Dr. Charles Martello had already been practicing dentistry for more than a decade before he first became aware of, and subsequently involved with, the Arcolian Dental Arts Society in 2002. Martello graduated from Loyola University’s dental school in 1987 and joined several other dental societies when he began his career, including the American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society, and Chicago Dental Society. “I wish that I had been a member (of the Arcolians) when I was back at Loyola,” Martello says. “It is a great group but I didn’t know of it and when you’re at that level you’re …

Since the start of 2025, Casa Italia has undergone a dramatic transformation after switching landlords for the first time in its history. To lead the group through this rinascimento, Casa Italia’s board chose a man with a lifetime of experience in banking and finance. “They wanted my guidance and I was honored,” says Peter Volpe, whose term as Casa’s Chairman runs the rest of the year. Casa Italia has been a “home away from home” for the Chicago-area Italian-American community for more than a quarter of a century, according to Volpe. For most of that time, the Casa leased the …

The Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame in Forest Park recently honored two of the sports most dedicated local legends: Frank and Tom Lentine. Among the artifacts on display at the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame in Forest Park is a photo of a local team called the Dr. Carlucci BobCats, taken just after they won the 1969 National Championship. To the right of the big trophy, the viewer can see BobCats star player Frank Lentine holding his then 3-year-old son, Tom. The photo captures one of countless great moments Frank and Tom have shared through the …

Rose Mary Ranallo, president of the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans since 2008, has a deep connection to the organization and has no plans to walk away anytime soon. Her mother, Gina Acino Sclafani, has been a Women’s Division member since 1980, including a stint as president. Ranallo says her mother always encouraged her to get involved and she finally relented in the early 2000s. “I finally came to a meeting and got hooked in with the lovely ladies,” Ranallo says. “I love the camaraderie with them and what the cause is, especially the scholarship …

Three Italians graced UIC Women’s Volleyball Team with her talents during the 2025 season. What would compel a young Italian to leave her home and family to enroll at a state-run university in Chicago? For the three Italians on the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Team at the University of Illinois Chicago, the answer is a combination of wanting to travel, the desire for a challenge and knowing they would be part of a robust community of international students. Francesca Venturini, who grew up in Bergamo, a city of around 120,000 residents northeast of Milan, was the first of the trio to …

Becoming the president of the Columbian Club of Chicago is another opportunity for Gerard Iannuzzelli to be a leader. Since he moved to Palatine in 1994, Iannuzzelli has been involved in many local groups, including the Palatine Men’s Civic Club, the Palatine Jaycees, the Sons of the American Legion and others, often taking on leadership positions. “I love the leadership role, I love guiding organizations,” Iannuzzelli says. “Maybe it’s related to my desire to keep traditions alive.” In addition to serving local organizations, in 2011 Iannuzzelli was elected to a four-year-term as a member on the Community Consolidated District 15 …

When Sofia Cantore joined America’s National Women’s Soccer League, little did she know she was stepping over a threshold that had never been crossed before. Before the age of 26, Italian soccer star Sofia Cantore compiled an impressive resume in her native land. At just 17, she signed with Juventus, considered the top club in Italy’s top women’s soccer league, and appeared in over 120 league matches, tallying more than 40 goals and 20 assists in the process. At the international level, Cantore is a Team Italy mainstay. She scored five goals for Le Azzurre in fewer than 50 games …

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Christina Toniolo helped lead Team Italy to victory in the European championships. When Fra Noi last checked in with softball pitcher Christina Toniolo for the June 2024 issue, the Crystal Lake, Illinois, native reported that she’d been recruited to the Italian National Team and helped the squad earn third place at the Canada Cup International Softball Championship. In 2025, Toniolo suited back up for “Le Azzurre” and helped the team accomplish even more. Team Italy won the 2025 Women’s Softball European Championship Gold Medal, claiming the top prize in the 21-team tournament. Toniolo …

Le Marche is a region in eastern Italy between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. In 1907, emigrants from the region who had settled in Chicago Heights after leaving their homeland for a chance at a better life in America founded an ethnic mutual aid society then called the Società di Mutuo Sorcorso Unione Marchegiana. While the group has evolved over the ensuing 118 years —including incorporating as a non-profit under the name of Marchegiana Society of Chicago Heights — it continues to thrive today. Ron Lucarini, who has served as the group’s president for the past 16 years, …

In 2008, as America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were raging, Dr. Joseph E. Troiani identified a major problem: There weren’t enough qualified psychology professionals to help returning service members. “We were already about seven years into the war and I had the realization that we didn’t have enough trained clinical psychologists to work with and address various mental health issues of returning veterans,” Troiani says. Troiani was exceptionally well qualified to make his assessment. He has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and since 1993 had both served as the director of behavioral health programs for the Will County Health …