A little 'George Bailey' in all of us
"Wizard Of Oz," "Casablanca," "Citizen Kane," "Gone With The Wind," "The Godfather." The exclusive list goes on with timeless classic films that have touched the hearts of generations of movie fans around the globe. And as "It's A Wonderful Life" turns 74 on Jan. 7, I am looking back to an incredible lunch I had about 15 years ago with Frank Capra...
Tony Bennett Brings the Holiday Spirit With His Animated Yule Log With Christmas Classic
Want something fabulous to play during Christmas dinner? Here’s a wonderful “Yule Log” video from Tony Bennett featuring many amazing holiday classics accompanied by delightful animation. Bennett’s original artwork is the imagery for the yule log animation from a painting titled,“Home Is Where The Heart Is,” which he initially created for the Ameri...
#AmericaLovesVenice campaign, launched by the Embassy of Italy with Save Venice, raises 426.750 USD.
Great result last night at Villa Firenze, official residence of the Italian Ambassador to the USA, during a Gala evening organized for the #AmericaLovesVenice campaign, launched by the Italian Embassy in Washington in partnership with Save Venice, the main American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the artistic heritage of Ve...
NOW OPEN - The NIAF Voyage of Discovery 2020 Application
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) invites college students to apply to the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia's Voyage of Discovery program—an all-expenses paid trip to Italy for Italian American college students! Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 23 at the time of travel (May 2020); enrolled in a college or university for the...
3 lessons for today's teachers and students from coach Vince Lombardi
This Dec. 21 marks the 50th anniversary of the last football game Vince Lombardi ever coached. Remembered primarily as the helmsman of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s and namesake of the Super Bowl trophy, Lombardi has been ranked as one of the top 10 greatest coaches in the history of American sports. Like many greats, Lombardi considered c...
Lega Serie A presents Sliding Goals
Lega Serie A and College Life Italia presented today in Rome, within the framework of the American University of Rome, the project "Sliding Goals", the initiative dedicated to the sporting and professional future of the young players of the Lega Serie A clubs in the United States. "Sliding Goals" will allow many youngsters to study, graduate and pl...
A loving heart at Christmas time
It all started in the spring of 1972. The perks of my job in Temple University’s Athletic Department included my use of the facilities on a regular basis. One particular lunch hour, I decided to go out to the tennis courts and practice hitting backhands against the big, green wall outside of McGonigle Hall. After about a half-hour, I felt what is b...
Who Is Jerry Vale and Why Does Martin Scorsese Love Him So?
On a typical Sunday afternoon when the director Martin Scorsese was growing up on Elizabeth Street in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York, the family apartment was filled with both the aroma of a simmering sauce and music from the popular Italian-American crooners of the day. “Aside from Sinatra, Tony Bennett was the authority in that sense,”...
Danny Aiello was proof that acting chops can be organic
Rest in peace, Cousin Sal. A role that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Danny Aiello wanted to pass up became his signature performance. The role in Spike Lee's iconic "Do The Right Thing" netted Aiello an Oscar nomination, but it was only the beginning of a storied career that was still in motion when Aiello passed away this week at the age o...
How to Make Panettone: Behind the Scenes at Tommaso Muzzi
Ever wonder how to make panettone? The dome-shaped, fluffy holiday cake with over 500 years of history is a staple of any Italian Christmas. Every year, Italians scoop up the "big bread" from local bakeries and specialty shops, wrapped and ribboned and ready-to-gift. Unlike other rustic Italian desserts, this is one that rarely gets made at home – ...
This Sopranos Actor Will Come Over, Cook Pasta, Hang Out for 10 Hours
It has somehow been 12 years since The Sopranos ended with an abrupt black screen and an incongruous burst of Journey. But the show's popularity endures, and anyone even remotely connected to its titular family can probably dine out on it for another decade-plus. Or, in the case of Joseph Gannascoli, you can hire him to cook a meal and hang around...
Danny Aiello, of ‘Do the Right Thing’ fame, dead at 86
Oscar-nominated actor Danny Aiello, known for films including “Bang the Drum Slowly” and “The Godfather: Part II,” died Thursday night at age 86. Aiello, who received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for in Spike Lee’s 1989 drama “Do the Right Thing,” died at a New Jersey medical facility after an illness, according to TMZ. Manhattan-born Aiello...