After Elena Ferrante, Another Powerful Italian Voice Tells A Gripping Story Of Two Women Across Two Continents
Amy moves from Italy to New York City to live near her American father. Her journey from immigrant to successful publisher is intertwined with the story of Stella, whose unfinished memoir she intends to publish.They both experience love, setbacks, and success, as their paths run parallel to the Vietnam War, student protests, hippie culture, the bir...
Little Flower: The rise of Fiorello LaGuardia — NYC's first Italian-American mayor
"I can't take off and I can't land, but I sure can fly." - bomber pilot Fiorello LaGuardia, 1918. The Little Flower always knew he'd make a great New York mayor. By 1933 he'd been waiting years for the job. As an anti-Tammany liberal Republican, Fiorello LaGuardia attracted national attention in Congress, but he could never build a constituency in...
Iavarone Bros. hits the 90-year milestone
Joe Iavarone, whose grandfather founded Iavarone Bros. Foods, says he hopes the family’s legacy will always prevail. Celebrating its 90th anniversary, this business has gourmet food retail stores in Wantagh, New Hyde Park, Woodbury, and its oldest, in Maspeth, Queens. Planned for 2018 is the opening of a full service 6,000-square-foot restaurant in...
Indigenous Peoples Day or Diversity Day? L.A. is poised to rename Columbus Day, but councilmen have different ideas
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino has long been effusive about his Italian heritage, bringing opera singers to City Hall and posting YouTube videos about his family’s tomato sauce and his parents’ move from Sicily. Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, a member of the Wyandotte Nation, is equally passionate about his Native American roots. When he too...
Michéal Castaldo at the Mercer County Italian American Festival
Once again Michéal Castaldo will return to the Mercer County Italian American Festival on September 23rd at 6PM. Named one of NJ’s best fall festival by CBS, NY, Michéal and his La Dolce Vita Band will perform live on the main stage (Investors Bank Stage) at 6PM and delight the crowd with his spirited, passionate, enchanting voice and flawless deli...
The Beginner’s Guide To Great Italian Red Wines
Wine can be a little off-putting. There’s just so much of it out there. There are Pinots and Merlots and Cab Francs to contend with. There are renowned regions and famous wineries. Then there’s vernacular like the ‘nose,’ legs,’ and ‘finish’ to navigate. It’s a lot to track. The key is to “like what you like” and not apologize for being a neophyte....
Vandals damage Christopher Columbus statue
Vandals have damaged the Christopher Columbus statue in a Yonkers city park. Yonkers police say the two-foot plaster statue in Columbus Memorial Park was knocked off its pedestal overnight. Police found the front part of the statue at its base and the back part at the top of a hill. Neighbors are outraged by the vandalism. "I have a lot of Italian...
Italian Movies Are Struggling in U.S. Theaters, But This Distribution Experiment Could Change That
When “Indivisible” screened for a crowd at Lincoln Center as the opening night selection of its annual “Open Roads: New Italian Cinema” series, it had no U.S. distribution plan. In late 2016, it had screened in higher-profile slots in Venice and Toronto, where buyers paid no heed. But at Lincoln Center, the movie — a seriocomic story about 18-year-...
So, Who Invented Limoncello? And What Makes It So Special?
Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri: which is the true birthplace of Italy’s most famous liqueur, limoncello? We may never know for sure as there are different stories about the origins of limoncello. What we know is that limoncello has been around for at least 100 years; it is said that, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was customary for the wealthies...
Congratulations to Dennis Rivelli
Since he was 4 years old, Dennis Rivelli knew he wanted a career in law enforcement. "I saw a car go by with lights flashing, and I asked my dad about it. He said it's a police car. I said 'I want to drive it.' As I got older, I wanted to be a cop," said Rivelli. The 50-year old veteran with the East Rutherford Police Department will be sworn in as...
'St. Louis Square Off' Vows to Determine the Best St. Louis-Style Pizza
If your dream pizza comes with a cracker-thin crust, a mound of gooey Provel and, yes, squares instead of slices, you'll want to get to the Hill this fall. St. Louis' old-school Italian neighborhood will be hosting a festival to determine the very best St. Louis-style pizza around: the St. Louis Square Off.For $25, attendees will get to sample eigh...
A Roman Girl Moves to ’90s Los Angeles: An Interview with Chiara Barzini
Teenaged Eugenia has just moved to Los Angeles from Rome, and is about to start school. The year is 1992, and Eugenia is feeling sharp in her new Reebok Pumps. “If you worry,” her glamorous Italian movie star mother reminds her, “just pump your shoes.” Sneakers turn out to be the first of many bad choices that Eugenia makes in Chiara Barzini’s arre...