Books by Andrew Paul Mele

In 1904, Italian-American Lt. Detective Joseph Petrosino formed a group of Italian detectives to deal exclusively with the extortion crimes and the criminal underworld of Italian society in New York. This book tells the story of The Italian Squad from its inception, through Petrisnio's death, to the squad's expansion into Queens and Brooklyn.

The great wave of European immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought more than four million Italians to America. It was one of the greatest mass emigrations in world history, and many settled in Staten Island. Following the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, the island experienced another great influx of Italian immigrants, this time from the other boroughs of New York City. This new wave was responsible for doubling the island population by the year 2000. Italian Americans are evident in every avocation and in each corner of Staten Island society, with achievers in education, business, government, medicine, and sports and entertainment. Italian Staten Island chronicles the traditions, culture, and heritage of Italian Americans through more than 200 photographs.