Annual Italian festival, St. Ann’s Feast, kicks off in Norwalk
Crowds gathered at Norwalk's St. Ann Club to enjoy live entertainment, pizza fritta and cannoli’s Friday. They kicked off this weekend's St. Ann's Feast, an annual Italian festival the club has celebrated more than 50 years. The event serves as the main fundraiser for the club and its local activism. Festival organizers invite local residents and t...
With plans to expand, Claudia’s Grinder Shop brings freshness and family to Farmington
For Claudia’s owner Michael Cirinna, it’s all about family. “We give a personal service and touch in Claudia’s,” he says. “You walk in a couple times and we get to know you. You’re not just a customer.” Claudia’s Grinder Shop built its success in caring for its customers, a product of its original owners, Cirinna’s parents, when they came to the Un...
Italian Festival In Enfield Returning For 97th Year
For the first time since 2019, residents of north-central Connecticut and western Massachusetts will soon be able to enjoy the full family-friendly festivities of the 97th annual Italian Festival, sponsored by the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society. The feast is slated for August 5-7. Gates are open from 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5-10 p.m. o...
Gary Vecchio, 68, vocal leader on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, has died
Gary Vecchio, head of the Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association and a well-known voice on issues in the city, died Monday after a brief battle with cancer. Vecchio, 68, was a lifelong Worcester resident who became an educator and a visible presence in city politics and matters relating to Shrewsbury Street. Vecchio would walk the neighborhood...
Lasagna Love To Deliver 10,000 Meals For National Lasagna Day
Lasagna, celebrated as one of America's most treasured comfort foods, has experienced a revolutionary rebirth since 2020. The unctuous, cheesy, and tomato-laden Italian classic, celebrated nationally each July 29 (National Lasagna Day), has become the primary vehicle through which simple acts of kindness are being delivered to neighbors in need, as...
Turning 105, Helen Marrese wishes again for one more year in Rockland
It's become an annual appeal to the great beyond, and so far Helen Marrese has prevailed. "Every time we hit a new birthday, she'll say, "Maybe one more year," Marrese's granddaughter Emilykate St. Jean, 52, said Sunday as Marrese celebrated her 105th birthday. "She woke up today and said, 'Next year I'll be 106.'" Marrese still lives in her own ho...
Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Donates to the Food Pantry
This month the Watertown Sons & Daughters of Italy Lodge Piave Fiume #1036, an affiliate Lodge of the National Order Sons of Italy in America, presented a check of $5,000 dollars to the Watertown Food Pantry, along with food items. The donation was made possible by hosting a comedy night fundraiser in June. Late February of 2022 the ceiling of the...
Saugus-raised Dario Pizzano still playing for love of baseball overseas in tournament
Dario Pizzano has been playing baseball continuously for 27 years, and now he’s ready for that next challenge in his life. The love of the game, however, has brought him back to the diamond for at least one more week this summer in the Haarlem Honkbalweek 2022 tournament, which is held every other year in Amsterdam. Pizzano is playing for Team Ital...
It will be Indigenous Peoples Day only in Portsmouth as Columbus Day is canceled
Acknowledging the history of city land, Portsmouth officials have pivoted to permanently recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and remove Columbus Day from the city calendar. A two-plus-year push from past and present Portsmouth High School students in We Speak, a club focused on social justice, achieved its goal Monday night. The Portsmouth City Counci...
All "Yale" Italians in Connecticut!
In most peoples’ minds, the state of Connecticut has very WASPy (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) associations: Yale University; “lace-curtain” wealthy families; and a Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (courtesy of Mark Twain, who once lived in Hartford). But did you know that, per capita and based on population, it is a state with the highest concentrati...
Danilo Gallinari reaches a two-year deal with Boston Celtics
After clearing waivers, Danilo Gallinari has found his new home in the NBA. The Italian forward has agreed with the Boston Celtics on a two-year $13.3 million deal, Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN reports. The deal also includes a fully guaranteed player option in the second year. On June 30th, Gallinari was traded from Atlanta Hawks to the San Antoni...
3 things to know about Giacomo Vrioni, the Revolution’s newly signed goal scorer
The Revolution announced the signing of 23-year-old forward Giacomo Vrioni from Italian club Juventus earlier this week on a Designated Player contract that runs through the 2025 MLS season (the deal also includes an additional one-year club option). In total, the transfer fee will reportedly cost New England around $4 million. According to Revolut...