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As our nation gathers to celebrate Veterans Day this week, and all of us pause to say “grazie” to the millions of brave men and women in uniform who have served our country in war and peace, we’d like to turn our attention to remembering the Italian American legacy of our Armed Forces. There’s no better guest to guide us than Colonel Renato “Ron” B...

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October through December is my favorite time of year. I’m that person who decorates for fall in August and drinks pumpkin spice lattes when it’s still 90 degrees. Out of that whole glorious season, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Last year, I spent Thanksgiving in Treviso, Italy. I hadn’t planned on still being there that late in the season, b...

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The Italian American Executives of Transportation will honor a trio of luminaries at its dinner dance on Nov. 20 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. Frank Grimaldi will be hailed as Man of the Year at the event, and Anthony Ambrose and Anthony Pucillo will be honored as Humanitarians of the Year.  (iaet-chicago.org, 708-212-1051). The following profile...

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Ayo Pizza Café & Shop a local pizzeria, café and specialty bodega nestled in the heart of Lincoln Park officially opens on Wednesday, November 17, catering to neighborhood businesses, residents, and visitors to the North Avenue and Clybourn shopping district. Founded by hospitality veterans Eldridge Williams, Chris (Cap) Scardina, and Chef-partner...

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Chicago attorney Frank Sommario will be the guest of honor at the Justinian Society of Lawyers’ Award of Excellence, Judges and Scholarship Night. The event will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18 at Gibson’s Italia, 233 N. Canal St., Chicago. Tickets are $60 for members, $70 for non-members, and $50 for law students. (justinians.org, 312-820-2063)The fo...

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The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans marked the 700th anniversary of the passing of Dante Alighieri with a standout media luncheon on Sept. 14. Galleria Marchetti in Chicago was bursting at the seams with journalists, elected officials and community leaders who had come to honor CBS President and General Manager Jennifer Lyons and Chicago...

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Some of Chicago’s best young singers will perform arias and art songs by iconic Italian composers at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia’s Vocal Scholarship Awards Dinner and Concert. The event will start at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 in the Casa Italia Community Center and feature a wine and cheese reception, concert and dinner. Scholarships from th...

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The Italian American War Veterans will host a special Mass in honor of Veterans Day at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. During the Mass, friends and relatives will be invited to bring colored candles to the altar with a card containing the name of deceased veterans. These names will be read aloud, and the candles...

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The Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans will honor eight accomplished women at the 2021 Impresa Awards. Scholarships will also be presented to several deserving female high school seniors at the event. “We’re always so proud to host the Impresa Awards,” JCCIA Women’s Division President Rosemary Ranallo says. “It’s our...

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About a year after beloved restaurant Café Marie-Jeanne closed, a restaurant from a burgeoning hospitality group is opening in the cafe’s vintage storefront, the first step in the group’s plan to bring the once-vibrant Humboldt Park corner back to life. Orbit Group has transformed the Café Marie-Jeanne spot at 1001 N. California Ave. into Segnatore...

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