Philly Councilmember Mark Squilla and Italian American groups sue Mayor Kenney for renaming Columbus Day
Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla and dozens of Italian American groups sued Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration in federal court Tuesday for changing the name of the city’s Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. “While both groups’ ethnicity deserve recognition, Mayor Kenney may not take action that discriminates against Italian...
Celebrate Bloomfield’s Roots With Little Italy Days This Weekend
Four days of celebrating Bloomfield’s rich Italian heritage will kick off this Thursday, and you’re invited — whether you’re Italian or not. “Everybody’s Italian this weekend!” says local musician and Bloomfield native Sal Richetti, Little Italy Days promoter since 2012. Little Italy Days was started in 2002 with the goal of celebrating the town’s...
Italian-American Heritage Club of Sussex County awards scholarships
The Italian-American Heritage Club of Sussex County recently awarded $1,000 scholarships to Tyler James Belson and Anna Maria Fantoli. Mr. Belson was an honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society and his high school’s Game Club. He received recognition for passing the Advanced Placement exam and will be attending Wilmington Unive...
Annual Italian Food Festival returns to Dunmore
Who doesn’t love bazaar food and Italian food? Judging by a crowd this weekend in Dunmore, no one! Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish held their Annual Italian Food Festival. The favorite local event returned to Dunmore this weekend for another successful year. This was also the first year Our Lady of Mount Carmel consolidated with the parish, so the...
The Value of Faith, Friendship and Tradition: ISDA National Convention 2023
I haven’t said hello through my column in quite a while, so I thought I’d do so now to let you know how excited I’ll be to see many of you at the upcoming ISDA National Convention in Pittsburgh. The ISDA Order and Fraternal conventions are truly the bond that holds our wonderful organization together. They provide us with not only the opportunity t...
Erie natives reflect on history of Erie’s Little Italy
With the Italian Festival this weekend, Erie natives sharing stories of what the neighborhood was like more than 50 years ago. Thousands of italians immigrated to erie around the turn of the century. David Cacchione said Erie’s Little Italy is a special neighborhood. He wrote a book about what it was like growing up there in the late 1940’s. “I loo...
The Pasta Shop's 'Sweet Corn Ravioli' is a limited-edition, Jersey necessity
Shamrock Shakes, apple cider donuts and first-day-of-spring ice cream; there are some foods we wait all year for. Personally, though, no limited-edition treat keeps me counting down the days quite like The Pasta Shop's "Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Ravioli." And — judging from the cumulative 1,400 likes the dish got on Instagram last year — I know I'm...
Eataly, the Italian marketplace, says it will open in King of Prussia
Eataly, the vast Italian food hall with four dozen locations around the world, announced Thursday that it would open a location at King of Prussia Mall in 2025 — a decade since word began circulating that it was considering the Philadelphia market. In a statement, Eataly said it had signed “a multiyear lease” with mall operator Simon Property Group...
Raritan's Basilico Expands, To Open New Italian Café In Hillsborough
Hillsborough couple Joe Trani and Kari LaSpisa, owners of the Italian restaurant Basilico in Raritan, announced they are expanding and opening a second location. LaSpisa told Patch the second location will be coming to the Kingsbridge Shopping Center located at the corner of S Branch Road and Beekman Lane. The new space will be a brunch and lunc...
The history of the Italian Festival, aka Festa Italiana in Bradford, PA
The annual Festa Italiana, held each August on Festival Way, is eagerly anticipated by Bradfordians — and not by just those of Italian descent! It’s a three-day tradition of great homemade Italian food, games, music, dancing, fireworks and greeting old friends – many of whom return to Bradford expressly for Festa Italiana – as the city joyously cel...
Zennaro Joins Penn State Fencing Staff
Penn State Athletics has announced the addition of Matteo Zennaro as associate head coach for the men's and women's fencing programs. In addition, it was announced that Adam Kaszubowski will serve as interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. Zennaro had been an assistant for Harvard since 2018. During that span, the Crimson tallied nearly 40 All-A...
New Kensington church celebrates 42nd annual Italian Fest
Gina Abdallah of New Kensington knows the secret to a delicious cannoli is not its filling, nor is it the shell or nuts, or other accoutrements. It is the love you put into making it. “It’s what makes them tasty, the love,” Abdallah said. “I love doing it. I love being at festivals. I love my church. It’s a great part of the community.” Love was in...