I've been trying to solve this mystery for years but big roadblock is not having an exact name.
In the summer of 1929 (July-Sept.) my father's aunts travelled in Europe and they met a Venetian woman called Thea from a well-to-do family. A year or so later (possibly summer 1930 or 1931) Thea visited them in America and fell madly in love with my father.
So, I’m looking for a wealthy unmarried, childless Venetian woman born possibly 1892 +/- 5 or so years. She travelled to America probably at least 3 times-
1) Summer 1930 or 1931?
One aunt visited her in Europe in summer of 1933.
2) Summer 1935?
3) Summer 1937
Port of arrival would have been New York and address she was going to could be Bronx, N.Y, or East Port Chester, N.Y. or Greenwich/Byram, Connecticut. Contact was probably given as Miss Annie Gardner.
We knew her as Thea but that might not have been her name. Closest I’ve come to a surname is cousin’s guess of Bergamini but may be incorrect.
During the 1937 visit she was interested in purchasing a house, well an estate really, in Greenwich, Connecticut to establish a place to visit every summer but was persuaded not to. This was probably her last visit before war broke out in Europe.
The clues from various family members aren't that helpful- she had no sense of smell so couldn't use the gas cooker, had very black hair and spoke excellent English, family had a gondola & gondolier and their house (palazzo) was on the water (canal?). I think she had a brother & possibly nephews - family tradition was that boys in family sent to Switzerland to be educated (think family left to heat of Venice to spend summer in Switzerland). I think she she survived the war but died a little while after.
My father has told me bits and pieces but can't remember her name. He was only a toddler when she came on first visit and she wanted to adopt him but his parents refused.