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The middle of three children, Steven Decker was born in Chicago to Roy and Kathryn Tomasello Decker, who were living near North Avenue and Larrabee. When Decker was 3 years old, they moved to Logan Square, where he grew up living close to his Sicilian-born grandparents and his mother’s five siblings and their families. On Sunday mornings, Decker aw...

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Back in 1889, the automobile had barely been invented, and the airplane was still a gleam in the Wright brothers’ eyes. Yet, Italian immigrant Vincent Formusa had the foresight to found a company to meet his paesani’s growing demand for food products from their homeland. And so, V. Formusa Co. was launched at 710 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago. A century...

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Riccardo Muti taking over artistic leadership of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after the departure of music director Daniel Barenboim in 2006 was anything but a sure thing. After all, the famed Italian conductor hadn’t even conducted the orchestra since 1975. And despite flirting with a possible union with the New York Philharmonic, Muti had made...

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The Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo has signed a new loan of 14 million euros with Roncadin, an Italian company specializing in the production of frozen pizzas. The aim is to launch an internationalization project through the US subsidiary, Roncadin Holding USA Corp. This involves the purchase and renovation of a production facility in Chicago and the...

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A new statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was unveiled on Oct. 15, 2022, in the courtyard of Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral in celebration of the 75th anniversary of her canonization. Born in Italy, Mother Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized, and her statue in Chicago has a great Italian backstory. The sculpture was created by Lo...

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Chicago Chefs Cook, the chef-centric philanthropic organization, is teaming up with the National Italian American Foundation to bring together some of Chicago’s Italian restaurants for the special Chicago Chefs Cook presents: The Emilia-Romagna Dinner Series to support farmers in the northern Italian region who lost their crops and homes to the dev...

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The hit FX series "The Bear" is prepping for its second season, with the first new episode coming June 22. The dark comedy stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a fine dining chef who returns home to Chicago to take over his family's beef sandwich shop after the death of his brother.  "The Bear" took some of its inspiration from a re...

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It is no surprise that Italian cuisine is a staple in Chicago; much of what we know about it comes down to the core recipes we’ve grown up seeing on TV. Recipes like spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo (which, in popular opinion, is not Italian), and lasagna are the core dishes that introduced us to Italian food.  But that’s just the tip of...

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The Justinian Society of Lawyers held its 21st annual Children’s Endowment Fund grant reception on March 16 at Lux Bar in Chicago. Justinian President Bruno Marasso and Endowment Fund Chairman Frank Sommario presented a total of $15,000 in CEF grants at the event to the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association, Direct Effect Charities and St. Anth...

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Buona, maker of Chicago's Original Italian Beef, announced its 6th annual celebration of National Italian Beef Day on Saturday, May 27th. This year, Buona is pulling out all the stops to honor this cherished holiday with incredible deals and discounts for its loyal customers.  On May 27, at all 27 Buona locations, customers can enjoy a free regular...

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