It was in 1977 that I flew down to Los Angeles from San Francisco with a group of Italian-Americans, including former mayor Joseph Alioto and his daughter Angela Alioto Veronese. Born in San Francisco in 1916, Alioto rose to prominence as an attorney and politician, becoming the 36th mayor of San Francisco, serving from 1968 to 1976. He was known f...

Italian Heritage Month is a time for us to reflect on the profound impact that Italian immigrants have had on the cultural, economic, and social fabric of San Francisco and the broader Bay Area. This celebration is not only a recognition of our shared history but also a testament to our enduring values of hard work, creativity, and community. San F...

A precious reliquary for San Francisco Cathedral, blessed in the historic Basilica of Abruzzo. The reliquary bearing the image of the Holy Face, visible from both sides, and soon to be enthroned in the Cathedral of San Francisco, USA, was the focus of a solemn ceremony held on September 13, 2024, at the Basilica of the Holy Face in Manoppello. The...

Fifty years have gone by since Mayor Joseph Alioto got a call from the Consiglio Comunale di Assisi announcing that the proposal to make San Francisco and Assisi Sister Cities had been approved. That decision marked a crucial moment in the history of the two towns: Assisi, the Città della Pace, (as locals always underline) is in fact Sister City wi...

The Knights of Saint Francis have guarded the Porziuncola Nuova Chapel at the National Shrine of Saint Francis for over ten years. The rector, John La Riva recently closed the little chapel, for no apparent reason, and as a result it is no longer open to members of the public. The Knights of Saint Francis request that the Archbishop direct the rect...

Dear Friends, I am running for Mayor of San Francisco and I am so excited and energized at the opportunity to again serve the city that I love! My commitment to public service comes straight from my heart - I was born and raised here, I raised my children here. I have served on the Board of Supervisors, where I was also elected President of the Boa...

“When I first received the call from Lorenzo Ortona, I could not believe it. I was senza parole, I mean totally speechless.” As we kicked off the conversation, that’s the first thought that Angela Alioto shared with me about the honorific title as Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana she received in June. The ceremony was hosted by the Consul Genera...

Mayor Joseph Alioto, predecessor of lionhearted Mayor George Moscone, was born of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. No, he wasn't born in 1906, but a little backstory will shed light on this curious connection. Joseph's father, Giuseppe Alioto, had sailed from Palermo at the age of nine to the United States and ended up working on the fishing...

Salesforce CEO's support of the Piazza St. Francis project in San Francisco made a big splash on Twitter and drove the petition to near completion. This promising project will enhance the Italian character of North Beach. After all, St. Francis was Italian and the piazza will be an enduring symbol of Italian culture and lifestyle.Only 200 more sign...

There's a family that runs its history through the decades serving the town of San Francisco: before Joseph, then his daughter Angela, now her son Joseph. There's a project called Porziuncola Nuova that connected San Francisco to Saint Francis' town, Assisi. There's a square in front of a church in the North Beach, San Francisco's Little Italy, tha...