Louisiana Hospitality Foundation Awards $5,000 Grant to Gendusa’s Italian Market After Restaurant Fire
The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation marked its 14th year of giving by granting $5,000.00 to support Gendusa’s Italian Market, a locally-owned restaurant located in Kenner, LA. The restaurant was destroyed by fire before dawn on Tuesday, June 16, which was determined a complete loss but no one was hurt. The grant from the Louisiana Hospitality Foun...
“Aviate, Navigate, Communicate”: Astronaut Luca Parmitano Talks Handling In-Flight, Spacewalk, Everyday Emergencies. And Much More.
On July 15, 2020, this Author had a unique opportunity to interview Italian Air Force test pilot and ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano, who joined a Facebook Live Talk Show from Houston, Texas. Luca is not “just” an Astronaut: an Italian Air Force pilot qualified on over 20 types of military planes and helicopters, with experience aboard over 40 differe...
New Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro through the years, will not seek a third term
Leon Cannizzaro’s announcement that he's not running for reelection heralds the end of an era at the district attorney’s office on South White Street that officially began 12 years ago. Critics argue it dates back much further, to the early 1970s, when Connick began a tenure marked by a no-holds-barred mindset, and a slew of convictions that would...
Well-known Houston restaurant owner Vincent Mandola dies at 77
A well-known Houston restaurant owner who is part of a local family food dynasty died on Sunday. Vincent "Bubba" Mandola is the owner of several popular restaurants in the Montrose and Midtown area, including Nino's, Vincent's and Grappino's on West Dallas. The Mandola family issued the following statement: "It is with profound sadness that the Vin...
Committee votes to rename park in downtown San Antonio Piazza Italia
Columbus Park in downtown San Antonio could soon be Piazza Italia Park. After hearing from more 50 residents at a virtual hearing Thursday, a special park-naming committee voted in favor of renaming the park and forwarded its recommendation to the City Council, which has the final say. “This is an amazing time in our city,” said District 1 Councilm...
San Antonio: Public Hearing For The Proposed Naming Of Columbus Park To Piazza Italia Park
The City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a public hearing via teleconference to rename Columbus Park to Piazza Italia Park, located in City Council District 1 at 500 Columbus Street. The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. Please note that there is no in-person access to this meeting. There are m...
WEBINAR: “Italian Success Stories in Texas,” July 9.
WEBINAR: “Italian Success Stories in Texas: Small, medium-sized, and large companies share insights from their experience doing business in the Lone Star State.” When: Thursday, July 9 from 9 a.m. CST to 4 p.m. CET - Panelists: Brando Ballerini (Saipem), Andrea Benedetti (Duna USA), Pietro Palini (One-Off America LLC). Moderated by media consultant...
Blaine Kern Sr., 'Mr. Mardi Gras' impresario of a New Orleans float-building empire, has died
Blaine Kern Sr., the flamboyant New Orleans float builder and visionary who, as "Mr. Mardi Gras," propelled the modernization and expansion of Carnival, died Thursday, according to his wife. He was 93. Kern ushered in the era of the superkrewes and pioneered such parade razzle-dazzle as giant props, double-decker and multi-unit floats, splashy ligh...
Baroque Naples Comes to the Kimbell in Fort Worth
Two of the best exhibitions I’ve seen this year — Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum at the Kimbell in Fort Worth and The Glory of Spain: Treasures from the Hispanic Society at Houston’s MFA — are from a genre I usually detest. The treasures or masterpiece show starts with a fetching theme, gathers what a museum might...
'Exactly what we were trying to avoid': Christopher Columbus statue in San Antonio vandalized
Red paint was splattered across the Christopher Columbus statue in San Antonio's Columbus Park on Thursday. The vandalism at the park, located on the western edge of downtown, was discovered by an officer on patrol around 4:30 a.m. No one was in the vicinity of the park at the time, police said. A work order was filed to remove the paint and the ca...
Baton Rouge Columbus Statue erected to honor Italian Ancestors targeted
A monument erected in 1990 to honor the Italian immigrants from 1880 to 1910 to Louisiana is how targeted for removal in Baton Rouge. Today many third, fourth, and fifth generation Italians cherish their fathers and mothers from both current and past generations for work ethics leading to a better life for future generations. Such was the case in t...
Goodbye Columbus: Houston removes vandalized statue from Bell Park
The city quietly removed a statue of Christopher Columbus from Bell Park on Friday. The statue will be held in storage while the city decides how to relocate it, according to the mayor’s office. Earlier this week, Houston removed two Confederate monuments from city parks, as well. In a statement issued by his office, Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “A...