Birth Name: Antonio Joseph Mendez
Place of Birth: Eureka, Nevada, United States
Date of Birth: November 15, 1940
Ethnicity:
*Mexican (father)
*1/4 Italian, as well as Dutch, English, French, Irish, Scottish, some Cornish, remote Belgian (Flemish), remote Welsh (mother)
Tony Mendez is an American CIA technical operations officer, now retired, who specialized in support of clandestine and covert CIA operations. He is known for his role in the Canadian Caper, during the Iran hostage crisis.
His father, John George Mendez, was of Mexican descent. His mother, Neva June Tognoni, was of 1/4 Italian, as well as Dutch, English, French, Irish, Scottish, some Cornish, remote Belgian (Flemish), and remote Welsh, ancestry.
Tony’s paternal grandparents were José “Joseph” Méndez Navarro (the son of ? Méndez and ? Navarro) and Lucia S. Serrato (the daughter of Julian Nicanor del Socorro Serrato and Anita Trinidad Manuela Concepcion Villalobos). José and Lucia were Mexican immigrants.
Tony’s maternal grandfather was Joseph Russell Tognoni (the son of Giuseppe Cristoforo “Joseph Christopher” Tognoni and Myrtle Jesse Jaques). Giuseppe was born in Lombardia, Italy, to Giacomo Tognoni and Madalena Pavachini. Myrtle was the daughter of Ernest Jesse Jaques and Mariah H. Usher.
Tony’s maternal grandmother was Ina Belle Cates (the daughter of Nelson Louis Cates and Emma Augusta Donnelly). Nelson was the son of William Cates and Eliza Ann Nordyke. Emma was the daughter of Michael Reed and Marietta F. Smith.
Sources: Tony’s birth record – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Tony’s father – https://familysearch.org
Birth record of Tony’s mother – https://familysearch.org
Tony’s mother on Find a Grave – http://www.findagrave.com