Yearly traditions come in all shapes and forms, but for my family, there’s one we look forward to the most. The day on the calendar we all get amped for is when we fill jars. What are we filling the jars with? Gravy of course … or tomato sauce for the non-Italian readers. The all-day event has developed all sorts of names over the years. Some call...

A tech tycoon said she's leaving what was once her 'dream home' in Malibu for a new life in Italy as the Golden State continues to drive out its prized millionaires.  Linda Bernardi, a Los Angeles-based tech executive, is just one of many wealthy Californians fleeing the state amid soaring living costs, unrelenting wildfires and a bitter political...

"Italian American Sounds Good: New Italians in the USA, the Value of Citizenship" was the theme of the event held today at the Italian American Museum in New York. The meeting was organized by the Migrantes Foundation and the Patronato ACLI USA to discuss the benefits of acquiring a passport not only for Italy but also for the European Uni...

March 2025 Italy in Los Angeles: Marianna Gatto, welcome back to We the Italians

The interview you're about to read is particularly dear to me, both for the subject it addresses and for the person who represents it. The history of Italians in Los Angeles has always fascinated me because it is somehow different from that of those who emigrated from Italy and settled on the East Coast of the United States. There are certainly sim...

Joe Gale is a great example of the fire, heart and independence borne from our Italian blood. His mom Roseanne Tramo Gale’s grandparents, the Testas and Bonannos, emigrated to the United States from Sicily, and settled in South Philadelphia. The Tramos’ son, Carmen “Charles” Tramo, moved to Overbrook with his wife Marie where they kept their tradit...

Linda Bernardi spent four years building her Malibu dream home, putting the finishing touches on the coastal Sunset Mesa estate late last year. On Jan. 7, she watched it burn to the ground. “I absolutely knew I would never live in L.A. again,” she said. The days and weeks after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires saw mass migration for displa...

The bond between Italian music and America has always been strong, with melodies and traditions crossing oceans and blending cultures. Among the many iconic songs linked to this connection, That’s Amore is probably among the most iconic. Performed by the legendary Dean Martin and released in 1953, the song remains a cultural phenomenon still today,...

It is every researcher’s dream to discover historical material, untouched by others, just waiting to be shown the light of day. Heirlooms hidden in basements, pictures in old dust-covered photo albums, and letters stuffed in books can all lead to discoveries of great personal and academic importance. Jo Ann Cavallo, Professor of Italian at Columbia...