Saturday, September 15 at 3:00 pm EDT. Garibaldi-Meucci Museum - 420 Tompkins Ave, Staten Island, NY 10305. Admission: $10/$5 for members; open to the public. Contact: Stephanie Lundegard 718-442-1608 www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org

Andy Mele will present his latest book Caesars of the Diamond. During the largest mass of Italian immigration to the U. S. in the early 1900s the children assimilated into the American culture. One of the developing areas was the game of baseball. It provided a source of pleasure as well as an income that far exceeded anything they could earn with hours of hard labor. This book traces the story of Italian Americans whose lives and careers beginning with the first recognized player of Italian heritage who played in the National League in 1897.