query: How long has the U.S. had diplomatic relations with Italy?
passage: Italy–United States relations
The United States has warm and friendly relations with Italy. The United States has had diplomatic representation in the nation of Italy and its predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Sardinia, since 1840. However, in 1891 the Italian government severed diplomatic relations and briefly contemplated war against the US as a response to the unresolved case of the lynching of eleven Italians in New Orleans, Louisiana, and there was a break in relations from 1941 to 1943, while Italy and the United States were at war.
passage: Louis J. Nigro Jr.
He retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2010 after 33 years of government service. He is the author of "The New Diplomacy in Italy: American Propaganda and U.S.-Italian Relations, 1917–1919" and of scholarly articles on historical and diplomatic themes. He could speak French and Italian. Nigro died on January 1, 2013 from cancer.