Central Avenue in Albuquerque, once home to a thriving Little Italy, became a hub for Italian immigrants who built businesses and a community that shaped the city’s history along Route 66. "The Italians had stores within eight blocks on Central," said Lynne Franchini Peckinpaugh. "And about 2 or 3 blocks north and south of Central Avenue, Route 66."
Peckinpaugh shared that her family played a significant role in establishing the Italian presence in Albuquerque, starting with Oreste Bachechi in 1885. "The first one came in 1885, Oreste Bachechi, and he sponsored many of the people from that same area in Tuscany near Lucca," she said. "He was known as the father of the Italian colony here in Albuquerque because he sponsored so many people to come, including my great-uncle Ettore Franchini, who then sponsored my grandfather Ovidio Franchini."
