By Ashley Murray

Sure, Bloomfield's Little Italy Days festival isn't exactly true to its name. There's a wide array of non-Italian items for sale along Liberty Avenue; you can easily eat chicken fried rice or barbecue instead of pizza; and if you're remodeling your home, there are even siding and gutter kiosks. But one event is undeniably indicative of the city's Italian heritage — bocce ball on the temporary court set up on Cedarville Street.

This past weekend (Aug. 20-21), 12 teams faced off in a two-day double-elimination tournament — teams with names like "Nonna's Italian Army" and "Romano." Team T-shirts said cheeky things like, "Grab your balls, it's bocce time," and a cigar-wielding scorekeeper yelled about the measuring tape. (This year's winner was team "Yactown," from Wheeling, W.Va.)

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Source: http://www.pghcitypaper.com/