Profiles

Fred Bilotto has only been mayor of Blue Island since April, but his involvement in public service began when he began volunteering at the Feast of St. Donatus at St. Donatus Church. Both he and his wife, Stephanie, were born in the city, and both graduated from nearby St. Xavier University. They and their three children are now involved in the feast, which has been celebrated for 116 years. Bilotto ran for mayor because he wanted to create a more open and transparent government while addressing infrastructure issues in the aging city. “The problems weren’t created in a day, and …

Born a century ago in Chicago Heights, Ted Micci is a living testament to the determination of the crews who flew bombing missions over Europe during World War II. Attilio (Ted) Micci was born 100 years ago in his parents’ home in Chicago Heights. Massimo and Frances Rotaloni Micci emigrated from Marche, Italy, and settled in the Hungry Hill Italian neighborhood of the city. Micci’s maternal grandparents lived across the street, and his aunts and uncles lived down the block. They all shared Sunday dinners together. Micci loved everything his mother prepared. “She was a good cook,” he says. Micci …

A standout javelin thrower in college, Maura Fiamoncini did remarkably well during the Olympic trials while battling an injury that would have sidelined many others in her sport. Javelin thrower Maura Fiamoncini finished seventh at the U.S. Olympic trials in late June after gritting her teeth and muscling through a shoulder injury. A recent graduate of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, Fiamoncini, 22, earned rave reviews for her performance from her coach, Kevin Donner. “Today may have been the most courageous effort of any athlete we have ever had,” Donner told local newspaper The Daily Item after the trials ended. Fiamoncini …

A standout high school teacher and director for decades, she now fosters theater at every level throughout the state. Carmel De Stefano loved theater as a child, studied it as an undergrad and beyond, and taught and directed it for decades at the high school level. All of that has prepared her well for her current theatrical turn, as a leader since 2016 in the Illinois Theatre Association. After immersing herself in theater throughout her youth and earning a bachelor of arts in theater and broadcasting out east, the Niagara Falls, New York, native decided to head west. Arriving in …

Retired Chicago police officer Frank DiMaria has been elected president of the Italian American Police Association. An IAPA member since 1997, he previously served as second vice president. Founded in 1964, the IAPA organizes and advocates on behalf of Italian Americans in law enforcement, and serves as a social, professional and charitable outlet for its membership. “When I started going to their meetings, I thought, ‘This feels right. I like the concept. I like how they conducted their business,’” DiMaria recalls. “I’ve always felt like I belong, like I’m a part of a family.” DiMaria’s plans include increasing membership and …

Dr. Jean Barbanente has been appointed interim superintendent of DuPage High School District 88, which encompasses Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools. She is the district’s first female superintendent as well as the first to speak multiple languages. Barbanente has been with District 88 for more than 25 years and worked with past superintendents Dr. Scott Helton and Dr. Steve Humphrey. She joined District 88 in 1995 as a member of the world language department at Addison Trail, where she taught Italian and Spanish. In 2002, she transitioned to her first leadership role in the district, taking on the position …

A former Eagle Scout, Army officer and CFO, Brian Caputo brought all those skill sets to bear in steering the College of DuPage through the pandemic. If you’re facing a real crisis — say, the need to keep a 21,000-student college going through a global pandemic — it’s not a bad idea to have a guy like Brian Caputo in charge. Caputo started honing his leadership skills as a teen in the Chicago suburbs, earning his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Award, then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served in the active and reserve military, …

  A newly minted Marine at the start of the Gulf Wars, Bob Larsen was picked to serve in the courtroom rather than on the battlefield.  Bob Larsen was born in Arlington, Virginia. One of four children born to Robert L. and Joan Campagna Larsen, he also has a brother and sister from his father’s second marriage. With roots in the Chicago area, the family returned here when Larsen was 4 years old, settling in the Edison Park neighborhood, then moving to Park Ridge when he was 13. Larsen’s mother prepared traditional Italian pasta dishes, but the family also enjoyed …

With a notable diplomatic pedigree and multinational roots, Thomas Botzios brings a global perspective to his role as the Midwest’s new Italian consul general. If anyone was born to be a diplomat, it’s Thomas Botzios. The Midwest’s new Italian consul general pursued the same career path as his father and uncle, Elias and Christos Botzios, both of whom served in the Greek diplomatic corps, and was raised to view the profession as a noble one. “My father always told me that being a consul is not only a matter of diplomacy, it’s a matter of service, to be of help …

The Lucchesi Nel Mondo honored Paul Ciminello and Lilia Leonardi Juarez as Man and Woman of the Year at their annual banquet on Aug. 28 at the Mazzini Verdi Club. The following profiles were provided by the organization. Paul Ciminello Paul Ciminello has been a member of the Lucchesi Nel Mondo Association for over 25 years.  Paul left his home of Campofelice di Roccella in Sicily and arrived in Chicago New Year’s Eve 1955. Over the decades, he built a career as a well-respected and renowned musician, singer, recording artist and all-around entertainer. Among his many accomplishments, Paul played for …