In 1858, the Italian Mutual Benevolent Association of San Francisco was established. Now the many confused Italian immigrants, many who could speak only Italian, had a place they could go to get help find relatives and jobs, learn the laws they were expected to obey and in general help them adjust to the new country in which they were settling. It was a remarkable success.

The immigrants found out that this new society presented the same problems here as were in the “Old Country.” Death needed to be taken care of and the new state of California and San Francisco was slow in addressing the problem. The informal burial grounds used in North Beach (where North Beach Playground is now) where many Italians lived was closed before March 1850. A new 13 acre site (where City Hall is today) was us

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