana. After leaving Cuba in 1960, he studied theology at Mount Saviour Monastery, Elmira, New York, [1960-1964] and completed a Masters in Theology and Liturgy from Notre Dame in 1964 and a Doctorate in Religion and Education from Columbia University in 1976. He has taught Religious Studies at Manhattan College for 35 years and theology at St Joseph Seminary, N.Y. He is also a Deacon of the Archdiocese of N.Y, where he was ordained by Cardinal Terence Cooke on June 20, 1976. Willy was very influential in collecting information on the Romagosa family. He also established contact with Father Elmo Romagosa and Gerald Romagos, of the New Orleans Romagosas, who provided the contact with the Romagosas in Spain.

H. Adolfo Romagosa Sanchez, a lawyer, and Josefita Rovira had three children: Adolfo Luis (1920-1984), Josefa and Esther.

III. Antonio María de Jesús Benito Romagosa Venecia

Not much is known about Antonio, although Guillermo Romagosa, his grandnephew, remembers him staying with Juan Evangelista for some time in Manzanillo. Born on April 3, 1855, Antonio shows up on the Ellis Island records as traveling through the Port of New York, destination: Brooklyn, in 1917, when he was 62 years old. He is identified as single, with the profession of cigar maker. It shows him as living in New York for the previous 20 years. He identifies Sebastian Romagosa, his older brother, as his closest relative in Cuba, at an address of Campanario 83, Habana. He also identifies a friend, E. Nelson, at 73 Concord Street in Brooklyn, as the person he is going to visit. He travels again in 1918, to stay with Ramon Perea, 187 Adams Street, in Brooklyn, for six months.

IV. Maria de Jesús (Chuchina) del Monte Eleuteria de la Caridad Antonia Romagosa Venecia

Maria de Jesus, or Chuchina, as she was called(sometimes Chuchinita to differentiate her from her aunt, Ma. de Jesus Romagosa Arteaga, also called Chuchina), married her first cousin, Manuel Romagosa Buelta from Bayamo and is included under Branch B.

V. Maria de los Angeles (Angela) Cornelia de la Caridad Romagosa Venecia

Angela married José (Pepe) Ros, who was a pianist. Mercedes Ramirez described Angela as very elegant, with beautiful jewelry. Angela and Pepe had José, Emilia, Benigno, Angélica, Ricardo, Felipe, Isabel (Bebé) and Clara (Nena) Ros Romagosa. None of the daughters married. In 1944, José Jr. was the Vice-president of the Patronato Cooperativo del Instituto del Niño Pobre (Efemerides, Vol II, p. 625). Angélica was a great pianist. A daughter of Felipe, named Angélica like her aunt, also played the piano, studying at the Peabody Conservatory in Washington, D.C. She played in the Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba. Just before a trip to Europe where she was to perform, she fell in love and never played again in public.