Community News

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you’ve exhausted the options in downtown Chicago or your own neck of the woods, your next adventure awaits at Casa Italia. There, you’ll find treasure troves of history and heritage at the Italian Cultural Center and the Italian American Veterans Museum. For the rest of the year, both will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday. Among its many assets, the cultural center contains a glorious 1/100 scale re-creation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, an exhibit dedicated to the Italian immigrant experience in Chicago, a gallery …

A wide range of Italian classes for both children and adults will be available across the Chicago area this fall. The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia offers exploratory language classes for 5- to 7-year-olds, beginning classes for 8- to 12-year-olds, and intermediate and advanced classes for 12- to 14-year-olds. Locations include Carol Stream, Elmwood Park, Highwood and Lemont. Children’s classes run for 30 weeks from September 2024 to May 2025. Adult Italian classes include beginning, intermediate and advanced, and will be conducted exclusively online. Adult classes run for 16 weeks starting in mid-September and are two hours long. Private …

The Angelo & Romana Caputo Foundation will host a bocce tournament at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 at the Caputo’s in Carol Stream. Teams of four are $100 and each player will receive a t-shirt, lunch, goodie bag and a chance to win cash prizes. Each team is guaranteed two games. All proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. For details, click here.  

Back by popular demand, the second annual “Back the Blue Italian Style” will hold forth from 3-6 p.m. on Sept. 21. Spearheaded by Enza Raineri, CEO of Enza Raineri & Associates, the event raises funds for the Chicago Police Mounted Patrol Unit and honors Italian-American members of the Chicago Police Department. This year’s “Garlic and Gaelic Edition” will take place at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. The event features food vendors and an awards ceremony, with funds being raised through ticket sales and sponsorships. For details, call 773-499-9723 or email enzaraineri@yahoo.com.  

The Leone D’Oro Lodge 2700 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America will host its 21st annual pasta dinner from 1-5 p.m. on Sept. 29 at Tinley Park High School. Lodge members pitch in each year to serve up a feast that includes spaghetti and meatballs in a sauce provided by Palermo’s of Tinley Park, plus salad, beverages and a dessert table. The event will include door prizes, raffles, music and song by Nino Folino, and other entertainment surprises. Proceeds go toward lodge scholarships as well as Alzheimer’s and Cooley’s Anemia research and other charities. Tickets are …

The American Delegation of Savoy Orders introduced a select group of guests to the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy on June 13 at The Chicago Club. Attendees enjoyed wine from the Piedmont region of Italy with ties to the former Italian royal family, who encouraged Nebbiolo production in the early 19th century. Hence, Barolo is the “Wine of Kings and King of Wines.” King Carlo Alberto and Risorgimento leader Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour, were among the pioneers in the production of a high-quality dry red wine. Chicago author Don Fiore gave a brief introduction to his …

West suburban businessman Jack Ross was awarded a Congressional Commendation by U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez on July 9 for his heroic service during the Vietnam War. The owner of Manor Press in River Grove, he was wounded in action while serving as the squad’s point man, receiving two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and an Air Medal for his service. He has emerged as a leader in his community, serving as president of the River Grove Lions Club and a board member for Oak-Leyden Developmental Services and his alma mater, Guerin Prep High School. To view the video, click here. …

The Amerigo Vespucci Lodge 1722 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America celebrated its 90th anniversary on May 11 at the Quality Inn in Bradley, Illinois. More than 170 guests, including families from across the country, converged on the venue for the occasion. The lodge is based in Kankakee. The event included a fabulous meal, entertainment by the Frank Rossi Trio and dancing into the night. The decorative centerpieces contained copies of the anniversary booklet as well as balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a seasoning blend to be used with the dinner’s rustic bread. Guests were encouraged to take …

Amaseno Lodge No. 3 of Chicago Heights hosted its 50th anniversary Feast of San Lorenzo and San Rocco from Aug. 9-11. The lodge was formed in 1913 by immigrants from Amaseno, a small farming village 60 miles south of Rome. Settling in Chicago Heights’ Hungry Hill Italian enclave, they brought with them a deep devotion to San Lorenzo, an early Christian leader who was martyred for his defiance of the Roman Empire. For decades, the spiritual center of Hungry Hill was San Rocco Church. Built on the highest point in the neighborhood and dedicated in 1906 to another of Amaseno’s …

Cook County Circuit Court Justice Regina Scannicchio has been elevated from acting presiding judge to presiding judge of the Domestic Relations Division by Chief Judge Timothy Evans. Scannicchio was named acting presiding judge on Sept. 23, 2022. She was first appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2011 after 23 years as a private domestic-relations attorney. Elected in 2012 and retained in 2018, she was assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in 2012. During her time as acting presiding judge, she focused on continuing education to keep pace with complex, multidisciplinary legal proceedings routinely heard in the …