Children’s film fest to feature 3 Italian entries
FACETS will feature three Italian short films as part of this year’s Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Films will be presented online through Nov. 22. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $13.50 for FACETS members. To purchase tickets, click here. The Italian films presented during this year’s festival are “Baradar,” in which tw...
Campania group celebrates 30th anniversary
The Associazione Regionale Campania di Chicago celebrated its 30th anniversary on Oct. 18. Founded to promote the culture and customs of Naples and the Campania region, the ARC has a long list of accomplishments. The group has hosted the first North American conference of Neapolitan associations, crowned the first Miss Campania a Chicago, promoted...
Italian Food Culture in the Time of Raphael, a Zoom Webinar by Daniele Macuglia & Francesco Bellissimo
This lecture will provide an opportunity to celebrate Raphael in 2020, the 500th anniversary of his death. We’ll talk about Renaissance food, starting with a virtual tour of “Casa Raffaello” in Urbino, exploring the kitchen and common spaces. We will also discuss the historic food of today’s Marche region, focusing especially on a renowned cheese t...
Little Flower Church and School will honor Montalbano on Veterans Day
Sam Montalbano, a well-known community volunteer and former Sangamon County Board member, will be honored Wednesday – Veterans Day -- with dedication of a flag pole in his name outside Little Flower Catholic Church and School. "He’s been a really involved member of the parish, an usher at the church for 50 years," said Bill Moredock, principal of t...
Gallucci's 'Uncle Frankie' retiring from iconic Cleveland Italian food store at age 93
Frankie Restifo, known to Clevelanders as "Uncle Frankie," is retiring from Gust Gallucci Italian Foods after working at the business for more than half a century. “We never thought this day would come, but tomorrow, after working with three generations of the Gallucci family, at 93 years old, Uncle Frankie is retiring. Whether through pandemic, de...
Taylor Street Walking Tour (Saturday, November 7th, 2:30pm, Our Lady of Pompeii)
10,00 USD Buzzing Taylor Street is the heart of Chicago’s historic Little Italy. Join us for a one-mile walk around this hub of the Italian-American Community. From soaring church steeples to colorful autumn trees, we'll see the spectrum of beauty that Little Italy offers on this two-hour tour. All is socially distanced and outdoor, with options to...
Henry Piano helped found Festa Italiana, Italian Community Center
Henry Piano never forgot his roots. His parents immigrated to America from Italy in 1907 and raised a son who embraced his Italian-American heritage. Piano helped found the Italian Community Center and Festa Italiana. Piano, 86, died of cancer Oct. 24. "It was important for him to always remember where we came from," said his son Nick Piano. "He wa...
Italian American WWII Hero: James Vincent Clemente
James Vincent Clemente was born on February 26, 1920 in Akron, Ohio, to Francesco and Vita Clemente in the all-Italian neighborhood of North Hill. He grew up there until graduating from North High School. Before going off to serve, he got married and had a son. He was inducted into the service in the U.S. Army Air Corps on March 9, 1942. He served...
Farewell to Guy Cecchini, a great man
When people we love and admire pass from this earth, invariably we remember first how they were as a person, the lives they touched, and not the worldly things they've amassed. How can I adequately describe this special human being; selfless, humble, wise, quiet man of a few words who had a passion for helping others. A generous heart, never seekin...
Local media legend Vince Gerasole
A few years back, Vince Gerasole, the beloved general assignment reporter for CBS 2 Chicago, took one of those mail-in DNA tests you see advertised on television. The Pittsburgh native, who proudly traces his ancestry to Abruzzo and Calabria, was ecstatic to discover he was 85 percent Italian, with a smattering of other European descent to round it...
Sciacca helms group aimed at professionals
Salvatore Sciacca was raised in the Chicago area, but he was immersed in the culture of Sicily throughout his childhood. His parents, Joseph and Mary, were born in the Sicilian town of Ciminna, and the family spent six weeks each summer on that storied isle. As he matured, Sciacca broadened his scope, signing up for four years of Italian language c...
Veterans Day Mass set for Pompeii
The Italian American War Veterans will host a special Mass in honor of Veterans Day at 11 a.m. on Nov. 7 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. During the Mass, friends and relatives will be invited to bring colored candles to the altar along with a card containing the name of deceased veterans. The names will be read aloud, and the candl...