Rochester Little Italy founder fighting health condition
The Little Italy Association of Rochester says it's temporarily suspending activities as its founder fights what it calls "a serious health condition." The association said in a statement Monday morning that Silvano Orsi, also the association's president, "is battling the end stages" of a health condition. "I remain positive and upbeat and I will b...
Rome Historical Society offers virtual program on Henry DiSpirito
Rome Historical Society, 200 Church St., will present Henry DiSpirito: Stonemason to Sculptor, a virtual program at facebook.com/romehistorical, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16. Ashley Hopkins-Benton will discuss the life, art and experiences of DiSpirito in Utica. Henry DiSpirito (1898-1995) was an Italian immigrant who came to Utica in 1921 from Cas...
The 1934 Fund - Preserve the Columbus Monument
In 1934, thousands of Italian Americans donated their nickels and dimes to erect a monument in downtown Syracuse, celebrating their successful assimilation as US citizens. The effort was inclusive before it was fashionable, involving Native Americans, Irish Americans, and others. The Columbus Monument - completely restored by private donations and...
Addio al Professore Giuseppe Fortuna, fondatore dell’Associazione Lucani a NY
In coincidenza con la giornata dei Lucani nel Mondo (22 maggio), è venuto a mancare a New York il professore Giuseppe Fortuna, fondatore dell’Associazione dei Lucani a NYC e poi successivamente della federazione dei Lucani in Usa. “Il suo grande acume – spiega Luigi Scaglione, Presidente del Centro Studi Internazionali Lucani nel Mondo, che lo avev...
Review: The rituals of a Brooklyn Catholic community
There is good news as well as some less cheerful tidings in Lifeblood of the Parish: Men and Catholic Devotion in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, an ethnographic look at Italian-American communal rituals in New York. The author conducted years of fieldwork at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brooklyn, and the book focuses on the men who are...
Italian Cultural Center on Hertel Ave to open in August
The old building at the corner of Hertel and Delaware avenues is full of history. It's been closed since the early 2000's, but one group has been working to bring culture back to this corner. “This is for Buffalo. Buffalo has been generous to welcome me and to welcome many many immigrants and this is our gift to Buffalo and our community," said Dr....
“Festa della Repubblica”: How Italy Became a Republic
Tuesday, June 1, 7 to 9 pm. REGISTER HERE. Presented by Francesco Ranci, organized by Casa Belvedere. The “Festa della Repubblica” is celebrated on June 2nd because on that very day, in 1946, the Italian people went to the polls. For the first time after 20 years of Fascism, after World War II had largely destroyed the country, they had an importan...
More than a “Little Star!” Spotlight on The Elegants’ Vito Picone
In 1956, Vito Picone, a teenager in Staten Island, NY, started his own vocal group, The Elegants. By 1958, the group’s signature song, “Little Star,” rocketed up the Billboard charts to become the #1 song in the nation. Soon, Vito and The Elegants began touring the country with some of the greatest names in rock ’n roll history. Later on, Vito cont...
Little Italy shop owner looks to save business amid family tragedy
The owner of a beloved Italian-American gift shop that has been in business for more than 100 years is desperately looking to stay afloat at a time when the pandemic has delivered a blow both to his shop and to his family. Ernie Rossi recently returned to E. Rossi and Co, located on Grand St in the heart of Little Italy, for the first time in more...
Celebrating Dante Alighieri: Spectacular Illustrations of Dante’s Inferno
Tuesday, May 25. 7 to 9 pm EDT. Presented by Dr. Snjezana Smodlaka. Organized by Casa Belvedere. REGISTER HERE. Much has been said about the great influence and impact that Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece – Divine Comedy – had on the Italian language and on Italian and world literature. Dante’s decision to write not in Latin, but in the dialect of hi...
First-time filmmakers net rare Tribeca film fest nod
It’s unusual for first-time filmmakers to be recognized by a high-profile international film festival but such is the case with Cecilia Pignocchi and Arthur Couvat. Their debut work, “Grottaroli,” is in the official lineup of the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival’s Shorts Program. Set along the Adriatic Coast, the 14-minute film follows a group of veteran...
A New Little Italy Emerges In Brooklyn's South Slope
The areas known as “Little Italy” abound in the United States from coast to coast. The individual locations are Italian-American enclaves established in cities where immigrants settled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The food typically reflects this heritage, as well, with menus offering the staples inspired by the immigrant experience o...