Profiles

A native of Italy, Italian language teacher Cristina Tinnirello believes in providing students with a full immersion experience in the Italian language and culture, with the ultimate goal of helping them become better global citizens. Having learned five languages throughout her education, she understands the challenges and rewards of language learning, which inspires her to help others on their journey, she says. Tinnirello teaches Italian to students in kindergarten through 8th grade at Union Ridge School District 86 in Harwood Heights, just outside of Chicago, where she’s been since 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a 5th grade …

Recently retired after nearly 40 stellar seasons as head coach of the DePaul women’s basketball team, Doug Bruno continue to pitch in as a special assistant to the program. After 39 seasons of exemplary leadership on and off the court, Doug Bruno has stepped down as the head coach of the DePaul women’s basketball team. Through his long career, Bruno established himself as one of the most prominent and influential figures in collegiate women’s basketball. He was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022 and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. He also …

As president of the Italian American One Voice Coalition, André DiMino is willing at a moment’s notice to don his cape and battle anti-Italian bias and stereotypes wherever they may arise. By day, André DiMino is a mild-mannered engineer who designs, develops and manufactures electronic medical devices and related equipment. But should the need arise, a quick dash into and out of the metaphorical phone booth and he emerges as the president of the Italian American One Voice Coalition, tireless opponent of demeaning stereotypes and relentless defender of our community’s good name. DiMino is president of ADM Tronics, a company …

Steve Augeri’s eight years at the helm of one of rock’s most successful groups was but a single stop in an ongoing musical sojourn that has spanned more than three decades. From 1977-1987, the rock band Journey emerged as one of the most popular and commercially successful musical acts in history. “Don’t Stop Believin,’” “Open Arms,” “Faithfully” and several other of the band’s megahits have become anthems in the live music world, cherished by the young and young-at-heart alike. But when Journey’s popular lead singer, Steve Perry, left the band in response to health challenges and internal conflicts, the group …

As a member of the National Guard working on a Counterdrug task force, Eric Pulia uses his computer skills to help law enforcement agencies track firearms purchased by non-felons on behalf of drug traffickers. Eric Pulia is the youngest of three sons born in Hinsdale, Illinois, to James and Karen (Murrin) Pulia. He grew up in Westchester with his uncle and family nearby and his paternal grandparents living down the block. Pulia’s great-grandparents emigrated from the Sicily and Naples regions of Italy. Pulia formed a close bond with his grandparents while staying with them after school. He remembers the newspaper …

Italian-born Marta Castella recently signed on as Italian programs outreach director at Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi in Chicago, a job she describes as “equal parts cultural bridge and growth architect.” Founded in 2016, Scuola Fermi is the only full-time Italian immersion school in the Chicago area, offering bilingual education from preschool through K-1. The school integrates the best elements of both Italian and American education, giving students a rigorous, inquiry-based and multilingual learning experience, Castella explains. “Our innovative Dual Track System allows us to seamlessly integrate students from English-monolingual environments alongside native Italian speakers, ensuring that all children progress confidently …

Over the last two decades, Thomas P. Valenti has put his arbitration and mediation skills to use across the globe, traveling to places like Greece and India, and now helping young people in Afghanistan via online mentoring. Valenti is a Chicago-based dispute resolution specialist who has held a law license since 1977. He first worked as a trial attorney, primarily in Cook County, then over the last two decades shifted his focus to mediation and arbitration in civil, commercial, interpersonal and workplace matters. Valenti’s resume is extensive. Among other positions, he has served as a neutral arbitrator for the American …

Attorney Maria Gabriella Antoniolli works closely with individuals who are going through some of the hardest challenges of their lives while passing through the family court system. “We see people at their worst and try to get them out at the other side of the tunnel,” says Antoniolli, who goes by “Gabby.” “You have to deal with a lot of contentious and high stress situations, sometimes its people fighting over their kids or assets.” Antoniolli says the job can be emotionally draining, but she has found that she has the right temperament for the challenge. “There’s a need and it’s …

One of the select few to qualify for and successfully complete Navy SEAL training, Anthony Lanzillotti embarked on an illustrious career that spanned 37 years and included five deployments, tours of duty in 10 countries and an assignment at the Pentagon. The older of two children, Anthony Lanzillotti was born in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago to Carmen and Ann (Corbin) Lanzillotti. The family moved from the North Side to Deerfield, where Lanzillotti grew up. His great-grandparents emigrated from the Calabria and Abruzzo regions of Italy. Lanzillotti’s father, proprietor of Carmen’s Restaurant in Edgewater, worked six days a week. Sunday …

While other kids were batting, pitching and fielding their way toward careers on Major League Baseball’s fields of dreams, Wayne Randazzo’s sights were set a little higher. Countless young boys grow up following Major League Baseball on TV or the radio and dream of one day being part of the game. Wayne Randazzo wished for a life in baseball, but not as a player — he wanted to get to call the action. “Pretty much ever since I knew I needed a job when I got older, this has been the job I wanted,” says Randazzo, 40, who is in …