Profiles

Barely out of high school, Vincent Speranza fought nonstop across Europe from the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 until the Nazis surrendered in May 1945. One of eight children, Vincent Speranza was born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in 1925 to Francesco and Francesca Paratori Speranza. Francesco immigrated from Palmi, Calabria, and Francesca from Sciacca, Sicily. When Speranza was 3 years old, they moved to Staten Island, where he grew up amid a large extended family. Every Sunday at noon, the family took turns hosting a traditional spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings. “A real Italian …

Passionate about auto racing since his go-kart days as a kid, Chip Ganassi has emerged as a dominant force on most of the sport’s major racetracks. After more than 30 years in car racing, Chip Ganassi boasts an impressive resume. The team he owns has won the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 64-year-old is owner and CEO of Chip Ganassi Racing, which operates teams in the IndyCar Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship and Extreme-E off-road racing. The enterprise has corporate offices …

Vic Guerrieri will ascend to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago at a black tie installation dinner on Jan. 28 at Medinah Country Club. For reservations, call Carmen Forte at 708-473-1591. Guerrieri signed on as a member in 2011. “I joined to support the Italian-American traditions that the club stands for,” he says. “I admire their focus on giving scholarships to help students achieve their educational goals.” Guerrieri rose through the ranks of the officers to the presidency, and has served as director as well as chairman of several fundraising events. “I feel very honored and humbled that …

Chicago crooner Tony Ocean started a daily internet talk show after the pandemic closed many of the area venues at which he performed. The program, “Ocean’s Pit,” was recently named Internet Show of the Year at the Josie Music Awards, a ceremony that celebrates the contributions of the independent music industry. “We’re thrilled with this honor,” Ocean says. “The show was our way of reaching out to people during a time when we couldn’t perform in person, and it continued to grow, even after things opened up.” “Ocean’s Pit” can be heard Monday through Friday on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram …

The Republic of France has promoted Chicagoan Dr. Carla Knorowski to the rank of officer in its National Order of Merit (L’Ordre National Du Mérite). The award was bestowed upon Knorowski by Yannick Tagand, French consul general of the Midwest in Chicago, in early October. Knorowski, who is of Italian descent on her mother’s side, distinguished herself in the wake of the catastrophic fire that swept through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019. She organized a global virtual fundraising event that rallied the support of cellist and one-time Paris resident Yo-Yo Ma, actress Glenn Close, filmmaker Ken Burns and …

A standout wrestler in high school and now college, Carter Starocci success has been driven by his dauntless work ethic. There are competitive people — and then there is Carter Starocci. The 21-year-old junior at Pennsylvania State University is the reigning two-time NCAA champion wrestler in the 174-pound weight class. In October, he took home a bronze medal in the freestyle 79-kilogram category at the U-23 World Championships in Spain. Staroccci has his sights set on many more victories, including NCAA titles, a world championship and an Olympic gold. Then, he plans to embark on a career competing in the …

Embracing the Great American Songbook while fellow high schoolers were dancing to ’70s rock, Denise Tomasello has emerged as Chicago’s quintessential chanteuse. Known as “Chicago’s Queen of Cabaret,” Denise Tomasello has been entertaining audiences in many of the area’s finest venues for decades. After a nearly three-year hiatus from show business, this acclaimed chanteuse is once again taking to the stage with her stirring interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Tomasello is a native of Melrose Park, where she attended Proviso East High School. Her mother worked at Amling’s Flowerland, and her father was a delivery driver for the old …

Fascinated by America during his youth in Italy, Leonardo Aiello served both nations admirably during a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy. One of four children, Leonardo Aiello was born in Bagheria, Sicily, to Angelo and Angela Buttitta Aiello. He grew up near grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of the family. Among his favorite meals were two Sicilian specialties his grandmother prepared. Cuccia, a “soupy dish” of ceci beans and whole wheat kernels, was served on the Feast of Santa Lucia. “I used to love that,” Aiello says. Sfincione, similar to focaccia, was enjoyed at Christmas. He …

The Mazzini-Verdi Club honored Steve Menconi as Man of the Year and Cathy Ciminello as Woman of the Year at the President’s Ball on Dec. 3 at its clubhouse in Franklin Park. The following profiles were provided by the organization. CATHERINE CIMINELLO Catherine Ciminello has long been involved with the Mazzini-Verdi Club alongside her husband, Paul, and has served as a member of the Mazzini-Verdi Ladies Club for the last seven years. Active with the club’s St. Joseph Table and Festa Fuori, she joined the Ladies’ Club board in 2020 as financial secretary. In the midst of the pandemic, she …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society honored Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., as Arcolian of the Year at its Christmas party on Dec. 13 at Cafe la Cave in Des Plaines. The following profile was provided by the organization. Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., a graduate of Washington University School of Dental Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri, is a private practice general dentist in Harvard, Illinois.  Dr. Hagenbruch is a former American Dental Association Eighth District Trustee.  He is a former president of the Illinois State Dental Society (I.S.D.S.). He is a former president of the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry (I.A.G.D.) and …