Pete Palumbo, a Kane native, has found his true niche as he enjoys retirement. He’s conducted years of research on the flow of Italian immigrants to Kane and nearby communities more than a century ago. According to Palumbo, most of the Italian-American families in Kane can trace their roots to Calabria— a region of Italy that includes the “toe of the boot” of the country’s southern peninsula.

The Church Women United of Kane heard Palumbo speak Friday at a luncheon at the First Church of God. About 60 women attended the event. Based on his research, Palumbo said he believes about 80 percent of the Italian immigrants in Kane came from Calabria or Sicily. Sitting just off the “toe of the boot” of Italy, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.