The Cleveland Italian Ancestry Organization (CIAO) was founded in 2008 to connect Italian Americans to their family histories through far-reaching genealogical research and discussion.
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  • CIAO July 2026 Meeting

    Our next meeting is July 25, 2026 at 10:30 am at the Independence Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, located at 6361 Selig Drive, Independence, Ohio. We will be having an open forum meeting, where members share their stories, research, questions, and expertise. Bring your questions and brick walls for assistance from the group. If…

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  • CIAO May 2026 Meeting

    Our May 16, 2026 meeting was held at the Parma-Powers Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Our first speaker Kathy Bathgate from the Library demonstrated genealogy resources available through the CCPL library system.  Our main speaker Roslyn Torella presented “Researching Italian Civil Records in Antenati Portale” which provided an overview of Italy’s records and comprehensive…

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  • Affiliate Chapter of OGS

    As of 25 March 2026 Cleveland Italian Ancestry Organization (CIAO) is now an OGS Affiliate Chapter! To find our more about OGS and its member benefits, check out their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OGSpage) and their website (https://www.ogs.org/).

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  • CIAO March 2026 Meeting

    At our March 21, 2026 meeting held at the Parma-Powers Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, Tom Kaschalk from the Cuyahoga County Archives presented “Your Cleveland Ancestors Are Waiting: Researching at the Cuyahoga County Archives”. Mr. Kaschalk, who is a long-time archives volunteer, provided an excellent overview of the vast array of records and documents…

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