Community Profiles

Giancarlo Iannotta and Julie D’Agostino’s friendship was destined to happen. As a matter of fact, both of their fathers immigrated to Chicago in the 1950s by way of Castel San Vincenzo, which is in the Molise region of Italy. By the early 1990s, the families settled on South Street in Elmhurst, Ill., and both have been members of the Saint Stephen and Saint Vincent Society. Giancarlo, a filmmaker and 2011 graduate of Columbia College, has known Julie since birth, and both have been inseparable for just as long. But what makes their bond unique is that Julie was born with …

Iliana Incandela is a well-known voice throughout the Chicago-area Italian-American community. Her powerful presence on stage keeps an audience in awe of her vocal delivery and beauty. Incandela was named the Columbus Day Queen in 2010, and is incredibly grateful for the support she has received from the community. She’s also a recipient of a 2010 David Award from the IANU Foundation, which further raised her profile. On August 30, Incandela took her game to a whole new level, treating the audience in a taping at the Vic Theatre to a powerhouse version of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain,” …

In the weeks and days leading up to the general election, America will be roiled by a host of debates, from the domestic economy and foreign policy to immigration, the environment and beyond. Playwright and law student Tony Fiorentino has seized that moment, using the stage as a sounding board to share his thoughts on such issues while continuing to cultivate his political and legal interests. Fiorentino’s eighth play, “The Feast,” will open on Oct. 16 at Prop Thtr., and the timing of the production couldn’t be better. “The play is about the healthcare system in the United States,” Fiorentino …

Joey Cacciatore is no stranger to real estate development. In fact, he eats, sleeps and breathes it. Having shadowed his father in the industry as a teenager, he now proudly advances the legacy of Jos. Cacciatore & Co. as the creator of Lacuna Artist Lofts in Pilsen. “In the dictionary, ‘lacuna’ means ’empty.’ This was my vision,” states Cacciatore, whose father purchased the former macaroni factory in the mid-1980s. In the two years prior to its opening as Lacuna in 2011, Cacciatore Jr. transformed the space into a thriving creative community that allows artists in every medium to rent space …

Colorful, multi-faceted and driven are three qualities that describe Maryann Pisano. A 2010 graduate of Dominican University in River Forest, Pisano is a pioneering young woman who lives life on the cutting edge of the internet. A recipient of a bachelor’s degree from Dominican with a major in journalism and minor in English, she is currently balancing the demands of an internet magazine that she founded with her reporting duties at TribLocal and Pioneer Press. Pisano began her ambitious writing career at a very young age. “When I was 3 years old, my mom would always read books to me. …

Francesca Barsellotti lost her mother in 1999. From that point on, she was determined to follow a path that would not only help her with the healing process, but also make her mother proud. In 2000, Barsellotti was accepted into the prestigious culinary arts program at Le Cordon Bleu. Since graduating, she has hit the ground running as the pastry and executive chef behind Amoremia Cucina Italiana in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood and the pastry chef at the Puerto Rican-inspired Coco Restaurant in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. “At first, I went to school to study math and accounting, but when …

Student athletes have their hands full juggling the demands of their academic and athletic schedules, leaving little room for extracurricular involvement. But don’t tell that to Chuck Porcelli. Not only has he earnsed a spot as a starting offensive tackle for the Northwestern Wildcats, he has performed above and beyond the call of duty in the university’s Learning and Organizational Change program while battling childhood illnesses as part of a national program known as Uplifting Athletes. Porcelli is a 2008 graduate of Montini High School, where he played offensive tackle for the varsity team all four years. His freshman year, …

America marked Women’s History Month in March, but on Feb. 18, Casa Italia held a celebration of its own, honoring renowned NBC5 anchor Allison Rosati as Woman of the Year. The event was a huge success, with nearly 500 well-wishers turning out to support Rosati as well as the Casa’s mission of “preserving Italian heritage and sharing Italian culture.” Behind the scenes, another woman was making an impact. Her name is Kimberly Palmisano, chair of the 2012 gala. Palmisano is an attorney in Chicago with areas of concentration in international, corporate and real estate law. After completing her undergraduate degree …

These days, you can’t do anything without access to a computer or the internet. Many people take these tools for granted, or fail to realize how truly important they are in everyday life. That’s where Joe Mannarelli comes in. A Notre Dame High School alum from Des Plaines and a senior at DePaul University, Mannarelli is a volunteer through the university at Computer Literacy In Our Community. CLIC is a project of A Safe Haven Foundation, a 120-day transitional shelter for homeless adults and children that provides residents with the skills they need to be able to live on their …

Financial professional Franco La Marca learned his life lessons well. He traces his Italian roots to Alta Villa Milicia, the small town outside Palermo where his parents, Mario and Marianna, were born. They currently live in Glenview and visit family and friends in Sicily yearly. “My parents always emphasized to give back the blessings that they had instilled in me through affording me an education in college and law school, to get involved in philanthropy.” La Marca put those lessons to good use when he took a leadership position as founder of the Associate Board and as co-chair of the …