Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Fiorentino was named Police Magazine Hero of the Month for October 2018. A 21-year veteran of law enforcement, Fiorentino is a martial arts expert who promotes health and education in the community, volunteering to help fellow law enforcement officers, children, adults and seniors learn to defend themselves. Teaching that self-defense is not just about punching and kicking, Fiorentino stresses verbal skills, confidence and self-awareness in his classes. A champion grappler, he was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2009. He has been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the …

Roselle contractor Stuart Caravello will ascend to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago at a black-tie optional installation dinner on Jan. 19 at the Medinah Country Club. For reservations, call Mark Corrado at 847-337-6864. Caravello became a member of the Columbian Club in 2009. Since then he has chaired the trap shoot, co-chaired the Christmas party and St. Valentine’s Day dinner and served as a director, in addition to ascending through the ranks of the officers on his way to the presidency. “I joined the Columbian Club to be a part of an organization that honors and recognizes …

The National Academy of Construction has elected Satch Pecori as a member of its class of 2018. Established in 1999, the NAC inducts leaders from a variety of backgrounds who have made outstanding, life-long contributions to the design, construction and engineering industries. The president and CEO of Springfield, Illinois-based Hanson Professional Services Inc., Pecori was formally inducted on Oct. 11 during the NAC annual meeting. The 2018 class includes 37 new inductees. More than 300 leaders were considered during the election process. During the induction, the NAC cited Pecori as a recognized global leader for his work in designing and …

German Bautista is a recent 2018 graduate of Wheeling High School. During his years at Wheeling High, German completed all levels (1-AP) of the Italian program. I was one of German’s teachers, along with Angela Hawkins and Cody Mueller. German, who participated in the AATI Italian National Contest Exam every year, was awarded a national placement annually from among the countless awards he received from placing in this contest. By far the best and most rewarding was a free two-week stay in Italy. German chose to stay in sunny Sorrento, a city not far from Naples. In Sorrento, German enjoyed …

When you’re as passionate about Italy as Spacca Napoli owner Jonathan Goldsmith, frequent visits to the motherland are as gratifying as they are inevitable. “I go to conduct research or attend events with colleagues,” Goldsmith says, “and always to reconnect with people I care about and who have become family.” In October, he spent two weeks at the agriturismo Le Campestre outside of Naples, helping the Lombardi family pick olives and make wine. “I first met them in 2004,” he explains. “They are the producers of conciato romano, a pecorino that dates back 2,000 years.” As an executive producer of …

Chicago native Gianna Farago Tetrick recently was inducted into the Maggiano’s Hall of Fame for her philanthropic work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses celebrated its 15th year partnering with the restaurant for the Eat-A-Dish campaign. Spearheaded by Farago Tetrick during her time as marketing director and carried on by the Maggiano staff since her departure, the program has raised more than $8 million dollars to date, granting more than 1,100 wishes to children receiving treatment throughout the nation. Farago Tetrick, who says her desire to give back is driven by …

  The Grand Lodge of Illinois/Wisconsin, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Celebrating its 94th Annual Columbus Banquet on Oct. 6 at the White Eagle Banquets in Niles. Margurite Rowley, Columbus Banquet Chair, welcomes the guests and introduced the Master of Ceremony for the evening, the Honorable Anthony Calderone, Mayor of Forest Park. The MC introduced the Grand Lodge Officers, the Deputy Consul of Italy, the Columbus Day Queen, and the award recipients as they entered the hall. Highlighting the evening were the presentations of the 2018 Columbus Patriot Award and the 2018 Humanitarian Award. In addition, the …

On Dec. 1, 1958, a fire tore through the Our Lady of Angels School on Chicago’s West Side. Ninety-two of the school’s 1,600 students perished in the conflagration along with three nuns, and many more suffered from burns and smoke inhalation or were injured when they jumped from windows to escape. The worst school fire in American history, it devastated the largely Italian-American community and left lasting physical and emotional scars on survivors and family members of the victims. It also created bonds of friendship and support that endure to this day. “I remember who I went to grade school …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society honored Dr. Geri Ann DiFranco as Arcolian of the Year at the society’s annual Christmas Party on Dec. 11 at the Park Ridge Country Club. (847-304-4442). “Geri is a woman of outstanding ethical and moral character who exemplifies the society’s ideals of professionalism, education and service to the community,” says Arcolian President Dr. Rosella Spadoni. “She has been active in the society and in dentistry in general and she is very giving of her time and talents to worthy causes.” A graduate of the Loyola University Dental School and Periodontal Program, she shares a periodontal …

Richard Montalbano began collecting religious artifacts more than 40 years ago, enshrining them in a small chapel he built in his family’s furniture-making factory in Bellwood. Over the years, his collection grew to more than 360 statues and 375 relics, and when he closed his factory in 2000, a special chapel was built to house them in the Visitation Parish Convent at 799 S. York Road in Elmhurst. Open from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Sunday, the Crypt of the Saints also contains a library of more than 700 books, as well as its newest acquisition: a replica of …