About Italy (view map) Population: 61.3 million Languages: Italian (official), German, French, Slovene Main religions: Roman Catholic (90%) About Italian-Americans Local population: About 48,000 of Italian ancestry Why they came here: While economic conditions in Italy were poor at the turn of the last century, Utica was then a bustling mill town with plenty of jobs. Immigrants who found their way here found work, and often wrote to relatives back home encouraging them to make the move as well. When they came: Late 1800s through the early 1900s More resources: "The Urban Colonists: Italian American Identity and Politics in Utica, New York," by Philip Bean "Unto the Sons," by Gay Talese The Rev. James Cesta officiates during the St. Joseph's Day Mass on Saturday, March 18, 2011, at the St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament Parish in Utica. St. Mary of Mount Carmel is the oldest Italian church in Utica. Credit: Angelica Morrison/Observer-Dispatch

Debby Alesia makes chocolate covered macaroons at Utica's Florentine Pastry Shop in October 2011. The Bleecker Street bakery specializes in Italian pastries. Credit: Angelica A. Morrison / Observer-Dispatch Learn how one local family has kept its Italian heritage alive through food, family and faith feed widget