Fortunato Anselmo - Vice Consulate

Vice Consulate

Fortunato's appointment as Vice Consul of Italy of Salt Lake City came on April 20, 1915, and he became the official adviser to Utah and Wyoming Italians. Through the vice consul's office, all requests for passports, visas, and other papers and documents that required official approval of the Italian government in Rome were transmitted. Additionally, he served as a representative of the Bank of Naples, one of Italy's oldest and largest financial institutions. In this role, he handled the sending of money orders by local Italians to relatives and friends in Italy as well as providing tickets for traveling immigrants.

The vice consul involved himself actively in the political and social arenas of Salt Lake City and Utah. In 1917, Anselmo lobbied the Utah State Legislature to have Columbus Day declared a legal state holiday. That effort failed; however, on March 13, 1919, Gov. Simon Bamberger signed into law a bill designating October 12, Columbus Day, a legal state holiday. On Monday, October 13, 1919, the largest Columbus Day celebration in Utah's history occurred. The Salt Lake Telegram labeled the parade as "one of the most pretentious pageants ever held in the city." It was reported that every group in the community enjoyed the celebration.