Benjamin Graziani
Information comes from the book "Kentucky, A History of the State, Seventh Edition 1887
BENJAMIN F GRAZIANI was born in Campbell Co November 16, 1858 and is the youngest child of a family of nine born to Charles and Emma (Sanham) Graziani. His education was secured in the common schools of his native county, and in 1868 he went to Covington, studied the law schools at Cincinnati where he graduated May 28, 1884. He at once opened a law office in Covington. He is a natural born lawyer, an original thinker and an able speaker. Success similar to his has seldom been achieved, he, by his own efforts, unaided by an established partner or by wealth, having built up a State reputation. His criminal practice has been very large, he having prosecuted and defended in as many important cases as any lawyer of this age in the State.
He is a member of the IOOF and has passed all the chairs; he is also a member of the Encampment, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and apolitically a Democrat. His father was born at Oneglia, Province of Genoa, Italy in 1806. Being a Democrat before his day, he was politically exiled in 1841. He was a son of Count of Oneglia and by right of inheritance, had he remained in Italy, would have succeeded to his father's title, but becoming restless and opposed to the oppressions of the despotic kings and principalities of which Italy in those days abounded, he before the time was ripe, attempted what was afterward consummated by Garsbaldit and Victor Emmanuel, to wit; the unification of Italy with one king, which was accomplished in 1870. The count came to the United States in 1845, landed at New York, but immediately went to Cincinnati. He was an artist and was killed while sketching on the steamer General Lytle; the boiler of which exploded below Madison Indiana on the Ohio River, August 6, 1866.
The mother of Benjamin F Graziani was a native of England and died August 21, 1882. When our subject was eleven years old he acted as a cash boy in Cincinnati for C W Deland and L C Hopkins for about eighteen months; then was a salesman for John Shilito of Cincinnati for two years and was also associated with C S Weatherby for some time.