Profiles

By bringing stories of Calabrian-American bravery to light, he is adding chapters to our history that would otherwise have been lost. The saying “history is written by the winners” typically applies to military forces that dominate and subjugate, but one person has turned that notion on its head in the most positive sense. In his painstaking research into long gone Calabrian-American veterans, Peter Belmonte has achieved a victory for scores of humble heroes whose stories would otherwise have been lost in the trenches of World War I. Why do this? It helps that Belmonte is a retired U.S. Air Force …

As NCO on an artillery base camp in the central highlands of Vietnam, he was responsible for keeping his squad on task and safe in the face of frequent enemy attacks. Costante James “CJ” Martello was born in Chicago’s Roseland Community Hospital. He was one of 12 children born to Angelina and August Martello, four of whom passed away before Martello’s birth. His parents were from the Veneto region of Italy and immigrated to Chicago to be near relatives and paesani. Martello grew up in the tightly knit Italian community of Roseland, where his father made salami in the basement …

A fly fisher for more than eight decades, she literally helped define the sport while opening the door for other women to enter it. Ninety-one-year-old Joan Salvato Wulff, the “First Lady of Fly Fishing,” says that even after all these decades, she never fails to feel a jolt of life every time she casts into the water. “Fly fishing puts you in touch with the natural world,” she says. “Everything we do is in tune with that.” Salvato Wulff is a proud inductee of both the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame and the American Casting Association Hall of …

As the second female president of the recently renamed Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, she taps into a long history of volunteer leadership. Honoring tradition while staying open to unprecedented change is one very tough balancing act. It takes a strong, sure-handed leader to make it work. Enter Vera Girolami, who became national president of the recently renamed Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America in August after serving for more than a decade in other executive roles. By the way, she’s only the second female president in the 112-year history of the organization, which added …

A surgeon serving in Vietnam, he still vividly recalls a four-day stretch during which he and his team toiled to save the lives of a couple dozen severely wounded Marines. Paul Rubino was born in Bitritto, a small town near Bari, Italy. When he was 12 years old, he and his mother, Domenica, immigrated to Chicago where his father, Vincenzo, had been working as a candy maker. The family settled into a third-floor apartment on Grand Avenue and May Street, above Taccogna Foods, now known as Bari Finer Foods. The close-knit neighborhood was largely Italian, many from Bari. Everyone looked …

Choosing between the Peace Corps and the Marines during the Vietnam War, she made a decision that had a profound positive impact on the rest of her life. The oldest of four children, Diana Frances Fecarotta was born in Chicago and grew up in the heavily Italian neighborhood known as “The Patch” near Grand and Ogden avenues. Her parents, Joseph Gerris and Francesca Mary (Lombardino) Fecarotta, were born in Chicago and both sets of grandparents emigrated from Sicily. The family lived in a six-flat owned by Fecarotta’s maternal grandparents. Her mother had three sisters who lived either in the building …

Trained to fight in the deserts of North Africa during World War II, he earned the coveted Air Medal while organizing and overseeing a mission to bring desperately needed supplies to embattled troops in the jungles of the South Pacific. Editor’s Note: The following profile was assembled from the diaries of Vincent Allegrini, interviews with his son Robert, and the official history of the 33rd Infantry Division. Allegrini’s uniform and decorations can be found at the Italian American War Veterans Museum at Casa Italia. In late December of 1944, units of the Army’s fabled 33rd Golden Cross Division, comprised primarily …

Tireless community leader Jo Ann Serpico joined the ranks of the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia at a special ceremony at the Italian Consulate in Chicago on Dec. 11. The honor was bestowed by Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro on behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. “My parents [Joseph R. and Ella (Cataldo) Salerno] were born in America yet instilled a love of our Italian heritage in their daughters,” Jo Ann explains. “I am honored that Senatore Renato Turano and Commendatore Dominic Di Frisco support my position in the community, and I’m extremely honored that the president of Italy deems me …

Accountant Lisa Perkins has stepped up to the presidency of the Calabresi in America Organization. A member for 18 years, she joined to re-establish ties to her Italian roots. “My Calabrese grandparents passed away several years ago, and the Italian experience was no longer a part of my life,” she explains. “Joining a group whose members share the same heritage filled that void in my life.” Perkins likens CIAO to an extended family of unique individuals with shared interests. “I like how so many varied personalities come together to accomplish great things,” she says. “Just like a family, we are …

Financial planner Jack P. Cannata has ascended to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago. Cannata joined the club in 1995. “I found out about the organization through longtime members Peter Fazio and Anthony Morizzo, and I was impressed with the caliber of the membership and the depth of the charitable work that they do,” he recalls. “The lasting friendships we’ve all made and the belief that we can truly make a difference in the community are the best attributes of the club.” Cannata has worked his way up through the ranks of the officers to the presidency, and …