Thread by @bonesoflasalle

The original Fascist League of North America was established by Dino Bigongiari, Professor of Italian at Columbia University. It was not a very professional operation but was initiated by Italian-Americans, not the fascist government in Rome. 🇮🇹🇺🇸

In 1924 Count Ignazio Thaon di Revel came to reorganize the FLNA. The count took central control as President of the Fascist Council for the FLNA which stood for opposition to radicalism, chiefly instigated by the Bolsheviks and their supporters in America. 🇺🇸🇮🇹

The FLNA attracted criticism from liberals, leftists and even other Italian-American groups, such as the Sons of Italy, condemned the organization. This threatened to damage U.S.-Italy relations particularly when politicians began calling for a Congressional investigation.

In 1929, to put a stop to such difficulties, Count Revel announced that the FLNA was disbanding, having, at that time, a membership of 12,500 in 80 branches across the continental United States 🇺🇸🇮🇹.

Throughout the 1930’s many pro-Fascist Italian language newspapers and radio broadcasts were made available, some with large audiences. One of the most prolific was the Italian Library of Information in New York City under the direction of Ugo V. D’Annunzio. 🇺🇸🇮🇹

In 1930 the heir organization of the FLNA was founded by Domenico Trombetta. This was the Lictors Federation which sought to inform about Fascist economics, the corporatist system, Italian history & the Italian contribution to the exploration, settlement & progress of America.

Joseph Ferri of the Order of the Sons of Italy in California forged friendly ties with the German-American Bund as did Joseph Santi, of the Lictor Federation, and Salvatore Caridi of the Italian War Veterans in New Jersey. 🇺🇸🇮🇹

The Abyssinian war caused tensions in 1935 between Blacks & Italians in America. Some joined 221st ‘Italiani all’Estero Legion of the MVSN fascist militia made up of Italian expatriates from around the world.🇺🇸🇮🇹

Yet, not everyone took the side expected. The noted Black entertainer Josephine Baker was shocked so many Blacks would sympathize with a regime that still enslaved their fellow Africans to the point that she wished she could organize a Black volunteer corps to fight for Italy.

Dr. Salvatore Caridi of the pro-Fascist Italian War Veterans in 1937 w/ about 500 Black shirts appeared at a gathering in New Jersey of the German-American Bund led by Fritz Kuhn. On one occasion they also joined forces with the strange American group known as the Silver shirts.

Exactly how strong these Italian-American Black shirt groups were cannot be known. Their sympathizers tended to inflate their numbers whereas their opponents tended to try to minimize them by downplaying the size of their membership.🇺🇸🇮🇹

Studies have shown that about 90% of the Italian-language press in America was generally favorable toward Mussolini but the outbreak of war after Pearl Harbor changed things & all such groups were suppressed or silenced by the US government or abandoned by their members. 🇺🇸🇮🇹