By Shawn R. Beals

Thousands of Middletown residents have come from the Sicilian town of Melilli since the late 1800s, forming a close community of Italian Americans that gives the city a unique identity.

While many Connecticut towns have a distinct European heritage, it's rare to find one so thoroughly transplanted from a single location. The majority of Middletown's Italians can trace their roots back to Melilli, a village in southeastern Sicily.

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Source: http://www.courant.com/