The Order Sons of Italy in America is a national fraternal organization for Americans of Italian descent, with offices in Washington D.C.. OSIA preserves and promotes Italian heritage and culture and was originally organized to assist Italian immigrants in the early 1900’s. It was founded by Dr. Sellaro in New York City when he realized that the Italian immigrants often had no one to turn to for help with language barriers, prejudice, jobs, housing, and burial expenses. The Order Sons of Italy was begun to assist Italian men and their families as Mutual Benefit Societies.

The John Pirelli Lodge #1633 was named for an Italian aviator, Giovanni Pirelli, who was testing planes at Wright Patterson Air Force Base during WWII. He died while testing a plane and is buried there. When his family (Pirelli Tires of Milan, Italy) came to Dayton for the funeral and burial, our members met and helped them, acting as interpreters with the military, inviting them to dinner and providing hospitality while they were here. His photo is located in the dining room of Bella Villa.

The John Pirelli Lodge was originally organized as Societa di Mutuo Soccorso Italiana, Dayton, Ohio and had a meeting place on Wayne Avenue in the East End of Dayton where the early Italian immigrants settled, along First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Streets. They shared St. Joseph Catholic Church with Irish immigrants and Holy Trinity Church with German immigrants. Third Street became the hub of activity. There were Italian restaurants and grocery stores in the area, and an Italian gelataria (Malted Milk Shop) that everyone patronized. The early immigrants came to America because they could not feed their families in Italy due to famine. In Dayton, many became fruit peddlers, restaurateurs, and/or worked in local factories. They all had very large families and helped each other. The Italian immigrants in the area came from Southern Italy. In 1938 there were only 300 Italians in Dayton. Now we number in the thousands due to settling in the area after attending University of Dayton or being transferred here in the military or for business.

Bella Villa Hall became the home of the John Pirelli Lodge back in the fifties. Ten acres of wooded ground were acquired at 2625 County Line Road, surrounded by corn fields. Members would cook breakfast in the woods with their families, and have picnics every Monday or Tuesday during the summer. They would play bocce, horseshoes, softball, badminton and shuffleboard. Women were permitted to join the Order during the 40’s. Activities also included sausage fries, dinner dances, parties and Christmas parties for the children. They would hold their membership meetings on the First Tuesday at banks and various places until they built Bella Villa in the fifties, which they financed through selling bonds. Columbus Day Dinner Dances were the big event of the year, being held at local hotel ballrooms and attracting hundreds of members and guests. For a while Columbus Day Parades were held in Downtown Dayton complete with floats, bands, and beautiful Italian American girls riding on the back of convertibles! The Italian Festa was begun in 1978! We celebrate 27 Years!

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We have 498 members, six bocce courts (men, women, and mixed leagues), and enjoy a host of activities. Members plan, work, and enjoy the Fall Festa, the Bocce Classic, parties, dances, line dancing, cooking demonstrations, language lessons, Italian Sundays at the Movies, potluck & game nights, pizza parties, outings to La Comedia, The Vineyard, The Races, and Ball Games.  We have many young members and are forming a young adult cluster for those 18-30 years old, which will have its own calendar of events and activities. Requirement for membership is Italian descent and non-Italian spouses. 

Scholarships are available for college age children through the National OSIA and the OSIA Grand Lodge of Ohio. Locally, over $15,000 was raised for charity last year (House of Bread, Ronald McDonald House of Dayton, Hannah's Treasure Chest, Tsunami Relief). Our National Charities are Cooley’s Anemia Foundation & Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Submitted by
Frances Longo Franchina