The Italian American Museum in New York City is seeking to establish contact with immigrants who made the journey to America aboard the Giuseppe Verdi passenger ship from 1915 to 1928. Passengers who were on board the ship as young children would likely be in their late 80’s and 90’s today. Many settled in greater New York City, and may have remained in the area.
According to IAM president Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa, the Museum is planning a special program about the Giuseppe Verdi and would like to have passengers present if possible. The ship made numerous transatlantic trips during its years of operation, carrying as many as 2,200 passengers per journey, mostly from the ports of Naples, Genoa, and Palermo.
The Giuseppe Verdi was built in 1914 and was owned by Transatlantica Italiana S.A. di Navigazione. In 1928, it was sold to Japanese owners and renamed Yamato Maru. It was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine in the Philippines in 1943.
Passengers or their families are urged to contact the Italian American Museum’s public relations representative at 212-262-8800, or by email, mail@jjcpr.com.
The Italian American Museum is open Monday through Friday for group tours by appointment, and on Saturdays and Sundays to the general public from 12 noon to 6 pm. For more information, call 212-965-9000 or visit http://www.italianamericanmuseum.org.
Founded in 2001, the Italian American Museum is dedicated to exploring the rich cultural heritage of Italy and Italian Americans by presenting the individual and collective struggles and achievements of Italians and their heirs to the American way of life. The Museum received its provisional charter from the New York State Board of Regents on June 12, 2001 and is a 501(c)(3) organization.
