Pope Leo's Hidden Chicago Roots: The Grandfather's Fascinating Immigration Story

CHICAGO — Pope Leo’s The connection to Chicago has become widely known among the general public. However, long before he was born and raised in Dolton, his forebears had left their ancestral home in Italy to start anew in America.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana T. Spyropoulos embarked on an extensive exploration of genealogy shortly after Pope Keo's selection.

Prior to becoming the head of the Catholic Church, he went by the title Cardinal Robert Prevost or "Father Bob," as many of his friends called him during his tenure with the Augustinians.

"... Initially, we searched for a document called Prevost," Spyropoulos stated. . We didn't discover anything at first. However, after some additional online research into family history, we linked the names Riggatono and Prevost and uncovered the declaration of intent document.

Additional Information: The village of Dolton is contemplating the acquisition of Pope Leo XIV’s birthplace.

Salvatore Riggatono came into this world in June 1876, in Milazzo, which is part of the Messina province in Italy. Like countless others seeking better prospects, he boarded a vessel bound for New York City with dreams of starting afresh in an unfamiliar land.

"Salvatore Riggatono arrived in the United States in 1905 but filed for citizenship in 1920. He happens to be the grandfather of Pope Leo, who is currently serving as the pontiff," stated Spyropoulos.

Riggatono lived for a period with his sister in Quincy, Illinois prior to moving to Chicago. Eventually, he decided to change his surname to Prevost, which turned out to be his mother-in-law’s birth name.

Back then, it seems like there were three steps involved," Spyropoulos explained. "Firstly, one needed to file a declaration of intent. This included stating your name, profession, place of origin, and current residence. For instance, Mr. Riggatono resided at 1718 Greenleaf Avenue, which I think is located in Rogers Park. Additionally, we had to specify...the Italian ports he arrived from, as well as his marital status. Lastly, individuals were required to relinquish their loyalty to foreign nations and governing bodies.

Riggatono never became a U.S. citizen for unspecified reasons.

Pope Leo's maternal ancestors originated from the Caribbean, later relocating to New Orleans and ultimately settling in Chicago.

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