"Come Home to Calabria" Event Celebrates Italian Heritage and Honors Calabrian Roots
The Amerigo Vespucci Society (AVS) of Long Branch - New Jersey, the oldest Italian American Mutual Aid Society in the US, hosted a special cultural event in partnership with Mary Mazza, founder of “San Pietro Apostolo – Come Home to Calabria.” The event, titled “Come Home to Calabria,” was a heartfelt tribute to the enduring legacy of Southern Ital...
Couple named grand marshals of Columbus Day Parade
Brick residents and husband-and-wife team Anthony and Kendra Zarrilli have been named grand marshals for the 34th annual Ocean County Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival in Seaside Heights. The Zarrillis are the owners of Zarrilli Homes LLC, Mantoloking Road Alehouse and the Mantoloking Road Playhouse. Their involvement in the community, in ad...
Italian American Dignitaries and Scholars Honored by the Sons of Italy Foundation at 36th Annual NELA Gala
Leaders in government, medicine, public service, the arts, and cinema were honored at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. on Thursday by the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) at its 36th Annual National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala, celebrating the region of Lombardy. The SIF awarded nearly $200,0...
Sister cities: Carrying parts of Gubbio through Jessup on St. Ubaldo Day
When teams of runners careen through the streets of Jessup on Saturday for St. Ubaldo Day’s iconic Corsa dei Ceri, they weren’t just carrying their saints, they were carrying pieces of Gubbio. In a tradition observed only in Jessup and Gubbio, Italy, runners, or ceraioli, carry statues of St. Ubaldo, St. Anthony and St. George perched atop tall, wo...
North Wildwood Italian-American Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary
The North Wildwood Italian-American Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary in the Wildwoods with a weekend celebration of great food, family fun, and Italian-American heritage, on Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23. Activities take place from 4-10 p.m. on Friday, June 21; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 22; and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday...
Focusing on the Italian culture here-and-now, not there-and-then
This is the story of the executive director of the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia, whose name depends on the culture and law of where she is. “In Italy, I am Elisa Schwab. In the United States, I am Elisa Clewis, middle name Schwab. In Brazil, I am Elisa Caterina Schwab. In Switzerland, I am Elisa Clewis-Schwab,” she said. “But if I have to...
Exploring Italian-American Culture: A Deep Dive into Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield
Nestled in the heart of Pittsburgh, Bloomfield is more than just a neighborhood; it is a vibrant tapestry of Italian-American culture woven through decades of history and heritage. Known as Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy,” Bloomfield’s streets echo with the stories of early immigrants who shaped this community with their traditions and customs. The nei...
Scotch Plains-Fanwood UNICO Organizes Food Drive for IHM Food Pantry
Scotch Plains-Fanwood UNICO collected and donated food items for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM) Food Pantry in Scotch Plains as part of UNICO National’s Community Service Day on Saturday, April 26. The food drive, coordinated by member Joe Schiavo, began with members and residents dropping off items at locations in the Scotch Plains-Fan...
House passes bill to rename parts of Paterson Great Falls after late Bill Pascrell, Jr.
The House of Representatives passed legislation on May 13 to rename two sites at Paterson Great Falls National Park in honor of late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. announced. The two locations would be Bill Pascrell, Jr. Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge and Bill Pascrell, Jr. Overlook Park. The bill now moves to the Senate for...
Ciattarelli taps fellow Paisans, pledges to save Columbus Day in New Jersey
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli pledged his support for Columbus Day and Italian American traditions during remarks at the annual Paisan Convention, held over the weekend in Rutherford. The event, known informally as "PaisanCon," drew hundreds of Italian Americans from across New Jersey to celebrate cultural heritage with food,...
South Philadelphia priest who introduced Pope Leo XIV to Rome says new pontiff is "just a great guy"
The Rev. Paul Galetto once showed a young Robert Prevost around the city of Rome — decades later, Prevost held his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel as Pope Leo XIV, the first pope in the Catholic Church's history to be born in the United States. Galetto, the pastor at St. Paul Church in South Philadelphia's Italian Market, once lived with Prevost....
Ancient Rome and the USA. In Washington, a dialogue with Aldo Cazzullo hosted by Ambassador Zappia
The endless legacy of Ancient Rome and its influence on the contemporary world was the theme of a dialogue hosted in Washington by the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia. The conversation featured Aldo Cazzullo, one of Italy’s most esteemed and influential journalists and writers, and Jonathan Karl, Chief Washington Corresp...