by Mike Hughes

Over the past century or so, the U.S. has been energized by people from one small country. Or, actually, from a fraction of that country. PBS' "The Italian Americans" says most of the surge came from one piece of Italy.

It's "not the experience of Milan (or) Florence," said journalist Gay Talese. "It's not Rome. It's Naples to Sicily, that little area .... Americans such as me and Mario Cuomo and Joe DiMaggio and Madonna (are) from that deep part of the South, which is quite isolated in history and mentality from the North."

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Source: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/