Italian Americans (founded in 1880), but it was the arrival of impresario Giulio Gatti-Casazza in 1908, who brought with him conductor Arturo Toscanini, that made the Met an internationally known musical organization. Many Italian operatic singers and conductors were invited to perform for American audiences, most notably, tenor Enrico Caruso. The premiere of the opera La Fanciulla del West on December 10, 1910, with conductor Toscanini and tenor Caruso, and with the composer Giacomo Puccini in attendance, was a major international success as well as an historic event for the entire Italian American community. Italian Americans became involved in entertainment and sports.
Damiano Caruso Damiano Caruso Damiano Caruso (born 12 October 1987) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides for UCI ProTeam . Caruso was also the 2008 under-23 Italian national champion for the road race. Born in Ragusa, Sicily, Caruso has competed as a professional since the second half of the 2009 season, competing for the , and teams, before joining for the 2011 season. In October 2011, the Italian National Olympic Committee requested for Caruso to be suspended from competition for two years, although backdated from December 2010, in relation to a doping offence in 2007. He was given a