Heritage

Born Domenico Gebbia in Palermo, Sicily in 1886, Domenic Jebbia immigrated to the United States at age six, and arrived in California in 1925. Jebbia established the West Coast Banana Distributing Company at the Los Angeles Produce Market, and because …

Originally known by its Italian name, “Figli d’Italia,” the Order Sons of Italy in America was established in New York City in 1905, by Italian immigrants in order to assist their countryfolk with obtaining United States citizenship, expanding educational opportunities …

In 1904, Los Angeles Bishop Thomas Conaty, concerned about the religious welfare of Italian Catholics in Los Angeles, ordered the creation of two churches, St. Peter’s and Immaculate Conception. St. Peter’s Italian Church, still in existence today, began as a …

Il Circolo Operaio Italiano (Italian Worker’s Club) was one of the groups headquartered at the Italian Hall. The club’s exclusively male membership sponsored Saturday evening dances at the building and hosted charitable events, including footraces and May Day celebrations. While …