NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Two friends from New Haven that found out they were siblings finally had their family reunion in the Dominican Republic. 

FOX61’s Lauren Zenzie first reported this story almost two years ago. To recap, Julia Tinetti and Cassandra Madison were friends at the former Russian Lady Bar in New Haven and Julia noticed Cassandra’s Dominican flag tattoo which acquainted them and they finally realized they were both adopted from the Dominican Republic.  

RELATED: Friends bonding over adoption find out they are biological sisters

People had always told them they looked alike but it wasn’t until about five years ago that they got serious about figuring out if they were related. But after weeks of waiting, they found out through DNA testing that they were biological siblings. 

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Cassandra met her family in the Dominican Republic for the first time last year when this story was first announced, but Julia did not go.

But…