Well, lookit at me - blogging for one week and already receiving fan mail. I received an email about the "X" markings next to each passenger on the detail of the San Giovanni passenger list. I assumed, based on the number of X's on this list that it was merely an action to note the passenger had embarked or disembarked the ship, but after a little snooping online it's becoming clearer that that the X was not merely a casual notation. Apparently markings varied by port and year of arrival and were used to signify the immigrant was temporarily detained, or held for a special hearing.
There is an "X" next to my great-grandfather's name on the San Giovanni passenger manifest. Well, I'll be darned. Looks like I have some more research to do! It's time to find out what the "X" means. Thanks for the email Karen D. - the link below leads to a great article which explains all of the scribbles found on passenger lists.
A Guide to Interpreting Passenger List Annotations
by Marian L. Smith, Historian, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
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