Personal Reflections

Growing up in the Montclair community was an impactful experience for Italian Americans. This page includes the written personal reflections of several Italian Americans who grew up in Montclair on their childhoods, families, and memories.

Cerami

Scenes from Cerami, Italy, a city in the Enna region of Sicily from which many Italians immigrated to Montclair.

Library Exhibit

In the 2000s, the Montclair Public Library hosted an exhibit and associated programming on the history of the Italian American community in Montclair, curated by Donato DiGeronimo and drawing on materials from the Oral and Photographic History Project.

Pennisi Family

In the early 2000s, the Italians of Montclair Oral and Photographic History Project provided digitization for photographs, documents, and personal artifacts of Italians and Italian Americans in Montclair, with the mission to uncover, record, and preserve the precious traces of the Italian American community in Montclair from the late 19th century through the early 21st century. This collection was generously provided for digitization by Angelo Pennisi.

To view other collections digitized through the project, visit the Family Collection tag.

Pignatiello Family

In the early 2000s, the Italians of Montclair Oral and Photographic History Project provided digitization for photographs, documents, and personal artifacts of Italians and Italian Americans in Montclair, with the mission to uncover, record, and preserve the precious traces of the Italian American community in Montclair from the late 19th century through the early 21st century. This collection was generously provided for digitization by the Pignatiello family.

To view other collections digitized through the project, visit the Family Collection tag.

Italian Folklore Group

The Italian Folklore Group, run by Rose Grieco, is a local group honoring Italian American folkloric tradition that gained national acclaim. In 1964, the group performed at the World’s Fair. The group is still active today.

Gravestones

These grave markers represent members of Italian families with connections to Montclair, both in Montclair and in Italy.

Aquilonia

Scenes from Aquilonia, Italy, a city in the Avellino region of Campania from which many Italians immigrated to Montclair.

Montclair maintains an active connection with Aquilonia through the efforts of Raffaele Marzullo, who championed the town’s designation as Montclair’s sister city. In celebration of the partnership, members of the Montclair town council have visited Aquilonia and Aquilonians visited New Jersey and New York.

The Aquilonia Club, located just across the street from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, has been a fixture in the community for over forty years, serving as a gathering space for Italian-Americans from the region. Today, it remains one of the last active groups representing this particular area, with many first-generation immigrants from Aquilonia still active in the community.

UNICO

UNICO, a prominent Italian-American association with a strong presence on the East Coast, is dedicated to promoting the heritage, culture, and community of Italian-Americans. This collection highlights the activities of the Montclair chapter.