The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-06-23
WIFE BY PROXY
BARRED BYLAW
Michele Lento Appeals for
Aid in Bringing Wife by
Proxy from Italy.
WE'D THREE MONTHS
Ceremony Held Here Regard
less of Fact Seventeen Year
Old Bride Was in Italy.

An unusual story of marriage by
proxy and an enforced separation of
the bride and groom on account of the
immigration laws recently passed by
Congress was revealed in the Office of
the clerk of the circuit court this morn
ing when Michaele Lento, an Italian
born resident of Kenosha, who lives at
463 Edward street, appealed to the
clerk of the circuit court and through
him sought an appeal to the secretary
of state, to have his wife, Rosini De
Marco Lento, granted permission of
the Italian government to join her hus-
band in Kenosha. All efforts to secure
the admission of Mrs. Lento to this
country have failed. The husband, by
proxy, stands ready to give to the fed
eral officials every assurance that
good home is waiting for his bride and
to give to the Italian government the
assurance that the young woman will
never be care upon the Italian gov
eminent, but letters and cable mes
sages which have been sent to Italy
have failed to bring any answer from
Italian authorities and the husband
of a few months is now planning to
go to Italy himself with the hope that
he will be permitted to return and
bring his wife with him. 1t is under
stood that the most interesting feature
of the case is as to whether or not
the immigration officials of the United
States will recognize a marriage by
proxy as a marriage which would mean
the right Of the husband to bring his
wife" into the country.
Ready to Become Citizen.
Lento came to this country a little
over four years ago bringing his wife
and children with him. The wife die
in 1918, leaving him with six little
children but since that time two of
the children have died and the others
are being cared for in institutions.
Lento is anxious to have his family
with them and he declares that he is
able to provide for the support OF his
bride and the four children. Three
months ago after extensive correspond
ence with Miss Rosini De Marco and
her mother, in Italy, Lento went before
a notary public in Kenosha and signed
an affidavit by which he made Rosinis
De Marco his wife The age of the
young woman was given as seventeen
but before the affidavit for the mar
riage by proxy was signed the consent
of the mother of the young woman
properly executed in Italy, was filed
in Kenosha. Lento told Clerk DeDie-
mar this morning that he stood ready
to ask for full citizenship at once in
order to bring his wife to this country.
Must Wait Till September.
1t was held by the officials that if
Lento secured full citizenship in the
United States and that the government
was ready to recognize a marriage by
proxy as meeting the provisions of the
immigration laws, that he could Sc
cure a passport in his own name and
in the name of his wife and that this
would prove the opening door to admit
the wife to this country. 1t was ad-
mitted that it was possible that the
Italian government might refuse to
recognize such passport, but friends
of Lento declared that if the United
States would admit the bride of three,
months that there was no doubt that
the Italian officers would put no bar
riers in the way of her leaving for
America. Under any conditions Lento
must wait until September before he
can have his application for second
papers heard in the court
Ready to Go to School.
eff the government knew how badly
I need my wife to come and take care
of my children and how badly she
wants to come to this country, know
that they would grant me passport
for her." said Lento this morning. He
said that the second Mrs. Lento was
now seventeen years of age and that he
had known her in Italy for years before
he came to this country. Lento him
self in thirty-six years old.