North End Stories: Ken Rothman Reflects on 40 Years of Business on Salem Street

The Old North End

The first Italians arrived in the North End in the 1860s when the political and economic situation in Italy had become untenable. Their numbers grew here in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most were unskilled laborers and lacked the ability to speak English. They faced severe discrimination and took what jobs were available with Read More…

Nothing New: Columbus Day Law Wasn’t Easy

Nothing New Under the Sun. Some legislation isn’t easy, on Beacon Hill or in Washington.  The Italian News reported on Feb. 17, 1956, that 118 legislators backed a bill  to make Columbus Day a legal holiday in Massachusetts, to be celebrated on October 12. Hearings on the bill, held by the Committee on Constitutional Law, Read More…

Councilor LaMattina Holds Hearing to Support $73,000 Grant for Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

News from the Office of City Councilor, Sal LaMattina, on fencing restoration at Copp’s Hill Burying Ground: City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina, Chairman of the Committee on City and Neighborhood Services held a hearing on Thursday, December 13, 2012 to have a $73,000 grant accepted and expended for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The grant Read More…