L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 5 LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY A precious copy of L'Italo-Americano - dating back to early 1900's - is stored inside one of the display cases Those who had waited for the museum's opening for some time expressed a sense of contentment that this history is preserved for future generations 1950s the State of California purchased the building, together with other 22 historical edifices, with the aim of preserving them. Since the State never had the money to maintain the buildings, most of them got in disrepair, including the Italian Hall. Between 1980s and '90s, the latter seemed destined to be con- verted in a commercial space. That w ould have eras ed the Italian-American history con- nected with it. A large group of Italian- Americans began to advocate it and raise funds for this symbolic place. There have been a series of setbacks, like the water leak in 2003 that caused a lot of damage to the building. In 2005, as I was working as an historian for the city of L.A., I collaborated with the Foundation and the other community leaders to advocate the cause and raise extra funds to repair the Italian Hall. Ultimately, we managed to raise the necessary money to restore the building to its original splendor. C ou ld you s p en d a few words about the employment of the Italian Hall's first floor as a s p eak eas y d u rin g Prohibition? When the Italian Hall was constructed in 1908, a large, ele- gant s aloon operated by the Paggi and Issoglio families was located on the building's first floor. The prohibition of alcohol shuttered the saloon. From what we can discern, a speakeasy, or illicit bar, opened on the second floor of the Italian Hall following the law's passage w ith different operators . Evidence of this was uncovered during the building's restoration. The original s peakeas y door remains and has been restored. How did you come up with the concept behind the annual event, Taste of Italy, held on October 1 st ? In 2009, the Historic Italian Hall Foundation (located behind the museum) and I were dis- cussing about an event for our members, offering a selection of wine varieties and cheese. Soon, we thought to invite s ome res taurants and I exclaimed: "That sounds like a taste of Italy." An initiative, originally con- ceived as a fundraiser reserved to our Italian-American members, has grown into an annual gather- ing of over 2000 people, from all walks of life. The event has an important educational mission, not only about the food and wine produc- tion in California as well as in Italy itself, but also about the collection of our museum and the rich history of our communi- ty. To you , w h ich are th e IAMLA's exhibit's highlights? My favorite section is the one, called Dago!, focused on the largely overlooked prejudice, which Italian-Americans were often victim of. It not only educates us about our past, but reflects on our pre- sent at the same time. We learn how the hostility towards immi- grants is certainly not a new phe- nomenon and, hopefully, we can learn from it and move forward tow ards a future of greater understanding and compassion. How w en t th e mu s eu m's inauguration to the public? Did the collection have a good reception? The various opening recep- tions, including the private VIP opening, the IAMLA's mem- bers' opening, and the public opening all went extremely well. Visitors of all ages and ori- gins expressed a sense of wonder and amazement about this sel- dom-explored chapter of history. Those who had waited for the museum's opening for some time also expressed a sense of enthu- siasm for the quality and interac- tive nature of our permanent exhibition, as well as a sense of contentment that this history is preserved for future generations. During our first three days open, the museum welcomed 800 visitors. What are your plans in the near future as far as tempo- rary exhibits, screenings and lectures? We w ill be announcing a complete program shortly. The first temporary exhibition will debut in early 2017. While the building was originally used as a lodge and banquet hall, our pri- mary focus will be operating as a museum and offer a rich calen- dar of events. The IAMLA's educational programming, which has been offered for years, despite the fact that the museum was under con- struction, continues, thanks to generous gifts from the Alber ts ons Vons Pavilions Foundation, which allows us to educate young people and their families about the importance of healthy eating and how to do so in an economical fashion. Thanks to a generous grant from the Albert J. Casola Trust, we also offer two California Education Standards-based cur- riculum available for download on our w ebs ite, w hich are already in us e in S outhern California classrooms. We will be releasing additional activities for K-12 visitors shortly. O f cours e, the mus eum's largest annual event, Taste of Italy, takes place on October 1 st , and features some of the region's best Italian restaurants, over 100 fine Italian wines, live entertain- ment, and chef demonstrations. Continued from page 4 One of the seven exhibitions arranged chronologically and thematically is Italians in Hollywood

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