Cassie Ferraiuolo recaps her master’s thesis on Feb. 22 about the history of Italian immigrants who came to Colusa in the 19th- and early-20th century for opportunity and a better way of life. 

WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) - Everyone in Colusi County in 1850 came from somewhere. Most were settlers of English descent that traveled from the east via the various large-wagon overland routes; other emigrants from Europe and Asia made their way from the east by ship, rounding Cape Horn to San Francisco, before making their way north on steamboats. 

The Italians, like other immigrants to America, were driven by the promise of new opportunities and a better life, according to researcher Cassie Ferraiuolo, who spoke at the Colusi Historical Society annual luncheon, hosted by the Sacramento Valley Museum in Williams on Feb. 22. 

Ferraiuolo’s master’s thesis, “Little Italy, Colusa: The Forgotten Neighborhood 1850-1930,” delves into a lesser-known chapter of Italian American history. It is dedicated to preserving the history of Colusa’s Italian families, including her own, many of whom followed January Cairo from the iron mines of Minnesota. 

“Keep in mind that most of them came to America with just the clothes on their backs and a few (dollars) in their pockets,” Ferraiuolo said. “They didn’t come as families. They came one person at a time and what they saw when they first got here were ‘man catchers’ who would exploit them for cheap labor and work them under brutal conditions.” 

Because they left Italy amid similar hardships, Ferraiuolo said, the workers led labor strikes and riots in mining and lumber camps from the East Coast to the West in protest of the treatment. 

“The Italians wouldn’t stand for it,” Ferraiuolo said. “They didn’t leave Italy for a better opportunity, only to face the same thing in America.”

Much of Ferraiuolo’s Colusa research comes from local newspapers, famous in the 19th and 20th century for their fascinating blend of reporting, gossip and social commentary. They covered events such as parties, weddings, charity functions, and other social gatherings that offered readers a glimpse into the glamorous and often scandalous world of high society.

“The Ferraiuolo name (frequently misspelled) is very prominent and its drops off just before the 1930s,” Ferraiuolo said. “The next is Lucchesi. This one just keeps going up almost into the 1960s.” 

Colusi County Historical Society members and guests enjoy their annual luncheon at the Sacramento Valley Museum on Feb. 22. Pictured on stage are Sacramento Valley Museum Director Elijah Rodrigues and Colusi County Historical Society President Charles Yerxa. 

Despite being known as a melting pot of various nationalities and races, America had cities such as Colusa that maintained segregated communities at the turn of the 20th-century. Sixth and Fremont streets, and part of Goad’s Extension, were home to a mix of immigrants from North and South Italy, who were political adversaries in the old country but stuck together for safety and protection amid prejudice and discrimination. 

“It was a very tight community,” Ferraiuolo said. 

The Italians in Colusa played a significant role in agriculture, including quality olive oil production and produce. Some were said to be part of a larger organized crime syndicate known as the Italian American Mafia, which gained power by bootlegging alcohol during prohibition. 

Ferraiuolo’s thesis covers various aspects of the lives of Colusa’s most-known Italian immigrants, including the first Frank Ferraiuolo and prominent agriculturist John Delpapa, who led the underground wine production movement and hosted extravagant parties where nearly every county official was present. 

Other familiar names in Colusa include Anania, Candito, Garofalo, Guilani, Genise, Nicoletti, Paletta, and Vedo. The Guerino (Guerrino) families adopted the name Ward, Ferraiuolo said, meaning “little warrior,” the Old English equivalent to the occupational surname for guard, watchman or gatekeeper. 

Ferraiuolo's work includes her use of extensive archival collections, made possible through the Clarence McIntosh-William Hutchinson Graduate Fellowship Award, which allowed her to travel across the country to access valuable resources that significantly enriched her research. 

Ferraiuolo, who lives in Yuba City, is a middle school history teacher and is currently working on her doctorate. She spoke to about 100 Colusi County Historical Society members and guests at the museum, the largest of Ferraiuolo’s audiences to hear her presentation. Ferraiuolo’s thesis is online and accessible by title. 

Colusi County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, documentation and dissemination of the history of Colusa, Glenn and Tehama counties which at one time were all part of Colusi County, one of 27 original counties of California, said President Charles Yerxa. 

The Feb. 22 annual meeting also served as the election of the board of directors, with the general membership voting unanimously to keep its current leadership. Longtime Director Gene Russell of Orland continues as the editor of the Colusi County Historical Society’s bi-annual publication “Wagon Wheels,” although he is seeking retirement from the duty.