Italian Welfare League Records (CMS 003)
July 15, 2016

Click here to view the entire finding aid for the Italian Welfare League Records (CMS 003)
The Italian Welfare League was founded in 1920 by a small group of women who had been active in social welfare causes. Their aim was to aid poor Italian families who were in need of help for a variety of reasons. As the organization matured, its focus shifted to aiding newly arrived immigrants both during their initial entry into the country at the New York docks and through on-going support at the League’s office. These immigrants required help to navigate complicated restrictions, quotas, and rules which had to be observed. The League was partially funded through social events organized throughout the year.
Materials of special importance include minutes of the Board of Directors; files from the first president, Lionello Perera; files from the Executive Secretary, Angela Carlozzi Rossi, who by virtue of her office and tenure with the League was responsible for overseeing much of the organizations activities; financial documents, including family case accounts detailing aid given to needy families; subject files which contain annual reports, historical material, and material on the conductor Arturo Toscanini; files of the Child Welfare Committee dealing with work on behalf of some needy orphanages post-World War II in Italy; files of the Women’s Auxiliary Committee dealing with the Titian Ball, an annual event on a grand scale which helped raise needed funds; the files of the Ellis Island Committee; and the individual case files dealing with immigrants. The case files document the anxieties, the emotions, and the hopes of people trying to enter the country at a time when various quota systems and restrictions barred or impeded them.
Arrangement
Sub-Group I: Board of Directors
Series A: Minutes of Meetings
Series B: General Correspondence and other Documents
Sub-Group II: Presidents
Series A: Mrs. Lionello Perera
Series B: Mrs. Carl P. Doelger Jr.
Series C: Mrs. Jackson Spears
Series D: Mrs. Norman J. MacGaffin
Series E: Mrs. Richard F. Bemporad
Series F: Mrs. George M. Bragalini
Series G: Mrs. Anthony Mele
Series H: Mrs. Emanuel Lazzaro
Series I: Mrs. Charles Pisano
Series J: Mrs. Michael J. Cafiero
Series K: Mrs. John V. Corrado
Series L: Mrs. Rocco Veneroso
Series M: Mrs. Gustave Chiarello
Series N: Mrs. Edward Giaimo
Series O: Helen Greco
Sub-Group III: Executive Secretary
Sub-Group IV: Records of Pre-Existing Organizations
Series A: Italo-American Relief Committee
Series B: American Red Cross, Italian Auxiliary No. 380
Series C: Italian Committee for Discharged Soldiers
Sub-Group V: Financial Records
Series A: Family Case Accounts
Series B: Membership Dues
Series C: Social Service Welfare Fund Ledger Sheets
Series D: Office Expense Statements
Series E: General Donations
Series F: Annual Financial Reports
Series G: Monthly Financial Reports
Series H: General Resolutions
Series I: Bills and Invoices
Series J: Internal Revenue Matters and related Income Tax Matters
Series K: Financial Volumes
Series L: Other Documents
Sub-Group VI: Subject Files (General Correspondence and other Documents)
Sub-Group VII: Child Welfare Committee
Sub-Group VIII: Ellis Island Committee
Sub-Group: IX: House Committee
Sub-Group X: Immigration Committee
Sub-Group XI: Junior Committee
Sub-Group XII: Membership Committee
Sub-Group XIII:Men’s Advisory Committee
Sub-Group XIV: Nominating Committee
Sub-Group XV: Personnel Committee
Sub-Group XVI: Port and Dock Committee
Sub-Group XVII: Public Relations Committee
Sub-Group XVIII: Reorganization Committee
Sub-Group XIX: Sewing Committee
Sub-Group XX: Social Service Committee
Sub-Group XXI: Ways and Means Committee
Sub-Group XXII: Women’s Auxiliary Committee
Series A: Minutes of Meetings and Correspondence
Series B: Social Events, Titian Ball
Series C: Social Events, Primavera Luncheon
Series D: Social Events, Get Together Luncheon
Series E: Other Social Events
Sub-Group XXIII: Immigration and Allied Social Welfare Case Files
Series A: Immigration Case Files – General
Series B: Immigration Case Files – Fourth Preference
Series C: Immigration Case Files – Various Preference
Series D: Immigration Case Files – Miscellaneous
Series E: Immigration Case Files – Subject Arranged
Series F: Immigration Case Files – Chronological
Series G: Immigration Case Files – Social Welfare Cases
Series H: Immigration Case Files – Forms
Series I: Old Folder Samplings
Sub-Group: XXIV: Publications
Series A: Flyers, Letterheads, and Allied Printed Items issued by the League
Series B: “Ready Reference” Office Materials
Series C: Reports, Brochures, and Allied Printed Items collected by the League
Series D: Periodicals
Series E: Microfilm
Click here to view the entire finding aid for the Italian Welfare League Records (CMS 003)