Profiles

Bianca Maldonado likes to say that the universe leads people where they are meant to be — and her life, in many ways, is testament to that. For one, if it weren’t for the abrupt closure of the Chicago radio station she worked for, it’s hard to know whether she would have found her life’s passion as a clinical mental health therapist. Maldonado, nee Ferreri, grew up in Burbank and graduated from Mother McAuley High School in Chicago. After studying at the Illinois Center for Broadcasting in Lombard, at age 19 she became the youngest woman — and one of …

Dr. Charles Martello had already been practicing dentistry for more than a decade before he first became aware of, and subsequently involved with, the Arcolian Dental Arts Society in 2002. Martello graduated from Loyola University’s dental school in 1987 and joined several other dental societies when he began his career, including the American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society, and Chicago Dental Society. “I wish that I had been a member (of the Arcolians) when I was back at Loyola,” Martello says. “It is a great group but I didn’t know of it and when you’re at that level you’re …

Carl Liture — who sold newspapers at the Century of Progress world’s fair in 1933-34 and witnessed the landing on Lake Michigan of Italo Balbo’s historic transatlantic flight — turned 100 on Dec. 26, 2025. The eldest of two sons born to Giuseppe and Giuseppina (Varvaro) Liturri, Carl grew up in the Italian enclave known as The Patch on the Near Northwest Side of Chicago. (The spelling of his last name was changed when he registered for school and the staffer wrote it the way it was pronounced rather than asking him for the spelling.) Carl worked a series of …

A standout at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, Laura Pausini has carved a niche for herself in the global music pantheon thanks to her vocal prowess and a multilingual approach to her craft. It really is incredible just how much the Sanremo Music Festival, Italy’s premier annual song competition, has influenced the music scene internationally. From Andrea Bocelli to Il Volo, more superstars have emerged from this event than almost any other of its kind. The winner of the Newcomer Artist competition in 1993, then 19-year-old Laura Pausini is a perfect example of how singing in …

As a Geospatial Engineer for the Army National Guard, Zachary DeRose creates maps that help U.S. and allied troops plan their military operations. The son of Edward and Cristine Churchill DeRose, Zachary DeRose was born in Worth, Illinois. He has an older half-brother and a younger sister. When DeRose was 3 years old, the family moved to Plainfield, where he grew up. DeRose’s paternal grandfather emigrated from Sicily. Most holidays were celebrated at DeRose’s paternal grandparents’ home in Oak Lawn because his maternal grandparents lived in downstate Illinois. “We always had big family feasts, 20 to 30 of us at …

Entering a dark period in his life, acclaimed restaurateur Bruno Abate battled his way back into the light by founding a groundbreaking program at Cook County Jail. After his mother taught him to deeply appreciate fresh, high-quality food, Italian native Bruno Abate became a successful Chicago-area restaurateur with a mission to help others. In 2010, Abate founded Recipe for Change, a nonprofit that provides culinary instruction, job skills training, fine arts enrichment and mentorship to detainees at Cook County Jail. Over the last 16 years, about 6,000 people have participated in the nonprofit’s programs. A resident of Winnetka in suburban …

A legend in the Chicago-area culinary community, Phil Stefani will be exporting his talents to Italy as one of two partners in a ground-breaking restaurant on Vatican property. “There’s only one Chicago restaurateur who has the connections you need in Italy. It’s Phil Stefani.” That’s what Art Smith, known as “Oprah’s Chef,” recalls being told, and the two restaurateurs formed a partnership to create a unique-in-the-world restaurant on Vatican land near Rome. The restaurant’s mission is to honor the late Pope Francis’ vision of environmental sustainability, and the project has Pope Leo’s full support. Stefani, whose ancestors hail from Lucca, …

Since the start of 2025, Casa Italia has undergone a dramatic transformation after switching landlords for the first time in its history. To lead the group through this rinascimento, Casa Italia’s board chose a man with a lifetime of experience in banking and finance. “They wanted my guidance and I was honored,” says Peter Volpe, whose term as Casa’s Chairman runs the rest of the year. Casa Italia has been a “home away from home” for the Chicago-area Italian-American community for more than a quarter of a century, according to Volpe. For most of that time, the Casa leased the …

When asked where her passion for singing opera comes from, Rose Guccione answers with one word: grief. She is referring to the untimely death of her father when she was 24, a tragedy that prompted her to question what she wanted to do with her life, she explains. “The answer was an immediate question,” Guccione recalls. “Could I make a living from music? I made a pact with myself to work hard on developing my voice in order to audition for Chicago’s classical music venues for the six years that followed. I lived as a musical monk. I would practice …

The Grand Chamber by O’Hare presented Gabe Caporale Sr. with the Walter G. Bassi and Randall J. Braglia Chamber Pillar Award at its annual installation dinner at Casa Italia in Stone Park on Nov. 15. “This award means a lot to me,” Caporale told Neighbors Magazine. “I put my heart and soul into everything I do.” Caporale is the founder and managing broker of Caporale Realty Group in Elmwood Park. He began his real estate career at the age of 21, opening the doors to his own firm in 1983. The secret to his longevity? “I take pride in simplifying …