Help Preserve New Haven’s Italian American History
Do you have family photos, documents, or memories of Italian businesses that shaped our community?
Your stories belong in history.
In 1921, Antonio Cannelli’s La Colonia Italiana di New Haven documented the vibrant Italian American community and dozens of businesses that formed the heart of the city: grocers, bakers, tailors, pharmacies, and gathering places where neighbors became family.
Now we’re bringing that history back to life through an interactive digital map that tells the story of each business and the families behind them. But the official record captures only part of the story.
Your family’s story completes the picture.
Whether it’s a faded photograph tucked in an album, a handwritten ledger from the basement, or a story passed down through generations, we want to hear it.
Your contribution helps preserve this vital chapter of New Haven history for future generations.
How it works
Explore the Businesses
1
In Spring ’26, explore the businesses featured in La Colonia. See where they were located, what they sold, and who ran them.
Share Your Memories
2
Share photos, documents, or memories of your family’s business or neighborhood memories
See Your Contribution
3
Your memories become part of a digital archive accessible to researchers, students, and future generations
Stories from La Colonia
“Here is George A. Mazzacane outside the early drug store. His oldest son Dominick was the pharmacist and Dom’s younger sister Eva was his assistant. Raymond, a younger brother, worked the soda fountain for a number of years. This family pharmacy was open from 1920-1933.”
— J. M.
Want More Stories Like This?
Join La Colonia to receive updates on newly discovered family stories, upcoming events, and ways to contribute to this living archive.