Were Italians traveling to the US from Italy required to have passports or a state-issued identification card in the 1870s/1880s?

I am forever on the search for my ancestors who left Italy for Redhook Brooklyn, NY in 1877. The ship's passenger manifest says the last name is "Minosi." If this is so - was there a passport or ID card that had this last name? If so, would this be the correct spelling of the last name in the family register in Italy? How can I be sure that this is the correct spelling of the last name?

To my knowledge, passports were not required during that time. I do have my great grandmother's from 1909 although she went back to Italy in 1914 and left it behind in the US so I doubt it was a necessary piece of ID to travel.

As for the last name - do you know where your ancestors originated? Are microfilms for the town available from the family history centre? If so, you can try locating a record that way. From the ship manifests I see, there are others with the same name leaving from Italy:

stevemorse.org/goulnik...&dwpdone=1