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The Italian Bowl is coming back in June and this year, it is expected to be even bigger than it was in 2023. “Why Toledo? Why are people flying thousands of miles?” the answer was simple, “Why not?” For the second time in two years, the Italian Bowl will be back in the Glass City. After the success in 2023, organizers again answered the call to hos...

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The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) will once again sponsor a curated selection of some of Italy’s best menswear and men’s accessories designers at the Chicago Collective: Men’s, from February 1-4, 2025, at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois. Sartorial tradition and the world’s most sophisticated manufacturing techniques combine to lead US retail...

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What is the best way to start 2025? It is to attend a concert featuring the music from one of the most popular operas in the world and to escape the cold weather by immersing in the warmth and passion of wonderful Italian music. New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, is starting the new year with a concert present...

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The Grand Lodge of Illinois/Wisconsin of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America celebrated its 100th anniversary on Oct. 13 at the Silver Oaks Country Club. The event brought together members and friends to reflect on the century-long journey of an organization dedicated to preserving Italian heritage, promoting community service and supp...

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My sister, Madeline Shea, and I have been coming to the Italian restaurant La Cantina in downtown Chicago since the respective ages of eight and seven, so it wasn’t without trepidation that we visited its successor, Sotto, for the first time in early December. The cheeky, Italian American bar (Bar Sotto) and restaurant (Ristorante di Sotto) combo f...

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We put out the word and they turned out in droves. In what can only be described as a holiday miracle, nearly three dozen volunteers and benefactors pitched in to pack and move the Italian American Veterans Museum from Dec. 26-28. The distance travelled was negligible — from the top floor of the Office Center to a building across the grounds — but...

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Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci is being recognized for his professional and civic contributions by again being named to the annual Who’s Who in Chicago list, published by Crain’s Chicago Business. Crain’s 2025 issue of The Book includes Antonio among a list of esteemed professionals from various disciplines and profession...

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My mother’s family came to America from their home in Acerra and eventually settled in the near-west side of Chicago in the Little Italy area, much of which has since disappeared under the concrete of The University of Illinois-Chicago. They established a grocery store and meat counter that saw them through the Depression, supporting the five child...

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For Christopher Derks, finally becoming president of the Columbian Club of Chicago is an honor … and a bit of surprise. “You work your way up through the ranks, so you know it’s coming,” he says of the presidency. “It has come a lot quicker than I was expecting.”Derks will assume the presidency on Jan. 1, but the club’s annual installation dinner h...

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The Italian American community knows Jean Parisi best as La Befana, the good Christmas witch who made appearances for decades at yuletide celebrations throughout the Chicago area. But that’s just the tip of the cultural iceberg for this veteran community arts activist. Over the decades, she has created massive community art installations, staged pl...

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