Dec. 24 declared Franco Harris Day in City of Pittsburgh
Christmas Eve is officially “Franco Harris Day” in the City of Pittsburgh, Mayor Ed Gainey announced. “50 years ago today Franco Harris made the immaculate reception and led the way to the Steelers winning 4 Super Bowls,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “Today we honor not just his talents on the field, but his success off of it. Pittsburgh will always remem...
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and NJ guy Dino Danelli from the Rascals Dead at 78
Dino Danelli had an amazing creative career. He was born in Jersey City to an Italian American family and by the time he was 17 he had played drums for jazz legend Lionel Hampton then took the train south and ended up playing soul, blues and R & B in New Orleans. He found a band that he liked, convinced them to come back to Jersey and played around...
Franco Harris’ parents were why his fans called themselves Italian Army
Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Fame running back, has passed away at age 79. Here’s a look at the NFL icon’s family and parents. Back in the day, Franco’s fans banded together and called themselves Franco’s Italian Army. They also wore World War II-inspired helmets with text written on them, to support the star. However, Franco’s paren...
NFL legend Franco Harris, known for Immaculate Reception, dead at 72
Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back who was known for making a miraculous grab in the AFC Divisional Playoffs against the Oakland Raiders in 1972, has died. He was 72. Harris’ death came days before the Steelers were set to retire his No. 32 jersey and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the "Immaculate Reception" at Acri...
“It’ll Take an Army” Franco’s Italian Army Fifty Years Later
At the end of each calendar year, we reflect on the events of the past 12 months, noting the moments that stand out. Sometimes we look back farther into our shared history and recall the decades, acknowledging milestone events. This year the region reflects on one of the most exciting plays in NFL history, the “Immaculate Reception,” which celebrat...
Running in the Fast Lane
In the sport of cross-country running (XC), very few Italian Americans have made a mark. Indeed, looking down the list of this year's NCAA XC Men's Championship race, held in late November at Oklahoma University, very few Italian-American names appear. (This finding is based on identifiable surnames or other, personal sources.) The championship rac...
Come Celebrate Italian Space in D.C.
The Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C. in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Space Agency, cordially welcomes space industry players and shareholders to attend a full day of celebrating Italy’s “National Space Day” and exploring new opportunities. The activities are planned for Thursday, December 15th. The whole morning w...
‘La Traviata’ at SOPAC: ‘It’s the opera I’ve connected to the most,’ says conductor Jason Tramm
When it comes to making music, conductor Jason C. Tramm throws himself into a little bit of everything. I don’t bother asking him why. It’d be like asking the sun why it shines. He’s just doing what he was born to do. His calendar has returned to pre-pandemic levels after nearly three years of COVID-19 cancellations. “There’s so much going on and I...
Luca Costabile nearly didn’t join Maryland men’s soccer. He’s now one of its key cogs.
Maryland men’s soccer’s Luca Costabile didn’t know anything about college soccer in June. He played for an academy in his home country of Denmark and spent a year in the fourth division of Italy before former teammates who made the switch to the United States convinced him to listen to offers from American colleges. Costabile signed to a recruiting...
Anthony Rodia: The Road Rage Tour Coming to the bergenPAC
A first-generation Italian-American born and raised in Westchester, NY, Anthony Rodia came out of the womb making people laugh. With over 900,000 social media followers and over 22 million YouTube views, audiences love Rodia’s candidness about his personal life and razor-sharp observations on marriage, parenthood, road rage, and everything else wor...
'Yo Adrian! I did it!': Philadelphia sees thousands channel Rocky Balboa in the Rocky Run
Thousands of runners in Philadelphia channeled their inner Rocky Balboa Saturday, participating in the Rocky Run. Runners took to the streets to have the chance to complete a 5K, 10K or the full Italian Stallion half-marathon. The run, inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s infamous city run in the Rocky films, will see all proceeds from this year’s even...
Birth of The New Biccari in Philadelphia
When: Sat, November 19, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST - Where: History of Italian Immigration Museum 1834 East Passyunk Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19148 Birth of New Biccari in Philadelphia is a bilingual book (Italian & English) that tells the story of a select family of Italian immigrants from the Comune di Biccari (Italy - Region of Puglia; Pro...