Did you know...
Few Italians in America became public burdens. At the end of the nineteenth century less than 2% of the street beggars in New York were Italians while 8% were Germans, and 15% were Irish. Italians chose not to get help from institutions. In 1910, there were more than two thousand Italian mutual aid societies, but most Italians expected family support rather than government aid. They distrusted organizations of any kind because most Italians prefer rest to work, no matter how bad the job than take charity. They were hard workers who found little time for play or culture, usually working longer hours than immigrants of other nations!