St. Ann's Italian Festa in Raritan returning this summer after five-year-hiatus
After five years without pizza fritte, meatballs, breaded eggplant and sausage and peppers, the beloved St. Ann's Italian Festa is returning in Raritan Borough. The free-admission festival that normally attracts about 2,000 people per day and sells out of food will return for its 115th running June 20-22. Although in the past the Festa has been a f...
‘It was a beautiful place to grow up’: Danny DeVito shares his Shore memories
Though Danny DeVito has lived in Los Angeles for decades, he’s always called Asbury Park home. The proud Jersey native still prefers watching sunrises on the Shore rather than in California. And the love is reciprocal: In 2018, Asbury Park declared Nov. 17 (the actor’s birthday) as Danny DeVito Day. Before his unforgettable roles in Taxi, It’s Alwa...
Italians in America – Our Immigrant Stories: From the ‘other side of the tracks’ to inspiring others, educator’s aim is helping youths
As the firstborn son in the family, Fred Cappello’s father originally named him Salvatore after his grandfather. But his mother deeply wanted her son to “blend in” so she paid a nun 50 cents to change his name to Frederick. This wasn’t the first name change the family faced, although not at Ellis Island as one may think, but at St. Philomena’s elem...
NJ Assembly names Jerry Recco Italian-American Sportscaster of the Year
Days after Gregg Giannotti was named Italian-American of the Year in conjunction with Italian-American Day, Jerry Recco got a surprise at our Kickoff to Summer in Belmar: the New Jersey legislature has made a proclamation naming him Italian-American Sportscaster of the Year! NJ Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger was on hand to give our Jerry the hono...
Father-Daughter Duo Find Recipe For Success At Hillsborough Family Pizzeria & Ristorante
Family and food have always been at the heart of Salvatore "Sal" Anzalone's business Joe's Family Pizzeria & Ristorante in Hillsborough, NJ. Now his daughter Ylenia is following in his footsteps and poised to take over the restaurant at 856 Route 206 in Hillsborough. "I am the only one carrying the family legacy," said Ylenia to Patch. Sal was born...
Italy and US coordinate on Indo-Pacific strategy ahead of G7
The Rome-Washington dialogue. On Tuesday, a delegation from the Italian Foreign Ministry, led by Secretary General Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, convened in Washington to discuss issues related to the Indo-Pacific region. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell led the US delegation, including diplomats and officials from the Pentagon and the Nati...
Italian-American Dignitaries and Scholars Honored by the Sons of Italy Foundation at 35th Annual Gala
Leaders in public service, business, arts, and humanitarianism were honored at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. on Thursday by the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) at its 35th Annual National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala, celebrating the region of Sicily. The SIF awarded 16 scholarships of at l...
‘It’s never too late’: Temple offers adult study abroad in Rome
Have you ever looked back at your college experience and wished you had studied abroad? Thanks to Temple University’s Adult Study Abroad, it’s not too late. The program, established in 2019, offers a unique opportunity for adults to study in Rome. And Temple is the only university in the country to offer such a program. “While many American unive...
Where customers can wear whatever they want, including the marinara
It’s uncommon in South Jersey to find a restaurant where the owner is also the executive chef, unless of course, you’re at Allora. Based in Marlton, Mark Berenato’s 130-seat Italian eatery is a South Jersey Magazine Golden Fork winner and was dubbed a “real deal Italian restaurant” by nj.com. It must be in Berenato’s blood. His maternal grandmother...
The Filangieri-Franklin Correspondence: A 240-Year Long Discourse Between Italy and the U.S.
The Italian Program (Department of World Languages & Cultures) and the Coccia Institute were thrilled to collaborate with the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in welcoming Professor Amedeo Arena (from the University of Naples “Federico II”) to campus! Americans may know of Benjamin Franklin’s friendship with Filippo Mazzei and the impact...
Mercer County Italian American Festival Association Awards Scholarships to Area Students
The Mercer County Italian American Festival Association (MCIAFA) held its annual scholarship awards dinner on Monday, at Leonardi's II in Lawrenceville. This year's scholarship recipients were: Colleen Elizabeth Smith, Notre Dame, attending Monmouth University; Enea Meloni, Princeton High School, attending Fairfield University; and Joseph Anthony C...
Philadelphia's Frank Rizzo statue may return to supporters
The people who paid for the Frank L. Rizzo sculpture removed from Center City in 2020 say they're close to having it returned, pending settlement of a long-running lawsuit. The bronze monument of Philadelphia's former mayor and police commissioner remains a divisive symbol, and its removal was among the most visible changes sparked by racial justic...