Columns

Roseland was a complete small town that fulfilled our every need. We had our “Main Street,” which was Michigan Avenue, affectionately called “The Ave,” from 103rd Street to 127th. This was where we spent our time away from our black-and-white or color television sets and radios. Stores on The Ave were sometimes the destination of a shopping trip, but more often simply a stopping point while taking a leisurely stroll. The Ave was the center of a social life that occasioned cruising in a souped-up ’57 Chevy or a super-clean ’56 Ford T-Bird or whatever other hot car a young …

I’ve begun attending St. Anthony’s on a regular basis ever since my older brother Chester in Highland, Ind., became ill. I often spend a weekend at his place to visit and keep him company while he recovers. He is doing very well and, as a bonus, we’ve become “Sunday parishioners” at St. Anthony’s. St. Anthony’s parish is a diverse group including the local Mexican neighbors who comprise the majority of the neighborhood residents; African-American residents from Roseland; parishioners from Pullman; and former parishioners who drive in from the city and suburbs. Being a member of many groups with former Roselandites …

“This and That” is an appropriate way to label this column, as it will cover a number of topics. Coming up with a single topic for each of the past 18 columns I’ve written is always my starting point. After all, there is only so much space for a monthly column. I’ve decided to make this middle of summer my “This and That” column, so be prepared and pay attention. I begin with the end: Mario Avignone says hello to everyone. I visited with him at the Manteno Veteran’s Home where he is very content. He enjoys telling jokes to …

Tanti amici! Tanto parlare! Tanto mangiare! And free ciopette! That is the perfect description of the Alumni Mass that took place at St. Anthony’s on April 25. It was more of a festive celebration than a mere gathering of former parishioners. Danny Bovino, I and my brother Chester went to Rockford to pick up the ciopette. It turned out that Steve McKeever, Piemonte’s master baker, had made ciopette for the alumni mass — literally — because he insisted on donating them. Steve also had a surprise: He’d found a promotional piece for the original Piemonte Bakery that his grandfather, Luigi …

“O Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!” During the month of May, these were definitely familiar words for all of the St. Anthony Grade School children. However, they had special meaning for the girls of St. Anthony’s. Their major question: Who would be selected by the Sisters of St. Joseph to portray Mary in the procession and have the honor of crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother? I asked a few St. Anthony girls for their memories of the May Crowning and all these years later, the event still holds …

Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter! Years of family Easter celebrations come to mind upon hearing those words. Easter was the biggest family celebration of the year. Christmas was a family gathering, too, but it was centered around gift giving and receiving — generally geared toward the children. Being part of a large family meant more children at each holiday celebration. Any significant religious meaning for Christmas became obscured as the number of children increased to 28 nieces and nephews. The one true religious family celebration was always Easter. When my nieces and nephews were little children, my family would attend Mass …

I’ve had an interesting past few weeks insofar as Roseland and Pullman are concerned. The Rev. Mark Krylowicz, pastor at St. Anthony’s, called to let me know that a celebration was taking place on the Sunday following Christmas. In my quest for information on all things Roseland, there was no way I would miss a function at St. Anthony’s. I arrived early on Dec. 27 for the 9:30 a.m. Mass and soon the parishioners started to stream in and take their places in the pews, but not before they were given a couple of gifts in celebration. Many of the …

Roseland and Valentine’s Day are quite the combination when it comes to a nostalgic memory-maker. I recently was stuck in slow-moving traffic due to a persistent downpour and heard the announcer on the radio mention sleet. I felt a twinge of nostalgia and soon recalled a homecoming date with one Cindy Smith. We had gone to the homecoming dinner dance at the Sabre Room on 95th Street in Hickory Hills, and then we decided to head to Whistler’s Woods. (Or was it the spookier Bachelor’s Grove?) I had just crossed 127th Street at Halsted Street when the right front tire …

The holidays in Roseland weren’t like the scenes pictured in the greeting cards. I don’t ever recall a Hallmark card depicting cars trying to make it up “the hill” at 115th and Michigan, for example. The holidays I remember were opportunities for my brother and me to go out and shovel snow. In those days, knocking on someone’s door and asking if you could shovel their snow was acceptable. We didn’t make very much, but it was a great learning experience in how to make money. My St. Anthony class of 1961 was the last graduating class in the “old” …

Steeped in tradition and rich in the masterful way that four generations have preserved, Lezza Spumoni & Desserts in Bellwood create confectionary wonders from recipes that originated in the small Neapolitan town of Nola, Italy. Salvatore Lezza held on firmly to those recipes when he set up shop in Chicago in 1905. He teamed up with his cousin and opened the Ferrara Lezza Co. in the Taylor Street neighborhood, creating confections, cakes, authentic cannoli and uniquely genuine spumoni that would become his legacy. Squeezed out of the city by the University of Illinois expansion, the company moved to Bellwood in …