Anton Coppola, a Maestro With Many Encores
Francis Ford Coppola may have created the "Godfather" films, but these days, the real godfather of the Coppola clan is his uncle Anton Coppola. "I don't know if I like the Mafioso connotations of that," said Mr. Coppola, who is 99 and still composing, conducting and devoting his life to opera. He is also uncle to the actress Talia Shire, a...
Pebble Beach 2016: 1936 Lancia takes best of show prize
by Charles Fleming A beautifully restored pre-war Italian sports car once owned by musician Eric Clapton walked away with the best of show award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance automobile exhibition. The 1936 Lancia Astura Cabriolet, with body by design house Pinin Farina, also took the top prize in its European Classic Early...
Nutella stands out as the new competitor of peanut butter in the US
Nutella is an Italian product famous around the world. Ferrero – the Italian company based in Alba (Cuneo) – is the "father" of the well-known gourmandise. The company emerged as a colossus since it was founded in 1946 by Michele Ferrero, who has recently passed away (February 2015), but remain famus as the inventor of Ferrero Rocher. Besi...
Discovering the Past, the Present, and the Future of Cinema Italia with Program Director Amelia Antonucci
by Serena Perfetto For the fourth year in a row, the Castro Theatre in San Francisco is home to some of the most known Italian movies. Nevertheless, Cinema Italia has become a not-to-be-missed event not only for Italian film-lovers. The festival develops a one-day-only hectic program starting at 1pm, followed by two more movies before the...
Q&A with Mario Batali, star chef at Scottsdale festival
It's been 20 years since Americans were first introduced to Mario Batali on "Molto Mario." Batali showed us the beauty of Italian cuisine on his Food Network shows, and used his pasta-making skills as a weapon to battle challengers on "Iron Chef." He and business partner Joe Bastianich have created more than two dozen restaurants, inc...
Looking back at Sinatra: A man and his talk
Gil Gigliotti, professor of English and Latin at Central Connecticut State University and the author of two books about Frank Sinatra, has been traveling the Northeast speaking about the 100 years of Frank Sinatra. Sinatra would have turned 100 on Dec. 12, 2015. Gigliotti spoke this week at Hall Memorial Library in Ellington about Sinatra's l...
Chef Luigi Diotaiuti Wants to Attract Younger Diners to Aperto
A contemporary Italian restaurant from Chef Luigi Diotaiuti quietly opened in Foggy Bottom (2013 I St. NW) a little over a month ago. "After 40 years of a career, I learned that it's always better to open with the low profile," Diotaiuti says, explaining that it helps a restaurant iron out the details before guests pour through the doors. Now the c...
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco talks new special, tenure as a waiter
"This is crazy, man," said a black-clad Sebastian Maniscalco, settling into a booth at the posh restaurant inside the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. A massive light fixture evoking a cascade of bubbles hangs overhead amid the room's polished wood and air of assured California elegance. Maniscalco's incredulous expression is the sort of humble "How...
Modern expressions of Italy’s sublime stone
By Mariella Radaelli Since my Italian-American Italy has long been renowned for its miracles in stone. From Roman amphitheaters and aqueducts to Michelangelo's David, the people from this mountainous land have produced creations that made history. The Latins converted the untamed into cultivated spaces, laying claim to new territories. "U...
A Neapolitan Christmas with Jenna Esposito at Lorenzo's at the Hilton Garden Inn
When: Friday, December 9th @ 9:30 p.m. (dinner at 7:00) Where: Lorenzo's at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314 Costs: $89.95 - includes four-course dinner with wine pairings, plus the show! Premium seating is $104.95. Reservations: (718) 477-2400, ext. 5 Enjoy a fabulous four-course din...
Italian-American Mineworkers in the Northern Anthracite Field
The Genealogical Research Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, in partnership with SIAMO: The Italian-American Heritage Society of NEPA, will sponsor a presentation by Robert Wolensky, author of Anthracite Labor Wars: Tenancy, Italians, and Organized Crime in the Northern Coalfield of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1897-1959, as part of 2017 Mining Hi...
Creazione di Startup e internazionalizzazione: il forum di Italian Business & Investment Initiative alla Bocconi
"Creazione di start up e internazionalizzazione: i casi di successo e le opportunità concrete": questo il titolo del forum organizzato da Italian Business & Investment Initiative che si terrà all'Università Bocconi questo pomeriggio alle 18 nell'Aula Magna di via Gobbi. Protagonisti dell'incontro saranno casi di successo a livello internaziona...