I have been looking over this site about San Marco Argentano since last night. What an amazing site! Everything you wanted to know about the people of that town and more. It's quite interesting. There is only 1 reference to my surname on there - something about a soldier. It is in the notes section of the first line here: www.sanmarcoargentano....oldati.htm
Here is the text:
soldato] nato a Paterno provincia di Montefosco qui domiciliato quale disertore del terzo Regimento di Linea Napolitano qui rimesso dal sindaco di Lattarico ove fu lasciato dal tenente della compagnia perché infermo dichiaranti Bianco Benedetto a.21 compiuti e Antonio Caparelli a.40 tavernaro quartiere della Piazza di Sopra
Thanks.

Cathy,
the sentence is rather difficult to understand in Italian...
However Giuseppe Forte Dato was a soldier belonging to the Neapolitan (adjective = belonging to Napoli, Naples) Line Regiment. He was also a deserter...
In any case, nothing to do with your surname...

Oh well. Thanks Livio!

Simy also said it was difficult to translate..she was hoping (as was I ) that Livio would be able to make something of it...