These people are the glue that holds together Italian-American communities around the country.

"The Italian-American community is a very conflicted community," he said.

She was a great presence in the Italian-American community.

But the most recent investigation has unified the city's small, close-knit Italian-American community as never before.

The Italian-American community, he said, was "never a community she's cared about, ever extended herself to."

They learned the language, visited American homes, and were especially welcomed in Italian-American communities.

"He has quite a following in the Italian-American community," he said.

"He was an executive of a major company and very prominent in the Italian-American community."

Independence has a large Italian-American community, as do neighboring towns and villages.

Turano has been active in the Italian-American community for several decades.