Community News

The Italian American Executives of Transportation will honor promising young professionals of Italian descent at its second annual Augustus Caesar Awards on Feb. 1 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. This year’s honorees will be Nicky Amore (Financial Planning), Alex Corbo (Law Enforcement), Stephanie Corona (Educational Services), Rachel Matug (Special Education), Gianni Morrone (Restaurant Services), Anthony Palladino (Medical Marketing), PJ Sasso (Media & Entertainment), Nicole Sisco (Food and Beverage Planning – Aviation), and Valerie Timpone (Philanthropy and Sales). Hillside Mayor Joseph Tamburino and singner Daniela Crocca will serves as masters of ceremonies. Entertainment will be provided by Frankie Sata, the Jersey …

“Bellissima!” That’s the word that best describes the day the “Pilgrim Virgin” statue of Our Lady of Fatima visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish & Shrine in October.  The statue, identical to the original in Portugal, has been traveling the globe since 1947, spreading a message of peace and hope. Our Lady of Mount Carmel was one of a dozen or so churches in the Chicago area selected to host the Blessed Mother for the day. She arrived the morning of Oct. 11, and by 10 a.m. she was ready to greet the line of people waiting to venerate …

The Grand Lodge of Illinois/Wisconsin of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America celebrated its 100th anniversary on Oct. 13 at the Silver Oaks Country Club. The event brought together members and friends to reflect on the century-long journey of an organization dedicated to preserving Italian heritage, promoting community service and supporting charitable causes. Since its founding in 1924, the Grand Lodge of Illinois/Wisconsin has had 20 distinguished leaders, each leaving a lasting impact on the organization and its mission. The centennial celebration honored those who have served in this prestigious role, and it also spotlighted the remarkable …

The Burgio Woman’s Club staged its second annual Ladies Night Out Cocktail Social on Sept. 19 at the Des Plaines Theater. Nearly 60 women turned out for the event, which was hosted by Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti. The organization announced its new name, the Society Burgio for Women, at the gathering. The change was made to make the organization more welcoming to women who may not be direct descendants from the town of Burgio, according to society president Ann Parisi. At the top of the program, Parisi thanked Onesti for his generosity. “Your hospitality and …

It has unfolded on the last Sunday in July, year after year, decade after decade: the same wonderful Piana dei Greci Society picnic, and July 28 was no exception. But this year, the society celebrated its centennial event, and what a celebration it was! The festivities were especially expansive, with more of everything to mark the occasion. There were proudly displayed lodge flags, banners and photos from past PDG events; a super-sized bocce tournament and egg toss; kids’ games galore; and a creative balloon artist. Italian music floated through the air as Joe Martino serenaded the crowd on his accordion. …

Attorney Isabella Mazzanti has joined the Chicago-based law firm of Romanucci & Blandin. Mazzanti earned her law degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and her undergraduate degree in communications from the University of Dubuque, Iowa. During law school, she helped Chicago residents through UIC Law’s Pro Bono Civil Litigation Clinic and clerked at several Chicago-area law firms before spending two years as a law clerk at Romanucci & Blandin. Mazzanti will concentrate her practice on cases involving sexual abuse, motor vehicle and traffic accidents, individuals suffering from workplace injuries, premises and product liabilities, birth injuries, and medical …

A new law sponsored by State Rep. Bob Rita would give local governments the power to make their own rules about drones flying over public spaces. “Whether it’s parents watching their child’s softball game, young swimmers in a competition, or people enjoying our trail system, everyone should be able to enjoy local parks without worrying about drones causing problems,” Rep. Rita said. “This legislation will allow park districts to regulate drone usage so that guests can feel safe and secure while enjoying public spaces.”  

With fewer migrants being sent to Illinois and shelter populations now declining, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca is calling on the legislature to redirect funding intended for migrant issues toward direct property-tax relief payments for qualified homeowners in the south suburbs. DeLuca’s House Bill 5913 would redirect unspent state budget dollars intended for migrant issues toward a one-time property-tax rebate for low- and moderate-income homeowners. The rebate would be available for those who live in Bloom, Calumet, Rich, Thornton or Bremen Townships in Cook County. “Homeowners are rightfully frustrated by skyrocketing property taxes, and they expect the state to intervene and …

  The Chicago Office of the Italian Trade Agency, the government agency entrusted with fostering international business growth of Italian companies and products in the United States, organized a U.S. trade delegation to the region of Puglia in October. The 11-member delegation included buyers from major U.S. supermarket chains with total combined annual sales of $21 billion. The group was led by Pat Capriati, a marketing promotion senior manager for ITA. Capriati collaborated with Unioncamere Puglia to coordinate more than 200 business-to-business meetings with leading local manufacturers of food and wines. Capriati focuses his marketing efforts on establishing collaborative agreements …

The “Italians in Chicago” traveling exhibit may be appearing at a public library near you in the not-too-distant future, thanks to the efforts of the volunteers at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia. The idea for an exhibit documenting the Italian-American immigrant experience in Chicago was hatched in 1978 by Dominic Candeloro, who taught Italian-American studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus at the time. The display moved from concept to reality when a grant to create the exhibit was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The permanent exhibit was first displayed at the Chicago …