Has anyone ever mapped out NJ's little Italy's

[MauroMags]

While reading a previous post about Italians in Trenton, a question popped up into my head.

Has anyone ever mapped out Italian chain-migration to certain sates/cities. I've seen published stree maps of NYC's little Italy, which depict what regions inhabited what streets. I believe that there was a Pugliesi enclave on Mott Street. Usually feasts for Patron saints give good context clues to who is living in what neighborhood.

From my own research i know that these large groups settled in certain NJ cities. For example:

Avellino - Newark
Molfetta/Monte San Giacomo - Hoboken
Castelgrande - Paterson

I'm sure there are countless examples all across the nation. Anyone have any suggestions?

Mauro
NJ

[VaDeb]

Have never seen the resource you are looking for, but I can add this to the list:

Villalba, Caltanissetta, Sicily to Trenton, NJ. There was even a Villalba Hall in Trenton at one time.

[vj]

Mauro & Debbie
A quick check on google doesn't appear to have anything definitive. A lot of interesting links tho.
Answers.com had one paragraph:

New Jersey
Silver Lake section, Belleville, New Jersey
Nutley, New Jersey is 44.5% Italian
Seventh Avenue, Newark, formerly known to as "the First Ward."
According to the National Italian American Foundation, 7 of the 18 most heavily Italian American Counties in the US are in NJ. Among them: Ocean County (25.3%), Gloucester County (24.4%), Monmouth County (23.2%), Morris County (22.8%), Sussex County (22.2%), Bergen County (22.0%), and Hunterdon County (20.2%).

I'd add my own family from the Calabria region to Chambersburg, but I think it was a pretty mixed Italian group. Probably had working at the Roebling Wire Mill, Penn RR & potteries in common?

It would make an interesting study.
Valarie

[vj]

dup

[VaDeb]

Valerie,

I sent you a PM.

Debbie

[vj]

edit

[harleycat]

I would be interested in more on the Italian trend in NJ. It appears my Morana family (siblings of my great-grandmother) came from Alia to Jersey City 1905-1907. I know of one marriage to Monachello (various spellins found) and they were in Haledon, Passaic County, in 1930. I am wondering if there were other family members in the area also.

[Nunsiata]

I have been very interested in this topic myself. As a life-long New Jersey resident I always thought my family was an individual example, however my research has pointed to several trends. The more I look for my roots the more I notice!

Sicilians from the Palermo province seemed to gravitate to Elizabeth Street and it's environs in Little Italy.
From there, a good amount moved to Lodi in Bergen County, New Jersey when they were able to buy their own homes and leave the city. Lodi is still home to many Sicilians.
Montclair, in Essex County NJ is also home to many from Avellino. I found a lot of Ellis Island and Castle Garden records that list this town as a final destination for travelers from Avellino. Why, I wonder?

I grew up in Montclair (my family is from Lacedonia) and my Sicilian side still resides in Lodi. I find this pattern confusing but facinating!

N

[JohnArmellino]

Madonna della Libera parish in West New York (Hudson County) was the home of many immigrants from the comune of Campobasso (Molise) and several comuni nearby, including Oratino, Busso, and Ferrazzano. The parish was formed in the late 19th century and its founding families included the Licameli, Trivisonno, and Armellino families, all of which originated in Campobasso. They were followed by the Albino, di Rito, de Socio, di Nonno, Iafelice, Pizzuto, Gabriele, Albanese, Colucci, di Niro, Antenucci, Ariemma, Santoro, Palladino, Arturo, Terzano, Bonifacio, Brunetti, Colella, Dammiano, d'Anchise, de Santis, del Rosso, di Meo, Fagliarone, Libertucci, Romano, Rinaldi, Mastropaolo, Oriente, Salato, Petti, Piano, Picciano, Pinto, Ranallo, Riciutti, Trotta, Veleno, among other families. Although the area is now predominently Latino and the Church is now known as Our Lady of Libera, when I last visited the Church several months ago I was pleasantly surprised to find some literature at the rear of the church that explained the history of the Madonna della Libera and the parish's Italian roots.

[vj]

MauroMags & all,
found a book on the Italians of NJ
link w/libraries attached
vj

http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/s ... o=1&zip=nj

[RevLouM]

New Jersey
Silver Lake section, Belleville, New Jersey
Nutley, New Jersey is 44.5% Italian
Seventh Avenue, Newark, formerly known to as "the First Ward."
According to the National Italian American Foundation, 7 of the 18 most heavily Italian American Counties in the US are in NJ. Among them: Ocean County (25.3%), Gloucester County (24.4%), Monmouth County (23.2%), Morris County (22.8%), Sussex County (22.2%), Bergen County (22.0%), and Hunterdon County (20.2%).

Originally a "Down-Necker" myself, we relocated to Nutley. It was heavily Italian at the time, but has thinned considerably. Mom and Dad finally left there last year. I didn't get back often, but the dilution was, well, obvious...ALL the signs are in English, and Spanish is on them now...

I had many friends in the First Ward, as well as Silver Lake, and Watsessing.

There are websites dedicated to "OLD Newark" and "OLD Nutley", but, as a NJ "guido", don't get me started, arright?

[FutureNJGov]

My mother's side of the family were all "down-neckers". I go to school at Seton Hall Law, and it's not the Ironbound to me but Down Neck. Last names of Petruzzi & Verdi... at least in the beginning.