From Southern Italy To Smithtown: Author Shares Family’s Immigration Story

SMITHTOWN, NY — Smithtown resident Peter Chidichimo, a retired physical therapist and late-blooming author, has published two books centered on life lessons, family and the immigrant journey.

His newest release, E la Storia Continua, traces his family’s roots back to southern Italy while spotlighting the perseverance of Italian immigrants who came to the United States with little and built new lives through faith, work and community. While rooted in Italian-American history, Chidichimo said the book’s themes are universal.

Chidichimo never set out to become an author. After spending decades as a physical therapist and later working in medical malpractice claims, writing came later in life — first through professional articles, then through local journalism, and eventually through books.

Now 70, Chidichimo spent 28 years working as a physical therapist before changing careers and spending another 13 years as a medical malpractice and professional liability claims analyst. An American-born son of Italian immigrants, he said his introduction to writing began professionally, later expanding into local journalism, where he wrote approximately 70 to 80 articles for the Smithtown Messenger.

“I’m an ordinary guy,” Chidichimo said. “But if you want something badly enough, and you’re willing to work at it, you can make something happen.”

After retiring, Chidichimo began reflecting on the lessons he learned through work, family and faith. That reflection became his first book, Fifty Things at Once, One Lesson at a Time, published in July 2024. The memoir focuses on perseverance, gratitude and the idea that meaningful progress often comes through persistence rather than talent.

His second book, E la Storia Continua, released Nov. 14, 2025, widens the lens to focus on Italian immigration. Central to the book is Chidichimo’s own family, including his father and grandfather, who immigrated from southern Italy around the time of World War II.

His grandfather arrived in the United States in 1939, later sending for his family once he became established.

“My grandfather came first in 1939,” Chidichimo said. “Once he was established, he sent for my father and one of my aunts. My father came here with nothing except some loose change. My father worked six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, and he was very rarely sick. He didn’t really take time off.”

As part of researching the book, Chidichimo traveled to southern Italy, visiting the village where his father and aunts grew up, as well as Naples, the port his family departed from. He described standing in his father’s hometown for the first time as a powerful moment.

“It was very eerie going there,” he said.

The book blends memoir and historical context, using personal experiences to explore the hardships faced by Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s, including poverty, discrimination and dangerous labor. Chidichimo also highlights well-known Italian Americans such as Fiorello La Guardia and Joe DiMaggio, along with scientists, architects and public servants who rose from humble beginnings.

“My father was my success story,” he said. “When you come with nothing, and you’re still able to start a business, learn a trade, serve your country, and provide for your family — that’s an American success story.”

Throughout both books, Chidichimo returns to themes of faith, family, friendship and work ethic — values he said were instilled in him by his father and reinforced through his own life experience.

One of his strongest motivations for writing, he said, was the fear that family stories can disappear if they are not preserved. While working on E la Storia Continua, he realized how many details had already been lost over time.

“I didn’t listen to my father enough,” he said. “I still have questions I can’t ask anymore.”

Chidichimo said he has heard from readers who were inspired to organize old photos, letters and family documents after reading his work, while others said the books encouraged conversations across generations.

“These stories are going to be lost if somebody doesn’t write them down,” he said. “They don’t have to write a book. Make a scrapbook, make a storybook — just put it together for the next generation.”

Both of Chidichimo’s books are available through Outskirts Press and major retailers, including Amazon. Copies have also been accepted into the Smithtown Library’s Local Authors collection.

A grandfather of two, Chidichimo said, preserving family history became more important as he reflected on what stories might be lost over time, particularly for younger generations.

While book sales were never the motivation, Chidichimo said he hopes readers walk away inspired.

“This isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s about the message. I think my father would be proud and happy that I was able to share what he taught me — family, faith, gratitude, prayer.”