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BOOK REVIEW: Italians in the Santa Clara Valley Frederick W. Marrazzo Arcadia Publishing, 2007 128 pp. Given that our annual Convention is in San Jose this year, I have decided to review Frederick's Marrazzo's Italians in the Santa Clara Valley. Marrazzo's book is part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series and collects photographs of Italians from the Santa Clara Valley. It is a delightful trip through the valley of the past and present, illustrating the important roles Italians played in settling and developing the towns and cities of the Santa Clara Valley. Inspired by the interviews he did for his public access television show Cronaca, Marrazzo gathered the photos and stories of different families and notable Italians from the valley. For this book, Marrazzo interviewed over 50 people about the Italian-American community in the Santa Clara Valley and collected hundreds of pictures depicting various Italian-American families, organizations, and businesses. Each photograph in the book tells a story about life for Italian-Americans in the valley, but Marrazzo also provides expanded captions that explain the subject of each picture and places it within context. Marrazzo also includes a brief introduction that gives the reader the historical background of Italian immigration to the region. The book is divided into chapters based on various themes, including "Farm Life," "Family and Fraternity," and "Good Sports," and covers the variety and diversity of Italian-American life in the valley. Coming from areas as diverse as Sicily, Tuscany, Calabria, Piedmont, and Basilicata, Italians from all over Italy originally immigrated to Santa Clara because of its mild climate and fertile soil. Once here, Italians worked in a variety of industries from agriculture to retail to banking. Of course, with the valley's focus on agriculture, many Italians worked in the orchards, fields, and canneries. Marrazzo's book also chronicles the changing face of the valley, noting that agriculture has given way to development as orchards give way to suburbia. In Italians in the Santa Clara Valley, we learn about Vincenso Picchetti, one of the earliest Italians to settle in the valley. Born in Formarco, Italy, Picchetti immigrated to the United States in 1872 to work for the Jesuits at Villa Maria in Cupertino. In 1882, Picchetti returned to Italy to marry Teresa Cicoletti. Both husband and wife returned to the United States. However, at first, life was not easy for Teresa as she was homesick and it took several months for a letter to arrive from Italy. Eventually, the family acquired over 500 acres to develop a vineyard. Active members in their community, the Picchettis "were instrumental in establishing the Montebello School in 1882." The reader will also learn of Country and Western singer, "Shorty" Joe Quartuccio. After emigrating from Sicily, Shorty Joe worked long hours in the canneries around San Jose. He would relax by listening to country music on the radio; this inspired him to form his own musical group. He eventually got his own radio shows on KLOK and KEEN, which broadcast from the De Anza Hotel on Santa Clara Street. Shorty Joe and his band regularly accompanied such famous acts as Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, and Ernest Tubbs. Dr. Rudy Melone, founder of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, served as Gavilan Community College's president for eight years. Melone believed that "the community college was the quintessential American institution because of its equal-opportunity proposition." Today, a scholarship exists in this Italian-American's name to reward academic excellence and community service and "to nurture future leaders of the Garlic Festival Association." In the pages of Italians in the Santa Clara Valley, one will also learn of the Bisceglia Brothers Canning Company. At its height, the Bisceglia Canning Company became the largest cannery in the world and employed 1000 workers. The brothers often named their products after regions in Italy. For instance, they produced Arno-brand sliced, cling peaches, which were named after the Arno river in Tuscany. Many Italians worked in the canneries in the valley. In fact, as the author notes, "Italian labor was . . . critical to running the canneries in Santa Clara." The workers eventually formed a union - Toilers of the World - to fight the long hours and low wages they received in the canneries. Many Italians in the Santa Clara Valley lived in "Goosetown," an Italian settlement named after the many waterfowl that populated the Guadalupe River. In this neighborhood, many businesses served and provided work for the Italian-American community, such as The Pizzo Grocer and Meat Market and the Gallo Macaroni Manufacturing Company. On page 63 of the book, one will find a photograph of The Holy Cross Drill Team, No. 4, of the Italian Catholic Federation. This drill team participated in various competitions and parades. At the time of the photo, "they were planning to participate in inaugural festivities as well as assist with a charity ball." My only complaint about the book would be its lack of an index. The reader finds it difficult to search the book for specific subjects and topics when looking through the wealth of photographs and captions. For those interested in Italian-American history, Italians in the Santa Clara Valley is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. By looking at the hundreds of pictures and reading Marrazzo's informative captions, one can learn about life in the valley and how Italian-Americans contributed to its success and growth. To purchase visit your local bookstore or an online book retailer. To learn more about the many other books by Aradia Publications, visit www.arcadiapublishing.com. Italian Catholic Federation, 8393 Capwell Drive, Suite 110, Oakland CA 94621 tel: 888/ICF-1924; 510/633-9058; fax: 510/633-9758; Email: info@icf.org Website designed by HYPERSPHERE