I didn't say they brought them here. What I said was that they could not readily find them so they grew their own. The majority of Italian immigrants were mostly from the land. And you are right. The tomato didn't travel very well. There were no canneries right next to the fields as there is today. The Pirates MIL and FIL every year had a garden that was abundant with fresh produce. What they didn't eat, was canned or frozen. They still do it to this day. Even though they are well into their last years. They were born and lived in Italy during the war, so they knew what hunger was. When they came to this country, the mother was determined her children would never know hunger. They not only had an abundant garden, but also made their own sausages, and other foods. But she had to have those tomatoes. Most of her dishes were dependent on those tomatoes.
Because the south has a longer growing season, the immigrants that settled down there were able to have even greater gardens. She had two sisters that settled in Alabama. She went to visit them in the fall, and their gardens were full and waiting to be picked. She was so impressed, she tried her darnedest to convince her husband to move down there so they could have a better garden than what they were able to grow in the small back yard plot. For her and others like her it was always about growing your own food. Tomatoes included.