Italians in New Orleans

Italians have had a presence in the area since the explorations of the Europeans. Many Sicilians immigrated to New Orleans in the 19th century, traveling on the Palermo-New Orleans route by ship. Almost all of the 19th-century immigrants to the city originated from Sicily. Overall most Italian immigration occurred during the late 19th century, with those immigrating from that century outnumbering Italians who had immigrated prior to the American Civil War.

The March 14, 1891 lynchings occurred after the 1890 assassination of the chief of police, David Hennessy. It was the largest ever mass lynching in Louisiana history. The use of the term "mafia" by local media in relation to the murder is the first known usage of the word in print.

"Little Palermo" was established by recent immigrants in the lower French Quarter causing some to suggest that the area should be renamed "The Sicilian Quarter" in the early 20th century. As time passed, many Italian-Americans moved out of New Orleans and to the suburbs.

Historically many corner stores in New Orleans were owned by Italians. Progresso Foods originated as a New Orleans Italian-American business. The business established by the Vaccaro brothers later became Standard Fruit.

After they first arrived, Italian immigrants took low wage jobs. They worked on docks, in Macaroni factories, and in nearby sugar plantations. Some went to the French Market to sell fruit. Italian workers became a significant presence in the French Market.

In 1843 the Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza was established. The San Bartolomeo Society, established by immigrants from Ustica, was established in 1879. As of 2004 it is the oldest Italian-American society in New Orleans. Joseph Maselli, an ethnic Italian from New Orleans, founded the first pan-U.S. Italian-American federation of organizations.

The American Italian Cultural Center honors and celebrates the area's Italian-American heritage and culture. The AICC houses the American Italian Museum, with exhibits about the history and contributions of Italians-Americans to the region. The Piazza d'Italia is a local monument dedicated to the Italian-American community of New Orleans.

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Wikipedia