Police raid on dopolavoro, Toronto, ON

Black and white press photograph depicting two plain-clothed police officer entering the dopolavoro in Toronto. The dopolavoro was a fascist recreational and social organization created in 1925 to challenge socialist cultural leagues in Italy. The purpose of the dopolavoro was to turn Italians into supporters of the fascist movement and find potential recruits for the fascio. However, many members joined for the leisure activities and not necessarily for the fascist politics. Though it was created in Italy, the dopolavoro was exported to countries where Italian communities existed. In Canada, the dopolavoro was overseen by Italian consular officials. In Toronto, the dopolavoro was run out of the Italian Consulate located at 136 Beverley St.