Tag Archives: Mario Manfredini

More than 80 people gathered for the first annual Festa della Sopressata competition at the North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle. Hosted by NAPCA founder and master instructor Leo Spizzirri and his partner, founder and chef instructor Anthony Iannone, the four-hour event was as much of a party for friends and family of the 19 competitors as it was a serious tournament for the best homemade sopressata. Judges included Frank DeCicco of the Calabresi In America Organization. “I was honored to be selected and humbled by the passion every contestant showed for maintaining this great Calabrese tradition,” DeCicco …

  The Person of the Year Gala is easily the most important fundraiser of the year for Casa Italia, and this year’s honoree came through with flying colors. Tens of thousands of dollars were raised for the Casa on the strength of Louis C. Cairo’s charisma, love of family, passion for his heritage, and expansive network of devoted friends and associates. Among them was his extended family at Goldman Weisman and Cairo (GWC), which has emerged as Illinois’ largest injury law firm under the stewardship of Lou and his partner, Michael B. Goldberg. Scores of well-wishers from the many labor …

So I’m sitting in beautiful downtown Berwyn enjoying an espresso when my phone rings. I see it’s Fra Noi editor Paul Basile, so I pick up the phone thinking my Giovanni the Talking Teddy Bear order is ready. Boy, was I wrong. Paul tells me he has an idea for a column about Italian Americans living in the southwest suburbs. I say, “That’s great, Paul. Are you talking Naperville? Lisle?” In a bad Svengoolie accent, he says, “No, Burr-vynnn.” I try to explain that Berwyn isn’t “South Side,” unless we’re talking baseball. And once I straighten him out geographically and …