Community News

The Chicagoland Italian American Professionals will start the new year by launching a new monthly that they’re dubbing “Wine Down Wednesday.” Slated for 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, the Zoom gathering will allow members and non-members alike to wind down while discussing different types of Italian wines. For details, contact President Salvatore Sciacca at salvatore@chicagolanditalians.com.

Last year, 14-year-old Lorenzo Liberti discovered a passion for honoring and helping veterans in need in his community. Using his artistic talents, he carved beautiful, 3-foot-wide American flags by hand to benefit a local charity. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, he realized his flags could help honor and support frontline health care workers across the United States. Today, his flags hang in more than a dozen hospitals around the country as emblems of hope and gratitude. His goal is to raise $50,000 to create and ship flags to hospitals in every state. (gofundme.com/c/heroes/lorenzo-liberti) For details, click here.  

The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii’s annual Mary & Christmas concert was streamed live this year. The event featured performances by John Vincent, Josie Falbo, Anthony Rago and the Rev. Richard Fragomeni, accompanied by a chamber orchestra and the William Ferris Chorale, all under the direction of Maestro Paul French. The musical scores of Italian film composer Ennio Morricone were celebrated and plenty of timeless Christmas songs were featured. Those who missed the live event can view it online through Jan. 6. For tickets, click here.          

The Associazione Regionale Campania di Chicago celebrated its 30th anniversary on Oct. 18. Founded to promote the culture and customs of Naples and the Campania region, the ARC has a long list of accomplishments. The group has hosted the first North American conference of Neapolitan associations, crowned the first Miss Campania a Chicago, promoted student exchanges, and bestowed many scholarships and donations over the years. The ARC’s Battenti Madonna del Arco presents the palms at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church each Palm Sunday. (847-401-5769)

The usual lunch and espresso breaks enjoyed by the director and volunteers at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia were lively affairs. Discussions ran the gamut from current affairs and Dante, to library acquisitions and projects, to social and home life. During the pandemic, these discussions are continuing via Zoom at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday. Espresso Break guests have included Ron Onesti, Renato Turano, Tom Dreesen and countless others, with all conversations archived for viewing on the cultural center website. To receive e-blasts announcing future guests, contact Dominic Candeloro at dominic.candeloro@gmail.com. To view past sessions, click here.

The sun shines a little brighter in both Northwest Indiana and the southeast corner of the Chicago area thanks to the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County. Founded in 1965, the venerable nonprofit promotes friendship among its members, celebrates Italian culture, and supports charities here and abroad. The club was launched in East Chicago, Indiana, by the wives of the members of the Cesare Battisti Lodge No. 27. When the lodge opened Villa Cesare at 900 Eagle Ridge Drive in Schererville, Indiana, the IAWC moved its base of operations there. Members gather on the second Thursday of each month, …

The Sicily-based Solunto Foundation has presented Fra Noi columnist Robert Allegrini with its Solunto Award in recognition of the “commitment he lavished on helping to spread the image of Italy” through his travel writing. The foundation presents awards annually to honorees around the world who help promote cultural tourism. The 2021 awards will be held in Chicago.  

Nancy Brunetti-Blomquist was born and raised in Mola di Bari, Italy, and has dedicated her professional career to teaching the language of her ancestors to American students of all ages. It should come as no surprise then that her passion for her ancestry has rubbed off on her children. The former Chicago-area resident now lives with her family in Ventura, California, and her 13-year-old son, Alexander, recently launched a podcast called “Cultural Capture,” on which he celebrates America’s ethnic diversity. His first three shows focus on Italy, of course! (capsmedia.org/podcasts/cultural-capture/)    

Chicago attorney Jim Morici knows the importance of a safe workplace and community. A founding partner in the law firm Morici, Longo & Associates, he has been fighting for the rights of injured workers and accident victims for more than three decades. The firm’s attorneys took swift action to put office safety protocols in place during the pandemic, but they saw an opportunity to do more. They’ve kicked into high gear on several charitable fronts, donating thousands of dollars to the Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository and Maine Township Food Pantry, in addition to $10,000 to the American …

This year’s IA Literati seminar was held as a virtual gathering on June 13. The event was different from any of the previous 16 instalments, according to Professor Dominic Candeloro, curator of the Florence Roselli library in the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia. “Authors could not gather in person due to COVID-19 so we were presented with the challenge of meeting electronically over Zoom. I must say that we all missed gathering together but we were able to expand the scope of the event beyond the Chicago area to across the country and to Italy, with more than 100 …