Profiles

John F. Misasi passed away on Oct. 13, 2015. The quotes in this article come from an interview conducted and archived by the Melrose Park Library’s Veterans History Project and are used with the library’s permission. (mpplibrary.org/vhp) As a mechanic and driver during World War II, John Misasi helped keep the American tank assault rolling across Europe toward the Nazi capital. One of three children, John Misasi was born in Melrose Park to Francesco and Maria Nardi Misasi. Both parents emigrated from Calabria, his father from Paterno and his mother from Dipignano. Misasi grew up in Melrose Park with his …

A recreational water skier since grade school, Tina Grossi recently took home gold in ski slalom in the 55- to 59-year-old division of the amateur national championship. As the top seed in her age division for water ski slalom at the amateur national championships last year, Tina Grossi was the last one on the water, making her acutely aware of how well her competitors had performed. “Top seed can be both a blessing and a curse. It was a relief when the ski ride was over,” says the 57-year-old Californian, who aced her performance in the women’s 55- to 59-year-old …

A bishop in Italy during the first great wave of migration to the Americas, Giovanni Battista Scalabrini founded two religious orders and a lay society to tend to their spiritual and temporal needs. The year is 1881, and the setting is the Milan train station. A 41-year-old Italian bishop watches as 300-400 migrants — young and old, men, women and children, from different northern provinces — wait to board a train to Genoa. They will all soon be headed to America on a steamship voyage fraught with sickness and danger. The middle-aged prelate is overcome with sadness as he looks …

The talent behind some of the nation’s most beloved sculptures, Lou Cella developed a penchant for “getting it right” while making ravioli with his family as a youth. Chicago sculptor extraordinaire Lou Cella speaks passionately about a recent documentary that captures the Beatles in the act of crafting “Get Back” and other hit songs. He is fascinated by the creative flame that springs to life as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr conjure some of rock’s most iconic music and lyrics. Cella’s awestruck reaction to the Fab Four’s genius is often shared by people who witness the …

Music is everywhere in our lives, from commercial jingles, movie soundtracks, radio playlists and television programming to the melodies that waft through dining areas, offices, lobbies and elevators. But who exactly is creating all of that beautiful sound? Beyond a relative handful of superstars, most of it comes from anonymous musicians known as sidemen: a misnomer that implies that they’re only minor contributors. In reality, sidemen are the heart and soul of the music industry, and you need look no further than Don Markese for proof of that. A second-generation Italian American from Franklin Park, Markese traces his Italian roots …

What do you do when you turn 100? You throw a party, of course! That’s exactly what Lea Luchini did on Feb. 18 when family and friends gathered in celebration at Papa Joe’s in Orland Park. A Facebook campaign by her eldest grandson yielded more than 200 birthday cards, which Luchini presented to Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau at a village board meeting on Feb. 20. Lea was born on Feb. 15, 1923, to Emil and Adele Tonelli in Gragnola, a mountain hamlet in Northern Tuscany. When she was 2, she moved to the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago with her …

A major force in youth soccer in Italy, Lorenzo Boselli is now making waves on the university level in America. Lorenzo Boselli will never forget being first in line to kick in the penalty shootout for Syracuse University at the NCAA men’s soccer Division I national championship game in December. Boselli, a midfielder, had played the first 90 minutes but sat out the extra time. It was a cold winter day, his body was cooling down and the opposing team, Indiana University, had converted its first penalty. “I was twice as nervous,” he says. “Fortunately, I scored.” Syracuse ended up …

  Part of the Occupation Force in Japan after the war, Richard Colucci pivoted from his training in chemical warfare and as a paratrooper to help rebuild the shattered nation by finding jobs for its citizens. Richard Colucci was born in Chicago in November 1927 to Dominic and Marie Bongeorno Colucci. He grew up in the Taylor Street Little Italy neighborhood, moving a couple of times. “I think there was a leash on people. They weren’t allowed to go out,” Colucci chuckles. His maternal grandparents emigrated from Calabria and his paternal grandparents from Naples. All of his extended family lived …

Casa Italia honored Edward S. Lezza Jr. as Man of the Year and Joseph A. Russo as Humanitarian of the Year at its 2023 gala. The following profiles were provided by the organization. Edward S. Lezza Jr. Edward S. Lezza Jr. is a resident of Westchester, where he lives with his wife, Elizabeth and rescue dogs (Princess and Hazel).  Eddie was raised in Bellwood where his family currently resides.  He attended St. Simeon School in Bellwood.  Following graduation from Nazareth Academy, he received an Associate Degree in Business from Triton College. Eddie began at the family bakery, Lezza Spumoni & …

Renowned throughout the world for her inspirational missionary work, St. Frances Cabrini had a special place in her heart for the Windy City. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is revered in Catholic circles for her holiness and fervent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and she is known throughout the world for establishing dozens of hospitals, schools and orphanages in 16 countries. Although her work spanned two continents, Mother Cabrini had a special connection to Chicago, tirelessly serving the immigrant Italian community there for decades and eventually passing away in a hospital she helped to create. A U.S. citizen since …