La Befana is known for her ability to be in several places at once. Otherwise, how could she shower every good boy and girl around the world with gifts in the wee hours before the Feast of the Epiphany? Those powers will come in handy when Italy’s good Christmas witch pays a visit to three local events in the days surrounding Jan. 6. On Jan. 7, she’ll stop by the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii during the 11 a.m. Mass. Children will participate in the Mass readings and prayers and will have an opportunity to ask La Befana questions. …

Chicago attorney Antonio Romanucci was recently welcomed into the ranks of The John Marshall Law School Board of Trustees. An alumnus of John Marshall, Romanucci joins a distinguished group of jurists who dedicate their time and resources to bettering the school and its students. “I’ve benefited enormously from my education at John Marshall and I’m honored to receive this appointment,” says Romanucci, a founding partner and principal at Romanucci & Blandin. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for its professors and leadership and I will do whatever I can to uphold the mission and goals of this exemplary school.”

Local realtor and Fra Noi website columnist Giuseppe Zerillo is moving up in the world. Just four years after going into business for himself, he outgrew his first office in Park Ridge, prompting a move last fall to larger quarters on Cumberland just north of Lawrence in Norridge. The new location contains offices for three leasing agents and five real estate brokers as well as a conference room where staff can meet with prospective buyers and sellers, with plenty of room for more agents down the road. A realtor since 2008, Zerillo is making a name for himself in his …

The Four C Notes will pay tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at a special holiday concert presented by Navarro Catering & Events on Dec. 17 at the Knights of Columbus Lodge in Elmhurst. Backed by a live band, the C Notes are led by John Michael Coppola, who appeared in Chicago’s long-running production of “Jersey Boys” after serving as understudy for the role of Frankie Valli during the show’s Broadway run. Titled “Season’s Greetings,” the Dec. 17 performance will feature the greatest hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons plus holiday classics made famous by artists …

Chicago attorney Patrick A. Salvi has been selected for the 2017 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. Earlier this year, he was chosen by his peers for inclusion in the Illinois Super Lawyers Top 10 List for the fourth year in a row. He was also selected by Best Lawyers as the 2017 Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in the Chicago area. And in 2016, he was designated on three of Leading Lawyers Magazine’s top 10 lists, including Top 10 Leading Lawyers in Illinois in All Areas of Law. Salvi is a founder, chairman and …

The Comboni Mission Center honored Rose Mary Ranallo on Nov. 25 at Porretta’s Banquets in Chicago. Ranallo is the chief financial officer and manager of her family businesses, NS Builders and Arno Decorating. A resident of Schaumburg, she grew up in Chicago and Elk Grove Village with her two sisters, Josephine and Lisa, and her parents, Gina and Natale Sclafani, who immigrated to the United States from Sicily. A past treasurer and president of the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, she has chaired the division’s Italian Heritage Ball and Cotillion as well as its Scholarship …

Gianna Tuminello was crowned queen of the Columbus Day Parade at an intimate pageant in September at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Sponsored by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and chaired by Ron Onesti, the pageant featured in-depth conversations with each contestant. “I wanted to focus on the girls’ personalities and public presence,” Onesti said. Tuminello credited the love and guidance of her Italian-American mom with making her the young woman she is today. Tuminello will take part in the parade and other events in the community in the company of her court: Giuliana Bartucci, …

Casa Italia sponsored another standout bocce tournament this summer, fielding 14 teams that competed for honor and glory over the course of nine weeks of regular play and two weeks of playoffs. Team Columbian Club battled its way to a first-place finish with Nonno’s Team coming in second and No Stress taking third. Everyone brought food and wine to share and Italian American Executives of Transportation member Andy Tegtmeier earned a trophy for his skills at the grill. MVP honors went to 92-year-old Leno Santacaterina. The tourney was ably chaired by Casa Vice President Peter Volpe.

Cesare Battisti Lodge at Villa Cesare in Schererville spread Italian cheer across Northwest Indiana in August at its first annual Festa Italiana. Roughly 4,000 festival goers were serenaded by traditional and non-traditional Italian music as they made their way to food, craft and beer and wine vendors. They enjoyed non-stop live entertainment, played bocce at their leisure and in tournaments, watched pasta- and pizza-making demonstrations, participated in an entertaining spaghetti-eating contest, and learned from the experts at a wine-and-food pairing. For the rest of the story, visit. On the food front, there was pizza, Italian beef, Italian sausage, meatball and …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation honored Dominic Romanazzi and Wayne Bubak on Nov. 18 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Dominic Romanazzi — Man of the Year A devoted family man and fierce advocate for workers’ rights, Dominic Romanazzi is a most deserving recipient of the Italian American Executives of Transportation’s 2017 Man of the Year Award. Dominic Romanazzi first became a Teamster in 1986 when he began working for the Illinois State Tollway Authority. He subsequently became a member of Teamsters Local 330 in 1989 when he began working for the Illinois Department of Transportation. In 1998 Dominic was …