State Rep. Bob Rita brought together state and local leaders on the frontlines of the fight against violent crime to explore solutions to the problems his constituents are facing.

In late March, Rita hosted a “Combating Crime” roundtable discussion at Calumet Township Community Center in Calumet Park. On hand were mayors and police chiefs from the communities in Rita’s 28th House District, which covers south suburban Calumet Park, Blue Island, Riverdale, Oak Forest, Midlothian, Robbins, Posen and Crestwood. The discussion was led by top officials at the Illinois State Police, including ISP Director Brendan Kelly, Major Matt Gainer of the Division of Criminal Investigation and Captain David Keltner of the Division of Patrol.

Kelly provided an update on the license plate cameras placed along nearby interstates to catch criminals involved in shootings. Also discussed were progress made by local task forces on major crimes and carjacking, support needed for local police and anti-violence programs, and potential legislative solutions in Springfield.

Afterward, Rita reiterated his commitment to working with the State Police and his local communities to provide what’s needed to restore a sense of safety throughout the district. “We know there is a criminal threat in our neighborhoods that is serious and growing, and we have to come together and bring every resource possible to stop the threat for now and for good,” Rita said.

Ever since the pandemic set in, professionals around the world have given their time and talents to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus. For Peter Argondizzo, president of Argo Translations Inc., words are the weapon of choice. “We’ve translated a series of COVID-19-related safety posters, and we’ve made them available for free on the internet,” Argondizzo explains. “We’ve posted the CDC guidelines and related information on our website in 14 languages. Just choose a language, and we’ll ship you a PDF. Italian is one of the languages, of course!” (argotrans.com/covid-19)

Local artist Cosima Aryee has had a busy summer, with works on display at no fewer than four locations across the Chicago area. Her oil-on-canvas paintings can be viewed through September as part of a group exhibit at the Elmhurst Art Museum Guild Gallery and at a solo show at Overland Gallery in Harvard. A solo exhibit at Prairie Title in Oak Park and a nationally juried show at the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock wrapped up in August.

Born in Taranto, Italy, Aryee moved to Chicago when she was 12 years old. She served in the U.S. Army before earning a BFA from the College of Art & Design at Southern Illinois University with a double major in painting and drawing. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, she enjoyed a successful career in graphic design and marketing.

“I’m interested in creating a poetic dialogue with the viewer, leading their eyes into a colorful and rhythmic dance,” she says. “My brushstrokes are spontaneous and instinctive in technique, depicting the essence of nature’s mystical beauty and light. It is very fulfilling knowing that people feel a connection with my work, that it soothes them.”

(cosimaaryee.net)

If adversity breeds innovation, no industry has had to be as adaptive as the performing arts this year. In the wake of the unexpected and worldwide shutdown, New York City-based opera coaches Rachelle Jonck and Derrick Goff reacted quickly to the closure of opera houses and schools, creating an online practice diary exploring the basics of vocal technique according to the well-known lesson book of Italian composer Nicola Vaccai. With the swift international success of “The Vaccai Project,” Jonck and Goff realized that they had discovered a method of delivering content that was not merely a quarantine-era substitute, but rather a powerful and promising method of disseminating high-level musical information while building a vibrant operatic community.

Expanding on their mission to provide accessible, supportive and engaging education to singers, the online Bel Canto Boot Camp was born. Structured for professionals and enthusiasts alike, their fall 2020 plans include presentations of the Vaccai Project (September 7 to November 22); Vocal pedagogy reading groups examining Stark’s “Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy” the Ariette of Bellini; and “Prima le parole: The Language of Opera” — an interactive Italian course exploring Italian operatic librettos, unveiling the mysteries of often confusing and convoluted poetic language. Learn more at www.belcantobootcamp.com.

Joining Scannicchio as officers are First Vice President Dion U. Davi, Second Vice President Bruno R. Marasso, Third Vice President Michael D. Pisano, Treasurer Brian T. Monico and Secretary Catherine (Caifano) Locallo. Their profiles follow.

Hon. Regina A. Scannicchio — President

Judge Regina A. Scannicchio currently sits in the Cook County Court Domestic Relations Division. She was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2011, and she was elected in 2012 and retained in 2018. Judge Scannicchio presides over complex domestic relations litigation encompassing issues related to minor children, child support, and the evaluation and distribution of marital estates.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Scannicchio was the principal and manager of her own firm, Scannicchio & Associates, P.C., with a practice concentrated in complex divorce litigation. During her practice, Judge Scannicchio served as a Guardian Ad Litem and Child Representative on behalf of minor children through appointments by the Court. She also briefed and argued cases in trial and appellate courts with an emphasis on family law matters.

Judge Scannicchio attended DePaul University, graduating with a B.S. in Marketing and Communications and received her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School. Regina remains active in The John Marshall Law School as a member of their Alumni Council and served as the President of The John Marshall Alumni Association. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the law school’s Alumni Association and the Spirit of John Marshall Award from the law school’s Board of Trustees.

Judge Scannicchio currently serves on the boards of the Illinois Judges Association and the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago, and she is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Her community involvement includes her work on the executive boards of The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii and the Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association as well as her involvement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Italian American Human Relations Foundation. She received a da Vinci Award for Community Service from the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America and an Impresa Award from the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.

Judge Scannicchio has served as an adjunct professor in legal writing for The John Marshall Law School and is a presenter, speaker and faculty member on the topics of family law for the Association of Illinois Courts Education Conference, Illinois Judicial College, Chicago Bar Association, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Association of Family Law Conciliation Courts and The John Marshall Law School.

Dion U. Davi — 1st Vice President

Dion U. Davi is the Founding Attorney of Davi Law Group, LLC, which concentrates in the areas of family law, criminal law, estate planning and motorsports law with offices in Naperville, Wheaton, Plainfield, Chicago and Joliet. Dion received his Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School after attending DePaul University, where he received his B.A. in psychology. He has served as an officer, including as President, of the DuPage Justinian Society of Lawyers. He has also served on the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and on the Board of Directors of the DuPage County Bar Association. Dion has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2010-13, an Illinois Super Lawyer from 2015-20 and a Law Bulletin Leading Lawyer from 2015-20.

Bruno R. Marasso — 2nd Vice President

Bruno R. Marasso is a Senior Associate Attorney at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, where he focuses his practice in the areas of automobile collisions, wrongful death, premises liability, police misconduct and institutional misconduct. Bruno has served on the Assembly of the Illinois State Bar Association and is an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Chicago Bar Association and American Association of Justice. He was named as an Emerging Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company for 2017 and 2018, and as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2018. While a law student at Chicago-Kent, he was a four-time recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award.

Michael D. Pisano — 2nd Vice President

Michael D. Pisano is an Associate in Ice Miller’s Litigation Group, where he prosecutes and defends civil litigation matters with an emphasis in representing owners and construction professionals in claims for breach of contract, defective construction, construction delay, personal injury and property damage. He received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School, where he was a member of the Law Review. Among his many scholarships and awards were the Lupel & Amari Scholarship and the Justinian Society of Lawyers Scholarship. He has been an active Justinian since law school, serving on the Executive, Newsletter, Membership, Website and other committees. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star from 2014-20.

Brian T. Monico — Treasurer

Brian T. Monico is a Principal with the law firm of Hale & Monico, which focuses on wrongful death, professional malpractice, personal injury and civil rights cases. He previously served in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. A graduate of Fairfield University and the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, he earned a Philip H. Corboy Fellowship and Thomas F. and Patricia A. Bridgman Scholarship and was a member of the Corboy Trial Team while in law school. A member of the Executive Board of the Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyer’s Lend a Hand to Youth, he chaired the Young Lawyers section of the Center for Disability and Elder Law. Brian has been recognized as an Emerging Lawyer, Super Lawyer, Leading Lawyer and 40 under 40 Attorneys to Watch.

Catherine (Caifano) Locallo — Secretary

Catherine (Caifano) Locallo is a Partner with the law firm of Robbins Schwartz. Her primary areas of practice are labor and employment law. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School in 2009. Catie was inducted into the Order of John Marshall, which was created by the school in 1929 to recognize excellence in scholarship. She was recognized as a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers from 2015-18. Catie has been a mentor to law students over the years and serves as co-chair of the Justinian Society of Lawyers Endowment Fund Scholarship Committee. She also serves as a member of the Oakton Community College Paralegal Advisory Committee and on the Board of Directors for the Glenview Stars Hockey Association.

“We are confident that Dr. Marzo will continue to shape and grow the Stritch School of Medicine,” says Norberto Grzywacz, Ph.D., Loyola University Chicago provost and chief academic officer. “With Jesuit values as part of his moral foundation, Dr. Marzo will be a steward of the relationship between Loyola and our academic medical center partner and will be a leader when facing the challenges and embracing the opportunities that we must approach together.”

A Stritch alumnus and professor, Marzo has served as interim dean since December 2018. He chaired the Head and Neck Surgery Division of the Department of Otolaryngology at Loyola University Health System and held a variety of staff appointments at LUHS. He serves on the LUHS Board of Trustees and is a member of the Integrated Clinical Leadership Team, the executive clinical leadership group of LUHS. He is active in multiple Loyola committees, including the Loyola Clinical Leadership Council, Perioperative Executive Committee and Medical Executive Committee.

Prior to joining the Stritch school staff full time in 1999, he was a clinical assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.

“I look forward to charting a long-term growth path for Stritch, including identifying new funding streams and expanding our philanthropic initiatives to serve Stritch and the broader Loyola University Chicago community,” Marzo says. “As a proud Stritch alum, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve a school that formed me into the physician and person I am today.”

During a typical summer, Carlo Vaniglia attends patron saint celebrations almost every weekend. With most of them cancelled due to the coronavirus, Vaniglia has hatched a groundbreaking way to spend his newfound free time. “I thought, ‘Why not gather in front of the Columbus statue in Arrigo Park to show our support for our monuments and answer questions people might have?’” Vaniglia explains. And so, Coffee With Columbus was born.

Vaniglia has attracted groups of between 20 and 60 people each Sunday morning simply through word of mouth, and the feedback from passersby has been largely positive. “We’re not there to protest, we’re there to inform,” Vaniglia says. “When people ask, we tell them what we’re doing and share the truth about Columbus. We’ve had pretty good results so far.”

The get-togethers have been peaceful and upbeat. A youth day is under consideration as a future gathering. (708-217-1004)

When COVID-19 hit Italy hard in the early spring, Hardcore Italians founder Mike Carioscia Sr. knew he had to do something. “Having deep roots in Italy, our first thought was to help our people,” Carioscia says.

The Italian pride products manufacturer sprang into action, rallying his staff to create the Italy Strong Charity Tee. “Warehouse manager Santo Munizzi recruited his sister BriElle to join our design team and bring our Italy Strong T-shirt alive,” Carioscia says. “Our event coordinator, Clare Bongiovanni, reached out to hospitals in Milan, Italian-American organizations and our business affiliates” in search of worthy beneficiaries.

The company settled on Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan and the Italian Scientist and Scholars in North America Foundation. “We also decided to help Patrick Capriati, host of the radio show Domenica Insieme, with the Hearts of Mola fundraiser for the town of Mola di Bari,” Carioscia says.

Hardcore Italians launched the campaign on its social media platforms on March 27, and two months later had raised $17,500 for the three charities. “We’re proud to be able to give back to Italy during these turbulent times,” Carioscia says.

Italy Strong T-shirts are $30, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to relief efforts in Italy. To order, visit hardcoreitalians.com/products/strong.

When a group of 20 Italian immigrants formed the Alpine Gun Club at English Lake, Indiana, in 1892, they had no way of knowing the legacy they were creating. Five generations later, the Alpine Country Club is celebrating its 92nd year as a peaceful, family friendly getaway in Round Lake, Illinois.

“In our fast-paced society, we offer a place for families that is unparalleled: a special lakeside retreat with dining services, sleeping accommodations, and tremendous recreational and social opportunities in a secure, supportive environment,” club President Michael Auriemma says.

The private, member-owned nonprofit boasts a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse and five cottages spread across 11 acres, with a 44-boat marina right on Round Lake. The cottages have five rooms each, including three bedrooms, and the clubhouse has 23 sleeping rooms and a 270-seat dining area/banquet hall supported by a full-service kitchen. An indoor bocce facility with four state-of-the-art courts, a play area for younger kids, a recreation room for older kids, and a recently renovated pool and deck are among the other amenities.

Access to the club is limited during the pandemic, but otherwise members and guests are welcome during the season, which generally runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The banquet area is available to members only for special events during the season and also to non-members during the off-season.

For details, visit thealpinecountryclub.com. To set up a tour, call 847-546-4544.