Community News

More than 30 pilgrims gathered at the steps of the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee for a day of spiritual revitalization and historical enlightenment. The Altar and Rosary Society of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Shrine revived its tradition of conducting an annual pilgrimage after a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic. There are only 91 basilicas in the country, and the Basilica of St. Josaphat was the third in the United States to earn that designation. Built with bricks from the original Chicago post office, St. Josaphat is inspired by both St. Peter’s Basilica in …

The Greater Rockford Italian American Association (GRIAA) held its annual Italian Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Award Dinner on Oct. 14 at the Venetian Club in Rockford. Fr. James Ciamataro and Frank Valentine were inducted into the Hall of Fame, Bove’s Auto and Truck Repair received a Special Recognition Award for Business, and Dan Appino received a Special Recognition Award for Sports. The awardees were also recognized at the annual Columbus Day Mass on Oct. 15 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Rockford. Ciamataro served as pastor of St. Anthony’s from 1988-2022. Realizing that the histories of the …

The sporadic rain on Sept. 11 couldn’t diminish the feeling everyone had as they gathered in front of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine to watch the awe-inspiring silent arrival of fire and police vehicles. First responders from 10 neighboring communities participated in a procession from Wolf Road down Lake Street in Berkeley to 25th Avenue in Melrose Park.  The anticipation mounted as the flashing lights quietly moved north on 25th to Division Street and then south to 23rd Avenue. As the procession approached the church, Fr. Leandro Fossà, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, greeted each …

A statue of St. John Baptist Scalabrini was unveiled at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine in Melrose Park on Nov. 12. The 6-foot-tall statue was commissioned in honor of the one-year anniversary of the canonization of Bishop Scalabrini, founder of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, the religious order that runs Mt. Carmel. It was installed in front of the church.  

A new era of political engagement dawned on Aug. 8 when the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans hosted its inaugural Government Relations Luncheon. More than 100 public officials at every level of local government converged on the Des Plaines Theatre for the event, which honored State Rep. Anthony DeLuca and former county official turned political consultant Enza Raineri. DeLuca received the Legislator of the Year Award for sponsoring the law that permanently designates October as Italian American Heritage Month in Illinois (page 25). Raineri received the Government Relations Award for the pivotal role she played in convincing the Cook …

Maestro Martin Caliendo, founder and director of Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana, was presented with the Benermerenti Medal of the Constantinian Order of St. George in recognition of his dedication in preserving and providing traditional music to Chicago-area Italian-American religious fests. Founded in 1974 but with roots dating back to the 1920s through its parent Strocchia Concert Band, Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana is one of the very few remaining musical organizations of its type in the United States.  

Hearing from homeowners concerned about the impact of sprawling commercial solar farm developments, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca has introduced a plan to establish minimum 500-foot setbacks between homes and solar properties. House Bill 4135 would update existing solar zoning law and authorize counties to increase the setback distance for solar energy projects from either 50 or 150 feet, depending on the property, to 500 feet universally. The measure is focused on large-scale commercial solar developments, not individual homeowner solar panel use. “While many of us are intrigued by the development of solar power, it needs to be handled in a …

A pair of business titans will be honored at the Italian American Chamber of Commerce gala on Oct. 21 at CineCity Studios in Chicago. Joe Perillo, owner of Perillo Auto Group, and Bill Terlato, president and CEO of Terlato Wines International, will receive excellence awards at the event. After serving in the U.S. Army for three years, Perillo pursued his passion for selling automobiles, becoming the No. 1 Cadillac salesman in the country. He bought a failing Pontiac dealership in Chicago in 1975, turned it around in three years and opened the city’s first BMW dealership in 1981. Perillo Auto …

Retired law enforcement officer Kenneth Lavorata will top the list of honorees at the Italian American Police Association dinner dance on Nov. 3 at the Chateau Ritz. Lavorata served in the Marine Corps from 1964-67, including a tour of duty as a battalion scout in Vietnam from 1965-66. He entered the Police Academy in November 1967, and served as an officer for the Chicago Police Department for 35 years. His assignments included the 12th, 25th and 20th districts; Area 4 and 5 Traffic; the Radar and Mass Transit units; and the Office of Special Events, coordinating police presence for major …

The Italian American Labor Council honored Lawrence Picardi Sr. as Man of the Year at its dinner dance on Oct. 14 at the Drury Lane Oak Brook in Oakbrook Terrace. Picardi is the financial secretary treasurer of Cement Masons Union Local 502. His father brought him into the union as an apprentice in 1980, and he worked for years for various Chicago-area contractors as a foreman and union steward. Picardi was elected as a trustee of the local’s Welfare Fund in 1988, a member of its executive board in 1997 and its business agent in 2006. In 2012, he was …