Vitantonio La Sorte diaries
Scope and Contents
Vitantonio La Sorte's 44 diaries, written primarily in Italian, chronicle his family and working life as a grocer, as well as his lived experience in tightly connected Italian-American immigrant communities in Upstate New York. His World War I service as a U.S. army private in France is also covered in three of his diaries.
An additional manuscript notebook in the collection, which Vitoantonio wrote for his children, is in English and summarizes some of Vitantonio’s life story up through 1946. This copy was given to his son, Michael.
The collection also contains three unpublished manuscripts by Michael La Sorte, which were academic works based largely on his father's diaries.
Dates
- Creation: 1906 - 2015
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1906 - 1963
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use and has no known restrictions.
Biographical Note
Vitantonio La Sorte (1886–1972) emigrated from Alberobello in the Apulia region of southern Italy to New York in 1906. Soon after his arrival he moved to Utica and in 1925 to Endicott, returning to Italy at several intervals throughout his life. He was a grocer and served as a U.S. army private in France during World War I.
Michael La Sorte (1931-2025), Vitantonio's son, was born in Endicott, received his bachelor’s degree from Harpur College in 1958, and would later become a sociology professor at SUNY Brockport. His father’s diaries and life story were central to some of Dr. La Sorte’s academic work, including for his book La Merica: Images of Italian Greenhorn Experience (Temple University Press, 1985).
Full Extent
0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
Italian
English
Abstract
The Vitantonio La Sorte diaries include 44 diaries by Vitantonio, an Italian immigrant, World War I veteran, and grocer who lived in upstate New York from 1906 until his death in 1972. There is also a small amount of material translating and commenting on the diaries written by his son, Dr. Michael La Sorte.
Arrangement
The collection starts with Vitantonio La Sorte's diaries, followed by his diary summary in english, followed by Michael La Sorte's unpublished manuscripts.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Frank La Sorte and family in 2026.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Vitantonio La Sorte diaries
- Author
- Madison White (Archival Processing Manager) and Blythe Roveland-Brenton (Assistant Director for Special Collections)
- Date
- 2026
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections Repository