Hey, NEA! No way!
At its 2019 National Convention, the National Education Association (NEA) passed a resolution to have Columbus Day renamed Indigenous Peoples Day, stating, “As an education association, recognizing, observing, and celebrating factual history is important to maintaining our academic integrity.” Really? Come on! How hypocritical. The current onslaugh...
Remembering Marina Schiano: Model, Muse, and Magnate
Marina Schiano, the fiery model, photographer, muse, and jewelry designer, has died. She was 71. Schiano was one of those rangy, long-haired beauties who traipsed through the pages of Vogue in its jet-setting Diana Vreeland days. In 1968 she appeared in an extravagant 28-page feature photographed in Mexico by Henry Clarke. In a blog entry, lensman...
Barletta to lead coalition to protect Italian-made goods from tariffs
Lou Barletta said Tuesday that he will lead a coalition of companies to ensure Italian food products are not unfairly impacted by tariffs in a trade dispute involving European aviation manufacturer Airbus. The coalition of leading Italian food companies, manufacturers and trade associations announced Tuesday the creation of the American Italian Foo...
Video contest “Why is Leonardo a genius?”
On the occasion of the “19th Week of the Italian Language in the World,” the Embassy of Italy is pleased to announce a Video Contest for Italian language students in the United States. Each year, Italian Language Week has a different underlying theme and a vast cultural program to advance the promotion of our Italian language. This year, the theme...
Tony Bennett, at 93: ‘I just want to keep learning and expressing the truth’
Serving pizza and pasta to diners while singing in an Italian restaurant is not part of the typical career path for future music legends. But Tony Bennett isn’t a typical music legend and neither was the start of his career. Indeed, long before he became the world’s most famous nonagenarian vocal star — and even before he made his first record in 1...
The Enduring Legacy of The Godfather: An Opinion
I was combing through my television channels the other day when I landed upon the familiar confines of the Corleone clan. Of course I had to stop and watch; it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The first time I remember watching The Godfather, I was five years old. As many times as I’ve seen this landmark film, I still marvel at it’s all around great...
Five Fast Facts About Days of Our Lives Star Kristian Alfonso
Kristian Alfonso was cast as ingenue Hope Williams on Days of Our Lives in 1983. Though she’s left the show at points to pursue other endeavors, she’s always returned to continue her iconic role. Alfonso has also been on television shows such as Falcon Crest, Full House, Melrose Place, Baywatch, and MacGyver over the course of her career. From winn...
Finding Beauty in the Mundane Landscapes of Northern Italy
Screenwriter Ennio Flaiano once stated that “In Italy, the shortest distance between two points is the arabesque,” encapsulating in one sentence his compatriots’s talent for long-windedness, convolution, and elegance. I’ve always thought Flaiano’s witty remark finds a perfect counterpart in the photographic work of Luigi Ghirri, who dedicated his c...
Brunello Cucinelli Takes Control of American, Canadian Subsidiaries
In a vote of confidence in business in North America, on July 29 Brunello Cucinelli SpA took full control of its American and Canadian subsidiaries. The Italian fashion group bought 30 percent of Brunello Cucinelli USA Retail LLC through the subsidiary Brunello Cucinelli USA Inc., paying $4.5 million on signing the deal and raising its stake to 100...
Honoring the Italian-American Men and Women Who Perished on 9/11
Every American recalls precisely where they were when hijacked passenger planes slammed into the twin towers on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Of the 2,977 people who died that day, roughly 540 were of Italian descent. 540, that’s nearly 20 percent of the death toll. At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 strikes the south tower of the World Trad...
Fiat pulls its 500 off the U.S. market as Americans snub the Italian minicar
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is halting production of its Fiat 500 and electric 500e hatchbacks in North America, the latest move by the automaker to curb exposure to a shrinking car market in the U.S. As production of both models winds down at a plant in Toluca, Mexico, remaining inventory will be sold into next year, the company said in a stateme...
There’s Something for Everyone at The National Italian American Foundation’s 44th Anniversary Gala Celebrating the NIAF 2019 Region of Honor—Molise
The Omni Shoreham Hotel will host the most unforgettable weekend of the season when the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) celebrates its 44th Anniversary Gala Weekend, November 1-3. Although the centerpiece of the weekend is Saturday evening, the NIAF Gala Weekend offers events that will pique the interest of all ages and backgrounds. The...