STAMFORD — Two hours southeast of Rome, a tiny town nestles in a valley of snow-capped mountains.

With a population of 300, Settefrati stretches only two miles from end to end. And despite its location almost 7,000 miles from Stamford, nearly everyone there has an intimate connection to this bustling Connecticut city.

For two periods in the 20th century, after both World Wars I and II, thousands of Italian immigrants entered America through Ellis Island.

The wars had left Italy barren — and many thought their only chance of success lay in a seven-day boat ride across the Atlantic through New York City, and finally, to Stamford.

“Back then, we were all going to Stamford,” said Delia Socci, who came to the U.S. after World War II. “We knew it would give us a future that we wouldn’t get back home.”

Stories of America had circulated throughout Settefrati for decades, giving many immigrants a false picture of what to find once they actually disembarked on land.

“I expected there to be money in the streets,” said Louisa Guglielmo, 83. “That’s what we had thought of America.”

In part, the change from rural central Italy to the American Northeast came at the right moment for the immigrants: Post-war Stamford had an industrial base humming with life and activity. New immigrants were able to plunge into factory work. Stamford was abundant with production, and the Settefratese community helped to bolster it.

To ease the culture shock, the community established the Settefratese Social Club on Virgil Street in 1931 and the Settefratese community made the West Side of Stamford its own. The new residents lived in the same neighborhoods, sent their children to the same schools and attended the same churches.

“We all knew each other,” said Rita DeRubeis, 66. “We knew who was making wine,we knew who was bottling tomatoes. It was a very close community.”

“Little by little, we all started making it,” Socci said. “We were able to think about our futures in a whole different way.”

Today, there are approximately 3,000 Settefratese immigrants and their descendants living in Stamford.

think about our futures in a whole different way.”

 

 

 

Today, there are approximately 3,000 Settefratese immigrants and their descendants living in Stamford.

Over time, the Settefratese communities in both countries have embraced Stamford with the strength of family. The Social Club remains a hub on Virgil Street. And upon entering the town of Settefrati in Italy, a large metal sign reads, Settefrati: Sister City of Stamford, Connecticut.

The Settefratese community’s success in Stamford is part of the city’s rich cultural diversity. According to a recent study by Wallethub, Stamford is the fourth most diverse midsize metropolis in America — and the 24th most diverse city of any size.

“I think we brought a lot to Stamford,” Socci said. “We worked hard. We paid our bills. And we helped build Stamford to what it is today.”