The Cape Coral Museum of History is putting on its inaugural Festa Italiana honoring and celebrating the heritage of Cape Coral’s many Italian American residents. The two-part event held at GASC will include a noon to 5pm festival with access to delicious food, fabulous entertainment, cooking demonstrations, games, contests, vendors and more. The e...

An Italian staple in Southwest Florida will not be returning. After serving the Cape Coral community since 1986, Paesano's Italian Fresh Market confirmed they have permanently closed after Hurricane Ian destroyed their building. According to their Facebook page earlier this month, the owners have decided to retire after losing a lot from Hurricane...

Paesano's Italian Market in Cape Coral is hiring butchers and deli workers. "The atmosphere is like you're walking in an Italian Village," Jerry Furio, the owner of Paesano's Italian Market, said. "You can see, I have my underwear hanging there just like Italy, they would do over the balconies, and my wife's hanging also." Furio opened his first ma...

In Carmelo LaMotta's earliest memory of his family's 41-year-old south Fort Myers restaurant, he is 7 and the year is 1979.  "My first memory? The older clientele," LaMotta said. "Coming from New York and New Jersey I wasn't used to that. In New York we had all New Yorkers, but here it's always been kind of like a minestrone, people from the Midwes...

Gloria Tate's Cape Coral roots run deep. One of the city's pioneer families, her parents settled in the city during Hurricane Donna in 1960, when Tate was 9 years old. That was just two years after Leonard and Jack Rosen began turning 103 square miles into a city of canals. Her mother, Grace Raso, started the Italian American Club, which Tate's sis...

A highly social, fun, outdoor recreational institution in the Cape for 30-plus years is more popular than ever. The most dedicated and expert bocce players at Veterans Park belong to men’s and women’s associations, Italian-American and Goodfellas leagues that compete on six courts nearly every day and evening during busy season. Players are also we...

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners has appointed Cape Coral City Councilmember John Carioscia to the Lee County Tourist Development Council. Carioscia, who was appointed Dec. 19, is serving his second term on the Cape Coral City Council. He replaces former Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki. A resident of Cape Coral for 11 years, he is involv...

Thanks to the efforts and dedication of Linda Biondi, the annual Veterans Day parade in Cape Coral is in very good hands. Not even a hurricane could disrupt the planning of this popular and much-anticipated event.  When Hurricane Irma hit the region in early September, it threw a pretty big curveball to residents and businesses. And to parade plann...

You can bring your trombone, your guitar, or just a tremendous singing voice, get on stage, and just perform.   The Italian-American Club on Vincennes Boulevard in downtown hopes the idea will work to get the word out about its new musical offerings this summer as a way to bring people in once the snowbirds return.   Read more  ...

Founded in 1966, the Cape Coral Italian American Club is breathing new life into its membership with more weekly activities and an executive chef. President Cathy Sangiovanni explained that the club was on the verge of closing last year due to financial challenges. Elected in November, she hopes to turn things around for the group, saving what her...