The Immigration and Naturalization Service site has posted a few letters from immigrants trying to get this surname tangle straightened out on their way to becoming a citizen. All this provides some valuable thought on why we might have hit a brick wall. It also emphasizes why it is important to start from the present and slowly work our way back. There are clues we need to get before we start searching in immigration records, and wasting our time looking for the wrong surname. First, we must keep an open mind.
Many new genealogists become very attached to a surname.
So, be ready to find some surprises. Start with family stories. Family stories are always a problem. How many of them are true and how many have wandered into fantasy is the question. Nevertheless, they are worth investigating.