Profiles

Born in Austria to Neapolitan parents, Patrizio Buanne believes that Naples is more than just his ancestral home, it’s part of his cultural identity. “Think Tom Jones, Italian-style.” That’s how The Boston Globe described the voice and music of multilingual Neapolitan pop crooner Patrizio Buanne, who has sold more than 10 million records around the world. In an interview with Fra Noi, Buanne described his repertoire as “original and good, old sexy ballads and fun up-tempo tunes” rooted in the pop tradition of his European upbringing and identity. Buanne has released eight albums since his 2005 debut with “The Italian,” …

A specialist in the hardest stroke in swimming, Ann Carozza was a champion in and out of the pool during her college career. After shining as an NCAA Division II star swimmer, Ann Carozza this month will attend the NCAA Convention as one of the Top 30 semifinalists for the Woman of the Year Award. The 23-year-old graduated in May from West Chester University with a major in special education and a minor in autism education, and now works as a learning support teacher at Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She also is a volunteer assistant swim …

On the first day of class, high school teacher Roberta Guttilla asks her new students why they want to learn Italian, and loves to hear their answers. “They tell me all these different stories,” Guttilla says. “They fell in love with the culture, they visited Italy once, they want to major in Italian in college. Or they say, ‘My great grandparents were Italian and never passed on the language to us.’” Guttilla is an Italian instructor at York Community High School in Elmhurst, where this year she’s teaching five classes of different levels. She is also certified to teach Spanish …

At one point in his career, Anthony Guaccio left a healthcare organization where he’d worked for several years after it was bought by a for-profit entity. The reason? “I am a big believer of nonprofit education,” he explains. “I don’t think shareholders should be profiting from anybody getting ill.” Guaccio stuck to that mission for the last 28 years while working at Swedish Hospital in Chicago, from which he will retire as president and CEO in December. Altogether, he’s had a 40-year career in healthcare administration. Guaccio has led Swedish Hospital since 1996, first as vice president of human resources, …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society honored Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., as Arcolian of the Year at its Christmas party on Dec. 12 at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. The following profile was provided by the organization. Joseph F. Hagenbruch, D.M.D., a graduate of Washington University School of Dental Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri, is a private practice general dentist in Harvard, Illinois.  Dr. Hagenbruch is a former American Dental Association Eighth District Trustee.  He is a former president of the Illinois State Dental Society (I.S.D.S.). He is a former president of the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry (I.A.G.D.) and of …

A summer intern at Fermilab in Batavia in the early years of her career, Anna Grassellino now heads one of the country’s major quantum research initiatives based at the lab. Nearly two decades ago, Anna Grassellino spent the summer as an intern at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, which sparked her interest in research. After rising to the top of her field, the Italian-born scientist now serves as director of the National Quantum Information Science Center at Fermilab, the same place where it all started. Her groundbreaking research has earned her a multitude of awards, most recently the 2023 New Horizons …

A champion equestrian who has been riding pretty much her entire life, Giavanna Rinaldi has achieved success by getting to know her horses on the ground as well as in the saddle. From her first pony ride as a toddler, equestrian show jumper Giavanna Rinaldi always knew there was nowhere else she’d rather be than on a horse. Born and raised in Wayne, Illinois, Rinaldi’s passion ignited when she became enchanted by pony rides at a nearby stable. “I thought I was on top of the world sitting on the ponies, walking around in circles,” the 24-year-old recalls. “I couldn’t …

Mired for months in the battle to take the Italian town due south of Rome, Edward Malatesta fought his way through Italy and France before mortar fire took him out of the war. Edward Malatesta was born on Nov. 8, 1924, the youngest of five children and the only son of Alessandro and Gulia (Ragnetti) Malatesta. His parents immigrated to the United States from Senigallia, Italy, as a young married couple, first to Philadelphia and then to the Taylor Street Little Italy in Chicago. The family settled on the Northwest Side after Malatesta was born. He has fond memories of …

No longer merely the son of Andrea Bocelli, Matteo has emerged as a performer and star in his own right. September was a huge month for Matteo Bocelli. After three years of intensive work, the Italian pop classical crossover singer released his first solo album and then embarked on his first solo world tour, all in short order. “It is an incredible feeling to finally be able to share my first album with everyone,” Bocelli tells Fra Noi. “To be able to release it after so long is a satisfying feeling. I am excited and nervous to see what people …

If you visit Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, you have a 50/50 chance of running into veteran Tony Ward doing his “rounding,” as he calls it, three to four times a week. For years, the 72-year-old has been a patient at the hospital, where over time he’s become a fixture, walking the halls and chatting with patients and their families to see what they might need. He started by joining a cancer support group, then underwent suicide prevention training. He now serves on the hospital’s mental health commission and chairs its patient and family advocacy council. Sometimes, …