When Italian immigrants flowed into America at the turn of the 20th century, they brought their game of choice with them.

Bocce.

The sport has since flourished in this country, including bocce clubs in Butler, Boyers and Bradys Bend.

"Our bocce group formed 15 years ago when our Sons of Italy group came back," Bradys Bend bocce organizer John Andreassi said. "We have 500 Sons of Italy members and 50 of them are in our bocce group."

Bocce was popular throughout the Roman Empire. The word bocce is derived from the Latin word bottia, meaning boss.

The game consists of a small ball — known as the pallino — and eight larger bocce balls, four for each team. Points are scored by tossing one's bocce ball so it winds up closer to the pallino than the opponent.

The first bocce clubs were organized in Italy. The first Italian League was formed in 1947.

Butler's bocce association has about 40 members.

"Most of us are retired now," association president Tom Sherman said. "We're an older group of people, in our 50s and 60s, mostly.

"The future of our sport is precarious with the lack of younger people involved."

Andreassi is 81 years old. Dominic Bonefeste, a founder of the Butler association 40 years ago, is 83. He still serving as Sherman's assistant.

The eldest member of the Butler Bocce Association is Erma Kelly, now 88.

"I don't think we have anybody younger than 40 involved on a regular basis,"Bonefeste said.

A regulation bocce court is 60 feet by 8 feet, though the game can be played on grass, sand or virtually any flat surface.

Bradys Bend has three courts and hosts a double-elimination tournament each Columbus Day.

"We draw teams from Butler, Bradys Bend, Pittsburgh, all over,"Andreassi said. "But we only get together to play maybe three or four other times all year."

Butler has bocce courts at Alameda Park and Memorial Park. Games are played year-round at 1 p.m. each Wednesday at Alameda Park, so long as the temperature is above 40 degrees.

Memorial Park hosts games at 1 p.m. each Monday from May "until the weather gets cold,"Bonefeste said.

Boyers has courts as well.

Each Fourth of July, the Butler association hosts an adult bocce tournament and an introductory bocce event for younger people to learn the game.

"Anybody can play, from age 6 to 60 on up,"Bonefeste said. "Boys, girls, men, women, we all play together."

Sherman, 62, did not begin playing bocce until he was 46.

"It's an ideal get-together for people of all ages,"he said. "It's good camaraderie for everybody."

"It's a lot of fun,"Andreassi agreed. "Like any game, you have to have some skill to be good at it. But anybody, big or small, physically strong or not, is capable of playing it and becoming skilled at it."

During the winter, Butler's association plays at Charlie's Place, an establishment on the east side of New Castle that has indoor courts.

"The rules are simple and two to eight people can play the same game,"Sherman said. "We're always looking for new players."

Interested newcomers may report to the Alameda Park bocce court, which is on the lower side of the park, any Wednesday afternoon.

"As long as it's above 40 (degrees)," Bonefeste said. "We'll be there."