Carpe Diem: Sandra Giordano, Montclair State Alumna, Educator, and Visionary Leader Reaches for the Stars
Sandra Giordano, a proud alumna of Montclair State University, former teacher and dedicated principal, heads the groundbreaking Heart of ARC and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) partnership. Heart of ARC, formerly known as Immaculate Heart of Mary School, is an organization formed after the school’s closure to continue foste...
Want to learn more about Italian American culture? Author, historian Longo to speak
Many communities across Somerset County have a strong Italian-American heritage, and All Saints parish invites to attend a presentation by an Italian-American author and historian. Stephanie Longo, an assistant professor at Penn State-Scranton and an expert in the Italian-American history of Northeastern Pennsylvania, will speak at 2 p.m. Sunday at...
The Sinatra Walking Tour: Hoboken With Ol’ Blue Eyes Himself
When most people think about Hoboken they think of Ol’ Blue Eyes: Frank Sinatra, the “kid from Hoboken who got the breaks,” as writer Bruce Bliven coined him. All over the Mile Square, tributes pay homage to this musical and historical legend, as Hoboken was his birthplace and where he found his fame. The city is decorated with all things Sinatra f...
Plainfields’ Chapter of UNICO Fundraising Dinner will Benefit Local Charities
Marisa Tufaro’s paternal grandmother prepared wonderful Italian pasta dinners. On any given Sunday, the aroma of meatballs, sausage, and braciole simmering on the stove for hours in homemade gravy (sauce) filled the house. As preparation for the main course neared its end, family members would whet their palates with mozzarella, prosciutto, and Ita...
Nutella sourced in NJ: Rutgers gets $170K for exciting hazelnut research
Imagine opening a jar of Nutella, harvested from hazelnuts grown in the Garden State. That’s an ultimate vision of Rutgers University researchers working with a $170,000 research grant from Ferrero Group. The Italian-based company, which also owns Ferrero Rocher, announced the funds in November to be disbursed over a four-year span. That was in add...
Mike Longabardi, a longtime NBA assistant, faces head-coaching challenge with Delaware Blue Coats: ‘You want to see if you can do it’
Over a decade ago, Nick Nurse and Mike Longabardi took a walk in Venice. There may even have been a boat ride through the Italian city’s iconic canals. They needed a break while working the Adidas Eurocamp, where about a half-dozen NBA assistant coaches helped prospects being scouted for the upcoming draft. Yet even while immersed in such a pristin...
New N.J. Italian restaurant is latest gem hidden in a strip mall
If you’re dining at a restaurant owned by the Bitici family, chances are you’re in for a treat. Such is the case with Amerigo in Berkeley Heights. The spawn of restaurant veterans and brothers Ilir and and Mentor Bitici, their latest endeavor is all about elevating classic Italian-American dishes. Fiorino, the family’s outpost in Summit focuses on...
Parents were blueprint for her life as a builder – of big projects, relationships and dreams
The National Constitution Center, the Eagles Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field), Cira Center, Sysco, 10 Rittenhouse, schools in Philadelphia and Margate, a race track, casinos and 13 pages of other projects, airports, condos, hotels and high rises, illuminate the force of nature that is Carol Tamburino. Her life’s work is mortar to our region’s foun...
Italian American Podcast Episode. 351: From Filmmaking to Blogging, Margaret Fontana does it all!
Discover the evolution of Italian-American cultural expression and how we aim to reshape the narrative around our vibrant community. We welcomed the iconic Margaret Fontana to discuss her blog and the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission she is part of. In our discussions, you can hear how we bring together voices and stories highlighting our tre...
John Capodice dies: ‘Ace Ventura’ & ‘General Hospital’ Italian American actor was 83
John Capodice, an acting veteran whose credits included Ryan’s Hope, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, General Hospital and Seinfeld, died December 30. He was 83. The announcement was made on the website of the New Jersey Pizzi Funeral Home and did not list a cause of death. The funeral home called Capodice “a devoted husband, father and grandfather who...
To master mason Giovanni Sassone, the past and future are carved in stone
Master stonemason Giovanni Sassone wanted to be a doctor or a police officer, and he has a kidding personality that would work in standup comedy. But his masonry career is in his blood. “I am honoring my great-grandfather,” stonemason Salvatore Giovanni Cantera. When arriving from Abruzzo in 1898, Salvatore brought with him 20 stonemasons, some blo...
“A Citizen of All Places, Contemporary of All Ages”: A Volume Celebrates the Legacy of Neapolitan Enlightenment Philosopher Gaetano Filangieri
Edited by Professor Amedeo Arena of the University of Naples Federico II – the Italian university celebrating its 800th anniversary this year – the book Cittadino di tutti i luoghi, contemporaneo di tutte l’età: l’universalità del pensiero di Filangieri brings together essays by legal scholars, historians, and philosophers, exploring the universal...