Thirty-One Days of Italians

Honorary Members

The Italian Immigrant This   day   is   set   aside   for   the   parents,   grandparents,   great-grandparents,   and   beyond   – every   Italian   who   journeyed   to   America   from   Italy,   regardless   of   the   route.   It’s   to honor   those   who   sought   to   make   a   better   life   for   themselves   and   their   families,   to remember    them    for    the    sacrifices    they    endured,    and    to    thank    them    for    the opportunities they provided us and for their contributions to America. (In Alphabetical Order) Father Pietro Bandini (1852-1917) Humanitarians A   Jesuit   priest,   Father   Bandini   first   came   to   America   in   the   late   1880s   as   a   missionary for   Native   Americans   in   the   northwest.   He   returned   to   Italy   for   a   short   time,   then traveled   back   to   America   to   assist   Italian   immigrants   in   New   York   City.   His   previous travels   through   Arkansas   brought   him   back   when   he   learned   of   a   group   of   immigrants who   needed   help   in   settling   there.   Recalling   an   area   in   the   Ozarks   similar   to   Italy’s environment,   he   assisted   in   purchasing   the   land   and   established   Tontitown   in   1898, named    after    Enrico    de    Tonti,    the    Father    of    Arkansas.    By    1905,    Tontitown    was considered    the    "perfect    example    of    colonization,"    and    in    1909    the    town    was incorporated with Father Bandini as its first mayor. Constantino [or Costantino] Brumidi (1805-1880) Art Known as the "Michelangelo of the Capitol," Brumidi spent 25 years painting the walls and ceilings of the United States Capitol. The rotunda of the Capitol, with the Apotheosis of Washington, and the frescoes and murals on the first floor of the Senate wing – the Brumidi Corridors – are among the most elaborately decorated public places in America. In recognition of his contributions to America, in January 2007, U.S. Senate Bill S-254 was proposed to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi. It became Public Law in 2008. Mother Francis Cabrini (1850-1917) Humanitarians With   a   desire   to   become   a   missionary   at   a   young   age,   Francis   Cabrini   devoted   her   life to   helping   others.   After   taking   vows   and   adding   Xavier   to   her   name   in   honor   of   Jesuit Francis   Xavier,   Mother   Cabrini   founded   the   Missionary   Sisters   of   the   Sacred   Heart   of Jesus.   At   the   Bishop’s   request   –   and   upon   the   advice   of   Pope   Leo   XIII   –   in   1889   she came   to   America   to   work   with   the   Italian   immigrants.   She   became   an   American citizen in 1909. In 1946, she was canonized a saint. Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) Music Recognized    by    many    as    the    world’s    most    acclaimed    tenor,    Caruso’s    recordings launched   the   phonograph   industry   in   the   early   1900s   and   prompted   other   singers   to start   recording   their   music   for   sale.   His   vocal   range   and   versatility   is   still   unmatched and   it’s   noted   that   his   recordings   have   been   researched   and   studied   more   than   any other   singer.   His   recording   of   "No   Pagliaccio   non   son"   was   the   first   record   to   sell   one million   copies,   and   more   than   a   century   later,   his   records   continue   to   sell.   Caruso   first sang    at    the    Metropolitan    Opera    House    in    New    York    in    1903    and    continued    his association   with   the   Met   for   18   seasons.   He   was   awarded   the   Grammy   Lifetime Achievement   Award   in   1987   for   his   significant   artistic   contributions   to   the   recording industry. Christopher Columbus [Cristoforo Colombo] (1451-1506) Exploration Columbus   was   a   man   who   believed.   He   studied,   sought   the   answers,   heeded   advice, and   secured   funding.   Many   people   may   have   influenced   and   supported   Columbus,   but it   was   his   belief   in   his   capabilities   as   a   navigator   that   led   him   to   sail   an   uncharted   sea and find a new land. Celebrate Columbus Day. Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) Technology Recognized   as   one   of   the   twentieth   century’s   great   scientists,   Fermi   received   the Noble   Prize   in   physics   in   1938   for   discovering   new   radioactive   elements   and   the nuclear   reactions   caused   by   slow   neutrons.   Fermi’s   work   heralded   the   age   of   nuclear power   that   now   provides   energy,   and   used   in   medical   treatments,   and   agricultural   and industrial   applications.   His   applications   in   experimentation   and   theoretical   physics   led him to become the first to split an atom. Amadeo Pietro Giannini (1870-1949) Business At   14,   Giannini   left   school   to   help   his   stepfather   run   a   produce   business.   Five   years later,   he   was   a   partner,   and   at   31,   he   sold   the   business   to   retire.   Three   years   later,   he opened   the   Bank   of   Italy   –   based   on   the   concept   of   lending   money   to   the   working class   –   offering   mortgage,   automobile,   and   installment   loans.   After   the   San   Francisco earthquake   of   1906,   he   salvaged   the   bank’s   resources   and   loaned   money   to   help rebuild   the   city.   Giannini   provided   financial   backing   to   start   United   Artists   and   the California   wine   industry,   and   to   keep   Walt   Disney’s   Snow   White   from   going   over budget.   In   1928,   he   purchased   Bank   of   America   with   plans   for   a   nationwide   banking system,   and   when   he   died   in   1949,   Bank   of   America   was   the   largest   bank   in   the United   States.   A.   P.   Giannini   revolutionized   banking,   establishing   the   foundation   for the modern banking system. Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) Technology His   early   experiments   with   Hertzian   waves   led   him   to   conducting   experiments   at   the family   villa   in   Italy   and   later   in   England   where   he   would   file   a   patent   for   wireless telegraphy.    Although    Marconi    shares    the    1909    Nobel    Prize    in    physics,    he    was acknowledged   for   his   ability   to   put   together   a   "practical,   usable   system"   for   wireless transmission    of    radio    waves    over    long    distances.    Marconi    did    not    immigrate    to America,    but    in    1903,    he    established    a    wireless    station    in    South    Wellfleet, Massachusetts,   allowing   President   Theodore   Roosevelt   to   send   a   Morse   code   message to   King   Edward   VII   of   England   –   the   first   transatlantic   message   from   a   U.   S.   President to   a   European   ruler.   Marconi’s   wireless   communications   (known   as   Marconigrams) were   essential   for   transmitting   messages   to   and   from   ships,   and   his   application expanded from cruise ships to battleships when World War I began. Filippo Mazzei (1730-1816) Politics/Law Befriended    by    Benjamin    Franklin    and    Thomas    Jefferson,    in    1773,    Mazzei    –    a physician,    horticulturist,    and    merchant    in    Italy    –    came    to    America    to    establish vineyards   in   Virginia.   Through   his   friendships   with   Franklin   and   Jefferson,   Mazzei became   acquainted   with   George   Washington,   James   Monroe,   Thomas   Paine,   Patrick Henry,   and   John   Adams,   and   Mazzei   also   became   a   supporter   of   American   freedom. His   collaboration   with   Jefferson   led   to   the   inclusion   of   "all   men   are   created   equal"   into the   Declaration   of   Independence,   a   paraphrase   of   Mazzei’s   "All   men   are   by   nature equally free and independent." Antonio Meucci (1808-1889) Technology Scientist,   mechanical   engineer,   stage   technician,   business-owner,   and   the   original holder   of   the   patent   for   the   forerunner   of   today’s   telephone,   in   2002   Meucci   was recognized   by   the   U.   S.   House   of   Representatives   declaring   "…   his   work   in   the invention   of   the   telephone   should   be   acknowledged."   Meucci   traveled   from   Italy   to Cuba,   where   he   began   working   on   his   teletrofono   in   1849.   A   year   later,   he   was   in America,   supporting   his   experimentation   with   the   teletrofono   by   establishing   various business,   among   them   the   first   paraffin   candle   factory   in   the   world   and   the   first   lager beer   factory   in   America.   Meucci   befriended   Garibaldi,   who   stayed   with   him   in   Staten Island,   while   Garibaldi   was   in   exile   from   Italy   and   before   he   returned   to   Italy   in   1854 to fight for unification. Maria Montessori, MD (1870-1952) Education A   medical   doctor   with   experience   in   psychiatry,   philosophy,   and   anthropology,   Dr. Montessori   combined   her   fields   to   focus   on   educating   children.   She   developed   an educational   method   based   on   her   belief   in   treating   a   child   with   respect   and   assisting, rather   than   teaching,   which   allows   the   child   to   develop   fully   in   all   aspects   of   his   or   her life. Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) Architecture Considered   by   many   to   be   the   "Father   of   Architecture,"   Palladio’s   style   –   arches, columns,    pediments,    porticos,    symmetry,    and    the    Palladian    window    –    traveled throughout   Europe,   to   England,   and   then   to   America.   In   1570   he   wrote   I   Quattro   Libri dell'   Architettura,   The   Four   Books   on   Architecture,   the   most   famous   and   influential books   on   architecture   of   all   time,   and   still   in   print.   Thomas   Jefferson   cited   the   books as   "the   Bible"   on   architecture   and   designed   Monticello   and   other   buildings   using Palladio’s concepts. Antonio Pasin (1896-1990) Business Arriving   in   America   in   1914   from   a   small   town   outside   of   Venice,   within   several   years Pasin   was   able   to   save   enough   money   to   start   a   small   business   crafting   wood   wagons. By   1923,   he   hired   his   first   employees   and   named   his   company   Liberty   Coaster Company,   after   the   Statue   of   Liberty.   Inspired   by   the   automobile   industry,   he   started using   metal   stamping   to   make   wagons,   and   named   the   first   steel   wagon   Radio   Flyer   in honor   of   Marconi’s   invention   of   the   radio   and   Pasin’s   interest   in   flight.   Throughout   the Depression,   his   company   was   one   of   the   few   that   ran   at   full   capacity   and   his   exhibit   at the   1933   Chicago   World’s   Fair   brought   world   fame   to   the   red   wagon.   As   one   of   the oldest   toy   companies   in   America,   it   is   still   family   owned   and   it’s   the   only   company that   makes   steel,   wood,   and   plastic   wagons.   Pasin   was   inducted   into   the   Toy   Industry Hall of Fame in 2003. Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) Music More    than    fifty    years    after    his    final    performance,    Toscanini    –    known    for    his photographic    memory,    strong    beliefs    in    music    interpretation,    and    demand    for perfection   –   reigns   supreme   as   one   of   the   world’s   greatest   conductors.   From   1908   to 1915,   he   conducted   at   the   Metropolitan   Opera   House.   In   1926   he   began   conducting with   the   New   York   Philharmonic   Orchestra   and   led   a   European   tour   of   the   company   in 1930.   Seven   years   later,   with   plans   to   make   radio   educational   and   cultural,   the   NBC Symphony   Orchestra   was   created   for   Toscanini.   Many   credit   him   today   for   bringing classical music to the masses. Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485-c.1528) Exploration In 1524, Verrazzano – sailing for France – explored the northeast coast of North America, first stopping in North Carolina, then New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Maine. He was the first European explorer to enter the harbor of New York. In 1957, the suspension bridge connecting the New York City boroughs  of Brooklyn and Staten Island was named for Verrazzano. In April 2024, the New York City Council passed a bill commemorating April 17th each year as Giovanni da Verrazzano Day. Amerigo Vespucci (c.1451-1512) Exploration Traveling   twice   to   explore   the   coastline   of   South   America,   Vespucci   was   the   first   to realize   that   the   New   World   was   a   new   continent.   Letters   he   wrote   describing   his journey    were    widely    distributed    in    Europe,    leading    German    cartographer    Martin Waldseemuller to identify the land as America.

The purpose of this website is to educate others about the significant contributions that those of Italian heritage have made to America. Biographies range from one to several paragraphs providing an overview, and links to a collection of selected resources are provided for more in-depth research. The information is intended to be shared and distributed; however, the work in this website is a result of massive hours of researching, organizing, creating, and writing. If you use any of the information on this website, please give proper credit by citing Thirty-One Days of Italians and adding a link to this website. Thank you.

NOTE Thirty-One Days of Italians is a work in progress. Resources continue to be updated.