Profiles

An educator of Italian descent, Diana Hartmann is spearheading a drive to introduce Italian-American history into grade and high school curricula across the state. In this era of ever-expanding inclusion, Italian Americans have long been the odd community out. That may soon change in Illinois if Diana Hartmann has anything to do with it. An educational administrator of Italian descent, Hartmann has watched as books about Italian and Italian-American history and culture have disappeared from the shelves of school libraries. Last fall, she took action to reverse the trend. “I wanted to make sure that our contributions and experiences received …

A state champion runner in high school, Micaela DeGenero lost her way as an undergrad at the University of Michigan before rediscovering her groove as a graduate student at the University of Colorado. Of all the times to seize an NCAA title, this was the most improbable for Micaela DeGenero. DeGenero won the women’s indoor mile race in March after emerging from the back of the pack to obliterate her competition with a time of 4:33.92. The now-24-year-old ran with the University of Colorado, where she was a graduate student working toward a master’s degree in technology, cybersecurity and policy. …

Don’t let the sedate job title fool you. As a combat engineer on the front lines of the Korean War, Joseph Fabiani was constantly under fire. One of five children, Joseph Fabiani was born in 1929 in Donora, Pennsylvania, to Nazzarino and Laura Settimi Fabiani, and grew up with aunts and uncles living in the area. His parents emigrated from Ascoli Piceno, Italy. His mother, a homemaker, baked bread, made ravioli and even brewed root beer. “She was the best cook!” Fabiani said. His father, a steel mill worker, died of stomach cancer attributed to mustard gas poisoning suffered while …

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans celebrated a beloved media veteran and a revered elected official at this year’s Dante luncheon. Radio and TV news legend Bob Sirott received this year’s Dante Award at the event, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White willreceived the JCCIA’S Dominic DiFrisco Award. The following profiles were provided by the organization: BOB SIROTT Generations of Midwesterners have grown up with lifelong Chicagoan Bob Sirott, first as a top Chicago rock ’n’ roll DJ in the ’70s and later as a news anchor on CBS2, NBC5 and Chicago Tonight on PBS. Bob also worked …

While covering a variety of sports on the way to a pair of plum TV gigs, Erin Coscarelli has helped pave the way for women in a particularly male-dominated corner of the broadcasting world. Fans of the recently minted Las Vegas Raiders have been tuning in to Erin Coscarelli since the team officially made the leap from Oakland in 2020. A year later, Coscarelli signed on as a co-host of ABC’s popular “The Ultimate Surfer.” Having blazed a trail in sports broadcasting, she has deftly navigated a field dominated by men. But the path to success hasn’t always been smooth, …

A natural-born performer, Vanessa Racci abandoned a career in marketing to dedicate herself full time to rekindling the flame of classic Italian-American music. Imagine taking the swinging, glamorous Italian-American singers of the mid-20th century — Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima — and distilling their essence for the 21st-century stage. Vanessa Racci does exactly that in her performances, bringing the music of these icons to life for a new generation. As a child, Racci soaked up the Italian-American music enjoyed by her grandfather. By age 4, her parents encouraged her to sing when they had company over. By …

Having traveled the world during his six years in the Navy, Gerard Giudice’s only regret is that he didn’t make a career of it. The middle of three children, Gerard Giudice was born in Oak Park and grew up in Melrose Park. His father, Ennio, was born in Naples, Italy, and his mother, Rosa, was born of Italian descent in London, England. Giudice fondly recalls traditional Sunday dinners together. “You didn’t miss pasta day! Sunday at noon, 12:30 the latest, we had spaghetti and meatballs, we had mostaccioli, then we had a big bowl of meatballs, sausage, bracioles … it …

Casa Italia honored transportation construction dynamo Joseph Dote as Man of the Year at its 2022 gala.  The following profile was provided by the organization. Joseph Dote currently serves as senior vice president for R. M. Chin & Associates Inc. and general manager of facilities and construction for the O’Hare Airport Transit System as part of a joint venture that has operated and maintained the system since 1994. Since 1988, he has been responsible for the conceptualization, planning, design oversight and construction of more than $12 billion in capital improvement projects at O’Hare and Midway International airports. At each, he …

A journalist on an incredible journey, Nicola Orichuia parlayed his passion for reading and knowledge into the first bricks-and-mortar Italian bookstore in the United States. There are two things you need to know about Nicola Orichuia. Though he was born in Italy to Italian parents, his dad’s globetrotting career gave him an international perspective. Still, he is thoroughly Italian, transmitting the love of his native land to his new home in America. Also, he loves to read and share knowledge. OK, that’s four things, but from those characteristics flow many of his achievements, from a journalism career in Rome, to …

  Fueled by a lifelong passion for education, Ralph L. DeFalco III enjoyed a stellar 25-year career in Naval Intelligence that took him from the Midwest to the Middle East and our nation’s capital. The eldest of five children, Ralph L. DeFalco III was born in Connecticut to Mary Ann Mueller and Ralph L. DeFalco Jr. The family moved to Chicago when DeFalco was an infant, returned to the East Coast and eventually settled in Oak Lawn, Illinois. DeFalco’s paternal grandparents emigrated from the Abruzzi and Napoli regions in Italy, and his maternal grandparents were born in Germany. As first-generation …