It was established in Little Italy neighborhood of New York City by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro, MD., and five other fellow immigrants from Italy who came to the United States during the great Italian migration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Sellaro first conceived of uniting Italians into one large fraternal organization in 1904, for the purposes of organizing Italian immigrants and thei
r descendents to promote social, charitable, civic, educational, and patriotic endeavors. His dream came to fruition on June 22, 1905 when he and five fellow immigrants created “L’Ordine Figli D’Italia in America”, which was incorporated as the Supreme Lodge of the OSIA. During its history, the OSDIA has been involved in promoting immigration legislation; assisting in the assimilation process; supporting cooperation, trade, and diplomatic relations between the United States and Italy; initiating social and fraternal events; encouraging educational achievement through scholarships; serving local communities through a variety of cultural events and raising funds for local charities; and providing low-cost group financial investments and insurance programs for the benefits of the members nationwide. The OSDIA works to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Americans with Italian descent and now the organization represents 23 million men and women of Italian descent across the continent. The OSDIA Sylvester Grande Lodge #1838. ~Wildwoods~ takes great pride in all its accomplishments, fulfilling Dr. Vincent Sellaro’s ideas in its promotion of social, charitable, civic educational and patriotic endeavors.
