If there was a mayor of South Omaha, John Stella was it. The friendly guy with the bushy mustache who seemingly knew everyone died Friday of complications from leukemia. He was 88. Stella’s long life revolved around the sport of baseball, a love affair that lasted almost nine decades. He was most devoted to the sport through the American Legion, a...
READ MOREMarco’s Pizza, the fastest-growing authentic Italian pizza brand, was busy this weekend readying its newest location in La Vista, which opened Monday, Oct. 2. Located at 8124 S. 84th St., the community can expect to indulge in authentically prepared Italian pizza at an affordable price. Marco’s Pizza promises a delightful and convenient location. O...
READ MOREIt’s been a few years since I have been excited about eating on the corner of 11th and Jackson, one of those charming Old Market destinations that has the potential to draw diners like a moth to a flame. After two visits to Cibo Vino, the latest restaurant to take over the bay formerly occupied by The Collins, J’s on Jackson and Passport, color me...
READ MOREJoe Caniglia was born 92 years ago during the Santa Lucia Festival in Omaha, NE. “When I was growing up I thought it was a big birthday party until I got old enough to realize it wasn’t,” he said. The festival and a birthday party do have something in common: family. “The whole neighborhood came from Carlentini,” said Caniglia. “And we’re all proba...
READ MORECaroline Cimino went to college in Italy and never left. The Omaha Westside graduate wakes up each morning in her studio apartment to the smell of the lemon grove outside her window and to the ringing bells from the church next door.She cycles each day around some of the most beautiful scenery in the Mediterranean. “My family went on vacation to It...
READ MOREStarting July 6, Nebraskans of all ages will be suiting up and taking part in the annual Cornhusker Games. The amateur sports festival features a little something for everybody who wants to compete, and in 2023, a game with Italian roots will finally have its day in the sun. To the folks who regularly gather for fellowship and food at Omaha’s Sons...
READ MOREAn Omaha state senator honored the late owner of an iconic Italian restaurant in the city Friday at the Nebraska Legislature. Most knew her as Grandma Malara, who founded the business that bears her name near 22nd and Pierce 39 years ago. She died this month at age 87. Caterina Malara simply loved to cook, Italian food, to be exact, of which she ha...
READ MOREUnion Omaha announced today the signing of defender Marco Milanese, pending league and federation approval. Milanese reunites with assistant coach Kevin Nuss, who he played under in his time with the USL League Two side Ocean City Nor'easters. The Isernia, Italy native has spent time with multiple landmark Italian clubs, including S.S.C. Napoli U-1...
READ MOREOn a distant Italian island whose roots are shared by thousands of Omahans of Sicilian descent is a new and elaborate park carved into a cliffside: Parco Omaha. Also in that Sicilian town of Carlentini, a visiting Omaha artist is busy creating a podcast series expected not only to spotlight native treasures but also spark business and civic exchang...
READ MORE"Nebraska: where the West begins" was a tourism slogan referring to the fact that the Cornhusker State (the name comes from the way corn, the state's main product, was commonly harvested, by "husking" it by hand) occupies the central portion of the Frontier Strip, that unbroken border line that bisects the United States from north to south, startin...
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