Birth Name: Mercedes Yvette Scelba-Shorte

Place of Birth: New Jersey, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 24, 1981

Ethnicity:
*African-American (father)
*Italian/Sicilian, Irish (mother)

Mercedes Scelba-Shorte is an American model and actress. She is known for placing second on the second season of America’s Next Top Model.

Mercedes is the daughter of Mary A. (Scelba) and Keith Darnell Shorte. Mercedes’s father is African-American. Mercedes’ mother has Italian/Sicilian and Irish ancestry. Mercedes’ stepfather, John S. Ho, has Chinese roots.

Mercedes’ maternal grandfather was Anthony J. Scelba (the son of Luigi/Louis Scelba and Sebastiana Fili). Anthony was born in New Jersey, to parents from Mistretta, Messina, Sicily, Italy. Luigi was the son of Antonino Scelba and Annunzie Dimariano. Sebastiana was the daughter of Sebastiano Fili and Lucia Bangarra.

Mercedes’ maternal grandmother was Purissima Gaffney (the daughter of John J. Gaffney and Josephine D. McGrath). John was born in Pennsylvania, to parents from Ireland. Josephine was also born in Pennsylvania, to a father from Ireland, James McGrath, and to a mother from Maryland, Mary Ann Printy, who was of Irish descent.

Sources: Mercedes’ maternal grandfather, Anthony J. Scelba, on the 1940 U.S. Census – http://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Mercedes’ maternal great-grandparents, Luigi/Louis Scelba and Sebastiana Fili – http://www.familysearch.org

Mercedes’ maternal grandmother, Purissima Gaffney, on the 1920 U.S. Census – http://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Mercedes’ maternal grandmother, Purissima (Gaffney) Scelba – http://www.newspapers.com

Obituary of Mercedes’ step-grandfather, Stanley Dzu-Fang Ho – http://www.legacy.com

Photo by s_bukley/www.bigstockphoto.com

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