Can someone recommend a bank here in the states that has branches in Italy, or the other way around. I would like to open an account here in the States that would make it easy to withdraw more than $700 I get out of an ATM. Also for transfers.
Thanks!

Over the years I have had an account with Charles Schwab and I just transfer money from my account there to whatever financial institution needs being paid in Italy or elsewhere. Italians are accustomed to doing transfers such as this all the time. To pay my rent, I would just go to the landlord's bank and hand them my credit card with the amount and his account specified. I have enough w Schwab that they pay for all fees, including ATM fees. It is very convenient. All of which is to say, you probably don't need an Italian-US bank.

I believe the Bank of America (founded by a famous Italian American in SF) has Italian branches.

My Italian bank has branches in NY and LA, but when I compared service prices for moving money-- because it is done exactly the same as from any US bank-- I discovered they were more expensive for everything.
The branches are not attached internationally in any way that is meaningful, since the US branches follow US law and the Italian branches Italian law.

Citibank! There are branches in Florence, Rome, Milan and one other place (forget where.) Just spent a long time on the phone with them today. There is an account called the Everything Counts account. If you meet the criteria for that type, then you can use the Citibank ATM to withdraw $2000 a day, 5 days a week, from both checking and savings--if for some reason you would want to. Then you can just go inside the bank and deposit it to your account. This is better than a wire transfer from your account in the US to your account there--even Citibank to Citibank. That cost $40 for whatever amount. The ATM is no fee and the exchange is the interbank rates. This type of account has several other nice benefits also. There is an even better one and that is the Gold membership account--but qualifying for that is pretty difficult.

Hope this helps. I am still doing some checking on it but it sounds pretty legit.

Thanks for the info! We may be in Como, so the Milan branch will work. Otherwise it's Rome, so either way....