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by Elizabeth Moore   Crawfish and culture forged a beautiful friendship at the American Society of Italian Heritage crawfish boil on the Sunday before Memorial Day. Joe Macaluso polished his prized pocket trumpet and played a medley of patriotic songs from each of the military branches -- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard -- as...

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Feuding at home brought many Italians to Louisiana in the middle 1850s. A good number of them used ties to the old country to establish themselves in food distribution businesses, first in New Orleans, then across south Louisiana.   Most of the Italians who came here during that era were from Sicily, many of them fleeing after the failure of...

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Proceeds from the 2015 West Bank Italian Open were presented at a recent Italian-American Society meeting to Luis Arocha, executive director of Café' Hope, a restaurant training program in Marrero for at-risk youth. The presentation was made by the golf tournament's honorary chairman, Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni, and Wayne J. Nocito, wh...

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By Danielle Dreilinger   The only plan left standing for the Piazza d'Italia? A double-tower Hard Rock Hotel, Canal Street Beat reports. The city of New Orleans is looking to redevelop several publicly owned parking lots next to the central business district landmark. A committee chose three finalists in September from five preliminary...

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When Frank Maselli was in Rome on a Saturday night three years ago, he happened upon an outdoor concert in the piazza. A handful of singers were belting out opera arias to a piano accompaniment.   "I listened to them and said to myself, 'This would be perfect for our Piazza d'Italia,' " Maselli said, referring to the outdoor plaza in New Orl...

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by Giuseppe Milici   Imagination and a musical lexicon that's all we will need to begin our journey through the progression of Jazz Music around the world. The importance of Sicilian musicians in this development, as well as those of Sicilian origin, is evident from the start. Beginning our brief excursion through the History of Jazz in the...

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The trend in Italian fare in New Orleans is toward the cuisine of northern Italy. New spots offer up not the rich red "gravy" of the South, but softer, more elegant dishes composed of handmade pastas, cured salumi and al dente risotto with shaved truffles.   Still, the Crescent City has long loved red sauce, and that's evident in many local...

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FROM PALERMO TO NEW ORLEANS The story of the first jazz record ...Few people know that on February 26, 1917, an Italian musician in New Orleans released the first record ever made in the history of jazz. That musician was Sicilian and his name was Nick La Rocca... These are the opening words of "From Palermo to New Orleans," a documentary film prod...

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This special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the unparalleled sound of a "Grand Stradivarius" violin – one of only five or six known to exist today – played with eloquence by Fedeli is presented by the American Italian Cultural Center (AICC) of New Orleans.   The concert event will feature a diverse, captivating musical program chosen...

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The sacrifice of a small business owner reaches far into the life of an entrepreneur. Many choose to take a pay cut and spend countless around-the-clock hours making the dream happen. And for many, not only does the sacrifice seep into every area of their lives, it seems to be accompanied by other huge life challenges.   Baton Rouge-based&nb...

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