| And They Came to Chicago traces the over 150 years of Italians settlement in Chicago, from early settlers who laid the foundation for burgeoning enclaves to contributions to business, politics, the arts and culture. Combining rare historical footage and images, interviews with prominent Italian Americans, authors and historians, and individuals who offer personal tales of growing up in Chicago's Italian neighborhoods, And They Came To Chicago journeys to the heart of one of the city's most vibrant, and misunderstood, communities for an unforgettable look at their rich and complex legacy. Act I Profiles Italian immigrants who settled in Chicago in 1850, early successes in business and subsequent struggles for acceptance in labor unions, the mass exodus of Southern Italians following Italy's unification and the World's Columbia Exposition in 1893. Act II The formation of Chicagos major Italian settlements including a look at Black Hand crime, religious institutions, the anti-immigrant backlash, Prohibition, World War I, and the trial and execution of Italian anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Act III The Great Depression and its impact on Italian communities, Italo Balbo's celebrated flight to Chicago during the 1933 Century of Progress, religious feasts, World War II and the Our Lady of Angels Fire on Chicago's Northwest side. Act IV The final segment looks at urban renewal's devastating impact on Chicago's Italian communities, the rise of Italian American ... |
