Casa film fest represents groundbreaking alliance
Casa Italia's Italian film series represents a groundbreaking collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and its new director, Alberta Lai. "The Istituto has a long tradition of screening Italian films at its downtown offices," says Casa Language and Culture Chairman Josette Weber. "This is the first time they've opened the door to sc...
Bill Lueders: Tragedy of 1913 still resonates
by Bill Lueders On Dec. 24, 1913, striking mine workers gathered with their families for a Christmas party at Italian Hall in Calumet, Mich. A man wearing a pin for a citizens group aligned with the mining companies entered the crowded second-floor room and shouted "Fire!". Frightened partygoers rushed to the exit and tumbled down the...
Columbus Day Parade sends powerful message
All parades are tribal, and all parades look back. See how far we've come, they say. Better parades look forward, too. This is where we're going now. But the best parades reach out to others, raising a banner for universal values of goodwill, aiming in some small way to heal the world. Such a parade is walking down State Street in Chicag...
Biennale di Architettura a Chicago, 1 Ottobre 2015
La Camera di Commercio Italiana Americana di Chicago ha il piacere di annunciare la Biennale di Architettura Americana che si svolgerà a Chicago dal 1 Ottobre 2015 al 3 Gennaio 2016. La Biennale sarà il più grande evento di architettura e design del Nord America a cui parteciperanno i più grandi nomi internazionali nei campi dell'architett...
From student to principal in Clinton Township
by Thomas Franz When Marina Licari began her educational journey as a kindergarten student 32 years ago, she could hardly speak English. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Licari grew up speaking her parents' native language. Years of bilingual classes and hard work in language arts paid off for Licari, whose journey through Chippewa...
Italian language experiences unexpected Renaissance at South Middle School
by Sally Ho Spanish still may be the runaway favorite for students learning a foreign language in Illinois, but one northwest suburban teacher has nearly quadrupled enrollment for a less ubiquitous language –Italian. Lisa Sasso, an Italian teacher at South Middle School at 400 S. Highland Ave., started the foreign language program...
Persistence and Determination Serve Filmmaker Quintino Zaccardelli
The story of the Zaccardelli's quest for the American dream is one fortified with generations of demonstrated persistence and determination. Ilvio Zaccardelli is one of five brothers born in the small village of Goriano Sicoli in southern Abruzzo. He and the rest of his siblings followed the lead of their uncle, Guglielmo Zaccardelli, who came to t...
Dearborn's Gino Polidori dies; served as fire chief, councilman and state rep
Former state Rep. Gino Polidori — a Dearborn politician known for supporting military veterans and for introducing a bill that helped foster kids be placed with relatives or those with a similar religion — died Sunday of complications from prostate cancer. He was 72. In 1973, at age 32, Polidori was appointed fire chief in Dearborn, the yo...
"American Nocturne": The Life and Works of Emanuel Carnevali - Thursday, October 9th @6pm
American Nocturne: The Life and Works of Emanuel Carnevali, a reading by Emidio Clementi accompanied by musicians Corrado Nuccini and Emanuele Reverberi Location: Instituto Cervantes, 31 W Ohio St., Chicago, IL Introduction by Barbara Carnevali, niece of Emanuel Carnevali and accomplished philosopher, and Justin S...
Why we need to contribute to Italian American Studies at Loyola
by Tom Secco We need to contribute,we need to contribute now. We need to contribute not only so our stories will not be forgotten, not only so we have some semblance of control about our stories but even so our stories already told in film and in books will not be misunderstood or forgotten. We need to contribute to make sure that pe...
Medal of Honor shines at veterans museum
The Italian American Veterans Museum took a quantum leap forward on Sept. 28, celebrating its grand reopening with the dedication of a new exhibit celebrating Italian-American Medal of Honor recipients. State Senator Don Harmon and Stone Park Mayor Ben Mazzulla were among the dignitaries who took part in the noon dedication ceremony, which was...
Online retailer of Italian foods opens at Advance
Il Mercato Italiano, The Italian Market, is open in the Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, 2701 Larsen Road. The business is an online retailer of imported Italian foods, including extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, pastas, sauces, holiday cakes and more. Il Mercato Italiano's fulfillment center is in Advance, from where orders a...