During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many European immigrants moved to Bridgeport to work in the city's many large-scale industrial facilities. Many Italian arrivals during this time clustered together in the city's Central End and North End, particularly around Madison Avenue.
Present day
The area around Madison Avenue is still referred to as "Little Italy", and remains home to many Italian restaurants. However, in recent years, many of the neighborhood's Italian restaurants have moved to surrounding towns following the de-industrialization of Bridgeport. The area now also has a significant Portuguese population.
Madison Avenue, Bridgeport’s Little Italy (now mostly Luso-American) Madison Avenue in Bridgeport next to Italian Ice Shop