North Wildwood Italian-American Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary
The North Wildwood Italian-American Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary in the Wildwoods with a weekend celebration of great food, family fun, and Italian-American heritage, on Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23. Activities take place from 4-10 p.m. on Friday, June 21; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 22; and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday...
Focusing on the Italian culture here-and-now, not there-and-then
This is the story of the executive director of the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia, whose name depends on the culture and law of where she is. “In Italy, I am Elisa Schwab. In the United States, I am Elisa Clewis, middle name Schwab. In Brazil, I am Elisa Caterina Schwab. In Switzerland, I am Elisa Clewis-Schwab,” she said. “But if I have to...
Exploring Italian-American Culture: A Deep Dive into Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield
Nestled in the heart of Pittsburgh, Bloomfield is more than just a neighborhood; it is a vibrant tapestry of Italian-American culture woven through decades of history and heritage. Known as Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy,” Bloomfield’s streets echo with the stories of early immigrants who shaped this community with their traditions and customs. The nei...
Scotch Plains-Fanwood UNICO Organizes Food Drive for IHM Food Pantry
Scotch Plains-Fanwood UNICO collected and donated food items for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM) Food Pantry in Scotch Plains as part of UNICO National’s Community Service Day on Saturday, April 26. The food drive, coordinated by member Joe Schiavo, began with members and residents dropping off items at locations in the Scotch Plains-Fan...
House passes bill to rename parts of Paterson Great Falls after late Bill Pascrell, Jr.
The House of Representatives passed legislation on May 13 to rename two sites at Paterson Great Falls National Park in honor of late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. announced. The two locations would be Bill Pascrell, Jr. Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge and Bill Pascrell, Jr. Overlook Park. The bill now moves to the Senate for...
Ciattarelli taps fellow Paisans, pledges to save Columbus Day in New Jersey
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli pledged his support for Columbus Day and Italian American traditions during remarks at the annual Paisan Convention, held over the weekend in Rutherford. The event, known informally as "PaisanCon," drew hundreds of Italian Americans from across New Jersey to celebrate cultural heritage with food,...
South Philadelphia priest who introduced Pope Leo XIV to Rome says new pontiff is "just a great guy"
The Rev. Paul Galetto once showed a young Robert Prevost around the city of Rome — decades later, Prevost held his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel as Pope Leo XIV, the first pope in the Catholic Church's history to be born in the United States. Galetto, the pastor at St. Paul Church in South Philadelphia's Italian Market, once lived with Prevost....
Ancient Rome and the USA. In Washington, a dialogue with Aldo Cazzullo hosted by Ambassador Zappia
The endless legacy of Ancient Rome and its influence on the contemporary world was the theme of a dialogue hosted in Washington by the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia. The conversation featured Aldo Cazzullo, one of Italy’s most esteemed and influential journalists and writers, and Jonathan Karl, Chief Washington Corresp...
Meet the Mysterious Renaissance Muse Immortalized in the Only Leonardo da Vinci Painting in the Americas
Immortalized by Leonardo da Vinci in a 15th-century portrait now housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Ginevra de’ Benci was a celebrated beauty of the Italian Renaissance. Her likeness—the only da Vinci painting on permanent view in the Americas—was created with oil paints on a flat panel of wood between about 1474 and 1478. A...
Italians in America – Our Immigrant Stories: From coast of Italy to Jersey Shore, seafood empire still swimming after 100 years
Danielle La Monica La Vecchia Rauso’s ancestors immigrated from Palermo in the 1890s. Her great-grandparents Peter and Mary La Monica started their small fish store at the market on 13th Avenue in Brooklyn in 1923. At the time there wasn’t a Garden State Parkway and very few bridges, so they eventually wound up moving the family operation to the Ca...
Amerigo Vespucci Society Honors Deceased Members at Annual Memorial Mass
The Amerigo Vespucci Society (AVS) of Long Branch, New Jersey, held its annual memorial service this past Sunday, May 5, at Holy Trinity Church of Christ the King Parish, an Italian parish within the Diocese of Trenton. The solemn event, a tradition spanning decades, honors the deceased members of the historic fraternal organization. The Catholic M...
Immigrants, business owners who built South Philadelphia's Italian Market honored in new murals
South Philadelphia's 9th Street Market is getting ready to host its annual Italian Market Festival next month. And with it comes some new displays of public art. The festival is coming up on May 17, but this weekend, three murals will be unveiled on South 9th Street. They depict some of the market's founders who helped shape it since the very begi...