A century-old Italian American institution in Cranston, Rhode Island, is facing a dispute over women's roles that has escalated into a confrontation over membership, finances, and the community's future.
The Santa Maria di Prata Society traces its origins to immigrants from Italy in the early twentieth century. Reestablished in the 1970s, it built a community hall in the 1980s through contributions from local families. Women helped raise funds, organize celebrations, and prepare food for the society's religious and cultural festivities.
Today, members of its Women's Auxiliary say that legacy deserves equal recognition. They want greater participation in decisions and fundraising proceeds, along with access to facilities they have long supported. Under existing bylaws, however, full membership is reserved for Roman Catholic men, while women have auxiliary status.
Society president Anthony Mastantuono and other male leaders defend those rules, arguing that the organization has operated successfully under them for decades.
The disagreement has recently intensified. Stephanie Giarrusso, the auxiliary's vice president, received a no-trespass order following a confrontation, and attorney Amanda Corrao, also an auxiliary member, says she intends to bring a civil rights lawsuit.
Italian Americans account for roughly 25% of Cranston's population, making the society's future especially significant to local families.
The dispute has upset longtime members who remember men and women working together to preserve traditions brought from Italy. For a community founded on shared heritage, the central question is now whether longstanding rules can accommodate changing expectations of equality without sacrificing the bonds that built the society.
