The LaCava family of Ustica rank 33rd in size making them one of the moderately sized families from Ustica. They are one of the first families of Ustica first appearing in the church records with the 1767 marriage of Antonina LaCava to Nunziata Mattina followed by the birth of their child in 1768 and the untimely death of Antonino LaCava that same year. It's not such as sad story though, as this was a late second marriage for him. He came to Ustica from Lipari with two of his children from his first wife and his previous life on Lipari. His son, Giuseppe LaCava married Caterina Vinci in 1772 on Ustica, and they would become the progenitors of all the LaCava of Ustica and their descendants in America.

The earliest record of the LaCava family in Lipari is a 1638 baptism record for the child of Francesco LaCava and Giuseppa Barbuto. This and other baptism records for their children clearly state that Francesco LaCava was from Calabria, the toe of the boot of Italy. Figuring out what city was a little more challenging. His hometown is recorded as "Filo d'ati", "Filo ati" and "Filoari" which is interpreted to be the city of Filandari in the Vibo Valentia province of the region of Calabria.

Filandari, ancestral home of the LaCava family, located at the red tag on the toe of the Italian mainland.