Bill Ronayne’s books, lectures and museum dedicated to the Lanza legacy
Bill Ronayne was just 7 when he became a fan of Mario Lanza, the tenor who was born in South Philadelphia in 1921 and made the cover of Time in 1951, when he starred in “The Great Caruso.” That fandom continues – even more so – today, with Ronayne semiretired and devoted to Lanza as president of the Mario Lanza Institute and Museum in Philadelphia,...
Italian stonemasons left mark on Bramwell
Guiglielmin Peraldo immigrated to America to earn money for his family back home in Piedicavallo, Italy. He was one of several stonemasons in his hometown in Piedmont, on the Swiss border. Unfortunately, he lost his life July 27, 1892, in a fall from a high stone column while working on a railroad trestle at Gauley Bridge, W.Va. Peraldo’s death lef...
Rehoboth nears installation of Italian terracotta fountain
Years in the making, a terracotta fountain from Italian artist Enzo Zago is expected to be installed in Rehoboth Beach’s Garden of the Navigators shortly after the new year. The city made the announcement on its Facebook page Dec. 21. Sposato recently poured the concrete pad, and the fountain is scheduled to be placed and plantings installed by ear...
New Italian Eatery Yubi’s 78 Restaurant Opens in Jersey City
A new eatery is filling a somewhat surprising void in Journal Square’s dining scene as Yubi’s 78 Restaurant has marked the latest revitalization along Newark Avenue. Last month, the lights finally went back on at 578 Newark Avenue. The space has long been dark despite its prominent location; the previous tenant was Choices Pasta & Salad, and they h...
Italian American stereotypes rise alongside Tommy DeVito's popularity
Tommy DeVito has become an Italian American icon in the New Jersey area, but not all the attention has been positive. Social media has been flooded with Goodfellas and Sopranos references that enforce negative stereotypes — and it has angered some Italians. Ralph Contini, the national president of UNICO, an Italian American service organization, ha...
Pasta Flavio Italian Restaurant Celebrates Grand Opening in Livingston
Pasta Flavio—an Italian restaurant specializing in homemade pasta dishes and offering daily BYOB dine-in, takeout and delivery services—celebrated the grand opening of its Livingston location at 55 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue with a commemorative ribbon cutting on Thursday afternoon. Members of the Livingston Township Council and Livingston Area Chamber...
Union Celebrates Italian Heritage
DC 37 members and activists joined union leaders to celebrate the history and heritage of Italian-Americans and rejoice in being together in the first Italian Heritage Committee-sponsored public event since the pandemic. The 25th Annual Italian Heritage Month Celebration was an opportunity for members and guests to come together for fun and fellows...
Rhode Island Region Of The National Organization Of Italian American Women (Noiaw) Announce 2024 Wise Women
The Rhode Island Region of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW) will hold its annual signature event, Epiphany Celebration, Honoring Three Wise Women, a lively luncheon and awards ceremony, on Saturday, 20 January 2024, at 11:30 am at Cafe’ Nuovo in Providence.Three Wise Women, Rhode Island Entrepreneurs, will be honored for...
The D.C. area’s best Italian food, according to local Italian Americans
In Italian culture, mealtime is sacred. Sitting at a table and eating wholesome food with the people you love creates a healthy mind and body, says Francesca Krieg-Casazza, executive director of the Italian Cultural Society of D.C., and herself Genoan. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are opportunities to build community, be mindful of the body and shar...
Board OKs Church Removal, 6 Homes In Asbury Park
Demolition of Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Asbury Park may take place soon as the legal battle over the fate of the landmark church comes to an end. The city Planning Bard voted this week to approve the plan to remove the church and build six new single family homes on the site at Second Avenue and Bond Street. The Planning Board had reject...
Italian American Photographer Unveils His 1950s-Era Perspective of Pittsburgh
Michael Rosella, a member of the St. Jude Lodge of the ISDA, published a monograph of his photographic works entitled Pittsburgh Streets 1950s. The book was released in November with a book signing event at the Heinz History Center, which is part of the Smithsonian. The center’s Italian American Program sponsored the event as an evening in conversa...
Longtime Ocean County Leader Vicari Bids Farewell To Public Office
He’s been a fixture in county politics for more than four decades and his name was conspicuously absent from the ballot this year in the slot of Ocean County Commissioner. Joseph H. Vicari, the longest serving freeholder/commissioner in the state, is saying farewell. He first became freeholder in 1982. His sunset from public office however comes wi...