The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of San Marino in Chicago in conjunction with Resurrection College Prep High School in Chicago and the Scuola Secondaria Superiore in San Marino have organized a virtual education program for select students at the two schools. The program focuses on the connection between San Marino and Illinois-born writer Ernest Hemingway, which was highlighted in the February 2021 issue of Fra Noi. According to Consul Robert Allegrini, “The virtual exchange is meant to foster the bonds of a shared history and to keep the spirit of cross-border learning alive during the pandemic.”  

Singer/songwriter Iliana Incandela was all set to marry music producer Nomad Saint when the pandemic struck, postponing the event. Turning her attention inward, Incandela decided to sort out a toxic relationship through the song “Bad Company.” “Nomad made the track, and I wrote the lyrics. Then we recorded the vocals in my closet!” she explains. Produced in English and Italian, “It’s based on an Italian proverb my mother would always say to me: ‘Meglio sola che male accompagnata’ (Better alone than in bad company).” Iliana is the daughter of local singing and dining legend Enzo Incandela. Her music is available …

When retired Circuit Court Judge Gloria Coco isn’t teaching classes at the IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law, she’s on the hunt for her next acting opportunity. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, she recently landed a role in Amazon Prime’s sci-fi thriller “Utopia.” The eight-episode series stars Chicago native John Cusack and Rainn Wilson of “The Office.” The show follows a group of internet pen pals who band together to save the world. When a pandemic strikes, the characters played by Cusack and Wilson must oversee competing vaccine proposals from Tomi Tambler, a by-the-books FDA agent played by Coco, …

On Feb. 26, the JCCIA Young Professionals Division will host its first event, “Festa di Carnevale,” as the re-branded Avanti Club. The event will run from 8-10 p.m. at Victory Italian, 434 W. Ontario St. Chicago. Tickets are $35 per person and cover cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and Vero gelato. “All young professionals of Italian descent, and non-Italians seeking camaraderie and fun on behalf of a wonderful cause are encouraged to attend,” says club President Pasquale Gianni. “Join us in a chance to network while celebrating the enduring Italian spirit in Chicago.” RSVP to avanti@jccia.com.    

In recognition of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci’s life saving work, National Italian American Foundation has launched the Fauci Fellowships to award two $50,000 post-doctoral research grants to support research in infectious diseases and help establish the recipients’ independent careers. One grant will go to an Italian researcher working in Italy, and the other to an Italian-American researcher working in the United States. The funding will finance each researcher and his or her specific research program. Applicants must have completed all the requirements for a Ph.D. in medicine, biological sciences, pharmacy, chemistry, or other scientific disciplines. Preference will be given to …

Two years ago, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans took its scholarship program to a new level by concentrating the annual interest income from the Nick & Helena Patti and Frank J. Vigilante scholarship foundations into a few big-ticket bestowals. The following are this year’s beneficiaries. Mia Rumps (Patti scholarship) is a student at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in rehabilitation science with minors in Italian and chemistry. A member of the dean’s list, she plans on attending medical school with the aim of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Philip Sasso (Patti scholarship) is a student at Judson University majoring …

Chicago writer-director Lucia Mauro’s new documentary “I Have a Name” won Best Documentary at the 2020 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival at the Vatican in Rome. Held under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Culture, the festival celebrates compassionate humanitarian films. The jury selected “I Have a Name,” which focuses on efforts to help the homeless in Chicago, from close to 3,000 entries from around the world. This marks Mauro’s second Mirabile Dictu prize. She won for Best Short Film n 2015.  

The Salvino Wealth Management Team has hung out its own shingle, launching Performance Wealth in January. The independent registered investment advisor manages $2.2 billion in client assets and will operate out of offices in Hinsdale, Illinois; Naples, Florida; and San Diego. The team’s mission is to “create detailed financial plans and investment portfolios using the best research tools available,” according to firm CEO Tom Salvino. “The wealth management industry has evolved considerably in the last 20 years,” Salvino says. “Our decision to create Performance Wealth was driven by the realization that we could do a lot more for our clients …

Entertainer Tony Ocean has launched a daily program on the “Tony Ocean Show” Facebook page. Billed as “the little show about big things,” “Ocean’s Pit” airs Mondays through Fridays at noon. Ocean brings in guests from all walks of life to discuss movies, TV shows and a variety of other topics, including the host’s impersonation of Dean Martin in the long-running show “The Rat Pack is Back.” On Tuesdays, he takes his microphone to visit local restaurants, and on Thursdays, he co-hosts with his wife, Laura.  

Ron Onesti has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. Onesti steps up to the post after serving for the last two years as second vice president of the JCCIA. He also serves as president of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and as a member of the board of directors of Casa Italia and the Italian American Veterans Museum. Onesti is the founder and president of Onesti Entertainment Corp., which runs five entertainment and dining venues across the Chicago area and produces concerts, special events and festivals nationwide. …