Antonio Pasin Steered Radio Flyer Red Wagons Upward
by Sonja Carberry One big push. That's what Radio Flyer CEO Antonio Pasin pondered for his fledgling wagon business. By 1930, his wheeled toys had made inroads with American consumers, and his factory turned out 1,500 a day. But amid the Great Depression, company cohorts urged a conservative approach. That's not how Pasin (1...
IACL Women’s Scholarship 2015
Women's Italian American Civic League will be rewarding 1 scholarship of $1,500.00. The deadline for the application is February 11, 2015. Eligibility: An applicant must be of Italian ancestry and a 2015 high school graduate. Criteria: The scholarship is awarded based on American Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) college en...
8 Fascinating Oscar Facts About Italians and Italian Americans
by Osia blogger Tonight is the 87th Academy Awards, so we are taking a look at the Italians and Italian Americans who have been recognized by the Oscars. Here are 8 fun and fascinating facts: 1) The first Academy Award for Best Director went to Italian-American Frank Borzage (pronounced Bor-ZAY-gee) for his film 7th Heaven. He wo...
Vagabond violinist Joe Venuti
by David Witter Known as "the mad fiddler from Philly," Joe Venuti was famous for his drinking, gambling and practical jokes. More importantly, he and Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro) changed the sound of jazz through the introduction of the violin and the lead guitar to its repertoire. Venuti grew up as the child of a recent immigrant...
Rome and the Jubilee, 1300-2015 - An International Summer Seminar
Italian Studies at Notre Dame invites junior faculty and advanced graduate students to apply for the sixth annual Rome Seminar, hosted by Italian Studies at Notre Dame, which brings together 30 scholars and students from diverse fields across the globe to reflect, discuss and train on a topic related to Italian studies. Notre Dame's Rome Globa...
The document that not always defines us
By Gianni Pezzano There is a document that identifies and defines us throughout the world: the passport. The passport is required to enter into other countries and provides the authorities with the important details of our lives. For those who commit serious crimes, the passport is the first document that is confiscated in order to prevent...
OSCARS: Nine Films On Foreign Language Shortlist
by Nancy Tartaglione Last weekend, I profiled 15 films that had a lot of heat ahead of the Foreign Language Oscar shortlist unveiling today. Of those 15 (plus a handful of wildcards), seven have ended up among the Academy's nine selections that will move on to the second round of voting. As with many of the Oscar categories this year, this was a f...
The Monuments Men tells the true story of an unlikely bunch of soldiers who saved Europe’s art from Hitler
The small band of middle-aged art experts, artists, educators and architects who signed up during World War II to join President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's program to protect and secure European art treasures were on a mission to find the paintings, sculptures and cultural touchstones stolen by the Nazis for their art-obsessed Fuhrer. Their pheno...
Ennio Morricone Postpones Two Events in L.A.
Ennio Morricone has postponed his upcoming concerts in Los Angeles and New York until June, citing a back injury that is preventing him from traveling long distances. The five-time Academy Award-nominated movie composer had been scheduled to conduct concerts at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live on March 20 and at the Barclays Center's Cushman and...
Clint Eastwood :: Very, Very Lucky With His 'Jersey Boys'
On the walk to the Waldorf Astoria through midtown Manhattan, one thing is inescapable: the near-ubiquitous banners for the smash, Tony Award-winning musical, "Jersey Boys." Nine years after debuting on Broadway, the show is still going strong, with the original production and various touring versions selling out theaters around the globe....
Italian Men Are All The Rage With American Celebrities
By Sibilla Di Palma From Jessica Chastain to Zoe Saldana, from singer Lana Del Rey to "mean girl" Lindsay Lohan, Italians continue enchant American celebrities. And the news about relationships and weddings that constantly crop up in tabloids prove it. Jessica Chastain and Gian Luca Passi's love story has been in the spotlight for a while....
Honoring Fr. Vincent Capodanno
In December 1965, Father Capodanno received his commission as a lieutenant in the Navy Chaplain Corps. He was assigned to the First Marine Division in Vietnam in April 1966. At 4:30 am, September 4, 1967, during Operation Swift in the Thang Binh District of the Que Son Valley, elements of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines encountered a large North Vie...