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The wall of a North Harlem Avenue building in Dunning inspired Ron Onesti as he searched for a new home for the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame — and for a large canvas to promote American athletes of Italian descent. “One of the reasons I bought that building was because of that wall,” says Onesti, president of the Hall of Fame. “Tha...

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Like so many other Chicago-area Italian Americans, Ron Onesti traces his stateside roots to the legendary Taylor Street Little Italy on the city’s Near West Side. His father’s parents settled there when they arrived from Italy, his father grew up and made lasting memories there, and Onesti was born in the neighborhood and went to school at St. Call...

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Thousands of Chicagoans gathered in the Loop on Monday for the city’s 72nd annual Columbus Day parade. The celebration of Italian American heritage featured floats, marching bands, singers, and dancers descending State Street. The parade’s theme this year was “Bridging gaps, celebrating our heritage, and protecting our culture.”  Watching the festi...

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The Italian American community in Chicago came together to celebrate their heritage with the 72nd annual Columbus Day Parade. The day began with a mass at The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, followed by a poignant procession in Arrigo Park, where a wreath-laying ceremony honored Italian American war veterans.   The grand parade stepped off around no...

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Before Monday's Columbus Day Parade, Italian Americans and Native Americans in Chicago are trying to come together to open a dialogue over the controversy that has surrounded the holiday for years. The two groups are trying to bridge the gap when it comes to Columbus Day celebrations. The debate over the history surrounding the holiday has gone on...

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The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) is proud to announce a collaboration with members of the Native American Community during the 2024 Columbus Day Parade on Monday, October 14, 2024. “This is an initiative a long Nme coming,” said Ron Onesti, President of the JCCIA. “We have been working together with tribal communities to dispe...

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It is no secret that I am an Italian American, and a proud one at that. I was born on Taylor Street in Chicago’s “Little Italy.” Being a child of the early ’60s, I was fortunate enough to have experienced much of the music from the ’60s and ’70s now referred to as “Heritage Rock” and “Classic Rock.” But how I was really lucky was the fact that I ha...

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The skies above the Chicago lakefront will be painted green, white and red this month when the Frecce Tricolori pays an aerial visit. The legendary military aerobatic team will put on a show at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, to the east of Navy Pier, followed by a reservations-only reception. The event is being hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of...

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The Italian students at Ridgewood High School in Norridge were proud to play host to a delegation from Italy on May 23. Among the honored guests were Attilio Fontana, president of the region of Lombardy; Raffaele Cattaneo, the region’s undersecretary for European and International Public Relations; Maria Luisa Scalise, the region’s director of Inte...

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“Mountainmen: Gothic Line 1945”. Des Plaines Theatre • 1476 Miner St. Des Plaines, IL. 7:30 p.m. • Thursday, June 20 Free seating • RESERVATIONS REQUIRED here. It took Allied forces nearly two brutal years from July 1943 to May 1945 to topple Mussolini’s regime and drive Hitler’s forces from the Italian peninsula during World War II. Key to their s...

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