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Siena Tavern co-owner Fabio Viviani lived in the area for less than six years before he scored one of Chicago's greatest honors -- having a day named for him. He joked that it also didn't take long for that recognition to go to his head. "I was like, 'Hello, what are we waiting for?,'" Viviani told the Tribune in a recent chat at Siena Tavern in Ri...

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Italian ice is unquestionably an essential summertime Chicago dessert. The basic recipe for the iconic frozen treat is fairly agreed upon: a proper ice should contain sugar, frozen water, and whole fruits or juice. Italian ice comes in a multitude of flavors, but the most classic and widespread variety is lemon, sometimes also called frozen Italian...

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There’s only one way that the Fiat 124 Spider should be driven. And that is with the top down! I was hoping for that to be the case during my early-spring week with the 124 Spider but the weather didn’t cooperate. Top-up driving is one of those necessities to keep the rain out and the heat in, and that’s what I needed. Or, on a really hot and muggy...

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The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans will present Chicago Cubs executive Michael Lufrano with its prestigious Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian Award at a gala on June 17 at the Loews Hotel in Rosemont. “During his 12-year tenure with the world champion Chicago Cubs, Mr. Lufrano has built strong bonds of trust with the community and...

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Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo will host its eighth annual Festa della Repubblica on May 28 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. The event celebrates the birth of the Italian republic, and it bears the distinction of being the only such celebration outside of Italy to feature a parade through the streets. Festivities will begin w...

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At a recent awards banquet, Judie Vitiritti-Lynch was so engaged in talking to her former students that she didn’t hear the emcee announce her name. A colleague prompted her to walk up to the podium, because she had won the Italian Consulate in Chicago’s first-ever Midwest Award for Leadership in the Teaching of the Italian Language and Culture. “I...

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Three Chicago eateries landed on a well-respected list of the top 50 Italian restaurants in America. Balena, Davanti Enoteca and Spiaggia all earned spots on The Daily Meal’s 2017 ranking of America’s 50 Best Italian Restaurants, which was released last week. Coming in at No. 39, Balena, 1633 N. Halsted St., is a "Chicago-must visit," according to...

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April 21, 2017 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Casa Italia - Ballroom. 1621 N. 39th Avenue. Stone Park IL 60165 Director Gia Amella will be on hand to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this sweeping documentary that explores the community's many contributions to the Windy City from the 1850s to the present. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and screenings begin prompt...

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Ladies and gentlemen, introducing one of professional boxing’s most respected stars outside of the ring. From Chicago, the only Italian-American professional boxing judge in the state of Illinois, always in the neutral corner, is Mauro DiFiore. DiFiore never steps into the ring and he must always maintain strict neutrality. His skills and 50 years...

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Filomena Magrone will celebrate her 100th birthday this month surrounded by family and friends. She was born on May 14, 1917, in Carbonara, Bari, Puglia, to Nicola and Cecilia Muschio. In 1934, Gaetano Magrone began rounding up friends who could play musical instruments and showing up in front of her house to serenade her. They were married the nex...

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