Profiles

A team-sport player from grade school through college, he felt drawn to the military because of the similar opportunity it provided to be a part of something bigger than oneself. The middle of five children, Mark Evangelista was born in Wheaton, Illinois, to Mark and Suzanne Logan Evangelista. His great-grandparents emigrated from the Abruzzo region. Evangelista grew up close to his large extended family. “We were always by family,” he says. “Sundays were either at our house, Grandma’s or my aunt’s house.” His aunt and grandmother wrote down their recipes and their descendants had the good sense to preserve them. …

Led by the father-and-sons team of Vincent John, Vinny Sr. and Nick Adinolfi (left to right), the Bronx Wanderers worked its way up from family barbecues on the East Coast to the hallowed clubs of Vegas. Just about two decades ago, a dad and his two sons embarked upon a journey that began in the Bronx and ultimately landed them among the brightest stars on the Las Vegas Strip. Vinny Adinolfi was a successful producer with Columbia Records, working regularly with legends like Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel as well as a host of up-and-comers. He …

As the point person for Lega Serie A USA, it’s Andy Mitchell’s job to raise the profile of Italian soccer in one of the world’s most coveted markets. Since 1898, when Italians have wanted to enjoy calcio at its finest, they’ve turned to Lega Serie A, one of the top domestic soccer leagues in the world. In the spring of 2022, the Italian league opened an office in New York City and tasked Andy Mitchell with convincing more Americans to join in the fun. Calcio is the most popular sport in Italy and its national team is second only to …

Boasting a successful corporate career in accounting and finance, S. Joseph Bruno continues to devote himself to a variety of charitable causes. After emigrating from Italy at age 8, S. Joseph Bruno has had a highly successful career as a certified public accountant, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a partner in two “Big 4” accounting firms and the CFO of a public company. He is the President and CEO Emeritus of Building Hope, a nonprofit that supports charter schools. In December, he joined the board of directors of the Italian American Museum of Washington, and in January, he was appointed …

From a young age, Ida Fiore knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I loved school and everything about it, from learning new things to building relationships with my teachers and classmates,” she says. “Teaching felt like a natural path for me, combining my passion for education and my desire to make a difference in the lives of others.” Now 32 years into her teaching career, Fiore has made an indelible mark by co-founding SaLT (Service and Learning Together), a volunteer-run nonprofit whose mission is to empower students by giving them the opportunity to travel, learn and serve. “We started …

Steve Schmidt’s first visit to Italy was in 2002 as part of a delegation of Elk Grove Village leaders to Termini Imerese, a town on the north coast of Sicily east of the city of Palermo. Schmidt, who was then the village’s police chief, said he wasn’t crazy about having to go. “I’d never been out of the U.S. before,” says Schmidt, an “honorary Italian” of German descent. “But once I got there I fell in love with Italy and Sicily and they had to drag me back to the plane.” So it isn’t much of a surprise that after …

When Enza Spilotro’s family moved from Chicago’s South Side to suburban Addison, she chose to attend the local public high school rather than a private institution because she wanted to take Italian language classes. Nowadays, Spilotro walks the halls of her alma mater, Addison Trail High School, as an Italian teacher, a role she’s held for the last 18 years. “From as far as I can remember, I wanted to teach,” she recalls. “I always had a natural desire to help others, and become involved in the educational system. I love giving back and teaching allows me to do that …

As Chief of Medical Logistics for the Army’s 92nd Evacuation Hospital, Greg Padovani was prepared at a moment’s notice to deploy on behalf of troops on the battlefield and allied nations in crisis. The eldest of four boys, Greg Padovani was born in Chicago to Gregory and Rose (Bianco) Padovani. The family moved from their attic apartment on Leavitt Street to a house in Mount Prospect shortly after Padovani’s birth. His father’s family emigrated from Padua, Italy and his mother’s family came from Naples and Palermo. Every Sunday, family gathered at his paternal grandparents’ home for dinner. “Grandma loved to …

Founding members of the standout ’60s pop band The Buckinghams, Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna were instrumental in the band’s resurrection in 1980 after a decade-long hiatus. 1967 was quite the year in pop music history. Elvis and Priscilla got married. Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Doors all released their debut albums. The Aretha Franklin anthem “Respect” hit the airwaves. And The Buckinghams charted five Top 40 hits that to this day remain fan favorites. Undone by the British Invasion, the band broke up in 1970. But they re-formed in the early ’80s, thanks to two original members — …

Over the six years Stuart Caravello has spent with Columbian Club Charitable Foundation, the organization doubled the amount of money given to each academic scholarship recipient. Being part of the foundation’s scholarship program is the thing Caravello will miss most now that his time as foundation trustee and chairman has come to an end. “It’s bittersweet,” he says. “I need a break, but I actually love it. It’s so rewarding.” Caravello loves the feeling of giving and seeing the expressions on the student’s faces when they receive their academic grants. He first witnessed that joy at the 2009 installation dinner, …