Profiles

Persuaded by a smooth-talking recruiter to join the Marines during the height of the Vietnam War, Giovanni Insolia survived an endless round of helicopter assaults and enemy ambushes as a member of the ill-fated Foxtrot Company. Giovanni Insolia grew up in Solarino, a small Sicilian town in the province of Siracusa. One of six children born to Paolo and Sebastiana Teodoro Insolia, he was surrounded by extended family throughout his childhood. Insolia’s father made very little money as the town barber, in most cases receiving goods like wheat in exchange for his services. When his family emigrated to Chicago under …

An American entrepreneur with deep Italian roots, Joe Mansueto is bringing the indomitable spirit of his ancestors to bear on his latest challenge: the transformation of Chicago’s Major League Soccer team. Local billionaire Joe Mansueto made headlines last September when he bought the Chicago Fire, and the dramatic changes he has made to the city’s Major League Soccer team have kept them both in the news ever since. This may seem like the latest chapter in a great American success story that began when Mr. Mansueto attended the University of Chicago and continued when he built a major investment firm …

Relatively short for an outsider hitter, Rachel Giustino excelled at collegiate volleyball through a combination of power, finesse and athleticism. In volleyball, being taller does give a player an advantage — something Rachel Giustino readily admits. Height is almost a prerequisite if a female high school player hopes to catch the eye of a major university. “Normally, big schools won’t recruit anyone under 6 foot,” says Giustino, who’s listed at 5-10. But that didn’t deter David Schwepker, head volleyball coach at Murray State University in Kentucky. From the get-go, Schwepker set his sights on Giustino, who helped lead Marian Central …

di Sara Siliquini Nelle classi di Italiano 3 e Italiano 4, un progetto che mi è piaciuto era quando abbiamo scelto una città italiana per ricercare le differenze nelle comunità negli Stati Uniti e l’Italia. Prima del progetto, avevo appena scoperto dal test del DNA di mia zia che la nostra famiglia è dell’Abruzzo. Ho sempre pensato che fossimo solo di Ascoli Piceno, quindi ho deciso di ricercare Pescara, la capitale dell’Abruzzo. Ho imparato che il primo festival di Jazz d’Italia è stato a Pescara. Tanti musicisti leggendari hanno suonato lì, come Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, e Keith Jarrett. In generale, penso che …

della classe d’italiano 3 e Prof. Sourbis Il ventidue novembre gli studenti che seguono i corsi delle lingue moderne hanno avuto l’opportunità di scoprire la cultura delle lingue imparata a West Leyden nel Modern Language Festival. Attività da scegliere erano: papel picado, cucinare Salsa latina, le crepes, giochi Africani-Francesi, un Escape-Room, pulseras, e una caccia al tesoro chiamata Amazing Race Italian Style. Oltre alle attività, si poteva anche comprare tamales, focaccia, o cornetti per assaggiare i sapori delle culture. Per “Amazing Race Italian Style” gli studenti sono stati divisi in squadre. Ogni squadra doveva scegliere un nome di un marchio italiano …

di Angelica Bielawski e Isabelle Huerta Il novembre e dicembre scorso, Venezia ha affrontato le grandi inondazioni che hanno distrutto dei tesori di Venezia. L’acqua alta era la peggiore inondazione dal 1966 ed è arrivata a 1.4 metri sopra il livello del mare. A causa dell’acqua alta, la nostra classe di AP Italiano di Prospect High School si è unita per offrire assistenza finanziaria a Venezia. In particolare, abbiamo collaborato con NIAF e Redoro, l’azienda italiana dell’olio d’oliva in cui facciamo lo stage internazionale, per fare una raccolta di beneficenza per Venezia. Abbiamo fatto una promozione:  vendere l’olio e mandare tutti …

della Professoressa Lauren Krause Enza Spilotro e gli studenti a Addison Trail High School Italian Quattro sono venuti a visitare gli studenti in 8° grado nella classe d’Italiano a Indian Trail Junior High School a Addison. Questo è il terzo anno che studenti di Addison Trail sono venuti a parlare della loro conoscenza e l’amore per la lingua e cultura Italiana. Hanno giocato a Gimkit un gioco sull’internet e hanno ricevuto delle cose per la partecipazione: le caramelle e le bandiere dell’Italia! Hanno parlato al programma a Addison Trail High School. Gli studenti hanno studiato le coniugazioni e il vocabolario …

Born in Italy and trained by the Army as a cameraman, Gino Bartucci toured the country photographing atomic bombs, filming bombers flying overhead and helping create documentaries. Gino Bartucci was born in Malvitani di Rende, a small village in Calabria. Of the nine children born to Vincenzo and Maria Carmella (Pisello) Bartucci, six survived infancy. The family farm provided almost everything they needed. “We didn’t have to buy anything but salt, sugar … that’s about it,” Bartucci says. He attended a one-room school with about a dozen students. In 1955, Bartucci’s father immigrated to Chicago, bringing one son and his …

A native of Toronto, Joseph Yanuziello is the master craftsman behind some of the world’s most sought-after guitars. In the boutique guitar marketplace, where instruments routinely command $5,000 or more, Joseph Yanuziello’s instruments have become so popular you might think his company’s motto is “sold out.” As fast as he can build his stunning instruments — which draw universal raves for their sound, look and feel — they’re gone. Working from a shop outside his native Toronto, Yanuziello builds stringed instruments that reflect a singular vision. While so many companies outsource parts from overseas, he builds his own. While many …

Mayor Ronald Serpico        Ron Serpico’s roots run deep into the soil of Melrose Park. His paternal grandparents moved to the near western suburb from Italy more than a century ago, his dad was born there, and his mom moved there with her family when she was an infant. Ralph “Babe” Serpico and Josephine Luzzi were married at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and raised four boys in the community. Ron and his wife, Donna, followed suit, raising three kids of their own. By the ’80s, Ron was surrounded by nearly four dozen extended family members. “It was great growing …