Tag Archives: Angela Rinaldi

COLUMBUS UPDATE A Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the Chicago Park District by attorneys for the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans yielded an abundance of documents about the statue that once served as the centerpiece for Columbus Plaza in Arrigo Park. Among them was a signed agreement that stated, “The Park District will, in perpetuity, obtain the written approval of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans before making any substantial change to Columbus Plaza or the statue.” The statue was ordered removed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the middle of the night on July 24, …

  Two longtime local leaders of the Italian American War Veterans’ Ladies Auxiliary have risen to positions of prominence. Angela Rinaldi (right, in photo above) was elected to the post of national president in August at the national convention in Las Vegas, and Mille DiGilio (left) was elected state president in September at the state convention in Harwood Heights. Rinaldi began her involvement in the organization in the early 1990s when she joined the Guido Belmonte Auxiliary #4. She was elected state auxiliary president in 1995, serving a two-year term. In this position, she received recognition from the Illinois Department …