After spending more than half a century nestled in Wilder Park in west suburban Elmhurst, the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Arts will be pulling up roots and moving to nearby Oak Brook. The museum purchased property at 1220 Kensington Road with plans to open in 2019. Space and access limitations and lack of ownership of the Elmhurst site prompted the decision to move. The museum was founded in 1962 by Joseph Lizzadro, an Italian immigrant who started out as a cobbler and rose to the chairmanship of Meade Electric in Chicago. An avid collector of carved gems and semi-precious stones, …

  Dr. Rosella Spadoni ascended to the presidency of the Arcolian Dental Arts Society on April 24 at RoccoVino’s in Elk Grove Village. Dr. Spadoni is a founding and principal doctor at South Barrington Dental. Joining her as Arcolian officers are President-Elect Dr. Katina Spadoni, Vice President Dr. Chuck DiFranco Jr., Secretary Dr. Paul E. DiFranco, Treasurer Dr. Derek Fornelli, and Dinner/Speaker Chair Dr. Mary Teresa Lima. Bios and profiles follow. Dr. Rosella Spadoni (President) Dr. Rosella Spadoni received her bachelor of science in 1980 from Loyola University of Chicago. She completed her graduate studies and obtained her D.D.S. degree …

Retired Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Curcio has joined the panel of senior arbitrators and mediators at ADR, a Chicago-based alternative dispute resolution service provider. Curcio spent more than 15 years on the bench, 11 of which in the Chancery Division, where she presided over cases involving mechanics liens, construction contracts, and commercial and residential mortgage foreclosure. “During her judicial career, she was known for her measured and practical approach, careful management of complicated multi-party cases and understanding of the nuances involved in litigation and alternative dispute resolution,” said ADR President Marc Becker in welcoming Curcio to the company. …

  Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and County Commissioner Peter Silvestri recently presented Edward Lezza, Jr. with a resolution honoring the 113-year history of Lezza Spumoni & Desserts. The resolution reads: Whereas, the origin of Lezza’s famous spumoni is in Naples, Italy; and the recipe came to Chicago’s West Side with Salvatore Lezza in 1905; and Whereas, Salvatore Lezza handed the secret of genuine spumoni down to his son Victor; and Whereas, Lezza’s spumoni is made up of four flavors of ice cream — chocolate, strawberry, rum, and pistachio — with a whipped cream center studded with candied fruit …

  The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish & Shrine of in Melrose Park will host a weekend of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the church. Festivities begin with an outdoor concert at 7:30 p.m. on June 8, followed by an ice cream social hosted by the parish Scout troop after the 5:30 p.m. Mass on June 9, and a Jubilee Mass at 1:30 p.m. on June 10 celebrated by Bishop John R. Manz. The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will celebrate its 125th anniversary on July 15. (708-344-4140, www.olmcparish.org)

  This year, IC Catholic Prep held its first ever induction ceremony for its Italian Honors Society. La Società Onoraria Italica (Italian Honor Society) is a national organization, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Italian, whose purpose is to recognize outstanding and highly motivated students of Italian language and culture. Its mission is to help honorary members deepen their knowledge of Italian language and culture. Six upperclassmen were inducted into IC Catholic chapter this year including Seniors Vincenzo Cerasuolo, Joshua De La Cruz, Anna Gendusa, Casey Kristie, and Juniors Demitri Davlantes, and Payton James. The inductees lit their …

  Italian cuisine was on the menu for the first episode of Dishalicious, a new Chicago-based food series that airs on WTTW at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. Hosted by Sarah Grueneberg, the award-winning owner of Monteverde and Pastificio, the show spotlights three notable local chefs each week who collaborate on a three-course meal featuring specific cuisines. Her guests for the April 6 episode were Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia and Bar Toma, Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish and Oyster and GT Prime, and Leigh Omilinsky of Nico Osteria.  

The Onesti Entertainment Corporation was awarded the contract to produce the Taylor Street Festa Italiana in 2018. The event will take place this year from Aug. 16 to 19. The news comes from the awarding body, The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association. “We couldn’t be more excited,” says LICNA president Joseph Esposito. “Ron Onesti knows this neighborhood as well as anyone, and we truly believe his heart is in the right place. His goals align with ours and his reputation is stellar.” Onesti currently produces Festa Pasta Vino on Oakley Avenue and Little Italy Fest-West in Addison. He previously produced …

Jazz singer Paul Marinaro collapsed at Winter’s Jazz Club in December 2017 with a case of diverticulitis so severe it burst his intestines and brought him to the brink of death. Lacking health insurance, Marinaro would have been buried in medical bills were it not for the Chicago jazz community, which rallied support through a GoFundMe campaign and benefits at local clubs. Fellow performers have launched individual campaigns and cared for the singer at his Evanston apartment. Marinaro is on the mend, but requires an additional surgery. To lend a hand, click here for the gofundme page.

The Italian American Theatre of Chicago presented “Vispetta” in the Community Center at Casa Italia in March. Adapted by Colleen Mraz from traditional 16th-century commedia dell’arte, the farce followed the misadventures of two star-crossed lovers, their clueless parents and their wily servant, Vispetta. True to its commedia roots, the principal actors wore masks and the humor was “slapstick,” a term that refers to a prop used in carnevale revels in Renaissance Venice. A medley of Italian songs performed by Joyce Marcheschi Westphal and Leonard Palombi greeted guests as they enjoyed wine and stuzzichini before a pizza dinner. The performance was …