For a portion of the twentieth century, the Italian Mafia had a foothold in Ybor. Among the criminal activities practiced in the city was the operation of the illegal lottery game known as “Bolita”. In this game, little numbered balls were mixed in…

L’Unione Italiana, or The Italian Club, was founded in 1894 as a mutual-aid society for its Italian members. Its first president, Bartolo Filogamo, was the first Italian cigar manufacturer. When it started, the club had only 107 members. By November…