What's up with WTI: Editorial # 161

Mar 18, 2023 1015

Dear friends,

In the month that is ending our audio and video podcast, We the ItaliaNews, has reached (and exceeded) 350 episodes. Really, I never thought I would reach this number when three years ago I turned on the webcam and tried to answer the many questions from you Italian American friends, who were trying to understand this strange news about Italy in lockdown. “Are you really in lockdown?” was your question? Yes, we were. Three years later thankfully the covid-19 coronavirus is no longer a deadly threat, but our podcast - then daily, now weekly - is still very popular, viewed and listened to by thousands of Italian Americans. Thank you for your loyalty!

A few days ago the adventure in the World Classic Baseball of the Italian National Baseball Team, coached by Italian American legend Mike Piazza, ended: a team with many Italian Americans players happy and proud to compete for Italy. We made it through the group stage, and as could have been expected, although we hoped otherwise, we stopped against the very strong Japanese, who were also playing at home in Tokyo.

Still, it was a wonderful experience, and we are happy to host in this issue of our magazine a purely fictional but very funny article, very well written by Mario Salvini, a what if: What if in 1948 there had been a World Classic Baseball, and even then the Italian American baseball champions had played for the Italian national team? My humble advice is to read it, it is very interesting!

Did you know that the new National Museum of Italian Emigration has opened in Genoa? It tells stories that belong to all of us, and in this issue of our magazine you can find an interview with Pierangelo Campodonico and Giorgia Barzetti, director and curator of the museum.

Our family is enriched by a new Ambassador, taking the place of his predecessor: we welcome as Ambassador of We the Italians in Massachusetts Tom Damigella. Tom graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and then received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from BU. He also had a brief playing career as professional soccer player for the Boston Astros. Later he began his career in the family’s business by managing a Top 10 National Tupperware Distributorship with a sales force of 600 consultants. Tom retired in 2016 and today he is involved with several Italian American associations like the Italian American Alliance and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian Organizations. He has always been very proud of his family’s Sicilian roots. In 2022, Tom became President of the North End Historical Society.

Also, our column about Italian entertainment is back! Our friend Elena Palazzi (who is also our Ambassador in the Campania region) will take care of it, starting this month. Elena is a contributor and a student of the Master in "Critic Journalism" at the "Silvio d'Amico" National Academy of Dramatic Arts. She took Philosophy as BA and Filmmaking as MFA. She grew up singing and acting at Naples's "San Carlo Theatre". She won the screenwriting contest "Lo schermo e le emozioni". "Gamers"(2017)- her first short film- has been awarded "Spirit of Comic Con"("Comic Con" festival - Atlanta, Georgia) and "Best Screenplay" ("Zonta Film Festival"- Alessandria, Italy)- it also entered the RAI official selection for its shorts' contest "Tulipani di seta nera".

Once again let me remind you that the new yearbook of We the Italians is available, with the 23 interviews (in Italian and English) published during 2022. You can find a preview and buy a copy here. Also, please use our virtual store to buy gifts and gadgets, where you can find more than 20 products in different colors: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, onesies, mugs, notebooks, pillows, totes, tapestries, pins, laptop and smartphone cases, magnets, stickers, masks. Buy We the Italians!

It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades. A big Italian hug from Rome!

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