"When the brand new French Opera House opened in New Orleans in the 1850s, the call went out to Italian musicians. Local business leaders didn't need to look very far, however, as the city of New Orleans already had a bustling Italian population, which had taken root in the 1850s. Living and working side-by-side by another oppressed group, African Americans, the Italians shared their own distinctive forms of music, 
which encompassed folk and classical traditions. The sons of these early immigrants, many of whom were hired to play at the French Opera House, would go on to become familiar names in the popularization of jazz: Nick LaRocca, Leon Rappolo, Arnold Loiacano, Joe "Sharkey" Bonanno and, of course, the gifted musician and performer Louis Prima." --From "A History of Italian Americans in Jazz" http://stereotypethis.com/legacy/jazz/article.php
Also see: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170224-the-mysetrious-origins-of-jazz
- KBOO