Teacher support materials to use with
Brief Plot Summary
Discussion Questions
Historical Drawings and Photos for Discussion
Detailed Plot Summary
Historical Background
What Did You Read? – Form
Book Report – Form
Word Play Activity
Fill in the Blanks Review Activity
Brief Plot Summary
Little Italy is the story of the Trella family. In 1920 Vito’s land is worn out, and he can’t sell his oranges.
Sadly, he leaves his Italian homeland and sails to New York to get work and save enough money to bring
his wife, Rosetta, and their three children to America. For more than two years he works as a stonecutter,
building the new skyscrapers of New York. It is dangerous work. Finally, he saves enough money for four
tickets. Rosetta and their children join him. They make their new life on Mulberry Street in New York’s
Little Italy. Rosetta finds the city dirty and depressing at first, but she learns to love her Italian neighbors
and her church. They have four more children. Then Vito falls, is injured, and must take a job making paper
flowers; the whole family helps. All seven children finish high school and get good jobs. Vito and Rosetta stay
in Little Italy. The novel ends as their youngest child, Dominick, graduates from high school with honors.
Think about it
Chapter 1
Hard Times in Italy
Little Italy
Discussion Questions
1. What do you think of Vito’s plan to go to America first?
2. How would you feel about Vito’s plan if you were Rosetta?
3. What are some reasons that people leave their home country?
Chapter 2
A Ship to America
1.
2.
3.
4.
Is it possible to learn a new language in 15 days?
If you left your home, what would you remember about it?
Why did Vito feel like an animal?
What kinds of things will Vito have to deal with in America?
Chapter 3
New York
1.
2.
3.
4.
Do you have a way to make hard work seem not so hard?
What does it mean to call someone “chicken”?
Is there such a thing as “easy money”? Why or why not?
How hard is it to wait for something you really want? How do you deal with that?
Chapter 4
Two Bags
1.
2.
3.
4.
What does it mean to carry a bag in your mind?
Why can two years seem like a long time?
Do you believe that things turn out for the best?
What do you think the trip to America will be like for the family?
Chapter 5
Across the Ocean
1. Do you like to make friends when you go on a trip?
2. What can you do to stay well when you’re away from home?
3. What will the family see and feel when they reach New York?
Chapter 6
A New Day
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why would people feel so good after a hard trip?
Why do you think that rich people got off the ship without going to Ellis Island?
What does the Statue of Liberty mean to you?
(Look up the poem by Emma Lazarus that is written on the base of the Statue of Liberty.)
What will happen on Ellis Island?
Chapter 7
Ellis Island
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why or why not was it fair to send back the sick people?
What is the most beautiful place you have ever seen? Why was it beautiful?
Why did the young man ask Rosetta questions?
Will Rosetta be pleased with her new home?
Chapter 8
Together Again
1.
2.
3.
4.
What makes a workday seem long or short?
What does it mean to “make do” with what you have?
How important is it to make a good home?
Do you think the Trellas will like “Little Italy”? Why or why not?
Chapter 9
Mulberry Street
1.
2.
3.
4.
What makes one street different from other streets?
Why do some people like to buy fresh foods? Can you get fresh foods where you live?
What does this mean: Birds of a feather flock together.
Do you think Vito and Rosetta will have more children?
Chapter 10
Building a Life
1. When someone makes fun of someone, is that person a bully? What is a bully?
2. If you were Dominick’s parent, what would you tell him?
3. Is it natural for boys to get into fights?
Chapter 11
Lucky to Be Alive
1. Why is language so important?
2. What is the most dangerous job you have ever done?
3. What do you think will happen to Vito?
Chapter 12
Paper Flowers
1. How is Rosetta and Vito’s life different from their life in the old country?
2. What do you do when things don’t work out?
3. Vito and Rosetta have high hopes for their children. What are your hopes for yourself or your family?
Chapter 13
Festa!
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do you find good times even when life is hard?
What is your favorite song or cultural event? Why?
Would you be glad or sad when your children grew up and left home?
How do your family members make you proud?
Chapter 14
Top of the Class
1.
2.
3.
4.
Would you be happy just to give your children a better life?
Do you believe that hard work pays off?
Can you name some famous Italian-Americans?
What are your hopes and dreams?
Little Italy
Historical Drawings and Photos for Discussion
The Bombardelli family from Italy arriving in a crowd at Ellis Island
Italian family on the ferry leaving Ellis Island
Note: Most of these photos are from the Library of Congress and in the public domaine. Others appear many times without
attribution online and thus are in the public domain. You may print them for classroom use.
Italian men arriving in New York by steamship
Inspection for pink eye at Ellis Island
Newcomers leaving Ellis Island for New York City
Sidewalk shopping at a fiesta in Little Italy
A First Avenue fiesta in Little Italy
Building the Empire State Building
Italian family making paper flowers
at home in Little Italy
Italian family making paper flowers at the dining room table in Little Italy
Mulberry Street in Little Italy
Little Italy
Detailed Plot Summary
Vito Trella, the Italian father of three small children, is having trouble selling his
orange crop in North America because now, in 1920, Americans are growing their own. In
addition, his land is worn out and the area is overpopulated. This, he tells his wife Rosetta
Trella, is the time to go to America in search of a better life.
Vito will go on ahead of the family. He will send money home for the others to
follow. The townspeople bid him farewell, and, sadly, he leaves his homeland. While
waiting for his ship in Naples, he buys a book to teach himself English. Like sheep, he and
the other passengers are tagged and herded on board.
In New York, Vito gets a job as a stonecutter helping to build one of New York
City’s new skyscrapers. He spends lonely nights looking forward to the day his family can
join him. He works on his English. A coworker, Sal Penta, invites Vito to go out one night.
Vito goes, but the place turns out to be a bar and gambling hall. Reluctantly, he joins the
game. He has beginner’s luck, but soon he loses all his money. It takes two more years to
buy four passages to America for his family.
Back in Italy, the children barely remember their father. But at last the tickets
arrive. Rosetta sells their possessions and packs two bags. One bag she packs with clothes
and food, and the other bag is a make-believe bag “packed” with days gone by and hope
for tomorrow. The ocean voyage is difficult for the children, but Rosetta strikes up a
friendship with Mrs. Santo, a widow whose eyes are sore and inflamed during the trip. The arrival in New York harbor is dramatic. It is sunrise as Rosetta spots land
and the Statue of Liberty. She holds up the children so they can get a better view. She will
never forget this welcoming sight. She is awed by the height of the New York skyscrapers.
On their arrival, she and the children must first go to Ellis Island, where they are joyfully
reunited with Vito.
At Ellis Island, they wait in line to be checked in. When the inspector sees Mrs.
Santo’s eyes, she is sent back to Italy. Officials check over the Trellas and interrogate
Rosetta about her background and intentions. They pass the tests and receive their
immigration papers. A boat takes the family to Manhattan.
Vito takes his family into the city. Rosetta is amazed at the tall buildings, but she
is disappointed by the dirty streets – that are not made of gold, as she has heard. She is
further disillusioned by their new home: two tiny, windowless rooms, five floors up, in a
dirty tenement. She cleans up the place and hangs sheets to divide up the space. Still, it is
hot and dark.
Rosetta is even further disillusioned to see her husband come home every night
after a 12-hour day, always dirty and often injured from the dangerous work, but she
selflessly makes as good a home as she can for her family. What really matters is that
they are in America.
Life in New York does have its high points for Rosetta. She gets to know many
other Italians at church and in the neighborhood. Indeed, this part of New York is
nicknamed “Little Italy,” with its Italian-speaking population, pushcarts selling food and
wares in the street, and children playing everywhere.
Within five years, Mr. and Mrs. Trella have four more children. Now there are
seven: Giuseppe (“Joe”), Felice, Liberta, Pasquale, Guido, Annalia, and Dominick. Vito
continues to work in the building trade while Rosetta cares for the children. The couple
looks old before their time. There is no money to buy new clothes, so Rosetta patches
the old ones to hand down from child to child. The children are always clean and neat;
no one would guess they all live in two rooms.
One day Dominick comes home with torn clothes; he has been in a fight because
some boys made fun of his clothes. Mrs. Trella explains why he must wear old clothes
and that she does not want him to get into fights. “Just be the best you can be,” she tells
Dominick.
Then Vito seriously injures his back in an accident on the job site. Unable to
continue in the building trade, he must take work in a sweatshop making paper flowers
for very low pay. The family moves into the tenement where the sweatshop is located.
Now they have three rooms and two windows. The whole family helps make paper
flowers. Rosetta still occasionally unpacks her imaginary bag of memories and hope. She
never has occasion to leave Little Italy.
At the church festa Mr. and Mrs. Trella talk as they dance. We learn that Felice
is married and has a child, Joe lives uptown with his wife, and Pasquale and Guido
have joined the building trades. Annalia and Liberta work in a garment factory, and
Dominick is soon to finish high school.
Mr. and Mrs. Trella dress up to attend Dominick’s graduation in 1958.
Dominick is the speaker, and in his speech he praises the contributions of his parents,
to have given seven children, who have all finished high school, a better life than they
might have had in Italy. That night at home, Mr. and Mrs. Trella reflect on their lives.
They decide to stay in Little Italy, and they say their dream has come true: they may
have worked hard and remained poor, but they have given their children a better life.
They are glad to give that gift.
Little Italy
Historical Background
Italian immigrants began arriving in the United States around 1820, but
the massive numbers arrived between about 1880 and 1920. Altogether, about
five million Italians settled in America.
The earliest Italian immigrants were from northern Italy. They started
vineyards and truck farms in New Jersey, the Finger Lakes region of upstate
New York, and as far west as California.
Later, most were southern Italians, who left their vegetable and fruit
farms because the soil was not as productive as it once was, because North
America was growing its own produce, because over-population forced farmers
to struggle for a living on small plots of rented land, and simply for better
opportunities. Often, the father would precede the rest of the family, working
until he had made enough money for the others to join him in America.
Italians are among the major groups that entered the United States
during the famous era of the Ellis Island immigration center. The classic
immigrant scene of entering New York harbor to a fine view of the Statue of
Liberty, then being processed (and sometimes rejected) at Ellis Island, is a
memorable chapter in American history.
Once here, most Italians did not have enough money to travel beyond
the cities, especially New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. The men had to
switch from agriculture to masonry, stonecutting, and other trades involved in
building skyscrapers and subways, or they became small merchants, barbers,
or tailors. Some did go as far as Pennsylvania, where they worked in coal mines
and steel mills. Many died young as a result of work-related accidents.
The women worked in sweatshops, making garments, and/ or they
cared for their large families, often living in small, hot, dark tenements. Indeed,
the image of the tireless, long-suffering Italian mother, sacrificing all chance for
her own happiness for the sake of her children, is a realistic one.
Italian immigrants relied on their families, churches, and Italian neighborhoods for
strength. The Catholic church taught them to expect little from this life, that their rewards
awaited them in heaven.
It was the second-and third-generation Italian-Americans who experienced the
greater success. Through education, determination, and growth from the enterprises their
immigrant-parents had started, later generations became bankers, lawyers, contractors, food
importers, educators, labor leaders, and government officials.
Name ____________________________________________
What Did You Read?
Write the answers to these questions about Little Italy.
1. The ticket man said the streets of America were made _________
2. Why did Vito Trella go to America first? ____________________
_____________________________________________________
3. Why was it hard for the Trellas to leave Italy? _______________
_____________________________________________________
4. Rosetta Trella’s real bag held clothes and food. What was in her make believe bag? ___________________________________________
5. What did the Statue of Liberty seem to say to Rosetta? _________
_____________________________________________________
6. How did the Trellas have better luck than Mrs. Santo at Ellis Island?
_____________________________________________________
7.What did Rosetta find out when she first saw New York City? ____
_____________________________________________________
8. What did Rosetta try to make out of the two rooms? ______
______________________________________________________
9. Why was the neighborhood called Little Italy? ______________
_____________________________________________________
10. What did Rosetta tell Dominick to do after the fight? _______
_____________________________________________________
11. Why did Vito have to make paper flowers? ______________
_____________________________________________________
12. What was Mr. and Mrs. Trella’s gift to their children? ________
_____________________________________________________
Book Review
Book Title ________________________________________________
Student’s Name ____________________________________________
The people in this book came from_____________________________
I read this book because _____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Is this book interesting? Why or why not? _______________________
___________________________________________________________
The best part of the story is ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The worst part of the story is __________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
My favorite person in the story is ______________________________
because __________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The main thing I learned from this book is that ___________________
_____________________________________________________________
Too many hard words? yes no Examples: ________________________
Too many long sentences? yes no Examples: _____________________
_____________________________________________________________
The length of the books is: too long / too short / about right
Tell a friend to read this book?
yes / no
Why? ________________
_____________________________________________________________
Name ____________________________________________
Word Play: 1 + 1 = 1
In this activity you will see how you can make two sentences into one. Just get rid of the words that
are used more than once. Then add the word and. The first exercise is done for you.
1. The door was broken.
The door made a cracking sound.
The door was broken and made a cracking sound.
______________________________________________________________
2. The children kissed their father.
The children hugged their father.
______________________________________________________________
3. How could he leave behind everything he knew?
How could he leave behind everyone he loved?
______________________________________________________________
4. Mr. Trella went to a bar where men were gambling.
Mr. Trella lost all his money.
______________________________________________________________
5. Everyone raced to the deck.
Everyone hung over the rail to see better.
______________________________________________________________
6. The two little rooms were dirty.
The two little rooms were hot.
______________________________________________________________
7. The men sold fruit off their carts.
The men sold vegetables off their carts.
______________________________________________________________
8. Dominick graduated from high school.
All the other Trella children graduated from high school.
______________________________________________________________
Fill in the Blanks
Review Activity
Little Italy is the story of the Trella family. In 1920 Vito’s _____ was
worn out, and he _______ sell his __________. Sadly, he _______ his
Italian homeland and _______ to _____ ______ to get work and save
enough _______ to bring his ______, Rosetta, and their three children
to America. For more than two years he ________ as a stonecutter,
building the new _____________ of New York. It was ___________
work. Finally, he _______ enough money for four ________. Rosetta
and their children ________ him. They made their new life on
Mulberry Street in New York’s Little Italy. Rosetta ______ the city
dirty and depressing at _______, but she learned to ______ her Italian
neighbors and her church. They had four more __________. Then Vito
fell, was injured, and had to take a job making _______ flowers; the
whole family helped. All seven children finished high school and got
good ______. Vito and Rosetta ________ in Little Italy. The novel ends
as their youngest _______, Dominick, ___________ from high school
with honors.
Full text of the fill in the blanks
review activity
Little Italy is the story of the Trella family. In 1920 Vito’s land was
worn out, and he couldn’t sell his oranges. Sadly, he left his Italian
homeland and sailed to New York to get work and save enough money
to bring his wife, Rosetta, and their three children to America. For
more than two years he worked as a stonecutter, building the new
skyscrapers of New York. It was dangerous work. Finally, he saved
enough money for four tickets. Rosetta and their children joined him.
They made their new life on Mulberry Street in New York’s Little Italy.
Rosetta found the city dirty and depressing at first, but she learned to
love her Italian neighbors and her church. They had four more children.
Then Vito fell, was injured, and had to take a job making paper flowers;
the whole family helped. All seven children finished high school and got
good jobs. Vito and Rosetta stayed in Little Italy. The novel ends as their
youngest child, Dominick, graduated from high school with honors.
Answer Key
“What Did You Read?” questions are objective in nature; however, in some cases the answers may not
be derived from the book verbatim. The answers given below are intended as guidelines to be used in
conjunction with the teacher’s judgement that the question has been satisfactorily answered. The answers
to the “Word Play” exercise should be exactly as given in this answer key, except where specifically noted.
What Did You Read?
1.of gold
2.to make enough money to buy tickets for the rest of the family
3. because it was home
4. days gone by and hope for tomorrow
5. “Welcome to America.”
6. They passed the tests; Mrs. Santos was sent back to Italy.
7. The streets were not made of gold; the streets were dirty.
8. a home
9. because a lot of Italian people lived there, spoke only Italian, and followed their old ways
10. to be the best he could be
11. because he hurt his back and couldn’t work in the building trade anymore
12.a better life
Word Play: 1 + 1 = 1
2. The children hugged and kissed their father.
3. How could he leave behind everything he knew and everyone he loved?
4. Vito went to a bar where men were gambling and lost all his money.
5. Everyone raced to the deck and hung over the rail to see better.
6. The two little rooms were dirty and hot.
7. The men sold fruit and vegetables off their carts.
8. Dominick and all the other Trella children graduated from high school.