The Comboni Missionaries honored Joseph A. Russo at their annual dinner dance on Nov. 30 at Manzo’s Banquets in Des Plaines. (708-354-1999) As a boy growing up in Cicero, Russo enjoyed learning about his Italian and Calabrian heritage from his extended family. From those experiences, he decided he wanted to make a difference in the world. As a teenager, he found his calling in funeral directing and embalming. Russo graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in 1991 and opened his own company, Russo Funeral Service, in 1995 at the age of 21. In 2012, he fulfilled a dream by …

The Italian Catholic Federation Branch 392 presented the 2019 Mother Cabrini Award to Nicola and Maria Tenerelli on Nov. 10 at Porretta’s Banquets in Chicago. The award is given each year to a deserving couple that has demonstrated the Italian values of faith, family and community in their everyday lives. Nicola and Maria were both born in Puglia, meeting and marrying after they moved to the Chicago area. The couple has been active in the Italian-American community in the Chicago area for many years. Nicola and Maria joined the Madonna della Croce Society in 2005, Cegliesi Italo-American Association (CI-AMA) in …

Eminent Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola has been named as Lyric Opera’s music director designate and will become Lyric’s music director beginning with the 2021-’22 season. The transition will be overseen by the Lyric’s acclaimed and beloved music director Sir Andrew Davis, who plans on concluding his two-decade-long tenure at the end of the 2020-’21 season. “I am thrilled that Enrique Mazzola has accepted Lyric’s invitation to become our next music director,” Lyric CEO Anthony Freud says. “He has accrued a wealth of international experience in his career to date, and he is tremendously well liked and respected by the Lyric …

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans has launched a pair of scholarship programs that takes academic financial aid up a notch. A $5,000 Frank J. Vigilante Scholarship will be presented to students of Italian extraction who demonstrate financial need and high academic achievement. In addition, a $6,500 Nick and Helena Patti Foundation Scholarship will be awarded to college students of Italian heritage, with preference given to music or education majors who are orphans or who were raised in foster homes. The scholarship may also be awarded for other fields of study “Due to the rising costs of a college …

Lovers of Italian language and culture are invited to join a lively group of Dante enthusiasts for an ongoing discussion of “La divina commedia” every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Italian Cultural Center in Stone Park. At each session, moderator Vincenzo DeVito introduces a canto with a short summary after which participants take turns reading from Dante’s “Purgatorio.” Readings are followed by a group discussion in Italian about the passage’s meaning, etymology, history and related critical commentary. Admission is free, and the text is available for $20. To join, contact group organizer Leo Colsant at colsant@sbcglobal.net.

The Lyric Opera will offer eight performances of Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” between Sept. 28 and Oct. 27. Featuring an overture made famous by the Bugs Bunny-Elmer Fudd caper cartoon “The Rabbit of Seville,” Rossini’s comic masterpiece recounts the efforts of the resourceful rascal Figaro to release the irrepressible Rosina from the clutches of her pompous old guardian, Dr. Bartolo, and into the arms of her sweetheart, the bold young count Almaviva. The part of Dr. Bartolo will be performed by renowned Italian buffo bass-baritone Alessandro Corbelli.  For details, click here.

The Chicago Blackhawks will celebrate Italian Heritage Month with a special ticket offer for the Oct. 27 game against the Los Angeles Kings. Fans who purchase tickets through www.chicagoblackhawks.com/italianheritage will receive an Italian-themed Blackhawks winter hat. VIP ticket packages are also available, and include an exclusive pregame reception in the Concert Club with food and beverage provided. Groups of 10 or more will receive savings off single-game pricing. To book a group, contact Kathleen Massolio at 312-455-7020 or

The Addison Sister Cities Italy Exchange will host a benefit concert on Oct. 18 at Addison Trail High School, 213 N. Lombard Road. The concert will feature The Four C Notes, Chicago’s only tribute group dedicated to creating the iconic sounds of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The quartet will put on a show featuring hits like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Workin’ My Way Back to You” and “Oh, What A Night.” Tickets are $30 plus processing fee, and can be purchased at fourcnotesdupagehsd88.eventbrite.com.

Fresh off a two-year-plus run on his Stay Hungry Tour, Billboard’s inaugural Comedian of the Year Sebastian Maniscalco is back with the You Bother Me tour, which will visit 12 cities in the U.S. and Canada throughout its fall run. Touted as “the comedian’s comedian” by People Magazine, Maniscalco finds himself “at the vanguard of a live comedy revolution,” according to Pollstar. And the man “NBC Nightly News” called “comedy’s new superstar” is showing no signs of stopping. A native of the Chicago area, Maniscalco will of course make a stop in Chicago, performing at the United Center on Nov. …

The Italian American Police Association will honor a foursome of stalwart souls at an Oct. 26 dinner dance at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. (312-415-1202) The following profiles were provided by the organization: Alderman Nick Sposato • Man of the Year Award 38th Ward Ald. Nicholas (Nick) Sposato grew up around Belmont and Harlem avenues and is a lifelong resident of Chicago’s Northwest Side. Ald. Sposato is currently serving his third term. He was the first firefighter elected to the City Council and the first elected in two different wards. In 2011, he beat the machine in a runoff to …