ITALIAN TIMES THE
Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com JANUARY 2017 • VOL. 38, NO. 7
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Hats off to Il Grande Carnevale
Celebrate the ICC’s premier social event with a costume, mask or hat on Feb. 25
by Thomas Hemman Times Editor This year, the Italian Community Center’s Carnevale Committee is giving you another way to celebrate Il Grande Carnevale in an impressive fashion. Wear a hat! Mark your calendars right now for the 38th annual Il Grande
Carnevale. The date is Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at the traditional time of 5:11 p.m. at your Italian Community Center. Whether you come decked out in a spectacularly decorated hat, a creative designed costume, a marvelous mask (or any combination of the three) or if you simply come to
Italian culture well represented at Holiday Folk Fair International
Italian culture and tradition was well represented at the Holiday Folk Fair International the weekend of Nov. 18-20. One of the groups presenting Italian folk dance was I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group, whose members are shown here performing. The group performed on Nov. 20. Look for a story and more photos inside this issue. (Photo provided by Tradizione Vivente)
enjoy the spectacle that is Carnevale, you are sure to have a wonderful and memorable time.
Theme The theme chosen for this, the premier social event in the Italian community, is “Hats Off to Il Grande Carnevale,” which, literally means, the committee really wants you to demonstrate your creative side by wearing a hat, or a costume or a mask to make the evening
grandiose. If you need some impetus, take a peek at some online videos of the Carnevale festivities in Venice and other parts of Italy. There, like here in Milwaukee, Carnevale is seen as the last chance to celebrate before the start of the solemn Lenten season on Ash Wednesday. You get the idea. By the way, prizes will be awarded for the best costume, mask and hat. Please turn to page 7
A message from Dean Cannestra, Italian Community Center President
A tutti auguro un santissimo Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo! (I wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!). I hope you have a chance to celebrate with your family and carry on the holiday traditions of our parents and our grandparents. I’d like to give credit to all of the members who participated in the Dec. 8 special meeting. Those who were able to attend, on a very cold winter night, showed the concern and passion that we share for our Community Center. We are very fortunate to have a strong core membership base, the ones who come to the meetings, functions and participate in fundraising events. Regardless of your view on the voting outcome, we should be proud
of the presentation of the information and the process. The word transparency is used often to express openness. I would like to acknowledge the Board of Directors for making this the number one priority of this meeting. As we all know, the Bartolotta Catering transition is in full swing. They have a management team in place to operate the catering and restaurant operations along with a Please turn to page 5
Package deal available through ICC for Jan. 21 showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience at the Pabst Theater
A discount ticket package – with or without transportation to The Pabst Theater – is available through the Italian Community Center for the showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience at The Pabst on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. In addition, everyone who purchases a ticket to the performance
will receive a free admission to the DaVinci Machines Exhibition currently on display at Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago. A story on this exhibit appeared in the November 2016 issue of The Italian Times. For the Jan. 21 show – the one and only scheduled in Milwaukee – the audience will be taken on a fantastic, awe-inspiring journey Please turn to page 6
Cosa c’è dentro? What’s inside?
Feeding those in need
La Befana is coming
page 2
page 3
Italian classes for children, teens and adults pages 7 & 8
Winter bocce leagues starting in Jan 9 Holiday Folk Fair highlights
page 8 page 9
Dr. Julian De Lia recognized by medical group page 10 Who will tell your family story? Sezione Italiana
pagine 12 e 13
Italy’s missing island Birth of the Blues Lucky New Year
page 11
page 14 page 16 page 20
The geniuses of the Italian Titans – Michelangelo (left) and Da Vinci – will be showcased in a multi-media presentation at The Pabst Theater.
Homeless and poor given a Thanksgiving feast courtesy of ICC volunteers, numerous donors and Bartolotta Catering
About 250 homeless and poor men, women and families were able to enjoy a complete Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of the Italian Community Center and its volunteers and Bartolotta Catering. The buffet-style turkey dinner was served at the Open Door Cafe, a meal site at St. John’s Cathedral, on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Many generous donations made the dinner possible. Spearheading the fund raising campaign were Tony Lupo, Tony Zingale and Ray Martinez, the volunteer chairmen of the annual event. A complete list of donors appears at the end of this article. The dinner was prepared and delivered to the meal site by Bartolotta’s staff. It was served by a large group of dedicated volunteers, including many who have helped out numerous times before. Most of the volunteers were members of the ICC. Among the volunteers who weren’t associated with the ICC
THE ITALIAN TIMES
631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 (414) 223-2180 Published 11 times annually
were young people from St. Dominic Youth Ministry in Brookfield and four members of the Kosmatka family. The Thanksgiving dinner was started 40 years ago by a group of local Italian American men who called themselves the “Ragione Club.” The dinner was coordinated for the first couple of decades by Mario Bartolotta, Dr. Jim Balistreri and Tom Busalacchi, all of whom are deceased. The tradition was then continued, for the next 10 years or so, under the guidance of the late Bob Cefalu. For the last several years, the dinner has gone on through the leadership of Lupo (chairman), Zingale and Martinez (vice chairmen).
Thanks to donors The chairmen wish to extend their “heartfelt thanks” to all who donated product, money or time and talent to the 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner for the less
fortunate. “Your input – be it product, monetary or onsite volunteering – made the serving of a Thanksgiving feast to the less fortunate a wonderful success,” Lupo said. Donations were made by the following: • Jane Gertler, in memory of Dr. Coleman Gertler and Sadie P. Machi • John Pellmann • Società Santa Rosalia • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO • Pompeii Men’s Club • Mr. & Mrs. John Fiorenza • National Recycling • Robert & Melody Gensler • Joseph and Carole Casamento • Joe & Jean D’Amato • Mr. & Mrs. David Richards • Barbara & Tony Lupo • Rose Purpero Spang • Gerry Accetta Purpero • William & Rita Jennaro • Ted Catalano • John Alioto & Mary Anne
Ceraso-Alioto • Jack Tagliavia • Mary Saggio • Joe & Virginia Besasie • Patricia Coccia • Ray & Carol Martinez • Christina & Joe Ziino • Adelina & Tony Zingale • Società Santa Santissima • Joseph Lembo • George & Aggie Collura • Mike Palmisano • Thomas & Barbara Balistreri • Salvatore & Antonette Lococo • Joseph & Ann Zambito • Robert Trotalli • Brian Kangas • Joseph Panella • Joseph Mangiamele • Sophia Michalovitz • Wayne & Sheila Kitzerow • Mary Winard • Anna Pitzo • Rose Brier • Mary & Isidore Pecoraro • Anna Rose San Felippo • Tom Spera • Bea Ceraso
These are many of the volunteers who helped to serve the Thanksgiving feast at the Open Door Cafe. Front row, l – r: Ashlee Hindo, Janelle Cardo, George Collura, Tony Machi, chairman Tony Lupo, Barbara Lupo, Michelle Lopez, Charlie Zingale, Gladys Dentice
and Rick Bertolas. Back row: Peter Greco, Joe Lembo, Tom Greco, Mike Cardo, Mike Toffler, vice chair Ray Martinez, Carol Martinez, Lena Zingale, vice chair Tony Zingale and Joe Lembo. (Times photo by Joe Spasiano)
Ready to serve the corn, sweet potatoes, gravy and stuffing were Ashlee Hindo, Mike Toffler, Ray Mar-
tinez and Tony Zingale. (Times photo (Times photo by by Joe Spasiano)
Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . Dean Cannestra Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . Blaise DiPronio Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors, Reporters and Columnists . . . . . .Blaise Di Pronio, Barbara Collignon and Donato Di Pronio Staff Photographers. . . . . . Joe Spasiano, Tim Townsend and Tom Hemman
For advertising information, please call (414) 223-2180 or send an e-mail to: themman@italiancc.org. Copyright 2016 The Italian Community Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved
All advertisements must be in accordance with the rules and requirements as determined by editorial policy. Paid advertisements are not to be interpreted as an endorsement by the Italian Community Center or its newspaper, The Italian Times. In addition, the Newspaper Committee reserves the right to reject ads based on editorial policy approved by the Board of Directors of the Italian Community Center. The Italian Community Center is a member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Visit Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward Association.
PAGE 2 – JANUARY 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
La Befana coming to ICC for children’s party on Saturday, Jan. 7 Kids, parents and grandparents get signed up ASAP
The Italian Community Center’s Avanti Committee is pleased to announce that La Befana, the legendary Epiphany witch of Italian folklore, is coming to the ICC for her annual visit. A luncheon party has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 7 at noon. After a buffet-style lunch, La Befana will meet and greet all of the children and present gifts to those who have exhibited good behavior this past year. Youngsters who have been naughty should be aware: La Befana might give you a stocking filled with coal. (Parents and Grandparents: A Ripley’s Believe or Not insert here is needed here. In the 15 years that the ICC has invited La Befana to come to the party, no child has ever gone home with a stocking filled with coal yet!) “Since the mission of the ICC is to promote Italian culture, we think it’s important that our children and grandchildren learn about La Befana,” said Liz Ceraso, Avanti Committee Chairperson. Party details Children are encouraged to wear socks the day of the party (Jan. 7) because, after they eat lunch, the children will be asked to take off their shoes and leave them behind a curtain. Avanti Committee members have told The Italian Times
CHILDREN'S LA BEFANA PARTY & LUNCH RESERVATION FORM
NAMES OF BOYS ATTENDING ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
NAMES OF GIRLS ATTENDING _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Names of male adult members attending: __________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Names of female adult members attending: _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cost: $20.00 per child, $25.00 per adult. Total Amount Enclosed: $ . Make your check payable to: Italian Community Center. Mail this form with your payment to: Italian Community Center, Attn.: La Befana party, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation form with payment due Monday, Jan. 2. No walk-ins permitted.
that La Befana has expressed an interest in leaving special treats in the children’s shoes. The lunch will feature a buffet with food to please both the children and the adults in attendance. The menu will include barbecue beef sandwiches, chicken nuggets, french fried potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit, chocolate or white milk for the kids and coffee for adults. For dessert, everyone will be
able to make their own ice cream sundae. There will also be an opportunity for children to decorate their own Christmas cookie! The cost to attend will be – $20 per child and $25 per adult. Prepaid reservations are required by Monday, Jan. 2. Please use the form accompanying this article to make your reservations or call the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and
have your credit ready. Please make sure to give the names and ages of each child so that gifts appropriate for every age group are given out. Walk-ins on the day of the event will not be permitted. Avanti Committee members wish to thank longtime ICC member Anna Pitzo, for making the arrangements for La Befana’s visit.
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Children listened intently as La Befana told them how she missed her opportunity to see the Baby Jesus. (Times photo from 2016 luncheon taken by Tom Hemman)
SuminskiFuneralHome.com
St. Joseph’s Day luncheon set for Friday, Mar. 17
The Italian Community Center will carry on a quarter-century tradition with the celebration of the St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon. Chairperson Mary Winard is asking people interested in attending to reserve the date of Friday, Mar. 17. The luncheon will begin at noon. March 17 is two days prior to the traditional Roman Catholic Church celebration of St. Joseph’s Day. The date was chosen because the ICC does not want to interfere with local church celebrations honoring the Foster Father of Jesus Christ on the official day of March 19, Winard said. Complete details on the ICC celebration of St. Joseph will appear in our February 2017 issue.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 3
Shoppers find unique, handcrafted gifts at ICC’s Holiday Boutique
If you were shopping over Thanksgiving weekend for the newest mobile or electronic devices or the latest, trending toys for your
Mary Spencer had unique, colorful stained glass works available.
children or grandchildren for Christmas, you probably were at one of those big box stores. However, if you wanted to buy unique, handcrafted gifts for the people in your life, then you came to the Italian Community Center for the organization’s second annual Holiday Boutique on Nov. 26. Thirty-five vendors were onhand for the event selling everything from jewelry to exquisite sweaters, watercolor ceramics to stained glass and hand-made silks, and from gourmet jelly to cupcakes and Italian cookies. The vast majority of the vendors were professional artists and artisans, who have put a lifetime of labor into perfecting the skills of their crafts. “Bill and I want to send out our sincere thanks to everyone who volunteered and also to those who attended the Holiday Boutique,” said Karen Dickinson, general chairperson for the second straight year. “I also want to express my thanks to all of the vendors, who took time out of their busy holiday weekend to be at the ICC and to Laurie Bis-
Here are Karen and Bill Dickinson at their booth where they sold handcrafted jewelry. Karen was the general chairperson of the Holiday Boutique.
esi and her staff as well as the Bartolotta Catering staff for their efforts.” She added that, while it was disappointing that the attendance wasn’t as high as last year, it seemed that everyone who came had a good time and found something they liked.” A silent auction was held in conjunction with the boutique. Joining Karen and Bill Dickin-
son as volunteers on the day of the event were Lu Lo Coco, Carol and Ray Martinez, Joanne Ruggieri, Gloria Jean Hass, Rosemary DeRubertis, Joanne Czubek, Barbara and Tony Lupo, Agnes Bova-Ulezelski, Lena and Tony Zingale, Ann Zambito and Antonette Lo Coco. “Our volunteers kept everything running smoothly. We couldn’t have done it without them,” Karen Dickinson said.
Times photos by Tom Hemman
Block prints were sold at Pee Pal Tree, a booth operated by Ruchita Varma.
Homemade Italian cookies were sold by members of Tradizione Vivente: The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. Seen here are, from the front to back: Avery Butler, Jessica Bailey, Sofia Bachmann and McKena Frahm.
Guests could purchase photo word art at Trina Kallian Frost’s booth.
Leigh Peterson and Betty Scopp operated a booth called “Bling It,” where guests found unique items made from recycled jewel pieces.
PAGE 4 – JANUARY 2017
Here are Anna Pitzo and Sophia Michalovitz, who worked at the Ladies of UNICO booth where handmade items were sold.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
A message from ICC President Dean Cannestra
Faith Ann Givings encouraged guests to touch her watercolor ceramics.
Catherine Kelly, Marie Lo Ricco, Ann Romano and her great-granddaughter, Lacey, staffed the Ladies of UNICO baked goods booth.
Handmade baskets were sold at Renee Scherr’s booth.
from page 1 full sales and marketing department. They are very excited to be partners in this organization and respectful to the mission of our Community Center. There has been some early success in booking some larger events, making them very optimistic about the future. We look forward to working with them in maintaining the organizational needs for our membership and those of our societies.
Upcoming events There are four events scheduled in January and February to which I’d like to draw your attention. The first is our annual La Befana Children’s Party on Saturday, Jan. 7 at noon. Liz Ceraso and the Avanti Committee are preparing for a special day for the children with the gift-giving witch of Italian folklore. The second event is Gallery Night and Day, Jan. 21. Art students from the Milwaukee High School of the Arts will display their works in our Board Room. Stop in and view the works of these talented teenagers and enjoy a meal at Cafe La Scala. Next is the theater package deal we are offering for the showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Ti-
tans Experience at The Pabst on Saturday, Jan. 21. We have arranged for transportation to and from the theater. Join your fellow members for an awe-inspiring journey through the Renaissance as seen through the eyes of the monumental geniuses of DaVinci and Michelangelo. On Saturday, Feb. 25, the ICC will host its 38th annual Il Grande Carnevale. Joanne Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis and their committee have begun working in earnest to make this costume and mask pre-Lenten celebration an outstanding event. Details on all of these events can be found in this issue.
Membership renewal time As your President, I want everyone to take time to renew your membership in the ICC for 2017. It is because of your support, your dedication and your volunteerism that the ICC has prospered for almost 40 years and will continue to prosper in the years to come. We have revised our membership dues structure for 2017, making it easier to become a member or renew a membership. I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year! – Dean Cannestra ICC President
Harder Funeral Home Tony and Barbara Lupo collected the $2 admission charged to attend the Holiday Boutique.
JAMES T. GUARDALABENE 18700 W. Capitol Drive
“Three generations of my family serving yours.” www.Guardalabene.com Phone: (262) 781-8350
Proud sponsor of the Festa Italiana Mass since 2002. Here are Tony and Lena Zingale, who staffed the package check desk
THE ITALIAN TIMES
• AN ASSOCIATE OF THE HARDER FUNERAL HOME SINCE 2010. • Personally providing the services you have come to expect at the Harder Funeral Home or your church or cemetery chapel. • Funeral pre-planning and Title 19 expertise. • Longtime member of the Italian Community Center. • Not associated with Schmidt & Bartelt – Guardalabene & Amato JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 5
Package deal available through ICC for Jan. 21 showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience at the Pabst Theater
from page 1 through the Italian Renaissance as seen through the eyes of the monumental geniuses of DaVinci and Michelangelo. This original theater performance is a non-stop, multimedia event featuring movies, videos, 3-D animation and images of DaVinci and Michelangelo’s inventions, machines, sketches, painting and sculptures. Curator Mark Rodgers will compare and contrast the incredible lives of Da Vinci and Michelangelo as never before, relating them to
today’s world as those of us in the 21st century strive to discover our own “inner” Da Vinci and Michelangelo. The program will last 2 hours and 20 minutes with an intermission.
Special package offer Everyone who purchases tickets through the ICC will receive a 20% discount on each ticket and $2 will be donated back to the ICC. If the ticket sales reach an unspecified level agreed to by The Pabst and the ICC, The Pabst will give away these prizes to those who
ICC Discount Ticket Package for Jan. 21 showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience
Name(s) __________________________________________________
attend: • A licensed digital recreation of the Mona Lisa from the DaVinci Museum in Florence. The framed Mona Lisa is a spectacular recreation and comes with a certification of authenticity from the exhibition. • Two huge “coffee table” books of “DaVinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings” and one of “Michelangelo: The Complete Works.” The books retail for $69.99 each. The ICC is offering transportation to and from the ICC to The Pabst through Riteway bus service.
Tickets and reservations Costs for tickets with the transportation package ordered through the ICC are:
• $42 – Orchestra. • $38 – A Section, 2nd Floor. • $34 – 2nd Floor. • $30 – 3rd Floor. Costs for tickets ordered without the transportation package are: • $32 – Orchestra. • $28 – A Section, 2nd Floor. • $24 – 2nd Floor. • $20 – 3rd Floor.
Please use the reservation form accompanying this article to order your tickets. Tickets can also be purchased on the ICC’s website, www.iccmilwaukee.com or by calling the ICC office at 414-223-2808 and having your credit card ready. The special discount ticket offer is valid through Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017.
Address __________________________________________________ City, State, Zip_____________________________________________
Phone_________________ Email______________________________
I/we wish to order with ticket package with roundtrip transportation: ____ Orchestra: $42.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
____ A Section, 2nd Floor: $38.00 x ___ number of tickets = $______ ____ 2nd Floor: $34.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ ____ 3rd Floor: $30.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ I/we wish to order the ticket package only:
____ Orchestra: $32.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
____ A Section, 2nd Floor: $28.00 x ___ number of tickets = $______ ____ 2nd Floor: $24.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ ____ 3rd Floor: $20.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $___________________________ Send this form with your payment to: ICC c/o Theater package, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. The ticket package deadline is Jan. 4, 2017.
Calendar of Events
Curator Mark Rodgers is seen here seen during a presentation of the DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience.
January 1 – January 28, 2017
Sunday, Jan. 1 • Buon Capodanno! Happy New Year! The Italian Community Center will be closed.
Saturday, Jan. 7 • Italian Community Center’s Children’s party with La Befana, noon. Details in this issue.
Monday, Jan. 9 through Thursday, Jan. 12 • Italian Community Center’s Winter Bocce Season begins with mixed couples’ leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Details in this issue. Monday, Jan. 9 • Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10 • Abruzzese Society meeting and spuntino, 2 p.m. • Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12 • Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 28 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 10 a.m.
Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The winter season will get underway with mixed couples’ leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons starting Jan.9-12, 2017. Team registration forms are available from league coordinators, at the ICC office or online at www.iccmilwaukee.com. • Hula hoop dance class. Every Tuesday night, 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. in the bocce court room. Everyone is welcome. Cost: $5 per member, $10 per non-member. No classes during the holidays.
• ICC Italian classes. The 10-week spring semester will begin Tuesday, Mar. 7. Look for details in this issue. • ICC free Children’s Italian class. The eight-week spring semester will begin Saturday, Mar. 11. Look for details in this issue.
Saturday, Jan. 14 • Italian Family History Club meeting, 10 a.m. Details in this issue.
• I Bei Bambini, The Children’s Italian Dance Group. This children’s folk dance group practices weekly on most Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the ICC. New dancers are welcome. For details, visit: www.tradizionevivente.com. Breaks are taken during the holidays.
Thursday, Jan. 19 • Italian Community Center membership dinner, 5:30 p.m. Reservations required by Monday, Jan. 16. • Italian Community Center general membership meeting, 6:30 p.m. • Società Santa Rosalia general meeting, 7 p.m.
Editor’s note: Since representatives of some of the societies and organizations that regularly use the ICC for meetings and activities have not turned in 2017 schedules yet, this calendar is as complete as it can be at this time.
Wednesday, Jan. 18 • Filippo Mazzei Lodge/Order Sons of Italy in America Board meeting, 6 p.m.
PAGE 6 – JANUARY 2017
• Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. This folk dance group practices weekly on most Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the ICC. Visit: www.tradizionevivente.com for details. Breaks are taken during the holidays. Ballate con noi! Dance with us!
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Hats off to Il Grande Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 25
from page 1 Royalty No Carnevale would be complete without a Royal Court. Pronto! The committee has selected royalty. The court includes: • Tim and Margie Kezman as Il Re and Regina (The King and Queen). • Peter and Jan Carini as Il Nonno e La Nonna (The Royal Grandparents).
• Adam Hamdan as Il Principe (The Prince). • Krystyna Hintz as La Principessa (The Princess). • Joey Vella as Il Piccolo Principe (The Little Prince). • Lacey Marie (Romano) Schober as La Piccola Principessa (The Little Princess). • Giuseppe Vella as Il Gran Maresciallo (The Grand Marshal). Information on each member of
Calling all past Carnevale Royalty
If you have had the honor and privilege of being a member of the Royal Court of Carnevale, the program committee would love to rean ad from you ceive congratulating the Court of 2017. You may want to gather together some of your fellow royals for a $100 full-page ad or a half-page for $50. There is also a quarterpage for $25. Don’t forget to include your
title and year. If you prefer to go it alone, we have a special “Royal Patron” for $15, which would include your name, title held and the year. You can submit your ad to Tom Hemman as an e-mail at themman@italiancc.org or call 414-2232189. You may also contact Christina Ziino at 262-783-4024 or Fran Sorrenti- Tollefson at 262786-8276 with any questions.
Italian classes available for adults and teens starting Mar. 7 at ICC
This spring, the Italian Community Center will offer an introductory class (Italian I) as well as an Italian II conversational class, both starting Tuesday, Mar. 7. Both courses will be held on 10 consecutive Tuesday nights, with the final classes on May 9. Instructor Enrica Tarantino Woytal described Italian I as being for those who want an introduction to the language and the culture of Italy. The introductory course will run from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. The Italian II course will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7:15 p.m. “Italian II is ideal for those who have completed our introductory course and are ready to learn more about the language and culture of Italy,” Tarantino Woytal said. Enrollment is open to ICC mem-
bers and the general public. There is a limit of 25 students per class. The fee for each course is $100 for an ICC member and $110 for a nonmember. The fee does not include the course textbook. To register, complete the form accompanying this article. Checks or money orders are payable to the Italian Community Center. Registration will be accepted up to the start of the Mar. 7 classes if the enrollment limit has not been reached. People can also stop in at the ICC office, fill out the registration form and make their payment. Tarantino Woytal began teaching children’s Italian classes at the ICC more than 35 years ago. She has been offering classes for adults and teens for more than 30 years.
the Royal Court will be published in the next issue of The Italian Times. Everyone can honor the royalty with the purchase of a congratulatory ad in the Carnevale program book. Send your message of congratulations or best wishes in an email to the writer of the article, Tom Hemman, who will prepare your ad for the book. He can be reached at themman@italiancc.org. The ad prices remain $100 for a full page, $50 for a half page and $25 for a quarter page.
A memorable celebration There will be many of the usual ingredients that make Carnevale a spectacular and memorable event, like the sumptuous dinner, a coronation of royalty, a colorful parade of those in costume, mask or hat, danceable music for people of all ages, the Bartolotta Fireworks pyrotechnics show and a scrumptious sweet table. Something new this year is a selected box raffle. The committee members tell this writer that they also have a some surprises up their sleeves, too. The celebration starts with the social reception at 5:11 p.m. during
which a variety of appetizers will be served along with a cash bar. At 6:11 p.m., guests will enter the Pompeii Grand Ballroom for the start of the evening’s gala events and dinner.
The dinner, highlighted by a breast of chicken Florentine, will be prepared and served, for the first time in Carnevale’s history, by the Bartolotta Catering staff.
This year, raffle tickets will not be mailed to the membership. Tickets will be available for purchase the night of the event for guests to take chances at winning beautiful boxed prizes.
Pre-paid reservations The cost to attend this fun-filled night is $55 for ICC members and $60 for non-members. Reservations are a necessity by Friday, Feb. 17 in order to attend. To make your reservations, call the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and have your credit card ready, or stop in at the office during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or complete the form accompanying this article and send it in with your payment.
Carnevale 2017 Reservation Form
Name(s) ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________
Phone: _________________ Email: _____________________________
Please list the names of persons in your party on a separate sheet of paper. Tables of 10 are available. Number of ICC members attending: ______ x $55.00 = $
Number of non-members attending: ______ x $60.00 = $ Total amount of your check or money order: $
Please make your check or money order payable to: Italian Community Center. Send payment and this form with the list of those in your party to: Carnevale, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation deadline: Feb. 17, 2017. If you cannot attend Carnevale 2017, please consider making a donation to support this event. My/Our donation is : $_________________.
Registration form for Italian I course & Italian II course
Name(s) _________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ____________________________________________________
Phone No. __________________Email _________________________________ I am (we are) enrolling in:
Italian I course Number of persons enrolling.
Italian II course Number of persons enrolling.
Course fee: ICC Member - $100.00; Non-Member - $110.00
Make payment to: Italian Community Center, and send to: ICC, c/o Italian Class, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Enrollment in each class is limited to the first 25 students who send in this registration form with full payment.
Have something to sell to the readers of The Italian
Times? Let them know about with an ad in our next
issue. Get all of the details by calling (414) 223-2189 or by sending an email to themman@italiancc.org.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
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FINAL NOTICE: 2017 schedules of Italian societies and organizations that regularly meet at ICC
The 2017 meeting and social event schedules of all of the societies, clubs and organizations that regularly use the Italian Community Center for their activities are needed by The Italian Times. Our thanks to those societies and organizations that have already submitted this essential information. ICC Business Manager Laurie Bisesi uses the information to cooredinate room scheduling with Bartolotta Catering. Times editor
Tom Hemman needs the information to provide an accurate reporting in the calendar published in each issue of the newspaper. All groups are asked to submit their schedules including the starting time of all events as soon as possible. The goal is to have the schedules from all societies, clubs and organizations by Dec. 30. Please submit schedules using any one of these methods: • Send an email to Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org.
ICC to participate in Gallery Night & Day, Jan. 20-21
The Italian Community Center, joined by Bartolotta’s Catering at the ICC, will participate in Gallery Night & Day, Jan. 20-21. The ICC’s Avanti Committee is pleased to announce that art students from the Milwaukee High School of the Arts will display their works. All of the art that will be shown will be a reflection of the students’ experiences living in Milwaukee. Some of the artists will be Adjua Nsoroma, Meah Powel, Renee Marfitt, Jade Nolan, Margaret French, Nylah Balderas and Clayrissa Browning. Gallery Night hours will be
from 6 to 10 p.m. on Jan.20. The hours for Gallery Day, Jan. 21, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The art works will be shown in the ICC Board Room. Admission is free. Wine and cheese will be available on Friday, Jan. 20. “We hope that everyone will come out and support these fine young artists,” said Liz Ceraso, Avanti Committee Chair. “Enjoy dinner or lunch at Cafe La Scala.” Gallery Night & Day, a quarterly event, is coordinated by the Historic Third Ward Association and the East Towne Association. The ICC will be one of many participating venues.
The spring semester of a free weekly series of Italian classes for children between the ages of 6 and 12 will begin Saturday, Mar.18, at the Italian Community Center. The class, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m., will continue for eight weeks, with the final session on Apr. 29. The course is intended to provide children with an introduction to the Italian language and the culture of Italy. Besides learning some basic words and the Italian alphabet, the children also make drawings for holidays and special occasions and receive a snack during each Saturday session.
The instructor is Enrica Tarantino Woytal, who also leads the ICC’s Italian classes for teens and adults. To register for the fall semester, please complete the form accompanying this article and mail it to: Children’s Italian Course, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Since there is no enrollment fee, parents can also register their children in person any time during the semester. For further information, contact the ICC office at 414-223-2180, or Enrica Tarantino Woytal or Pietro Tarantino at 414-481-0170, or via email at enricaw@aol.com.
Free children’s Italian class starts Mar. 11 at ICC
Free Children's Italian Course Registration Form
(For children ages 6-12) at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee
Parent(s) Name _______________________________________
Address _____________________________________________
City ______________________ State _______ Zip ___________ Phone No.: _____________ Email_________________________
Children's Names & Ages: ______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ Send this form to: Children's Italian Course, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
PAGE 8 – JANUARY 2017
• Fax the information to 414223-2187. • Drop off the schedules in person at the ICC. Groups that fail to comply with this request may experience difficulty in securing the accommodations they most desire. Please note: As of Nov. 1, Bartolotta Catering assumed the booking the Pompeii Grand Ballroom, Festa Ballroom and the Conference Rooms, and all food and beverage services. The ICC is booking
the activities in the Board Room and the Bocce Courts. The Bartolotta Catering phone number is 414-223-2800. The ICC can still be reached at 414-223-2180. Please note: The Members Room can no longer be reserved for individual meetings and private parties. The room is available for members’ use at all times that the ICC is open. If you have any questions, please call 414-223-2180.
Winter bocce season to start week of Jan. 9
After a Christmas season break, bocce leagues will start up again at the Italian Community Center. Get your team together now. The winter bocce season gets underway the week of Jan. 9. Teams in the senior citizen leagues play on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Teams in the mixed couples’ leagues compete on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The regular season lasts eight weeks. The winter season champion playoffs will take place Monday, Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. If you’re interested in registering a team to play in a winter league, here are a few things you need to know. There are two sets of player registration fees. The lower fee is for players who are members
of the ICC. That fee is $30 per person per league season. The nonmember registration fee is $40 per person per league season. Each team must consist of at least four players, with one player designated as the team captain. Each league is interested in having eight teams. That way every team can compete each week. Team registration forms are available by calling the ICC office at 414/223-2180 or by picking one up at the ICC. The form can also be emailed to you. League coordinators are: Dan Conley (Monday night), Craig Lieber and Carole Casamento (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night), Loretta O’Boyle (Thursday afternoon) and David Alioto (Thursday night).
ICC Members: Planning to attend the dinner before the General Meeting on Thursday, January 19th?
If so, you are kindly asked to make a reservation on or before Monday, January 15th. Call 414-223-2180. Your reservation will help the culinary staff of Bartolotta Catering prepare sufficient food for the buffet. Thank you for your cooperation! Catering THE ITALIAN TIMES
Italian culture, food and dance live at Holiday Folk Fair through efforts of ICC, Tradizione Vivente and I Bei Bambini
Representatives of Italian culture and regional folk dances as well as the food associated with the boot-shaped republic were well represented at the Holiday Folk Fair International, Nov. 18-20 by volunteers from the Italian Community Center and members of the dance groups, Tradizione Vivente and I Bei Bambini. Present also as representatives of Italian culture were Gina Jorgensen, ICC Culture Committee chair, and her students from Milwaukee’s North Division High School and teachers from Milwaukee Italian Immersion School at Victory K-8. The multi-cultural Folk Fair was held at the Wisconsin Expo Building at State Fair Park in West Allis. ICC volunteers operated a culture booth, under Jorgensen’s guidance. Tradizione Vivente performed
all three days and its members were in charge of the Italian cafè. I Bei Bambini had an opportunity to show how well children can carry on the traditions of Italian folk dance in a Nov. 20 performance. Jorgensen and the Italian Immersion School staff were involved in the Education Day program, which preceded the opening of the fair to the public on Nov, 18. The Folk Fair theme was “Celebrate the Culture of Water,” which allowed fairgoers the opportunity to learn the ways in which water and its symbolism are incorporated into the music, food, dance, arts and crafts of each ethnic group. In keeping with the theme, the culture booth featured displays and information on the aqueducts of Rome, the famous fountains of Italy, the Italian belief in the use of therapeutic water (hot springs and spas) and the Venetian gondolas.
Anna Pitzo staffed the Italian culture booth. Christina Ziino)
(Photo provided by
Here is Tradizione Vivente: the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee during one of its performances at the Holiday Folk Fair International. The
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Local Italian businesses Peter Sciortino Bakery and Palermo’s
Pizza provided the Italian fare that was sold at the food booth.
I Bei Bambini, The Children’s Italian Dance Group
Here are (l-r) Alex Kaftan, Susie Christiansen, Gabriella Azzarello and Mark DeSanctis in the Italian food booth at the Holiday Folk Fair. (Photo provided by Christina Ziino
group performed each of the three days of the Folk Fair as it has for many years. (Photo provided by Tradizione Vivente)
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 9
Milwaukee Academy of Medicine recognizes Dr. Julian De Lia with its 2016 Distinguished Achievement Award
Dr. Julian E. De Lia, an obstetrician/gynecologist and longtime member of the Italian Community Center, was presented the 2016 Distinguished Achievement Award by the Milwaukee Academy of Medicine at its award dinner on Nov. 15 at the Wisconsin Club. A Livingston, New Jersey native, Dr. De Lia is known for his development and performance of the first intrauterine placenta laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Since then, this operation is now performed in medicine centers throughout the world. De Lia began his medical study at the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, then completed his obstetrician/gynecologist training in New Jersey, and ultimately entered academic medicine. He was on the full-time faculty at the Uni-
Correcting an error in our December issue
In one of the photo captions accompanying the obituary story on Phil Purpero, a past president of the ICC, we incorrectly identified Phil’s daughter. The daughter appearing with Phil in the photo is Phyllis “Phillie” Purpero, not Rosalia “Bo” Doehling as reported. Our sincerest apologies to the Purpero family.
Dr. Julian E. De Lia
versity of Utah, Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois in Chicago. He was the
Benvenuti! Welcome, new ICC members
The following persons became members of the Italian Community Center between November 10 and December 8, 2016. Benvenuti (Welcome!) Carmela De Nicola Moftah of Milwaukee, WI Mark N. Campanile of Cascade, WI Rick P. Bonanno of Kenosha, WI
Joanne Krumberger of Shorewood, WI
medical director of the International Institute for the Treatment of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. De Lia was named by his peers as one (of four) of the pioneers of maternal-fetal surgery, and recognized by both the March of Dimes and the Wisconsin Association of Perinatal Care for his 30-plus year effort to reverse the high mortality and rate of brain damage seen in babies affected by TTTS. Since performing his first TTTS
surgery, Dr. Lia has treated patients from 43 states and two Canadian provinces. He has consulted with patients and physicians from 48 states and 55 foreign countries. His placental laser surgery is the most common performed intrauterine surgery to benefit the fetus throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dr. De Lia has stated that he believes that issues related to identical twin gestation are important to all physicians, regardless of specialty.
The officers and directors of the Italian Community Center wish to thank and acknowledge all those who pledged, fulfilled a pledge, or made a contribution to the nonprofit organization. To obtain information on how to make a pledge or make a donation, please call 414-223-2808. The following donations were received between Nov. 10 and Dec. 8, 2016.
Joseph and Virginia Besasie
Thanks for your donations to the ICC
In memory of Peter Frank Sorce Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce Christina Sorce
In memory of Mary Pilacek Tony Machi
In memory of Charles Carrao Carmen Schlotthauer In memory of Gino Carrao Carmen Schlotthauer
In memory of Major Michael Oberleitner Carmen Schlotthauer
In memory of Joseph Castrovinci Carmen Schlotthauer In memory of Sarah Carrao Carmen Schlotthauer
In memory of Phillip J. Purpero Tony and Barbara Lupo Marcia A. Nardelli Satula and Ann Joan Otto Isidore and Mary Pecoraro Sal Mussomeli Larry and Joan Balistreri UNICO National Milwaukee Chapter
In memory of Josephine Crivello George and Judy Menos
ator, the Italian Conference Center, will be honored until the end of the year. Bartolotta became the official operator of Cafe La Scala, the public restaurant at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St.,
Milwaukee, on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The restaurant continues to offer affordably priced Italian food for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. Reservations can be made by calling 414-2232185.
In memory of Grace Jaynes Carmen Schlotthauer
In memory of Joseph Spang Larry and Joan Balistreri
Bartolotta honoring Cafe La Scala gift certificates until end of 2016
The late Phil Purpero and his daughter Phyllis “Phillie” Purpero.
If you have a Cafe La Scala gift certificate, you should plan on stopping in soon. Under an agreement with Bartolotta Restaurant Group, the new operators of the restaurant, gift certificates issued by the former oper-
History repeats itself in the Balistreri family
Six generations of females in the Balistreri family are represented in these photos. In the photo on the left that was taken in 1993 is the matriarch of the family, Marguerite Balistreri (on the far right). Marguerite, a longtime member of the Italian Community Center, lived to the age of 98. Sitting next to Marquerite is her daughter, Aggie, who at the time was the wife of the late John Hromadka. Next to Aggie is her daughter, Margie Creedon. On the far left is Margie’s daughter Jolie Ryan, who is holding her daughter Alissa. The photo on the right was taken earlier this year. Starting on the left this time is Jolie, whose married last name is now Marthaler. Standing next to Jolie is her daughter Alissa Elert (who was the baby in the 1993 photo). Here, Jolie is holding her child,
PAGE 10 – JANUARY 2017
Avery, the sixth female descendant of Marguerite. Next to Jolie and Avery is Aggie, who is now known as Aggie Collura, the wife of George. Next to Aggie is her daughter Margie Creedon. The family has a long history of involvement in the ICC and Festa Italiana. Aggie was La Regina (The Queen) of the ICC’s Il Grande Carnevale in 1996. The Re (King) was her late husband, John Hromadka. Aggie was also a member of the Carnevale Royalty in 2011 when she and her current husband, George Collura, were the Nonna and Nonno. Jolie Ryan was La Principessa (The Princess) of Carnevale in 1992. Jolie’s daughter, Alissa, was La Piccola Principessa (The Little Princess) in 2006. The 38th annual Carnevale will be Saturday, Feb. 25. (Photos provided by Aggie Collura)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Will you tell your family’s story?
By George Koleas During Festa Italiana in 2016, our organization provided a display on Italian genealogy in the Culture Committee tent attached to the sacred art and photo display. Curiosity drew in visitors that were hopeful and wanting to learn something about their family. Some had been thinking about learning more but did not know how to get started. Some were inspired at that moment by the display. We had computers arranged so we could work with visitors one on one to try to look up information in different databases. We found many potentially related families for our visitors. I, myself, met three new potential cousins. I call them “potential” because we still have to make sure that the families we found are really connected. If we found a possible connection, perhaps going back many generations, we asked the visitor additional questions about their relatives and particularly about their immigrant ancestors. We did this to make sure that we have made a positive match and connect the visitor to the correct family. There is a considerable amount of information on the internet that has not been carefully researched
Words in an Italian name
by Blaise Di Pronio How many words can you make withe letters in FERRARI? Answers on page 16
and is unsupported by documentation. We consider what we find on the internet as a hint to explore. We cannot accept what is found online as facts until we can confirm those hints with source documents. When we can confirm a family connection, we often find many other related families, particularly among Milwaukee Italians. One of our objectives is to build a family tree that makes all these connections. We have many members who learned through research that they are related. These are excerpts from a poem “We Are The Chosen” written by Della M. Cumming that provides an answer to the question, “What compels us to look for our ancestors and to encourage others to look for theirs?”
cold gathering of facts but, instead, Breathing life into all who have gone before.
“…we are called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, To tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a
Their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. … It is up to that one called in the
next generation, To answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why I do my family genealogy…” To read the entire poem, go to: http://www.ancestorhunt.com/thechosen.htm . We are waiting to help you tell your family’s story. If you now hear your ancestors calling to you, or if you just want to learn more, you are welcome to our next meeting on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at noon. Please feel free to bring guests. We welcome anyone with an interest in Italian family history. If you cannot come to our Jan. 14, meeting, please mark your calendar for one of our other meetings in 2017 on Saturdays, Apr. 8, Aug. 26 and Nov. 4 at the ICC, starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at noon. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me, George Koleas, at : GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com or by calling 262- 251-7216 after 7 p.m.
Compiled by Blaise Di Pronio 1. The colors of the Italian flag represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red). 2. Italians eat spaghetti only with a fork, not using a spoon. 3. The Pizza Margherita was invented in Naples in 1889 to honor Italy’s Queen Margherita of Savoy
who was then visiting the city. 4. More than 20% of Italy’s population is over 65 years old. It’s the highest percentage in Europe. 5. Italy borders with Austria, France, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, and Switzerland. 6. Everyone, 18 and over can vote, however you have to be at least 25 to vote for the Senate’s
elections. 7. The thermometer is an Italian invention. 8. The average life expectancy at birth for an Italian is 79.8 years for men and 84.6 for women. 9. The Eau de Cologne was invented by an Italian who emigrated to Koln (Cologna) in Germany. 10. Italy has over 3,000 museums.
All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the February 2017 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Monday, Jan. 9.
All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org, sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-223-2189.
We are the storytellers of the tribe. We have been called as it were by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. … … It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up.
Who knew? Chi lo sapeva?
Word Search: Italian men’s names by Blaise Di Pronio
February 2017 issue deadline
Notice To ICC Members
Please Be Advised That With The Takeover Of The Restaurant, Catering and Banquet Services By The Bartolotta Restaurant Group, Members Of The Italian Community Center Are Not Permitted To Bring Food and Beverages Into The Building For Their Events.
Word Search resolved: Go to page 15
THE ITALIAN TIMES
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 11
La Pagina Italiana L’angolo delle curiosità
Chi possiede uno Stradivario, possiede un tesoro
di Donato Di Pronio Il vocabolo Stradivario è sinonimo di violino e anche di violoncello e deriva dal cognome del grandissimo liutaio Italiano, Antonio Stradivari(1644-1737), discendente di un’antica Patrizia di Cremona. (Liutaio, fabbricante di liuti. Liuto: dal francese leut, a sua volta dall’arabo ‘ùd, legno).
Stradivari apprese l’arte da un altro grande liutaio, Nicola Amati, appartenente ad una famiglia di liutai anch’essi Cremonesi. Il primo capolavoro di Stradivari fu il violino denominato Toscano costruito nel 1690. (L’ultimo firmato di suo pugno porta la data del 1736). I modelli più noti sono il Betts (1704), il Parke (1711), il
Sul monte Catalano, a circa 2 Km da Santa Flavia, inserite in uno splendido contesto panoramico, si trovano le rovine dell’antica Soluto, città Ellenistico-Romana costruita intorno alla metà del IV secolo a.C. e abbandonata alla fine del II sec. D.C.. Solunto, una delle tre città Puniche della Sicilia con Mozia e Palermo, occupa una bellissima posizione su un pendio del promontorio formato dal Monte Catalfano da cui si domina il mare con Capo Zafferano. Fondata dai Cartaginesi nel IV sec. a.C., forse sui resti (o nei pressi) di una più antica città Fenicia, dopo circa un secolo passa sotto il dominio Romano. Il nome ha due origini: una leggendaria, che lo vede legato malvagio Solunto, all’essere sconfitto da Eracle proprio in questi luoghi, l’altro, più realistico, che lo mette in relazione con la parola cartaginese Selaim, rupe. La pianta della città segue i dettami classici, stabiliti da Ippodamo da Mileto e si sviluppa ortogonalmente intorno ad un decumano maggiore, con cardini perpendicolari che formano insule intersecate da stretti passaggi per lo scolo delle acque. Il terreno fortemente scosceso ha reso necessario il terrazzamento e uno sviluppo in altezza di molte abitazioni. Anche se oggi il piano superiore non esiste più, si possono ancora vedere le scale d’accesso. Note storiche: L’antica Soluto occupa un rilievo montuoso del Monte Catalfano
denominato “La città”. Essa è citata da Tucidide,( VI,2,6 ) insieme a e Motya quale Panormos fondazione Fenicia esistente già ai tempi della colonizzazione Greca. La città sul monte Catalfano, tuttavia, non si riferisce alla più antica nominata da Tucidide, giacché, in base ai dati di scavo, essa risulta fondata intorno alla metà del IV sec. a.C. L’insediamento arcaico, invece, si trova probabilmente poco distante, presso il promontorio di Soltanto, sulla piana di S.Cristoforo, in una zona prossima all’area della necropoli di età arcaica, riutilizzata fino ad età Ellenistica. La città più antica venne distrutta da Dionisio I ed in seguito ricostruita in posizione più arroccata e difesa naturalmente. Della vita di Soluto conosciamo abbastanza poco, poiché le fonti storiche ci offrono scarse notizie in merito. Diodoro ( 23, 18, 5 ) ci informa che nel 254 a.C. la città si consegnò a Roma, mentre da Cicerone (Verr. II,III,43,103 ) veniamo a sapere che fu molto danneggiata da Verre. Un’epigrafe latina databile fra il 202 e il 205 d.C. è il documento più recente rinvenuto nel corso degli scavi e ci attesta quindi l’esistenza di Soluto fino a quella data. Non si conoscono al momento le cause che determinarono la fine della città; probabilmente si trattò di un abbandono lento e graduale legato a cause di natura socio - economica. – dal sito: comune.santaflavia.pa.it
Solunto
L’angolo delle curiosità
Perché i giocatori di calcio vengono detti Azzurri?
di Donato Di Pronio La risposta più semplice e immediata: Dal colore della maglia della loro divisa. Mi vien voglia di definire il colore azzurro il colore dell’Italia: immersa a terra, nell’azzurro del mare; in alto, circondata dall’azzurro di un cielo infinito. Anche “l’aria è azzurra per le tenebre che ha di sopra, perché nero e bianco fa azzurro”, lasciò scritto Leonardo da Vinci. Verrebbe spontaneo ritenere che questa realtà abbia contribuito alla decisione di adottare per la divisa delle squadre sportive nazionali il colore azzurro. In effetti, all’inizio del XX secolo, divenuto il giuoco del calcio uno sport praticato a livello internazionale, in Italia fu preferito per le divise degli atleti
PAGE 12 – GENNAIO 2017
il colore azzurro anche per rendere omaggio alla Casa Reale dei Savoia regnante in Italia, la quale da sempre lo usò per contrassegnare i propri stendardi e le decorazioni militari e civili. Una bandiera azzurra sventolò per la prima volta nel 1366 per volontà di Alessandro VI di Savoia sulla sua galèa (nave a remi e a vela in uso sino agli inizi del 19° secolo), ammiraglia di una flottiglia di 17 navi. (Casa Savoia, le cui origini sono avvolte nel mistero - addirittura si vuole farle risalire ai tempi di Calo Magno aveva adottato il colore azzurro per devozione alla Madonna. Un Savoia, e precisamente Vittorio Emanuele II, nel 1861 fu nominato primo Re dell’Italia Unita). Durante il Regime Fascista gli atleti indossarono una maglia di colore nero.
Boissier (1713), il Delfino (1714), il Messia (1716), il Sasserno (1716), ecc. Si tramanda che durante la vita costruì non meno di 1100 meravigliosi strumenti. Attualmente circolano circa 540 violini, 12 viole e 50 violoncelli di sua costruzione. I modelli dello Stradivari rimasero per lungo tempo insuperati per la sua particolare e tecnica: dimensioni, sapiente spessori, convessità della tavola e
del fondo, le fasce, il riccio, la tastiera e il ponticello; qualità del legno (acero di Dalmazia, pioppo, tiglio, abete, salice). E’ rimasto un segreto il tipo di vernice che usava: fu un coefficiente non secondario della prodigiosa sonorità dei suoi strumenti. Nicolò Paganini (1782-1840), il più grande violinista del mondo, la volta che rischiò di perdere al giuoco il suo Stradivari, voleva impiccarsi!
Felice nuovo anno Felice nuovo anno Nella notte di magia l’anno vecchio scappa via non sei neppure addormentato che uno nuovo è già arrivato bello, ricco di giornate, sia d’inverno, che d’estate. Anno allegro e fortunato sia quest’anno appena nato! Anno nuovo Ho incontrato per la via un vecchietto tutto bianco camminava curvo e stanco pieno di malinconia. Tristemente ha mormorato “Sono l’anno che è passato”. Saltellando poi veniva un allegro fanciullino e rideva birichino dietro l’anno che finiva; pien di gioia mi ha cantato “Sono l’anno appena nato”.
Anno vecchio ed anno nuovo Tin tin l’orologio rintocca tin tin quanti colpi ha suonato? Tin tin qual è l’ora che scocca? Tin tin qualcheduno ha bussato! Anno vecchio, tin tin, ti saluto! Anno nuovo, tin tin, benvenuto! Grazie a: lapappadolce.net
Proverbi Italiani
1. Dimi la vita che fai, e ti diro’ la morte che farai. Tell me what kind of life you lead, and I’ll tell you what kind of death you’ll have. 2. Fra dir e far si guastano scarpe assai. Between saying and doing, many shoes are worn out. 3. La campana senza battente Come diavolo può suonare? Ed un vecchio senza denti Come diavolo può mangiare? A bell without a clapper How the devil can it ring? An old man without teeth How the devil can he eat?
4. II vino è il latte dei vecchi. Wine is the milk of the old.
5. Quando la barba fa bianchine, Lascia la donna e tienti al vino. When the beard turns white, Leave women, and turn to wine.
6. La fatica genera scienza, E l’ozio fa demenza. Efforts give rise to wisdom, Idleness results in senility.
7. II riso fa buon sangue, e bel viso. Laughter makes for good blood (health) And a cute face. Grazie a: italyrevisited.org
Italian idioms and expressions
1. Caduto dalle Nuvole. Lit.: Fallen from the Clouds. Meaning: Completely taken by surprise.
Meaning: Justice will win out.
2. Avere le Braccine Corte. Lit.: Having short arms. Meaning: Short arms can’t reach the wallet. (i.e., cheapskate.) 3. Avere le Mani in Pasta. Lit:. Having your hands in the pasta. Meaning: Involved in too many things. (i.e., Spreading yourself too thin.) 4. C’è un Giudice a Berlino. Lit.: There’s a judge in Berlin.
5. Farò le polpette di voi. Lit.: I’ll make meatballs out of you. (i.e., I’ll make mincemeat out of you.)
6. Ho il Dente Avvelenato. Lit:. I have a poisoned tooth. Meaning: To have a strongly tainted or biased opinion. (i.e., To have a grudge).
7. Dalle Stelle alle Stalle. Lit.: From the Stars to the Stalls. Meaning: To lose it all after great success. (i.e., To fall from grace.)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
La nascita del blues
di Blaise Di Pronio Come i nostri lettori ormai sapranno, a volte mi vanto e mi compiaccio un po’ troppo quando scrivo dei molti contributi fatti al mondo da personaggi di origine italiana, la maggior parte dei quali è tuttavia ben giustificata e basata su fatti concreti. Si pensi ad esempio a Fermi, Marconi, Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Fellini, e così via all’infinito. Ma ora ho intenzione di approfondire un argomento che dai più verrà considerato azzardato. Mi riferisco alla nascita del blues. Esatto, quel complesso di genere e forma musicale tipicamente americano; si faccia però attenzione poiché in questo articolo l’accento sarà posto esclusivamente sul momento della
nascita dello stesso. Non c’è dubbio che l’Opera sia chiaramente ed inequivocabilmente di origine italiana, invece il blues? Sì, quel blues. Sono pochi quelli che avranno sentito parlare di un certo Antonio Maggio e giustamente; la ragione è che divenne popolare solo grazie ad una canzone da lui pubblicata nel 1908, dal titolo “I got the blues.” Maggio era un musicista di New Orleans, la cui composizione “Blues” è considerata una pietra miliare nella storia del genere blues, poiché rappresenta la prima trasposizione tipografica conosciuta della sequenza musicale in 12 misure correlata al concetto di una persona che, a seguito di qualche avvenimento della propria vita, si
di Donato Di Pronio Ogni Italiano, secondo un rapporto dell’Automobile Club, passa in macchina, in media, un’ora e mezza al giorno, pari a 22 giorni all’anno. Il che non è poco in quanto stiamo parlando di media: in effetti ci sono tanti che per il tipo del lavoro stanno alla guida di automezzi tutti i giorni e per tante ore. In questa particolare classifica gli Italiani sono i primi in Europa seguiti da inglesi, tedeschi, spagnoli, ecc. La regione in cui si percorrono più chilometri è il Molise (curiosità: la zona in cui sorge la bella città di Isernia costituiva un tempo l’habitat dell’Homo Aeserniensis, che è stato definito l’Antenato dell’Europa, vissuto un milione di anni prima di Cristo). Naturalmente il tempo dedicato alla guida incide negativamente sulla salute, sull’umore, sulle relazioni sociali, nonché sul benessere. Ma cosa è questo tempo, domanda che metteva in difficoltà anche la mente eccelsa del grandissimo Dottore della Chiesa
cattolica sant’Agostino (Tagaste, Tunisia, 354 - Ippona, Algeria, 430). “Cos’è dunque il tempo?”, si chiedeva. “Se nessuno me lo chiede, lo so. Se voglio spiegarlo a chi me lo chiede, non lo so più!”. Ah saperlo …
L’angolo delle curiosità
Il rapporto tra l’Italiano e l’automobile
(Sicilia) nel 1876 ed arrivò a New Orleans nel 1892, in un periodo in cui gli Italiani non godevano di uno status sociale favorevole, tanto che si potrebbe affermare che anche Maggio ebbe molti motivi per essere triste e malinconico (non verranno esposti in questa sede poiché sarebbero troppo numerosi). In un’intervista nell’ultimo periodo della sua vita rivelò che l’ispirazione per la composizione della sua canzone “Blues” gli venne nel 1907 ascoltando un “anziano afroamericano che suonava la chitarra ripetendo continuamente tre note”; fu Maggio a trasporre tale sequenza su spartito. Alla luce di ciò si potrebbe affermare che Maggio fu essenzialmente un precursore del blues, mentre l’origine di questo genere rimane strettamente associata alla americana. tradizione Ciononostante il ruolo di Maggio ebbe un effetto permanente nel processo di trasformazione del blues, considerato in senso stretto come insieme di sensazioni interiori, in musica piacevole la cui fruizione avviene con i sensi esterni. – Tradotto dall’Inglese da Laura Duronio di Francavilla al Mare (Chieti) Italia.
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E fatta’na risata
Moglie al marito: “amore se potessi scegliere di morire, morirei nel sonno!” E il marito: “ninna nanna ninna ooooo”. Il dottore ha detto che devo mangiare leggero e io da quattro mesi che mangio con la canottiera.
Marito e moglie, in macchina, partono per il week end; dopo qualche chilometro: - “Giovanni, Giovanni torniamo indietro, ho dimenticato il gas acceso” - “Non ti preoccupare” - “Come non ti preoccupare, potrebbe incendiarsi la casa” - “Non ti preoccupare, io ho dimenticato aperto il rubinetto del lavandino”.
Tre donne vanno in paradiso, San Pietro le guarda e dice: “chi ha tradito il marito, alzi la mano” allora le prime due alzano la mano e la terza no, allora San Pietro dice: “tutte e tre nel purgatorio, anche la sorda!!!”
Una anziana signora entra in un negozio di armeria e chiede al commesso: - “vorrei acquistare una pistola” - “le serve per la difesa?” - “No no! per quella ci pensa il mio avvocato”.
sente pervasa da una sensazione di tristezza e malinconia (in inglese l’espressione “have the blues” ha proprio questo significato). La struttura musicale creata da Antonio divenne famosa col nome di “12 bar blues” o “blues changes” [N.d.T. “blues in 12 misure” o “variazioni del blues”] in quanto include una delle sequenze di accordi più rilevanti della musica popolare. Purtroppo, oltre alla composizione sopracitata, Antonio Maggio non ebbe un ruolo di rilievo in questo nuovo genere musicale che si sarebbe evoluto in seguito nel jazz, nel rhythm & blues e nel rock & roll. Come accennato in precedenza, non fu Maggio l’inventore del blues: questo stile musicale nacque all’inizio del diciannovesimo secolo in seno alle comunità afroamericane degli stati del profondo Sud. Tale genere incorporava le tradizioni musicali africane, i canti di lavoro americani, la musica spirituale e la musica folk europea. Tra le caratteristiche di questo genere si ricordano: il modello chiamata e risposta, la scala blues e determinate sequenze di accordi di cui la “12 bar blues” dell’italiano Maggio è la più comune. Antonio Maggio nacque a Cefalù
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GENNAIO 2017 – PAGE 13
The missing island of Italy
by Bill Dickinson We all know what an island is. Some are important such as Manhattan Island, on which New York is located. Some islands are famous, like Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. Islands can be interesting places. Capri has a strong association with romance and unfulfilled love. Ellis Island is very important in Italian American history. Sicily has history that goes back to seafaring Phoenicians and the golden age of Greece. However, not all islands have such noteworthy pasts nor can they all be counted on for enduring futures. Ferdinandea is a good example of this. Ferdinandea has other names, but I prefer this name, of them all, because it’s more historically romantic. It is located in the Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia (Phlegraean Fields of the Sea of Sicily). Another way to locate Ferdinandea is to search the sea about 30 miles off shore due south from Sciacca, Sicilia. It is Ferdinandea’s sort of “now you see me and now you don’t” situation that makes it interesting. Basically, Ferdinandea is a volcano. Italy is well known for volcanoes (i.e., Etna on Sicily and Vesuvius near Naples). My favorite, because of its name, is Stromboli. It just sounds so mystical. Volcanoes are well known in Italy. Their presence is perpetually obvious. But here is a story about one that plays “hide and seek”. The fact is that there are at least as many unseen volcanoes beneath the Mediterranean as are obvious on the lands surrounding it. Some time between 264 and 150 BC, Ferdinandea made its first recorded appearance. As the first Punic War raged between the Roman and Carthage empires, Ferdinandea rose above the waves only to disappear shortly thereafter. Since that time there were other appearances, but because of Ferdi-
Sir James Graham
PAGE 14 – JANUARY 2017
nandea’s capriciousness, they were never recorded. The volcano that spawned Ferdinandea apparently slumbered until 1831. In June, earthquakes shook the seacoast town of Sciacca, Sicily. The tremors continued into July at which time odors of burning sulphur permeated the air to the degree that anything silver became black. In about the middle of July, villagers noticed smoke raising from the sea. They thought it was perhaps a steam ship on fire. Records indicate that, on July 13th, a commercial sailing vessel found itself close to the area and confirmed smoke-filled bubbles, discolored water and dead fish floating about. Some aboard assumed it was evidence of a sea monster. By July
17, a fully grown island had formed. Shortly thereafter, a full-blown international incident developed. On August 1, 1831, Captain Humphrey Senhouse, of the Royal Navy observed the island from his ship, HMS St Vincent. He claimed the island for the British Crown and named it Graham Island after the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir James Graham. The eruptions of 1831 continued and resulted in an island the size of about 2.5 square miles. At its maximum (in July and August 1831), it was 15,700 ft. in circumference and 207 ft. in height. It sported two small lakes, the larger of which was almost 70 feet in circumference and about 6 feet in depth. In January 1832, before the issue of its sovereignty could be fully resolved, the land form once again retreated into the sea. Fresh eruptions in 1863 caused the island to reappear briefly, but in a short time, once again sinking below sea level. The new island attracted much national interest during this period because of its strategic position in the very narrow passage between Sicily and Tunisia. England, of course, had first claim on the new island, but the property was, in fact, within the waters of his majesty, King Ferdinand II, ruler of the “Two Sicilys”. At the time of King Ferdinand
II’s rule, he was considered a trainee, (i.e. a “Cadet”) by the French rulers. The Bourbon ruling family, as it were, had designated Ferdinand II as a sort of “caretaker” of “The Two Sicilys”. Sicilians appreciated his efforts and decided to name the new island Ferdinandea. Not being totally sat-
isfied with Ferdinand’s efforts, the French Navy was sent with a landing party that planted its tricolor flag, and named the island Julia (being that the land form developed in July.) Not to be outdone, Spain jumped into the mêlée, claimed the property but never planted a flag or penned a formal name. The reason for all the interest was because of its strategic position in the Mediterranean relative to shipping and trade routes. But alas, Ferdinandea being largely volcanic ash, small stones and garden-sized rocks, eroded and washed away when the volcano ceased activity. By the end of 1863, the remains of Ferdinandea were 26 feet under the waves. In 2000, renewed seismic activity around Graham Island (as it is now officially called) led volcanologists to speculate that a new eruptive episode could be imminent, and the seamount might once again become an island. Please turn to page 20
Word Search: Italian men’s names: Resolved from page 11
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Opera insights
by Barbara Collignon “Va Pensiero,” the hymn sung by the Hebrew slaves in Verdi’s Nabucco was so well known by Italians that, when Verdi died, crowds gathered along the streets as his funeral cortege passed and spontaneously began to sing it. Their beloved composer, born in Parma in 1831 before the reunification of Italy, died Jan. 27, 1901 in Milan. The hymn the Israelites sing about their longing for their homeland was interpreted as a veiled anti-Austrian manifesto and was one of the main inspirations for the unification of Italy. It has become the unofficial national anthem of Italy. King Nabucco (Nabuchadnezzar in English), as he appears in the opera, is a composite of several historical rulers: Nebuchadnezzar (634- to 562 BC), Nabonidus and Cyrus. The books of Jeremiah and Daniel and Psalm 137 provided inspiration for the opera. Beautiful Psalm 137 is attributed to Jeremiah and dedicated to David. It reflects the Israelites’ yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City’s enemies. The words, “Golden harp of the prophetic seers, why doest thou hang mute upon the willows?” refers to when the Israelites, captives and exiles in Babylonia, were asked “to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.” They refused to do so and hung their harps on trees. This poignant phrase has since appeared in numerous works of literature and music. You may even have sung it in a familiar song (“There’s a tavern in the town”) that appears in an 1883 edition of “Student Songs” and which once was the anthem of Trinity University College. Adieu, adieu kind friends, adieu, yes, adieu, I can no longer stay with you, stay with you, I’ll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, And may the world go well with thee. The opera also owes inspiration to a play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue and an even more important source, a ballet
adaptation given at La Scala in 1836. But it was the beautiful libretto by Solera that finally moved Verdi to compose this opera. The libretto had been rejected by rival composer Otto Nicolai, and Verdi was about to reject it himself. He had recently suffered many personal tragedies: the death of his first child in infancy in August of 1838 and a year later, his only son, also an infant, died in October of 1839. A third coffin left his house when, in 1838, his 26 year old wife Margherita died of encephalitis. Verdi took the libretto home and, not really interested, tossed it onto a table. Serendipitously, it opened to the words “Va’ Pensiero, sull’ali dorate” and caught Verdi’s eye. Reading the text, he was very moved and began to compose the music for the opera. “Va, Pensiero” is the incipit (Latin for “it begins”) or first few words of the text as identifying label however, in correct Italian, it would read “Va’, Pensiero”. Va’ Pensiero Va’, pensiero, sull’ali dorate ; Va’, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli, Ove olezzano tepide e molli L’aure dolci del suolo natal ! Del Giordano le rive saluta, Di Sionne le torri atterrate... Oh mia patria si bella e perduta ! O membranza sì cara e fatal ! Arpa d’or dei fatidici vati, Perché muta dal salice pendi? Le memorie nel petto raccendi, Ci favella del tempo che fu ! O simile di Solima ai fati Traggi un suono di crudo lamento, O t’ispiri il Signore un concento Che ne infonda al patire virtù !
Fly, thoughts, on wings of gold. Settle on the slopes and the hills where soft and mild the sweet airs of our native land smell fragrant.
Greet the banks of the Jordan and Zion’s toppled towers. Oh, my country so beautiful and lost. Oh remembrance so dear and so fatal. Golden harp of the prophetic seers why doest thou hang mute upon the willows? Rekindle our bosom’s memories and speak to us of times gone by. Mindful of the fate of Jerusalem, give forth a sound of crude lamentation or may the Lord inspire you a harmony of voices which may instill virtue to suffering.
The plot of Nabucco, intricate and convoluted, includes a love triangle, accusations of treason between sisters, a mad scene, a conversion, a grand rescue and suicide. The love triangle is between Nabucco’s daughters, Fenena and Abigaille, and Ismaele, the nephew of the King of Jerusalem. The mad scene depicts Nabucco’s insanity before his conversion to Judaism. (This is accurate according to biblical texts, but in the opera, it lasts only a short time. In actuality, Nebuchadnezzar’s madness lasted seven years.) There are accusations of treason and a last minute rescue of the Israelites. At one point, Abigaille declares herself Queen of Babylon and tricks Nabucco into signing a death warrant for the Israelites and Fenena. When he comes to his senses, realizing he is condemning his own daughter to death, he asks for forgiveness, vows to rebuild the temple and to convert to Judaism. Fenena and the Israelites are saved! Abigaille poisons herself but not before begging forgiveness of Fenena. In dramatic fashion, she prays for God’s mercy and dies. Verdi, speaking himself of “Va Pensiero”, said it was “born under a lucky star.” He is also quoted as saying, “I adore art…. when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds, and the tears stream from my eyes, and my emotion and Please turn to page 16
Milwaukees Italians who served in the U.S. Military during World War II – Part 19
Researched and written by the late Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian The information presented here was researched and copyrighted as a historical record of the men and women of Italian descent who lived in the City of Milwaukee and served in the United States Military during World War II. The information recorded and documented by this researcher from records kept at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. These works were copyrighted in 2004 and an original copy has been placed in the repository at the United States Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The research was secured from City of Milwaukee Directories 1941, 1942 and 1944-45. No directory was published in 1943. The years 1944 and 1945 were combined into one directory.
Name Silvera, George Simeone, Ralph J. Simeone, William E. Simone, Gene Sirianni, Gabriel Sirna, Ann J. Sirna, Sam Sivilotti, Mirco Solazzo, Fred Sorano, Paul Sorce, Domenic Sorce, Anthony Sorce, Everett Sorce, Frank Sorce, Isadore P. Sorce, Jack Sorce, Joe Sorce, Ted Sorce, Joe Sorgi, Ezio Sorrenti, Joe Spagnola, Alfred Spano, John Sparacino, Domenic Sparacino, Philip J. Sparacino, Sam Spasaro, Joe Spella, Rosario
Branch Army Army Army Army Army Coast Guard Army Army Navy Army Army Navy Navy Navy Marines Army Army Army Army Army Navy Army Army Army Army Navy Army Army
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Address 2411 N. Pierce 1857A N. Warren 1857A N. Warren 2361 N. 32nd St. 3125 N. 24th Pl. 1673 N. Cass 1673 N. Cass 2028 N. Hubbard 2473 S. Delaware 254A E. Juneau 1643 N. Jackson 223 N. Broadway 1913 E. Rusk 1913 E. Rusk 1653 N. Franklin 1653 N. Franklin 1653 N. Franklin 1653 N. Franklin 4436 N. 26th St. 1640 N. Jackson 604 N. Cass 744 N. 12th St. 2377 N. Booth 725 E. Michigan 712 E. Michigan 725 E. Michigan 1686 N. Cass 3225 W. St. Paul
Name Spicuzza, Joe Spinato, Jack Spinato, Louise A. Spinella, Anthony Spinella, Joe J. Spinella, Tony C. Spinella, Bruno Spinelli, Charlie Spingola, Len Spingola, Santo Spingola, Frank Jr. Spingola, Peter Spinnato, Sal Stano, Paul Stella, William Taccolini, Eugene Tagliavia, Anthony Tamillo, Chester Tamillo, Joe T. Tamillo, Frank Tammi, Walter Tanel, Leo Tanel, Marion Tappero, Earl Tarantino, Isadore Tarantino, Frank Tarantino, Mariano Tarantino, John J. Terlizzi, Mike Tibaldo, Peter Ticcioni, Albert Tocco, Domenic Tocco, Joe Tocco, Patsy Tocco, Phil Tomasino, Anth Tomasino, Anth J. Tomasino, Phil F. Tomasino, Ed Tomassini, Peter D. Tombari, Olivio Tonoli, Alvious
Branch Address Navy 1915 S. 28th St. Army 2631 N. Cramer, Apt. 103 Army 2631 N. Cramer, Apt. 103 Army 3735 W. Scott Army 3735 W. Scott Army 3735 W. Scott Army 1526 N. Cass Army 1526 N. Cass Army 2345 N. 2nd St. Army 1812 W. Greenfield Navy 710 E. Clybourn Navy 710 E. Clybourn Navy 8801 W. Adler Army 2030 N. 26th St. Army 3603 N. 40th St Army 832A N. 13th St. Army 521 E. Lloyd Army 2221 N. Humboldt Army 2221 N. Humboldt Navy 2221 N. Humboldt Marines 2404 S. Kinnnickinnic Marines 1809 W. Galena Navy 2860 N. 28th St. Marines 1837 S. Kinnickinnic Army 1681 N. Cass Army 2312 N. Well Army 3430 N. Oakland Coast Guard 513 E. Lyon Army 1327 N. 24th Pl. Army 2037 N. Wisconsin, Apt. A Army 3930 N. 11th Army 528 N. Van Buren Army 528 N. Van Buren Army 528 N. Van Buren Army 528 N. Van Buren Army 2323 W. Mitchell Army 3017 N. Pierce Army 3017 N. Pierce Army 1519 S. 31st St. Navy 2488 S. Delaware Army 1043 E. Potter Army 314 E. Ogden
Source: Wright’s Milwaukee City Directory, 1941, Wright Directory Co., Milwaukee. Continued in the next issue
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 15
Birth of the Azzurri (Blues)?
by Blaise Di Pronio As our readers should know, I sometimes overboast and overgloat when writing about the many contributions made to the world by those of Italian ancestry, but, most of them are for good reasons and based on fact, e.g., Fermi, Marconi, Fellini, Da Vinci, Machiavelli, St. Patrick and on and on, ad infinitum. But now I’m going to delve into a topic that most will think is off limits. I am referring to the birth of the blues. Yes, that all American musical form and genre, but please note that the stress here will be on the birth part. Okay, opera is clearly and unambiguously Italian, but the blues? Yes, those blues. None of you will have heard of
Opera insights
from page 15 my joys are too much to bear.” The opening performances of Nabucco, a “colossal success”, were limited to only eight because the season was coming to an end.” But, when the new season opened on Aug. 13, 1842, some additional 60 performances had been added by the end of that year. The Marcus Theatre cinema in Mequon will present the Met Opera HD performance of Nabucco on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 11:55 a.m. and an encore performance on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Millennial: A person from the generation reaching young adulthood around the year 2000. It comes from the Italian mille or one thousand and anno or year. They are next in line when the baby boomers become extinct.
Words in an Italian name
from page 11 51 words in FERRARI: 1. farrier 2. fairer 3. rifer 4. feria 5. frier 6. friar 7. firer 8. afire 9. airer 10. rarer 11. farer 12. frae 13. reif 14. fier 15. fear 16. fiar 17. rife 18. fare 19. rear 20. fire 21. fair 22. rare 23. fra 24. fie 25. era 26. are 27. arf 28. ria 29. fae 30. erf 31. ire 32. rif 33. fir 34. ref 35. fer 36. air 37. rei 38. err 39. far 40. rai 41. ear 42. re 43. ea 44. if 45. ef 46. fa 47. ae 48. fe 49. ai 50. er 51. ar.
one Antonio Maggio and, rightfully so, since his only claim to very little fame was a song he published in 1908 entitled “I Got the Blues”. Maggio was a New Orleans musician whose “Blues” composition is considered a milestone in blues history since it is the first known instance in print of the 12 bar musical sequence being associated with the concept of a person having the blues (feeling of melancholy and sadness) arising from one’s situation in life.
Antonio’s musical format became known as the 12 bar blues or blues changes as it describes one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music.
Unfortunately, other than the aforementioned composition, Anto-
PAGE 16 – JANUARY 2017
Antonio Maggio was born in 1876 in Cefalu, Sicily, and he came to New Orleans in 1892 – at a time
when Italians’ social status was not at a favorable level – and it could be said that Maggio also had many reasons (which are not being addressed here as there were too many) to be sad and melancholy. As to his “Blues” song and music, he admitted at a late-in-life interview that he had been inspired in 1907 when he heard “an elderly Negro with a guitar playing three notes” over and over, and he transposed them into sheet music. In that sense, it could be said that Maggio was mainly a messenger of the blues, and the creation of the category remains intact as a pure American origination. Nevertheless, he did have a lasting impact on how the blues that were felt inside were transformed into beautiful music to be felt on the outside.
around in unison somewhere or sticking their hands in their pockets. Another theory has to do with the fact that Italy was, for many years, under the control of countless other countries with different languages thus making communi-
cation very difficult so hand and body gestures needed to be used as a kind of universal language. Nothing like a left hand to the right elbow to break down a language barrier, right? There is also the problem of the Please turn to page 18
As alluded to earlier, Maggio did not invent blues since, as a musical style, it was originated by the Deep South’s African-Americans at the turn of the 19th century. The form incorporated African musical traditions, American work songs and spirituals and European folk music. It featured musical characterizations such as: call and response pattern, the blues scale and certain specific chord progressions of which the Italian Maggio’s twelve bar blues is the most common.
Hand signals
by Blaise Di Pronio Of the many kinds of Italian stereotypes, there’s one that needs a little investigating since it does appear that it’s one that attaches. We need to find out why Italians do speak with their arms and hands. The Japanese do karate chops with theirs. The British are always saluting. And the French like to hold them up in surrender.
There appear to be many theories and explanations for this Italian penchant for gesturing. It could be said that Italians are full of passion and fury, and words are just not enough for expressing themselves so body language and gesticulation are needed or they will burst with all that enthusiasm and hot blood. Actually, hot blood does enter the picture as the heat of the warmer Italian climates, especially in southern Italy, can give rise to one’s temperament that then needs to be let out with words and actions.
This would explain those wellbehaved and cerebral nordic and teutonic types of cooler northern Europe who are either marching
Bologna hosts Arte Fiera Jan. 27-29
The 40th annual Arte Fiera (Art Fair) will take place in Bologna (Emilia-Romagna), Italy, on Friday, Jan 27 through Sunday, Jan. 29.
The fair, which is a collaboration between the Bologna Council and BolognaFiere, offers visual and performing artists opportunities to showcase their talents and a chance for the public to get acquainted with artists.
This year, the Bologna Museums Institution is offering a new element to the fair that will allow people opportunities to view historic buildings in the city that have been rejuvenated by local artists. On Saturday, Jan. 28, more
Get a ‘Taste of Italy,’ Sunday, Apr. 2
Mark your calendars now. The Italian Community Center’s 21st annual “A Taste of Italy” will be Sunday, Apr. 2. Chairperson Ann Romano announced the date at the ICC’s September general meeting. “A Taste of Italy,” at which attendees can enjoy entrée items, sandwiches, salads, dessert and beverages, at extreme low prices, is an essential fund raising activity for the nonprofit organization. It has always been a success, said Romano, who chaired the activity 21 of the 22 years it has been held.
nio Maggio did not have a prominent role in this new music genre which was to evolve into jazz, rhythm & blues and rock & roll.
She announced that Anthony Zingale has agreed to return as volunteer food ticket chair. Ann Zambito and Bill and Karen Dickinson will be in charge of the raffle this year. Zambito has previously chaired the Taste of Italy raffle ticket operations. This will mark the first time for the Dickinsons. The entire building will again be used for this Italian food extravaganza. Much more information on “A Taste of Italy” will be reported in our upcoming issues
than 100 events will take place throughout the night. For more information on Arte
Fiera, visit either or these sites: or www.bolognagendacultura.it www.artefiera.it.
ICC’s La Befana Children’s Party Saturday, Jan. 7
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21 ICC’s 38th annual Il Grande Carnevale Saturday, Feb. 25
ICC’s 24th annual St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon Friday, Mar. 17 ICC’s 22nd annual “A Taste of Italy” Sunday, Apr. 2
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Apr. 21 and Saturday, Apr. 22 40th annual Festa Italiana Friday, July 21 – Sunday, July 23
ICC’s 4th annual Casino Night Friday, Sept. 8
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Top 10 most successful Italian soccer clubs
In Italy, like in most other European countries, the most popular sport is association “futbal” (football or soccer). The national soccer team of the country is considered one of the best in the world, having won the FIFA World Cup four times, which places them in the second highest position. The club sides of Italy are also great, having won 27 major European trophies, which makes this country the most successful European nation in soccer. Serie A, the top domestic league of Italy, is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, hosting three of the most famous clubs (Juventus, Milan and Inter). Here is a look at the top 10 most successful Italian soccer clubs, starting at #10 and working down to #1. SSC Napoli SSC Napoli has achieved a total of 10 national and international titles. The club was established as Associazione Calcio Napoli 90 years ago on Aug. 1, 1926, and is now referred to as Gli Azzurri or “The Blues” by its fans. SSC Napoli plays its home matches at Stadio San Paolo stadium (60,023 capacity). The club has won two Italian Serie A titles, five Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles in its history. The club was the winner of the UEFA Europa League once since its establishment. ACF Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina has won a total of 10 national and international ti-
Top restaurants in Porticello, Sicily
tles. The club was established on Aug. 29, 1926 as Associazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina S.p.A. and is now referred to as Viola or “The Purple” by its fans. ACF Fiorentina plays at Stadio Artemio Franchi stadium (47,290 capacity). The club has won two Italian Serie A, six Coppa Italia titles and one Supercoppa Italiana title in its history. The club was the winner of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup once since its establishment.
Bologna FC Bologna FC has also won 10 national and international titles. The club was established as Bologna Football Club S.p.A. in 1909 and is currently referred to as I Rossoblu or “The Red-Blues” by its fans. Bologna FC’s home matches are played at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara stadium (38,279 capacity). The club has won seven Italian Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles. The club scored the UEFA Intertoto Cup once since its establishment.
Genoa C.F.C. Genoa C.F.C . is another winner of 10 national and international titles. The club was established as Genoa Cricket and Football Club SpA in 1893, and is referred to as Il Grifone or “The Griffin” by its fans. Genoa C.F.C. uses Stadio Luigi Ferraris stadium as their home stadium (36,536 capacity). The club has won nine Italian Serie A titles one Coppa Italia title.
Torino FC Torino FC has earned a total of 12 national and international titles. The club was established as FootBall Club Torino Dec. 3, 1906 and
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And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Decimate: To severely reduce or to destroy almost completely. It comes from the Italian decimo or tenth which in turn comes from dieci or ten and decimare which used to mean to kill or punish every tenth person which will obviously severely reduce any number.
Two of world’s oldest Jewish scrolls found in Italy
Italy is home to two of the oldest complete Torahs (a.k.a. Five Books of Moses) in the world. One dates back to 1155 and is located at the University of Bologna. The other Torah was recently discovered in the small northern Italian town of Biella. It is believed to be from the year 1250. It has undergone restoration and was unveiled at a Biella synagogue this past March.
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then changed its name to Torino Football Club S.p.A. on Sept. 1, 2005, and is currently referred to as il Toro or “The Bull” by its fans. Torino FC plays its home games at Stadio Olimpico (28,140 capacity). The club has won a total of seven Italian Serie A titles and five Coppa Italia titles in its history.
SS Lazio SS Lazio has recorded 13 national and international titles. The club was established as Società Podistica Lazio on Jan. 9, 1900 and is known as I Biancocelesti or “The White and Sky Blues” by its fans. SS Lazio plays Stadio Olimpico stadium (72,481 capacity) in Rome during its home games. The club has won two Italian Serie A titles, six Coppa Italia titles, and three Supercoppa Italiana titles. The club was the winner of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup once and the UEFA Super Cup once in its club history.
AS Roma AS Roma has notched 15 national and international titles. The club was established as Associazione Sportiva Roma SpA on July 22, 1927 by Italo Foschi and is referred to as i Giallorossi or “The Yellow-Reds” by its fans. The club has won three Italian Serie A titles, nine Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana. The club has won one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Inter Milan Inter Milan has achieved 39 national and international titles. The club has won 18 Italian Serie A titles, seven Coppa Italia titles and five Supercoppa Italiana titles in its history. The club won the UEFA
Champions League three times. Inter Milan has earned three UEFA Europa League and two Intercontinental Cup. The club won the FIFA Club World Cup once in their club history.
AC Milan AC Milan has recorded 47 national and international titles. The club has won 18 Italian Serie A titles, five Coppa Italia titles and six Supercoppa Italiana titles. The club became the winner of UEFA Champions League seven times and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup twice. AC Milan has won five UEFA Super Cup and three Intercontinental Cup. The club won the FIFA Club World Cup once.
Juventus Juventus has garnered 57 national and international titles. The club has won a total of 31 Italian Serie A titles, nine Coppa Italia titles and six Supercoppa Italiana titles. The club became the winner of UEFA Champions League twice and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup once. Juventus also won the UEFA Europa League title three times. It has won 2 UEFA Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cup. The club has won one UEFA Intertoto Cup in its history.
Serie A Italy’s Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members of G-14 which is a group representing the largest and most celebrated soccer clubs of Europe. Italian clubs have some of the top players representing them, making these clubs some of the most popular among soccer fans.
The Italian Times welcomes your input
The Italian Times is extending an invitation to our readers to submit articles and/or suggestions for news stories for future publication in our printed and online edition. The Newspaper Committee and Editor Tom Hemman have developed a series of guidelines to revamp the publication’s editorial presentation with a concerted effort being made to make it more current, relevant and reader friendly. We welcome interested individuals to submit articles and/or suggestions for news stories to Editor Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org. You may also contact Newspaper Committee Chair Blaise DiPronio at 262-679-4351. Articles can be submitted in English or Italian. The following criteria has been established for news articles: 1). Must be relevant, newsworthy, pertaining to and of interest to the Italian American community. 2). Can be current, developing, historical or anecdotal. 3). Must be of original content and authorship. 4). If not original, copyright and authorship permission must be granted in writing and proper credit must be given. 5). Cannot be of a political nature or content. 6). Cannot jeopardize the Italian Community Center’s bulk mail status. Guidelines are established in United States Postal Service Publication 417. 7). Cannot promote products or services better suited to paid advertising. 8). Must be limited to 300 words or less. Any article exceeding the 300-word limit will be rejected unless the writer is granted a pre-determined waiver
based on merit. A writer can appeal the word limit to the editor and the Newspaper Committee. The final decision is that of the editor and the committee. 8). Must be electronically submitted (i.e., email) as a Word document to themman@italiancc.org. 9). Articles submitted in Italian should also include an accurate paraphrased English translation. 10). Every submission is subject to editorial review, editing, deadline restrictions and space availability in the newspaper. 11). We reserve the right to reject an article for publication in the newspaper and on the ICC website. Over the next few months, we plan on giving you a partial list of potential subjects for articles. 1). Tutorials on how to play bocce, scopa, briscola and tombola and their rules and regulations. 2). Recipe box with recipes from Italy, hand-medowns, member specialties, local Italian restaurants and bakeries. 3). Reviews of Italian connected movies, music, books, art, displays, exhibitions and so on. 4). Sports clubs’ news for soccer, bicycling, skiing, etc. 5). Auto and motorcycle club news featuring Italian vehicles. 6). Italian clubs in the many schools teaching Italian, reporting their activities and fun things. 7). Awards, promotions and accolades given to members. 8). Upcoming events, entertainment, dinners, dances and other activities. 9). Profiles on donors, members and volunteers. 10). Births, weddings, graduations and obituaries.
Have something to sell to the readers of The Italian Times? Let them know about with an ad in our next issue. Get all of the details by calling (414) 223-2189 or by sending an email to themman@italiancc.org.
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 17
Request from ICC for cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses
By Susie Christiansen Social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as e-mail and cell phone texting, are currently the most common methods of communicating for people. Using those avenues, we want to develop a way to reach out to our membership to inform you about upcoming events organized by the Italian Community Center, such as Il Grande Carnevale, A Taste of Italy and Festa Italiana. We can even email you a copy of The Italian Times. When the ICC hosts wine tastings, musical events and cooking classes, it would be helpful to everyone involved to be able to send an e-mail blast or a cell phone text blast to ICC members and as many non-members as possible. Right now, committee chairs and event planners here don’t always know what advertising options are available to them and how to reach out to you. Without spending a ton of money, we just aren’t sure how to let the people out there know about upcoming events at the ICC. ICC members can be placed on an e-mail list and a cell phone list when
Italian hand gestures
from page 16 legion of Italian dialects where people from one town or region don’t know what the people in the next town or region are saying. Kind of, like me, an Abruzzese, trying to understand my many Sicilian friends, who still think I’m cumpa’ Turiddu. So back to the hand signals again. In busy, crowded and noisy Italian cities such as Naples and Palermo, gesturing is a way of marking one’s territory and space and getting some needed attention to what you are saying or your voice will be lost in the din of overlapping conversations.
Another explanation, and a well-founded one at that, is that Italy is a land of artists and creators forever moving their hands to sculpt, paint, draw, write, construct, invent and so on. It is also the land of the Commedia dell’Arte, marionettes, puppetry and opera where the body and hand gestures
were everything for those in the bleacher seats, so to say. With the bad indoor acoustics or noisy outdoor performances, words had to be expressed and embellished visually with hands, arms and body in order to reach those too far away to hear. And, what were marionettes and puppets but dolls with frozen expressions? So all had to be demonstrated strictly with hands and arms pulled by strings or animated by fingers within. In effect, the hands, arms and body as a whole became a kind of musical instruments that accompanied the spoken or sung word and, eventually, with life imitating art, it became part and parcel of what it meant to be an Italian.
So it is not a stereotype to be ashamed of but one that continues to define the uniqueness, resourcefulness and ingenuity of the Italian character. So. listen up, but also watch next time.
Italian ski resorts flourish in January
While January is off-season for most tourist destinations in Italy, the ski resorts in the northern part of the country flourish. Italy is internationally known for its world-class ski slopes and its great mountains that remain covered with snow during the winter months. The famous Dolomites are generally the most popular for those who like winter sports. The Dolomites are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino. The Dolomites are listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site and are characterized by their
dozens of high, snow covered mountain peaks. Several highly acclaimed ski resorts are located in the area. Some of the most famous are located in Alleghe, Auronzo, Falcade, Urtijei and Arabba.
The Italian region of Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a hilly and mountainous region wedged between the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea. Abruzzo’s regional capital is L’Aquila (site of the April earthquake). One-third of Abruzzo is made up of national parks. It is very scenic with castles and small medieval villages perched on its hills. The main town and resort of this region is Pescara, a bustling modern place. It features the Mu8 seo delle Genti d’Abruzzo, the best and most comprehensive display of Abruzzese antiquities.
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Century: A period of 100 years. It comes from the Italian cento or one hundred. It is also the root for centipede or a hundred footed insect. A cent is one-hundredth of a dollar (100 cents).
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they sign up for or renew their membership. Our application includes a place for your e-mail address and cell phone number. Our membership contact list is extremely private, and we will continue to keep it that way. We do not distribute our address, phone or e-mail lists to anyone. Rest assured your contact information will be retained by the ICC and only the ICC, and you will only be sent messages on a limited basis. We simply want to inform you. We want to tell you about the fantastic events, activities and ethnic experiences that the Italian Community Center has to offer. These are the other options available for submitting your cell phone number and e-mail address: 1. Our website: www.iccmilwaukee.com – use the Contact Us Form (the last tab on the site). 2. By e-mail: susie@iccmilwaukee.com. 3. Call Constance Palmer at the ICC – 414-223-2808.
Saint Antonio Abate celebrations in Italy, Jan. 16 and 17
Several towns across Italy celebrate the Festa di Sant’Antonio Abate (Feast of Saint Anthony Abbot) on Jan. 16 and 17. His feast day is highlighted by processions, music and bonfires.
San Antonio Abate was a hermit who renounced his worldly possessions to follow Jesus and performed miracles throughout his life. He is considered the first to live a truly monastic lifestyle and was repeatedly tempted by
the devil, persevering through prayer. In villages in the Abruzzo region and Sardinia, there are festivities that include lighting of huge bonfires that burn all night and include music and dancing. In the Sicilian town of Nicolosi near Mount Etna, San Antonio Abate is celebrated on Jan. 17. Ceremonies begin before dawn when the monks repeat their vows of dedication to God and to the saint. The day is filled with parades and solemn ceremonies. Il Palio di Sant’Antonio Abate is held in the Tuscan town of Buti, near Pisa, the first Sunday after Jan. 17. Festivities start with a procession of people wearing the colors of their neighborhood. In the afternoon, the palio (horse race), a competition between neighborhoods, is run. Other prominent feasts are held in Novoli (Puglia region) and Macerate (Campania region).
The most important date on the Italian calendar in January is Epiphany, falling on Jan. 6 each year. Epiphany is a Christian festival commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi (the Three Wise Men). While in many countries, people exchange gifts at Christmas, for centuries in Italy, the gift exchange occurred on the Epiphany, and, in many households across Italy that practice is still followed today.
Children hang stockings the night before Epiphany in hopes of getting gifts from La Befana, the kind witch, who, according to Italian folklore, declined an opportunity to travel to Bethlehem with the Three Wise Men to see the Baby Jesus. To make amends for the mistake she realized she made, Befana decided she would deliver presents every year to good children. Many churches across Italy present live nativities on Epiphany.
The feast day of San Sebastiano is celebrated in many places in Sicily on Jan. 20. In Mistretta in the Messina province of Sicily, a huge statue of the saint is paraded through the town on a litter borne by 60 men. In Acireale in Sicily’s Catania province, there is a colorful parade with a silver carriage
and singing of hymns. The coastal Abruzzo town of Ortono (Chieti province) celebrates by lighting the Vaporetto, a brightly colored papier maché model of a boat, which is decorated and loaded with fireworks, in front of the cathedral named in honor of San Sebastiano.
Although San Antonio Abate is often overshadowed by the similarly named Saint Anthony of Padua, this Egyptian saint is particularly important throughout southern Italy and is the patron saint of butchers, domestic animals, basket weavers and gravediggers. Many believe he is the protector against skin diseases, especially shingles, known in Italy as “Fuoco di Sant’Antonio” (Fire of Saint Anthony).
Celebrating Epiphany in Italy
San Sebastiano feast day celebrated in Sicily and Abruzzo
Interested in advertising in The Italian Times? Get all of the details about ad costs and costs by calling (414) 223-2189 or by sending an email to themman@italiancc.org.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Report from the Milwaukee Italian Immersion School: Victory K8
This November, Victory K8 and Milwaukee Italian Immersion School celebrated the return to full immersion with an official “Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.” Representatives from Milwaukee Public Schools and the community came to show their support for the rebirth of the full Italian Immersion program.
The student ambassadors did an excellent job welcoming the visitors. The school community is grateful to everyone that attended the ceremony and to all who continue to support the school community during the transition. The knowledge and experience gained over the last 10 years will help build the program that has always been envisioned.
The K4 and K5 families were invited to dine with their children to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Families worked with support coaches on a math activity that can be used at home to practice decomposing numbers with their children.
The activity, which was engaging, supported students learning of math and was an opportunity to learn how to pronounce numbers in Italian. This was a wonderful event that encouraged families visiting the school.
Maestra Robertson’s second grade class is learning how to decode and de-construct non-fiction and informational text in reading. “Who, what, when, where, why and how?” are the questions one must ask. It is important to consider the author’s message and meaning of the text. In December, students studied the following themes in Italian: weather, senses, feelings and holidays.
The 4th and 5th graders did an extensive unit on presidential elections in early November. They talked about the voting process, democracy, and voting rights throughout history.
Students participated in a week long classroom election process and, at the end, elected their own class President, Kaylie Deluna, and Vice President, Brion Bellinger.
Victory staff learns Italian Educational Assistant Nancy Zabrowski reports that Maestra Angela Bozano has graciously volunteered her time, talent, and treasure to teach Italian to a group of eager adult students.
Once a week, Victory K8 transforms into an international school where adults from many nationalities come together to study a new language. Maestra Bozano has a unique approach for instructing adults.
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She uses pictures, conversation, incentives, food, and even gives homework. Everyone in class is very excited and appreciative of the opportunity to learn Italian! Buon Natale e Felice Anno
Nuovo a tutti!
– Submitted by Annette Robertson 2nd grade teacher Milwaukee Italian Immersion School – Victory K8 2222 W. Henry Ave., Milwaukee
JANUARY 2017 – PAGE 19
by Blaise Di Pronio What better way is there to start out the New Year than with a primer on Italian superstitions as invoking some of them might guarantee a happy such year, so to say. Yes, there are many aspects of one’s heritage, culture and customs and the occult and the strange cannot be excluded from discussions for superstitions are a kind of link between the modern world and its past – especially a Pagan past later to be mollified by a more tame Western World. On to the supernatural then. Much has been written (including by this paper) about the Italian “malocchio” or “evil eye.” It is a curse caused by envy and jealousy rendering the unsuspecting victim (cursee?) weak, tired and sickly until the curse is lifted with proper, chanted incantations by a trained practitioner. An offshoot of the evil eye is the curse of the “Devil’s horns,” which, of course, can be warded off by the wearing of the ever popular corno (horn) amulet or the mano cornuto (corned hand) charm. But if the defensive jewelry is not available and
Lucky New Year!
Italian horns are displayed here.
a curse might be imminent, you can always resort to forming the horns by extending the pinkie and index fingers of a hand and pointing them down. Warning! If the gesture is made pointing up and directed at someone, it means that person’s spouse is unfaithful. Another superstition dictates that a loaf of bread must never be placed upside down on the table (or
you get knocked in the side of the head, as your writer often was) or bad luck will strike the house. Reverence for bread is deeply rooted in Italian families, harking back to the Last Supper and the times of poverty when bread was scarce and so rightfully cherished. Having a bird fly into the house is also considered a harbinger of bad luck. This belief might stem from the rooster’s crowing when Peter denied Christ and colorful feathers are reminiscent of the old evil eye. And, of course, we’ve all seen the obligatory bat flying into the room presaging the arrival of that nasty Count. Like America, Italy also has its share of lucky and unlucky numbers. Our bad 13 was considered lucky in Italy. But it was 17 that was cursed since when written in Roman fashion: XVII, the numerals could be rearranged to VIXI which is Latin for “I have lived”, i.e., I’m dead! I guess this line was featured on many a tombstone and when written as 17, it resembles a person hung at the gallows. How many of you had your house blessed before moving in? The original idea was to rid the
The missing island
from page 14 To forestall a renewal of the sovereignty disputes, Italian divers planted a flag on the top of the volcano in advance of its expected resurfacing. To bolster their case, Sicilians summoned the descendant of the Bourbon King of Naples. In a ceremony filmed by a flotilla of camera crews, Prince
Carlo di Bourbon lowered a plaque into the waves and told cheering locals: “It will always be Sicilian.” Lobbied by fishermen and sailors, Ignazio Cucchiara, the mayor of Sciacca, invited Prince Carlo to attend the ceremony with his wife, The Duchess of Castro Camilla Crociani. To accommodate television crews, the plaque was lowered
well before reaching the shoal, which is a danger to shipping. Choppy waters forced divers to postpone the operation a week, until November 13, 2000. The diving crew also planted Sicily’s flag, which features a Medusa’s head surrounded by three naked legs – a sign traditionally interpreted as “keep away.”
Torrone
A mano cornuto
place of any evil spirits left behind by the previous owner. Or maybe you, on your own, went around sprinkling salt and holy water. Right? Moving forward to the present, where most superstitions have been debunked by science, there are still those who delve in some remnant of the aforementioned practices as you never know, you know.
Italy’s traditional Christmas and New Year’s dessert
by Blaise Di Pronio Torrone or nougat is a confection, typically made of honey, sugar, and egg white, with toasted almonds or other nuts, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. It is a traditional winter and Christmas confection in Italy, and many varieties exist. Traditional versions from Cremona, Lombardy, range widely in texture from morbido (soft and chewy), to duro (hard and brittle) and in flavor (with various citrus flavorings, vanilla, etc., added to
the nougat) and may contain whole hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios or only have nut meal added to the nougat. Some commercial versions are dipped in chocolate. The confection’s use was first documented in Cremona in 1441 where legend claims that it was a dessert created for the marriage of Francesco Sforza and Maria Bianca Visconti by the court’s pastry chefs. Inspired by the city’s famous Torrazzo tower, his delicacy was hence coined torrone (torre is tower in Italian), but it is also thought that the term derived from Latin torrere
Traditional torrone
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or to toast. The popular recipes have varied with time and differ from one region to the next. Torrone di Benevento from Benevento, Campania, sometimes goes by the historic name Cupedia, which signifies the crumbly version made with hazelnuts. The softer version is made with almonds. The Torrone di Benevento is considered to be the oldest of its kind since it predates Roman times and was widely known in its territories. Although originally resembling sticky paste, it now differs only marginally from the varieties of Torrone di Cremona. Abruzzo, Sicily and Sardinia also have local versions that may be slightly distinct from the two main denominations from Lombardy and Campania.
The classic torrone recipe calls for honey and some egg whites, cooked until it becomes breakable once cooled. Once the honey is caramelized, the recipe suggests adding pine nuts, almonds or hazelnuts, peeled and roasted. The mix is then cooked a bit further and finally removed from the heat and cut into slices. Please note that during its preparation, torrone is notoriously sticky and sometimes hard to handle but well worth the efforts. Traditionally, torrone is eaten after lunches and dinner from Christmas Day until January 6th, or the Epiphany (also called Giorno della Befana (Day of the Befana) though, you can eat torrone anytime, if you wish. But don’t overdo it or you will end up having your dentist on speed dial.
Pistacchio honey torrone.
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