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Best known for his sculptural sprites in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Midway Gardens project, Alfonso Iannelli was instrumental in bringing about the modernist design movement in Chicago. One of the masterpieces that emerged from his Park Ridge studio was a plaster bust of Abraham Lincoln that has charted a curious course in recent decades. After Iannelli’s death in 1965, the Kelmscott Gallery in Chicago acquired much of his estate. The bust then made its way from the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago and back to Iannelli’s studio, which was bought and transformed into the Iannelli Studios Heritage Center by the …

The Justinian Society of Lawyers held its 22nd annual Children’s Endowment Fund grant reception on March 14 at Luxbar in Chicago. Justinian President Michael Pisano and Endowment Fund Chairman Frank Sommario presented a total of $10,000 in CEF grants at the event to Almost Home Kids and La Casa Norte. Additional donations were made from the floor by Justinian members and other guests in attendance. On hand to accept the grants were Jose Muñoz of La Casa Norte and Raeann Olsen-Jackson of Almost Home Kids. “The Justinian Society is fervent in continuing to give back to our community and we …

The Italian students at Ridgewood High School in Norridge were proud to play host to a delegation from Italy on May 23. Among the honored guests were Attilio Fontana, president of the region of Lombardy; Raffaele Cattaneo, the region’s undersecretary for European and International Public Relations; Paolo Aliprandi, a member of Cattaneo’s staff; Maria Luisa Scalise, the region’s director of International Relations; and Paola Murgia, a member of Scalise’s staff. Italian Consul General Thomas Botzios arranged the visit with the help of Dr. Marina Lenza, director of education for the consulate. Fontana requested the opportunity to meet with Ridgewood’s Italian …

The Old Neighborhood Italian American Club staged its 30th annual Anti-Drug and Alcohol/Responsible Behavior Seminar on May 10. Local grade-school students from the Bridgeport, Chinatown and Canaryville neighborhoods take part in the event each year. This year’s seminar was attended by 8th-grade students from St. Jerome Catholic School, Bridgeport Catholic Academy and St. Gabriel Catholic School. Led by Co-Chair Michael Rubio, a panel that included local alderpersons addressed social media and online safety awareness along with the benefits of community involvement and the development of leadership skills. “Chicago P.D.” actor LaRoyce Hawkins and producer Brian Luce talked about the dangers …

Looking to drive down health care costs and expand access for families, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca is backing a reform plan that imposes limits and restrictions on the insurance industry. Known as the Health Care Protection Act, House Bill 5395 would require insurance companies to justify premium increases; prohibit them from selling short-term health care plans known as “junk insurance” that provide little or no coverage; and eliminate prior authorization hurdles for mental health care. It would also halt the practice known as “step therapy,” which requires patients to try a medication or treatment other than what was prescribed and …

What do you get when a true showman joins forces with one of Springfield’s most respected legislators? The second annual Italian Caucus Tour of Italy Reception, of course. Hosted for the last two years by Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti and State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, the blockbuster event drew more than 300 movers and shakers from across the state. Among them were elected officials, lobbyists and leaders of the Chicago-area Italian-American community. The top floor of the Wyndham Hotel in Springfield, decked out in green, white and red, was lined with banners spotlighting the JCCIA and …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation will honor Jamie Rhee as Woman of the Year and Sergio Serritella as Humanitarian of the Year at its awards dinner and celebration on Nov. 16 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. Rhee is Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation. Named to the post in 2018, she oversees operations at O’Hare and Midway International Airports, one of the largest airport systems in the world. Over the course of a 28-year career with the city of Chicago, Rhee has served in multiple positions at the airports, from customer-service foreign-language assistant while in law school, to …

A host of perks and an attractive price tag await those who sign up as members of the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. Members can download two e-books per month from the institute’s digital library, access Italian newspapers through a digital newsstand, borrow books and DVDs from the institute’s physical library, and receive discounted parking to institute events and discounted tickets to external events held in collaboration with the institute. A stylish tote bag reflecting the institute’s 2024 theme, In Futuro, is included. General membership is $40, with ItalCultura students paying only $25. For more, click here.  

  Longtime Fra Noi correspondent Dr. Kathryn Occhipinti has released an audiobook titled “Conversational Italian for Travelers: Just the Important Phrases,” with the same phrases found in her popular pocket phrase book of the same title. Recorded with native Italian and American speakers, the audiobook makes it possible to read and then listen to “all the Italian you need in order to enjoy your trip to Italy,” according to Occhipinti. The audiobook is available on Spotify and most streaming platforms, and the print version is available on Amazon.com and LearnTravelItalian.com. A radiologist of Italian descent, Occhipinti has been leading Italian-language …

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking North American families who are willing to host girls and boys, ages 15 to 18, from Italy and more than 50 other countries. The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance, and are carefully selected based upon academics and personality, according to ASSE Midwest Regional Director Saphia Lesch. ASSE also offers qualified American students the opportunity to spend a school year, semester or summer with a host family in another country. (800-736-1760)