An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York's Irish and Italians

by Paul Moses

An Unlikely Union tells the dramatic story of how two of America’s largest ethnic groups learned to love and laugh with each other after decades of animosity.

They came from the poorest parts of Ireland and Italy and met as rivals on the sidewalks of New York. Beginning in the nineteenth century, the Irish and Italians clashed in the Catholic Church, on the waterfront, at construction sites, and in the streets. Then they made peace through romance, marrying each other on a large scale in the years after World War II.

The vibrant cast of characters features saints such as Mother Frances X. Cabrini, who stood up to the Irish American archbishop of New York when he tried to send her back to Italy, and sinners like Al Capone, who left his Irish wife home the night he shot it out with Brooklyn’s Irish mob. The book also highlights the torrid love affair between radical labor organizers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Carlo Tresca; the alliance between Italian American gangster Paul Kelly and Tammany’s “Big Tim” Sullivan; heroic detective Joseph Petrosino’s struggle to be accepted in the Irish-run NYPD; and the competition between Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby to become the country’s top male vocalist.

In this engaging history of the Irish and Italians, veteran New York City journalist and professor Paul Moses offers a classic American story of competition, cooperation, and resilience. At a time of renewed fear of immigrants, An Unlikely Union reminds us that Americans are able to absorb tremendous social change and conflict—and come out the better for it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, New York, Irish Literature, Religion, Ireland, Urban Studies

368 pages, Hardcover

First published June 26, 2015

Reviews

[Jere Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Moses weaves the tale of the Irish and Italians in New York into a masterful dual narrative, brimming with drama, history and insight, wrought through painstaking research, interviews and personal experience. His book is a must-read for any student of the city, Irish and Italian New Yorkers, or anyone seeking a clearer picture of the fascinating, if not always gorgeous, mosaic in which we live.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate book on the history of the Irish and Italians in NY. Extremely well researched. I can't think I one detail that might have been missed. Fascinating read.

[Praneesh K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book after watching Sopranos. NYC is an interesting setup for ethnic groups to mix and forge new identities. NYC institutions like NYPD, Tammany hall, Catholic Church and firefighters are strongly Irish in character. The Irish later faced competition from fellow catholics - Southern Italian immigrants. This book examines how NYC institutions evolved against this backdrop and also why there are so many famous Irish-Italian Americans in all walks of life - my favourite one- Robert DeNiro.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book about two of the ethnic groups who at one time made up a large portion of the jobs in New York City that no one else wanted to do. The author first takes you to the time when the Irish migrated to the city and the problems they had and then how they would become firemen, police officers and even send troops to the civil war. When the Italians started to migrate of course the Irish did not like it for they felt it would be taking jobs, so of course fights broke out. He also shows you that the Catholic Church began to have a problem as well since most of them were Irish and with Irish Priests that Rome with the help of an Irish Priest set up a congregation for Italians and in their neighborhood when a church was finally built by local donations. As there were fights with jobs, church, even government the author shows you times when they began to work together against forces working at keeping them down. Eventually, even the two started marrying and blending families back then at first was just Italian and Irish or Irish and Italian, what a combination. A very good book with a lot of history of both cultures and of New York. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extraordinarily well-researched and full of individual stories that tie to a broader narrative. However, sometimes in weaving those materials the text becomes jumbled or repetitive. The rivalry between the Italian and Irish ethnic groups is, obviously, expounded upon a great deal but it is not until the last chapter that Moses explains how the two act as a united front against other ethnic groups’ interests and frames this solely within the present. This feels like an oversimplification of other eras, as in Sinatra and Crosby’s case; Moses explains that they both rooted for the underdog and defended other ethnic groups, but both had a history of performing in blackface that does not get mentioned. Overall, I really enjoyed learning from this book, though.

[David Mumford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moses is careful to limit the scope of his view to these two ethnic groups and does an excellent job of it. Here he delves into history of New York City, Ireland, and Italy to explain how these two ethnic groups met and could not see eye to eye but eventually became friends and family to each other. Moses paints broad strokes to highlight the relationship in the workplace, the church, politics, and popular culture in how each progressed through time. This is more than simply a history narrative as Moses goes into cultural and sociological perspectives to understand how these two ethnic groups were so different when they first met in the streets of New York.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight on the struggles of the Italian & Irish cultures and their eventual unions in church, marriage, politics, and entertainment.
The Italians did not have it easy when they first migrated here, but their perseverance paid off.

[Jean Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book that tells the tale of rivalry between the new Italian immigrants and the 'established' Irish - and how they eventually became united. I laughed to find that my Irish mother was not the only immigrant to learn how to make a great Italian sauce from her Italian brother-in-law.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book. Good writing style and super interesting! I was really interested in the parts about Lt. Petrocino and he even writes a little bit about my hero, Fr. Mychal Judge! If you are Irish or Italian and live in NY, you'll love this!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and enjoyable account, filled with colorful anecdotes. Really gives a sense of how the Irish and Italians lived together, fought each other, and often loved each other. A great example of history that makes the people come alive.

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable read for anyone whose family hails from New York City that is of Irish and/or Italian descent. There were times I felt I was reading about my own family and in-laws. This book will also be of interest to any student of New York City history. I highly recommend it.

[Harriet Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unlikely union

An Unlikely Union The Love Hate Story by Paul Moses, is a fascinating book about ethnic differences, in New York. I highly recommend this book.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative cultural history of New York City that is a joy to read. The section about St. Frances Cabrini and her work in the lower East Side was particularly fascinating.
Loved this book.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moses, of Italian and Jewish ancestry, married an Irish-American woman whom he met in their native New York City. This appears to be the genesis of the idea for this book on the history of Irish-Italian relations in New York City.

Although some famous names pepper the narrative - Jimmy Walker, Frank Sinatra - a great number of the stories in the book relate to people related to the author or his wife. This, plus the fact that the book could have used some editing - too many unnecessary summaries of pretty obvious points - were sources of annoyance.

Nonetheless, the book as a whole was enjoyable. Of largely Irish descent myself, and with Irish/Italian-American cousins, I felt as if I were reading a bit of family history. (And the anecdote about the village in the West of Ireland where the people were so poor some of them were without clothing will stay with me a long time.)

The hopeful note at the end about the possible diminishment of racial divides through the same factors as those that ameliorated Irish/Italian relations brought the book to a happy conclusion.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the relationship between Irish-Americans and Italian-Americans in various ways--the Catholic church, employment, neighborhoods, police, gangsters, marriage, etc. My interest greatly varied with each topic. For example, I found the Catholic church chapter extremely dull, whereas I found the police department parts highly interesting. Basically, the book concentrates on how the Irish were in the United States first, and the Italians really had to fight to get ahead; because they were mightily discriminated against, less educated both school and church wise, and there were so many more Irish immigrants and citizens than Italian ones in New York City. Overall, it was an easy and interesting read, but nothing really special, especially if you have already read a lot of 19th and 20th century New York City ethnic group history.

(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to find this book, as a child of Irish and Italian ethnic families originally deriving from the NYC area. The book was at times very interesting and illuminated the rivalries these two ethnic groups initially felt with each other, mostly for economic reasons. The transition from hated rivals (even within the Catholic Church) to groups of people that often intermarried was interesting and the example of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra as part of that transition was particularly fun. But often the examples were people that weren't interesting and it often felt like there were lots of details that only a historian would really be interested in. It took me months to finish because it just couldn't keep my interest most of the time.

[Jack Massa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in the New York City area with Italian and Irish roots, I was immediately drawn to the topic. Happy to say, the book was even more enjoyable than I expected.

Paul Moses traces the history of the Irish and Italian immigrant communities, primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn, focusing on their interactions and conflicts in the Catholic Church, labor, politics, sports, and entertainment. A skillful writer, he balances the historical narrative and sociological studies with the life stories of the people. And what stories they are! I learned so much I did not know.

As America works on integrating the newest waves of immigrants, the lessons in An Unlikely Union resonate for sure. Recommended.

[Penny Clawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has taken me a long time as I read it in bits and starts. Recently I read The Manhattan Affair, a fiction with the setting in early 20th century NYC. The hero was an Italian NYPD whose partner was Irish. Moses' work became a companion to understand the time and dynamics. A great combination!

[Jaclyn Ekhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for some research on the role of the Catholic Church in America at the turn of the century, specifically looking at Italian immigrants at the time. This book gave me a lot of context for my research. Interesting read if you're looking for this niche topic!

[Jo Zujewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history of the "immigrant problem" as experienced by the Irish and Italians at the turn of the century in lower Manhattan. The themes resonate today.

[Sal Leggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a social history of the Irish and the Italians in America, but only of the rivalry between them as it played out in the New York City area.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven months but I'm finally done! Review to come shortly, though I seem to be saying that a lot lately!

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My book blog ----> http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...

I received this many moons ago as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for trusting me with so many books, I promise I will read all of them!

I can't figure out why it took me so long to finish this one, having started it months ago. It covers three of my favorite topics all nicely mooshed together in one book: New York, the Irish, and Italians. Okay, maybe the Irish and Italians in a very Godfather kind of way, because I am strangely obsessed with the Mafia circa early 1900s. And The Godfather is one of my top three movies of all time (sharing the honor with Jurassic Park and Newsies. I know, it is a very eclectic mix. I can't explain that either, except that aside from New York, Irish, and Italians, I also love dinosaurs and Christian Bale.)

It is strange to me that I dragged this one along for so long and I guess the only explanation I can come up with is that it is one of the first books I downloaded on my Kindle. Even after finally giving in after six months of back and forth, should I/shouldn't I and my mom saying, "For the love of God, BUY YOURSELF SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE!", I was not sold on reading books via a Kindle. There is simply no substitute for holding an actual book in your hands and leafing through casually, instead of making sure you use the correct amount of pressure in your fingertip so the device registers your swipe on the screen. It's really just not the same. At all. Plus, as I am a fan of reading (and reviewing!) older books, there is a certain smell that just evokes feelings of contentment. The whole library smells that way. At least, my favorite branch, Swanson, does. There are definitely some branches of Omaha Public Libraries that smell like other things - judgment and impatience (I'm looking at YOU, Millard).

Anyway, so me rebelling against my own purchase was probably a contributing factor for this one taking so long. The content of the book was truly fascinating to me. It tells the story of two ethnic groups forging their identities in America and what a struggle it was as waves of Italians began immigrating, which ruffled the feathers of the already-established Irish population. As someone of neither Irish nor Italian decent (heavy on the German with a side of Swedish right here), it gives me a bit of a different perspective, as I am an outside among these two groups. It is hard to recognize your own similarities with another group, whom you are basically taught to hold in very low-esteem, yet the Irish and Italians encountered many of the same problems and prejudices from others as they worked to establish themselves. There are far more similarities between the two groups than either would have cared to admit 150 years ago, or even 75.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book, not only the detailing of the ups and downs these two groups shared in their tumultuous relationship, but of the history lesson in which the author also looked at the groups separately to give the reader a clear picture and the groups distinguished identities. I especially find interesting the era in New York when Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall ruled with an iron fist, so there was plenty of New York history as well, all entwined together in this love-hate relationship. I've added several more books to my to-read list as a result of the myriad of interesting people I was introduced to in this book.

As the book neared the end of the line, the author also discussed how this sort of rivalry had been tamed as the two groups intermarried and became more at ease with one another. New ethnic groups moving in to traditionally Irish and Italian sections of the city also paved the way for new rivalries on par with this one, and make for interesting comparisons.

All in all, a great read. I highly recommend it, regardless of your own ancestry. This is a highly interesting look at a volatile time in the history of the US and how these two groups were so important in shaping New York.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about the interaction of two large immigrant groups that followed each other to New York City in the 19th Century. Mr. Moses covers his subject thoroughly and with great love and admiration. He starts with Mother Cabrini and Archbishop Corrigan and finishes with himself and his wife. He examines the groups and their relationships to the Catholic Church, NYPD, organized crime, politics and neighborhoods. Moses is an accomplished journalist and researcher. This book is a testament to his affection for his subjects.

[Jim Willse · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone with Mackeys, Duffys and DeGregorios in his family, I found this lively local history engaging and deeply researched. Good job by a veteran city journalist.

[Mike Violano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found "An Unlikely Union" by accident. Since I'm half-Irish and half-Italian from New York it immediately had an appeal. Author Moses combines detailed research with a flair for insightful dramatic writing to entertain and tell the story of two immigrant ethic groups from the 1850s to 1950s. It's a lively collection of heroes and villains, cops and criminals, priests and politicians and many who shaped New York city and it's neighborhoods. Both groups faced anti-immigrant discrimination upon arrival and fought each other for turf, livelihood and power. There is much to enjoy on these pages, from Irish and Italian practices of a shared religion, to food, culture, and family life; to careers as police and fire fighters, and entertainers. Highly recommended.