Thinking About Italy This Easter Week
A tour guide at the back of the boat was pointing to some of the sites as the craft raced toward Bellagio (the real village not the hotel in Vegas). Italy’s lake region is one of the most picturesque spots in a country already stunning with beauty both designed by nature and by ancient architects. Lake Como’s shore is rich with stories of kings, sa...
What Cus D’Amato Said That Applies To What The World Is Experiencing
You know, amid this Coronavirus carnage here in Italy over the past couple of months it got me thinking about New York boxing great Cus D’Amato. A boxing titan who’s family originally hailed from Italy. My thoughts have been with the good people of New York in recent weeks during this devastating time for humanity over there. Cus was a proud New Yo...
Team Italy catcher Drew Butera featured on Talkin' Baseball
What do Marcell Ozuna, Martin Prado, Marwin Gonzalez, and Carlos González have in common? Drew Butera, known for his strong arm as one of the game's best defensive catchers, struck out all four MLB stars while pitching on the mound. In the April 6, 2020 episode (#127) of the Talkin' Baseball podcast with Jake, Jomboy, and former teammate Trevor Plo...
My Cousin Vinny‘s Mona Lisa Vito Remains Iconic
Growing up in an Italian family means that there is a very specific set of films we have on repeat through holidays. From my mother continually saying she won’t rewatch movies and yet always sitting down when The Godfather was on to my brother quoting Joe Pesci’s lines from Goodfellas, there were plenty of iconic films in our rotation. But the one...
5 Italian Cooking TV Shows to Binge-Watch Right Now
If TV binge-watching is your favorite sport during quarantine, we've got your back. Foodies might miss their favorite Italian restaurant meals, but they can always count on an infinite choice of food-related TV series and documentaries to immerse themselves in. Chef’s profiles, culinary travels, and cooking competitions might also give some recipe...
IAP 137: The Italian American Podcast in the Age of Quarantine
How are all our Paesani out there holding up in quarantine? Is everyone keeping busy? Got enough to eat? What’s in your stockpile? If you’re Italian, you’ve probably been preparing for a quarantine your whole life without even knowing it! In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, this week’s episode will introduce the new normal here at the Italia...
How Bruno Sammartino Escaped Nazis and Bullies to Become the Most Popular Wrestler in America
During his pro-wrestling heyday, Bruno Sammartino sold out Madison Square Garden 188 times, was named the world’s strongest man and held the WWE Championship Belt for 2,803 consecutive days. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Bruno's life "one of the greatest immigration stories that anyone can think of." But that life of triumph almost didn't happen. B...
The 8 Best Italian Cookbooks
The kitchen can be a place to turn to for comfort. Perhaps there is a trusted family recipe that always brightens your day, or maybe it is the place you go when you want to find new ways to nourish yourself and your family. If you need a little company, these are the best Italian food cookbooks that I refer to when I need inspiration or guidance in...
Depression and World War Couldn’t Keep Good Italian Families Down
I offer glimpses about what life was like with my Italian migrant family not to be self-serving. No! There is no doubt that many of you who read these articles have lived through the same experiences. My purpose is solely to share these stories of Italian immigrant life, for the benefit of our descendants…so they know! With that in mind, let me des...
Leonardo DiCaprio supporting America's Food Fund
Leonardo DiCaprio has pledged support to America's Food Fund amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The 'Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood' star has joined forces with Apple's CEO Tim Cook and Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple's Steve Jobs, to pledge a whopping $12 million to help supply food to those who need it most. He said in a statement: "In t...
Baseball, l’Italia che verrà: i giovani azzurri da seguire nelle Leghe minori americane
L’attività internazionale del baseball al momento è ferma. Tutti, dalla MLB ai campionati nazionali sparsi per mezzo mondo, hanno dovuto presto fare i conti con la pandemia di coronavirus. Andiamo a vedere in questa sede alcuni nomi di giocatori italiani futuribili che hanno deciso di intraprendere il cammino verso gli Stati Uniti, in particolare q...
John Travolta's 10 Best Roles, Ranked
John Travolta has had his fair share of highs and lows over the last five decades in Hollywood. After toiling away in television for a few years in the early 70s, Travolta finally landed a breakout movie role in Brian De Palma's horror classic, Carrie in 1976. In the meantime, he became a household name for his role as Vinny Barbarino in the classi...