Synopsis

Salone Italiano is the story of an extended Italian family, as members exchange their peaceful European existence for a life of hope and incredible hardship as American immigrants in the legendary mining towns of Silverton and Durango, Colorado, and Calumet, Michigan, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Old world customs and traditions collide with the family's newfound American lifestyle when romances begin to flourish between immigrants of different regions and classes. Tensions reach such a fevered pitch that even murder is considered to keep lovers from "crossing the line."

From Angelina Sartore's attempts to bring her family closer together, to Katie Sartore's forbidden romance with a member of a rival immigrant colony, to Phil Sartore's love affair with a well-known local prostitute, theirs was a family in constant turmoil.

Phil and Angelina Sartore at the Belleview Saloon, Silverton, Colorado, circa 1904.

Train wrecks, mining accidents, avalanches and other disasters also made life a constant struggle for these true American pioneers.

Based on old letters recently discovered in Italy, and personal anecdotes gathered from family members, Salone Italiano makes this chapter in American history come alive through the experiences of "real people" who actually lived it.

John Baudino with "Daisy"at the Morning Star Mine in 1922.

	Synopsis
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