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Caffe Italia, a fixture on Central Avenue for 50 years that was founded by an Italian immigrant whose offspring still run the restaurant, is planning to move to a Guilderland shopping plaza late this year, in the process gaining more than twice as much seating and abundant free parking. Maria Romeo, who owns and manages Caffe Italia with her three...

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Rosanna’s Italian Kitchen in Albany is under new ownership. The owners of Albany’s The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Dora and Michael Philip, along with Chef Rachel Mabb and industry veterans, Jory Leanza and Elizabeth McCann, are buying the restaurant. “We love what the Bongiornos’ created in 1978 and what Brianne Baggetta and Tim Dillon reimagined and br...

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Senator George Borrello, President of the Conference of Italian-American State Legislators, has announced that celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich, the Emmy award-winning public television host, best‐selling author and restaurateur, will be a 2023 Italian-American of the Year honoree for this year’s Italian-American Day on Monday, May 22. The annual ev...

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After years of stops and starts, the story of Laurina Ecobelli is finally coming to the big screen on Monday in Albany. Called “Laurina,” the short film is part of a longtime effort by Ecobelli’s grandchildren, Tom, an actor and screenwriter, and his sister Lora Lee, a writer and actress, to bring her heartbreaking and inspiring story to film. Long...

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Joe Aiello’s workday begins long before the sparrows sing on Dongan Avenue in the city’s South End. Each morning before sunrise, Aiello unloads pallets of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, bananas, pears, oranges, apples and herbs from trucks arriving from New York City’s sprawling produce markets. On Monday, when winter’s first major...

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In 1989, President George H.W. Bush officially declared the month of October Italian Heritage Month to celebrate the achievements and contributions people of Italian descent have made to the United States. People of Italian descent have been finding many ways to celebrate their heritage, from cooking authentic dishes and hosting gatherings to parti...

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We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our member and supporter, Fr. Anthony Chiaramonte. Father was our regular celebrant for almost every Saint Patrick/Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony masses. Father especially enjoyed celebrating his feast day mass celebration with us and reminiscing with people about growing up in the old neighborhood i...

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A proposal to yank the Columbus Day state holiday from the calendar and recast it as “Indigenous People’s Day” is gaining traction at the statehouse after getting Democratic sponsors in both the Assembly and Senate. “Indigenous People’s Day reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical tru...

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Most Italian community events have a broad scope. But, the American Italian Heritage Association Museum in Albany, NY (1227 Central Ave.) is getting very specific with an upcoming event. A "Porchetta Festival" -- celebrating the iconic Italian preparation of a slow-cooked pork roast -- is scheduled for the following Saturday, September 17.  The fun...

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One-hundred years ago, a church was built to accommodate a growing Roman Catholic congregation. Albany architect Andrew Delehanty designed the building, Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church in Colonie; and Italian immigrants were among those who helped build the church and then later attended worship services there. Since 2009, it has been the h...

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