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Brooklyn's Columbus Day Parade marched its way through Bensonhurst on Saturday. The annual event has been a tradition for more than 40 years. Italian flags were waved proudly, both from behind barricades and out of sports cars. Hundreds marched up 18th Avenue, or Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard, to Il Centro Community Center, the city's first Italian-...

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The beloved Feast of Santa Rosalia, named after the Patron Saint of Palermo, is back in Bensonhurst for its 50th anniversary from Aug. 15-25. The celebration — also known as the 18th Avenue Festival — began in Italy over four centuries ago, and emphasizes the joy of Italian-American culture through the stunning array of food, carnival rides and gam...

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There is no shortage of old school and new Italian restaurants throughout New York City, from Manhattan’s Little Italy to Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn. But an often overlooked neighborhood with a rich Italian history is Bensonhurst in southern Brooklyn. My friend Frank Pinello, chef and owner of Best Pizza, grew up in Bensonhurst. His grandparents a...

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A 50-year-old Italian restaurant in Bensonhurst is looking to rebuild after a two-alarm fire tore through its kitchen last weekend, shuttering the eatery for the foreseeable future. The blaze broke out just before 6 p.m. on April 6 inside Ortobello Restaurant, near the corner of 64th Street and Bay Parkway. Owner Andrea Cerasuoli told Brooklyn Pape...

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Jack Spatola said that he first got the idea to offer free legal services to the Italian-American community when speaking with a rabbi in 1983. Nearly 40 years later, Spatola is finally getting to realize that dream. Spatola is the president of the Federation of Italian-American Organizations, which operates Il Centro, an Italian-American cultural...

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This month, Bensonhurst will once again host one of Brooklyn’s most storied traditions. The annual Feast of Santa Rosalia begins Thursday, Aug. 18 on 18th Avenue – aka Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard – from 68th to 75th streets. It will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 28. As usual, the 10-day event, sponsored by the Federation of Italian American Organizatio...

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As proud Italian Americans, it is important to buy products from Italian American-owned businesses. Equally as important, it is enjoyable to pay visits to neighborhoods that are historically Italian, specifically communities that still have a significant amount of Italian American residents. The Empire State has Little Italy in Manhattan, Bensonhur...

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When five young Italian American friends from the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn discovered that they each had talented voices, they started singing together as a group on street corners in 1957.  After being together for a short time, the singing group decided to call themselves the Overons. They started the group just for the love of singing and...

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One of Brooklyn’s most iconic events returned last week after a year off due to COVID-19. The annual Feast of Santa Rosalia began Aug. 19 on 18th Avenue – a/k/a Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard – from 67th Street to Bay Ridge Parkway. The 10-day event features rides, music, games for the kids, drinks and food. Bensonhurst resident Paul Gordon said the...

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Another beloved tradition will soon return from the COVID-19 doldrums. Bensonhurst’s annual Feast of Santa Rosalia begins Aug. 19, with all the fanfare that people have enjoyed for 45 years. The 10-day event includes rides, music, games for the kids, drinks and, of course, a vast array of food. The feast will take place on 18th Avenue – a/k/a Crist...

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