Profile Text
VENICE – 9 SEPTEMBER: Carpignano poses at photocall during the 68th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema in Venice, 9 September, 2011 in Venice, Italy. Massimiliano Marino /photo by Bigstock.com: https://www.bigstockphoto.com/pt/image-113742590/stock-photo-actors-jonas-carpignano
Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: January 16, 1984
Ethnicity: * father – Italian * mother – African-Barbadian
Jonas Carpignano is an American-Italian filmmaker. He has directed and written the Italian-language films Mediterranea , A Ciambra , and A Chiara .
His father is a graduate school professor, from Rome, Lazio, Italy. He has also acted, produced, directed alongside his son. His mother is American, and has roots in Barbados. He was raised in New York and Italy.
His maternal great-uncle was pianist and bandleader Sammy Benskin.
Jonas’ paternal grandfather was Vittorio Carpignano. Vittorio was born in Montechiaro d’Asti, province of Asti, Piedmont, and was a filmmaker, producer of commercials, and artist. Vittorio’s brother-in-law was film director Luciano Emmer.
Jonas’ maternal grandfather likely was named Graham Oswald Benskin (the son of York Ernest De St. Pierre Benskin and Clementina Clara Lovell Dotten/Dottin). Graham was born in New York. York was born in Barbados, the son of Samuel Francis Benskin/Benskins and Rebecca Ford/Fonde. Clara was born in either Barbados or Trinidad.
Sources: http://blavity.com
Jonas’ maternal grandfather, Graham Oswald Benskin, on the 1930 U.S. Census – http://familysearch.org