Profiles

As a leading member of the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County in Northwest Indiana, Gina Geiss represents its values both personally and professionally. Through the club, Geiss actively works to preserve the Italian-American heritage and culture, and serves her community by volunteering at nonprofit organizations. As an in-home beauty groomer, she further serves others by helping to improve the lives of disabled and homebound adults. Geiss joined the club in 2014 and quickly moved through the ranks to become an officer in 2016. Four years later, she was elected president, a position she continues to hold. Geiss, who …

Among the many champions of the Italian community in Chicago is the Rev. Stan Czarnecki, a Polish-born Jesuit priest who fell in love with Italy after living in Palermo and Rome as a young adult. Czarnecki, who speaks Italian fluently, celebrates Mass in Italian on a regular basis at St. William Church and St. Francis Borgia Church in Chicago, and occasionally at Casa Italia in suburban Stone Park. “Whenever there is a request, I go,” he says. He also does bilingual masses, alternating readings in English and Italian, and giving parts of homilies in both languages. Czarnecki has been working …

Chicago native Patrick Bertoletti made national headlines on July 4 when he won the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest by downing a whopping 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The 39-year-old achieved what is considered the “holy grail” of competitive eating among about 70 events held annually by Major League Eating. Bertoletti’s records over the years include inhaling 10.63 lbs. of corned beef and cabbage in 10 minutes, 44 cherry kolaches in 8 minutes,7.5 lbs. of fried catfish in 10 minutes, 9 lbs. of boneless buffalo wings in 10 minutes, 47 glazed and cream-filled donuts in 5 minutes, …

A longtime aide to and confidante of the late, beloved Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Monsignor Kenneth Velo has leveraged his local and national connections in the Catholic Church to do a world of good for a host of worthy causes. About a year after being ordained a Catholic priest, then-Fr. Kenneth Velo was enthusiastically helping manage the large parish of St. Angela in Chicago, where he was associate pastor. Fellow churchmen saw something in the new priest and made a seemingly small move that changed the course of Velo’s life. Ordained for only two years, he was elected by his confreres …

Airborne-qualified as a paratrooper, Joseph Insolia served stateside during the Vietnam War as a supply clerk and company armorer while doing haircuts on the side. One of six children, Joseph Insolia was born in Solarino, Sicily, to Paul and Nina (Teodoro) Insolia. He grew up in the small town with his maternal grandparents living in the same house and aunts, uncles and cousins close by. Insolia’s father was the local barber. Once a week, he brought a meat bone home and his mother made a batch of sauce on the wood-burning stove. “My favorite food in those days was pasta …

Growing up watching old kung-fu martial arts movies, Thomas Glielmi started teaching himself how to do flips from trees, fences and garages. “I liked the adrenaline rush,” the 59-year-old recalls. That drive led Glielmi to join a men’s gymnastics team in high school, which set him on a course to forge an uber-successful career as a gymnastics coach over the last two decades. As head coach for Stanford University men’s gymnastics since 2002, Glielmi guided his athletes to clinch seven NCAA championships, including the last five. As head coach for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team, Glielmi helped lead Team USA …

Though he missed going to the 2024 Olympics by a fraction of a second, the progress Vincent Ciattei has made point toward a promising future in middle-distance running. After years of grueling training and long-harbored dreams, falling just short of making the U.S. Olympic team can deal a devastating blow to any athlete. While it certainly was a blow for Vincent Ciattei, it also spelled a qualitative leap in performance that has opened the door to exciting new opportunities for his track-and-field career. The 29-year-old suburban Baltimore native finished fourth in the 1,500-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Trials in …

Beginning his professional life as a product designer for Sears, Joseph Burlini took a leap of faith into the world of sculpting and has never looked back. A practicing artist for 50-plus years, Joseph Burlini has made a name for himself by creating inventive kinetic sculptures and soaring public works. A native of Morton Grove, Burlini has a degree in industrial design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and spent six years designing for Sears, Roebuck and Co. before pivoting to making art in a variety of metals and other materials. Burlini’s works have been commissioned by …

Running for village clerk of Addison never crossed Lucille Zucchero’s mind, but the nine-term veteran of the position says that she has loved her job from day one. As liaison between the village’s staff and board of trustees, Zucchero has helped countless people navigate their way through a variety of issues.  After 35 years on the job, people recognize her when she’s out and about. “I’m frequently stopped by residents with questions, concerns and opinions that I bring to the staff and board,” she says. “My relationship and trust with residents is very important to me.” Zucchero grew up in …

From World War II veteran and accomplished dentist to community leader and generous philanthropist, Dr. Sam Cascio has seemingly done it all. And yet, as he approaches 100, he remains a lively and active member of his community. Cascio was born on Aug. 27, 1924, to Joseph and Josephine Cascio. His father was born in Baltimore, Maryland, while his mother was born in Cefalù, Sicily, and immigrated with her family to the United States. His parents came from modest means and worked hard to make a living, says Cascio, who grew up on the Northwest Side of Chicago and attended …