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Calabria, Italy and its Genealogy, History, Culture and Language
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Italians In Toronto: Development of a National Identity

by John Zucchi

A review of Italians In Toronto: Development of a National Identity.

Italians In Toronto: Development of a National Identity Every so often a gem comes our way.  The book is divided into seven chapters: The Old World; Settlement; Work and Enterprise; Entrepreneurs and the Ethnic Economy; Church, Clergy, and Religious Life; The Way of the Notables; The Fascist Period.

The sending towns from Italy included: Laurenzana and Pisticci (Basilicata); Chieti, Lanciano, Rocca San Giovanni, and Fossacia (Abruzzi); Boiano, Casacalenda, and Montorio nei Frentani (Molise); Vita, Termini Imerese, and Pachino (Sicily); Monteleone di Puglia and Modugno di Bari(Puglia); Gravere and Meana di Susa (Piedmont); Terracina and Sora (Lazio). In addition, two clusters of towns prominent in Toronto were studied: one from Zompichia (southern Friuli) and the other from San Sisto, Cerisano, San Vincenzo la Costa, San Fili, Montalto Uffugo (Cosenza).

Here are some of the surnames picked at random from the index. Background on the names generally tend to state their involvement in the Italian community. For example, in 1931, Massimo Jacopo Magi, a wealthy proprietor of a statutory firm, the Florentine Company on King Street was appointed political secretary of the Fasci all'Estero. Other background gives when the person came to Toronto, the places the person had worked prior to arriving in Canada etc.

  • ARRIGO, Giuseppe
  • BACCI, Ruggero
  • CACCIAPUOTI, Rev. Nestor
  • DE REVEL, Count Ignazio
  • ELISEO, Orlando
  • FARANO, James
  • GASPARINI, John
  • IANNUZZIELLO, Antonio
  • JANNETTE, Antonio and Luigi
  • LAMANTIA, Agata and Pietro
  • MAGI, Massimo Jacopo
  • NAPOLITANO, Francesco
  • ONGARO, Augusto
  • PALANGE, Pasquale
  • RACIOPPA, Angelo
  • SACCO, Edward Joseph
  • TAGLIALATELA, Rev. Alfred
  • UNGARO, Francesco
  • VIGLIANTI, Rev. Dominic
  • ZAMBRI, Joseph