Episode 84: Tales from the Archives #6: Axes, Stolen Childhoods, and Sacred Vows

In this sixth installment of Tales from the Archives, we uncover three unforgettable — and unsettling — stories pulled straight from old newspapers that reveal the complex, often dark realities of Italian American history .

We begin with Rosa DeCicco, an Italian immigrant whose obsession with reclaiming her children led to repeated arrests, courtroom drama, and violent confrontations that shocked early-1900s Portland. Her story raises difficult questions about motherhood, custody, and mental health at a time when women had few protections.

Next, we travel to Castle Garden in 1878, where immigration officials uncovered a disturbing case involving a young Italian girl allegedly sold by her own father and brought to America under suspicious circumstances — a chilling glimpse into the exploitation and trafficking that haunted many immigrant families.

We close with the remarkable life of Michael Bochino, a deeply devout Italian immigrant in Baltimore whose backyard shrine to the Virgin Mary became a place of pilgrimage for decades. Revered by many yet plagued by personal controversy, Bino’s life reveals the complicated intersection of faith, temper, devotion, and legacy.

These stories remind us that Italian American history is not just one of triumph — but also of struggle, sacrifice, and survival.