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In 1999, Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa felt the history of Italian Americans needed a home after a temporary New-York Historical Society exhibit captured the community’s achievements and contributions. After a stint in a CUNY facility in midtown, Scelsa packed up his artifacts, signed a lease at the location of the former Banca Stabile, a bank patronized by Italian immigrants and opened the single-room Italian American Museum in 2008.
A new museum of Italian American history will open at the same location in Little Italy next Monday, October 14, coinciding with the Columbus Day holiday. Construction began in 2018 on a new building at 155 Mulberry Street, which now includes exhibits focused on Sicilian puppet theater’s history, Italian Americans who worked in the clothing industry and the journeys of Giovanni da Verrazzano in parts of the new six-story building.
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“It has not always been easy but we have much to be proud of, for our contributions to American society are enormous,” said Scelsa, the museum’s president, in a letter on its website. “Now we will have a secular cathedral for all to see, experience and appreciate where we came from and what we have achieved.”
To kick things off, the primary exhibit is of puppets from the former Manteo Theater in Little Italy. Titled “Puppet Homecoming: The Historic Sicilian Manteo Marionettes Return to Mulberry Street,” the display includes evocative, wooden marionettes that date back to the 1920s and 1930s.
“We were given 32 of these puppets by Michael Manteo, the son of the [Manteo Theater’s] founder, Agrippino Manteo, which we promised that we would bring back to Mulberry Street,” continued Scelsa.
In celebration of the museum’s opening after years of construction and reorganization, an opening event was held on Tuesday, October 1, with appearances from representative Jerry Nadler and governor Kathy Hochul, who helped secure $1 million in state funding for the museum in 2022.
“After several years of construction, it is a great source of satisfaction to be present at the opening of the new Italian American Museum,” said Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in New York. “This place highlights and celebrates not only the rich cultural heritage of Italian Americans in NYC, but also their significant contributions to the history and society of this great nation.”
The museum’s permanent collection will be installed through the spring, while walking tours are available for schools, individuals and other groups. Admission to the museum is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 12. The hours are noon to 5pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while visits on Wednesday and Sunday are by appointment only.