Adopted at birth, brothers find 16 siblings with DNA test - Fairfield Citizen

RANDOLPH, Mass. (AP) — Born to the same mother and adopted at birth by the same family, David and Bobby DeLosa always wondered whether they had any other biological siblings. They heard rumblings of maybe having a brother, but for decades they couldn't say for sure.

That is until this past February, when a DNA test and some Facebook investigating led David DeLosa to discover that he and Bobby did in fact have a brother — nine of them, actually, plus a sister, three half-brothers and three half-sisters adding up to a whopping total of 16 siblings.

"It was crazy and overwhelming," Bobby DeLosa said, recalling the day his brother called him to share the news that he had found some of their siblings.

David and Bobby DeLosa continued their journey of meeting and connecting with their siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles and in-laws on Saturday at a reunion hosted by their brother, Billy Haley, at his Randolph home. Since first meeting some of their siblings in February, the brothers have slowly put the many pieces of their story together.

Their father, Francis Agnone, had a long-standing affair with Carolyn Haley, and together they had 11 sons and one daughter. Carolyn Haley gave her first and third sons up for adoption at birth through Catholic Charities, and both of the babies, David and Bobby, were adopted by the DeLosa family. Meanwhile, Francis Agnone and his wife Florence Agnone had three sons and three daughters. Several of the Haley and Agnone siblings overlap in age, now ranging from 50 to 64. Two Haley and two Agnone brothers have died over the years, leaving 14 surviving siblings who all still live in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

While there was always suspicion between the Haleys and the Agnones, the two families were kept separate until 1978, when Carolyn Haley died and the truth came to light. Florence Agnone took in nine of the 12 children her husband had with his mistress and raised them in their Roslindale home.

"If Flo didn't take us in, we would have been separated," Julie Haley said. "She kept us together. She was a sweetheart."

Also in 1978, David DeLosa was thinking about starting a family of his own and said he wanted to know his history for medical purposes. He tried for years to get information from Catholic Charities but had no luck.

"It's been a hole in my life," DeLosa, of North Attleboro, said.

Eventually he sent his DNA in to 23andMe, a genetic testing service, and got matched up with a first cousin who put him in touch with his brother Richie Haley and half-sister Kathy Agnone Nadeau.

"They were so receptive," David DeLosa said of his siblings. "We had an instant connection and it was like we had known each other forever."

Billy Haley said he knew right away that DeLosa was his brother after seeing his photograph on Facebook. They set up a meeting with some of the siblings in March, and they've continued to grow closer ever since.

DeLosa said it was "mind-blowing" to meet people who look like him and Bobby.

John Haley agreed after having the chance to meet his brothers David and Bobby DeLosa for the first time on Saturday.

"It's like looking in the mirror," John Haley said.

The DeLosa brothers also got to introduce their sister through adoption, Debra, to their new-found siblings.

Richie Haley said finding their brothers has "ignited a spark" within the family, and the siblings are seeing each other more.

Francis Agnone died in 1996, and Florence Agnone died in 1999, leaving the siblings to answer as many of the questions as they can from a time when families were much more secretive and private. Joe Haley, Carolyn Haley's younger brother, said he wasn't even aware that his sister had given two sons up for adoption until recently.

On top of knowing whether he and Bobby had other biological siblings, David DeLosa said he always wondered whether their lives would have been better if they weren't put up for adoption. After hearing about the struggles his siblings went through, DeLosa said he feels fortunate that they were adopted.

"The most sacred bond is that of child and mother, but they didn't have it easy," he said. "I just never thought I'd get answers."

Online: https://bit.ly/2MjeFrq

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Information from: The (Quincy, Mass.) Patriot Ledger, http://www.patriotledger.com

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