As an Italian American, I know that our story is one of perseverance, passion and a relentless pursuit of excellence. It is a legacy of individuals who, despite challenges, have built thriving communities, contributed to society in remarkable ways and remained deeply connected to their roots. My father emigrated from Brienza, Italy, located in the province of Basilicata, while my mother emigrated from Catania, Sicily. They and their families arrived around 1920 and settled in one of Chicago’s thriving Little Italy neighborhoods. My father, Roy, worked for 50 years at the well-known Chicago retail department store Carson Pirie Scott & …

One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year a white Christmas turned black. It all started out on Christmas Eve day in Riis Park, a square-block-sized patch of recreational outlets plunked in the middle of our Chicago neighborhood. I tagged along with my two older brothers to go ice-skating in the portion of the park that was flooded each year to create a sort of ice rink. While my brothers played hockey, I was left to work out the rudiments of ice skating on my own. Being only 5 or so years old, that wasn’t easy. What made it …