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Italian American Collection Records

The Italian-American Collection was compiled as part of the "Italians in Chicago" project by the Department of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. The project was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and interviews were largely conducted during 1979 and 1980. Donations included photographs, booklets and pamphlets, as well as various other family memorabilia.

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Showing 1 - 29 of 29 Records
Accentura, Nicola. Interview. (Folder 1)
61 Text
Oral history interview transcript covering family life in Chicago, Italian neighbourhoods, religion, social organisations, social life, Italian food and eating habits, Italian businesses, community leaders, employment, inter-ethnic relations beyond Italian communities, impressions of other ethnic groups, immigration from Italy and reasons for leaving, the early Italian community in Chicago, First World War veterans, the Sacco and Vanzetti affair, citizenship and identity, Italian language and younger generations and learning English.
Date:
28 Jul 1979 - 6 Sep 1980
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Amella, Joseph. Interview. (Folder 4)
50 Text
Oral history interview transcript covering childhood in Italy, reasons for leaving Sicily, the trip to America, landing in Boston, moving to Colorado, working with Mexicans, living in the Bridgeport neighbourhood in Chicago, acceptance of Italians by non-Italians, the Great Depression, marriage, retention of Italian language, attitude towards children dating non-Italians, Christmas celebrations, Italian food, societies and clubs, Italian wine drinking, religion, identity conflicts between Italian/Italian-American, view of Italy during the Second World War, pride in being Italian and Bridgeport's Italian community in the 1980s.
Date:
8 Feb-25 Jul 1980
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Argenzio, Mary. Interview. (Folder 11)
67 Text
Oral history interview transcript covering involvement with Chicago Commons, education, mother working as a 'quack doctor', family origins, white slavery, successful relatives in the United States, Italian food, prohibition and Italian organised crime, community leaders, inter-ethnic relations, the Great Depression, marriage, her florist business, religion and changes in traditional Italian neighbourhood in Chicago. Includes a picture of Mary Argenzio.
Date:
24 Feb-2 Jul 1980
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Arrow, Rita. Donated photographs. (Folder 13)
11 Images
Photograph's of Rita Arrow's family (Mattioni) in the Udine province of Italy, from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Arrow, Rita. Interview. (Folder 14)
78 Text
Oral history interview transcript covering parents' immigration from Italy, schooling, Italian neighbourhoods in Chicago, dialects of parents, immigration and Ellis Island, the Great Depression, parochial school, university, mafia and organised crime in Chicago, father's employment in Italy and America, father's life in Italy, father's practice of sending money back to Italy, religion, marriage and discrimination. Includes one photograph of Rita Arrow in later life.
Date:
Mar-80
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Baldi, Mary. Donated photographs. (Folder 51)
4 Images
Family photographs donated by Mary Baldi.
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Baldi, Mary. Interview. (Folder 52)
42 Text
Oral history interview with Mary Baldi, a coal miner's daughter. Her brother was the mayor of Highwood, and she founded the Italian Women's Prosperity Club.
Date:
Aug-80
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Cali, Vito. Interview. (Folder 74)
75 Text
Oral history interview with Vito Cali, who was born in Italy but emigrated to the United States after the Second World War. He maintained close ties with the Italian community, but adapted to life in the United States.
Date:
1980-04-22
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Carnevale, Concetta. Photographs. (Folder 85)
66 Images
Family photographs donated by Concetta Carnevale.
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Manella, Mary. Interview. (Folder 328)
88 Text
Oral history interview covering childhood in Chicago, education, Italian businesses in Chicago, dating, non-religious Italian societies, housing, father's work, community leaders, religious societies, religious traditions, interaction with Croatians, relations with Chinese and the fear caused by the 'Tong wars', political leaders within the community, organised crime, discrimination, the Great Depression, Pearl Harbour and the Second World War, racial changes and discrimination subjected to as a woman.
Date:
1980-04-19
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Mariani, Frank. Interview and Photographs (Folder 331)
66 Text
Oral History interview covering life in Italy, emigration and journey to America, working conditions in the United States, trip to Minnesota, working on the railroad with other migrants, working in laundry and construction work, the First World War, marriage, housing, Italian meeting places, Italian festivities, the Great Depression, change in Italian neighbourhood, visit to Italy, involvement with the church, wife's death, employment discrimination and obtaining citizenship. Includes two photos of Frank Mariani in later life.
Date:
1979-11-19
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Memorie di Vita di Tempeste Sociali. Catechismo Illustrato per Proiezioni (Folder 642)
190 Text
Books in Italian donated by Maria Valiani.
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Morte ai Preti (Folder 643)
272 Text
Religious books in Italian donated by Maria Valiani. Includes an unidentified book beginning at p.63 onwards.
Date:
1947
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Petri, Silvio. Donated photograph. (Folder 492)
2 Images
Date:
1935
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Petri, Silvio. Interview. (Folder 493)
46 Text
Oral history interview with Silvio Petri, who emigrated to Chicago from Italy in 1928. Talks about subjects such as their barber shop, life in Italy and the community.
Date:
1981-06-08
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Sokoloski, Edith Catura. Donated photograph. (Folder 593)
2 Images
Date:
1923
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Spallitta, Lawrence. Interview. (Folder 599)
64 Text
Oral history interview covering Italian heritage, education in a non-Italian school in Chicago, speaking Italian at home, shopping in Italian neighbourhoods, living outside the Italian community, Sicilian women's activities, food, Italian celebrations, non-Italian attitudes towards Italians, the Great Depression, discrimination, reasons for not fighting in the Second World War, meeting his wife, Italian social cubs and musical activities.
Date:
30 Dec 1979 - 10 Jan 1980
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Sparvieri, Pasqua. Interview. (Folder 601)
60 Text
Oral history interview covering the childhood farm in Italy, immigration to the United States, religion and religious festivities, food, marriage, first impressions of America, citizenship, education (in Italy), the multi-ethnic makeup of Chicago, citizenship papers, fraternal societies, community leaders, the Great Depression, wine making, organised crime and bootlegging, discrimination, relationship with the Jewish community, Mussolini, Catholic and socialist conflicts. Includes a photograph of Pasqua in later life.
Date:
1980-02-28
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Store Stationary, Handkerchief, Banquet Program (Folder 86)
25 Text
Handkerchief, banquet programme of the Society of Priests and Brothers of the Fathers of St Charles Borromeo, and a note stating when the Coco Grocery opened on headed paper.
Date:
1910 - 12 May 1963
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Strausberg, Jack. Menus, Cards Clippings (Folder 609)
9 Images
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Tellerino, Rose. Interview. (Folder 612)
49 Text
Oral history interview covering childhood in Italy, Italian language, father's attitude towards America, father against children speaking English, Clark/Polk neighbourhood of Chicago, engagement and marriage, father's decision to come to America, father's attitude towards education, childhood games, Italian restaurants and bars in Chicago, relations with Chinese immigrants, Italian prostitutes, visits to Italy, the Great Depression, husband working in the construction business in New York, employment in a department store, religious activities and the rejection of Catholicism.
Date:
1980-02-12
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Valiani, Maria. Clippings. (Folder 639)
30 Text
Identification forms with photocopies of newspaper clippings, programmes and handbills.
Date:
1920 - 23 May 1969
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Valiani, Maria. Handbill. (Folder 640)
Image nop
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Valiani, Maria. Interview. (Folder 646)
79 Text
Oral history covering the arrival of her parents at Ellis Island, her work as a seamstress in the tailor shops at Kuppenheimer and Hart, Schaffner and Marx, and other smaller plants and her activities with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers' Union.
Date:
1980
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Valiani, Maria. Photographs. (Folder 645)
27 Images
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Valiani, Maria. Programs. (Folder 641)
23 Text
Includes programmes for dinners at the Chicago Joint Board Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, the obituary of Louis Chiostra, a leader of Chicago Joint Board, publication on the work of Rev. Louis Donanzan celebrating his silver jubilee (signed by him), and a copy of The Trumpeter, published for the employees of Hart Schaffner and Marx (Vol. 1, No. 2, October 1961).
Date:
24 Nov 1957 - Oct 1961
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Virruso, Marie Prignano. Photographs and religious clippings. (Folder 654)
37 Images
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Viti, Guy. Religious Pamphlets. (Folder 656)
30 Text
Religious booklets, including 'The Birth of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace'. Provides an autobiography and details of attempts to replicate Italian life in America. Italians living in Chicago (from Naples) built a replica Italian Catholic Church in the city.
Date:
1965-1967
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access
Yelmini. Anthony. Interview. (Folder 657)
76 Text
Oral history interview covering birth in Italy, moving to Switzerland, returning to Italy, obstacles to emigration, factory work during First World War, emigration to the United States through Ellis Island, lumber work in Wisconsin, radio work in Kansas City, arrival in Chicago, attending night school, working in a radio shop/as a shipping clerk, attending law school and taking the bar exam, attending YMCA Italian classes, marriage, practicing law, Italian-American summer camps, return to Italy in 1956, religion, the Italian Lutheran Church, labour unionism in Italy, Italian businesses in Chicago, organised crime, community leaders, attitude towards work and education and discrimination.
Date:
May-80
Collection:
Italian American Collection records
Access:
Public access

Collection Details

Repository
University of Illinois Chicago. Library. Special Collections and University Archives Department (Richard J. Daley Library)
Collection Type
Manuscript Collections
Collection Location
Richard J. Daley Library
Theme
Ethnicity/Immigration
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