Are you Italian? You may have Italian Crypto-Jews in your FA

There were a tremendous number of Italians who immigrated to the North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand in the turn of the last century. For the most part, they arrived to those new homes as Catholics. There was a mass migration of Italians out of Italy because Italy was not good for Italians. If Italy was not good for your average Italians, it was really not good for Italians of Jewish descent. As it turns out, there were quite a few Jewish Italians that came to their new countries and just blended into the local society. Abandoning their Judaism for Catholicism. 

Just a hint if you have Italian heritage and wonder if you have Jewish roots. In the 1490's the Jewish population of Sicily was 30,000 strong and lived in 52 different communities.  Being part of the Spanish Kingdom, in 1492, Sicilians had the choice of conversion to Catholicism or leaving Sicily with nothing. Many converted. And as was always the case with the Spanish, conversion did not make life better. Sicilian Conversos were subject to persecution and prosecution for centuries.  If anybody had a reason to get the hell out of Sicily for a fresh start, it would be Sicilian Conversos. If your family is Sicilian, there is a good chance you have Sicilian Jewish roots. 

Below you will find a list of Italian Jewish surnames. If your ancestors carried one of these surnames to the new world, there is a good chance they were Jewish in Italy.