About Us:

As various Italian immigrants settled in Lawrence at the turn of the century, they brought with them the dialects, culture and traditions of the many regions and villages from which they came. Many of the Sicilian immigrants from the towns in the Province of Catania, especially from the area around Trecastagni, maintained their particular devotion to the three martyred brothers, Saint Alfio, Saint Filadelfo and Saint Cirino. As their numbers increased, they set about the task of organizing an association, the primary purpose of which was to establish the tradition of honoring these patron Saints in this new community.
The first meeting of the incorporators was held on December 16, 1921 at 82 Jackson St. in Lawrence. The incorporators were: Alfio Bonaccorsi, Antonio Coco, Antonino Murabito, Salvatore Pulvirenti, Giovanni Santuccio, Ignazio Scuderi, and Gaetano Torrisi. These men also became the first officers of the Society, with Murabito serving as the first President, and Bonaccorsi elected as both Treasurer and Chairman of the first Festa Committee. The latter was a very important position, because the By-Laws included a mandate to hold an annual celebration in honor of the three maetyred brothers.
The membership of the Society was not only primarily Sicilian, but also heavily represented by those Sicilians from Trecastagni. The issue of ethnicity soon led to controversy. Some members argued that only those who traced their roots back to the area around Trecastagni should be included. Others argued for the much broader membership criteria of Italian parentage. Within months, there were two societies. The Society of St. Alfio di Trecastagni was incorporated in July, 1922. However, its highly restrictive membership policies led to its eventual demise, and the members of the "Trecastagnese Club" were reincorporated into the original Society.