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Park Slope native and playwright John N. Frank is bringing a taste of his Italian-American upbringing to North Brooklyn with “It’s My Brooklyn, Too! “This is my family’s story, but it’s also the story of every immigrant family that’s come to America,” says Frank. “It deals with their struggles to achieve the American dream, looking at what families...

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Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso hosted the Italian Heritage and Culture Proclamation Ceremony on Oct. 30 at FIAO's Il Centro Cultural Community Center in Bath Beach, recognizing the contributions of Italian Americans to the borough. Among the honorees was Frank Seddio, a retired Surrogate's Court Judge, former Brooklyn Bar Association pr...

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The Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn gathered on Oct. 15 to honor Italian American Heritage and Culture Month with its annual celebration at Tiro A Segno, a private Italian club nestled in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. This year's event drew nearly loo members and guests, who celebrated with traditional Italian cuisine, camaraderie, and a...

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While new pizza joints have proliferated in North Brooklyn, one mainstay just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Fornino (849 Manhattan Ave.), a local pizza spot founded by Brooklyn native Chef Michael Ayoub, has served pizza and Italian cuisine to North Brooklyn for two decades. Chef Ayoub opened Fornino, named after his mother, in Williamsburg and...

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My memories of my mother’s cooking inspired me to write The Italian Daughter's Cookbook. When I was growing up, every meal was made from scratch and was indescribably delicious. I can never forget the taste and smell of dishes like Sunday Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage, Lamb Baked with Potatoes, and Peas and Stuffed Eggplant. However, none of my...

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The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge marks its 60th anniversary this November, as more than 50,000 runners prepare to start the 53rd running of the New York City Marathon at the bridge on Nov. 3. The occasion underscores a rich legacy of WSP influence on the city’s infrastructure, including design of the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge and other iconic structur...

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The “American Dream” is alive and well, and Rino Aprea is living it every day. Rino is the son of Italian immigrants Giovanni and Enza Aprea, who settled in Brooklyn, NY, in 1965. Rino often accompanied his father to work (as a line cook) at Angelo’s of Mulberry Street, an iconic Little Italy restaurant. As luck would have it, Giovanni was offered...

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Campanella’s Chicken Parm Pie says everything you need to know about the new Brooklyn-meets-Sebastopol Italian American restaurant. The hand-tossed pizza topped with mozzarella, vodka sauce and fried chicken cutlets is a throwback to owner Tom Rutledge’s favorite childhood snack when visiting his grandparents in Brooklyn and Queens. That, along wit...

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Thousands of spectators flocked to 18th Avenue, also known as Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard, on Saturday, Oct. 12 to enjoy the 42nd Annual Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade. The celebration began with a pre-parade mass at 11:15 a.m. at St. Athanasius R.C. Church in Bensonhurst, followed by the parade at 1 p.m. The procession kicked off at 61st Street alo...

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Brooklyn's Columbus Day Parade marched its way through Bensonhurst on Saturday. The annual event has been a tradition for more than 40 years. Italian flags were waved proudly, both from behind barricades and out of sports cars. Hundreds marched up 18th Avenue, or Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard, to Il Centro Community Center, the city's first Italian-...

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