Welcome to
Beyond The Record
A concierge genealogical research service specializing in comprehensive, multigenerational reconstructions for individuals and families of Italian descent.
discover who we are
ABOUT US
By adopting a rigorous Anthropological Genealogical approach, we go beyond the mere names, dates, and numbers contained in historical records to unveil the contextual information that made your ancestors' lives true and unique.
Can your family's story be traced?
Each month we give away one feasibility assessment ($250 value) — the same preliminary study we conduct before every months-long project.
Our services
WHAT WE DO
Every family with deep roots cherishes its stories and memories. But with the passing of time memories fade and full lives become little more than anecdotes that either lose some color at every retelling or evolve into stories farther and farther from the truth. Thanks to our particular set of skills, we can help bring both color and accuracy to your family legacy and help you to preserve it for generations to come.
What Our Clients Say
"Thanks to Beyond the Record, the connectionto my Italian ancestors and the country they oncecalled home feels so much more real"
Tom C., Columbus, OH
"After spending hundreds of hours doing genealogy research on the Italian American side of my family, I hit a brick wall."
"All I knew of my great-great-grandparents were their isspelled names on my great-grandfather's immigration records and the name of their hometown in the mountains of central Italy."
"Not wanting to resign myself to the idea that this part of my family's story would remain unknown to me, I turned to Beyond the Record for help."
"In no time, Alessandro was able to find documents I thought I would never be able to see: my great-great-grandparents birth, marriage, and death records from their hometown."
"I learned about the neighborhoods they were from as well as the names of their parents, adding another generation to my family tree." 
btr on social media
On social media, we examine case studies concerning the Italian migrant experience in 19th and 20th-century America. Follow us to learn more about their stories, our method, and genealogical research tips that you can immediately put to use in your personal genealogical journey.
btr on social media
On social media, we examine case studies concerning the Italian migrant experience in 19th and 20th-century America. Follow us to learn more about their stories, our method, and genealogical research tips that you can immediately put to use in your personal genealogical journey.
historical focus
ITALIAN MIGRANTS
Starting in the late 1800s, thousands of Italians flocked to the port cities of Genoa, Naples, Fiume, and Palermo to sail to the United States and South America. Many of them sought a better life, others reunited with friends or relatives, and others still followed their dreams and ambitions across the ocean hoping to find more propitious circumstances than their beloved Italy could provide.
click the ticket
Ensuring strict compliance with current privacy regulations as outlined in the European GDPR, our work consists in the professional, systematic consultation of public documents and digitized historical archives, such as the Italian State Archives (Portale Antenati) and FamilySearch.
By exclusively consulting authorized open-source repositories, we accurately reconstruct family histories and migration trajectories without compromising data security or engaging in non-compliant investigative practices.
Our services include expert interpretation and paleographic transcription of complex, handwritten, or highly fragmented civil and ecclesiastical records, thus allowing for the linguistic decryption of 19th and 20th-century documents that might otherwise remain inaccessible. By applying our paleographic knowledge, we overcome the limitations of volunteer- and machine-based transcription, which is often the case for incorrect spellings and mismatched data at the root of may “genealogical brick walls.”
We transform raw archival scans into clear, actionable biographical insights, delivering a distinct analytical value that strictly respects the copyright of the original hosting platforms by focusing on data extraction rather than image reproduction.
In the image: 3 different scripts used to write the word ‘contadino’ (Italian for ‘farmer’) in Italian Civil Registration Records, 1864-1910
Scientific historical reconstruction is rooted in the rigorous analysis of primary sources and archival documentation. By cross-referencing demographic data, migration records, and direct testimonies, we transform fragments of personal histories into a coherent and verifiable narrative.
Beyond The Record’s final reports are the product of rigorous research consistent with the highest professional standards (Genealogical Proof Standards). As such, the deliverables of our work are faithful reconstructions of the life of the subject or subjects whose history the client intends to discover and rediscover.
research applications
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
If you would like to reclaim your Italian roots but do not have the detailed information required to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, we may assist you with finding the information that you legal counsel will need to determine your eligibility for dual citizenship.
