Community

The Amerigo Vespucci Lodge 1722 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America celebrated its 90th anniversary on May 11 at the Quality Inn in Bradley, Illinois. More than 170 guests, including families from across the country, converged on the venue for the occasion. The lodge is based in Kankakee. The event included a fabulous meal, entertainment by the Frank Rossi Trio and dancing into the night. The decorative centerpieces contained copies of the anniversary booklet as well as balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a seasoning blend to be used with the dinner’s rustic bread. Guests were encouraged to take …

Amaseno Lodge No. 3 of Chicago Heights hosted its 50th anniversary Feast of San Lorenzo and San Rocco from Aug. 9-11. The lodge was formed in 1913 by immigrants from Amaseno, a small farming village 60 miles south of Rome. Settling in Chicago Heights’ Hungry Hill Italian enclave, they brought with them a deep devotion to San Lorenzo, an early Christian leader who was martyred for his defiance of the Roman Empire. For decades, the spiritual center of Hungry Hill was San Rocco Church. Built on the highest point in the neighborhood and dedicated in 1906 to another of Amaseno’s …

Cook County Circuit Court Justice Regina Scannicchio has been elevated from acting presiding judge to presiding judge of the Domestic Relations Division by Chief Judge Timothy Evans. Scannicchio was named acting presiding judge on Sept. 23, 2022. She was first appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2011 after 23 years as a private domestic-relations attorney. Elected in 2012 and retained in 2018, she was assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in 2012. During her time as acting presiding judge, she focused on continuing education to keep pace with complex, multidisciplinary legal proceedings routinely heard in the …

Exciting news! Italy is reaching out like never before to reconnect with people of Italian heritage living throughout the world. Dubbed “Italea,” the program promotes “roots tourism” to the descendants of the great Italian diaspora. The local announcement of the program brought together leaders of the Chicago-area Italian-American community through the invitation of Italian Consul General Thomas Botzios; Com.It.Es President Carlo Vaniglia; and Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti. The June 14 reception was hosted by the JCCIA in the beautiful private dining room of the Des Plaines Theatre. Flying in to make the presentation was Luigi …

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 …