First, you've got to explore home sources and uncover all the American records for your Italian ancestors. Then it's time to start learning about researching in Italian records. There are several books to help you:

• A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Italian Ancestors by Lynn Nelson (Betterway Books, $16.99). This guide shows you how to research your Italian ancestors using the microfilms of the Family History Library.

• Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans by John Philip Colletta (Genealogical Publishing Co., $11.95). Colletta's guide takes you into records in America and Italy.

• Italian-American Family History: A Guide to Researching and Writing About Your Heritage by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack (Genealogical Publishing Co., $12.95). My book focuses on researching Italians in America and how learning the folkways and customs of Italians can help your research.

• Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Other Records in Family History Research by Trafford R. Cole (Ancestry, $34.95). An in-depth look at the records available in Italy and how to access them in person and from abroad.