I am Martha Macheca Sheldon and I was born in St Louis MO USA on 14.09.35.I have 2 brothers, John 22.11.40 and Michel 12.05.34.My sister Marianne 02.22.31 is deceased.
We were Mercieca's and the name was changed after entering the USA. Guiseppi Mercieca entered New Orleans in 1849 and established a fruit and nut import export business. He married a women whose name was Marietta (unknown origin).
My g/grandfather came from Gozo and his sister married a Bondi.He had 2 sons,John 1850 and Michel 1851. In time they built a large shipping line, The Royal American Belize Mail Line" which was sold to United Fruit in 1906, I have written a book called "Deep Water, Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia" which tells the beginning of the family here in detail. My dad's name was Michel and his brother's was John. My bothers name's are John and Michel. Sounds like Karma. They say there are two lines of Mercieca's from Malta. I have no idea which one we are. I guess only a DNA test could solve that one. I know for a fact that we are not the same line as Archbishop Guiseppi Mercieca in Malta.