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CLUB NEWS
ITALIAN AMERICAN DIGEST SUMMER 2018
C O M M U N I T Y
C A L E N D A R
Opera in the Piazza Friday, June 15 at 7pm( Doors at 6:30pm) Piazza d’ Italia 377 Poydras St, New Orleans
Join us for an evening under the stars at the newly renovated Piazza d’ Italia! This will be a night of Italian opera, Italian food, and fun with friends. Advance tickets are $ 15 for AICC members, $ 20 for non-members, and $ 50 for VIP.( VIP tickets include priority seating, private restrooms, and access to the air-conditioned AICC VIP room for refreshments and snacks.) Tickets will be $ 25 at the door. Food and drink will be available for purchase. To purchase advance tickets, visit www. AmericanItalianCulturalCenter. com or call( 504) 522-7294.
Summer 2018 Italian Language Classes Beginning the week of June 18 American Italian Cultural Center The AICC hosts Italian language classes in downtown New Orleans and in Metairie. The 90-minute classes meet once a week for 8 weeks. All classes are taught by Alessandro, a native Italian, and have a friendly, motivating environment. The AICC offers four different class levels: novice, intermediate, advanced / superior, and a traveler’ s course specifically for those going to Italy. Call us at( 504) 522-7294 or visit www. AmericanItalianCulturalCenter. com to learn more!
Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience Friday, June 22 at 7pm American Italian Cultural Center
Authors Bill Dal Cerro and David Anthony Witter will present their book, Bebop, Swing and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience. Italian Americans such as Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Louie Bellson, Lennie Tristano, Tony Bennett, Buddy DeFranco, Flip Phillips and Joe Lovano, and many others have enriched the jazz genre since its inception in New Orleans though the big band, swing, bebop, and into the modern era. This book features interviews with musicians and illustrates the prejudices Italians faced in pursuit of the American Dream.
The lecture is free for AICC Members and students with a valid university or high school ID. For non-members, the suggested donation is $ 10. The book will be available for purchase for $ 20; please call the AICC at( 504) 522-7294 if you’ d like to reserve a copy!
Lecture: Italian Influences on New Orleans Area Cemeteries Thursday, July 19 at 6:30pm American Italian Cultural Center
Join Emily Ford of Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, LLC and discover the influences that Italians had on cemeteries in New Orleans and in Metairie! This lecture will draw from the historic landscapes of all local cemeteries and from Ms. Ford’ s ongoing research into the preservation of Italian heritage. We will explore the Metairie Cemetery row of Italian society tombs; the influence of 1850s Italian sculptor Americo Marozzi on Bywater cemeteries like St. Vincent de Paul and St. Roch; and hidden Florentine masterpieces in Cypress Grove. Emily will also present lesser-known Italian burial places and society tombs, including those in Odd Fellows Rest and Valence Street Cemeteries, and some curious tales of Italian-Americans buried in historic New Orleans cemeteries.
The lecture is free for AICC Members and students with a valid university or high school ID. For non-members, the suggested donation is $ 10.
Cefalutana Società Wishes New Orleans Buon Compleanno
by Rose Brocato
Happy 300th birthday New Orleans!
When did Sicilians come to Louisiana? The Società Italiana di Mutua Benefincenza Cefalutana was founded in New Orleans on June 19, 1887, and incorporated on August 10, 1887. The purpose of this society was to assist others in time of illness, death, financial need, language and cultural difficulties.
Most Sicilian immigrants came to Louisiana in the late 1880s because their homeland had become dangerous and corrupt. The Sicilians feared for their future, so they came to America to follow a dream and to provide a better life for their children. This was the case with my own grandparents, who were born in Cefalu and immigrated to Louisiana in the early 1900s.
People of Italian descent make up a significant percentage of Louisiana’ s population, especially in New Orleans and Independence. Most Italian immigrants arrived through the port of New Orleans, but not my grandparents; they arrived in New York and were processed through Ellis Island. They stayed for a short time in New York but had relatives in Louisiana, so they moved here to go into the grocery business.
Italians have been in Louisiana for over 300 years. When Italians arrived in New Orleans, there were already Italian immigrants who had established a large community dating back to the French era. Italian-born Henri de Tonti explored Louisiana before New Orleans even existed.( Tonti Street is named after him.) An area of the French Quarter was called“ Little Italy” because so many Italians lived and worked there.
But life for Sicilians in New Orleans was not easy, as there were many prejudices against them. On March 14, 1891, eleven Italians were lynched after a mob led by the leading citizens of New Orleans broke into the City Jail. All eleven had been proven innocent by a jury of their peers the day before. In 1899, five Sicilian were lynched in Tullaluh, La. All were from Cefalu, Sicily. After the 1891 lynching, many of these societies changed their names, but not the Cefalutana Società.
In a recent interview, Sal Serio, custodian of the American Italian Research Library in Jefferson Parish( and Cefalutana Società presidente for many years), shares how these benevolent societies here in New Orleans were vital to the Sicilian community. There were also hundreds of trade organizations that many Sicilians belong to but went underground during the war. The Sicilians needed a passport to immigrate to America. They were recruited to work in the sugar and wood mills, in the cotton and strawberry fields, and on the Mississippi River. After slavery was abolished, these jobs were becoming more available. The Sicilians were very family-oriented and loyal to their new home country of America.
Sal has lived most of his life in New Orleans except for his time in the U. S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and five years working in Dallas. Sal’ s father was affiliated with the French Market Ice Company, which was in the 1000 block of Chartres. Sal’ s family lived mainly in the Gentilly area and a short time on Dryades and First streets. Sal continues to represent and promote his Sicilian heritage here in New Orleans, especially with his work in genealogy.
I asked Sal why he felt that the Cefalutana Società is such a vital part of the Italian community here in New Orleans and he said,“ We must represent not only to ourselves but to all Italians, our history, and traditions and keep them alive.”
In the Società Italiana di Mutua Benefincenza Cefalutana, six generations of Sicilians from Cefalu are represented. Every year our benevolent society honors a Cabrini student for academic excellence; in August, we honor our patron saint, Gesu Salvatore; our annual Day at the Races is held at the New Orleans Fairgrounds; and we have many other events to reinforce and celebrate our cultural identity. Our members of the Cefalutana Società are dedicated to keeping the traditions of our Sicilian community alive in New Orleans for many years to come.