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Rag and Bone Man in early 20th century NYC
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The Great Hall of Ellis Island, circa 1915
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New York City’s Mulberry Street, circa 1915
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Most Italian immigrants in the early 19th century were forced to travel in steerage, in the belly of the steamship, near the engine compartment. Quarters were nothing more than stacked metal bunks with straw mattresses and floors covered with rotting food and worse. Learn more of what your ancestors endured in my book, L’America.
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“The deck was blanketed with bodies—hundreds upon hundreds of men, women, and children. Except for the occasional frightened child or protective patriarch, it was eerily quiet. Most were too sick or too exhausted or too despondent. On the other hand, the decks above were lively. The second- and first-class passengers were getting their first open-deck opportunities as well. They were jubilant. Many bent over the railings to study the luckless lot below. Those who weren’t snickering and pointing or turning away repulsed felt sorry for their fellow travelers and dropped leftover treats from their abundance into the arms of the most energetic”.