# 85 NOVEMBER 21 st , 2016
the town of Cuggiono and its immediate surroundings in particular , and established here in The Hill neighbourhood .
The immigrants from southern Italy had a little different history , at first : they chose to live in downtown St . Louis and they chose to work in restaurants . Downtown St . Louis is about 7 miles from The Hill : it ’ s not that far , but in those days it seemed quite far because they travelled on horseback ! So , originally there were 2 Little Italies : The Hill , where settled Italians from the north of Italy , and downtown St . Louis , where lived Italians from the south . But a few years before World War I , due to population pressure , the southerners immigrants moved to The Hill as well , and the Lombardians and the Sicilians started living together : that ' s when The Hill became the official Little Italy in St . Louis , and it has been for a century !
Since there wasn ’ t any public transportation , no trains or busses to this area , and it was quite far from the river , the Italians became a self supporting community . When the Sicilians decided to move in The Hill for a while there were almost two of everything , since northerners and southerners spoke different dialects : for example there were two reception halls , one across the street from the other . But there was only one Church : there was at least one thing they were able to attend together !
You are the Director of The Hill Neighbourhood Center . Please tell us more about it
The Hill 2000 , formed in the 70 ' s , and The Hill Business Association are two different associations with two different boards with two different functions managed by volunteers with two different functions : one for the health of the community , the other for the health of the businesses . Together , they created The Hill Neighbourhood Center , which they
10 | WE THE ITALIANS
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