Tag Archives: Casa Italia

If you’ve finally decided to visit Italy but you’re worried about being able to communicate with the locals, the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia has the class for you. This six-week course will introduce you to important travel phrases and expressions used by native speakers in real life situations (e.g., at the airport, restaurants, hotels, banks, etc.) in a conversational format. Conducted via Zoom, the class will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays from May 24 to June 28. The fee is $295 until May 15 and $345 thereafter. To register, click here.    

Casa Italia honored Edward S. Lezza Jr. as Man of the Year and Joseph A. Russo as Humanitarian of the Year at its 2023 gala. The following profiles were provided by the organization. Edward S. Lezza Jr. Edward S. Lezza Jr. is a resident of Westchester, where he lives with his wife, Elizabeth and rescue dogs (Princess and Hazel).  Eddie was raised in Bellwood where his family currently resides.  He attended St. Simeon School in Bellwood.  Following graduation from Nazareth Academy, he received an Associate Degree in Business from Triton College. Eddie began at the family bakery, Lezza Spumoni & …

Sixty-four players on 16 teams competed fiercely over the course of 10 weeks this summer during Casa Italia’s 2022 bocce tournament. Team Alta Villa emerged victorious, with Generations, Santa Caterina and Rompe Palle netting second through fourth place trophies, respectively. Ciminna, Free Ballers, Pallini Forte, Amaretti, Corleone, Not So Terrible 4s, Bellas, Casa Italia Library, Primas, Odd Balls, Quartro Leone and Boccissimo rounded out the groups that took part in this year’s tourney. Tony Pertucci served as league commissioner, Phil Sasso and Bill Lowendick as finals referees, and Andy Tegtmeier and Bill Lowendick as grillers. Stay tuned for details on …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation have donated $6,500 from the proceeds of their 2022 fashion show to Casa Italia. The check was presented to Casa Chairman Ron Onesti by Fashion Show Committee Co-Chair Dr. Michele Monica Daly at the IAET’s July meeting. The event was also co-chaired by Theresa Cascio and Grace Galletta, with Jadon Quaglia as chair. “Casa Italia has been a home away from home for the Chicago-area Italian-American community for more than two decades,” says IAET President Vito D’Ambrosio. “We encourage everyone to open their hearts and wallets on the Casa’s behalf.”

The Chicago area was blessed in April with a first-ever visit by the renowned Choir of the Cardinal Bartolucci Foundation. One of the world’s premier Catholic choruses, the ensemble undertook a whirlwind tour that included five concerts in as many days. The first stop was on April 19 at the opulent Sanfilippo estate in far north suburban Barrington. On April 20, the ensemble paid a quick visit to Casa Italia, where they were wowed by the hand-carved 1/100-scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square on the third floor of the Italian Cultural Center. Moved to song, they were recorded …

As part of an ongoing effort to “save our stories,” Italian Cultural Center librarian Dominic Candeloro convened a roundtable discussion about a possible second volume of “Italian Women in Chicago: Madonna mia! QUI debbo vivere?” Published 10 years ago and spearheaded by Candeloro, the book features 40 accounts by scholars, journalists, freelance writers, researchers and first-person narrators, all of whom shed light on the history and experiences of Italian-American women in the Chicago area. Participants in the March 26 discussion included the editors and some of the writers of the first book. They discussed future essay subjects and possible contributors. …

With 11 albums, four PBS specials and a host of world tours under his belt, the popular crossover crooner has devoted his career to fanning Italy’s brilliant musical flame. He was born in Naples, Italy, but has become a favorite son of Americans from all ethnic backgrounds. Pasquale Esposito is a pop-opera tenor, a PBS superstar, and a successful recording and touring artist. For more than two decades, he has kept the classic songs of Italy and the nation’s vocal icons relevant and exciting for today’s audiences. The youngest of five siblings, Pasquale grew up listening to Enrico Caruso. He …

They say it takes a whole village to raise a child. In the case of Casa Italia, Italian Americans across the metropolitan area recently rallied around the beloved institution. The Casa was hit particularly hard by the pandemic last year, canceling its spring gala and losing a quarter of its operating revenue in one fell swoop. But when the going got tough, the community kicked into a higher gear. Major donations flowed in from the Arcolian Dental Society, the Columbian Club, the Frank and Dolores Corbett Charitable Fund, the Italian American Veterans Museum, Italidea-Midwest, John Lagattuta, Dr. Paul and Ann …

St. Peter’s, the architectural wonder that dominates the skyline of Rome, is more accessible than you think. The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia houses its own capolavoro of the iconic basilica and its adjacent piazza. Just take a short car ride to west suburban Stone Park and an invigorating ascent to the third floor, and there it is in all its glory. The magnificent 1:100 scale replica was conjured out of hand-carved soft wood over a five-year period in the 1940s by the father-and-son team of Attilio and Lucio Savoia. It was donated to the cultural center in the …

Attorney John J. Lag was enjoying the atmosphere at the Festa Pasta Vino at 24th & Oakley when he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. “It was a remarkably beautiful stained-glass window with vibrant colors that caught my eye. It was an image of Bishop John Scalabrini and I just had to buy it,” Lag says. “It was being sold without provenance, without any information as to its origin or the artisan who created it, but I couldn’t pass it up. “Clearly, I couldn’t keep it at the family home and then it dawned on me. This magnificent …