Highlights

  Back in December the members of the Veneti nel Mondo held their annual Christmas dinner at Villa Brunetti Banquets in Franklin Park. What it turned out to be was a fantastic reunion with many of my fellow traveler friends to the wonderful country of Italy. We were able to reminisce as we once again, tipped a few glasses of wine while enjoying a very good meal. Don and Maureen Peczek showed up with Don carrying a bag of hair hats for those that wanted to buy one. Don had started out on our trip wearing a “hair hat” which …

  Here we are on the cusp of 2016 and I’ve got some updates and clarifications about 2015 topics in my most recent columns. I am also going to continue with a description of my fantastic trip to Italy with the Veneti nel Mondo. First off, let me say that the 42nd Annual Pullman House Tour was a great success and a major reason for that success was the made to order beautiful weather. There were nine houses on the tour this year along with four civic buildings. The first floor of the Hotel Florence was open for viewing and on …

  Each week I produce shows with entertainers who are mainly from the eras of the ’60s through the ’80s. This covers MY era of music, with others that I was exposed to by the older kids in high school or the younger ones we were hanging out with. I get the privilege of doing shows with big names in classic rock, classic country, Motown and what is now called “Heritage” music, or the Oldies. But as I fulfill my musical fantasies, I have come to realize there is much more going on at The Arcada than meets the ear. …

Rabbi Barbara Aiello, Italy’s first—and only—female Rabbi, as well as the country’s only non-Orthodox Rabbi, spoke at the McHenry County Jewish Congregation (MCJC) in Crystal Lake in November. Her topic was “The Hidden Jews of Sicily and Calabria.” Rabbi Barbara is the founder of the B’nai Anusim movement in Southern Italy. B’nai Anusim is an initiative to help the hidden Jews of Calabria and Sicily, whose ancestors were forced into Christian conversion 500 years ago during the Inquisition, return to their Jewish heritage. Historians estimate that prior to the Inquisition, more than 50 percent of the population of Southern Italy was Jewish. …

As I write this column my bags are packed and I’m heading out with the Veneti nel Mondo to visit the east side of Italy. I will also have the opportunity to visit the streets my parents walked when I go to Mezzaselva di Roana above Bassano Del Grappa. I will, of course, be reporting on my visit in future columns and might also share a few photos. I know I will have a great time meeting my cousins Flavia Mazzolini and her daughter Elena Migliorini when I visit Lago di Como and Lago Maggiore. My December and January column …

  A significant event on the Far South Side, the 42nd annual Pullman House Tour has garnered more attention over the years as former area residents felt the need to connect with their roots. They have found that the tour is the perfect time to return to Pullman/Roseland/Kensington for a glimpse into their past. This year marks the first year that Annual Pullman House Tour will be taking place in the newly proclaimed and designated Pullman National Monument. I mention this as a cautionary statement to those of you have given thought to attending the Pullman House Tour. Due to …

We at The Arcada Theatre have been fortunate enough to bring celebrities on a regular basis to St. Charles, many times being selected over venues in Chicago proper. Superstars, too many to count, appear on our stage regularly, performing their wonderful shows, further drawing attention to the wonders of the Fox Valley. In August of last year, the celebrity “buzz” was a bit different in downtown St. Charles, though. Jenny McCarthy, the former Playboy centerfold, television star, author and activist wed her internationally famous fiancé, actor and original New Kids on the Block member Donnie Wahlberg at the Hotel Baker, …

The Mozart-da Ponte “Le nozze di Figaro” (1786) is the oldest opera in the standard repertoire. In other words, it is the first “modern” opera. Before “Figaro,” opera was one thing, afterward it was another. Why is this? As Mozart was coming of age, the European political pot was coming to a rapid boil. The American Revolution was just on the horizon, and the social unrest that would explode into the French Revolution was simmering everywhere. Mozart was not what you would call a political radical or a revolutionary, but he was definitely a man of his times. The biggest …

Casa Italia has launched a fundraising paver project that promises to place it on a secure financial footing for years to come. The pavers will line the walkway between the Italian Cultural Center and Nonna Graziella in a pair of two-foot-wide paths that will eventually be lined with landscaping and benches. With plenty of parking on the either end of the walkway, the project will be readily accessible to the public, and at a maximum distance of only two feet, each paver will be easily located and viewed. The cost is $150 for a 4-inch-by-8-inch paver and $300 for an …

The Italian American Veterans Museum took a quantum leap forward on Sept. 28, celebrating its grand reopening with the dedication of a new exhibit celebrating Italian-American Medal of Honor recipients. State Senator Don Harmon and Stone Park Mayor Ben Mazzulla were among the dignitaries who took part in the noon dedication ceremony, which was attended by nearly 200 well-wishers, including more than four dozen veterans. The United States Navy Band from the Great Lakes Naval Station and the Marine Color Guard from the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment from Foster Avenue in Chicago graced the event with their presence. Joe and …