Dear Mr. Marrero,

Interestingly I have an ancestor whose actual surname was Marrano from the hills of Central Italy, which was a Spanish colony for several centuries and experienced the same inquisition as in Spain, as well as Spanish migration. There are some descendants of this town who have suggested the possibility of a Jewish origin for this surname, but I have never seen any concrete evidence of this. And I have not yet encountered any modern Marranos from the same town.

There is a way to answer the question about your possible Jewish ancestry even in the absence of any documentary records. I recently completed a study for a friend whose spouse was wondering the same thing: there were family stories yet no tangible evidence. After applying the method of personal genography, the conclusion was: no substantial Jewish ancestry. I would be glad to explain the method in more detail if you are interested (please contact me privately).

Cordially,
Adam Cherson
NY, NY