New Offices
President Gianni Infantino eads the way with new offices in:
FIFA MIAMI
FIFA Jakarta
FIFA Paris
FIFA Rabat Morocco
Mondo Italiano
PUBLISHER
Luxury Chamber Media Group
EDITOR
James Iaco
FASHION EDITOR
Juliana Labonte
TRAVEL EDITOR
Christina RicciCampagnone
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS
Edmondo Catania Frank LoRe Jr
Advertisers
Rick Pellegrini
Andrea Garofalo
TRULUCK’S
Gianni Infantino celebrates “a special day” as FIFA Africa Office officially opens
FIFA President says “from here, we will have a global impact on football” at official opening of the FIFAAfrica Office in Rabat, Morocco
Hub established to develop ever closer ties with FIFA’s 54 African Member Associations and facilitate football’s growth on the continent
Mr Infantino pays tribute to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco for the “momentum that he is building” in developing the game
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the FIFAAfrica Office would “have a global impact on football” during the ceremony to mark its official opening in the capital of Morocco, Rabat
The FIFAAfrica Office joins similar FIFA hubs in Paris, France, Miami, United States, and Jakarta, Indonesia, that underpin FIFA’s aim of building even closer and stronger local links to its 211 Member Associations (MA) around the world with the goal of facilitating football’s growth globally
Based at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, the establishment of the office was initially announced in December 2024 when Mr Infantino was joined by Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President and FIFA Council member Fouzi Lekjaa in signing the agreement to bring it into being
It will now provide a space where FIFA and its 54 African MAs can meet to discuss current and future development projects, forging closer ties between world football’s governing body and those who strive to take the game forward in their country and across the continent.
“Today is certainly a wonderful day, it’s a special day, a glorious day, a joyful day. We will write, in gold letters, the wonderful history of FIFA, of football in Africa, of football in Morocco, of football in the world,” said the FIFA President, who was joined by FIFA Vice President and Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe and Mr Lekjaa in cutting the ribbon to officially open the office. “From here, we will have a global impact on football. Not only in Morocco dear Fouzi (Lekjaa), not only in Africa, my dear Patrice (Motsepe), but all over the world, starting from here.”
Mr Infantino also thanked His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco for his support, which has underpinned the tremendous growth and success of football in the north African country in recent years.
Filippo Berio USAappoints Giacomo Campinoti as CEO
Campinoti poised to harness brand momentum to drive market expansion, awareness of exceptional portfolio of iconic, high-quality culinary staples
Global olive oil company Salov Group has appointed Giacomo Campinoti as CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, Filippo Berio USA. Campinoti contributes deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods industry and is a proven leader in driving innovation that generates growth. Offering more than 20 years of experience in worldrenowned Italian food and luxury companies, Campinoti is poised to solidify Filippo Berio's premium identity in the competitive U S market while elevating its profile from coast to coast
"With an accomplished record of brand development and operational excellence, Giacomo Campinoti is a natural choice to serve as CEO and lead Filippo Berio USA into a new era of innovation and expansion," said Salov Group CEO Gianmarco Laviola. "The U.S. is a key market for Filippo Berio, and we are certain that Giacomo will sustain the storied brand's legacy while creating compelling new growth opportunities."
Campinoti joins Filippo Berio USA from De Cecco USA, the world's third-largest pasta producer, where he served as CEO for the past five years following tenures as chief financial officer. Originally from Florence, Italy, where he built a strong foundation in accounting and finance before relocating to the U.S. in 2007, Campinoti is well-acquainted with the importance of maintaining and articulating the authenticity, history, sustainability and quality of Italian-rooted brands. He is fully aligned with Filippo Berio's commitment to innovation and excellence, and he plans to harness the brand's recent momentum to further expand market penetration and awareness as well as extend strategic partnerships and consumer education programs.
"Time and again, the U.S. market has demonstrated a healthy appetite for high-quality, evolving culinary experiences, and the 158-year Italian brand, Filippo Berio, has delivered with authentic, innovative products that place uncompromising quality at the center, whether premium extra virgin olive oils, fresh pestos or pasta sauces that taste homemade," said Campinoti. "I look forward to leading the iconic brand in the U.S. and sharing its continued innovation with an ever-wider audience."
Upon moving to the U.S., Campinoti became a licensed CPA and held financial leadership roles at prominent luxury brands such as Bulgari and Benetton. He originally joined De Cecco USA in 2012 as CFO, resuming the role in 2018 following a stint with Italian heritage coffee brand Lavazza. As CEO of De Cecco USA since 2020, he substantially grew national distribution of the Italian pasta brand across retail and food-service channels while increasing brand visibility and securing premium positioning.
The brand is currently sold in more than 75 countries. In the United States, Filippo Berio is marketed by Filippo Berio USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Salov Group, based in Lucca, Italy. For additional information, please visit filippoberio.com.
Giacomo Campinoti
Colavita Acquires Vitelli Foods, Strengthening Presence in Pasta and Tomato Markets
Colavita USA, a leader in premium Italian specialty food products, is excited to announce its acquisition of Vitelli Foods, the owner of the historic Luigi Vitelli brand. Known for its high-quality pasta and tomatoes, this acquisition not only diversifies Colavita's product offerings but also strengthens its position as the third-largest importer of Italian pasta in the United States. Furthermore, it significantly bolsters Colavita's presence in the tomato market, a strategic move to enhance its competitive stance in both categories.
Established in 1885, Luigi Vitelli is the first Italian food brand ever registered in America, symbolizing a long-standing tradition of culinary excellence. "Luigi Vitelli is an iconic brand that we want to preserve and introduce to the next generations, continuing the great work done by Claudia Vitelli and Roy Taormina," said Giovanni Colavita, CEO of Colavita USA. "I've known Claudia for years and have always respected and admired what she has built, preserving the great family tradition that we share. The Vitelli brand's importance to the history of Italian food in this country is truly unmatched," Colavita continued. "In fact, this year marks the 125th anniversary of Vitelli's membership in the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the U.S., an organization that includes Amerigo Vitelli among its founders."
This acquisition follows Colavita's successful integration of the California company O Olive Oil & Vinegar, a leading producer of California vinegar and organic extra virgin olive oil. It further showcases Colavita's commitment to expanding its portfolio of authentic, high-quality food products.
Under the Vitelli Foods banner, Colavita aims to leverage its extensive distribution network and industry expertise to increase the reach and recognition of Luigi Vitelli products, emphasizing their unique history and Italian authenticity.
About Vitelli Foods
Since 1996 the Vitelli family has been operating as Vitelli Foods and has expanded the line of products to include pasta, beans and other Italian specialties. Today's Vitelli is quite different from the Vitelli of 1885 when it served the growing Italian immigrant community in the five boroughs of New York City. Today, products imported by Vitelli can be found in major supermarket chains and distributors throughout the United States. The company is still managed by a member of the Vitelli family, Claudia Vitelli.
About Colavita
Family-owned and operated Colavita has been producing, importing and distributing premium quality specialty food products since 1938. The Colavita brand is present in over 80 countries worldwide. In the U.S., Colavita is a leading national brand of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and wine vinegar, and pasta, with distribution throughout the retail, eCommerce, club and food service sectors. Colavita is committed to quality assurance and sustainability principles throughout its supply chain. All Colavita facilities in the U.S. and Italy are GFSI certified and powered by solar energy. For more information about Colavita, visit colavita.com.
How to Secure Italian Citizenship?
Gather Documents: Collect birth, marriage, death, and naturalization records for all ancestors in the direct line.
Translation and Legalization: Translate documents into Italian and have them apostilled/legalized.
Submit Application: Submit your application at the Italian consulate serving your area.
Appointment: Schedule an appointment at the consulate for document review.
Wait for Processing: The processing time can vary; it might take several months to years.
Citizenship by Marriage
If you are married to an Italian citizen, you can apply for citizenship after:
Two years of marriage if residing in Italy.
Three years of marriage if residing abroad. These periods are reduced by half if you have children together.
Steps:
Gather Documents: Collect required documents, including your marriage certificate, spouse's citizenship documents, and your birth certificate.
Language Requirement: As of 2018, you need to demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the Italian language (level B1).
Submit Application: Submit the application online through the Italian Ministry of the Interior's website.
Background Check: A background check will be conducted.
Wait for Processing: The process usually takes around 2-4 years.
3 Citizenship by Naturalization
You can apply for Italian citizenship by naturalization if you have legally resided in Italy for a certain period:
10 years for non-EU citizens
4 years for EU citizens.
5 years for stateless persons or refugees.
Jay was born in 1972 north of the Iron Range His connection to the Buddy Jacobson story is contemporaneous, personal and steeped in synchronicity His mother, Dawn Eve, was discovered by one of Jacobson’s model scouts in Minneapolis and she accepted the offer to live in NYC and model for his firm: My Fair Lady Modeling Agency She lived in the model’s penthouse on 84th street in the Upper East Side across the street from Nicola’s restaurant which happened to be one of Buddy’s favorite dining spots Dawn was offered a lead supporting actress role in the movie Taxi Driver with Robert De Niro After reading through the script and being turned off by certain elements of the big city life in NYC she turned it down When Jacobson’s life exploded into the largest and most expensive scandal in the entire history of NY, Dawn walked away from the scene and never looked back In June 2025, everything came full circle
The synchronicities which collided and unfolded all at once:
BILLIONAIRE BOOK / BILLIONAIRE COUSIN Out of curiosity Jay decided to do a maternal DNA test in the spring of 2025 A few weeks prior to receiving the maternal DNA results he started to work on writing his book: PERFORM LAB – “How to Perform Like a Billionaire” On June 12, 2025 the DNA results arrived Jay googled the names of several of his cousins Jay was delighted to find that he had a late great Chabad Rabbi as a cousin as well as dozens of GermanJewish cousins most of whom are or were multimillionaires He googled the name of an exact match cousin: “Jeffrey Gural” He found out that Gural is perhaps the largest billionaire in NY A man who happened to own all of the race track casinos in NY, his family built knickerbocker village, his firm has bought and sold a huge percentage of the skyscrapers in NYC and philanthropy is one of the cornerstones of Gural’s business strategy
Synchronicity Summary: During the covid era Jay stated writing his book about billionaires and their success strategies He wrote a few pages and then ignored the book for a couple years In late May and into June of 2025 he started writing the book again On June 12 he finds out that his relative is perhaps the largest billionaire in NY at the same time he is writing a success book about billionaires
BILLIONAIRE COUSIN / BUDDY JACOBSON After finding out Jay happens to have billionaire blood he decided to find Mr Gural’s official corporate website to learn more The site for GNP Real Estate™ had a very impressive company timeline starting in the 1950’s When Jay landed on the 1970’s page he could not believe his eyes Buddy Jacobson was Gural’s business partner!!!
Synchronicity Summary: Jay and his mother are not even from NY, they are from northern Minnesota yet by chance, very oddly it happens to be fact that his mother’s modeling manager happened to be a close business associate with his newfound cousin Mr Gural who happens to be the most powerful horse racing magnate in the world
BUDDY’S FRIEND / BOOK SIGNING / THREE ROBERTS Fast forward to mid-July 2025 Jay’s book had been published for several days and he decided to do a book signing at one of his favorite Italian restaurants, Matteo’s Trattoria in Hallandale Beach Jay was standing at the bar signing a book for a patron named Robert when all of a sudden a man who looks just like Robert De Niro (De Niro was a former Buddy connection via Scorsese) walks up to Jay after overhearing him talk about horses and buddy Jacobson The man ’ s name was actually Robert They chatted for a few minutes and Bob said to Jay: Let me introduce you to somebody Jay and Robert walk down the bar about 3 bar stools away and Robert introduced Jay to Robert! Turns out Robert is a highly successful race horse owner who happened to be very good friends with Howard Buddy Jacobson! Robert showed Jay many photos of him with Buddy, some of them in black and white He was absolutely shocked that Jay knew about Buddy Jacobson from the 1970’s (Jay is only 53) Robert was to fly to Saratoga the very next day
Synchronicity Summary: Robert to Robert to Robert introductions lead to a chance happening Meeting Buddy’s close friend! To top this off, Robert recently attended the funeral of Sonny Franzese Sonny was a well-respected man in NY Sonny’s son happened to have attended one of Jay’s Lighthouse Point charity events many years prior And Sonny was cousins to one of Jay’s good acquaintances
Who Was Buddy Jacobson?
Buddy Jacobson was a top racehorse trainer and a colorful figure in New York City's social and sporting circles during the 1960s and 70s Born in Brooklyn, he learned the horse business from his uncle Eugene Jacobs and rose quickly through the ranks By his mid-30s, Buddy was training top-level thoroughbreds and making headlines at tracks like Belmont and Saratoga
Jacobson wasn’t just known for his horses. He ran a modeling agency on the Upper East Side called “My Fair Lady,” where he mixed business with glamour Models like Dawn Eve and Melanie Cain were often seen at his events He lived fast, dressed sharp, and moved through New York like he owned it
He crossed paths with celebrities and underworld figures alike Actor Telly Savalas once attended one of his parties He had ties to Sonny Franzese, a known figure in organized crime, and worked deals with Italian and Italian-American businesspeople in the real estate and night-life industries Buddy understood horses, but he also understood people and he used that skill in every deal he touched
His charm made him a legend, but so did the controversy He was later arrested and convicted in a high-profile case that drew national attention, though many who knew him questioned the full truth of the story Some, like model Dawn Eve, believed he was set up
Buddy Jacobson lived on the edge In the racing world, he was a serious trainer In the streets of Manhattan, he was a showman, a businessman, and a legend whose story still turns heads. His name remains part of New York’s untamed past, where style, crime, and ambition often shared the same table
