Local News

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, the bishop of Assisi, Italy, and curator of the tomb and relics of Carlo Acutis, was in town in July as part of a national tour to spotlight the life and legacy of the renowned teen, who used technology to evangelize before dying of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Acutis was beatified on Oct. 10, 2020, and canonized on Sept. 7 of this year. The archbishop celebrated masses and offered public venerations of a relic of Acutis at two Chicago parishes: on July 15 at Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish (St. Hedwig Church), the only …

The Italian Sons and Daughters of America celebrated its 47th Biennial National Convention from Aug. 9-12 at the Omni Chicago Hotel. Led by President Basil M. Russo, ISDA members from districts across Indiana/Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio/Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia and Louisiana gathered to celebrate Italian American heritage and strengthen fraternal ties. The convention kicked off with a heartfelt Mass by Fr. Robert C. Rizzo of Holy Archangels Parish in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who shared humorous stories from his Italian childhood. U.S. Rep. Mike Rulli, co-chair of the Italian American Congressional Delegation, delivered a powerful keynote, reflecting on his …

The Des Plaines Theatre was once again transformed into fashion week in New York for the Columbus Day Queen contest, hosted on Aug. 19 by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. Stadium-style seats were replaced with an expansive stage and runway flanked by chairs filled with audience members. Ava Amelio emerged from the competition with this year’s crown. A former National Honor Society member, Amelio is a student at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she is studying international business and political communication. A proud member of Alpha Phi, she is passionate about empowering women. As a …

Thirty-One Days of Italians has released its 2025 List, honoring extraordinary people of Italian heritage who significantly influenced the history and development of America. The project was launched in 2006, with a list being provided annually for the month of October. The first day in October honors the Italian immigrant and the last day is set aside to honor someone not on the list. Honorary members are on the List every year and include Fr. Pietro Bandini, Constantino Brumidi, Mother Francis Cabrini, Enrico Caruso, Christopher Columbus, Enrico Fermi, Amadeo Pietro Giannini, Guglielmo Marconi, Filippo Mazzei, Antonio Meucci, Maria Montessori, Andrea Palladio, Antonio Pasin, …

The Italian American Police Association will honor Niles Police Chief Joseph Romano on Oct. 4 at Chateau Ritz in Niles. The IAPA will also honor Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department Chief of Police Leo Schmitz (Police Officer of the Year Award), Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge President Chris Southwood (Lifetime Achievement Award), and attorney David Petrich and businessman and philanthropist Dr. Willie Wilson (Special Recognition Award). The following profile was provided by the IAPA. Niles Police Chief Joseph Romano Joseph Romano grew up in the Niles area and attended Nelson Elementary School and Gemini Junior High School in …

The Italian American Labor Council of Greater Chicago will honor labor leader Dan Allen on Oct. 11 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Allen has served since 2013 as executive director of Construction Industry Service Corp., a labor-management association representing 140,000 union workers and 8,000 union contractors across six counties. He is the chair of the DuPage Workforce Development Board and serves on the board of the Chicago Building Congress, Choose DuPage, Workers Compensation Research Institute, and Gateway to Learning, which provides lifelong learning for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For event details, click here.    

The library at Casa Italia hosted two presentations this spring by Dino Fabrizi, an Italian architect who possesses in-depth knowledge about ancient Roman architecture and design. Fabrizi’s first presentation focused on Rome then and now, exploring the extent to which the city has remained the same despite centuries of change. He revealed how much of ancient Rome’s infrastructure is still standing and even functional, from its roads and theaters to its aqueducts, drainage systems and baths. Some places have found new life, he noted, becoming something else while retaining their original vocation. In his second presentation, Fabrizi discussed the important …

The Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans honored nine accomplished women at the 2025 Impresa Awards. Scholarships were also presented to several deserving female high school seniors at the event. “We’re always so proud to host the Impresa Awards,” JCCIA Women’s Division President Rosemary Ranallo says. “It’s our opportunity to shine the spotlight on Italian-American women of accomplishment and to encourage young Italian-American women to follow in their footsteps.” This year’s honorees are: Lisa Capitanini, award-winning investigative producer for NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) Chicago Tracey Tarantino DiBuono, founder and director of Zzazz Productions Linnea McHugh, chief policy …

The Italian American Veterans Museum has banded together with four other veterans museums from across the Chicago area to create a game-changing venture in Addison. The Chicagoland Veterans Campus will be located at 39 Army Trail Boulevard in a stately 100-year-old former school building owned by St. Paul Lutheran Church. Participating in the creation of the campus are the Chicagoland Combined Veterans Museum & Library (CCVML), Camp Grant Historical Society Museum, Hellenic American Veterans Memorial & Museum, Italian American Veterans Museum (IAVM) and 10th Mountain Division Museum. Spearheading the project is CCVML President Lorenzo Fiorentino, a retired Army Major and …

After six whirlwind months of construction, the first floor of the Community Center at Casa Italia has been transformed as part of an ongoing rinascimento at the venerable institution. The Community Center has always been a great venue for special events, with a modern lobby and restrooms, the Chandelier Room accommodating up to 140 guests, and the building’s former gymnasium being available for larger crowds. But the gymnasium was only accessible via flights of stairs, and food had to be prepared off-site and brought in, preventing the facility from reaching its full potential. All that has changed, thanks to a …