Hays is a neighborhood on the southeast side of Pittsburgh. It is named after James H. Hays who operated a local mining industry. In the 1920s, many Italian immigrants moved to Hays to find work at Jones & Laughlin and US Steel Mills.
Most of these immigrants came from Controne, Italy. Controne is a small town that is south of Naples. My grandparents on my dad’s side were from Controne. I always wanted to know why they settled in Hays. My grandmother would tell me stories about Controne. She told me the town was located in the mountains and had a good farming area.
