‘Little Italy Mayor’ Vinny Vella dies aged 72
Vinny Vella, an actor known as the unofficial “Mayor of Little Italy” has died. He was 72. Vella is probably best known for the role of “Artie Piscano” in Martin Scorsese’s epic 1995 mafia masterpiece ‘Casino’. He also played Jimmy Petrille on the HBO show “The Sopranos”. Grinberg News columnist Mark Gallo spoke with Vella before Christmas. This is...
Scholarships available for Italian-American students in Stark County
The Italian-American Festival Foundation of Stark County will award $8,000 in scholarships for the 2019 academic year. Applicants must be 2019 May or June graduates from a Stark County High School and of Italian-American heritage. Scholarships are awarded based on need, scholastic ability, extracurricular involvement and character. Winners will be...
Family recipes fuel the food at Mamma Onesta’s in Lockport
With a moniker like Mamma Onesta’s Italian Restaurant, it might not surprise people that the historic downtown Lockport establishment focuses on family. “‘Mamma Onesta’ means honest mother in Italian. It’s named after my honest, hardworking mother. Being Italian I love to eat Italian food and love to cook. My mom is a great cook,” said Frank DeGras...
San Martino al Cimino
Located along the Via Francigena pilgrimage road to Rome, the village was originally settled by the Cistercian Order, who built an abbey and a monastic complex there in the 11th and 12th centuries, which now lie in ruins. The complex was abandoned in the 1500s and the land was given to Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphilj—better known as simply “Donna Olim...
LA Italia Fest to Honor 'Green Book's' Nick Vallelonga
The 14th annual LA Italia Fest will conclude Friday night with a special awards ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, honoring multiple Academy Award nominees before the big night on Sunday. Nick Vallelonga, who is Oscar-nominated for best original screenplay and best motion picture for Green Book, will be honored with the festival’s I...
Little Italy descendants and friends establish new non-profit museum
In 2018, the descendants, residents, and friends of Little Italy, a historic community nestled in northwest Pulaski County in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, founded a new 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called the “Little Italy Arkansas Heritage Society” whose mission is to preserve the history of Little Italy, Arkansas, celebrate its I...
How Rita Sodi and Jody Williams Created Some of New York's Most Beloved Dining Spaces
If you’ve ever been to Via Carota, Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ perpetually packed Italian restaurant in New York City’s Greenwich Village, and had to use the restroom, you’ve probably noticed a certain bronze horse head mounted on the wall across from the toilet. It’s a bag hook, and it’s one of many playful, practical fixtures that fill the six e...
In Nick Cafardo, we lost a great teammate who was much loved
Nick Cafardo worked in a profession peppered with competitive souls, jealousy, and millionaire athletes accustomed to being praised unconditionally. One of the best baseball writers of his generation, Nick managed to cover the sport without generating any hard feelings. Everybody liked Nick. The man had no enemies. For a baseball writer in 2019, th...
‘Hispaniola’: John Fusco To Write & EP Christopher Columbus Epic TV Series For Dana Brunetti’s Cavalry Media & UK’s Raw
Dana Brunetti and Keegan Rosenberger’s Cavalry Media has tapped Marco Polo creator John Fusco to write, executive produce and showrun another drama about a famous explorer, Hispaniola, a historical epic series based on the Hans Koning book Columbus: His Enterprise: Exploding the Myth. Hispaniola, on which Cavalry has partnered with UK production ho...
Carnevale Celebration at Holy Cross Church
Saturday March 2, 2019. 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM PST. Holy Cross Parish, 580 Jackson Street, San Jose, CA 95112. Little Italy is proud to present our inaugural Carnevale celebration in collaboration with Holy Cross Church and the Scalabrini club. Our event will include a Venetian mascarade costume contest, food, arts and crafts, wine tasting and live mus...
Church of St. Andrew hosts musical evening
The Church of St. Andrew will host an evening of Italian arias and selections from the American songbook Sunday, Feb. 24. The concert features guest soloists Mary-Alexandra Onstad and Valerie Osborn, accompanied by Mary Jodice on piano. Selections will include “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “My Funny Valentine,” Rossini’s “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti” a...
Never Give Up! Elena Favilli’s Success with “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls”
Last week the Italian Cultural Institute of New York opened its doors to the first event of a series of conversations with Italian professionals and creators led by the Italian journalist Maria Teresa Cometto, in collaboration with the Italian consulate. Elena Favilli, a writer, creator and entrepreneur, was the first guest of the series. She atten...