Chicagoland Italian American Professionals presents the 1st annual Bracciole Festival
The Chicagoland Italian American Professionals (www.chicagolanditalians.com) presents the 1st annual Bracciole event held in the Chandelier room at Casa Italia in Stone Park on March 24th from 2pm to 5pm. Home cooks are going to present their version of the famous Italian bracciole for attendees to sample and judge. Prizes awarded to the best bracc...
Palombo's Italian restaurant review: warm, cozy, inviting eatery
It’s fitting that Palombo’s Italian Restaurant looks like a converted house. The Jackson Township eatery is warm, cozy and inviting with food that tasted homemade (in a very good way). The family-run restaurant opened in 1979—brothers Rick and Mark Palombo took over the businesses started by their parents Anthony and Beverly—but its history dates b...
Onesti returns to Festa Italiana on Taylor Street
The Onesti Entertainment Corporation was awarded the contract to produce the Taylor Street Festa Italiana in 2018. The event will take place this year from Aug. 16 to 19. The news comes from the awarding body, The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association. “We couldn’t be more excited,” says LICNA president Joseph Esposito. “Ron Onesti knows th...
SACA moves base of operations to Cucina Biagio’s
With the closing of Monastero’s in November, the Sicilian American Cultural Association needed to find a new home for its monthly meetings. After weighing its options, the venerable organization has settled on Cucina Biagio in Harwood Heights. Open to the public, the meetings often feature presentations on Sicilian and Italian arts, science, music,...
Tito Francona, a Former Baseball All-Star, Dies at 84
Tito Francona, a former All-Star who played for 15 seasons in the major leagues and was the father of Terry Francona, the Cleveland Indians’ manager, died on Tuesday night at his home in New Brighton, Pa. He was 84. The Indians announced his death. Francona played for Cleveland for six seasons. A left-handed-hitting outfielder and first baseman, Fr...
Behind-the-scenes hero Dominic Gambino
Some benefactors are drawn to the limelight that their generosity attracts and others prefer to work their charitable magic behind the scenes. Domenico Gambino is cut of the latter cloth. A co-owner of the Tony’s Finer Food grocery empire, Gambino has been a quiet force for good in the Italian-American community for decades, deploying resources and...
Cannata ascends to Columbian Club presidency
Financial planner Jack Cannata stepped up to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago at its annual installation gala. Joining him as 2018 officers are First Vice President Stuart Caravello, Second Vice President Mark Corrado, Third Vice President Michael Russotto, Secretary John Curry, Treasurer Vic Guerrieri and Sergeant-at-Arms Carmen For...
IAET dinner dance was one for the record books
The Italian American Executives of Transportation held their 2017 Dinner Dance at Alta Villa Banquets on Nov. 19. More than 600 were in attendance, making it one of the largest dinner dances of the year. Dominic Romanazzi was honored as Man of the Year, and Wayne Bubak was honored as Humanitarian. Past IAET honoree Lou Cairo did a tremendous job as...
Plan to replace Milwaukee's St. Rita Church with senior apartments, new church wins OK
An east side Milwaukee church would be replaced with a new development that provides senior housing, as well as worship space, under a proposal that received unanimous Plan Commission approval Monday. St. Rita Catholic Church, 1601 N. Cass St., is being sold to a group led by developer James Tarantino. Tarantino, who operates Tarantino & Co. and Ca...
Sports Hall stages glittering 40th anniversary gala
Four decades after realizing his dream of starting a hall of fame to honor sports heroes, George Randazzo, President and Founder of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, celebrated the organization’s 40th Annual Induction & Awards Gala along with Board Chairman Tony Ferraro, NIASHF directors and loyal supporters this past November in C...
Mount Notre Dame students honoring local soldiers killed in WWII, buried in Italy
A group of Mount Notre Dame High School students made history in Italy this week, honoring Hamilton County soldiers who were killed in World War II. The kids are abroad for a Model UN Conference and to further their work on Operation Anzio. They've been going non-stop ever since touching down in Rome this past Wednesday. Operation Anzio was started...
Onesti ready to rock Evanston
Onesti Entertainment opened three new food and music venues in one place at the former 27 Live building in Evanston in January. After almost two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations, Rock ’N Ravioli Italian restaurant, Bourbon ’N Brass speakeasy bar and the Evanston Rocks music hall are now in full swing. Rock ’N Ravioli serves...