So this morning out of curiosity, I searched http://newspapers.com  to see if I could find the earliest reference to a story mentioning someone's name being changed at Ellis Island.

It's an imperfect search at best, but one of the first I can find is from 1973. #Genealogy

The claim comes from actor Bill Putch, who was the husband of Jean Stapleton from “All in the Family.” He says the name was Pucci but was “changed at Ellis Island by an Irish immigration officer” who “couldn’t understand my father when he told him his name.”

Let’s go to the videotape.

Bill Putch’s listing in the Social Security death index names his parents as Anthony Putch and Dora Tonty.

Here’s the Putch family in the 1930 census. Bill is 5. His father Antony is indeed an Italian immigrant. In 1920, the name was Putch, too.

So when was the last name changed?

Anthony’s death certificate gives his date of birth as 19 October, 1883.

Which matches this PA naturalization filed in 1908 for a man who was still calling himself Antonio Pucci, six years after he arrived at Ellis Island in 1902.

Still called himself Pucci when he marred Addolorata “Dora” Tonti in 1909.

Still calling himself that in 1910, too.

But yes, it was definitely changed by an Irish immigration officer when he arrived at Ellis Island.

This has been today's edition of #notatellisisland.