Ecobelli siblings strive to bring family #MeToo story to life
Many in the Capital Region know the Ecobelli family name thanks to decades of Italian American cooking and Laurina, the generous woman behind the former Ballston Spa restaurant, Ecobelli’s Tam O’Shanter Inn. “She knew everybody in town and almost everybody worked for the restaurant at one time or another,” said Tom Ecobelli, one of Laurina’s grandc...
Lettera del Presidente del Consiglio Giuseppe Conte ai lettori di America Oggi
Gentile Direttore Andrea Mantineo, cari lettori di "America Oggi": Come sapete l’Italia sta attraversando il momento più difficile dal secondo dopoguerra, alle prese con una emergenza sanitaria che sta provocando una durissima crisi economica e sociale. Stiamo lottando contro un nemico invisibile che non conosce frontiere, una pandemia che inter...
NIAF Coronavirus Relief Efforts
In just the last week the numbers of those afflicted by COVID-19 have increased dramatically both here and in Italy. The National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) goal at this unprecedented time in our country’s history is to connect and help our Italian American community here in the United States while we work with those who can help the peop...
IAP 134: Le belle lingue - Language, History and Identity in Italy and the Italian diaspora, Part 2
If any language proves that there’s room at the linguistic table for everyone… it’s Italian! This week, we continue our examination of the languages of Italy as we take a closer look at her many Regional Languages and Dialects, including the unique blend of Italian and English spoken by Italian Americans through the generations. We’ll discuss the s...
Nissoli (FI): All'estero aiutiamo l'Italia mangiando cibo italiano, è buono ed è sicuro!
“In questi giorni, l’Italia è attanagliata dall’epidemia di coronavirus tuttavia questo non significa che la natura ferma il suo corso è così la produzione agroalimentare va avanti con l’impegno dei tanti agricoltori e di tutti gli altri lavoratori impegnati nelle attività di filiera”. Così in una nota Fucsia Nissoli, deputata di Forza Italia elett...
Ravioli Were First Written About In The 14th Century
On National Ravioli Day, celebrate a pasta that is fun and versatile. Observed on March 20th each year, pasta lovers dive in on this food holiday. The earliest mention of Ravioli or raviolo (singular) comes from the writings of Francesco di Marco, a merchant of Venice in the 14th century. The word ravioli is from an old Italian word riavvolgere (“t...
Pepperoni is an Italian-American Invention with Wine Pairing Potential
Beloved on pizzas across the U.S., pepperoni is an Italian-American invention. The peppery, cured, air-dried sausage, i.e. salami, is softer and finer-grained than the spicy salame of Italy (where ordering peperoni will get you bell peppers on your pizza). Americans eat more than 250 million pounds of it per year, most of which is probably on pizza...
Italian Entrepreneur Michael Scarpellini Announces Official U.S. Launch of Happiness Brand
Italian entrepreneur Michael Scarpellini, the founder of Happiness Brand, is pleased to announce that his clothing items are now being made available in the U.S. Founded in 2007, the brand was created by Michael and his wife Eiman, who first met when they were both fashion students at school in Los Angeles. The couple has recently moved with their...
Kitchen Quarantine: A new IGTV cooking show from the Italian celebrity chef behind Gucci Osteria
Multi-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura is no stranger to uniting people from all over the world through our love of food. In May 2012, when two earthquakes devastated the region of Emilia-Romagna threatening to destroy 360,000 wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano that take a minimum of 24 months to make, Massimo came up with the idea of a global coo...
US Navy ship on Italy's waters plays Italian national anthem as Europe locks down over coronavirus
A heartwarming video has emerged of a U.S. Navy ship playing the Italian national anthem in an act of solidarity with the European country hardest hit by the coronavirus. The display from the USS Mount Whitney, stationed in the waters off the port city of Gaeta, comes as Italy is grappling with nearly 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which as of...
The National Italian American Foundation Stands in Solidarity with Italy
On the occasion of the 159th anniversary of Italian Unity, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) stands in solidarity with Italy as the country combats the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. Currently as the second country in the world to have the most reported cases, the world is closely watching what is happening in Italy as well a...
S. Z. Poli, the Italian Immigrant Who Horrified the Yankees
Twenty-one-year-old S. Z. Poli came to America in 1881 with little more than the ability to carve lifelike figures from wax. He parlayed that skill into a theatrical empire and prestige in his adopted home of New Haven. Players like Houdini, Sophie Tucker and George M. Cohan performed for working-class immigrants in his magnificent theaters through...