This book provides and in-depth look at the Italian immigrant experience in America. It explains how early arrivals helped make conditions better for later immigrants. It also examines the prominent role Italian Americans have had in shaping the society we live in today.
Discusses the reasons the Italian people left their homeland to come to America, the experiences immigrants had in the new country, and the contributions this cultural group made to America. Includes sidebars and activities.
Presents an account of the rise of the American Mafia from the 1880s to the 1950s, discussing the political, governmental, bureaucratic, economic, and social conditions that facilitated the success of the crime syndicate.
In a companion book to the four-hour PBS series, stereotypes and nostalgia are stripped away to tell the complicated, centuries-long story of the Italian-American experience and to explore and celebrate the rich legacy of Italian-American life.
Through extensive archival materials and interviews with scholars and notable Italian-Americans, viewers will learn the story of those who played vital roles in helping to shape a unique Italian-American identity.