Eye-popping St. Joseph altars are a Sicilian tradition in New Orleans from the 1800s
The Sicilian tradition recalls a drought in the late 1800s that left people starving. They prayed for the intercession of St. Joseph. After the rains came, to show their gratitude to him, they prepared a table with a special assortment of foods they had harvested. The food then was distributed to the less fortunate. That tradition, which comprises...
It was a lucky day for St. Charles when Ron Onesti strolled into town
When Ron Onesti strolled into our service club meeting in 2005, my first reaction was this guy looked like the type who hung around my old neighborhood in Chicago. There was no way to know that 20 years later, it would be clear he was this area’s “Greatest Showman.” Onesti was making his rounds at Tri-Cities area service clubs that year to introduc...
Elon Musk’s DOGE department freezes NATO base payments in Italy
The United States Government Efficiency Department (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has blocked the business payment cards of employees at the NATO base in Aviano, northern Italy, which is managed by American forces. According to the newspaper Il Messaggero, only one dollar was left on the cards. The Italian newspaper reported that 60 civilian employees'...
Celebrate National Meatball Day At These Upstate NY Restaurants!
What a pleasure to highlight some pretty epic meatballs found across Upstate New York. Lucky for me, the National Food Calendar says that we should celebrate the "mighty meatball" on March 9 every year. So lets do it. I have eaten at all of these places over my many years as a food journalist, author, and Upstate New York road warrior. And thes...
50 years after being governor, Ella Grasso still inspires women
Ella Grasso spent much of her political career as one of only a handful of women in the room. She changed Connecticut politics in 1974, though, when she was the first woman to be elected governor in this state. “She not only proved that a woman could do the job, she made everybody know that a woman could do the job,” said Barbara Kennelly, a longti...
The reform of Italian artistic, musical, and dance education: honoring a marvelous past and looking toward a promising future
The Italian Government has established new rules for the rationalization and updating of the artistic and disciplinary sectors of Higher Artistic, Musical, and Dance Education in Italy. The revision and reorganization of these sectors have allowed for the optimization of their structure and the updating of content and profiles in light of new needs...
50 years of Profondo Rosso: Dario Argento’s masterpiece that redefined horror
Today, March 7th, Dario Argento’s iconic Profondo Rosso celebrates its 50th anniversary. Released on March 7th 1975, the film is widely considered a milestone in the world horror genre, setting new standards for style, technique, and storytelling. Often hailed as a masterpiece, Profondo Rosso is renowned for its fusion of giallo and supernatura...
Charles Marsala to be Italian Grand Marshall of Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade
We the Italians Ambassador, Charles Marsala, has been chosen to be the Italian Grand Marshall of the 2025 Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade. He holds several national positions in various Italian Heritage Organizations. President: American-Italian Federation of the Southeast; Divisional Vice-President: Conference of Presidents of Major Italian America...
Another discovery from the collaboration between Italy and the US, this time about pancreatic cancer
At the root of pancreatic cancer’s aggressiveness is a particular transformation that pancreatic cells undergo, making them capable, even in the early stages of the disease, of forming metastases and resisting therapy. This is what researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, led by Giannicola Genovese, discovered in a study published...
Italian American John Giordano Sworn In As 64th U.S. Attorney For District Of New Jersey
A native of Burlington County, Mr. Giordano brings a depth of high-level experience from both the public and private sectors. His career includes extensive work within the Department of Justice as Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the...
Babbo Italian Eatery raises over $200,000 for cancer research
At the Baseball for Babbo Day of Giving on Feb. 26, the community raised $203,501 to support pancreatic cancer research. Babbo Italian Eatery donated 100% of the profits from dine-in and take out, catering and gift card purchases, as well as proceeds from a raffle and auction featuring autographed MLB memorabilia to the Seena Magowitz Foundation, b...
New horizons of classical music at the Embassy of Italy in Washington
The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, inaugurated last night at the Embassy a series of four evenings dedicated to Italian music in Washington, in collaboration with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Gianandrea Noseda. Composer Nicola Campogrande, publishe...