7. Frank Sinatra
A man who was born in New Jersey, died in Hollywood and lived in the country for his lifetime can make an authentic claim for being a true-blue American. And that's the predicament. These facts conceal the truth that Sinatra was actually born to Italian parents Natalie Garaventa and Antonio Sinatra. Yes, it was the Italians who gave us Mr. Ol' Blue Eyes. His Italian roots are so deep that they extend to the extent of connecting Sinatra to the mafia. Even Johnny Fontane's character in The Godfather is said to be loosely based on him. So it turns out that more Italians that just Verdi and Vivaldi knew how to make quality music.
6. Amadeo Giannini
American owes its financial jugular to an Italian. He was the man responsible for starting the Bank of America currently the world's largest bank in 1904. This also created the model for modern international banking by setting an example of intelligent banking. Amadeo Giannini was born in San Jose, California to Italian parents who immigrated to California during the Gold Rush. Besides this massive contribution, Giannini also indulged in part-time activities like loaning Walt Disney to produce Snow White, providing capital to William Hewlett and David Packard to form HP and founding the Transamerica Corporation; you know just as Saturday afternoon pastimes.