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It’s that time of year where we get to plan ahead based on what we know from last year. This year’s plans, as far as I can tell, are a continuation of ongoing plans from the past year. Due to various factors, there are some plans that have gone by the wayside temporarily. Development in Pullman and Roseland is always in a state of flux. For instance, Chicago’s Red Line Extension Project is in the early stages of its infrastructure phase. This can be witnessed by driving up 116th Street toward Michigan Avenue from Indiana Avenue. The six houses on …

I usually talk about the primary genealogy records you should all look for: births, marriages and deaths. They are the foundation of genealogy research. For many of our ancestors, they are the only biographical information we have. And for many researchers, those three record types are more than enough to keep them busy. Lately, I have been working with a record type that you may never need, but you ought to know about. These records might solve problems you have had for a while. They are called “Atti Diversi.” It sounds like “random stuff.” “Stuff that doesn’t fit the other …

With the 2024 Budget Law, the Italian government is looking to launch a package of tax incentives aimed at encouraging the return of Italian manufacturing activities from non-EU and non-EEA countries. This initiative is part of a broader reform of international tax policy designed to make conditions more competitive for Italian businesses and strengthen the national industrial base. These measures are especially focused on incentivizing “reshoring,” meaning the return to Italy of companies that had previously offshored production. The main goal of these incentives is to bring back to Italy parts of production that, over recent decades, had moved abroad …

By the mid-1950s, people of Italian descent largely owned and managed the Highwood shops that dotted the main streets. Those who owned or worked at the establishments could speak Italian to their customers if needed. Not all, however, were from our region in Italy. They all spoke Italian but in dialects unique to their towns of origin. The Napolitano and Sicilian dialects felt harsh to our ears — they had a staccato sound — whereas the Tuscan dialect had a rhythmic flow whose singsong-sound was more pleasing. Immigrants from Piandelagotti spoke their own dialect, substantially different from even the mountain …

The Modal Verb “Should” Meaning and Uses Three important modal verbs in English are “should,” “could” and “would.” In general, modal verbs, also called “helping verbs,” convey information about the verb that follows.  The focus in this blog will be the English modal verb “should,” although the general rules for all English modal verbs are the same. Let’s first answer some general questions about modal verbs, and in particular how the modal verb “should” is used in English, before comparing “should” to its Italian counterpart. Why is “should” considered a modal verb? The English verb “should” is a modal verb …

When you’re researching your family tree, and you find a record you are looking for, sometimes it seems so bizarre that you question what you saw. “That can’t be right,” you think, “can it?” I’ve been at this for more than three decades, so I have had many such moments. Sometimes, I go back to a family I haven’t looked at for a long time, and I see something that doesn’t look quite right. This can be for many reasons. Sometimes, it can be a data entry error in your computer. “Hmm…I have someone who was born in 1943 and …

In a classic tale of good guys vs. bad guys, “Elf Me” is an enchanting-but-sometimes-creepy tale of one of Santa’s elves, who finds himself trapped in the mountain village of San Nicola al Monte during the week of Christmas, where the town’s two toy sellers are battling it out during the holiday rush. Trip, hilariously played by beloved comedian Lillo Petrolo, has the power to bring toys to life for his boss, Santa Claus. One day, while strolling the misfit warehouse, looking through the toys that were sent back to the North Pole by the children who received them, one …

In this past year, I’ve met up with many former St. Anthony parishioners and when we’ve gotten deep into conversations about Roseland, the topic of “The Ave” always comes up. When we make our way to Gately’s Peoples Store, we invariably begin talking about the memorable shopping experiences that became the hallmark of many of our lives. From shopping to working there, Gately’s made a major deposit in our memory banks. When conversation turned to Christmas on the Ave, someone usually describes the 9th Ward workers in a bucket truck going up and down the street hanging the huge red-and-white …

A Short History of the Nativity Scene Il Presepio / Il Presepe   Each Italian town has its own traditions that make Christmas special. The nativity scene, called “il presepio” or “il presepe” is one such tradition. There is a long history of symbolism behind the setting and characters of “il presepe.”  Since 1223, when Saint Francis of Assisi placed a manger filled with straw next to an ox and mule in a cave in the Italian town of Greccio, the nativity scene has become an integral part of the  Christmas celebration throughout Italy. This first nativity scene was created …

As I grew up in Highwood, visiting my friends was like being in my own home: the same foods were served, I sat on the same style furniture, and I saw pictures of relatives on their walls posted in a fashion similar to mine at home. The promotional calendars of the local Italian insurance firm hung right next to the pictures of the pope in all our kitchens. My friends’ parents spoke broken English with the same Italian accent as my parents. They imposed identical rules and doled out similar discipline. We all saw each other at Sunday Mass, after …