Profiles

As a Geospatial Engineer for the Army National Guard, Zachary DeRose creates maps that help U.S. and allied troops plan their military operations. The son of Edward and Cristine Churchill DeRose, Zachary DeRose was born in Worth, Illinois. He has an older half-brother and a younger sister. When DeRose was 3 years old, the family moved to Plainfield, where he grew up. DeRose’s paternal grandfather emigrated from Sicily. Most holidays were celebrated at DeRose’s paternal grandparents’ home in Oak Lawn because his maternal grandparents lived in downstate Illinois. “We always had big family feasts, 20 to 30 of us at …

Entering a dark period in his life, acclaimed restaurateur Bruno Abate battled his way back into the light by founding a groundbreaking program at Cook County Jail. After his mother taught him to deeply appreciate fresh, high-quality food, Italian native Bruno Abate became a successful Chicago-area restaurateur with a mission to help others. In 2010, Abate founded Recipe for Change, a nonprofit that provides culinary instruction, job skills training, fine arts enrichment and mentorship to detainees at Cook County Jail. Over the last 16 years, about 6,000 people have participated in the nonprofit’s programs. A resident of Winnetka in suburban …

A legend in the Chicago-area culinary community, Phil Stefani will be exporting his talents to Italy as one of two partners in a ground-breaking restaurant on Vatican property. “There’s only one Chicago restaurateur who has the connections you need in Italy. It’s Phil Stefani.” That’s what Art Smith, known as “Oprah’s Chef,” recalls being told, and the two restaurateurs formed a partnership to create a unique-in-the-world restaurant on Vatican land near Rome. The restaurant’s mission is to honor the late Pope Francis’ vision of environmental sustainability, and the project has Pope Leo’s full support. Stefani, whose ancestors hail from Lucca, …

Since the start of 2025, Casa Italia has undergone a dramatic transformation after switching landlords for the first time in its history. To lead the group through this rinascimento, Casa Italia’s board chose a man with a lifetime of experience in banking and finance. “They wanted my guidance and I was honored,” says Peter Volpe, whose term as Casa’s Chairman runs the rest of the year. Casa Italia has been a “home away from home” for the Chicago-area Italian-American community for more than a quarter of a century, according to Volpe. For most of that time, the Casa leased the …

When asked where her passion for singing opera comes from, Rose Guccione answers with one word: grief. She is referring to the untimely death of her father when she was 24, a tragedy that prompted her to question what she wanted to do with her life, she explains. “The answer was an immediate question,” Guccione recalls. “Could I make a living from music? I made a pact with myself to work hard on developing my voice in order to audition for Chicago’s classical music venues for the six years that followed. I lived as a musical monk. I would practice …

The Grand Chamber by O’Hare presented Gabe Caporale Sr. with the Walter G. Bassi and Randall J. Braglia Chamber Pillar Award at its annual installation dinner at Casa Italia in Stone Park on Nov. 15. “This award means a lot to me,” Caporale told Neighbors Magazine. “I put my heart and soul into everything I do.” Caporale is the founder and managing broker of Caporale Realty Group in Elmwood Park. He began his real estate career at the age of 21, opening the doors to his own firm in 1983. The secret to his longevity? “I take pride in simplifying …

As part of a mortar platoon supporting a recon unit in Vietnam, Enrico Ugolini set up and broke down 15 times or more on the way to the battlefield hotspot. Enrico Ugolini and his twin sister, Pierina, were born in 1946 to Angelo and Annunziatina Renucci Ugolini. The family home, situated on 14 acres of land in Sant’Anna Pelago, was divided into three units and shared by three families. Ugolini’s mother’s family lived in Barga. Ugolini lived with his immediate family, paternal grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins all under the same roof and benefited from many good cooks. He especially …

The Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame in Forest Park recently honored two of the sports most dedicated local legends: Frank and Tom Lentine. Among the artifacts on display at the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame in Forest Park is a photo of a local team called the Dr. Carlucci BobCats, taken just after they won the 1969 National Championship. To the right of the big trophy, the viewer can see BobCats star player Frank Lentine holding his then 3-year-old son, Tom. The photo captures one of countless great moments Frank and Tom have shared through the …

A retired university professor, Silvio Laccetti created a foundation to support educational and cultural initiatives, and to inspire others to do the same. The nonprofit Silvio Laccetti Foundation recognizes individuals and schools in a variety of academic areas and gives out unique donations like public statues. One of its awards, named after Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi, honors high school seniors who have excelled in promoting the Italian-American legacy. There are also awards in classical studies, STEM, sportsmanship and leadership. The man behind the enterprise, Silvio Laccetti, taught history and social sciences at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, …

Stories can change the world. That’s the message that Sara Serritella, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist turned professor who co-built the science communication program at the University of Chicago, shares in her 2024 TEDx Talk. So, what is science communication? “It’s the art and science of distilling complex medical and research information to resonate with a non-expert audience, so that the general public can use the information to access care and live their best, healthiest, happiest lives,” Serritella explains. “Breakthroughs cannot help people if they don’t know they exist or how to apply health discoveries to their worlds.” A native of …