Dante Alighieri Society Of Michigan Presents Pomeriggio con Paganini
On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan in collaboration with the Consulate of Italy in Detroit will present Pomeriggio con Paganini to commemorate the famous violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini who died on May 27, 1840. Born on October 27, 1782 in Genoa, Italy, Paganini was a child prodigy and is regarded one of the gr...
‘That’s Amore!’ Newly formed group would ‘love’ to see life-sized bronze statue of Dean Martin become a reality
A life-sized bronze statue of the “King of Cool” is what a newly organized group hopes to see erected outside the Historic Fort Steuben Visitors Center and unveiled at the Dean Martin Hometown celebration in 2023. But there’s work to be done before that can happen — namely generating awareness about the project and raising money to move it from dr...
Adolph M. Maestranzi, a Special Olympics silver medalist, memorialized after his death at 70
Adolph Maestranzi was born with Down syndrome in 1951, at a time many parents were told it might be best to institutionalize a child with the condition and move on with their lives. Instead, his parents Ben and Madelyn Maestranzi raised him in a home filled with music, good food and love from his four siblings. “My brother went on to live a rich, f...
Did You Know Evansville is Home to a Replica of the Santa Maria?
You know it's really true what they say, you learn something new every day. Of course, a popular piece of Evansville history is the legendary Mesker Park Zoo monkey ship, but did you know the monkey ship is considered a "reasonable replica" of one of Christopher Columbus' ships? I JUST learned about this the other day! Well, not about the monkey sh...
L’Amore, il Cinema e i Viaggi in Italia (Love, Cinema and Italian Travels)
Monday, May 9, 2022, 5:30 PM CDT. Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago - 500 North Michigan Avenue - Chicago, IL 60611. Inspired by his new book "Le Immagini dell’Amore" (The Images of Love) published for Marsilio, Roberto De Gaetano leads a dialogue with Prof. Armando Maggi, on representations of love in traditional literature and cinema, with a...
Festa Italiana canceled for third straight year in Milwaukee; organizers cite continuing impact of COVID-19
The organizers of Festa Italiana have called off the lakefront festival for the third straight year. In a statement Friday afternoon, Rose Anne Fritchie, president of the Italian Community Center and Festa director, cited the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the financial health of the organization. "We have always been pro...
Chicago monument committee won’t recommend return of Christopher Columbus statues, sources say
Late last month Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she “fully expects” to return a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus to its former pedestal in Grant Park. That was concerning news to members of the mayor’s committee reviewing Chicago monuments, emails obtained by the Chicago Tribune show. University of Illinois at Chicago art history prof...
Famous Ravioli Fundraiser Returns to Camp Washington Church
After taking two years off due to the pandemic, a beloved home-cooked tradition is back in Camp Washington. On April 10, Sacred Heart Church is hosting its popular ravioli dinner. Since 1911, the church has been offering old-fashioned, Italian-recipe ravioli dinners made by parishioners and volunteers using recipes brought to Cincinnati from the Ol...
Captain Ralph L. DeFalco III (US Navy, Ret.)
The eldest of five children, Ralph L. DeFalco III was born in Connecticut to Mary Ann Mueller and Ralph L. DeFalco Jr. The family moved to Chicago when DeFalco was an infant, returned to the East Coast and eventually settled in Oak Lawn, Illinois. DeFalco’s paternal grandparents emigrated from the Abruzzi and Napoli regions in Italy, and his matern...
Italian American advocate Ron Onesti talks about the potential return of the Christopher Columbus statue
On Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that she “fully expects” the return of the Christopher Columbus statue to the Grant Park. Ron Onesti, President of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, joined Lisa Dent on Chicago’s Afternoon News to talk about Mayor’s comments. You can listen to him clicking here.
Lightfoot ‘fully expects’ Columbus statue to be returned to Grant Park pedestal
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she “fully expects” the statue of Christopher Columbus to be returned to its pedestal in Grant Park, but not before a security plan is in place to prevent a repeat of the 2020 debacle that left dozens of ambushed police officers injured. “I’m not gonna do anything that puts our officers in harm’s way. I will probab...
Casa to honor Joseph Dote
Casa Italia will honor transportation construction dynamo Joseph Dote as Man of the Year at its 2022 gala on June 24 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. The following profile was provided by the organization. Joseph Dote currently serves as senior vice president for R. M. Chin & Associates Inc. and general manager of facilities and construc...