Order of the Sons of Italy

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The Order of the Sons of Italy was founded in 1905 as a self-help group for Italian immigrants in the United States. It now has over 600,000 members distributed in over 700 lodges around the country. Among its programs is the Commission for Social Justice, a think-tank intended to help dispel any stereotypes concerning Italian Americans and their supposed links to organized crime.

Nowadays the Order accepts female members and supports a number of charities as well as ties to the Italian homeland.

[edit] History

The Order of Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) was established in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City on June 22, 1905, by Vincenzo Sellaro, M.D., and five other fellow immigrants from Italy who came to the United States during the great Italian migration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During its history, OSIA has been involved in promoting immigration legislation; assisting in the assimilation process; supporting cooperation, trade, and diplomatic relations between the United States and Italy; initiating social and fraternal events; encouraging educational achievement through scholarships; serving local communities through a variety of cultural events and raising funds for local charities; and providing low-cost group financial investments and insurance.

Today, OSIA is the oldest, largest, and most demographically diverse association of American men and women of Italian descent.