Erie's Italian People: The Genesis and Development of Little Italy

Dr. Hood's History of Little Italy

 Summary of The Journal of Erie Studies, Fall, 1983, Article
“Erie’s Italian People: The Genesis and Development of Little Italy”

This article in The Journal of Erie Studies was written by Dr. David L. Hood, a professor in the Political Science Department at Washington State University. Before focusing his attention on Erie and the “Little Italy” neighborhood, Dr. Hood traced the history of Italian emigration back to 1876 when the Italian government first began maintaining emigration records. Prior to 1900, most of the Italian overseas emigration was to Latin America, especially Argentina and Brazil.

Early emigration from Italy was dominated by northern Italians, many of whom were literate professionals or skilled farmers, as compared to the later emigrants mostly from southern Italy who were “largely illiterate, land-less peasants”. Many of those from the south who came to the United States were more interested in making their fortunes and returning to Italy, then becoming permanent residents. Between 1899 and 1910, 2,300,000 Italians immigrated to the US, 1.9 million of whom (83%) were southern Italians. The majority of these immigrants settled in the northeast, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. 

According to Dr. Hood, the first known person of Italian descent settled in Erie in 1864; his name was Raffaele Bracaccini. After the civil war, more Italians arrived, including Vitale Spadacene, who became the “first ethnic leader of the growing Italian community”. As a Union army veteran, Spadacene could speak English and understood the political system in this country. For many years he was the main contact between the Italian immigrants and city hall and was known throughout Erie as the counselor and advisor of the early Italian people. His son, Charles, continued in his father’s role until about 1915.

By 1891, there were several hundred Italians in the city, and most of them settled on the city’s west side, in the area of West 16th and Walnut Streets, with that part of the city becoming known as “Little Italy” about that same time. By 1911, the Little Italy settlement area had grown to include nine blocks - from Huron Street south to West 17th, and from Chestnut west to Poplar Street. By 1920, the Little Italy population was estimated to be 8,000. Most of the early Italians who came to Erie were illiterate, but after 1910 the community had sufficient numbers to support
a professional group of journalists, doctors, musicians, bankers, attorneys and businessmen. By 1935, there were 19 Italian-owned grocery stores in the City.

During the early part of the 20th century, the Italians were displacing the Germans in Little Italy, who had begun settling in this area of the city in the 1830’s. By 1900, the Germans were moving to the south of the neighborhood to better housing. After 1920, the Italians were also beginning to move south and west of the neighborhood. By 1960, the core of Little Italy remained, but those of Italian descent were scattered throughout the Westside and Millcreek.

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