Community

If there’s a high school volleyball-related accolade or award that Lauren Carlini hasn’t received during her brilliant four-year varsity career at West Aurora High School, then that accolade or award hasn’t yet been devised. Carlini’s achievements are too long to list here, so we’ll give you a few of her top ones: * AVCA Under Armour First Team all-American team member * Four-time AAU all-American * 2011 Junior Olympic volleyball team member. * Illinois all-star team member * Two-time Aurora Beacon-News Athlete of the Year (2011 and 2012) * Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year (2012) But in December, Carlini …

Very few individuals ever have a city or village issue a proclamation in his or her honor, yet Sal Annoreno experienced that before his 18th birthday. Bartlett Village President Michael Airdo proclaimed March 6, 2012, Sal Annoreno Day in the village after Annoreno had won the 132-pound state championship at the IHSA individual wrestling meet a few weeks earlier. Annoreno’s title-winning performance marked the first time in Bartlett High School history that a wrestler had ever won a state crown. He also is only the fourth grappler to ever win a title from Elgin School District U46–the largest school district …

Dr. Joseph Favia was recently installed as president of the Arcolian Dental Arts Society. A 1993 graduate of Loyola University School of Dentistry, where he served as Student Congress president, Dr. Favia has pursued advanced education from some of dentistry’s best institutions, including the Peter Dawson Academy for Advanced Dental Education and the Pankey Institute. He currently teaches implant surgical procedures internationally to general dentists for Henry Schein’s Camlog Implant system. In 1997, Dr. Favia founded the Windy City Classic Celebrity Golf Tourney, which has raised more than $1 million toward cancer research in memory of Jim Valvano and Walter …

Richard Belmonte was recently installed as president of the Calabresi in America Organization. A veteran of the U.S. Army who served overseas in Korea after the war, Belmonte was a career firefighter, starting with the Westchester Fire Department in 1978 and working his way up from lieutenant in 1982 and captain in 1989 to chief in 2006, a position he held until his retirement in 2011. Belmonte joined CIAO in 2000, “to enjoy the camaraderie and celebrate the shared heritage.” He has held leadership positions since 2002, serving on the advisory board and board of directors and holding the positions …

Casa Italia’s Festival Center was transformed into an elegant banquet hall on June 30 for the wedding reception of Renee Sarno and Joe Gagliardo. Janet Sarno, a wedding planner and the mother of the bride, was the magician behind the transformation, bringing in a crew that labored for three days to install the lighting, decorations, table dressings and dance floor that transformed down-to-earth venue into a wedding wonderland. “I’ve planned many weddings, mostly in downtown venues that were all fabulous. For my daughter’s wedding, I wanted something equally beautiful and elegant but I also wanted to bring back the spirit …

by Joanne Spata Even the record-breaking low temperatures on Oct. 6 and 7 couldn’t cool the spirit of Casa Italia’s sixth annual Fall Festival. People flocked to Stone Park to share in the celebration, as the grapes were crushed and the aroma of a freshly roasted pig on a spit, grilled sausage and freshly baked brick oven pizza wafted across the beautiful grounds, to name just a few of the delightful sights and sounds. And if the scent of Italian delicacies weren’t enough to lure folks to the fest, the sound of Italian musical favorites floating on the crisp autumn …

The Casa Italia Cultural Committee’s presentation of “Christmas Baking Italian Style” was a great success. More than 80 people attended the event. The master of ceremonies was Teresa D’Alessandro Helfand, and the presenters included Mirella Alfano, Maria Cuscino and Antonietta Girardi. Traditional Christmas cookies and food specialties were presented from Abruzzo, Campania, Sicily and Puglia. The attendees were shown how to make buccellati, or “cucciddata,” struffoli, pizzelle, crostata, taralli, pistachio cookies, castagnole, almond cookies filled with liquor, cartellate, calzone rustico and more. All of those in attendance had an opportunity to savor the delicious cookies and food specialties. The attendees …

by Leonard F. Amari Nearly a decade ago, as a result of the vision of Anthony J. Fornelli and his dedicated committee, the Italian American Executive Hall of Fame was established at Casa Italia in Stone Park, the home of our Italian community. At the initial meeting of this committee in 2007, Chairman Fornelli suggested to the other committee members gathered — Don Bono, Jack LaBrasca, Dominic Sergi, Joseph Weber, Phyllis Muchanti and Dominic Verlotta — that it would be appropriate to have a place at Casa Italia to honor individuals from our community who have distinguished themselves in the …

by Joanne Spata Casa Italia jump-started the month of March with a magnificent Italian Cabaret Night. It was an amazing evening of glorious music, excellent company and good food. Entertainment was provided by Main Street Opera, which put on a spectacular show featuring 20 of the best arias and traditional songs to which Italy has ever given birth. Soprano Victoria Hollad, mezzo-soprano Amanda Runge, tenor Benjamin De Los Monteros, bass-baritone Chadley Ballantyne and music director Jason Carson gave rousing performances that earned a standing ovation, with shouts of “Bravo!” echoing through the Chandelier Room. In my favorite number, “Nessun dorma” …

by Joanne Spata Come rediscover Casa Italia and all that it has to offer. Here, we have a center for the preservation and promotion of our community and culture. Here, we have an oasis, just minutes from O’Hare Airport, in which you can immerse yourself in the vibrancy and richness of our Italian heritage. Surrounded by 17 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, you can indulge your senses in a feast for your mind, body and soul. We invite you to tour our Cultural Center Museum and relive the Italian-American immigrant experience. You are welcome to stroll through our art galleries, …