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While St. Patrick's Day, with its soda bread, green beer and corned beef and cabbage, seems to garner much of the attention in mid-March, another saint has a feast day with its own food traditions. St. Joseph's Day, on March 19, honors the man most Christians consider the foster father or earthly father of Jesus Christ. In Italy, where St. Joseph i...

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The Martusciello family, which has been baking Italian breads in the Rochester area since the late 1950s, is calling it quits — at least for now. Casa Saratoga, until recently known as Martusciello Bakery, has closed its doors at 2280 Lyell Ave. in Gates. "We're all taking a break," said Frank Martusciello, 68, who has been working in the family bu...

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The World Languages and Cultures Department is seeking applications for a visiting Assistant Professor in Italian/Casa Italiana Director beginning Mid-August 2022, MA required, PhD preferred. The department seeks candidates committed to teaching and inclusive excellence at a comprehensive institution that supports both liberal arts curricula and pr...

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Super Mario is a household name to most gamers, and the enormously popular game series centered around the character has been a heavily protected property of Nintendo. But if things had gone differently, you may have been able to hop for coins and battle Bowser on your PC. A cataloguer at The Strong National Museum of Play recently found a PC demo...

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When one door closes, another one opens. Med City social media is abuzz this week with the recent closing of Fazoli's Italian Restaurant on the east frontage road of U.S. 52 North. Signs on the 26-year-old fast food building state, "We regret to announce that Fazoli's in Rochester is permanently closed." While it looks like Fazoli's "unlimited brea...

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Rochester's Historic Little Italy Neighborhood, located in the Lyell Avenue and Jay Street corridors of the city's NW and SW quadrants, has gained national recognition, from the Italian Enclaves Historical Society ("IEHS"). The IEHS was founded in 1979 and is a national organization responsible for recognizing historically Italian neighborhoods and...

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Christopher Ciaccio remembers when he was young and older Italians would approach his father, then Surrogate Judge Arnold "Arnie" Ciaccio, and call the judge "avvocato." The Italian word for lawyer and advocate also was imbued with respect, a recognition that Judge Ciaccio was ready to help individuals in need, whether in a courtroom or outside the...

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Mina Liccione is a comedian and performer who makes her home in Dubai. Her homecoming show at the Rochester Fringe Festival is called “Growing Up Ringside,” which is her journey from 1980’s Rochester in an Italian-American household, to Dubai, but at its core is the relationship between her and her dad, a boxing promoter. The show hits Rochester Fr...

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Rochester soccer history buffs certainly will appreciate one entry in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying round – the Italian American Sport Club Boom. The IASC captured the 1963 U.S. Amateur Cup title and that team’s success led to the formation of the Rochester Lancers. The Lancers competed in the American Soccer League from 1967-69 and then...

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Pasquale Presa, owner of Pasquale's Neighborhood Pizzeria in Rochester, was stressed in early 2020 even before the pandemic forced many restaurants to close or shift to takeout and deliveries. A little over three years earlier, Presa raised $525,000 from three local investors as part of the $1.25 million it took to start the restaurant. But differe...

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