When Milwaukee was established, it became a go-to place for a number of different immigrants, all of them bringing along the traditions of their homeland. In our city, it is pretty easy to find the contributions made by these early settlers who helped weave the fabric of who we are today.

Milwaukee Public Television, MPTV-TV Ch. 10, will air a local documentary on immigrants from Italy. "Storia Italiana" offers a deep look the impact they had on Milwaukee.

The 60-minute documentary digs into the hardships they had to overcome since the first Italian immigrant came here 150 years ago.

"I loved telling the stories," producer Maryann Lazarski said. "As a producer, any time you can tell a story, you take the opportunity to do it."

Lazarski said her research started at the Italian Community Center. We are fortunate that they have this wonderful collection of Old Milwaukee photographs and other items that tell the stories of the past. As Lazarski started talking with people, one person led to another and that led to some rich tales brewing with history.

"It was my sincere pleasure to work on this project and to bring a never-before-told immigrant story to our television audience," Lazarski said. "That story, along with others included in the documentary, is treasured material that shouldn’t be taken for granted. In many ways, this documentary speaks to all ethnic groups and their courageous new beginnings and hope for the future."

In addition to the immigrants’ journey, settling in the city and adjusting to American life, the documentary also highlights Milwaukee’s current Italian community and features Milwaukee’s Italian Immersion School. The documentary attempts to address the question of who will carry on Milwaukee’s Italian culture to the next generation.

"In one story, a granddaughter recorded audio, so we get to hear her voice in the documentary," Lazarski said.

The special, local documentary also had a premiere event where family members and friends traveled from around the nation to see this film. There was more than 300 people at the preview.

"Storia Italiana" will air at 9 p.m. on Monday.

The local piece is a nice pairing with new PBS documentary "The Italian Americans." The national effort is a four-part series, telling the broader story of Italy’s influence in the U.S. The next part of the series will air with the local effort on MPTV.

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IN MY WHEELHOUSE: I have to say that one of my favorite current shows on cable is "Strange Inheritance" on the Fox Business Network. While most people tune in to check on business trends and the market, this show is a departure from the norm and a most welcomed change.

The network will air two new episodes of "Strange Inheritance" at 8 p.m. on Monday night. Set the DVR to catch host Jamie Colby with "Superstorm Comic Books." The featured story tells how a bequeathed comic book collection helped the owners of family-run Salty’s Ice Cream Parlor in Lavallette, New Jersey, rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.

At 8:30 p.m., "Roy Orbison’s Lost Song" takes the audience to Nashville, Tenn., where the sons of Orbison discover he left behind a homemade cassette of a never-released track.