The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic

THE ITALIAN LEGACY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

the great architect José Casanova with the construction of this restaurant on the northern side of Calle Del

Sol

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—across from the Hotel Garibaldi—in October 1916.

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Classified as “the first of its kind in the entire re-

public,”

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it was inaugurated on February 18, 1917, Carnival Sunday.

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Because most of these immigrants did not have much capital, their finances and savings were tied directly

to the success of their businesses, which they began quite modestly, the evolution of which is evident from the

operating licenses under which they were classified. The cases of Vicente Anzelotti Cosentino (Santa Domen-

ica Talao, 1870 - Santiago, October 21, 1956

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), Genaro Cantisano Limongi (Maratea, March 21, 1869 - Santia-

go, January 7, 1928), Anselmo Copello Ducassou (Saint Thomas, September 18, 1879 - Washington, December

9, 1944), and the brothers José (Vibonati, October 6, 1886 - Santiago, June 7, 1960) and Vicente (1898-1932)

Pugliese Giffone reveal their considerable rise from street-based marketing and small retail businesses to large,

consolidated operations.

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Italian businesses focusing on import and export activities led to more European-oriented shifts in local

consumption habits with regard to food, beverages, and fashion among the urban population. The products

that they introduced included pasta, cheese, olives, olive oil, various sweets, canned fruits, wines, canned

goods, sausages, salchichón, and salami. Fashion accoutrements became more nuanced with contributions

such as Borsalino felt hats, sold by Vicente Anzelotti

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at his establishment on the corner of Calle Comercio

and Calle General Cabrera.

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The need to mitigate the difficulties of being uprooted and nostalgia for their homeland, combined with

other economic and social motivations, prompted many Italian immigrants to associate with their compatri-

ots. By 1900, an “Italia Unita” society was already in existence. In that year the society chose a new board of

directors composed of Salvador Cucurullo

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as chairman; Enrique Ferroni, deputy chairman; José Antonio

Divanna, treasurer; Carlos Grisolía, auditor; and Francisco Schiffino, secretary.

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As its name may indicate

(United Italy), it was principally devoted to the causes of mutual assistance and relief.

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Parque Colón in

Santiago, created by

the efforts of Angelo

Rusterucci, the parish

priest of the church

of Nuestra Señora of

Altagracia.