Are Italians Lovers or Fighters?

Italian fighters
Fact and Fiction

Italians have quite a reputation as lovers (think Valentino, Sophia Loren and many more) but are they fighters too?

Sylvester Stallone's 1976 film Rocky was a story about fighting and love which suggested that the two may not really be incompatible -- "Yo Adrian".  But Rocky is Hollywood fiction.

How have real Italians been as fighters?  That is precisely the question we set out to explore in our new book Italy Invades: How Italians Conquered the World.  We uncovered many amazing facts about the impact of Italians fighting around the globe.

Italians may arguably be said to have "invaded" or fought in Montana!  It happened in 1876.

Here's what we wrote in Italy Inavdes in the USA chapter...

Where Custer fell
Little Big Horn, MT

"After the Civil War, Italians and Italian Americans would fight in the Indian wars on the western frontier. No less than six Italians were members of Custer’s 7th Cavalry at the time of the Battle of Little Bighorn. They were First Lieutenant Charles DeRudio (b. Belluno), Private Augustus DeVoto (b. Genoa), Private James John (b. Rome), Private Frank Lombard (b. Naples), and Trumpeter John Martin (b. Sola Consalino). Somewhat surprisingly, none of these men were killed with Custer at the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876.

Giovanni Martini
Custer's trumpeter survived!

The trumpeter, John Martin—or Giovanni Martini—played a vital role in the dramatic events of that fateful day as he carried Custer’s final message to Captain Benteen. The famous message, found in the West Point Museum today (and reproduced in our photo section), reads: “Benteen, Come on. Big Village, Be quick. Bring packs. W.W. Cooke. P.S. Bring packs.” Some historians have interpreted this as a call for ammunition, while others see it as a last desperate plea for immediate reinforcement. Martin, a fortunate musician who had served as a drummer boy in the Italian Army, died in 1922 in Brooklyn."

Custer's last note
West Point Museum, NY

Giovanni Martini survived the Battle of Little Big Horn.  He was killed after being hit by a beer truck on the streets of Brooklyn.

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