The Italian settlement followed the pattern of most immigrations. The people looked for inexpensive housing near their work. Many of the Italians who came to Erie worked for the railroad, Little Italy's northern and southern boundaries at that time were the New York Central and the Nickle Plate tracks. Others worked in the factories that grew up along the railroads and were not far from their homes. These people worked many hours and labored hard. Some of the factories were Erie Forge and Steel, Griffin Manufacturing Co., Superior Bronze, Continental Rubber, Hays Manufacturing, National Erie, Griswold Manufacturing, Malleable Iron and Urick Foundry.

The choice of residence was similar to the other immigrant groups in Erie. It was not uncommon for the early immigrants to seek locations near their friends and source of employment, where they could find cheap housing. The early Russians and Irish chose to settle along the bay front where they found work on the docks. The Polish formed their communities near foundries. 

By 1911 there were about 3,000 Italians living in Erie. Little Italy had grown to include nine city blocks, from Huron Street south to West 17th Street and from Chestnut to Poplar. In 1920 the population was estimated at about 8,000 Italians. From 1920 to 1940, the population began to spill out of the Third Ward expanding the boundaries of Little Italy, southward to the Sixth Ward. Prominent among the family names of the old Italian settlers in Erie were Fatica, Yacobozzi, Palmisano, Scolio and Minadeo.

The previous information centered around the west side's Little Italy, but Erie's Italian colony had three additional settlements. The oldest of the three is in the First Ward, around the area of East Second and German Streets. The first Italian settlers to arrive in the First Ward were Louis Mango and Benedetto Siciliano, Serafino DeDionisio, and John Acquino came in 1892, Giancinto Onorata in 1885 and Jim Palumbo in 1886. Antonio Leonetti came in 1887 and started the settlement's first Italian grocery store in 1906. Mike Catrabone moved to the lower East side from Buffalo in 1902. By 1920 there were about 1,000 Italians on the lower east side. Most of these Italians came from Calabria, Campanio and Abruzzi.

The second largest Italian settlement was located in the Fifth Ward, near East Twenty-Sixth and Brandes Streets. The settlers began to arrive in 1905. The first to arrive was John Angelotti, Remogio Angelotti, Anthony Dedionisio and Diamondo DiSanto. In the same year John Angelotti opened the first grocery store in that area on the corner of East 26th and Brandes. Louis Moske, one of Erie's leading contractors arrived in 1910. Also to arrive then was Camille Narducci and Emett Verdecchia. Moske built Holy Rosary Church, and the Uthmann Chor Building. By 1920 this ethnic neighborhood had about 1,500 Italians living there, most of whom were northern Italians.

The smallest settlement of Italians was located in the Fourth Ward, around West 4th and Cascade Streets. Dominic Juliante arrived in 1889, and Dominic DiPlacido in 1900 along with the Di Bello, Perseo, Di Santo, De George and the Monacelli families. By 1920 there were about 100 Italians living in the Fourth Ward, most of whom worked on the iron ore docks.

Like other immigrant groups before them, Italians suffered from prejudices and misunderstanding. Some places would not hire Italians. Many could not read or write and, even if they were literate in their native Italian, they could not speak or write English. Early Italians had little job security. On the job they had to cope with the jeering from fellow workers and were made the subject of ethnic jokes, just as other nationalities had been ridiculed before the Italians came. This seems to be the pattern for almost every ethnic group. They endured the same type of prejudices, discrimination and ridicule as did the settlers in Little Italy.

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