Squicquero's tale demonstrates the travails of Italian immigrants
Life was not easy for the Italian immigrants who help create the community, including Angelo Squicquero. Italian immigrants helped build the railroads that opened the area to industries. They helped build the roads, streets and houses. Some returned to Italy, but many stayed to work here and build the community. They faced all the challenges of imm...
Philadelphia targets Mario Lanza
Flags In South Philadelphia's Mario Lanza Park Bearing Image of The Tenor Were Replaced with an Image of a Bird. Attorney Robert Petrone reports this week, the flags in South Philadelphia's Mario Lanza Park bearing the esteemed Philadelphia tenor's face were replaced with flags with a cartoon bird on it. Petrone wants to do something about it. "I p...
Stephen N. Adubato, Founder of North Ward Center and Robert Treat Academy, Dies
Stephen N. Adubato Sr., who rose to prominence as a North Ward leader in Newark in the 1960s and remained a towering figure in Newark civic life for the next five decades, has died at his home surrounded by family. He was 87. Adubato founded The North Ward Center in 1970 and went on to found the highly successful Robert Treat Academy in 1997, one o...
Allegheny County council president wants Columbus statue to remain
Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena on Tuesday called on local leaders to reconsider removing a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus from Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. Last week, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto echoed the recommendation of the Pittsburgh Art Commission to remove the statue. He directed the statue be displayed on privat...
Italian American Historian & Writer Stephanie Longo – Why NEPA?
Working as a “Professional Italian American” might sound like a dream job, but for author and historian Stephanie Longo, it’s a fitting job title. Stephanie has dedicated her career to celebrating her heritage and preserving immigrant history, both on a local and national scale. She’s written three books on NEPA’s Italian American history and has m...
Italian Heritage Celebrated with Proclamation, Columbus Day Ceremony
At a borough council meeting last week, South Plainfield Mayor Matt Anesh recognized October as Italian Heritage Month and, on Monday, the Plainfields' Chapter of UNICO held an intimate outdoor Columbus Day ceremony. According to the proclamation made on Oct. 5, Italian Heritage Month is a time to 'recognize the enormous contributions that the Ita...
Celebrating Columbus Day in a year of racial reckoning and protest
It's an annual tradition for the Sons of Italy in Hammonton, New Jersey: Celebrating Columbus Day, and honoring local families of Italian descent. "It's a great celebration where we continue to celebrate our Italian heritage and honor Columbus of course," said club president Nick LaGuardia. Guests were allowed to visit the bust of explorer Christo...
Work Underway To Rebuild Baltimore Columbus Statue, Will Not Go Back in Little Italy
It's now been more than three months since the Christopher Columbus statue in Little Italy was toppled and thrown into the harbor. No arrests have been made. FOX45 has learned the statue is being worked on at an artist's studio on the eastern shore. It’s a months long process. Because of the extent of the damage they’re actually going to be creatin...
Bayonne Flag Raising Celebrates Italian Heritage
The Friday flag raising in front of Bayonne City Hall gave local Italian Americans an opportunity to celebrate their heritage. “Bayonne has always celebrated this day over the years,” said Joe Ryan, a Bayonne historian. Bayonne became a destination for Italian Americans in the late 1800s and was already a significant part of the population when the...
Pittsburgh-area Italians gather on Columbus Day to fight for Schenley Park statue
Flo Spagnolo sat in a lawn chair facing the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park on Monday. It was Columbus Day. The controversial statue was obscured, wrapped from top to bottom in plastic and tape. “I have been here since the beginning when the statue was placed here,” said Spagnolo, 93, from Greenfield. “I am so upset they want to take h...
Italian-American Heritage Recognized During Seaside Heights Event
Normally Sherman Avenue up to the boardwalk would be lined with vendor booths and a tent would have housed patrons listening to music and enjoying Italian sausage sandwiches and cannolis, but thanks to the ongoing pandemic, things were different this year. An Italian-American heritage celebration was held in its place. The Knights of Columbus Col...
Italian heritage groups gather in Nutley, Belleville to honor Christopher Columbus' legacy
Local officials, members of Italian heritage groups and residents of Nutley and Belleville gathered in view of their towns' Christopher Columbus statues Sunday to celebrate the explorer's legacy. The activities, which included a morning flag-raising in front of Belleville Town Hall and a wreath-laying ceremony and car parade in Nutley, replaced the...