Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri
First and foremost a lawyer as well as a leader of our Italian-American community in the Chicago area, Peter N. Silvestri serves as a role model for our nieces and nephews, sons and daughters, cousins and others from our community who aspire to be successful in the legal field and/or the political arena. I first met Pete more years ago tha...
Festa Italiana to bring European flavor to Freedom Hill
By Eric Czarnik Metro Detroiters craving some pasta and Italian-themed activities are invited to Freedom Hill County Park for Festa Italiana July 15-17. Festa Italiana Chairman Joe Ventimiglia, from the Italian American Cultural Society, said the festival has drawn an estimated 25,000 visitors over the weekend in the past. Part of the...
Big Night in Wheeling for Italian-American of the Year
WHEELING -This year's Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival kicked off with a dinner at the McClure Hotel. Local businessman Bob Contraguerro, Sr. the owner and CEO of Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration took the honor of 2012 Italian-American of the year. Contraguerro said in light of his family's humble beginnings in Wheeling, the honor means much....
Italian-African Filmmaker to Visit WIU
Italian-African filmmaker and social activist Fred Kudjo Kuwornu will visit the Western Illinois University campus Wednesday, Nov. 5, to speak from 7-9 p.m., in the Sandburg Theater. Kuwornu will screen and discuss his documentary film, "Inside Buffalo," a multi-awarded documentary shot in Italy and the United States. It tells the "forgott...
Madison, Hamden women use puppets to share Italian culture
What started as an Italian American woman spending Christmas gatherings learning about Italian history may just evolve into helping others learn about various cultures on television through puppets. Madison resident Kate West, using a puppet called La Befana, hopes to share Italian culture and other traditions with wider audiences through...
1930s Milwaukee consul protest drew conflicting responses
When Milwaukee's Italian community read the news that a group of Americans – including many prominent city residents – would protest Italian intervention in Spain outside the Italian Consulate in June 1937, it must have awaited the event with at least some trepidation. After all, although American relations with Italy had not been bad over...
Grave lutto per il CTIM USA
di Vincenzo Arcobelli Il Presidente Onorario del Comitato Tricolore per gli Italiani nel Mondo ,Filippo Foti ci lascia. Il 4 Maggio C.A. all'eta' di 105 anni il presidente onorario del CTIM Statunitense ,Filippo Foti, si e' spento . IL CTIM si unisce al dolore della Famiglia ed esprime il piu' profondo cordoglio. E' stat...
Justinians elect officers
The Justinian Society of Lawyers swore in its 2015-2016 officers in May. Pictured from left are Cook County Circuit Judge Regina Ann Scannicchio, secretary; Natalie M. Petric, treasurer; Vincent R. Vidmer, third vice president; Michael F. Bonamarte IV, second vice president; Frank A. Sommario, first vice president; and Jessica T. DePinto, president...
Esposito to pay tribute to Caruso at the Arcada – 24 October
PBS superstar Pasquale Esposito will grace The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles with a tribute to Enrico Caruso on Oct. 24. The concert will showcase songs featured on "Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Enrico Caruso," a 2-CD drawn from the PBS special of the same name that was first aired this spring. "Pasquale was born to do a tribute to the gr...
Air Force vet offers rare insight into combat zone
On Monday, Nov. 9, U.S. Air Force veteran William "Billy" Castellano gave a riveting power point presentation of his time in the Middle East to a capacity crowd at the Italian American Veterans Museum. Billy told his story of how a boy from Galewood knew he wanted to follow in his family's tradition of service to the United States military,...
Honor the dead: Chicago tour guides suggest visiting these graves
By Kori Rumore Julia Buccola Petta: Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside. If I have to pick only one monument, it's that of a young woman named Julia Buccola Petta, who only became semi-famous after her death, not in life. She is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside — the same resting place as Al Capone and Dean O'Banion — and her m...
Pistons come to terms with Italian sharpshooter
A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a $3.5 million, two-year contract with Luigi Datome. The person spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been announced. NBA rules prevent confirmation of moves until Wednesday, when Datome is expected to...