On March 14, 1891, 11 Sicilian immigrants who had been falsely accused of murdering the police chief of New Orleans were shot and hung by a mob of thousands in the largest mass lynching in American history. The 130th anniversary of that dark day was marked in Chicago with a moving commemoration in Arrigo Park hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. The event was emceed by JCCIA President Ron Onesti and attended by an impressive array of ethnic and political leaders. More than a dozen of those leaders took to the microphone to share a portion of …
Read More »Canine takes center stage at Police Association gala
Elmcrest Banquets was packed to capacity for this year’s Italian American Police Association’s dinner dance. Sharing the spotlight were Chicago Alderman Nick Sposato, Illinois State Police District Commander Jason LoCoco, Circuit Court Judge William Raines and retired Chicago Police Officer Carl Liture, but the Police Officers of the Year stole the show. The honor went to Lake County Sheriff’s Police Deputy John Forlenza and his K-9 partner, Dax, who received an engraved food bowl along with a standing ovation.
Read More »IAPA to honor Alderman Sposato, 3 others
The Italian American Police Association will honor a foursome of stalwart souls at an Oct. 26 dinner dance at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. (312-415-1202) The following profiles were provided by the organization: Alderman Nick Sposato • Man of the Year Award 38th Ward Ald. Nicholas (Nick) Sposato grew up around Belmont and Harlem avenues and is a lifelong resident of Chicago’s Northwest Side. Ald. Sposato is currently serving his third term. He was the first firefighter elected to the City Council and the first elected in two different wards. In 2011, he beat the machine in a runoff to …
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