NEWS FROM : GREAT LAKES  

Is there a better way to pasta time away? The 17th Annual Italian American Summer Festival rolls out 25 vendors serving up an eclectic list of ethnic cuisines, including a wide range of Italian favorites, from pizza to lasagna, pasta, gelato, cappuccino and cannoli and biscotti. Whoa, check out that pasta eating contest on Sunday. The long-running...

On May 12, the Maria Montessori chapter of the Societ Onoraria Italica, the National Italian Honor Society inducted 17 juniors, two seniors and one honorary member at the annual induction ceremony. Juniors who were inducted included Isabella Beil, Mia Bruno, Benjamin Burkey, Tyler Catanzarite, Luciano Cardillo, McKenna Connolly, Grace Coppola, Anna...

Paul Sciria's death stunned me, as well it should given a friendship of over 80 years. We both lived on 154th off Kinsman, a few doors apart, a thoroughly ethnic street, mostly Italians and Jews, with one German family and a Lutheran minister to boot. It never mattered if we had not seen each other for a while; when we met we were instantly transpo...

Giordano’s has brought its pizza to Columbus, but don’t call it deep-dish. It’s a stuffed pizza. That’s a very important distinction, CEO Yorgo Koutsogiorgas said. “It is a different kind of experience than the original deep dish,” Koutsogirogas said. “We’re kind of the evolution of the deep-dish pizza in Chicago. It tastes somewhat different, in o...

It's a tour of Italy without ever leaving the Ohio Valley. They're dancing the day away at Campo Italiano. The summer day camp, held at the Italian Village in Steubenville, is in its 9th year. All this week, about 100 kids are learning about Italian cities, food, music and culture. On Thursday, part of the fun included a 100th birthday celebration...

For the third time since the International Festival’s inception 51 years ago, the reigning queen is also a member of the festival’s spotlight nationality. At the Lorain International Association Princess Pageant Thursday night, 17-year-old Madison Maniaci was named queen after representing her Italian heritage. “My grandfather is probably crying ri...

Il ‘Pasquesi day’ diventa festa ufficiale negli Stati Uniti. Il sindaco di Highland Park, Illinois, ha infatti proclamato ufficialmente che la domenica dopo la festa americana del papà, sia dichiarata festa del Pasquesi Day (solitamente la quarta domenica di giugno). Nel ‘Mayoral Proclamations’ si citano le motivazioni di questo riconoscimento. Si...

Far from the skyscrapers and tightly-packed production companies of Downtown, the city's Dunning neighborhood seemed to upstart filmmaker Giancarlo Iannotta like the perfect location for the opening of his first feature-length movie. But it didn't come without challenges. "We kept having to pause because of a plane flying right over our heads every...

The food, music and culture of Italy will be on display when Festa Italiana returns to Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights July 14-16.Joe Ventimiglia, from the Italian American Cultural Society, said he is a chairman of the event, and he added that he typically starts organizing the event around January or February every year. “It’s been i...

Paul Sciria, the gravel-voiced legend of Cleveland television news who built a successful second career in print and public relations, died Friday. He was 88 and a resident of Mayfield Heights. The cause was apparently a heart attack, according to his family. Short, with heavy-rimmed glasses and an unmistakable voice, Sciria became as prominent as...

Raymond Mazzarelli passed away on June 18, 2017, in the comfort of his home. He was 89 years old. Ray was born on April 1, 1928, the son of Amedeo and Amalia (Copen) Mazzarelli. He received his education in Kenosha area schools and on July 19, 1947, at Holy Rosary Parish, he married childhood friend and Bradford HS class of 1946 sweetheart Lorraine...

The Lorain International Festival will hold an open house at the Lorain Learning Center of Lorain County Community College from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 25, during the parade. Lorain County Community College has been chosen as the spotlight organization and will showcase the class offerings and services available in the city of Lorain. Attendees can...