Profiles

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 …

Stationed in Italy during the Vietnam War, Steven Decker had a remarkable vantage point on the 1968 crisis in Czechoslovakia as an air traffic controller at the U.S. Air Base in Aviano. The middle of three children, Steven Decker was born in Chicago to Roy and Kathryn Tomasello Decker, who were living near North Avenue and Larrabee. When Decker was 3 years old, they moved to Logan Square, where he grew up living close to his Sicilian-born grandparents and his mother’s five siblings and their families. On Sunday mornings, Decker awoke to the smell of sauce cooking in the kitchen. …

Local realtor Christopher DeSanto has stepped up to the presidency of the Calabresi in America Organization, continuing a legacy of leadership begun by his mother, Mary. DeSanto’s grandparents came to America from Castrolibero and Rende, Calabria. Both of his parents were members of CIAO from the club’s inception, and his mom was a perennial volunteer and longtime board member. “For the last decade or so, my mother and I served on the board together,” DeSanto says. “When I became vice president, she was so happy, and she knew the day would come when I would become president. The best feeling …

Lou Scaramuzzo has embarked upon his second term as president of the Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization, accepting the gavel from Bob Urbinati. A member of CIACO since 2003 and a board member since 2005, Scaramuzzo has served as secretary, second vice president and first vice president, in addition to his seven-year stint as president from 2007-14. “My good friend Tom Reboletti invited me to join the organization,” he explains. “I saw the good they were doing and the opportunity they offered to give back to the community and celebrate my Italian heritage. It was a perfect fit.” What Lou …

Frank T. Concialdi has been elected president of Il Comitato Beato Giovanni Liccio, a Chicago society named in honor of the patron of Caccamo, Sicily. The society has a chapel and clubhouse on Addison Avenue and celebrates its feast day in late July. Following in the footsteps of his uncle and cousins, Concialdi became a member of the society in 2005. His involvement has allowed him to connect with his parents’ hometown in Italy and the traditions they brought to America, as well as spend time with paesani of all generations. During his two-year term, Concialdi hopes to expand the …