Close

When Ron Onesti strolled into our service club meeting in 2005, my first reaction was this guy looked like the type who hung around my old neighborhood in Chicago. There was no way to know that 20 years later, it would be clear he was this area’s “Greatest Showman.” Onesti was making his rounds at Tri-Cities area service clubs that year to introduc...

208

Andrea Bocelli è il primo premiato per il gala NIAF del 50° anniversario a Washington DC il prossimo Ottobre Pueblo, in Colorado, sarà la sede del primo Museo Leonardo da Vinci del Nord America Il più importante gruppo italoAmericano di Chicago afferma che le statue di Colombo devono essere reinstallate perchè sono espressioni artistiche L'ex Gover...

185

Back in 2020, then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had three statues of Christopher Columbus removed in Chicago. For all the time since, Italian American groups in the city have been fighting to put them back. They continue to do so, and now call the removal of the statues "selective censorship." A few weeks ago, there was an uproar at City Hall over...

231

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans honored five elected officials at its second annual Government Relations Luncheon on Nov. 19 at the Des Plaines Theatre. The event was spearheaded by JCCIA President Ron Onesti, with Enza Ranieri, a recipient of last year’s awards, chairing the committee. More than 150 organization presidents, elected...

157

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame celebrated its 45th annual gala on Nov. 15 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. More than 700 attendees witnessed the induction of NBA star Chris Corchiani, ESPN national correspondent Sal Paolantonio, NFL pioneer Bruno Banducci, wrestling great Lou Albano, baseball pioneer Philomena Gianfran...

148

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...

311

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...

1152

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...

220

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...

215

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...

242