The Sicilian American Cultural Association will present Gloria Coco with its Medal of merit on Sept. 27 at Monastero’s Banquets in Chicago. Tickets for the event are $40 for adults (cash bar) and $18 for children 2 to 12 years of age. Entertainment will be provided by past winners of the Bel Canto Foundation Opera Contest. (773-588–2515) The Sicilian American Cultural Association is proud to present jurist and thespian Gloria G. Coco with its coveted Medal of Merit. A retired Supervising Judge of the Domestic Violence Section of the First Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Judge …

The Friends of Radio Maria and the Poor will raise funds for both causes at their third annual Family Night on Sept. 25 at Villa Brunetti in Franklin Park. A Catholic radio program broadcast around the world in several different languages, Radio Maria is spearheaded locally in Italian by the Rev. August Feccia. Fr. Feccia recently expanded his efforts to include raising funds to assist the impoverished local ethnic communities. Friends of Radio Maria and the Poor sponsors a raffle and a pilgrimage annually in addition to the banquet. The Sept. 25 event will feature a live auction and entertainment by Loris …

Fifteen worthy Italian American’s were honored with a da Vinci Award of Excellence at the 14th Annual Gala on May 3 at BeauJolie by Victoria in Schiller Park. The event is hosted annually by the Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin, Order Sons of Italy in America. Chairman and Master of Ceremony Richard R. Della Croce welcomed the honorees and guests and introduced Grand Lodge President Marie Marsalli. Beautiful renditions of the American and Italian national anthems was sung by Della Croce. In the spirit of da Vinci, the order recognized the outstanding accomplishments of honorees in their various paths …

A group from the Our Lady Mother of the Church Branch of the Italian Catholic Federation went on a pilgrimage to Europe that took in the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and the Lourdes Shrine in France. In attendance were Anna Tamburello, Nancy Anello, Yolanda Treni, Luisa Bertagna, Josephine Bax, Sylvia Lacorte, Sarah Gullo, Dina Santucci, Maria Giannini, Florina Dilollo, Maria Carmella Giannini, Yolanda Izzi, Silvia Izzi-Neri, Gerarda Rio, Vittoria Spada, Pasqua and Sebastiano Bellisario, Vito Marinelli, Margherita Negron, and Vito and Petronilla Ranieri.

The Italian American Veterans Museum in Stone Park has welcomed another hero into its ranks. Family and friends of the late Leon E. Roggi brought in photos and documents to be scanned and archived at the museum. Marine Pfc. Roggi earned a Silver Star during the battle to take the Marianas Islands during World War II. The first to take the high ground along the objective ridge, he captured a hostile machine-gun nest, directing fire against the enemy while severely wounded. “Leon never looked for recognition, but I felt it was important to honor his memory,” his wife Marina explained.

On behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero bestowed the prestigious Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana upon Joseph V. Del Raso, chairman of the National Italian American Foundation and Frank Giordano, member of the Foundation’s board of directors. At the Ambassador’s residence, Del Raso received the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica for fostering greater relationships and partnerships between Italy and the United States. Giordano received the Cavaliere Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for his tireless work within Philadelphia’s Italian-American community and his leadership with the Italian language initiative in that city.

Joseph Sciame received the Order Sons of Italy in America’s Guglielmo Marconi Award at the organization’s biennial convention in August. The award is presented to an Italian American who has made significant contributions to the United States. Sciame is the vice president for community relations at St. John’s University, the president of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations and the past chair of the National Association of Student Aid Administrators. An active member of OSIA since 1968, he has served as the past national president of OSIA and the past president of OSIA’s Grand Lodge of New …

    Longtime Fra Noi contributor James Scalzitti was one of the honorees at DePaul University’s School for New Learning Awards luncheon in June. His independent study project, “Italians vs. Themselves: The Rocky Road to Political Empowerment in Metropolitan Chicago,” was judged among the six best papers submitted to SNL over the 2014-2015 academic year by a committee of DePaul faculty and writing experts. The award was presented to Scalzitti by DePaul School for New Learning Dean Marisa Alicea. You can read his paper at http://bit.ly/1OxIJpM.  

  Writer Maria Lisella has been named the poet laureate of Queens, N.Y. “We received applications from 30 accomplished poets and the task of narrowing these applicants to a single winner was a difficult one, but we felt Maria stood out because of the quality of her poetry,” Borough President Melinda Katz said. “She is an amazing writer who is capable of synthesizing the borough’s many cultures and languages into incredible poetry. She also has deep love and appreciation of Queens that comes from being a lifelong resident, and she understands the responsibility that comes from being selected.”  

  Italian Consul General Adriano Monti presented Umberto “Tony” Turano with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Stella d’Italia at the consulate’s Festa della Repubblica celebration on June 2 at the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago. The award was bestowed by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano upon Tony in honor of his contributions on the business and cultural fronts to promote Calabrian and Italian culture in America. “It was a tremendous honor to have my work in the community acknowledged in this way,” Tony says. “But my greatest honor has been to work with my brothers for the …