The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame will posthumously honor Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris with the Mario Andretti Lifetime Achievement Award at its first annual regional gala and induction ceremony on Dec. 15 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village.

Patrick A. Salvi, founder of Salvi Sports, will be honored as Sportsman of the Year at the event. Inductees include:

Mike Rizzo – General manager of the Washington Nationals since 2009 and team president since 2013, he helmed the front office when the team won the World Series in 2019.

Missie Berteotti – A 14-year veteran of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, she is the co-founder and president of Business Golf Academy.

Adam Vinatieri — An NFL placekicker for 24 years, he is the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Other inductees are Mario Massa (bocce), Sean Stella (sports business), Giuseppe Rossi (soccer) and Louis Scripa Jr. (gymnastics).

For more, click here.

Casa Italia’s popular film series will start later this year due to the high level of activity at the Casa during Italian American Heritage Month. A pair of films will screen in November, followed by another pair in January. The series is made possible through the support of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Chicago.

“Palio” will be screened on Nov. 10. Directed by Cosima Spender, the documentary explores the thrilling world of Palio di Siena, the oldest continually run horse race in the world. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, winning best editing for a documentary. It has achieved a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Vanity Fair critic Joe Leydon called it “as dramatically satisfying as the most crowd-pleasing scripted sports saga.”

“Perfetti sconosciuti” (Perfect Strangers) will be shown on Nov. 17. The 2016 Italian comedy-drama directed by Paolo Genovese spends an evening with a group of friends who decide to reveal all the texts and calls they received on their cellphones. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the David di Donatello in the best film category and grossing more than 16 million euros in Italy. It has been remade in more than 20 countries.

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A statue of St. John Baptist Scalabrini will be 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 will be installed in front of the church. Pastor and Rector Fr. Leandro Fossá, cs; Provincial Superior Fr. Miguel Alvarez, cs; and other members of the religious order will unveil the statue at 3 p.m. A reception will follow in the church hall. (708-344-4140)

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 County Board to vote down a proposal to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day (page 27).

The keynote speakers were State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. “Both treasurers spoke about their love for Italy and their respect for the Italian-American community,” JCCIA President Ron Onesti notes.

The event attracted public officials from the city, suburban, county and state government, heightening awareness of the community and its needs at every level.

“We made tremendous strides at the event. Everyone came away with a greater understanding of why Columbus and Italian American Heritage Month are so important to us,” Onesti says. “We’ve been silent politically as a community for many years. This was a big step in changing that.”

For more on DeLuca’s heroic efforts, click here.

for more on Raineri’s heroic efforts, click here.

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 responsible way that provides flexibility for local governments,” DeLuca said.

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 Group now encompasses BMW, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Alfa Romeo, and Nissan dealerships in Chicago and Downers Grove, and is one of the largest pre-owned car dealers in the world. His wife, Pat, and their children, Joe Jr. and Trish, also work at the company.

Bill Terlato has built the wine distribution company his grandfather created and his father ran into one of the leading marketers of wines over $20 in the United States. Appointed president of Terlato Wines in 1994, he expanded the company’s luxury portfolio and moved into wine production and vineyard management. Under his leadership, Terlato Wines has achieved acclaim as a retailer, distributor, importer, marketer, winery owner and vineyard developer.

Reservations for the IACC gala, click here.

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 celebrations like the Taste of Chicago and the Columbus Day Parade.

After retiring with several honorable mentions in August 2002, he joined the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office as an investigator tasked with finding witnesses for cases. He retired from that position in 2016.

Dr. Willie Wilson will be honored as Humanitarian of the Year, Domenic Lupo will be honored as Officer of the Year, and James Viola and James Calvino will receive Lifetime Achievement awards at the event.

To make reservations, click here.

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 appointed financial secretary treasurer and subsequently elected to the position, which he still holds today.

Picardi also holds the position of pension fund trustee of the Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association, and he has been a delegate to several of the international conventions of the OP&CMIA. He serves as a delegate to numerous other trade organizations and is a member of the board of directors of the Italian American Labor Council.

Maribel Weisz of Antique Resources and Stephanie Sarris of Bellehaven Designs will celebrate Italian American Heritage Month by hosting a charity event they’re calling “Che Bellezza! An Evening of Italian Culture and Murano.” The fundraiser will run from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 19 at Antique Resources, 1741 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.

Boasting the largest collection of antique chandeliers in the Midwest, Antique Resources recently added a wide array of antique and vintage Murano glass chandeliers and accessories to its collection. “Maribel was so excited about her new Murano pieces, I suggested we host a party so people can find out more about these marvelous works of art,” Sarris says.

Attendees will learn about the different types of Murano glassware and how to distinguish real items from fake ones. Refreshments will be served, and a fundraising raffle will offer prizes that include a $1,000 gift certificate for anything in the store.

The event should be of particular interest to the Italian-American community, Weisz says. “People collect antiques from their ancestral homes for various reasons,” she notes. “Antiques provide a tangible connection to the past and link to a time and place that holds meaning. An evening surrounded by the magical glow and glimmer of Murano chandeliers and other rare, historical Italian pieces scattered throughout the shop will provide endless Italian delight!”

A portion of the ticket proceeds will help restore the spectacular 1:100-scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia. To reserve your tickets, click here.

For more about the replica, click here.