Italian Immigrants Shaped the Heart of the Central Valley

Italian American women packing figs in the field of Roeding Ranch on August 11, 1921. Importantly, many first-and second-generation Italian Americans secured much-needed, seasonal employment in packing houses and canneries, vital for the sustainment of their households. Women, in particular, would don the long-sleeved uniform of the company and toil for incredibly long hours throughout the summer and autumn months, often outdoors or in stifling metal sheds. The work paid little and never took away from the household responsibilities of cooking, cleaning and tending to the children. Photos courtesy of the Fresno City County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved.

They arrived in the United States with little more than calloused hands, worn shoes and the belief that America held a future their homeland could no longer promise. Between 1861 and 1929, millions of Italians fled political turmoil, poverty and shrinking opportunities in southern Italy. A portion of these immigrants, after passing through the crowded halls of Ellis Island, boarded westbound trains and made their way to California’s Central Valley. What they found here would shape both their destiny and the region’s identity.

Long before diversity was considered important, Fresno native Leo Politi told the story of the many different cultural communities in our state.  Starting with Little Pancho in 1938, to Moy Moy, to his autobiographical book, Little Leo, he presented the communities of immigrants and indigenous peoples to generations of young children from the 1930s to today.  Children can see themselves in these images and his gentle stories, which confirm the beauty of the human spirit.  Photos courtesy of the Fresno City County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved.

The Central Valley felt familiar. Its dry summers, mild winters and rolling farmland echoed the rural provinces they had left behind. For newcomers from places like Maschito in Potenza, the resemblance was uncanny. They stepped into fields of figs, olives and grapes and recognized the work immediately. Farming was not simply a job; it was a language they already spoke. Italian settlements soon appeared across Fresno’s West Side, Clovis, Sanger, and the county’s smaller towns, often alongside Armenian, Chinese, and Japanese communities navigating similar challenges of assimilation.

Life was not easy. Wages were low, the labor exhausting and the language barrier frustrating. Yet the Italians built community wherever they could, sharing dialects, recipes and traditions in bunkhouses and small neighborhood clusters. Sunday dinners, with simmering tomato sauce and fresh bread, became a weekly anchor in an unpredictable world. Religious festivals, especially the beloved celebration of St. Elia brought from Maschito, offered continuity and pride. Even as laws like the Immigration Act of 1924 reminded them they were not fully accepted, their Catholic faith and familiar customs helped ease their integration into Anglo-Californian society.

St. Elia - The Maschitan families of the St. Alphonsus parish collected money to have a statue of St. Elia made for the celebration, an exact duplicate of the one that still stands in its namesake church in Maschito. Following the Mass on Sunday, there is always an auction for the honor of carrying the statue of Saint Elia in a solemn procession. Extended families would pool their resources to win this privilege. The auction and parade remain integral parts of the St. Elia celebration each October. Photos courtesy of the Fresno City County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved.

Their impact grew quickly. While many began as farm laborers, Italian immigrants soon expanded into shoemaking, fruit selling and trades of every kind. Their American-born children rose even higher—into law enforcement, public service, medicine, education, business and sports. Some found their calling in winemaking, a craft deeply rooted in Italian tradition. Families like the Noninis kept vineyards alive through Prohibition, tending vines in hope of repeal. When the repeal finally came in 1933, those vineyards helped rebuild California’s wine industry from the ground up.

The Valley’s landscape still bears their imprint. Italians cultivated figs, olives and juice grapes at a scale that strengthened the region’s agricultural economy. Developers like Oscar Spano and John Bonadelle reshaped Fresno’s neighborhoods. The Caglia family built industrial and real estate enterprises. The DiCicco family created a restaurant legacy that became synonymous with Italian American life in the Central Valley. Even the arts felt their influence. Caldecott-winning author Leo Politi, born to Italian immigrants, left a cultural mark so enduring that a county library branch now bears his name.

DiCicco Brothers – (Roberto and Nick in rear; Frank and Alberto in front.) In the early 1950s, Broadway Ave. was the “Main” for young people to hang out. Two of the DiCicco brothers, Alberto and Frank, were taking a walk from The Main to Blackstone Ave., and they spotted a neon sign shaped like the boot of Italy; they pointed at it and were so excited. The neon sign was Maselli’s Pizzeria. Both of them went inside and met Sam Maselli, the owner. By the time they left, they both were offered a job washing dishes. So, during the day, they worked their day job, and at night they washed dishes at Maselli’s.  While working there, Sam met the DiCicco parents and the other two brothers. Nick and Bob (Roberto), and they became close friends. A few months went by. Sam wanted to sell the restaurant and offered it to the DiCicco family, who had put away a few dollars but not what he was asking. Together with some friends who came from the same town in Italy as they did, a deal was made for a loan. Every dollar they made went straight to the pot. In less than a year, they paid off the loan. Photos courtesy of the Fresno City County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation.  All rights reserved.

Their story was not without hardship. Wartime suspicion, language barriers and stereotypes shadowed their early decades. Yet through perseverance, faith and family, Italian immigrants transformed struggle into opportunity. Today, their descendants live across every corner of the Central Valley, carrying forward traditions that began in distant villages and took root in California soil.

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative, marking 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and the special place we call home. To learn more, visit centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.