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Actor Joe Manganiello travels back in time to identify his grandmother’s sacred protector. Watch as he connects with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and unravels a decades-old family mystery unlike any other with DNA.
Actor Joe Manganiello had a family mystery unlike any we’d ever encountered before.
Joe’s grandmother, Sandra, was born in the Ottoman Empire during World War 1. Her mother, a woman named Rose Darakjian, was a survivor of the Armenian genocide, and her father was a German soldier.
Rose always spoke of the soldier as having helped to save and protect her, but she never revealed his name and Joe was hoping that we could identify him.
It was an extraordinarily difficult challenge. There were roughly 25 thousand Germans stationed in the Ottoman Empire during World War 1. Her only hope was DNA….
Watch all new episodes of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Tuesdays at 8/7c on PBS. Learn more or check your local PBS listings.