Profiles

From arias to anthems, standards to stadium rock, Diva Montell takes almost any musical style and makes it her own. Blessed with a powerful soprano voice, Montell’s talents brought her to a crossroads early in her career when she had to weigh what was in her heart against the expectations of others. That journey began at birth. “Yes, I was born with the name Diva,” Montell says. “My mother, Concetta Ferreri, was an opera singer who performed with the Apollo Opera Company, The Midwest Opera and other venues,” she continues. “After she was married, she had four children but continued …

Chicago attorney Bruno Marasso stepped up to the presidency of the Justinian Society of Lawyers at the organization’s annual installation and awards dinner on Sept. 22 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. First Vice President Michael Pisano, Second Vice President Brian Monico, Third Vice President Catherine (Caifano) Locallo, Treasurer Michael Bertucci and Secretary Jill Cerone Marisie were also installed. Retired Cook County Circuit Court Judge Gloria Coco received the Justinian’s Award of Excellence at the event. The following profiles were provided by the organization. Judge Gloria Coco — Award of Excellence The first woman of full Italian heritage to …

If you just bought an Italian product from your local grocery market or bookstore, chances are Marco Verna and his staff at the Italian Trade Agency helped put it on the shelf. Have you ever wondered how so many delicious Italian cheeses, pastas, sauces and wines show up in your local supermarket? It’s a little bit of magic created by an agency of the Italian government with a local branch located right on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. Marco Verna arrived from Italy last September to head the Italian Trade Agency in the Windy City. Known in Italy as ICE (Istituto per …

A popular singer, comedian, impressionist and songwriter, Frank Pisani took his act to the next level while serving in the Army Reserves. One of four children, Frank Pisani was born in Chicago to Francesco and Lucia DeCarolis Pisani. His parents emigrated from the province of Potenza in Italy and settled in the Grand and Western neighborhood known as “The Patch.” Pisani’s father, a barber, gradually brought his brothers over from Italy. His mother, a seamstress, prepared delicious meals, including homemade bread and pasta. “Everything my mother made was really great,” Pisani says, “but I was always looking for American bread, …

A member of the Chicago Red Stars for her entire professional career, Vanessa DiBernardo has notched the team record for minutes played while setting her sights on a so-far elusive league championship. For Vanessa DiBernardo, the path to professional soccer involved honing her strong technical skills under the guidance of her father. The 30-year-old is a midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League. A native of Naperville, Illinois, she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which inducted her into its athletics hall of fame in 2020. Her father, Angelo DiBernardo, was a professional soccer …

Florian Barbi celebrated a half century in the banking industry with his induction this May into the Illinois Bankers Association 50 Year Club. Barbi currently serves as chairman of the board, president, and CEO of First Nations Bank and Bank of Bourbonnais. During his tenure, he has grown the banks’ assets from $19 million to approximately $600 million. The banks have branches in Edison Park, Gladstone Park, Wheaton and Bourbonnais that focus on personal, commercial, real estate, construction and SBA lending. To those services, Barbi has added four wholly owned subsidiaries: Nations Title Co., First Nations Tax Deferred Exchange, Nations …

Three decades and 8,000 performances later, Tony Ocean continues to chart his own musical course, attracting legions of fans in the process. As Tony Ocean belted out the final notes of “My Way” to a roar of applause on May 29 at the Des Plaines Theatre, he surveyed his band onstage and his wife and family in the audience and, amid a shower of roses, wiped a tear from his eye. And why not? Ocean had just finished his 8,000th performance. There has been plenty of glitz along the way: a run in Las Vegas, a performance in Aruba, and …

After serving in the Navy for 16 years, mainly in intelligence, John Cervone signed on with the Army, spending another 14 years, principally in communications. The oldest of three sons, John Cervone was born in Jamaica Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, to Giachino and Benita Russo Cervone. Cervone’s mother was born in Naples, as were his father’s parents. The family moved to the nearby Springfield Gardens neighborhood to be closer to relatives, whom they visited frequently. “I spent a lot of time with both sides,” Cervone says. Holiday meals began with lasagna and meatballs, were followed by ham …

Describing himself as an “old-school” coach, Jared Grasso has transformed the basketball program at Bryant University in four short years. Bryant University men’s basketball head coach Jared Grasso could see with his own eyes the change he ignited in his first season. “My first game, there were 15 people in the crowd — three were my family, and three were the assistant coach’s family. I remember standing there during the national anthem, half embarrassed,” the 42-year-old says of the 2018-19 season at the Rhode Island school. “By the end of the season, we had sellout crowds. Students were waiting five …

A star in Italy’s top basketball league, Sara Bocchetti heart is set on one day competing in the WNBA. For Italian basketball star Sara Bocchetti, it was love at first sight, when she was introduced to the sport as a baby, before she could even walk. “My brother was given a basket for his birthday. Since I saw that basket, I started to hear its call. I had to make a basket, even if I wasn’t walking yet!” Bocchetti says. The 5-foot-9-inch guard plays for Use Scotti Rosa Empoli in the Serie A1, the top basketball league in Italy. Two …