When Ettore Patrizi declared San Francisco's Italian community of 1911 to be La Colonia Modello, he pointed to a number of factors that he believed made it so. One of those factors was the proliferation of Italian institutions and societies that flourished in the Colony. Among them was La Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza, the Italian Mutual Benefit Society. It was the first such Italian society to be established in the United States, and today is the oldest, continually-operating Italian organization in America.

In his 1911 monograph Gl'Italiani di California, Patrizi often sugar-coated his descriptions of the Italian Colony—or at least left out anything that might tend to tarnish the image he sought to portray. So it was not surprising to find him describing the Società, as well as the other mutual benefit societies, without ever really talking about why they were needed in the first place. It was as if poverty never existed in the Italian Colony.

But poverty did indeed exist, not only in the Italian Colony but throughout San Francisco. The Gold Rush made a lot of people very wealthy, but it left many more poor and destitute. The Italian immigrants who came to San Francisco in search of quick riches were not exempt, and many who had spent all they had traveling from Italy to the gold country of California found themselves in need of help.

It was for this reason that men like Nicola Larco, Domenico Ghirardelli, Marco Fontana, Andrea Sbarboro and Carlo Dondero joined together to found the Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza and attempt to end the deplorable conditions in which many Italians found themselves. Larco was elected first president of the Società, and along with his new consiglieri (board of directors) went about raising money to meet the goals of the new organization. They quickly raised over $1,400—enough to hire Dr. Emanuel d'Oliveira as the regular physician for members of the Società. The next year, an Italian-speaking physician, Dr. Antonio Rottanzi, replaced Dr. d'Oliveira.

Membership dues were set at a low $1.00 per month. This attracted many new members, and the organization grew quickly. The day-to-day medical needs of the membership were being provided for, but assistance for those who required hospitalization was another matter. The Società contracted with the French Hospital to care for its members, but complaints began to be voiced. The French Hospital refused to allow the Società physician to treat his patients, and soon there was a call for the Società to establish its own hospital for its members and for others in the Italian Colony.

At the time, there wasn't enough in the coffers of the Società to build an entire hospital, so a number of other options were tried. In addition to being the contracted physician for the Società, Dr. Rottanzi also operated a private clinic. He offered to treat Società members there, but it soon became apparent that the facilities could not replicate those of an actual hospital. The Società then contracted with St. Mary's Hospital to provide hospital services for its members, but that arrangement was short-lived. Some members even wanted to be able to choose their own hospital, but that was financially out of the question.

The membership continued to push for an Italian Hospital, and the leadership of the Società began to look for a suitable location, as well as the funds to pay for it. A number of possible locations presented themselves, but none was found to be suitable until March 1868 when a large lot became available between Noe and Castro Streets. It was far from North Beach, but the price was right and the deal was struck.

All that was left was to raise more than $30,000 to build the hospital, not to mention the funds necessary to furnish it and hire medical staff to care for the patients. It was a daunting task for the fledgling organization—one which would prove to stretch the membership to its limits. But on December 5, 1868 the cornerstone was laid, and the Società began to face what would be its greatest challenge.

Next guest post, we'll take a look back at the events that lead to the rise—and fall—of the Italian Hospital, and the near-miraculous comeback of La Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza.

by Nickolas Marinelli

Nickolas Marinelli serves as the Director of Community Relations at the Italian Cemetery in Colma. He would appreciate your feedback, comments and suggestions for future columns. Nickolas can be contacted by e-mail at: Nickolas@NostraColonia.com