Stephen Puleo

" Hey we talked about this all morning and we delighted to what I had to join us here. On for parents form a M 680 WI -- while local Boston office Steve -- Leo it's actually giving a speech tonight at the appeal for right understand. About this this great book that he is published. Steve polio is the hot cup of Boston the Boston Italians I thought in the appropriate respect and recognition for Columbus day notwithstanding the -- official corporate -- and I this is not a holiday that would get Steve polio on -- thanks for joining us via."

" They're very derogatory well Florida I would also say happy Columbus State to both the."

" They would go you writing -- thank you right in the spirit of things Steve this is -- operated to at this issue. Hundred block -- I got to read the great Boston molasses flood of 1919 fabulous bit of history in reporting. And you get another one on the sinking of an American warship off the New England coast during World War II the Boston Italians is your most recent work tell us how this one. Came about how did you get to this topic which I think people find absolutely fascinated."

" One my master's -- but passes history and as now should use the north and has kind of been in two -- local start which is the possible last spot for that you pointed to which are obviously. It takes place in the north that is a backdrop. My publisher decompress. Came to audience you know one volume history of the problems in the -- long or do this is. Boston's second largest ethnic. The great book written by Tom O'Connor was done on the -- and Irish ten years ago it's time to to a one point history Italians which could be adjusted right. I would be honored in a book to write so that -- about."

" While when now you publisher cause you won't put you on the same playing the same level was a professor O'Connor and his contribution to the Boston Irish that that's going to be great great feeling I think every young off thought. Worries and wonders will anybody read this is anybody impressed by it has I have had made a contribution to the you know to the public knowledge to public information and debate. Apparently it. Apparently a publisher thinks out."

" I think it's always great. I think it is thought to be to be mentions seeing Brett mister -- climate has just great guys great historian in this very very supportive. First were dark tied into this one so yeah it was a tremendous."

" And it in Steve get a steak kind of walk us through how you've got to approach it because. Is as interesting -- subject matter it is I I think I can speak for everybody else listening a look at it and say. We -- like -- how to wide begin to develop a coherent theme in all of this so witness Steve Julio stat this journey."

" really -- structure it will just quickly because basically from the great immigration period you know. The beginning of that the Italians rival bought up by -- is right to present day and so what I try to do is told that story with real life characters to kind of make history alive and there are really to -- characters in this world that most Bostonians thought -- and I think they'll get to -- in -- what is George Iago for that he was the first Italian American elected to public office in Boston in 1900. Member of the common consul in the government was a bicameral sort of government so he was elected a comic consul in the second person elected the Massachusetts state legislature -- heritage site. It really incredible and it worked the people to go and the second being Carriker I would say evil character in this book. Exchanged startled -- who's the editor all it's about traveling which newspaper -- that don't Massachusetts now the post gazette still published book and the editor system. Years -- granddaughter -- still edit that publication today and so you used part of -- papers which are expensive because not only did he. Chronicle -- Italian American experience in Boston Italian American. It jobs like discrimination. Palpable legal beagle quotations -- helped them assimilate all of those so wonderful character and then. And lastly stories kind of Mike story to. -- a grand not a real regrets telling. So like kinda -- the real story and historical narrative and among the last part of the book are really interviews with prominent Austin Italian American."

" While that is a tall order work I want to go right back where its data tell me tell warrant. What was going on if anything in Italy in that period of 18751880 that would have led to this standards of Italians coming. Completely overwhelmed by -- unfamiliar with the language which we spoke over here customs traditions to. To uproot his family. Notes or suffer the Irish record talk about that a little bit more intelligently the famine. The resistance the tension of the you know the German occupy against the German occupation the occupation by the brits in the like. Was anything going on in Italy at the time Steve that began this trickle which became a flawed."

" Absolutely -- it was a combination of events similar in separate matters story but it but this company movements that as many Italians in the south in insistently we have. It's percent of these -- April that the region was compressed were cholera breaks malaria outbreaks there were natural disasters like. Mount vesuvius and com earthquake in Sicily that cable about a 100000 people the economy was terrible. Nearly enough money there enough cash punishment to sell their catch. He injured -- had been destroyed by a combination of heavy heavy rains in Europe year and it kind of -- the French wine industry is -- in the marketplace really hurt its. One street the citrus groves anything in -- the American situation mystery in total and so Italian economy Italian. Kind of replaced in that southern Italy region horrendous and so most Italians left but with the same reason that that that a lot of Willis to find that a -- it was a very critical of them in Italy and that much remarkable was that most of these. Folks have never left their home villages in there they made this decision as you point out to a group -- to make that long journey across the action."

" We'll start going to steep -- he's the author of the Boston Italians a story of pride perseverance and pays -- from the years of the great immigration to the present day warrant out is if you guys fascinating it really is -- up here it's great you -- and I can't wait to pick up a copy but. The -- the couple questions of what was the total Italian immigration during the period that you looked at Steve and Anne and I know what goes right after the present paper just ballpark and number one number two did you go over to Italy I've had the pleasure to go over to Italy and when I represent -- a lot of people -- forces -- of -- from -- battle Italy -- several -- over there. Another story for another day but did you get to go over to Italy to look at some of the villages that these people came from."

" Royal it's your first question oppressed there -- for a million Italians -- for a million that came from that -- Italy Cicely region to the states and and about ten. Million of those after those come after that first decade of which 1800 so we're talking about a story that's been going a hundred result so. Important I think that it might two as part of the research -- like a skeptical public to I'd love to go to Sicily."

" Now should go together and got totally forgot to Weymouth where he lives that's what do we went and got and -- thought it looked toward. All right themselves -- once."

" Think that that struck major should read some of the the reviews have voted where I as an Irish American now I've heard the stories about the no Irish need a Blige jobs in the -- over many years but. I read the Italians were lynch more often -- members of any other ethnic group except for African Americans."

" That that's exactly right elements. I think it is Italians faced tremendous discrimination in not unlike the Irish in terms of in the Boston area. Beard so big cities in the northeast I think a couple of added elements one and they didn't speak the language at all. -- Resort to some extent it would mean it's in the relative most Italians. Vast majority couldn't speak or just in national to most of the Italians so ultimately -- had darkest yet -- literally. Classified at different rates. When they first arc and so that racial two records at its most in the south mostly in the west in terms of lynchings. The worst lynch in American history were singled which in American history at least 91. In New Orleans, Louisiana went 11 Italian Americans were clinched. After Irish police chief was murdered these -- 11 immigrants night were acquitted. Two were waiting trial but the nine recorder -- activists sells their own protection and one -- and and which itself there are those in the mining towns of Colorado. And in the so it's such a most of these discrimination against Kelly -- was more on the but I would call kind of the psychological type of discrimination that that most a lot of new. Groups will as well as -- little bit of discrimination from the Irish church hierarchy here because of the -- Actual weary Italians practice catholicism that was the -- the -- to the streets was was not considered -- catholicism by the -- hierarchy. Here is considered more -- and so. Battalions kind of dealt with that element as well. But effect I always like to say that this is not a story really about succumbing to those kinds to the story overcome those out it's really true American success story -- by."

" Milan on on that point you know Warren and I would probably most of media and I think probably most about listeners would be familiar with what I called the political success -- you'd think that John poll do you think of Mike -- pressed the elder. The senior as well as junior more recently senate president Bob trampoline he's speak it to Macy -- Menino may be on the national level do you think of Justice Scalia Iran on the on the court the alioto family -- in San Francisco but eat -- the story of the success in the overcoming this discrimination in this hostility. Goes far beyond politics Steve does not."

" Yeah I think so it -- overcoming -- not just discrimination would pick up that first group of -- which I constantly RO I called -- the first greatest generation they came over toward the -- army might paternal grandfather cable here in 9612 -- in his pocket that was his entire lights sent from my grandmother later but -- they came here most of them you know literate in their own language. You know that's so that it really stressed. Read or write -- only like which unable to speak. In any real country they had basically worked in live to more for rural settings what -- on fishing boat to continue to citrus growers and they -- the sides and most of them came here. And again a 30% of them settled in the tenement sections of large cities Austin so -- Chicago. And in many ways that. Well that was as traumatic that rural to Herbert -- as traumatic as the Italy to America ship. In and so despite all of that overcome yes I think to the point where today. You know Italian Americans fully assimilated you know the national average in common white -- occupation. College graduates to medical school art school graduates and so execute our ancestors I think would be proud with the accomplishments. That made you know with the legacy that they gave us."

" You know Steve you mentioned tenement life an obviously somebody -- uprooted from an agrarian a rural area probably put food on the table by -- work by virtue of the work in the fields. Or in the -- you know as -- to you know go to local stop and shop on the show us Shaw's which we associate with I have listened to now speaker now sell the Macy talked about an end this is an out what time in our day and age. Talk about the the apartment the walk up apartment that he lived in with his brothers and his family in the it was a shared bath or not she had like -- one baht from for the family knows she did. Multiple freedom lays down the hall. Use the bathroom and I every week -- today and scratch I had to say why but that was the existence for so many people Irish Italian polish black that was how well we lived here in the states."

" You're actually right effect they say in the book that the testament to -- our Italian Americans the the most powerful man in the mask House of Representatives right now had to walk two blocks to. Our everyday until August when he when he is well."

" We'll make you think he went every day Steve. Up popped a little things is that Chris this is a speaker of the house is -- good."

" I'd -- to resurgent. There's going to be a lot of that you -- that you aren't as well take -- in fact my grandfather kilometers -- in trouble -- released. He -- robbery and children by -- on this the in in 1937. It's switched from the potential labor to vendors in the market. In 1930s that the move -- strictly from. An apartment and garden court street to -- apartment on north street not far from north square. And it was a fight flat by breweries in Rwanda for girls in another that still -- actual political like grandparents -- that. A -- in the in this small opening and they -- one of the most coveted luxuries that anyone in orbit could have that was happening in sight and apart."

" inside -- that -- are attacked so they would the end. Hot hot hot go in --"

" Did okay what I -- you know it is I look at the north and today I -- a little bit it gentrification taking place in the -- you know it's becoming more and more expensive for anybody who live in the north and do you talk get all -- look at what's happening with the north and today -- and and flight if you will of some Boston Italians from the north and to other places."

" I do -- in much of a warrant does focus on the north with you know with a bit with all due respect to the great Italian you don't populations. Austin protester brought the -- the restaurant. Roxbury lots of them that it really was Boston's first -- with -- focal point and I think it'll be. People with with the -- Italian legacy so. No matter room in rural as a partisan -- slept in orbit to you go to stop and shop socialize trajectory and certainly -- that was sent -- like you're actually right it's probably between 35 and 40% Italian American now if that there has been that kind of gentrification in the book. -- clearly the Greater Boston Italians now there -- about 800000 Italian Americans if you took -- speech from -- 95 it would wipe out apartments we have about 800000 telling -- it's people that heritage -- have moved out and and introduced kind of sad part I think that like it's not only true in the north and it's true -- on the other actions which is well. It is kind of that part in you know but lament that the north and has changed which Italian Americans it is out there I think it's a demographic reality."

" you see the pressure in Chinatown as well -- not get at the same time it speaks to the great success in assimilation no economic progress and achievements in all the theories -- talked about politics law. Medicine and the like Steve you've been great with -- time we've been talking to Steve Julio he is the author of the book the Boston Italians mister your pride perseverance and pays on -- and a portion of the book proceeds goes to the juvenile died of diabetes research foundation which is a great great little bonus that you do for an extraordinary because steeple there pat thank you enough what a nice way to spend at least a part of Columbus day. Talking about this extraordinary heritage -- to get a kick out of the Steve a Tenet what I did early on in my years in the legislature I forget out. Irish food was not worth talking about so I hang around with -- Angeles -- Heidi Tony should belly and sailed the -- I never had a bad -- that they had a bad -- Steve -- great of you to join -- author of the Boston Italians"