Sports museum to explore the story behind Franco’s Italian Army
The Senator John Heinz History Center’s Italian American Program and the Franco Harris Sports Museum will kick off Italian Heritage Month with a special panel discussion exploring the story and legacy of Franco’s Italian Army on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“Game Changers: Franco’s Italian Army” will feature Anne Madarasz, director of the Franco Harris Sports Museum, and Melissa E. Marinaro, director of the History Center’s Italian American Program, alongside original members of Franco’s Italian Army and special guests who will share stories and explore the group’s lasting cultural and social impact.
The program will not only remember and celebrate Franco’s Italian Army, but also reflect on issues related to ethnicity, identity, and the enduring legacy of the 1970s.
In 1972, Steelers rookie running back Franco Harris took the NFL by storm. A first-round draft pick, Harris finished the season with 1,055 rushing yards, a Pro Bowl nomination, and an NFL Rookie of the Year Award.
His breakout season inspired a new kind of Steelers fandom. That November, a group of fans traded black and gold for the green, white, and red Italian Tricolor and marched onto the scene as Franco’s Italian Army, just as the Steelers were battling for their first division championship in 1972.
Originally made up of second-generation Italian Americans from Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, home to one of Pittsburgh’s historic Little Italies, the Army celebrated Franco’s heritage and reinforced their own ethnic pride and traditions in their Steelers fandom by including Italian food, wine, and gear in their game day traditions.
For more information, go online to heinzhistorycenter.org/events.