Lodge Leone D’Oro #2700 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America hosted its 19th annual pasta dinner on Sept. 25 at the Tinley Park High School cafeteria. Past President John Simoni organized the event, with Palermo’s Restaurant in Tinley Park cooking the pasta. Members of the lodge teamed up to serve food, prepare salads, bake for an extensive sweet table and clean up. Local crooner and lodge member Nino Folino provided the entertainment. Celebrating its 26th year, the lodge hosts general meetings featuring guest speakers, performances and presentations on the third Tuesday of most months.  

The Mazzini Verdi Ladies Club presented Festa D’Autunno on Oct. 22. The clubhouse in Franklin Park was decorated in fall colors, and Chef Giorgio Mei was in rare form, serving up a feast that included risotto, chicken limone and pork chops, plus a classic tiramisù for dessert. After dinner, guests danced the night away to live music and a DJ. Anthony (Frank) Cassano performed on his eye-catchingly red trumpet, and John Truncali sang and played the guitar. Kudos to Ladies Club President Lydia Arnstein for putting together a memorable evening.  

Members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America converged on Elio’s Pizza on Fire in Addison for a deep dive into the art of pizza making. Owner and master pizzaiuolo Elio Bartolotta took participants through the process of pizza making, from preparing and rolling the dough, to topping the pizza, to baking it for the perfect time at the perfect temperature. Flour was flying everywhere, but the outcome was worth the chaos. Attendees supped on the pizzas they made along with an antipasto buffet, followed by a Nutella pizza for dessert.  

Vic Guerrieri will ascend to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago at a black tie installation dinner on Jan. 28 at Medinah Country Club. For reservations, call Carmen Forte at 708-473-1591. Guerrieri signed on as a member in 2011. “I joined to support the Italian-American traditions that the club stands for,” he says. “I admire their focus on giving scholarships to help students achieve their educational goals.” Guerrieri rose through the ranks of the officers to the presidency, and has served as director as well as chairman of several fundraising events. “I feel very honored and humbled that …

Chicago crooner Tony Ocean started a daily internet talk show after the pandemic closed many of the area venues at which he performed. The program, “Ocean’s Pit,” was recently named Internet Show of the Year at the Josie Music Awards, a ceremony that celebrates the contributions of the independent music industry. “We’re thrilled with this honor,” Ocean says. “The show was our way of reaching out to people during a time when we couldn’t perform in person, and it continued to grow, even after things opened up.” “Ocean’s Pit” can be heard Monday through Friday on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram …

The Republic of France has promoted Chicagoan Dr. Carla Knorowski to the rank of officer in its National Order of Merit (L’Ordre National Du Mérite). The award was bestowed upon Knorowski by Yannick Tagand, French consul general of the Midwest in Chicago, in early October. Knorowski, who is of Italian descent on her mother’s side, distinguished herself in the wake of the catastrophic fire that swept through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019. She organized a global virtual fundraising event that rallied the support of cellist and one-time Paris resident Yo-Yo Ma, actress Glenn Close, filmmaker Ken Burns and …

The Mazzini-Verdi Club honored Steve Menconi as Man of the Year and Cathy Ciminello as Woman of the Year at the President’s Ball on Dec. 3 at its clubhouse in Franklin Park. The following profiles were provided by the organization. CATHERINE CIMINELLO Catherine Ciminello has long been involved with the Mazzini-Verdi Club alongside her husband, Paul, and has served as a member of the Mazzini-Verdi Ladies Club for the last seven years. Active with the club’s St. Joseph Table and Festa Fuori, she joined the Ladies’ Club board in 2020 as financial secretary. In the midst of the pandemic, she …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society honored Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., as Arcolian of the Year at its Christmas party on Dec. 13 at Cafe la Cave in Des Plaines. The following profile was provided by the organization. Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., a graduate of Washington University School of Dental Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri, is a private practice general dentist in Harvard, Illinois.  Dr. Hagenbruch is a former American Dental Association Eighth District Trustee.  He is a former president of the Illinois State Dental Society (I.S.D.S.). He is a former president of the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry (I.A.G.D.) and …

The Cesare Battisti Lodge #27 of the Italian Sons and Daughters in America honored Jon Biancardi as Member of the Year on Dec. 10 at the lodge’s clubhouse, Villa Cesare, in Schererville, Indiana. The grandson and son of lodge members, Biancardi serves on the board of directors and has spearheaded several new initiatives. In 2017, he launched an indoor bocce league that has grown from eight teams on one court to 24 teams on three courts. That same year, he created, marketed and executed the lodge’s first Festa Italiana. The annual three-day celebration of Italian culture and spirit features food …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation celebrated a trio of luminaries at its dinner dance on Nov. 19 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. Mariann Gullo was honored as Woman of the Year and Michael Allred as Humanitarian of the Year, with Ron Onesti receiving a special recognition award. The following profiles have been provided by the organization. MARIANN GULLO — WOMAN OF THE YEAR Mariann Gullo is the Chief Operating Officer of Gullo International and a tireless activist on behalf of her Italian heritage. Located in Elk Grove Village, Gullo International Development Corporation has been a leader in real estate …