St. Anthony relic adds special significance to North End feast
It's not hard to get a saint through airport security, says Franciscan Father Alessandro Ratti. Father Ratti, a Conventional Franciscan friar from the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, travels throughout the world with a first-class relic of the saint -- a floating rib bone, taken from St. Anthony's body when it was exhumed for scientific study in...
Italian Festival In Avon (CT) To Please Palates And Ears Alike
One of the most notable aspects of Italian culture is the food, which anyone can attest is delicious, filling, and beloved. In Avon this Friday and Saturday, Italian food and culture will be on full display at the 2025 Prince Thomas of Savoy's "La Festa Italiana." The two-day festival of food, entertainment, and culture will take place at the It...
Dante Society of Westerly readies for October Gala, honors founders
In a full circle moment, Elizabeth "Liz" McFarland Santoro will be honored later this year when the Dante Society of Westerly celebrates it's 50th anniversary year with a banquet at The Haversham House. The society, which was established in 1975 "to preserve, promote and foster the community’s awareness of the Italian culture," is known for giving...
Vandalism reported at Columbus monument in Waltham Common
The Christopher Columbus monument on Waltham Common was defaced with red paint sometime between Thursday night and early Friday morning. The Italian American Alliance reported the incident, noting that the statue has been vandalized multiple times since 2018. Erected in 1992 to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the New World, the...
New mural celebrates Italian heritage in Springfield’s south end, MA
A new mural celebrating Italian heritage was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Italian Cultural Center in Springfield’s south end. The mural, titled ‘Sunday Dinner,’ was painted by artist Eric Okdeh in collaboration with Common Wealth Murals. It depicts four generations of an Italian family sharing a meal, with all models being membe...
Working Granite: Italian Stonecutters and Their Union
Stonecutters known for quarrying marble in Carrara, Italy immigrated to Hallowell to work in Maine’s granite industry, starting in the 1870s. Immigrants from many countries worked in Maine quarries, and by 1901, American and immigrant stoneworkers numbered over 3,500 people in 152 quarries across Maine. Skilled carvers turned Maine granite into var...
Protests as city crews paint over Italian flag street lines in Newton
Stripes painted in the Italian flag colors on one street in Newton, Massachusetts, are continuing to create controversy between residents and the city. The green, white and red colors had adorned the center of Adams Street for 90 years but were suddenly replaced with a traditional double yellow line back in June. Families say they had no heads up,...
100th Annual Italian Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian coming soon
It’s that time of year again when the streets of East Cambridge (MA) will come alive for the 100th Annual Grand Italian Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian on September 4, 5, 6 & 7 on Warren, Cambridge and Porter Streets in East Cambridge. The four-day fun family event features a wide variety of sweet and savory food, a beer garden, amusement rides,...
YWCA RI Welcomes New Leadership: Lisa Piscatelli steps into Executive Director role
YWCA Rhode Island is proud to announce the appointment of Italian American Lisa Piscatelli as its next Executive Director, bringing over a decade of YWCA experience and a distinguished record of executive leadership to the role. Lisa, a Mansfield, Mass resident, will officially begin her new position in September. Lisa's deep-rooted commitment to t...
Frank Caprio, famed judge known for showing mercy, dies at 88
Frank Caprio, who served as a Providence, Rhode Island, municipal court judge for nearly 40 years and came to be known as “America’s nicest judge,” passed away on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer. “Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the...
Taste of Italy returns to Norwich (CT) on Sept. 6: 'We’re already getting excitement'
The pandemic got in the way of many events. However, overwhelming demand has brought one classic Norwich event back. The Taste of Italy returns to Howard T Brown Memorial Park on Sept. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. This year’s event will feature food from a dozen local Italian restaurants, including La Stella Pizzeria, Vocatura’s Bakery, Voc’s Westside Piz...
Calling All Italian Fest Fans, for a Good Cause
No doubt about it — the all-volunteer St. George Men's Group in Guilford (CT) has cornered the market on satisfying the shoreline, and beyond, when it comes to putting on a top-notch Italian Festival and raising funds to support good causes. That's why St. George Men's Group Vice President Jim Turcio is inviting folks from all points to come out an...