Sanity check – NY Consulate name change registration before reacquisition appointment

Hi everyone! Looking for a quick sanity check that I’m following the correct steps per the NY Consulate’s instructions.

Background:
My father was born in Italy as Antonio and later naturalized in the U.S. In connection with his naturalization, his first name was legally changed by a U.S. District Court from Antonio to Anthony. The name change is noted directly on his Certificate of Naturalization (“Name changed by decree of court… as part of the naturalization”), and the Petition for Naturalization explicitly requests the name change. The petition number is referenced on both documents.

The NY Consulate confirmed that, for his reacquisition of Italian citizenship, they require formal registration in Italy of the court-authorized name change as the link between his Italian and U.S. identities.

What I’ve done / am doing:

• Obtained a certified copy of the Petition for Naturalization from the National Archives
• Completed the “Richiesta di riconoscimento e trascrizione di sentenza di cambio nome” form, using:
  • Court: U.S. District Court of New Jersey (Newark)
  • Date of sentenza: the naturalization/oath date (when the name change became legally effective)
  • Order reference: the petition number
• The District Court is also preparing a clarifying letter stating that the name change was ordered by the court as part of the naturalization (to be used as supporting evidence)
• Next steps:
  1. Obtain a federal apostille on the certified petition (and the court letter)
  2. Translate everything into Italian after apostille
  3. Submit the apostilled + translated documents with the completed form at the NY Consulate appointment
  4. Pay the consular fee at the appointment by money order, as listed on the NY Consulate website under “Riacquisto cittadinanza”

Sanity check questions:

1. Does using the naturalization/oath date (not the petition filing date) as the “data della sentenza” align with how others have handled this?
2. Is it appropriate to reference the petition number as the order identifier in this context?
3. Is the current fee $290.60 as referenced in the Consular Fees on the consulate's website?
4. For those who’ve done this in NY:
   • Did you obtain the money order from USPS or a bank?
   • Any tips to avoid issues at the appointment?

Thanks in advance to anyone who’s been through a similar name-change registration / reacquisition process.

TL;DR:
Registering a U.S. naturalization-based name change with the NY Consulate before a citizenship reacquisition appointment. Using the naturalization/oath date as the “sentenza,” the petition number as the reference, apostille, translate order, and paying the listed fee by money order. Looking for confirmation this is the right approach.