America has always been a beacon for those brave enough to venture to her shores. Although, what they find might not always live up to their fantasies. Such was the case in the late 1800s, with wave after wave of Italian immigrants landing on the shores of America. The Italians brought with them their food, language and religion. However,  early Americans regarded all these things with suspicion.

For the Italians, everything from their complexions to their faith was regarded as anti-American and potentially dangerous to the American way of life. Italians, along with new arrivals, were the victims of targeted crimes, lynchings and discrimination. The condition of Italian immigrants was so dire that, in 1882, an Irish-Catholic priest sought to create a fraternal Catholic social order to help alleviate his immigrant congregation’s suffering. Such arrangements were common, but the name? That was unique.