Charlie Gracie, Early Rocker Known For ‘Butterfly,’ Dies at 86
Charlie Gracie, an early rockabilly singer and guitarist who influenced a generation of 1960s rock stars has died at 86. The news of his passing on Dec. 16 was confirmed by ABKCO Records, which is home to the catalog of Cameo Records, the Philadelphia label that Gracie recorded his biggest hits for; at press time no cause of death was announced. Th...
Venetian Renaissance on display at the National Gallery of Art
The exhibition "Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice," at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, has opened. The exhibition focuses on the figure of Vittore Carpaccio, a Renaissance artist who lived in Venice between the 15th and 16th centuries, and is part of our all-out effort to promote the masters of Italian paint...
Where to Find Struffoli in North Jersey this Holiday Season
The holiday season is often a time for people to embrace family traditions that have been passed around for generations. And many of these traditions are centered on food — especially for the Italians in the area. Italian Americans who have roots in the Naples region are probably familiar with the Italian version of honey balls, called struffoli. B...
NIAF meets with the Italian American Congressional Delegation
On December 13th, The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) hosted our annual Christmas Congressional Dinner with the Italian American Congressional Delegation. NIAF is proud to work with these esteemed Italian Americans in Congress to further our mission to promote and inspire a positive image and legacy of Italian Americans, and to strength...
Lido Civic Club Honors Lou Donatelli
In keeping with a long-standing tradition of serving the Italian American community for 92 years, the Lido Civic Club of Washington, D.C. held its annual Charitable Fund Raiser, Gala and Past President’s Night on November 19, 2022 at the Hilton Hotel in Tyson’s Corner and presented the Lido Club’s Man of the Year to civic leader Louis Donatelli. Th...
Richmond gives toppled Christopher Columbus statue to Italian-American organization
Two years after it was toppled by protesters, Richmond City Council has given away a statue of Christopher Columbus to a local Italian-American organization. The statue of Columbus, which stood over Byrd Park, was torn down and thrown into a nearby lake in the Summer of 2020, during a spontaneous demonstration in the wake of the death of George Flo...
Crews remove box around Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia
Crews removed the box surrounding the Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia's Marconi Plaza on Sunday night. Only Action News was there as crews began the removal process around 8 p.m. The box has surrounded the statue for two years. On Friday, a judge ruled it needed to be removed. Attorney George Bochetto, who represents the statue's...
Italian Americans Save Philadelphia’s Columbus Statue After Mayor Loses Appeal
It’s official: South Philadelphia’s 146-year-old Columbus statue is staying put in Marconi Plaza, and the plywood box — concealing the monument from public view — must be removed, a panel of Commonwealth Court judges ruled on Friday. The appeals loss is a bitter one for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who was openly criticized by Common Pleas Court...
Local Author Takes Guests on an “el Dolce Vita” Tour of Italy
It was an “el Dolce Vita” homecoming for local author and playwright Midge Guerrera who returned recently from Italy for a public reading and discussion of her new book, “Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos” at Verve Bistro and Restaurant in Somerville. The Hillsborough native spends part of the year in New Jersey and the remainder in the mountain villa...
Fort Meade honors German, Italian POWs during wreath ceremony
Fort George G. Meade held a joint wreath-laying ceremony last Sunday in memory of the two Italian and 33 German World War II prisoners of war buried at the post cemetery. Fort Meade Garrison Commander Col. Michael A. Sapp and Command Sgt. Maj. Andre Welch welcomed Rear Adm. Axel Ristau, German Military Attaché, Brig. Gen. Stefano Messina, Italian M...
'He's an institution': Longtime Bergen lawyer who worked into his late 90s dies
Frank Lucianna, a powerhouse defense attorney in Hackensack and a World War II veteran, died Monday, leaving an impressive legacy and profound love of the law. "He's an institution," said his daughter Diane Lucianna. "[For] 71 years he was practicing law in Hackensack." Lucianna was 99 years old at the time of his death. Diane, her sister Nancy and...
Frank Tartaglia, South Philly filmmaker and co-owner of Connie’s Ric Rac club, dies at 45
Frank Joseph Tartaglia was a true son of the Italian Market. His father had a bustling fruit business in the iconic market. But he and his older brother, Joseph Frank Tartaglia, realized young that they weren’t content slinging produce. Together, the Tartaglia Brothers created a grungy, glorious haven for South Philadelphia musicians, artists, and...