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The usual lunch and espresso breaks enjoyed by the director and volunteers at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia were lively affairs. Discussions ran the gamut from current affairs and Dante, to library acquisitions and projects, to social and home life. During the pandemic, these discussions are continuing via Zoom at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday. Espresso Break guests have included Ron Onesti, Renato Turano, Tom Dreesen and countless others, with all conversations archived for viewing on the cultural center website. To receive e-blasts announcing future guests, contact Dominic Candeloro at dominic.candeloro@gmail.com. To view past sessions, click here.

The sun shines a little brighter in both Northwest Indiana and the southeast corner of the Chicago area thanks to the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County. Founded in 1965, the venerable nonprofit promotes friendship among its members, celebrates Italian culture, and supports charities here and abroad. The club was launched in East Chicago, Indiana, by the wives of the members of the Cesare Battisti Lodge No. 27. When the lodge opened Villa Cesare at 900 Eagle Ridge Drive in Schererville, Indiana, the IAWC moved its base of operations there. Members gather on the second Thursday of each month, …

The Sicily-based Solunto Foundation has presented Fra Noi columnist Robert Allegrini with its Solunto Award in recognition of the “commitment he lavished on helping to spread the image of Italy” through his travel writing. The foundation presents awards annually to honorees around the world who help promote cultural tourism. The 2021 awards will be held in Chicago.  

Nancy Brunetti-Blomquist was born and raised in Mola di Bari, Italy, and has dedicated her professional career to teaching the language of her ancestors to American students of all ages. It should come as no surprise then that her passion for her ancestry has rubbed off on her children. The former Chicago-area resident now lives with her family in Ventura, California, and her 13-year-old son, Alexander, recently launched a podcast called “Cultural Capture,” on which he celebrates America’s ethnic diversity. His first three shows focus on Italy, of course! (capsmedia.org/podcasts/cultural-capture/)    

Roberto Barbanente, a senior vice president and financial advisor at Morgan Stanley’s Chicago Wealth Management office, has been named to Forbes magazine’s America’s Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors since the list’s inception. Launched in 2017, the listing spotlights individuals born in 1980 or later who have at least four years of industry experience and either lead their teams or are viewed as potential leaders. The ranking is based on qualitative and quantitative data regarding revenue trends, compliance records, industry experience and best practices. Barbanente is the son  Vito Barbanente, owner of Pescatore in Franklin Park.  

Chicago attorney Jim Morici knows the importance of a safe workplace and community. A founding partner in the law firm Morici, Longo & Associates, he has been fighting for the rights of injured workers and accident victims for more than three decades. The firm’s attorneys took swift action to put office safety protocols in place during the pandemic, but they saw an opportunity to do more. They’ve kicked into high gear on several charitable fronts, donating thousands of dollars to the Illinois Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository and Maine Township Food Pantry, in addition to $10,000 to the American …

This year’s IA Literati seminar was held as a virtual gathering on June 13. The event was different from any of the previous 16 instalments, according to Professor Dominic Candeloro, curator of the Florence Roselli library in the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia. “Authors could not gather in person due to COVID-19 so we were presented with the challenge of meeting electronically over Zoom. I must say that we all missed gathering together but we were able to expand the scope of the event beyond the Chicago area to across the country and to Italy, with more than 100 …

Ever since the pandemic set in, professionals around the world have given their time and talents to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus. For Peter Argondizzo, president of Argo Translations Inc., words are the weapon of choice. “We’ve translated a series of COVID-19-related safety posters, and we’ve made them available for free on the internet,” Argondizzo explains. “We’ve posted the CDC guidelines and related information on our website in 14 languages. Just choose a language, and we’ll ship you a PDF. Italian is one of the languages, of course!” (argotrans.com/covid-19)  

Attorneys Leonard Amari and John Locallo have been voted among the top 10 real estate tax lawyers in Illinois by Leading Lawyer magazine. Amari is the founder and co-managing partner of Amari & Locallo, and Locallo is a partner in the firm. Amari was ranked No. 3 and Locallo No. 9 based on peer recommendation and approval by the Leading Lawyer advisory board. With offices in Cook and DuPage counties, Amari & Locallo has dedicated its practice exclusively to reducing real estate taxes and related matters. Both Amari and Locallo have served as president of the Justinian Society of Lawyers …

During a typical summer, Carlo Vaniglia attends patron saint celebrations almost every weekend. With most of them cancelled due to the coronavirus, Vaniglia has hatched a groundbreaking way to spend his newfound free time. “I thought, ‘Why not gather in front of the Columbus statue in Arrigo Park to show our support for our monuments and answer questions people might have?’” Vaniglia explains. And so, Coffee With Columbus was born. Vaniglia has attracted groups of between 20 and 60 people each Sunday morning simply through word of mouth, and the feedback from passersby has been largely positive. “We’re not there …