From Italy to Ellis Island: How My Grandfather’s Journey Shaped My Life

By Piero Lorenzo

Ten years ago, I started a new phase in my real estate career: I was now an agent in Santa Cruz, California, USA! Quickly, I realized that I couldn’t compete with the local agents. They had known their clients for years – many since childhood— while I had just arrived from 10,000 kilometers away, with no network and very few contacts. Despite the great support from Keller Williams, I understood I had to find my own path, something unique that would set me apart.

Then, ​a few weeks later, in May 2015, something extraordinary happened that changed my career forever. My wife and I spent a week in New York, and one of the stops was Ellis Island, the iconic gateway for immigrants arriving in America. 

There, I discovered the record of my grandfather, Francesco Lorenzo, who had arrived in the U.S. in 1913 at just 15 years old, leaving Calabria alone in search of a better future. Reading his name on that page was a deeply emotional moment, as if I could feel the weight of his courage across time. He spent ten years in America, working hard and chasing opportunities, before returning to Tropea — the place that had shaped his roots — where he met my nonna and began building the life that would one day make my own possible. Yet, something unusual caught my eye: the record listed his last residence as Santa Croce Camerina, Sicily, instead of Tropea, his real hometown. The museum docent gently explained that such mistakes were common at Ellis Island, born of confusion, dialects, and language barriers.

“The original Ellis Island record of my grandfather Francesco, who arrived in America in 1913 — just 15 years old, alone, from Calabria. On the left, his portrait, which I have always carried with me.”

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​Days later, back in California, something incredible happened. I received a phone call from a Sicilian woman living in Santa Cruz. She asked me to sell her property in Sicily, located just a few kilometers away from Santa Croce Camerina — the same mistaken place written on my grandfather’s immigration record.

I froze. My whole body was covered in goosebumps. Could this be a sign? I felt as if my grandfather — whom I had never met but always carried in my heart — was guiding me toward my true professional path. 

That was the turning point, because first, I wanted to help that woman sell her property in Italy to Americans. Second, I realized that this was my path. I decided to specialize in International Real Estate. I studied day and night, earned my Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation, and began connecting American buyers with Italian homes, bridging the two markets with trust and expertise. 

Today, almost ten years later, I have helped countless American families achieve that dream. Since 2019, with my own brokerage — Lorenzo International Real Estate — I’ve built a unique model that combines the best of U.S. and Italian real estate, making the buying process smooth, clear, and stress-free. 

Every time I hand over the keys to a new home, I think back to that day at Ellis Island. It feels like my grandfather passed me the torch. 

Ciao Nonno!! ​

   



Me in New York, from Ellis Island, looking toward the future — carrying forward my grandfather’s dream.

![COVER PHOTO – Ellis Island]
Me at Ellis Island, where my grandfather Francesco arrived in 1913.

​2025 Blog - By Piero Lorenzo