Rita's Italian Ice Awards Largest Area Franchise Development Ever
Rita's Italian Ice®, the world's largest Italian Ice concept with over 600 stores, has awarded its largest area franchise development agreement ever to Rita's GP, LLC, a business unit of a diverse business development group based in Old Town San Diego. Like so many others in San Diego, one of the partners is a transplant from the Philadelphia area,...
Celebrating Italian American heritage: Maria Fassio Pignati named Queen Isabella for Columbus Day festivities
Most days, the Peninsula Italian American Social Club quietly goes about its business of banquets and bocce ball on the edge of downtown San Mateo, and not many outsiders are the wiser. On Saturday, Oct. 11, however, the club is stepping out and inviting the entire Peninsula to join in the annual Columbus Day Italian American Heritage Celebration....
Everybody gets to be Italian at this festival
Fall in the desert began with the fourth annual Italian Festival fundraiser for Desert Arc at La Quinta Civic Center Park. More than 8,000 people were expected to attend the two-day event with a $50,000 fundraising goal. For $10 per person, guests got unlimited great entertainment! Desert Arc Choir, Filippo Voltaggio, Patrick Evans, Paul E...
Sicilian Son Follows Father’s Footsteps
by Robert Gallo Taking on a bold and daring adventure, Pietro Busalacchi and wife Cristina immigrated to San Diego with their 7 children, Anna, Tony, Sal, Frank and Joe in 1966, leaving their hometown of Porticello, Sicily and came to settle in San Diego's Little Italy. They worked hard to instill the Sicilian tradition and...
In Santa Rosa, plans to boost Italian learning and entrepreneurship
The Italian American organizations in Sonoma County and the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRLC) will promote demand for Italian language and culture by opening an exchange program with Italy that combines career technical education with language skill development. Project-based international internships in Italy are being planned. The Consula...
San Francisco gives a hand to Emilia Romagna
Earlier this year, Emilia-Romagna suffered a serious earthquake and much tragedy ensued throughout the region. Maino Benatti, the Mayor of the comune of Mirandola, contacted San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee to ask for assistance to rebuild their cherished and historic San Francesco Cathedral. Mayor Lee asked the Sister City Committee to join together...
Garcetti builds growing lead as LA picks new mayor
by Michael R. Blood Councilman Eric Garcetti, who jammed with pop star Moby and fashioned himself as a voice for a new generation of city leaders, has opened a growing lead in the race for Los Angeles mayor with the pool of uncounted ballots steadily shrinking. Garcetti, 42, who made a mark helping resuscitate neighborhoods from t...
Verdi’s Attila and the Italian Risorgimento
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 6:00 PM - Leonardo da Vinci Society lecture. Illustrated lecture by Luciano Chessa who is active as a composer, performer and conductor. He teaches at the Conservatory of Music and serves on the Advisory Board of TACET, the international research publication dedicated to Experimental Music from the Universite Paris...
Italian Americans show pride at the 56th Annual Swallow’s Day Parade
They carried banners and flags, tossed pizza, marched with Roman Soldiers, sang Italian songs and blew kisses to the crowd of over 30,000 spectators. The Italian entry in the 56th Annual Swallow's Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano boasted over 100 proud Italian Americans. James Bianchi played his accordion and was accompanied by his tambou...
The Industrial Art of Those Talented Bugattis
Aficionados have argued for ages over which individual has had the greatest influence on the automobile. Enzo Ferrari is a favorite. Traditionalists may side with Ettore Bugatti. Henry Ford gets the American vote, while Soichiro Honda rates high for innovation. Modernists might include the current chairman of the Volkswagen Group's su...
La famiglia Manfredi ospite dell’IIC per rendere omaggio all’indimenticabile Nino
Chi non ricorda, forse con un pizzico di nostalgia, la storica pubblicità di Lavazza in cui Nino Manfredi portava la tazzina alle labbra e recitava: "Il caffè è un piacere: se non è buono, che piacere è?" Si è aperta proprio con una carrellata di immagini tratte dai suoi migliori film e dagli spot televisivi, frutto di una collaborazione t...
In San Francisco, the Mayor of Rome Unveils Bold Plan to Remake Rome
by Mauro Battocchi When the Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino looks out of his office window from the Capitoline Hill (pictured above), the material remnants of a rich and profound history stretch as far as the eye can see. In the foreground is where Marc Antony addressed the Roman Senate after the assassination of Julius Caesar. In the distanc...