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We cover a lot of subjects here on the blog, and this time we’re going to tackle a hyperlocal topic: Italian fraternal organizations. Living as I do in North Beach, I’ve long been familiar with our own San Francisco Italian Athletic Club (SFIAC) on Stockton Street. But speaking with Tony recently, I found out he actually belongs to three separate c...

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Without the pandemic, the 100th anniversary of a prestigious Italian club in California, founded in 1920, would have been celebrated last year: the Colombo Club. The round-figure anniversary called for major celebrations, but we know that 2020 didn't allow for that. There is, however, a book that celebrates the club's history, and this year it will...

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Back in 1919, a group of 22 young men from northwest Italy’s Piedmont region got together most evenings at a house in North Oakland to drink wine and play cards and bocce. Similar smaller gatherings took place at other Piemontese family houses in the area. By 1920, the men’s exuberant energy overwhelmed their hosts. “So we kicked them out of our ho...

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