For many Italian American families, the story of an immigrant’s sacrifice usually begins in the years between 1880 and 1920, known as the Great Wave of Italian Immigration to the United States. But for 2,800 unfortunate souls, immigration to the “Land of Opportunity” came earlier, and at a much greater cost.

Between late 1872 and early 1873, thousands of unsuspecting Italian laborers were victims of an international scheme in which con men descended upon “every village and hamlet in Italy promising that a great deal of money was to be made in the United States.” But the promises of jobs, housing, and the opportunity for a better life were unfounded, and the newly-arrived immigrants found themselves stranded at journey’s end with only the clothes they wore and their life’s savings stolen.