Most Italian Americans are Campanian origin, going by surnames.

[Vesuvian Sky]

I've never said there wasn't mixing in Italy or the diaspora. To the contrary. I think most of us here are mixed. Peyrol and I both have Lombard ancestry. I have Ligurian ancestry. Joe's got some sort of Northern ancestry.

But Joe is Campanian, Peyrol is Piedmontese, etc.

My contention is that people mix with some more than others. I've got quite a few "Neapolitan"-identifying friends in New York, and all of them have some sort of other ancestry. Usually Calabrian. [Although one of my friends is half-Genoese.]

Most of my Sicilian friends are full-blooded. Their parents may be from different provinces, but that's about it.

Yes though we tend to identify with what is cherished the most. In my family it was Campanian ancestry, culture and cooking that was ever so persistent. I also find the stories and characteristics of my Campanian ancestors very fascinating.

A close second would be my Roman-Sicilian ancestors.

[Balmung]

I have seen nothing but Italians from Calabria & Sicily here. Part of the reason the swarthy/dark/short stereotype for Italians exist here.

[Peyrol]

I've never said there wasn't mixing in Italy or the diaspora. To the contrary. I think most of us here are mixed. Peyrol and I both have Lombard ancestry. I have Ligurian ancestry. Joe's got some sort of Northern ancestry.

But Joe is Campanian, Peyrol is Piedmontese, etc.

My contention is that people mix with some more than others. I've got quite a few "Neapolitan"-identifying friends in New York, and all of them have some sort of other ancestry. Usually Calabrian. [Although one of my friends is half-Genoese.]

Most of my Sicilian friends are full-blooded. Their parents may be from different provinces, but that's about it.

I'm actualy half lombard

The massive mixing and south>north emigration here, btw, only started after 1950.

[alfieb]

I'm actualy half lombard

I'm only 1/8. You have my sympathy.

[Balmung]

Not according to the surnames. I also would be interested in looking up prominent Italian Americans and see where their surnames end up.

Surnames are not really representitive in America anymore unless its a more homogeneous state like Maine? There was tons of mixing between different Caucasian groups and tons of name alterations & evolutions. Just look at Chad White, anglo surname but looks very Southern European not really typical Brit at all.

I know one North Italian with the name "Vitrotti" who's family is from Turin though. A look on this surname site http://www.gens.info/italia/it/turis...a#.UcIRa9iqkxE confirms it seems to be exclusively Northern.

[Peyrol]

I know one North Italian with the name "Vitrotti" who's family is from Turin though. A look on this surname site http://www.gens.info/italia/it/turis...a#.UcIRa9iqkxE confirms it seems to be exclusively Northern.

That's very interestin, a pure hardcore-turines surname...nowadays they're almost disappeared since piemonteis are only 10-15% of Turin population.

[Peyrol]

True. When people hear my surname (which is Italian), they often ask from where my family came, especially in my younger days when there were still plenty of people who had come from the old country themselves, or were 1st generation.

Usually the average WASP don't know the internal differences of the Peninsula.

[pplonge]

I think you are wrong..."campanian" surnames are very common in the south and now also in the North. In 1900 for example there were hundreds of Esposito in cities Like Palermo, Cosenza or Taranto. So the equation campanian Surname=person from Campania is totally wrong

[pplonge]

However italians are not regionalistic...it's not a matter of which region you are from. An italian from Lecce will feel different from a one from Bari and the sale you can say about mestre and venice...that is the truth

[HentaiBergamasco]

Yes Northerners are rare. Though Ligurians are more common than other Northerners I believe.