Italian Staten Island

The great wave of European immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought more than four million Italians to America. It was one of the greatest mass emigrations in world history, and many settled in Staten Island. Following the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, the island experienced another great influx of Italian immigrants, this time from the other boroughs of New York City. This new wave was responsible for doubling the island population by the year 2000. Italian Americans are evident in every avocation and in each corner of Staten Island society, with achievers in education, business, government, medicine, and sports and entertainment. Italian Staten Island chronicles the traditions, culture, and heritage of Italian Americans through more than 200 photographs.

Andrew Paul Mele was horn and raised in Brooklyn and arrived in Staten Island shortly after the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. He is the author of two books of baseball history in Brooklyn, as well as several short stories. His articles appear in the Staten Island Advance and the Italian Tribune. The introduction was provided by James P. Molinaro, Staten Island borough president.