Leslie Gigliotti (President of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America)
In the Italian American community, where traditions are a fundamental part of the rich cultural heritage that those who are part of it proudly claim, folklore has a particular importance, which is sometimes difficult to understand here from Italy, where we unfortunately often neglect the importance of our traditions. The Italian Folk Art Federation...
Alberto Zamperla (President of Zamperla Inc.)
America has always appreciated the creativity, ingenuity and manual skills of the Italians. These are qualities that have allowed many Italians to emigrate to the US, work hard, prove their skills, find their way, be successful. It has happened in every field, and the person we host today on We the Italians is a living example of this. Alberto Zamp...
Vicky Carabini (Chair of the Italian Studies Council at Chapman University)
Sometimes, (virtually) wandering around the United States getting to now Italian American leaders, I end up meeting somebody who really is committed to promote and celebrate the Italian culture, our language, our values. I live in Italy, and for me it is always incredibly inspiring to see how much love there is for my country, outside of it. Today...
Robert J. DiBiase (Chairman of the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission)
Sometimes I’m lucky to meet great Italian Americans spread all over the country, who show their passion about Italy, their commitment about celebrating and representing the Italian American community, their loyalty to both the nations they belong to, America and Italy. Today we have with us one of these fine gentlemen, Robert J. DiBiase. Bob is the...
Mario Messina (Author of the book "From Mad Milano to Mad Man")
There are several sectors of the economy in which the United States is a world leader. One of these is undoubtedly that of advertising, which brings with it the fundamental link with the world of commerce. In the golden age of Madison Avenue, New York, the history of commercial communication was made. The guest of this interview is one of the prota...
Marco Gualtieri (Founder of "Seeds&Chips")
Italy is the greatest food and wine superpower of the planet: it's hard to find somebody who disagrees with this statement. But food is not just nourishment: food is culture, integration, dialogue and innovation. And, also from this point of view, Italy has excellences that look towards the future with leadership and talent. One of them is Marco Gu...
Ileana Disabato (Director of “On the road to Little Lucania”)
Let's go back to the topic of regional emigration and after Sicily, Abruzzo and Puglia, this time we talk about the emigration from Lucania (Basilicata) to America. We do this thanks to a documentary produced and realized, with the contribution of the Basilicata Region, by a young talented Lucanian, Ileana Disabato, whom we thank and to whom we giv...
Barbara Wolanin (Curator Emerita for the “Architect of the Capitol”)
When a fellow Italian like Constantino Brumidi gets to be called the “Michelangelo of the Capitol”, the readers of We the Italians understand that this is one of the topic that deserve to be addressed in an interview. This is why we are honored and grateful to have with us Dr. Barbara Wolanin, Ph.D. in art history, Curator Emerita (from 1985 to 201...
Lorenzo Ortona (Italian Consul General in San Francisco)
San Francisco has always been an important location for the Italian emigration. History is mixed with innovation, and both tell the story of how Italian hard work and creativity are rewarded by the entrepreneurial spirit that finds a perfect welcome in San Francisco and its surroundings. Consul Lorenzo Ortona heads the Italian Consulate General in...
John Gennari (Author of the book “Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge”)
There’s a very interesting book called “Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge”, which tells very well about an important aspect of the Italian American experience. The relationship between the Italian Americans and the African Americans reveals more than one could think, about how the Italian Americans integrated into the A...
Mary Menniti (Founder of The Italian Garden Project)
The Italians who arrived in America during the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and then also those who came after the Second World War, had some very precise characteristics. They were poor. They were used to a lot of work. They were able to do extraordinary things with their hands. They were willing to live off what they...
Joseph Rizzi (FIAO Brooklyn Director of External Affairs)
Historically, Brooklyn has always been a very popular destination for the Italian emigration to the US. Many places in Brooklyn were and some of them still are populated by many Italians. Now that this borough is getting cooler and cooler, it still is fundamental for the narration of the Italians in New York. The Federation of Italian American Orga...