Christopher Columbus: The Columbus Statue Decision is a Victory for Everyone
Last summer I was a few Hitachi before the Columbus Act at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia. I wasn’t alone. There were a lot of good people around me, laughing, singing, and eating wawahoagi. Most of us were members with cards, so we were there to show solidarity with the Italian-American community in the city. We wanted to show our support and...
Newly crowned Miss Little Italy, Rosalie Casper of Allegheny Township, a pageant natural
Allegheny Township’s Rosalie Casper spent a few weeks working on her stage presence before her debut pageant appearance Sunday at Little Italy Days in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. That’s all the preparation the 5-year-old needed. Rosalie was named Miss Little Italy in the 4-to-6-year-old division at the region’s largest annual festival cel...
La Festa Italiana Set for Labor Day Weekend 2021 in Scranton
La Festa Italiana is back! After the event was cancelled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, La Festa is returning and will be held Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday, September 3-6, 2021) on Courthouse Square in the heart of downtown Scranton, Pa. Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday 11...
Videos show how Little Italy Days has drastically changed since creation in 2000s
Little Italy Days has returned after a 2020 absence caused by the COVID pandemic, and Bloomfield’s street festival is picking up right where it left off. The festival has grown massively over the years, and 2021 continues that trend with booths stretching several blocks on Liberty Avenue. Little Italy Days has become so big that some Bloomfield res...
Washington County DA Gene Vittone remembered as devoted father who always had a kind word
Gene Vittone, Washington County’s district attorney, a Pitt fan, a choir member and a lover of good Italian dinners, died Saturday after a relatively private battle with lung cancer. He was 61. “He was humble that way,” said Steve Toprani, a friend and predecessor in the district attorney’s office. “He didn’t want the attention or, worse, the sympa...
Paola Corso's poems wander Pittsburgh's steps in 'Vertical Bridges'
In a 1913 issue of Poetry magazine, Ezra Pound listed his rules for the Imagist school that included “the natural object is always the adequate symbol.” And, like much in our march toward civilization that began millennia ago, humans have found it best to imitate nature when finding practical solutions to an everyday problem. One of the most fundam...
That's Amore: South Strabane Township native exploring Washington's Italian heritage
For nearly a century and a half, the United States has been renowned as “The Land of Opportunity.” This is where millions of people elsewhere across the globe – seeking a more prosperous and, perhaps, safer life – have settled, and attempt to settle. Tina Calabro’s grandparents were among those immigrants. Pasquale and Agostina Calabro “were among...
Bocce Lesson & Boys' Trip to Little Italy, Baltimore, MD
We're visiting the “Charm City” of Baltimore, Maryland on our continuing quest to discover what makes America’s Little Italys so special. With Rosella holed up writing her newest cookbook, hosts John and Pat decide to make a quick "guys trip" to Baltimore’s historic Little Italy for a day filled with friends, food, faith, and a lesson in the Italia...
The West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is coming
The 43rd annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is coming soon! The festival will be held at Jackson Square in Clarksburg, WV from September 3-5th. Some pre-festival events are also happening. On September 1 there will be a golf tournament and an Elimination Dinner at Bridgeport County Club. On September 2 there will also be a Honorees Awar...
Philadelphia judge rules Christopher Columbus statue can stay at Marconi Plaza
A judge has ruled that a controversial Christopher Columbus statue can stay in South Philadelphia. "It is baffling to this Court as to how the City of Philadelphia wants to remove the Statue without any legal basis. The City's entire argument and case is devoid of any legal foundation," said the judge in a seven-page decision on Tuesday.The ruling...
La Festa Italiana in Pictures. Festival Brings Dancing Back to Jersey City's Streets
Jersey City's 119-year-old La Festa Italiana brought dancing, singing, eating, and drinking, all things that have been severely missed since the outbreak of COVID-19, co-chairman Nick Grillo told TAPinto Jersey, back to the streets over the past five nights. "This is huge for the community," Grillo, who has been at the head of the festival that rai...
Celebrating our differences
“Ferragosto” is traditionally celebrated in Italy on Aug. 15, and our own Pittsburgh version of the Italian holiday will be celebrated this weekend in the Strip District. As with many customs that we have taken from the old country, we have made it our own, and how we do it here provides a simple lesson for divisive times. Emperor Caesar Augustus e...