Episode 76: Interview with Cassie Ferraiuolo — Uncovering Colusa’s Forgotten Little Italy

In this episode of Italian American Stories Podcast, Stephanie sits down with historian and teacher Cassie Ferraiuolo, whose master’s thesis “Little Italy Colusa: The Forgotten Neighborhood” uncovers the remarkable Italian roots of a small California town.

What began as a quest to document Colusa’s past became a deeply personal journey through Cassie’s own family history — one filled with resilience, community, hard work, and even a touch of mystery. From Calabrian immigrants who risked everything to build new lives in agriculture, to the chain migration that shaped the town, and the whispers of Prohibition wine, secret societies, and a century-old murder case — Cassie brings Calusa’s hidden stories vividly to life.

Together, Stephanie and Cassie reflect on what it means to preserve small-town Italian American history, why ordinary people are never truly ordinary, and how every forgotten street corner holds a story waiting to be told.

🎧 Listen now and rediscover a piece of Italian American history that almost slipped away.