‘Italians Of Newark’: Essex County Native Pens New Book

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An Essex County native with ties to Newark and Belleville has channeled a passion for her Italian heritage into a new book.

Arcadia Publishing recently announced the publication of “Italians of Newark: A History,” a book from Andrea Lyn Cammarato-Van Benschoten.

According to a news release, the author was born in Columbus Hospital in Newark and grew up one town over in Belleville. A self-proclaimed Jersey Girl, she was taught at a young age to “never forget where you came from.”

Here’s what the book is about:

“Between 1880 and 1924, more than four million Italians immigrated to the United States. Tens of thousands flocked to Newark and reshaped a city. In 1887, St. Philip Neri’s Church became the first official Italian parish in Newark, a huge improvement over holding services in the basements of existing churches. Many immigrants settled in the Old First Ward, which once claimed the title of largest Little Italy in New Jersey. It wouldn’t last, however, as the midcentury push for urban housing led to the forcible displacement of more than 4,600 people. Clubs like the Spilingese Social Club sprang up to provide support and camaraderie, and dishes like giambotta made their way into everyone's kitchens. Author Andrea Lyn Cammarato–Van Benschoten traces the roots of Newark’s Italian communities.”

Cammarato–Van Benschoten studied journalism at Seton Hall University and writes multiple blogs, including one about her beloved home state and another about her Italian heritage.

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