Italian American History

Cleveland's Little Italy's people, history and rebirth today can be found in these pages.

Developed in the late 19th century, Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, on the city's east side, was peopled with Italian artisans and craftsmen, many of whom were drawn to jobs carving monuments for the nearby Lake View Cemetery. The compact area relied on the local parish, Holy Rosary; charitable institutions, such as Alta House; and the cohesiveness of the neighborhood to sustain itself. It also produced a number of interesting favorite sons, including Angelo Vitantonio, the inventor of the pasta machine; championship boxer Tony Brush; and Anthony Celebrezze, Cleveland mayor, federal judge, and secretary of health, education, and welfare under Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson. The area continued to grow until after World War II, when residents graduated from the old neighborhood to Cleveland's eastern suburbs. During the last 20 years, however, Little Italy has experienced a rebirth, and today the area combines Old World charm with a vibrant art scene, new housing, and a host of popular restaurants.

Images of America: Italians of Stark Countyfocuses on Italian immigration into Stark County beginning in the late 1800s.

In the late 1800s, Stark County's urban hub of Canton and the surrounding communities were in the middle of a thriving expansion driven by industry, transportation, and manufacturing. Along with this growth came the need for labor, with immigration filling many of those needs. Italians came to Stark County to work in the steel mills, in the coal mines, and on the railroad, as well as to start their own small businesses. Once established, Italian families began to replicate the community foundations from their native land, and in turn these foundations reinforced embedded values: family, food, religion, music, and freedom.

This photographic history illustrates these values while bringing to life the character, work ethic, determination, and love of life of the Italian people of Stark County. Local author and Italian American J.A. Musacchia was born and raised in Stark County and is a member of the Sugarcreek Township Historical Societyand the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.

People of Italian descent have been present in Detroit since Alfonso Tonti, second-in-command to Antoine Cadillac, participated in the founding of the city in 1701.

By the close of the 19th century, the trickle of Italian immigrants had become a torrent, as thousands rushed to the growing industrial center. Settling on the lower east side, the community grew rapidly, especially north and east into Macomb County. Italians in Detroit did not remain in a ""little Italy,"" but mingled with the diverse population of the city. Through a combination of hard work and strong family and community ties, the Italians of Detroit have achieved their dreams of a better life. They have met the challenges of living in a new land while nurturing the culture of the old country. The challenge that remains is to nurture a love of heritage among young Italian Americans as the immigrant generation fades.

VIew Cincinnati via photography and the history of the Italians that began immigrating and populating the area since the 1800s.

Italians of Greater Cincinnati focuses on the Italian immigration into the Cincinnati area beginning in the early 1800s. The northern Italians were the first to arrive, followed by those in the south of Italy, including Sicily. In the spring of 1892, plans were being made to build a Catholic church for the estimated 4,000 Italian immigrants. In 1897, two biological Italian immigrant sisters, who had joined the religious order of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Sr. Blandina and Sr. Justina Segale, began their life's work with the poor immigrants living in the Cincinnati area. Today descendants of these early immigrants, as well as those who arrived in the 20th century, continue to celebrate their rich Italian heritage through social clubs and community involvement. The photographs contained in this volume detail the lives of the Italians as they strived to become Americans.

Drawn from scores of family albums, these intimate snapshots tell the story of the unique and universal saga of Italian immigration and life in Chicago.

More than 25,000 Italian immigrants came to Chicago after 1945. The story of their exodus and reestablishment in Chicago touches on war torn Italy, the renewal of family and paesani connections, the bureaucratic challenges of the restrictive quota system, the energy and spirit of the new immigrants, and the opportunities and frustrations in American society.

Discover the first-hand accounts and stories of Italian World War II Veterans who answered the call to serve their country, despite being deemed Enemy Aliens by their own government.

At the beginning of World War II, Italian citizens living in the United States were referred to as ""Enemy Aliens."" Yet hundreds of young Italian Americans flocked to recruiting stations, and over 500,000-perhaps as many as 1.5 million-served in the military during the war. Despite the difficulties they faced, including the possibility of having to fight against Italians, countless Italian Americans received decorations for bravery, fourteen of whom received the Medal of Honor.

Italian Americans in World War II offers their stories, which, for the most part, have yet to be told. Belmonte interviewed almost 50 Italian-American veterans of World War II, from all branches and types of service. Stories of daily life, food, equipment, and training from soldiers, sailors, and airmen are captured. You'll read personal tales about how survivors of D-Day, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Okinawa, and The Battle of the Bulge felt about entering combat. This fitting tribute also includes photographs from this period in history, bringing the men's stories to life.

In over 200 images accompanied by an insightful narrative, this collection uncovers the trials and triumphs of migration, ethnic survival, and daily life.

Italians have been a part of the Chicago communitysince the 1850s. The city's Italian immigration ratepeaked in 1914, and many of these new residents settled in neighborhoods on the north, west, and south sides of the Loop and in the industrial suburbs of Chicago. An intriguing visual tour, Italians in Chicago explores the lives of over four generations of the community's residents and experiences.

Italians in Columbus have established a thriving community based on the tenets of ""Faith, Family, and Friends.""

At the beginning of the last century, there were just over 11,000 Italians in Ohio. While many of the earliest immigrants settled along Lake Erie, a growing number ventured south to the state capital, a city located at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers and named for a famed Italian explorer. Importing the rich traditions of the old country, Columbus Italian families stayed close to each other, living in great concentrations on St. Clair Avenue and in the Flytown and Bottoms neighborhoods, Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff, and San Margherita. The generations of families who once called these Italian enclaves home have now largely dispersed but still form a community--colorful, hardworking, and fiercely loyal--bonded by the three most basic principles of Italian culture and the theme of the Columbus Italian Festival: ""Faith, Family, and Friends.""

Author and history professor Dominic Candeloro presents an intriguing narrative record of the earliest beginning of the Italian communities in Chicago.

The stories of Chicago's Italian communities are an important part of the rich and diverse mosaic of the city's history. As a rail center, an industrial center and America's fastest growing major city, Chicago offered opportunities for immigrants from all nations.Italians in Chicagoexplores the lives of 10 significant members of the Chicago Italian-American community going back to the 1850s.

This book is a collaborative and cumulative effort, and gives glimpses and echoes of what occurred in the Italian-American past in Chicago. Including vintage images and tales of such individuals as Father Armando Pierini, Anthony Scariano, and Joe Bruno, and groups such as the Aragona Club and the Maria Santissima Lauretana Society, this collection uncovers the challenges and triumphs of these Italian immigrants.

Discover the rich, unique history of Italians in Indianapolis, Indiana through vintage images in this pictorial history.

In 1910, Indianapolis had the smallest foreign stock population of any city north of the Ohio River, and city historians merely ignored the presence of the ethnic communities. In the 1920s, the Hoosier capital supposedly lacked a cosmopolitan character, and the Ku Klux Klan gloried in the slogan ""100% American."" However, the size of a community does not indicate its significance in municipal life. Rather, immigrants and their descendants make a difference because of their talents and available local opportunities. Residents of Italian origin have contributed mightily to Indianapolis's economy, culture, and professional and religious life. The first to arrive were the Sicilians who developed the city's fruit and vegetable trade and the Friulani who engaged in terrazzo-mosaic tile work. Early immigrants became grocers, shoemakers, tailors, and barbers. Later, primarily after World War II, many American-born of Italian descent moved into Indianapolis, excelling in business and professional fields, including law, medicine, and education. The community has continued to grow, adding to its numbers the Italian-born but married to American military or engaged in skilled labor in carpentry, tailoring, salesmanship, and food preparation.