Up Fool's Hill and Almost Down

This illustrated, informative, and entertaining book makes a great gift.

WHAT EVERY ITALIAN-AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW

• Why did our ancestors leave Italy in the early 1900s?
• Why did they come to America?
• What were their first impressions of New York City?
• How were Italian immigrants processed at Ellis Island?
• Why did the US government encourage some Italians to emigrate to America?
• What was life like for Italian-Americans in the early 1900s, and what was it like during World War II?
• What is the real origin of the word "WOP?"
• What did Italian immigrants believe were the antidotes to anti-Italian prejudice?
• What is the meaning of "Il Mezzogiorno," "The Birds of Passage," and "Il Campanilismo?"
• What were the requirements for naturalization in the early 1900s?
• Why do Italians eat lentils on New Year's Day, and what do they do when they say "Via il vecchio, benvenuto al nuovo?"
• What is La Tavola di San Giuseppe?
• What are "Lucky Beans" and "Sfige di San Giuseppi?"
• What is Dante's "Divine Comedy" all about, and what is its significance?
• What is the meaning of "In Bocca Al Lupo," and what is the appropriate response when someone says this to you?
• What is the difference between being an Italian and being an Italian-American?
• Why do Italians give out candy-coated almonds at weddings?
• What do the expressions, "Le Voglie," "Vai Studi' e Vai Legge'," "Non fa' la brutta figura," "La vecchiaia e' una carogna, ma per chi non ci arriva e'una vergogna," and "Natale con I tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi, "mean?
• What is "C'e' La Luna Mezzo Mare," all about?
• What is an Italian Football Wedding?
• What is donuts spelled backwards?
• What do Mare Nostrum, Pax Romana, and SPQR mean?
• What is the real reason why the Roman Legions were so powerful?
• What phrase in the Declaration of Independence was suggested by an Italian?
• What did Enrico Caruso do in the Monkey House of the Central Park Zoo?
• What is the significance of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the lynchings of Italian-Americans in New Orleans, and the statue of Christopher Columbus in NYC?
• Who is Pulcinella, and who was Farfariello?
• Who were Joe Petrosino, Generoso Pope, and Amadeo Giannini?
• What is the difference between Sauce and Gravy?
• Which Italian-American dishes are really not Italian?
• How do Italian witches tell fortunes using olive oil and water?
• What is Italian Folk Medicine, and who are the Benedetti?
• How do you defend against the "Malocchio?"
• What did Frank Sinatra say about being an Italian-American?
• Which Italian saint can help you sell a house, and which one can help you climb up the corporate ladder?
• What is Agita, and what is Brioschi?
• What is Tombola Napoletana?
• What is Sambucca Romana con la Mosca?
• What are Italian Naming Conventions?
• What does Jure Sanguinis mean?
• What are typical Italian wines, and what are their attributes?

Find the answers to these questions and much more in a reader-friendly book that attempts to capture what it means to be Italian-American.

Dr. Visco's book contains the stories of three generations of Italian-Americans, told by those who lived them in their own words and placed in historical context.

Profusely illustrated, with maps and photographs on almost every page, this 452-page book explores Italian-American history, values, and culture. It also contains Italian proverbs, offers sage Italian-American advice, and features a glossary of Italian-American words as well as recipes from Padula and Vico Equense.

Buy the book, try the recipes, and enjoy the stories.

The Heritage Edition was updated in June 2020.