The Italian American Political Coalition honored a pair of local dynamos at its annual Heritage Celebration. Leyden Township Assessor Al Biancalana received the coalition’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the event, and DuPage County board member Sam Tornatore received the group’s William Paca Award. The following profiles were provided by the sponsoring organization: Al Biancalana Albert J. Biancalana Jr. is a native of west suburban Elmwood Park and has dedicated his life to the betterment of his community. He is the eldest son of Albert and Helen Biancalana and has two brothers, Jim (Judy) and the late Bob (Rose). He and …

They say it takes a whole village to raise a child. In the case of Casa Italia, Italian Americans across the metropolitan area recently rallied around the beloved institution. The Casa was hit particularly hard by the pandemic last year, canceling its spring gala and losing a quarter of its operating revenue in one fell swoop. But when the going got tough, the community kicked into a higher gear. Major donations flowed in from the Arcolian Dental Society, the Columbian Club, the Frank and Dolores Corbett Charitable Fund, the Italian American Veterans Museum, Italidea-Midwest, John Lagattuta, Dr. Paul and Ann …

St. Peter’s, the architectural wonder that dominates the skyline of Rome, is more accessible than you think. The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia houses its own capolavoro of the iconic basilica and its adjacent piazza. Just take a short car ride to west suburban Stone Park and an invigorating ascent to the third floor, and there it is in all its glory. The magnificent 1:100 scale replica was conjured out of hand-carved soft wood over a five-year period in the 1940s by the father-and-son team of Attilio and Lucio Savoia. It was donated to the cultural center in the …

Tylor Serpico has been named to the Dean’s List of Loyola University of Chicago’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A freshman with a 4.0 grade point average, Tylor is majoring in history and minoring in Italian. A resident of Elmhurst, he does volunteer work for the Elmhurst Great Western Prairie Conservation Group. Also active in the Italian community, he has lent a hand at the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans’ Columbus Day queen contest as well as the Feast of San Francesco di Paola at Casa Italia. His grandmother, JCCIA Executive Director Jo Ann Serpico, has every reason …

Underscoring the need to help lower taxes for homeowners and keep tax dollars local, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca is leading a legislative effort to increase the amount of money local governments receive from the Local Government Distributive Fund. DeLuca’s House Bill 4169 would increase the state income tax transfer amount into the LGDF. Currently, 6.06 percent of individual income tax revenues and 6.85 percent of corporate income tax revenues are distributed to local governments. DeLuca’s proposal would raise this distribution to 8 percent of individual income taxes and 9.11 percent of corporate income taxes, comparable to state commitments in the …

The Italian American War Veterans and the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans did a stellar job of rallying the troops for their commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Braving freezing winds, more than 50 veterans and civic leaders converged on Navy Pier for the Dec. 7 event, which featured an honor guard, taps and a wreath cast upon the surface of Lake Michigan from the east end of the pier. World War II veteran Carl Liture was the guest of honor for the occasion, which was live streamed on WGN-TV. To view the coverage, …

When Gabriella Esperson married Ryan Nelson, a fourth-generation farmer from Wisconsin, the seeds were sown for a new line of skin care products. “I’ve always had a passion for animals — ever since I was a little girl,” Gabriella writes on her website. “Being married to a farmer who shares the same interests as me is a dream come true!” Ryan gave Gabriella a Mini Nubian goat for their second anniversary. One animal became a small herd, and Gabriella soon found herself wondering what to do with the surplus milk being produced. Internet research led to the founding of Down …

Nick Smeriglio’s career has taken off since his TikTok impersonation of Sebastian Maniscalco blew up the internet in September 2020. Back then, he earned reviews from Maniscalco himself plus invaluable screen time when the fellow Arlington Heights native spotlighted Smeriglio’s video on the Jimmy Kimmel show. In October 2021, Smeriglio packed his bags and moved to New York, immediately making the rounds at East Coast comedy clubs. An 11-day, nine-show tour paved the way for a headlining gig at the famed Caroline’s on Broadway in Times Square. Then, it was back to Chicago for six shows at the Chicago Improv …

North suburban cosmetologist Filippo Aliperta has been plying his profession for decades, all the while pursuing his passion for the visual arts. The owner of Estetica Hair Design in Glenview, Aliperta is currently showing his work through June at the Northbrook Court shopping center and on an ongoing basis at the LG Gallery in Lake Geneva. “I like doing abstract work in mixed media the best,” Aliperta says. “I love combining paint with stone, metal, etc.” Born in Somma Vesuviana, Italy, Aliperta started painting at an early age and took private lessons in nearby Napoli. He continued to create after …

The Sarah Siddons Society bestowed its 2021 Leading Man Award upon local theater luminary Dominic Missimi. The society funds scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago-area universities, including the Theater Department at Columbia College, Theatre School at DePaul University, Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and Northwestern University School of Communications. Missimi is professor emeritus at Northwestern University. Founder and former director of the university’s nationally recognized Music Theatre Program, he recently retired as executive director of the American Music Theatre Project, which he founded. He has also served as director of the famed WAA-MU student …