Profiles

Tom Holleman may not be of Italian descent, but he’s as strong a proponent of Italian culture and traditions as anyone, starting with the venerable game of bocce. Holleman is the president of the Highwood Bocce Club in Highwood, Illinois, which the Wall Street Journal once called “America’s bocce capital.” Holleman grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and got a master’s degree in information systems from DePaul University. He works as senior technology manager for Bank of America. He and his wife of 32 years, Michelle, met during a blind date in college that …

Italian language teacher Lauren Krause loves to bring food and cultural items into the classroom to make the learning experience more vivid for her students. “Most recently, students tried 100% extra virgin authentic olive oil, which many had never tried in their lives,” says Krause, a 7th and 8th grade Italian teacher at Indian Trail Junior High School in Addison, Illinois. “It was so fun seeing their reactions.” Krause has taught for 13 years at Indian Trail, where she currently teaches six sections of Italian to around 100 students each day. Her Italian level 1 course takes place over two …

  Playing the accordion for hospital patients. Working as a crossing guard. Dog sitting for 30 clients. At age 71, Linda Iovino likes to keep busy, never forgetting a quote she read at the bookstore when she was in high school: “It takes 12 muscles to smile and 72 muscles to frown.” While the numbers may or may not be accurate, the underlying message exemplifies how Iovino continues to live her life. “With what is going on in our world today, people are having a hard time getting through the day,” she says. “We all need to do things that …

Serving in the Air National Guard while working for Southwest Airlines, Salvatore Palazzolo went from ongoing training and playing video war games to the realities of combat in the wake of 9/11. The eldest of four children, Salvatore Palazzolo was born in Chicago to Paolo and Giuseppa (Leone) Palazzolo. Salvatore’s parents emigrated from Cinisi, a small town in Sicily, to Elmwood Park in 1976. They later moved to River Grove, where Palazzolo grew up. Most of his father’s family lived in the surrounding area. “We were all close,” says Palazzolo. The family ate Sunday dinner together at home or at …

Crediting pool with saving him during a dark period in his life, Eric Naretto has risen through the ranks of the sport through a combination of fascination and dedication. 2023 was the best year as an amateur competitive pool player for Eric Naretto, who credits the sport with helping him develop into the person he is today. Naretto, 35, of Pontiac, Illinois, placed third in Skill Level 7, the highest level in 8-Ball Classic at the 2023 American Poolplayers Association national championship, and he was the runner-up in 9-Ball at the 2023 Midwest Billiards and Cue Expo championship. The accomplishments …

A devout Catholic with a long history of involvement in faith-based organizations, Gabriele Delmonaco has helped Boys’ and Girls’ Towns of Italy rebrand and export their initiative around the world. Gabriele Delmonaco says he fell in love with the nonprofit A Chance In Life from the moment he learned about it. The 52-year-old has served for nine years as president and CEO of the New York City-based nonprofit, which began in 1945 as an effort to help street children in Rome, Italy. Delmonaco tells Fra Noi about the journey that led him there and the work of A Chance In …

Italian-American leaders and Hollywood luminaries converged on downtown Los Angeles recently for a groundbreaking award ceremony. The event took place on Jan. 18 at AGBO, the studio run by industry powerhouses Joseph and Anthony Russo. The dynamic duo presented fellow Hollywood heavyweight Louis D’Esposito with their inaugural Renaissance Award. The annual ceremony was launched to honor Italian Americans who have had a positive impact on the entertainment industry and to raise funds for the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum. The purpose of the forum is “to champion emerging filmmakers who are trying to explore the Italian-American experience and share …

Westlake Urgent Care is a labor of love and source of pride for Shellye Pechulis, a nurse with more than four decades of experience who was integral to its creation in 2021. Pechulis, 71, currently works as nurse administrator at the non-profit urgent care facility in Melrose Park, which was created by her and a team of doctors, nurses and medical professionals who banded together to meet the needs of the community. “When we opened up everybody laughed at us and said we’d never make it,” she recalls. “Well, here we are.” Pechulis, whose father was born in Foggia, Italy, …

Now in his 7th year as a high school Italian-language teacher, Cody Mueller can’t imagine a career better suited for him. At one point, however, he came close to giving up on his dream. “It was a bumpy road there for a while,” the 30-year-old says. “Right out of college, I felt very enthusiastic about everything. I was working part-time but I had a hard time nailing down a full-time position, and I got a little bit exhausted. I started to lose faith in being able to find that stability and I even left teaching for two years.” A lifelong …

Being Italian has always been central to Frank Schiro’s identity, and for decades he has devoted himself to highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of the community in the United States. An experienced litigator and trial attorney in Milwaukee, Schiro recently was elected president of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin. He is the founder of the former Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Lodge, which in 2009 merged with the Chicago Lodge to become the current Grand Lodge. Joining Schiro as Grand Lodge officers are Immediate Past President Marie Marsalli, Orator James LasCola, …