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Being born in Palermo and growing up in Sicily, Monica Valenti Niespodziany used to gather her friends and play “pretend school,” putting herself in the role of the teacher. When she decided to become a teacher, her family wasn’t the least bit surprised, she says. Valenti Niespodziany has taught Italian at St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha sin...

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In search of a big bowl of pasta like Nonna used to make? A plate of veal saltimboccacca? A warm Italian smile on a cold day? We hear you. And we’ve pulled together a list of spots where you can get one or more of the above. Some of these eateries have been around for decades. Others are newer on the scene. In either case, they serve us well as the...

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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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Buona Companies brought its “dual concept” dining experience to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with the side-by-side opening of Buona and The Original Rainbow Cone. Owned by the Buonavolanto family, which opened the first Buona Beef location in Berwyn in 1981, Buona Companies now also include Beyond Catering and Authentic Brands of Chicago in addition to...

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3rd St. Market Hall will welcome a new vendor that’s inspired by one of Milwaukee’s most iconic TV personalities. Fonzarelli’s Italian Deli pays homage to the classic Italian style sandwich shop that has deep roots in Milwaukee’s Italian-American food scene—a tradition that goes back over 50 years. The concept is led by Tim Szuta and Greg Kieckbusc...

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They talk about Chicago, but Milwaukee has some of the best pizza west of Italy. This year, West Allis’s Flour Girl & Flame won several Shepherd Express Best of Awards, as did Balistreri’s on the West Side. On the East Side, there’s Carini’s and Zaffiro’s. Many swear by Papa Luigi’s in Cudahy. With its Italian American history, Bayview seems especi...

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Festival season may be behind us, but the organizers of Festa Italiana still want to give people a little taste this fall. Taste of Italy is another fundraiser that helps support the Italian Community Center (ICC) in Milwaukee. Over 100 volunteers spend weeks prepping meatballs, stuffed shells, calamari and more.  You can also taste a dozen differe...

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He was a most unlikely Civil Rights leader. Father James Groppi was an immigrant’s son, the eleventh of 12 children who grew up behind the family’s grocery store in the Italian section of Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. Early in his priesthood, Groppi made a trip to Selma, Alabama, that stirred his conscience. The young cleric came back determin...

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She was a seasick new bride when she arrived in America on a ship from her home country of Italy. He had 10 cents in his pocket when the train dropped them off at the station in Green Bay. A lifetime later, Merlin and Fatima Baenen didn’t just make it, they’ve made it all the way to a remarkable milestone in their love story. On Thursday, they will...

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The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program bolstered their frontcourt with the signing of 6-foot-10, 250-pound center Riccardo Greppi, head coach Greg Gard announced on Friday. Greppi, a promising talent from Italy, is set to join the Badgers for the 2024-25 season, in all likelihood, filling the void left by Andrija Vukovic, who has encountered some...

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