We aren’t Italian, but we proudly and happily celebrate Cortland’s Italian community. We love learning about the traditions, the stories and the people, and seeing the ways Italian-Americans helped build the greater Cortland area. And let’s be honest — we love the food. Oh, how we love the food.
Of course, you can’t talk about Italian food without talking about Italian women. While we know a great many Italian men who are just as masterful in the kitchen, we’ve found that many of the traditions that Italian-American families treasure are maintained by the women. Thankfully, Italian women are tenacious, and their stewardship of their families’ heritage over many generations has greatly enriched Cortland’s cultural fabric.
Tuesday is Stella D’Oro Day in Cortland, by proclamation of Mayor Scott Steve in honor of the 90th anniversary of the Stella D’Oro Lodge. At the anniversary dinner Oct. 12 at Tinelli’s Hathaway House, Josephine Mironti and Francesca Sciaruto will be honored for being longtime Stella D’Oro members, at ages 90 and 91.
Hundreds of Italian immigrants came to Cortland between the 1890s and 1930s, seeking jobs on railroads, Wickwire Wireworks, Cortland Line Co., and Brockway Motor Co. While the men established the San Rocco Lodge, the ladies established Stella D’Oro in 1934, affiliated with Sons and Daughters of Italy in America. The first president of the lodge, Josephine Fabrizio, was the first Italian-American woman to be awarded a degree from Cortland Normal School, which is now SUNY Cortland. She then became the first Italian-American teacher in the area, although certainly not the last. Immediate past president of the lodge, Stephanie Passeri-Densmore is a teacher, as well, and those of us who grew up in Cortland likely had several Italian-American teachers.
Italian-American women also owned small businesses and worked at the local factories. Sciaruto, who followed her husband’s immigration to Cortland, ran a grocery. In addition to contributing to the Cortland community, Italian women also built a community around St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, with Stella D’Oro providing an opportunity for non-religious fellowship. Over the years, the lodge expanded from only being for Italian women to having members of many backgrounds. The group raises money for charities, including the Alzheimer’s Association, Loaves and Fishes, the American Cancer Society, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
The lodge meets the third Thursday of each month at St. Anthony’s Church, 50 Pomeroy St. in Cortland.
Such longevity in the face of a changing world is increasingly rare, but Cortland’s Italian community remains strong. Five generations of Passeri-Densmore’s family have been in the lodge, and member Adrienne Passeri-Bruno said they “have a lot of grandmother, mother and daughters.” We hope they will continue to pass down the stories, and the traditions — in a gentle spirit full of love — to generation after generation of women.
