Tag Archives: Ron Onesti

East meets West The upcoming Lyric Opera production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” offers a uniquely Eastern take on this timeless tragedy of a doomed geisha in love with a British Navy lieutenant. Starring Karah Son, one of the leading interpreters of Butterfly in our time, the opera will be directed by Matthew Ozawa, the son of a Caucasian mother and Japanese father. “This new production reclaims the opera’s narrative through the lens of an entirely Japanese and Japanese American creative team and amplifies the voices of an entirely female Japanese design collective,” Ozawa writes. The opera will run from March …

A standout at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, Laura Pausini has carved a niche for herself in the global music pantheon thanks to her vocal prowess and a multilingual approach to her craft. It really is incredible just how much the Sanremo Music Festival, Italy’s premier annual song competition, has influenced the music scene internationally. From Andrea Bocelli to Il Volo, more superstars have emerged from this event than almost any other of its kind. The winner of the Newcomer Artist competition in 1993, then 19-year-old Laura Pausini is a perfect example of how singing in …

In a bittersweet turn of events, a monument to St. Frances Cabrini will occupy the pedestal in Arrigo Park where Christopher Columbus once stood. I say “bittersweet” because the goal all along for the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans was to restore Columbus to his original place of honor in the park. But after a grueling 4-and-a-half-year legal battle, it became abundantly clear that it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Despite the herculean efforts of lead counsel Enrico Mirabelli and his legal team of Frank Sommario and Anthony Onesto, the city of Chicago under two mayoral administrations has steadfastly …

The Chicago-area Italian American community and its supporters pulled out all the stops in October, with celebrations taking place across the metropolitan area and throughout the month. As always, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans led the way, starting with an Oct. 10 flag-raising ceremony in Daley Plaza, followed by a reception at the office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Next came a glittering Presidents’ Ball on Oct. 12 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Club presidents joined forces with elected officials from every level of government to officially welcome delegations from Sicily and Italy to the festivities, with …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society will present Ron Onesti with the 2025 Arcolian of the Year Award at its Christmas party on Dec. 9 at Venuti’s in Addison. (Dr. Chuck Martello, 815-666-4959) The following profile was provided by the organization: Ron Onesti currently serves as president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and third vice president of the Italian American Veterans Museum and is a past chairman of Casa Italia. For most people, that would be a lifetime’s worth of achievements, but for Ron, it’s only the tip of …

The warm smell of garlic was in the air, olive oil flowed through the street, the sounds of Sinatra were on the lips of tens of thousands, and the 2025 edition of the Taylor Street Little Italy Festa is now in the record books. So many folks with roots in Chicago’s original Little Italy came back to the old neighborhood to celebrate all things Italian and Italian American. Five stages of entertainment included The Bronx Wanderers from Las Vegas; Tricia Danieli from Miami; Vanessa Racci from New York City; Eros—The Tenor from Cinque Terre; America’s Tenor Christopher Macchio; Mario Bosco …

The legacy of Florentine poet Dante Alighieri was once again celebrated as the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans hosted its annual Dante and DiFrisco Awards Luncheon at the Galleria Marchetti in Chicago on May 22. Lynn Sweet was the 2025 recipient of the Dante Award. A respected journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 40 years, she most recently served as its Washington bureau chief. “I am deeply honored to have my decades of work in Chicago recognized by such a distinguished group,” Sweet said. “The award represents truth in journalism, and Lynn is a fiery example of …

On May 13, more than 300 elected officials, political lobbyists and community leaders converged on the Bank of Springfield Convention Center for the third annual Italian Caucus Reception in the state’s capital. What began as a quiet dinner prepared by Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano and Bloomingdale Mayor Franco Coladipietro has blossomed into what legislators refer to as the “best party in Springfield.” The event is chaired by State Rep. Anthony Deluca and Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti. “When I heard about the event a few years ago, I thought it would be a great …

The statue of Christopher Columbus that for decades graced Arrigo Park is heading back to the neighborhood it once called home after spending nearly five years in storage. After a protracted legal battle, the Chicago Park District has finally released the statue into the care of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. The cherished icon will be installed as the centerpiece of a new museum on Taylor Street dedicated to the Italian immigrants of Chicago. “This resolution is a huge victory for our community, and to all those who believe in free speech and artistic expression,” JCCIA President Ron …

If you’re just now finding out about the agreement to bring the Christopher Columbus statue back to the Near West Side, you might be disappointed to learn that it’s headed for a museum on Taylor Street rather than its pedestal in Arrigo Park. (For more, click here.) But those of us who watched the process unfold at the monthly meetings of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans can tell you just how triumphant the final accord truly is. As many of you know, the JCCIA is a congress of 50-plus local organizations tasked with acting on behalf of the …