A Day of Devotion on Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The pews of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Williamsburg were packed July 16 as Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio celebrated a bilingual Mass honoring the parish feast day in English and Italian. “Today is a day that those devotees of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are really, very happy,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “It’s her feast day. It’s a day that they show th...
Times Square si specchia nel video di Federico Solmi
Times Square non è altro che un’intersezione di strade dove il bombardamento della pubblicità trova il suo apice. Luogo dalla visibilità esponenziale, quotidianamente rimbalzata dalle migliaia di immagini postate sui social dalle folle di turisti che compiono il pellegrinaggio alla mecca del consumismo, Times Square è un luminoso firmamento di marc...
Led by Disability Rights Pioneer Nadina LaSpina, Disability Pride Parade rocks NYC for fifth consecutive year
Many thousands of people with disabilities and our allies endured oppressive heat July 14 to march, roll, ride and scoot in the streets of New York City for the fifth annual parade to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 29 years ago. Italian-American immigrant and wheelchair user Nadina LaSpina, a Grand Marshall of...
Bensonhurst’s last Italian record store tells the story of a community
Ilario Bianchi opens the door of S.A.S. Italian Records and heads straight to the back of the store to snag a copy of his favorite weekly Italian magazine: Cronaca Vera. At the counter, Louise Baslie is naming all her family members who need cornicelli, Italian amulets that protect against the evil eye. Italian opera from surrounding speakers is se...
Obit: ‘Hair magician’ Rino Pirro, owner of Maddison Avenue hair salon, made ‘everyone feel like a best friend’
The first thing you noticed about Rino Pirro was his looks — he looked like that famous Italian-American fashion model with the long flowing hair. "He was our Fabio, that's for sure," said former CHCH anchor Connie Smith, who added that the hairstylist laughed at the comparison, and he chuckled at pictures of Fabio given to him by friends with his...
Local pol named grand marshal of 43rd annual Santa Rosalia feast
The feast in honor of Santa Rosalia has become a much-anticipated event in the Bensonhurst community. It’s a time to honor the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily with live entertainment, music, rides, games, food and drinks. Among the delicacies will be zeppole, rice balls and freshly-made brick oven pizza. Sponsored by Figli di Santa Rosalia, a membe...
'Rigoletto' In Vegas And The Pleasures Of The Metropolitan Opera
Maybe you have opera jokes. We did. When the Pop Culture Happy Hour team planned a trip to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, we grudgingly served up to each other our dusty old gags about Bugs Bunny and helmets with horns and Pretty Woman and ... have we left anything out? We chose to see Rigoletto, precisely because it's a classic. It's real, ha...
We went to Italy to find out how real Italians say mozzarella, calamari and other popular foods
Finally, one of the biggest debates in the history of Staten Island can be put to rest: How do you say mozzarella? The borough has a proud Italian-American population that loves to share its food and culture with us. And while no one complains about the food, some question how these delicious eats are actually pronounced. The correction pronunciati...
Little Italy Historic District Receives National Media Attention
Rochester’s Little Italy Historic District and Lyell Avenue Corridor received national attention in the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) “Ambassador Magazine”, distributed to over 25 million people across the country. The new article features Rochester’s popular Little Italy Festival, and Italian-owned businesses in the Lyell corridor,...
Actor Vincent Pastore celebrated at Saturday block party in Gravesend
The neighborhood was out in force outside Our Lady of Grace Church on Saturday, July 13 to celebrate actor Vincent Pastore birthday a little early at an old-fashioned Brooklyn block party. Hosted by Gravesend-born actor and filmmaker William DeMeo and Michelle Frantzeskos’s Entertainment and Consultant Inc., there was food, music and dancing aplent...
Local resident reflects on his part in Apollo 11 mission 50 years later
Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lewis Iuliucci, the grandson of Italian immigrants that were processed through Ellis Island in the early 1900s, was taught that with hard work he could achieve the American dream — the prosperous life his family braved dangerous seas to seek. “We were very, very poor and living in a melting-pot Brooklyn neighborhood w...
Italian Festival this weekend in Utica
St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church in Utica is holding the annual Italian festival this weekend. The Italian food is made right at the church. Options include pasta, pizza, mushroom stew, sausage and peppers, and rice balls. Well festival Co-Chairman Joe Briggs believes the festival has the best food in Utica, the purpose has a lot more importance to...