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Dear friends, Next June 4 will be a very important date. Exactly 80 years earlier, on June 4, 1944, troops of the American Fifth Army entered Rome, liberating it from Nazi oppression and war. The people of Rome took to the streets, finally free and happy, to celebrate, hug and thank the American soldiers. These are scenes of happiness that all us R...

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A long-running effort to turn a stretch of Harlem Avenue on the Far Northwest Side into a walkable showcase for Italian American businesses and culture like Little Italy’s Taylor Street is inching forward. City planners told the 2-mile stretch between Grand Avenue and Irving Park Road can become a destination neighborhood with improvements to the s...

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104,538 jumping jacks in 24 hours. 41,788 leg raises in 12 hours. 110,015 crunches in 17 hours. 133,581 crunches in 30 hours. 160,974 sit-ups in 82 hours. 70,715 sit-ups in 24 hours or less. If these sound like ridiculous, “there’s no way a person can do that” numbers, think again. They’re all fitness endurance feats accomplished by Air Force veter...

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Onesti Entertainment will host a “History Rocks” fundraiser for the St. Charles History Museum on May 1 in the Rock ‘N Ravioli restaurant, with food, raffles and live music. The event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. in the restaurant at 105 E. Main St., and will feature an “Italian Feast Buffet” with Onesti’s famous meatballs and live music after dinner...

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A Chicago politician is thinking twice about renaming Columbus Drive for Barack Obama after outraged Italian-Americans questioned why the former president should be honored “at the expense of one ethnic group.” The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans had blasted the proposed rebranding as “offensive” last week, with president Ron Onesti desc...

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It’s been another long day! I did a cooking segment on WGN TV this morning, which meant I had to prep it last night until about 2 a.m.! Yes, cooking segment! I prepared a recipe of what I call “Sunday Dinner Lasagna Rolls,” topped with my Bolognese Sauce. I gotta say, it was pretty darn good, for a rock ‘n roller! I would not call myself a chef, as...

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On Friday, December 15, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard Founder and Managing Equity Partner was honored by the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame with the 2023 "Sportsman of the Year" Award. Each year, the "Sportsman of the Year" Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited tremendous leadership, benevolence and humanitarian activit...

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Chicago’s Italian American community, represented by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), came together this week to address opportunities and challenges that are elevating and impacting our shared heritage. JCCIA President Ron Onesti convened the meeting and invited COPOMIAO President Basil Russo to speak on the transformative s...

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A big part of the "fun" for me when I produce shows is being able to work with the acts that I love. At 59 years of age and a classic rocker from the '70s, I have a deep appreciation for those musical acts that paved the way for today's entertainers. One of those groups that I grew up really enjoying was one that nobody realized just how popular th...

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Columbus Day is Monday, October 9, and for many Italian Americans the annual national holiday now comes with the sting of having to fight for their place in American society all over again. “In this age of cancel culture, we’ve gone from perpetuating the contributions Italians have made to America to defending them,” Ron Onesti, President of the Jo...

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