Laura M. Alberghini Ventimiglia

After retiring from a career in higher education, I returned to a passion I first discovered in the 1980s: researching family history. At the time, I realized how little I truly knew about my ancestors. As one grandparent, then another, and other older relatives passed away, I felt an urgency to preserve the stories and connections to my past that were at risk of being lost. 

Curious about the roots of my Italian, Irish, French-Canadian, and German heritage – and how they shaped my identity – I began gathering everything I could. I interviewed relatives and family friends, collected photographs, letters, and documents, and carefully recorded and organized it all.

In those early years, I felt especially drawn to my Italian heritage. That connection deepened in 2013 when my American and Italian families, an ocean apart, found each other. A year later, I began traveling to Italy, and soon after, what began as a personal exploration evolved into a new career.

Inspired by the power of family stories – my own and others’ – I founded Buttieri Press, LLC in 2015. This independent publishing imprint allows me to publish my own work and help others share their family histories as well.

What started as a personal journey has become a lifelong project, one that continues to grow and bring meaning to my own life and inspire my work as an author.

Through my books, I aim to honor the past, preserve family legacies, and encourage others to discover the stories that live within their own ancestry.

If you have any questions about your own search or want to share experiences, please don’t hesitate to reach out through the Contact page.

Happy research, writing, and publishing.