Community

COLUMBUS UPDATE A Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the Chicago Park District by attorneys for the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans yielded an abundance of documents about the statue that once served as the centerpiece for Columbus Plaza in Arrigo Park. Among them was a signed agreement that stated, “The Park District will, in perpetuity, obtain the written approval of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans before making any substantial change to Columbus Plaza or the statue.” The statue was ordered removed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the middle of the night on July 24, …

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame will offer a special salute to Tommy Lasorda at a virtual gala and induction ceremony on June 23. “Tommy Lasorda was one of the Hall’s biggest fans,” NIASHF President Ron Onesti says. “It’s only fitting to pay tribute to him.” Testimonials by Kirk Gibson, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser, Ron Cey, Mike Scoscia, Reggie Smith, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Franco Harris and more will be aired during the live-streamed celebration. The Class of 2020 will be ushered into the Hall at the gala, and the Class of 2021 will be announced. The 2020 …

At press time, a scaled-back Festa della Repubblica was in the works for June 6 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. Hosted by Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo, the event celebrates the birth of the Italian republic. The occasion will be marked by an 11 a.m. Mass at the shrine, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Columbus Plaza in Arrigo Park. Reservations for the Mass are a must. (312-421-3757) A procession and street festival are possible additions if state and city restrictions are sufficiently lifted. For an update, call Carlo Vaniglia at 708-217-1004.

Food and culture are central to the Italian-American experience. The mission of the Mary Ann Esposito Foundation is to preserve that experience for future generations while offering culinary students the opportunity to become the next generation of great Italian chefs. The foundation is currently raising funds to create the Ciao Italia Italian Heritage and Education Resource Center. The center will be maintained at a major American university and house the entire catalogue from Esposito’s Ciao Italia books and website. Admission will be open to any student wishing to research Italian gastronomy. The Esposito family is contributing significantly to the project’s …

The Alpine Country Club is hosting an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 5. Founded in 1892, the ACC is a private, member-owned club located on the shores of Round Lake. Facilities include a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, five cottages and a 44-boat marina. The clubhouse features a 270-seat dining area/banquet hall, a full-service kitchen, an indoor bocce facility, a play area for younger kids, a recreation room for older kids, and a recently renovated pool and deck, among other amenities. Call 847-546-4544 to make a reservation for the open house, or visit thealpinecountryclub.com for more information.  

The Mazzini-Verdi Club will ease back into gear on June 7, reopening its doors for the first time since the pandemic struck last spring. The club will start out slowly by reinstating its Monday bocce matches and cenetta. Occupancy is limited, and reservations for the cenetta are a must. Large-scale events will return as state restrictions permit, club President Bernard Ghilarducci says, noting that officers are exploring the possibility of bringing back Festa Fuori in August. For details, call 847-671-0055.  

Rosie Scalise Sheridan hosts a St. Joseph’s Altar every two years, and the pandemic wasn’t going to stop her. This St. Joseph’s Day, she and several family members set up a drive-by, carryout altar at her home northwest of Rockford. “We had a steady stream of cars and 410 takeouts,” she reports. Each specially decorated bag featured pasta con sarde and traditional sides. Fr. James Ciaramitaro of St. Anthony of Padua Church blessed the altar, which was visible through the picture window of her home. Sheridan was “motivated to make it happen” because Pope Francis designated 2021 as the Year …

After a 25-year hiatus, the Harlem Avenue Little Italy Business Association is returning with loads of enthusiasm, a new logo and plenty of gear. Funds to kick-start the organization are being generated through the sales of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other branded items available on the organization’s website and at member businesses. “Gear is a great way to raise money as well as profile,” says recently elected President Gino Bartucci. “We want the world to know we’re back in business and ready to start promoting our culture and community again.” Some readers may be asking, “Which Gino Bartucci?” That’s a …

Robert Allegrini, the longest-serving member of the Milan-Chicago Sister City Committee, was named its co-chairman at the Chicago Sister Cities board meeting in February. First appointed to the committee by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1989, Allegrini has served under more than half a dozen committee chairs and worked with eight different Milan mayors to promote cultural and economic exchanges between the two cities. In his capacity as co-chair, the former hospitality PR executive and Italian community advocate will be charged with forging closer ties between Chicago and Milan, official sister cities since 1973. Allegrini will be aided in those …

On March 14, 1891, 11 Sicilian immigrants who had been falsely accused of murdering the police chief of New Orleans were shot and hung by a mob of thousands in the largest mass lynching in American history. The 130th anniversary of that dark day was marked in Chicago with a moving commemoration in Arrigo Park hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. The event was emceed by JCCIA President Ron Onesti and attended by an impressive array of ethnic and political leaders. More than a dozen of those leaders took to the microphone to share a portion of …