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At 18, Gene Passarella headed to war. At 99, the Purple Heart recipient heads to downtown Scranton, ready for his orchestra’s next performance. He taps his foot and signals for the orchestra to begin. “1, 2, 3, 4…” The trombones and trumpets blare, as Passarella conducts the band he has led since the 1950s. The crowd at La Festa Italiana in downtow...

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Just a few days after turning 100, Tony Battaglia shared his recollections as a U.S. Army medic serving in the embattled Aleutian Islands during World War II. "It was a long time ago," the Honesdale resident said, freely recalling that time over 80 years past.  Pfc. Battaglia was born June 12, 1924, in Mount Vernon, New York, to Italian immigrants,...

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Ralph “Hack” Pasqurella was born in Melrose Park in 1917 to Gaetano and Gabriella Chiero Pasqurella, who immigrated to the U.S. as teens. His father came from Melizzano in Campania and his mother from Trivigno in Basilicata. Pasqurella’s father died during the 1918 flu epidemic while his mother was pregnant with their second child. She eventually r...

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Columbus Day and Veterans Day will no longer be days off for Stamford students after a vote by the Board of Education Tuesday night. Both days, which are currently days off from school in Stamford, had been proposed as in-school days last year as well. But after push-back from local veterans and Italian-Americans, both remained untouched.  Neither...

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New Jersey Assemblyman Sean Kean has successfully spearheaded a bill to name a section of Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights in memory of World War II veteran John Tarantino. The bill (A4955), signed into law on Tuesday, designates mileposts 3.25 to 3.70 as the “John Tarantino Highway.” Tarantino, a Brooklyn native born to Italian immigrants in 1924,...

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Santa came to town two weeks ahead of schedule Sunday as he made his first appearance at the Italian American Veterans Post No. 1 in Lorain during its all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Organized by Ladies Auxiliary President Bambi Dillon, the breakfast has become a staple for the post alongside its spaghetti dinners. However, Dillon decided to add...

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A California WWII vet who ran the Nuremberg Opera House — welcoming the likes of Mickey Rooney and Bob Hope — turned 103 last month. Now, he's sharing his tips for a fulfilling life — which include good food, good wine and a wonderful wife. "I’m Italian, so pasta is the first thing that comes to my mind," Sam Avolicino of Danville told Fox News Dig...

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The Columbus Day Parade has been a tradition for 35 years in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy. The parade made its way down Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood Saturday morning as spectators of all ages lined the streets. “Everybody’s here, having a beautiful day, enjoying the parade, that’s the only thing that matters,” said James Pion...

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World War II veteran John Baccarella was honored by Bayonne first responders for his 100th birthday, with the police and fire departments, as well McCabe Ambulance Services, driving past his home with sirens blaring to mark the occasion. Baccarella is celebrating his centennial today and has been able to spend with weekend with friends and family,...

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The middle of three children, Steven Decker was born in Chicago to Roy and Kathryn Tomasello Decker, who were living near North Avenue and Larrabee. When Decker was 3 years old, they moved to Logan Square, where he grew up living close to his Sicilian-born grandparents and his mother’s five siblings and their families. On Sunday mornings, Decker aw...

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