The Italians of Cleveland

THE ITALIANS O F CLEVELAND
find at least a semblance of familiarity. Few of the girls or women are
engaged as maids or in other occupations than those connected with the
garment workers, trades. The organizer of the Cleveland Ladies' Garment
Workers Union, numbering over 700 members, recently explained
that the night meeting of her local was always small, due to the absence
of the Italian girls who composed the bulk of it.. She explained that,
though they participated actively in any meeting held during the day,
they were never present in the evening. This indicated not only the
large number of Italian girls in the clothing trades, bt\t was an incidental
tribute to the rigidity of family discipline, especially where the girls
and women were concerned.
How rigid is this occupational conservatism may be seen in the fact
that even where they are employed in large department stores, it is not
in the s:!les departments but on embroidery and mending worl.< where
the neeclle can be used. Until 1917, when the wage scale rose high
enough to render it unnecessary, much of the garment work wa carried
on at the home in the colony. The men to a larger degree have broken
away from these industrial traditions and preferences, and are now found
in increasing numbers in the F. B. Stearns, ela Park and The Metal
Products factories.
While this is true in general of their industrial pur uits, we find the
native born Italian in almo t every business and profession. Cleveland
affords conspicuous examples of the native ability and business acumen
of. this versatile and genial people.
Business
Of wholesale grocers, importers of fruits and oils, not to mention
the commission merchants, there is an imposing list of those born in
Italy.
Th wholesale house of Frank Catalano, on vVoodland Avenue, is
the oldest fruit bu iness in this section. It was established in 1880 by
its present owner, one of the earliest arrivals from Northern Sicily, who
made a business of importing oranges. It has ince expanded to handling
other fruits and olive oil, doing an annual business of more than
$150,000.00.
Then came G. V. Vittorio, 746 Woodland, importing from Italy for
the city trade vast quantities of ol ive oil, carloads of macaroni every
month, dried and canned fish, mushrooms, nuts of all kinds, figs, beans,
rice, anchovies and garlic. Cleveland is the distributing centre for these
products to all the smaller towns and cities in the di trict. The Vittorio
Brothers came to Clevdand 17 year ago CIirectly from Termini Imerese.
their birth place in Sicily, and their business has been built up out of
their'native energy.
The Schiappacassi Brothers, John and Charles, have conducted a
splendid wholesale business in domestic fruit and vegetables through
the last 25 years of their residence in Cleveland ..
The Corso Brother , Casper and Salvador, on Broadway, who too,
were born in Termini Imerese, Sicily, now have a large wholesale and
commission merchant business in fruits, nuts and vegetables. This trade
has had a steady growth since its establishment in 1890. It has an
annual business of well over $150,000, and has become a distributing
centre for bananas and other fruits throughout the state. Such a list
might be almost indefinitely extended. The names of John, Martin and
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