When I embarked on learning about my father's paternal line 20 years ago, I sought out existing material on Italians where my great-grandfather and great-grandmother lived the majority of their adult lives. Much has been written over the years about Italian enclaves in the Chicago area: Melrose Park, Bridgeport, Roseland, Chicago Heights, Taylor Street, “Little Sicily,” Near Northside, and the Northwest Side, to name some of the most well-known. Given their humble beginnings, my family remained unnoticed among the more well-known Italian families of Chicago, and I found no information about them or the other Italians who lived on Federal Street. At the time of my initial research about my family, I had no idea a divine serendipity would take me down the paths it has. This never-ending journey has become a passion that drives me forward to obtain new knowledge about my heritage and about all of the Italians...
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