Italian American Heritage

Anthony Buccino


A few of Anthony Buccino's writings on his Italian American
heritage and culture ... plus plenty of other resources for cultural enrichment.

Italian American Roots in Belleville and Nutley, NJ

Growing up on the border line of Belleville and Nutley, the children in my neighborhood along Meacham Street knew that when we grew old we would speak Italian. It was as obvious as all of those gray-haired relatives who came to call spoke the dialect.


Photo Gallery: Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day & Italian Heritage Month Parade 2023


Moving down Meacham hill to Gless Avenue

Grandma’s farm was just about the only house on the hill; their green farmland stretching as far as the eye could see in the township of Belleville, New Jersey. When my grandparents moved from Passaic Avenue half way down the hill to Gless Avenue, they literally moved the house down the hill.


A Debt To Honor

Ordinary folks risked all saving strangers 'We did what we knew needed to be done' The true story of how nearly 40,000 Jews in Italy were saved from Nazi annihilation during World War II.


Coal Miner's Kids' Christmas

Harry was not yet four years old when his dad died in a coal mine cave-in in Wilkes Barre, Pa. Harry was the youngest of eight children, the oldest was barely a teenager. That was March 18, 1929.


Spatola's Home for Funerals

When my grand-uncles died, back in the 1960s, wakes were two days and two nights before the burial.  These days, people want to get on with life, such that it is. Shorter viewing relieves stress on the family, and cuts down expenses


Great-Grandfather was a pumpkin

My Uncle Frank was listed as Frank Pumking Cocozza, and on these same official papers, my great-grandfather was Frank Pumking Cocozza.


Who is Brother, (who is) Uncle Bim?

The four-room house was plenty, it had three bedrooms; one for four sons, one for three daughters, and one for the parents. It had no kitchen, but the Aliperto family never went hungry.


Sometimes I Swear In Italian

Sometimes I Swear In Italian by Anthony Buccino Anthony Buccino's collection Sometimes I Swear In Italian is about growing up Italian American in America.

Buccino’s verse captures the assimilation of an Italian American born and raised in New Jersey who becomes truly inspired by a trip to Italy. There he realizes how at home he feels so far away.

Read about the old neighborhood where the 'bianca lina' man sold bleach to make the white linens, the young boy growing up in the house his grandfather built, and living upstairs from his scary grandma who spoke no English. This American boy discovers the land his ancestors left to make a better life for him and his generation. Despite its title, Sometimes I Swear In Italian contains no profanity in any language.

Read more


Greetings From Belleville

Belleville, N. J.-native Anthony Buccino collected in this full-length book his most-requested writings about life and growing up in Belleville, New Jersey.  More than forty essays and reflections on everything from his Italian-speaking grandmother who lived downstairs, junior high school bullies to selling pretzels for Ed Strat at Belleville High School football games at Municipal Stadium.

Amazon  


Buccino wins UNICO National award


Italian American Writers' Association

Italian American History and Culture


BOOKS

Italian American Writers On New Jersey

Italian Americans in World War II  by Peter L. Belmonte

WW2 Letters Home From The South Pacific

La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience by Jerre Mangione

La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience by Jerre Mangione

Una Storia Segreta - Lawrence DiStasi

Newark's Little Italy: The Vanished First Ward – by Michael Immerso 

Finding Italian Roots by John Philip Colletta

They Came In Ships by John P. Colletta

Identity Lessons: Contemporary Writing About Learning to Be American

Some Kind of Wise Guy: Stories About Parents, Weddings, Modern Living, and Growing Up Italian by Bill Ervolino

A Family of Sicilians: Stories and Poems

Sometimes I Swear in Italian

Maria Mazziotti Gillan

What We Pass On: Collected Poems: 1980-2009

Italian Women In Black Dresses

Things My Mother Told Me

All That Lies Between Us

Maria Mazziotti Gillan: Essays on Her Works

* * * * * * * * * *

Tom Perrotta

Little Children

Election

The Wishbones

Joe College

Bad Haircut: Stories of the Seventies

Buccino: On Perrotta

* * * * * * * * * *

Bloomfield Avenue: A Jewish-Catholic Jersey Girl's Spiritual Journey

 * * * * * * * * * *

The Italian Americans: A History by Maria Laurino

The Italian Americans: A History by Maria Laurino

Don't Tell Mama - Regina Barreca

Moustache Pete Is Dead! - Fred L.Gardaphe

Dances with Luigi - Paul Paolicelli

Beyond The Godfather - Italian American Writers on the Real Italian American Experience /Ciongoli/Parini

Memoirs of Lt. Camillo Viglino, Italian Air Force 1915-1916

Italian Americans in World War II  - Peter L. Belmonte

The Humble and the Heroic Wartime Italian Americans by Salvatore LaGumina

Blood of My Blood - Richard Gambino

Mount Allegro - Jerry Mangione

Unto The Sons - Gay Talese

* * * * * * * * * *
Were You Always an Italian? by Maria Laurino

Were you always an Italian by Maria Laurino

Remind Me Again Why I Married You - Rita Ciresi

Heritage Italian-American Style - Leon J. Radomile

The Garlic in the Melting Pot - Lewis M. Elia

ROSA The Life of an Italian Immigrant by Marie Hall Ets

Sometimes I Dream In Italian - Rita Ciresi

Ciao, America - Beppe Severgnini

Andiamo, Weasel! - Rose Marie Grant

Italian Stories - stories by Joseph Papaleo

The Last Cannoli - Camille Cusumano

Growing Up Italian by Linda Brandi Cateura

Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Newark's Little Italy - The Vanished First Ward - Michael Immerso

The Big Hunger by John Fante

The Fortunate Pilgrim by Mario Puzo

The Altar Boy Chronicles by Tony Pasquarello

In The Garden of Papa Santuzzu by Tony Ardizzone

Taking It Home - Stories from the Neighborhood by Tony Ardizzone

A Family of Sicilians - Stories & Poems by Salvatore Buttaci

Promising the Moon - poems by Salvatore Amico M. Buttaci

With Heart and Soul - Calgary's Italian Community by Antonella Fanella

Growing Up Italian In God's Country - Patricia Costa Viglucci

Recipes My Nonna Taught Me - by Francena

Say That To My Face - David Prete

The Joint Venture - Gilbert Visconti

Links subject to change


Cherry Blossom Press

Nonfiction books by Anthony Buccino


Photography

New Orleans, New York, Jersey City, Nutley photo collections by Anthony Buccino

Photo Books
Photo Galleries


Nutley, NJ, Books


Belleville, NJ, Books

Belleville NJ books by Anthony Buccino


Military History

Military History books by Anthony Buccino


Poetry Collections

Eight Poetry Collections by Anthony Buccino

Shop Amazon Most Wished For Items

Support this site when you buy through our Amazon link.