For some 50 years, La Tribuna Italiana, founded by Charles Saverio Papa of Sicily, was the banner of Italian culture in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

Papa arrived in Dallas in 1908, calling the city "Venice" because of unusual floods that year. He operated a barbershop for some five years, then—without a press or money—decided to start a newspaper. What he did have were four words for the masthead: Justice, Freedom, Opportunity, America. He soon had an Italian printer, Louis Adin, who could run a linotype machine. Papa could sell advertising.

The Italian-language newspaper proved a success and supported communities in three states.

In 1940, when Benito Mussolini declared war against the Allies, La Tribuna Italiana changed its name to The Texas Tribune and its language to English.

The paper survived Adin's retirement and Papa's accidental death, until 1962. In a last editorial, logical reasons were given for ceasing publication. The claim was made that the paper had always supported the advancement of Italian communities. It had also worked for the "amalgamation of our people into the whole American society." With that accomplished, publication could cease.