Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Fra Noi is only months away from monumental changes in the way we look, the stories we tell and the technology we deploy to share those stories with the world. As we enter the home stretch of this miraculous transformation, I thought it fitting to shine a spotlight on the person who started us down that road.
It’s time for you to meet Fra Noi Chairman and Publisher Nicholas Giuliano.
Nick is the picture of a successful American businessman, serving as chairman of a thriving bank with six offices across the Chicago area. But make no mistake: Within him beats a thoroughly Italian heart.
“The mountain town in Sicily where both sides of my family came from was agricultural, with none of the modern conveniences. They bartered for goods and services and got around mostly on foot or by donkey,” he explains. “To see how they made their way in the old world and the hard work, perseverance and courage it took to carve out a new life in America, and where my family is today because of that, is an inspiration to me, and it guides everything I do.”
A lifelong student of Italian history and culture, Nick speaks the language fluently and has visited the land of his ancestors frequently since he was a young child.
In the early 2010s, when then-Publisher Anthony Fornelli invited Nick to serve on the board of directors, he was moved and honored.
“I had been reading Fra Noi from early on in my adult life and viewed this as an opportunity to celebrate my heritage in a meaningful, hands-on way and give back to my culture and community,” he recalls. “The publication has an amazing legacy, and I was proud to be asked to be a part of it.”
Over the ensuing years, it dawned on Nick that there were vast markets that Fra Noi had yet to tap.
“Friends were always calling and asking me where to visit in Italy, and often specifically in Sicily, and the majority of them weren’t of Italian descent,” he explains. “Obviously, Italian Americans love Italian culture, but non-Italian Americans love it just as much.”
“And there’s another piece,” he adds. “My grandchildren are the first generation in our family that isn’t 100 percent of Italian descent, and it’s amazing to me how much they embrace their Italian roots. I started to see how truly special our heritage is to so many people, and in particular the younger generation, and that got me thinking about what the next chapter of Fra Noi might be.”
At the January 2024 board meeting, he proposed an eight-point strategic plan, the main tenets of which were these three:
1) Enhance coverage of areas of “cultural currency” to encompass travel, history, the arts, food, wine, music, books, film, fashion, imports, auto and design.
2) Expand the mission statement to include non-Italian-American readers and devise a strategy for reaching them.
3) Develop and expand Fra Noi’s digital “footprint.”
The board embraced the plan, and our path was set.
Nick was appointed chairman of the board later that year, and in January of 2025, I encouraged him to take on the role of publisher as well. He graciously accepted, and I couldn’t ask for a more inspirational corporate helmsman and astute editorial adviser.
Nick is a modest, no-nonsense guy, and it took some convincing before he agreed to let me spotlight him in this way. For him, it’s not about any one person, it’s about the mission.
“We’ve assembled a remarkable group of stakeholders, from board members and advertising sponsors to staff members and correspondents,” he says. “It’s a passion project for all of us and an opportunity to serve and give back to the precious culture and heritage that we’re all a part of.”
The above article appears in the October 2026 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture.
To view a sample copy, click here.
To subscribe, click here.
