Chicago Removed Its Columbus Statues After Protests. An Italian American Group Is Suing To Bring One Back
An Italian American organization is suing the Chicago Park District to restore the Christopher Columbus statue removed from Little Italy after protests last year. The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) want city officials to reinstall the statue at Arrigo Park, which dated back to 1966 before it was taken down. The Columbus statues...
Avanti Group to spearhead queen contest
The Columbus Day Queen Contest has a new lease on life thanks to the Avanti Group. Sponsored for decades by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, the pageant was put on hold last year due to the pandemic. “We thought it was important to keep the tradition going, and the JCCIA was grateful for the assist,” says Pasquale Gianni, president o...
Opera Festival of Chicago presents "Dante 700"
Opera Festival of Chicago presents "Dante 700" Wednesday, July 28th at 8pm & Thursday, July 29th at 8pm Artifacts Events4325 N Ravenswood AveChicago, IL Dante Alighieri, Christian philosopher and poet, lived seven hundred years ago. Works such as his Divina Commedia and La Vita Nuovo have inspired operatic composers such as Gaetano Donizetti, Giaco...
Sons of Italy sandwiches an Italian fest staple
The Sons of Italy in Bellaire is once again continuing its annual tradition - making 1.5 tons of sausage for the Undo's Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival. Members of the Sons and area volunteers gathered in the kitchen Tuesday morning to prepare its famous homemade sausage. "We don't use any fillers, we don't use any chemicals, it's all g...
Casa Italia is once again hosting events
With state restrictions finally lifted, Casa Italia is back in full swing. The Casa got the ball rolling in June with the revival of its bocce league. The 10-week tourney pits 16 teams of four against each other in a pitched battle for coveted trophies plus bragging rights until next year’s competition. Having gathered via Zoom last year, I-A Liter...
Consul General Thomas Botzios
With a notable diplomatic pedigree and multinational roots, Thomas Botzios brings a global perspective to his role as the Midwest’s new Italian consul general. If anyone was born to be a diplomat, it’s Thomas Botzios. The Midwest’s new Italian consul general pursued the same career path as his father and uncle, Elias and Christos Botzios, both of w...
Patriots rally ’round Columbus each Sunday
In June 2020, as attacks on Columbus statues across the country heated up, a group of Italian Americans led by Carlo Vaniglia started meeting at Arrigo Park in Little Italy every Sunday morning. Originally dubbed “Coffee with Columbus,” the gatherings were meant as a peaceful show of support for their heritage. When the city of Chicago decided to r...
There will be no “Little Italy” at this year’s Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival
The long-awaited return of the Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage festival is less than two weeks away. The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the iconic event last summer. This will be the 38th year for the festival, but there will be some changes this time around. New for this year is the Italian Village, which will be in the 12th street area and...
From Sassano to Chicago’s 48th & Federal Street: An Italian Migration at the Turn of the 20th Century
My journey started in the Fall of 2002 when my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, brought home a new history project from school. The assignment: “Find out which ancestors came to America and Why.” I knew a little bit about my father’s paternal side, but not much. By the time I was born, our family was 100% Americanized, though both of my parents were 1...
Rocky Colavito tribute
Fans of former Cleveland Indians player Rocky Colavito, who was a fan favorite right fielder and once led the league in home runs, are invited to a Tribute to Rocky Colavito at 7 p.m. July 26 at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, in the Porter Meeting Room. Ground was broken June 1 in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighbo...
The Italian American Chamber of Commerce Presents Festa Italiana
The Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan is proud to announce that Festa Italiana is back bigger and better than ever. The event will take place on July 16, 17, and 18, 2021 at Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights. There will be plenty of great food, drinks and continuous live entertainment on the Lucido Family Stage, in additio...
Attention foodies: 'Youngstalia' focuses on Italian food during July 15 MVHS program
The Mahoning Valley Historical Society will debut “Youngstalia: Italian Foodways in the Mahoning Valley” in its monthly Bites and Bits of History online video presentation at noon on July 15. The program will explore the history of local Italian food, culture and traditions. The main presenter, Anthony Dion Mitzel, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor of...