Italian Americans of Long Island: Giuseppe Mario Bellanca
You’re familiar with Charles Lindbergh, but probably not Giuseppe Mario Bellanca. The Italian aviation pioneer, designer, and engineer who ran a flying school in Mineola, NY, for a period of time was born in Sciacca, Italy, and left an indelible mark on aviation and Long Island history in the 1920s. He is most notable for building the plane that ma...
How the Death of Joe Petrosino, the 'Italian Sherlock Holmes,’ Remains a Mystery Over 100 Years Later
Towards the end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th, one New York immigrant community was terrorized by their own people. Italian immigrants arriving in America in search of a better life were treated as subhuman. On top of that, a secret society known as the Black Hand, which was a loose organization of Italian criminals, terrorized the n...
‘Mangia! Mangia!’: Buffalo’s Italian Heritage Festival returns to Hertel Avenue
A big stretch of Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo is filled with red, white and green for the annual Italian Heritage Festival that kicked off Friday. Hertel is closed from Delaware Avenue to Virgil for the celebration of food and fun. “I just love the energy. You can tell everyone is just enjoying themselves,” declared Gabriella of Buffalo. As I too...
The profound truth about the town of Roseto, and owing it all to the meatball
In 1882, a group of men left Roseto Valfortore (Valley of Roses), a town of 1,300 near the province of Foggia in the region of Puglia, to set sail for New York. The men spent their first night in America sleeping on the floor of a tavern on Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Italian neighborhood. They eventually found work in the slate mines of Bangor,...
Italian American Podcast ep. 330 pt. 2. The folk doctor (Zia Rosa) stories continue!
What ancient Italian remedy could save you from your next cold, and which family superstition might just predict your next visitor? Join us on a nostalgic journey through the rich tapestry of Italian traditions and remedies as we continue part 2 of this discussion with Zia Rosa! In this episode we learn heartfelt stories and cultural practices pas...
Italian American Women’s Center awards five $1,000 scholarships during annual luncheon
The Bayside-based Italian American Women’s Center honored five graduating high school students with $1,000 scholarships during the 22nd annual Scholarship Luncheon on Sunday, July 21 at Vivo! Bayside. The five high school seniors — Rose Cohen, Ava Deluca, Daniel Esposito, Francesca Picone and Chiara Pullara — were each chosen for the scholarship ba...
How NYC’s ‘professional Italians’ exploded on social media with memes you can’t fuggedabout
Post the TikTok — take the cannoli. A family of Brooklynites is championing social media creators in New York’s Italian American community who produce funny and authentic content that’s being devoured like fra diavolo worldwide. Siblings Sabino and Michela Curcio and their cousin Rocco Loguercio have run “Growing Up Italian” across social media sin...
Italian American Podcast Ep. 329 The folk doctor is in! Italian remedies & reminisces with Zia Rosa!
Brace yourself for a heartwarming and hilarious journey through Italian American culture as we introduce the newest member of our podcast family, the delightful (folk) Doctor Zia Rosa! This special episode is filled with light-hearted banter as we delve into the rich traditions of Italian nicknames and family bonds, setting the tone for an episode...
Garibaldi Meucci Museum exhibit showcases work inspired by Italy and Staten Island
American artist Annamarie Trombetta will play host to a reception at the Garibaldi Meucci Museum on Saturday, July 20, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in celebration of her solo exhibit, which will be on display through Aug. 10. A closing event set for Aug. 10 will include a lecture by the artist regarding the exhibit, followed by the movie “Monuments Men” b...
John DeCicco is special honoree at Westchester County Italian Heritage Festival on Sunday
Come celebrate Italian culture and special honoree, John DeCicco of DeCicco’s & Sons Supermarkets, at the Italian Heritage Festival on Sunday, July 21, from noon to 6 p.m. at “Kensico Dam Piazza” in Valhalla. County Executive George Latimer said, “Italians have a rich heritage and are extremely passionate about their art, history, religion, cuisine...
Tenements, Toil and the Founders of the ‘Old School’
Urban life was often filled with hazards for the new immigrant, and housing could be one of the greatest dangers. In the early 1900s more than half the population of New York City, and most immigrants, lived in tenement houses: narrow, low-rise apartment buildings that were usually grossly overcrowded by their landlords, according to the Library of...
Giglio Feast at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine Church is an Italian Street Fair with Giglio Dancing
The Giglio Feast at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is an Italian American summer street fair known for the dancing of the Giglio, an 80-foot tall, three ton wooden steeple decorated with lilies. “Giglio” means lily in Italian. White lilies, Italy’s national flower, grow in summer. The Giglio Feast at the Our Lady of Moun...