Phil and Angelina Sartore at the Belleview Saloon, Silverton, Colorado, circa 1904
A hundred years ago, in the legendary mining towns of Silverton and Durango, racial tensions among American immigrants had reached a fever pitch. Salone Italiano is a lavish account of one Italian family's struggles, passions, and adventures as outsiders in a strange new land. 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.
Jenny and Katie Sartore
Certain individuals are willing to resort to violence, including murder, in order to keep the lovers from crossing the line into segregated territory. From Angelina Sartore's confused 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 prostitue - theirs was a family imbedded in constant turmoil. Discover what life was like for European immigrants in a Colorado mining town and experience this little-known chapter of American history firsthand by vicariously witnessing the lives of some of those who were most intimately involved.
John Baudino with "Daisy"at the Morning Star Mine in 1922
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.