I am an Italian American..
My roots are deep in an ancient soil, drenched by the Mediterranean sun, and watered by pure streams from snow
capped mountains. I am enriched by thousands of years of culture.
My hands are those of the mason, the artist, the man
of the soil.
My thoughts have been recounted in the annals of Rome, the poetry of Virgil, the creations of Dante, and the
philosophy of Benedetto Croce.
I am an Italian-American, and from my ancient world, I first spanned the seas to the
New World. I am Cristoforo Colombo.
I am Giovanni Caboto known in American History as John Cabot, discoverer of the
mainland of North America.
I am Amerigo Vespucci, who gave my name to the New World, America.
First to sail
on the Great Lakes in 1679, founder of the territory that became the State of Illinois, colonizer of Louisiana and Arkansas,
I am Enrico Tonti.
I am Filippo Mazzei friend of Thomas Jefferson, and my thesis on the equality of man was written
into the Bill of Rights.
I am William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
I am an Italian-American;
I financed the Northwest Expedition of George Rogers Clark and accompanied him through the lands that would become Ohio, Indiana,
Wisconsin and Michigan. I am Colonel Francesco Vigo.
I mapped the Pacific from Mexico to Alaska and to the Philippines,
I am Alessandro Malaspina.
I am Giacomo Belinimi, discoverer of the source of the Mississippi River in 1823.
I
created the Dome of the United States Capitol. They call me the Michelangelo of America. I am Constantino Brumidi.
In
1904, I founded in San Francisco, the Bank of Italy now known as the Bank of America, the largest financial institution in
the world, I am A.P. Giannini.
I am Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America.
I am
Steve Geppi, founder of Diamond Comics, the largest distributorship of comics on the planet.
I am the first enlisted
man to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II; I am John Basilone of New Jersey.
I am an Italian-American.
I
am the million strong who served in America’s armies and the tens of thousands whose names are enshrined in military
cemeteries from Guadalcanal to the Rhine.
I am the steel maker in Pittsburgh, the grower in the Imperial Valley of
California, the textile designer in Manhattan, a Hollywood movie maker, the homemaker
and the breadwinner in over 10,000 communities.
I am an American without stint or reservation, loving this land as
only one who understands history, its agonies and its triumphs can love and serve it.
I will not be told that my contribution
is any less nor my role not as worthy as that of any other American.
I will stand in support of this nation's freedom
and protect against all foes.
My heritage has dedicated me to this nation. I am proud of my heritage, and I shall remain
worthy of it.
I am an Italian-American !
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Ferdinand Pecora
The 1950 race for New York City mayor was historic for several reasons - one of them the fact that each of
the three main candidates was Italian-born and selected because of his nationality --the first time this occurred in history
and undoubtedly the last. (Nicosia) Sicily was the birthplace of Ferdinand Pecora in 1886, and Vincent Impellitteri in 1900, while Edward Corsi was born in Capistrano in 1896. None were scions of wealthy families
and accordingly learned early in life that success would come only after hard work, sacrifice, self-confidence, and perseverance.
The son of a shoemaker, Ferdinand Pecora, the oldest of the trio, was brought up in a non-Italian neighborhood of New York, but
nevertheless met with derision because of his ethnic background as
a youngster. After obtaining a law degree from the New
York Law School, Ferdinand, a Democrat, became an assistant district attorney and later counsel to United States Senate Committee
on Banking and Currency. He headed the Special Investigating Committee that produced ample evidence of irregular practices
in the financial markets that led
Congress to enact the Security and Exchange Act.
He was then appointed a New York
State Supreme Court judge.
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Italian Cinema
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Italian Genealogy
POINT (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together)
The American NETWORK of Italian Genealogy
POINT – The largest Italian genealogy organization in the world – membership in POINT allows
you to submit surnames and you receive 4 quarterly issues of POINTers magazine and can purchase the annual directory of other
researchers surnames
POINT -- Pursuing Our Italian Names Together
THE American NETWORK of Italian Genealogy
Pointers In Person
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Study of Immigration experience books/movies:
Books:
1 ) Customs and Habits of the Sicilian Peasants, edited and translated by
Rosalie
N. Norris: written by Salvatore Salomone-Marion, 1897.
2. "The Fortunate Pilgrim", by Mario Puzo...written in 1964,
3. The Leopard
Movies:
1 Tree of Wooden Clogs
2 GOLDEN DOOR
4 UNCLE NINO
5 The Leopard