West Haven to honor a couple for the first time as ‘Italian American of the Year’ for the Columbus Day celebration
By Mark Zaretsky This year's Columbus Day celebration is a two-fer. The Columbus Day Committee for the first time will honor a couple — Giuseppe "Pepe" DePalma and Teresa DePalma — as Italian-American of the Year Friday at the city's 18th annual Columbus Day celebration. The ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Main Str...
Anthony Renzullo celebrated as Torrington’s 2016 Italian Mayor of the Day
Anthony "Tony" Renzullo, a lifelong resident and proprietor of Carbone's Market, was celebrated Wednesday morning as the 2016 Italian Mayor of the Day. A small crowd of residents gathered in the Coe Memorial Park Civic Center to honor Renzullo, including Brian Mattiello, acting in his role as president of the Torrington chapter of UNICO Na...
'Crimetown' Episode 3 preview: Cianci faces down Patriarca, finds his passion
Vincent A. Cianci Jr. fought the mob, and the mob won. But the young prosecutor's courtroom showdown against Raymond L.S. Patriarca, crime boss of the New England mafia, ignited his interest in something bigger in 1974: City Hall, and the power to run the entire capital city. To get there, Cianci was going to have some help from shado...
Cooking school at Tuscan kitchen
Customers have dined at the award-winning Tuscan Kitchen restaurant (recently featured on the Food Network) and have sampled and shopped their way through Tuscan Market, the newest artisanal marketplace in New England which opened October 2012.
The intimate letters of Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo - January 10, 2015 at 2:00 pm
On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will hold the final lecture in a series of collection conversations to complement the "Donatello, Michelangelo, Cellini: Sculptors' Drawings from Renaissance Italy" exhibition. This half-hour gallery discussion, led by Carmen Bambach and Ramie Targoff, will explore one of the works...
Brockton's Sons of Italy Lodge to host line-dancing event Saturday
Local residents can put on their dancing shoes for a line-dancing event at the historic War Memorial Building on Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Sons of Italy Christopher Columbus Lodge No. 216 of Brockton, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Building, 156 West Elm St. Lestyn of Lestyn dance studio will teach pa...
Homegrown verismo
George Scigliano was the first Italian American elected to public office in Boston. His story was brought to life by Steven Puleo in "The Boston Italians." As Puleo notes, Scigliano fought hard to end the exploitation of Italian immigrants through the corrupt padrone system. His death inspired the unsuccessful effort by James Donnaruma to...
Graduation Congratulations to Christina Pellino
Frank Pellino, chef/owner of Pellino's Ristorante on Prince Street in the North End, shares a proud moment with his daughter, Christina Pellino, as she graduates from Seton Hall University School of Law. While in law school, Christina was Vice President of the Italian-American Society, President of the Tax Law Society, and a Comments Edito...
West Springfield UNICO to celebrate 50th Anniversary with Gala
West Springfield UNICO was formed 50 years ago in 1966. To commemorate the milestone, West Springfield UNICO will host a 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Storrowton Carriage House in West Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday, October 14, 2016. Dinner will be served at 7:00 PM, preceded by a social hour and hors doeurves beginning at 6:00 PM. Mus...
From Italy to New Haven and beyond: Generations gather annually to celebrate family
More than a century ago, Francesco Vollono left Italy and the poverty in his hometown outside Naples for a new life in America. Joined by his wife, Annunziata, and their three children in 1905, they were part of the early wave of immigrants who took up residence in Wooster Square Five generations of their descendants, led by their grandda...
CCSU to salute Sinatra
Central Connecticut State University on Sunday will celebrate how Frank Sinatra did it his way. The school's Italian Resource Center and the Elihu Burritt Library will host "A Touch of Sinatra," a musical show about the life and music of the singer. Written and narrated by Joe Gilligan, the program features performances by Donnie Fararro. "A...
Italian-American Festival Opening Night Rocks Southington
by E. Richard Fortunato "It's a fantastic opening night, possibly a record breaking turnout, certainly the biggest in memory", said Italian-American Festival Chairman, Bill DellaVecchia. Co-chair, Bob Triano echoed the sentiments enthusiastically and said, "With the uncertainty of the cool and rainy morning, the weather shifted to very comfortable...