Italian Immigrants in Springfield

Kaitlin Moredock
St. Agnes School, Springfield

Springfield has many ethnic groups represented in its population. Asian, Italian, African, and Irish came to the city. Italians were one group that grew to be a major part of Springfield's history.

There were two main influxes of Italians into Springfield. Before the first major influx, the immigrants were mostly prosperous, well-educated craftsmen from northern Italy. The first influx comprised a group of poor and uneducated Italians, mainly Sicilians. They came because of hard economic times and a drought. Emil Rondelli left Italy because he could not find enough food. His parents mortgaged their house for eighty dollars and, about 1912, sent him out on his own. Many other people such as Mattia Manci, who also left in 1912 from Gubeo, Italy, was searching for a better life and future.

Jack Bonansinga, an immigrant from Messina, Italy, arrived in Springfield in 1892. He married another Italian immigrant, Josephme Bonansinga, a year later.

The Italian Consul in Springfield from 1880 to 1906 was Arturo Granata. He signed all immigration papers for Italians settling in central Illinois. He also answered questions for Italians at the Consul's office in the Myers Building. He was rich because he coordinated the local fruit trade along with Jack Bonansinga, who was Granata's cousin. He was succeeded by John Picco as consul when Picco married Granata's daughter. Picco was murdered in 1932; his murderers were never found. This might have been an ethnic hate crime, since Picco was involved in investigating anti-Italian riots in southern Illinois. However, other sources stated that he had enemies, and his home was twice the target of bombs.

The second influx of Italians into Springfield arrived soon after World War I. These immigrants were soldiers whose homes had been destroyed or people who wanted to start anew. Many sailed in steerage aboard ship because they were poor. A large majority of these people worked in coal mines. Mattia Manci went to Alabama, Kansas, and Pennsylvania before he came to work in the coal mines in Springfield. Before coming to Springfield, Emil Rondelli went to Michigan and Pennsylvania. Miners worked nine hours a day. Angelo Manci said that coal mining was hard work, but it paid good wages. Minimum wage did not exist; hence getting six dollars per day was considered good pay.

The Italians settled in Springfield according to where they had lived in Italy. Perusians, the main group of Italians in Springfield, lived in Grandview, which was called "Little Italy." People from Abruzzi lived in Starnes Park, which is now Northgate. Venetians lived in Deveraux Heights, and Sicilians lived in the neighborhood around the corner of Tenth and Carpenter Streets, just north of St. John's Hospital.

The Italians kept their heritage alive through various meetings and clubs. In 1910 Leonard Ciaccio, Sam Sgro, and Alfonzo Greco founded the Concorda Fraterna. This social gathering was also known as the Italian-American Club. Members talked about the old country, danced, and ate Italian food. When the first generation died out, the club virtually ceased.

A nationwide movement called "Americans All-Immigrants All" influenced Springfield's Italian community. Founded by Avinere Toigo in 1939, it was described as "one of the most stirring programs ever presented in Springfield." Many children dressed in native Italian costumes and danced at the jubilee presented at the Illinois State Armory. Gradually, they separated and such national identity disappeared as the immigrants became Americanized.

Enacted in 1919, Prohibition banned most alcoholic drinks. Prohibition presented a problem for many people, but not for some clever Springfield

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Italians. Some Springfield Italians sold home-brewed liquor to coal miners in their living rooms. The standard price was about twenty-five cents per bottle.

Prohibition had given a business opportunity to some. For example, after Prohibition was repealed in 1932, Emil Rondelli moved his tavern business into a building where it prospered. Emil loaned many Italians money to start their own tavern businesses. Among these was Angelo Manci, who later owned twenty-seven taverns at one time. Tavern ownership was hard work, too. Manci worked from 7 A.M. to 2 A.M. each day.

When asked if he encountered any ethnic prejudice, Angelo Nanci gave an interesting answer. He said that "true" Americans were jealous of the Italians because the Italians worked harder and had more money. Most Americans looked up to the more prosperous Italians. However, Anti-Italian riots erupted in West Frankfort, Illinois. Luigi Carraro was murdered. Later, the mob attacked anyone who looked foreign.

Today Italian Americans are still a large group in Springfield. In 1980 they numbered 2,384 in the city, and 1,600 in outlying areas. In 1993 nearly 4,000 Italian Americans lived in Sangamon County. Many of the Italians involved in the tavern business are now quite prosperous. The Mancis, for example, still run several taverns.

Italian immigrants made a huge impact on Springfield's history. Large numbers of their descendants live here today.—[From James Paul Allen and Eugene James Turner, We The People; Fran Bernard, "Springfield: A Melting Pot for Many Ethnic Backgrounds," State Journal-Register, July 5, 1976; Jack Bonansinga, scrapbook 1880 to 1900, Sangamon Valley Collection; Melinda Garviet, Curtis Mann, and Edward Russo, Springfield Home and Family; Arturo Granata scrapbook 1880 to 1906, Sangamon Valley Collection; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Tracts of 1980; Doug Pokorski, "A Springfield Century: Anti-Italian Riots," State Journal-Register; Darlene Rondelli: interview of Emil Rondelli, c. 1973; Robert Smith, "Ethni-city," Illinois Times, Aug. 28, 1986; student historian's interview of Angelo Manci, Jan. 23, 1999.]

20 ILLINOIS HISTORY/ DECEMBER 1999