An Italian-language instructor at the University of Illinois Chicago for more than 24 years, Maria Iusco is the creator of the school’s longest-running study abroad program, which has brought hundreds of students to Siena and Salerno in Italy. Speaking two or more languages is an asset that helps students become citizens of the world and opens more professional opportunities for them, she says. “This is what I build on in all my classes every single day,” Iusco says. “This is a gift that was given to me, and this is what I give to my students.” Born and raised in …

Italy’s first master chocolatier, Cecilia Rabassi is creating an oasis in the Tuscan countryside where people can savor and learn about “The Chocolate of Tomorrow.” “Creating chocolate is like a dance. Every movement must be perfect and perfection is achieved only by trying and trying again, with sacrifice, perseverance and passion.” That’s how Cecilia Tessieri Rabassi, the first female maître chocolatier in the world and the first person to earn the title in Italy, describes on her website the product she has carefully crafted for more than 30 years. Rabassi was appointed Cavaliere al merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight of …

Not everyone can say they found their calling in life. Evelyn Belmonte is among the lucky ones. For nearly three decades, Belmonte has worked for the village of Hillside as special events coordinator and administrative assistant to Mayor Joseph Tamburino. “Working for the mayor has been such an amazing experience, with new ideas all the time and meeting our residents. He challenges me every day, and it is never boring,” says Belmonte, who has lived in Hillside since 1962. The daughter of William and Marie Terese (Zaccardi) Innocenti, Belmonte grew up in Chicago with two very different sides to her …

Although it started almost accidentally, John Crivellone’s path to the Cook County Public Defender’s Office has resulted in a successful and fulfilling 16-year career as an investigator. “The best part of my job is the people and staff that I work with. The Cook County Public Defender’s administration goes out of their way to make sure that I have everything that I need to do my job to its fullest,” he says. “They go above and beyond what I have expected of any organization. Even if I am having issues in my personal life, they are there for me and …

A dancer since early childhood, Mickela Mallozzi has parlayed her lifelong passion into a popular PBS series that travels the world to celebrate the joy of movement. Mickela Mallozzi is the four-time Emmy Award-winning host and executive producer of “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi,” a PBS series that highlights the diversity of dance with episodes filmed around the world. Born and raised in Connecticut, Mallozzi tells Fra Noi about her Italian roots, the path that led her to create the show, and filming with her nonna in Italy. Elena Ferrarin: Did you grow up connected to your Italian heritage? Mickela …

Whether you believe in destiny or not, it’s undeniable that serendipity played a role in how Matt Cozzi ended up as the co-host of the podcast “Locked On Cubs.” Cozzi and his friend Sam Olbur started the job in July 2022 as the fourth hosts in the history of the podcast, which altogether numbers more than 1,100 episodes. Their show has been very successful, with 10,600 YouTube subscribers and a No. 33 ranking among Apple’s top baseball podcasts in the United States this summer. The 30-minute episodes air five times per week and consist almost exclusively of post-game analysis during …

Maria Rago’s journey to finding her life’s mission — composing music — started with what most would call a moment of folly. The Italian pianist and composer was 24-year-old with an Italian literature degree in her native Caltanissetta, Sicily, when she went with a friend to a concert by the cellist Giovanni Sollima. All of a sudden, in the middle of the performance, Rago turned to her friend and declared, “I want to be a musician.” Astounded, her friend replied, “Come on, be serious,” she recalls. Rago was certain. “I am telling you — that’s what I want to do,” …

Italian conductor Emanuele Andrizzi spent years laying the groundwork for the creation of the Opera Festival of Chicago, which marked its fifth season this summer. A native of Rome, Andrizzi led the orchestral program at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for more than a decade before being appointed in August as director of orchestral studies at Shenandoah University’s Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. Over the years, he has conducted at Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Philharmonic, Orchestra della Città di Ravenna, Opera Theater of St. Louis and Cluj …

  An award-winning rower in high school, John Salvi overcame brain cancer and returned to his sport, stronger than ever. Rower John Salvi won nationals as a high school senior and came in 5th place at the U-19 World Championships last year. Impressive in their own right, Salvi’s accomplishments are even more significant in light of the fact that he battled brain cancer while in high school. He’s been in remission since October 2022. “The sport is massively physically intense and mentally exhausting, which makes success in the sport that much more fulfilling,” says the 19-year-old, now a sophomore studying …

Among the many champions of the Italian community in Chicago is the Rev. Stan Czarnecki, a Polish-born Jesuit priest who fell in love with Italy after living in Palermo and Rome as a young adult. Czarnecki, who speaks Italian fluently, celebrates Mass in Italian on a regular basis at St. William Church and St. Francis Borgia Church in Chicago, and occasionally at Casa Italia in suburban Stone Park. “Whenever there is a request, I go,” he says. He also does bilingual masses, alternating readings in English and Italian, and giving parts of homilies in both languages. Czarnecki has been working …