ITALIAN TIMES THE
Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com SEPTEMBER 2017 • VOL. 39, NO. 3
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A message from ICC President Dean Cannestra
A Renaissance happening at the ICC and a successful 40th Festa, too!
Many of us remember the pride and excitement we all felt on that beautiful Sunday in September of 1990 – Sept. 30, 1990 to be exact – when we officially opened our new Italian Community Center. Well, 28 years later, we should again be bursting with renewed pride and exhibiting the same enthusiasm as the $1.4 million building remodeling project that the ICC entered into with our partner, the Bartolotta Restaurant Group, is nearly complete. This is, in a sense, a renaissance for our building, which will be good for our community and the members of the ICC. It assures us that we will continue to be a vibrant part of the community. We will be able to do more for our membership as we grow and prosper. I invite everyone to come and take a look at the Pompeii and Festa ballrooms, the classrooms, the corridors and even the restrooms. Everything is beautiful, from the new carpeting and tiling to the painting and décor of the walls. Everything looks modern and is designed to handle the needs of our members and the clientele that the Bartolotta Group books for its events. The Bartolotta Group is equally as excited as we are to unveil the great new look. Joe Bartolotta has already indicated to us that they have booked many new, large events because of the remodeling. These events bring assurances to them for increased revenue and growth. This is important news for us because as Bartolotta prospers, so does the ICC. In the coming weeks, we will be re-carpeting and painting our Board Room and our Members
Room. We are looking into lowering the ceiling in the Board Room. Our Italian heritage photos, which graced the walls of our corridors for many years, are going to return soon, but in a more orderly and secured fashion. The committee that the ICC Board appointed to work with the Bartolotta Group on this project has been busy since the end of Festa Italiana. They are conducting an inventory of all of the photos, getting information on each photo, and studying the framing needs. They hope to provide information on each photo that is put up, so our visitors can put into perspective what was happening in Milwaukee’s Italian American community at the time the photo was taken. We are working on plans for remodeling the bocce courts with the work commencing after the completion of the fall bocce season.
Our 40th Festa We now have our 40th Festa Italiana in the books, and I can report that it looks like it will be a success, as both our attendance and our profits were up. First of all, I want to thank the volunteers and the managers who worked so hard, giving of their time and talents. Many of our volunteers work year round, and to experience a success like the 2017 Festa brings us great joy and confidence. With the nearly all day rain on our opening day and a poor attendance, we didn’t initially know what to expect, but we bounced back the rest of the weekend. We had a big crowd on Saturday like we haven’t seen in years! The large attendance also brought to light some problems such as long lines and long waiting times at the food vendors’ booths.
ICC President/Festa General Co-Chair Dean Cannestra read one of the petitions at the 40th Festa Mass. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
We are working to address these problems by having more vendor windows open and additional menu options. I believe the 2017 Festa can serve as a steppingstone for us to grow and prosper.
Thanks again to everyone who took part as a volunteer, attendee or vendor in our 40th Festa. Che Dio ti benedica. May God bless you! – Dean Cannestra ICC President Festa General Co-Chair
by Thomas Hemman Times Editor Through the efforts of the Nominating Committee and the members who attended the Aug. 17 general meeting, a slate of officers and directors has been chosen for the Italian Community Center election. President Dean Cannestra is assured of his second term as he is unopposed. The three other incum-
bent officers are also without opposition. They are: Vice President Joseph Emanuele and Secretary, Susan (DeSanctis) Christiansen, both of whom were first elected to their respective positions last year, and Sergeant-At-Arms Joanne (Sanfilippo) Czubek, who has held the same post since the 2010 election. Giuseppe Vella will continue to serve in the non-elective position of immediate past president. There was nearly a race for treasurer as the current office holder, Sam Purpero, is vacating the post that he has held for seven
Races for directors’ seats in ICC election
Please turn to page 5
Cosa c’è dentro? What’s inside?
FC Palermo wins again
Casino Night is Sept. 8
Salute to Dick Contino
OSIA volunteers help Festa succeed
page 2
page 3
page 4 page 7
Live music and Italian classes at ICC pages 8 & 9
Who won Festa’s contests pages 10 & 11 40th Festa in review
Club & Society news This photo gives you a little bit of an idea of the big crowd on Saturday, July 22, that ICC President/Festa
Co-Chair Dean Cannestra mentions in his message. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
pages 12-17 page 18
Sal Mussomeli remembered page 19
FC Palermo wins fourth straight Festa futsal championship; fifth title overall
FC Palermo, a team coached by Sal Carini and sponsored by Papa Luigi’s, captured its fourth consecutive futsal championship on July 22 at Festa Italiana. In the title match, FC Palermo scored an 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Sporting Club. The action throughout the playoff tournament was fierce and action-packed. If you turned away for a second, you probably missed an incredible feat of athleticism. Several of the players on the eight teams that participated in the tourney have professional experience on both the national and international level, said Futsal Manager Mike Palmisano. As mentioned in the headline, the championship was the fifth overall for FC Palermo. Before having a futsal tournament, five years ago Festa hosted a soccer tournament, which FC Palermo won! Sal Carini (kneeling in the black and white shirt on the far right) has coached all five champion teams and Sal Purpora of Papa Luigi’s (standing on the left in the black shirt and jeans) has been the team sponsor. This year, Festa Italiana was pleased to have Country Financial and Nomad Pub as the official sponsors of the futsal tournament. (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
PAGE 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
A taste of Las Vegas coming to ICC with 4th annual Casino Night on Friday, Sept. 8 Maximum of 150 entry tickets available for this fundraiser; non-gamblers even have a chance to win prizes
A fundraising event that is guaranteed to generate a lot of excitement is coming to the Italian Community Center on Friday, Sept. 8th. It’s the fourth annual Casino Night, sponsored by the Membership Committee. If you’ve never been to a casino, the ICC is giving you a chance to get a taste of what it’s like to win big, while keeping the stakes small, and all in a casino-like environment. Alternatively, if you’ve experienced gambling fever and played in casinos, this is an opportunity to sharpen your skills with minimal risk. Attendees will use the raffle tickets they win to play a variety of Vegas-style games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Texas Hold’Em to win fabulous prizes. Even non-gamblers, who just want
THE ITALIAN TIMES
631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 (414) 223-2180 Published 11 times annually
Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . Dean Cannestra Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . .Blaise Di Pronio 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 For advertising information, please call (414) 223-2180 or send an e-mail to: themman@iccmilwaukee.com. Copyright 2017 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.
to have fun, are assured of chances to win great prizes.
Be one of 150 attendees Casino Night is open to ICC members and the general public, their families and friends, however, Membership Committee Chairs Bill and Karen Dickinson want you to know, “We are limiting attendance to the first 150 people to make reservations.” The reason for the attendance cap is “to allow players plenty of opportunities to play the games they like without having to wait in lines,” they said. “Don’t be left out in the cold. Get your reservations in early.”
Casino Night details These are the specifics for the evening: Casino Night will be held in the Festa Ballroom from 7 to 10 p.m. Entry tickets are $30 for each member and $35 for a non-member. Please use the reservation form accompanying this article and send it with your check or money order to the ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 (Attn.: Casino Night). You can also make reservations by calling the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and paying with a credit card. Advance tickets can also be purchased at the ICC receptionist desk. All attendees will be required to check in at the reservation desk on the night of the event. At the check-in table, each player will be given two raffle tickets valued at $100 each. These tickets are then used for joining in the action at the gaming tables. Once a player leaves a table or quits playing, the dealer will round up that player’s winnings to the highest $100 value. “The more raffle tickets you win, the more opportunities you have for winning prizes,” Karen Dickinson said. “The most difficult decision you might have all night is deciding in which prize basket or baskets to place your winning raffle tickets. We’re going to have a lot of wonderful prizes.” Additional $100 tickets will be available for purchase throughout the night at 7 for $5, 16 for $10 and, for the high roller special of 24 for
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Sheila Vivi, Wayne Kitzerow and Bill and Karen Dickinson operated the Festa information booth. The Dickinsons were the managers. The couple is organizing the ICC’s 4th annual Casino Night on Friday, Sept. 8. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
$15. Complete and easy instructions will be provided all evening. The prize drawing will be held at the end of the night.
Music on the Move Plus will provide the gaming tables, professional
dealers and a deejay, who will serve as the evening’s emcee and play music to keep everyone in a highspirited mood. If you are unsure how to play a particular game, the dealers will be Please turn to page 8
ITALIAN COMMUNITY CENTER CASINO NIGHT ENTRY TICKETS ORDER FORM Name(s) ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________ Phone ____________________________________________________ Email address ______________________________________________ ICC Members: No. of entry tickets _____ x $30.00/person = $_________ Non-Members: No of entry tickets _____ x $35.00/person = $_________ Mail this form with your full payment to: Italian Community Center, c/o Casino Night, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 3
Festa salutes the late accordion legend Dick Contino
Pete Contino performed on drums and accordion at Festa’s memorial salute to his father, the legendary accordionist Dick Contino (1930-2017). (Times photo by Craig Schoenung)
Deidre Contino is seen here performing during Festa Italiana’s memorial salute to her father, Dick Contino. During the 1980s, Deidre and her brother, Pete, performed with their father at Festa. Dick Contino appeared at Milwaukee’s annual Italian festival 34 times. Members of the Dick Contino Fan Club traveled from across the nation for Festa’s memorial salute to the accordion virtuoso. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
Cory Pescaturo, a world champion accordionist and protégé of Dick Contino, is shown performing here at the memorial salute held Sunday, July 23 on the Miller Lite Stage. (Times photo by Craig Schoenung)
FUNERAL and CREMATION SERVICES
A huge poster of the legendary accordionist and longtime Festa favorite Dick Contino appeared on the outside of the Italian Heritage Exhibit. Standing alongside the poster are Karen Schoenung (left), Ruth Schoenung and Judy Contino (far right). Ruth Schoenung headed the Milwaukee Dick Contino Fan Club for more than 65 years. Judy is the wife of Dick Contino. (Times photo by Craig Schoenung)
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PAGE 4 – SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
President Dean Cannestra, other officials unopposed; 8 seeking directors’ postions
from page 1 of the last eight years due to personal health considerations. The committee announced its nomination of Ted Catalano, a current director. He was re-elected to a two-year term in the 2016 election. As allowed under Article V, Section 7 of the ICC Bylaws, a member attending the general meeting submitted the nomination of fellow member Lisa De Sanctis for consideration for the treasurer position. The Italian Times has learned that DeSanctis informed the committee that she has withdrawn her nomination. The term for each officer position is one year. There are eight candidates running for the four open director-atlarge seats. The committee offered the names of Mary Anne CerasoAlioto, Ralph Busalacchi, Karen Dickinson and Joe Jannazzo, Jr. Members nominated Ed Ciano, Ray Martinez, Gina Jorgensen and Rose Anne (Ceraso) Fritchie. The top four vote getters will win two-year terms. Ceraso-Alioto, Dickinson and Jannazzo are completing terms as directors. Ceraso-Alioto was first elected to a two-year term in 2015. Dickinson and Jannazzo were appointed to fill unexpired one-year terms after last year’s election. Jannazzo finished fifth and Dickinson placed sixth in the voting among the eight candidates in the 2016 election. The ICC Bylaws permit the next highest vote getters after
the top four directors in the election of that year shall fill each director vacancy. Ciano, Martinez and Jorgensen have not previously served on the ICC Board, but have been active members and Festa volunteers. Fritchie, most recently, served as secretary from November 2003 through October 2016. The fifth place finisher in this year’s election of directors is assured of a one-year term. That is the result of Catalano moving on to the treasurer post. The newlyelected board will appoint the fifth highest vote getter as one of its first orders of business at first meeting in November. It should be noted that the Nominating Committee included Rosemary DeRubertis and Sal Lo Coco, as co-chairpersons, Suzanne Wypijewski, Joseph Zambito and Christina Ziino as members. Cannestra appointed the co-chairs and members who attended the May general meeting elected the others. (See Article V, Section 3 of the bylaws). Look for full coverage of the election, including statements from each of the director-at-large candidates, in the October issue of The Italian Times, which will be available no later than Monday, Sept. 25. Qualified voters will receive an election ballot in the mail. According to Article III, Section 1 of the bylaws, a qualified voter is anyone who has been a member a minimum of 60 days prior to the elec-
THE ITALIAN TIMES
tion. For the upcoming election, the Nominating Committee will mail a ballot to each person who has been a member since the past Aug. 21. The Nominating Committee is given the authority to verify the eligibility of all the candidates and to conduct a drawing to arrange the order of placement of the candidates’ names on the ballot. (See Article V, Section 8.) Article V, Section 9 stipulates that the ballots must be sent to voters within eight days of the September general meeting. The date of the general meeting is Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. The envelope with the ballot (or ballots, in the cases of couples) will also include a return envelope addressed to the ICC. Voters must use the return envelope to submit their ballots. Complete voting instructions will come in the mailing. The mailing of those ballots is the last official duty of the Nominating Committee. Only those ballots in the return envelope that are postmarked on or before Thursday, Oct. 12 will be eligible to be counted. Ballots received with envelopes postmarked after Oct. 12 will be saved but not counted. The timetable for returning ballots is spelled out in Article V, Section 9. Section 10.a. of Article V states that the current ICC President must appoint tellers – a chairperson and members – who will meet prior to the October general meeting “to confirm the validity of all returned ballots.”
Section 10.b. explains when the tellers will open and count the ballots. It states, “The tellers shall meet on the day of the October general membership meeting (which is Oct. 19 this year) and open all valid ballot envelopes received. The tellers shall tally all ballots and shall report the election results to the membership prior to the adjournment of the October general membership meeting.”
Fall bocce season to start week of Sept. 11
After a break over the summer, bocce leagues will start up again at the Italian Community Center in September. Get your team together now. The fall bocce season gets underway the week of Sept. 11. Teams in the senior citizen leagues play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Teams in the mixed couples’ leagues compete on Monday and Wednesday nights. The regular season lasts eight weeks. The fall season champion playoffs will take place Monday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. If you’re interested in regisPlease turn to page 32
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 5
Festa Mass & Procession Committee thanks sponsors and donors
Most Reverend Jeffrey Haines, Auxiliary Bishop of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, delivered the homily at the Festa Mass. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
First Communicant Liliana Verplancke presented a bouquet of flowers to Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Haines, wh presided over the Festa Italiana Mass. Liliana is the daughter of Marion (Lo Coco) and Michael Verplancke. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
Many thanks to all the religious participants from the Festa Mass & Procession Committee
The Festa Italiana Mass and Procession Committee wishes to express its gratitude to the priests and deacons who participated in the Festa Mass and Procession celebrated on Sunday, July 23, 2017. Attendees celebrated with the Most Reverend Jeffrey R. Haines, Auxillary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Many of the religious have faithfully accepted the committee’s invitation year after year to assist at the Festa Mass, the annual liturgical celebration described by the late Dominic Frinzi, past president of the Italian Community Center, as the “crown jewel of Festa Italiana.” In appreciation for their presence and assistance, the committee is publishing their names. Please pray for them that they may continue to dedicate themselves to the People of God they have been called to serve.
Benedict Milwaukee; Tom Filipiak St. Bruno, Dousman; Michael Monteleone, Hospice Chaplin; Gary Nosecek, SS. Peter and Paul Milwaukee; Chuck Schneider; Scott Wiese St. Joseph parish, Grafton; and Salvador Rosadu. Servers Tony Crivello and Salvatore Vella, and Maria Vella.
The Festa Italiana Mass & Procession Committee wishes to thank this year’s sponsors – Harder Funeral Home, James T. Guardalabene, Associate, and Catholic Financial Life. In addition to the sponsorship, there were many other donations from societies and individuals for the religious celebration on Sunday, July 23. The total of these other donations came to $4,580. “Everyone on our committee appreciates and values the tremendous support of our sponsors and our donors,” said Sister Marie Louise Balistreri and Sal LoCoco, committee co-chairs. “Their involvement helped us to carry out the Mass and procession, which are the essence of the our festival.” The committee chairs wish to express their gratitude to the following for their donations that helped defray the costs associated with the Mass. • Sal and Antonette Lo Coco • Anna Pitzo • Società Santa Rosalia Di Quisquina • Gordon and Bernice Boucher • John and Jean DiMotto • Giuseppe Garibaldi Society • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO • Three Holy Women • Società Maschile Maria SS Del Lume • Thomas Spera • Mary Winard • Pompeii Women’s Club • Joseph and Ann Zambito • Patrick and Theresa Cofani • Ryan and Fran Blaubach • Frank and Maria Zingale • Rose Purpero Spang • Joseph and Santa D’Amato • Pompeii Men’s Club • Tony and Barbara Lupo • Tom Balistreri • Michael F. Kamenski • James Jarsa These memorial donations were made in memory of the following individuals. • Joe and Chris Ziino, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ziino. • Sal and Antonette Lo Coco, in memory of Mariano Orlando. • Tony A. Machi, in memory of Sadie P. Machi. • Robert Bartelt, in memory of Irvin and Mabel Bartelt.
• Sal and Antonette Lo Coco, in memory of Nina Galioto. • Gino Dentice, in memory of Anthony “Tony” D’Amato. • Lucretia Lo Coco, in memory of Domenic and Marion Carini. • Lucretia Lo Coco, in memory of Vincent Lo Coco. • Tindaro and Linda Caputo, in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Cono Caputo. • Anna Orlando, in memory of Mariano Orlando. • Lucretia Lo Coco, in memory of Sal Mussomeli. • Sal and Antonette Lo Coco, in memory of Sal Mussomeli. • Sal and Antonette Lo Coco, in memory of Joseph and Maria Lo Coco. • Salvatore Purpero, in memory of Lucille Purpero. • Ray and Carol Martinez, in memory of Joseph and Sarah Martinez. • John J. Tarantino, in memory of Angelina Tarantino. • Vincenzo and Vivian Balistreri, in memory of Gaetano Vicini. • Joseph and Jane Leto, in memory of Vincent and Josie Leto.
Hunger Task Force donations The committee also wishes to report that a total of 3,100 pounds of nonperishable food donations and $1,316.51 in cash donations were collected for the Hunger Task Force. The committee thanks all of those who contributed.
Members of La Società di San Giuseppe Band were one of the units that marched in the Festa Italiana procession on Sunday, July 23. The Mass and procession are the essence of all the Italian religious festivals. (Times photo by John Ferraro)
Priests Our Principle Celebrant, Most Reverend Jeffrey R. Haines; The Very Reverend Timothy Kitzke; Fr. Mike Hammer, Catholic AIDS Ministry; Fr. Dick Aiken; Fr. Leandro Blanco, Formation House St. Camillus; Fr. Fred Brenk S.J.; Rev. Edward Griesemer, Priests of the Sacred Heart, Franklin; Fr. Jerry Herda, St. Eugene’s and St. Monica Parishes; Rev. John Paczesny, retired; Fr. Eugene Pocernich, Retired; Fr. Domenic Roscioli, Franklin; and Fr. Pedro Tramontin, San Camillus. Deacons Deacon of the Mass: Joseph Senglaub, Mark Jansen Holy Angels, West Bend; John Champagne St.
PAGE 6 – SEPTEMBER 2017
Pompeii Men’s Club members walked proudly with their replica of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in the Sunday procession at Festa. The 50th anniversary of
the demolition of the church built by Milwaukee’s early Italian immigrants was recognized during the Festa Mass. (Times photo by John Ferraro)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
OSIA volunteer efforts in beer and ice operations help Festa succeed
One of the reasons why the 40th annual Festa Italiana will go down as a well-rounded success is the commitment made by the members of the Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Lodge #2763 of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA). The organization pledged the volunteer service of its members, family members and friends to assume the festival’s beer and ice operations. This offer, which was carried out nearly seamlessly, not only added significantly to Festa’s profitability, but also helped to return the festival a step closer to one of its founding concepts of a volunteer-run event. “We are very appreciative of OSIA for its commitment and the efforts of its members, their families and friends,” said Dean Cannestra, Italian Community Center President and Festa Italiana General Co-Chairman. “It has been 12 years since volunteers ran the beer operations. I’m sure they (OSIA members) went into it not knowing what to expect, but they did a great job, allowing us to make a bigger profit.” Cannestra noted that having the beer stands run by volunteers who have pride in being part of something special – whether it is because of their heritage or their love of the festival – added to the personality and overall friendliness of Festa. He also thanked Pat Murphy for his resourceful assistance in the transition back to a volunteer-run operation. Murphy, a longtime festival vendor, had handled Festa’s beer operations the past 12 years. Officials from the ICC, the nonprofit organization which plans,
manages and hosts Festa, initially approached Filippo Mazzei Lodge/ OSIA with a proposal to take care of operating a beer booth, said Joe Emanuele, vice president of the ICC and immediate past president of the local OSIA lodge. “The proposal morphed into OSIA handling all of the beer booths and the ice operations,” he said. OSIA also supplied beer for invitation-only events such as the Northwestern Mutual Life party and the dinner after the opening day ceremony. Emanuele said that during his four years as president of OSIA, the organization made a decision to make a determined effort to have more of its members volunteer at Festa and the ICC. “We wanted to contribute our time and our talents to help the Center,” he said. The commitment has been carried on by Emanuele’s successor, Nick DeQuardo, who became OSIA President this past April. DeQuardo said, “We had roughly 60 to 70 volunteers help us at the beer booths at Festa.” OSIA put out tip jars at all the beer bars to collect for its scholarship program, but received no commission on beer sales or volunteer food cards for its volunteers, Emanuele said. OSIA awards scholarships annually at its August general meeting. He added that he worked with Festa distribution in ordering the Miller Beer and with the ice company, making sure that there was enough of both for the weekend. “It was a great team effort, but OSIA pulled it off and had a lot of fun in the process,” he said. “We are looking forward to doing it again next year.”
Volunteering for Festa Italiana and the Italian Community Center has become one of the primary objectives of the Filippo Mazzei Lodge #2763/Order Sons of Italy in America. These three men have played instrumental roles in seeing it through. From the left: OSIA President Nick DeQuardo, Past President Frank Schiro and Immediate Past President Joseph Emanuele. (Photo provided by Filippo Mazzei Lodge/OSIA)
Thanks for your donations to the ICC
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 a donation, please call 414-223-2808. The following donations were received between June 12 and August 10, 2017. In memory of Peter Frank Sorce Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce Christina Sorce In memory of Annette Tarantino Betty Hermann
In memory of Nina Galioto Sal & Antonettee LoCoco Gino A. Dentice Thomas Camarda Sonny & Melody Gensler
In memory of Carmello SanFelippo Tony A. Machi, Sr. Gerry Accetta Purpero
Several members of the Filippo Mazzei Lodge #2763/Order Sons of Italy in America volunteered to operate this beer booth during Festa. Front row (l-r): Anthony Emanuele and Chris Emanuele. Middle row:
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Cassie Busalacchi, Regina Maijala, Scott Maijala and Rose De Michele. Back row: Sebastian Busalacchi and Dino Black. (Photo provided by Filippo Mazzei Lodge/OSIA)
In memory of Thomas Angelo Lorino Tony A. Machi, Sr. Jimmy & Linda Spataro Sonny & Melody Gensler Gino A. Dentice Pompeii Men’s Club Please turn to page 19
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 7
Free Live Music in the Courtyard series enters home stretch at ICC
Bartolotta Restaurant Group hosts with Milwaukee Brewing sponsoring
A summertime tradition – live weeknight music in the Italian Community Center’s Courtyard – will continue during the month of September. This year, the series is under the direction of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group and sponsored by Milwaukee Brewing
Company. The first three months of the series have brought out fans of jazz, blues, folk, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and indie music. These free admission shows begin at 6:30 p.m. The Bartolotta staff is on hand to take food and
beverage orders starting at 5 p.m. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. The shows will go on rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, the music will be brought indoors. During the last week of August, the series includes performances by
from page 3 able to explain the rules. Each is trained to be patient and friendly and will make sure that it will be a fun evening for all.
courage everyone to come and help make this a giant successful fundraiser,” the Dickinsons said.
also wants to stress and promote a great opportunity for both individuals and corporate table sponsorships in making this event successful. Sponsors will be recognized on a large billboard at the entrance to the room. Lastly, please assist our – your – Center by offering a donation towards sponsoring a table or providing additional raffle prizes. Consider this a call for any and all donations whether it is money to offset the cost of gaming tables or raffle prizes. Any amount donated will be truly appreciated. Any questions? Please contact Karen or Bill Dickinson at diskart@sbcglobal.net or call 414744-0937.
Place your bets on having a good fun time at the ICC’s Casino Night on Sept. 8
Non-gamblers can win The committee members realize that not all people are interested in gambling, but everybody likes to have fun. Everyone attending – gamblers or not – will receive two raffle tickets. Non-gamblers are encouraged to buy more raffle tickets to increase their chances to win raffle prizes. “If you’ve attended our last three Casino Nights, you know this is going to be a fun evening for gamblers and non-gamblers, so we en-
Waitstaff at game tables The committee has arranged to have waitstaff on hand so attendees can order their favorite beverages without leaving the game tables.
Have dinner at La Scala All Casino Night attendees are encouraged to come to the ICC early and have dinner at Cafe La Scala prior to hitting the gaming tables. La Scala will be opening that Friday night at 4 p.m. for dinner service. (That’s a half-hour earlier than usual.) Sponsors The Membership Committee
the following: • Monday, Aug. 28 – The BelAirs (Jazz). • Tuesday, Aug. 29 – Jim Liban Band (Traditional Blues). • Wednesday, Aug. 30 – Caley Conway (Indie, Folk Music). • Thursday, Aug. 31 – Larry Lynne Band (Rock and Roll). During the month of September, the series continues on Tuesday and Thursday nights only with the exception of an opera concert on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Here is the lineup for the remaining shows: • Tuesday, Sept. 5 – Alex Wilson Band (Rockin’ Blues). • Wednesday, Sept. 6 – Jill Bruss & Company (Vivace Opera). • Thursday, Sept. 7 – The Ricochettes (British Invasion Rock and Roll). • Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Lil Davy Maxx (Chicago Blues). • Thursday, Sept. 14 – Groove Therapy (Rhythm & Blues, Rock from the ‘60s to today). • Tuesday, Sept. 19 – The Blues Disciples (Chicago Blues). • Thursday, Sept. 21 – Tom Anthony Group (Vegas-style show). • Tuesday, Sept. 26 – Leroy Airmaster with Lil Maddie (Traditional Blues). • Thursday, Sept. 28 – The Classics (Rock and Roll). For more information on the series, please visit either of these websites: bartolottas.com/events or iccmilwaukee.com.
Calendar of Events August 24 – September 28, 2017
Friday, Aug. 25 • Abruzzese Society social, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26 • Italian Family History Club meeting, 10 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 28 • Live Music in the Courtyard with The Bel Airs, 6:30 p.m. Details on all of the remaining Courtyard Music shows in the issue.
Tuesday, Aug. 29 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6 p.m. • Live Music in the Courtyard with the Jim Liban Band, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 31 • Live Music in the Courtyard with the Larry Lynne Band, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 4 • Labor Day. The Italian Community Center will be closed in observation of the holiday.
Tuesday, Sept. 5 • Live Music in the Courtyard with the Alex Wilson Band, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6 • Live Music in the Courtyard with Jill Bruss & Company (Vivace Opera), 6:30 p.m. • Pompeii Women’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 7 • Live Music in the Courtyard with The Ricochettes, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 8 • Italian Community Center’s 4th annual Casino Night Fundraiser, 6:30 p.m. Details in this issue. Monday, Sept. 11 • Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 12 • Abruzzese Social meeting and spuntino, 2 p.m. • Live Music in the Courtyard with Lil’ Davy Maxx, 6:30 p.m. • Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 14 • Live Music in the Courtyard with Groovy Therapy, 6:30 p.m. • Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 19 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO general meeting dinner and “Vintage Jewelry Fundraising Sales,” 6 p.m. Details in this issue. • Live Music in the Courtyard with The Blues Disciples, 6:30 p.m.
PAGE 8 – SEPTEMBER 2017
Wednesday, Sept. 20 • Filippo Mazzei Lodge 2763/Order Sons of Italy in America Board meeting, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 21 • Italian Community Center membership dinner, 5:30 p.m. RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY MONDAY, SEPT. 18. NO ACCEPTIONS, PLEASE. • Live Music in the Courtyard with the Tom Anthony Group, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22 • Abruzzese Society social, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 26 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6 p.m. • Live Music in the Courtyard with Leroy Airmaster with Lil’ Maddie, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 • Pompeii Women’s Club general meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 28 • Final 2017 Live Music in the Courtyard concert with The Classics, 6:30 p.m.
Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The fall season will begin the week of Sept. 11. Team registrations are available at the ICC. The season will end with the champion playoffs on Monday, Nov. 13. • ICC Italian classes. The fall semester will begin Tuesday, Sept. 12. Details in this issue. • ICC free Children’s Italian class. The fall semester will begin Saturday, Sept. 23. 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.
• 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! • 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.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Children’s Italian Weekly Italian class to begin classes for teens Sept. 23 at ICC and adults return to ICC on Sept. 12
The fall semester of a weekly series of Italian classes for children between the ages of 6 and 12 will begin Saturday, Sept. 23, 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 Nov. 11.
Course fee established For the first time, the course will have a fee, which has been establised at $50 per child. It is hope that by having a course fee, parents will be more diligent in bringing their chldren to the classes, said Pietro Tarantino, ICC Italian Language Chairman. To register, complete the form accompanying this article. Checks are payable to the Italian Community Center. Registration will be accepted up to the start of the Sept. 23 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
with a check or credit card. They can also call the ICC office at 414223-2180 to register and pay the course fee with a credit card. 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. She was honored by WisItalia as Wisconsin’s 2009 “Italian Teacher of the Year.” Tarantino Woytal has been leading the children’s class at the ICC since the early 1980s. Over the years, several hundred youngsters have participated in the class. For more details, contact Enrica Tarantino Woytal 414-481-0170, or via email at enricaw@aol.com.
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_________________________
Number of children: ____ @ $50.00 per child = $_____________ Children's names & ages: ______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ Send this form to: Children's Italian Course, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
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Proud sponsor of the Festa Italiana Mass since 2002.
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THE ITALIAN TIMES
This fall, the Italian Community Center will offer an introductory class (Italian I) as well as an Italian II conversational class, both starting Tuesday, Sept. 12. Both courses will be held on 10 consecutive Tuesday nights, with the final classes on Nov. 14. 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 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. The Italian II course will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:15 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 members and the general public. There
is a limit of 25 students per class. The fee for each course is $125 per person. 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 Sept. 12 classes if the enrollment limit has not been reached. People can also call the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and register for a class and paying the course fee with a credit card. They also also stop in at the ICC office during regular Monday through Friday business hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., fill out the registration form and make their payment with a check or credit card.
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: $125.00 per person.
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.
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Contact Father Dom at domenicjose@hotmail.com or 262-751-7036 or Jan at jan.becker@holyspiritswine.com or 262-224-3145 Consider have a Holy Spirits Wine Sale, prior to the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays. This is a great opportunity for a fundraiser and it is easy to do. Interested in advertising in our next issue? Get the details on ad sizes, prices and the deadline by calling 414-223-2189 or sending an email to: themman@iccmilwaukee.com. SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 9
Grand Rapids man wins Festa’s Cannoli-Eating Contest
So, who do you think is having more fun? The two volunteers who are counting how many cannoli each contestant downs or the three contestants seen here? The volunteer with a big smile on his face is none other than Filippo Voltaggio, who performed with celebrity chef Richard Lombardi at the cucina on the Bartolotta Restaurant Group Stage. The other volunteer (wearing the cap) is Lloyd James, who tabulated the cannoli devouring of the 2017 contest winner, Evan Jacob Garcia, who is on the far right.
Evan Jacob Garcia, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was crowned the 2017 Festa Italiana Cannoli-Eating Contest champion after gobbling down nine of the tasty Italian pastries in just four minutes. Aside from bragging rights, Garcia won $100 cash, a 2017 Cannoli-Eating Contest T-shirt and his picture in The Italian Times and on the Festa website, festaitaliana.com. Seen here with Garcia is Marie Lieber, Festa’s Cucina Manager. In case you’re wondering, the record for most cannoli eaten in the four-minute contest was set in 2011 by Tony Paulis of Milwaukee who ate 10-1/4!
All Times’ Cannoli-Eating Contest photos by Paul Inzeo All Kids’ Pizza-Making photos provided by Marie Lieber
Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and his guards arrived with the cannoli for Festa’s heralded Cannoli-Eating Contest. The tantalizing Italian pastries provided by the Vella family, owners and operators of Peter Sciortino Bakery.
Here are the 2017 Kids Pizza-Making Contest winners
Here is Madilyn Polzin, 8, with the pizza she made to earn top honors in the 5-9 year-old age bracket in the Kids’ Pizza-Making Contest. Alongside her is Marie Lieber, manager of La Cucina.
PAGE 10 – SEPTEMBER 2017
The judges’ top choice in the Kids’ Pizza-Making Contest for 10-17 yearolds, Kailee Laurence, 10, is shown here with her winning creation. La Cucina Manager Marie Lieber is with her.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Da Stugots roll to 40th Festa bocce championship
Forty years ago, The Old Times, a senior citizen team led by the late Joe Puccio, used its incredible game savvy and skill learned from years of playing the game to dispense with its opponents to win the first Festa Italiana bocce championship. On Sunday, July 23, Da Stugots, a much younger, but equally savvy and crafted team easily rolled to the 2017 Festa bocce championship. In the title match, Da Stugots defeated the Sons of Sicily, 12-1. The champs are seen here. (l-r): Michael McGuire, David Quadrucchi, Mario Quadrucci and Joe LaDien, The young man in front of David Quadrucchi is his son, Enzo. The team received a $500 cash prize and individual trophies. The runner-up Sons of Sicily won a $300 cash prize. The consolation champion, Young Money, was given $200 cash. Young Money won the Festa bocce tournament in 2015. Da Stugots might have had a little helping hand from the spirit of someone who knows a lot about winning, the late Marquette University basketball coach Al McGuire, the grandfather of Michael McGuire. The tournament begun with 28 teams hoping to win the championship. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Often, the decision of who wins and who loses a game of bocce comes down a measurement (or measurements). In the Festa championship game between Da Stagots and the Sons of Sicily, referees Mike Giaimo and John Vella had to pull out the measuring tape several times to determine whose ball was closer to the pallino. While Da Stugots won the game, 12-1, the Sons of Sicily fell short of scoring points by an inch or two in several rounds. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Madelina Francesca Keane chosen as Festa’s Italian Idol
Young winner in pizzamaking contest was taught by her great-grandmother
Madeline Franchesca Keane (center) was declared the winner of Festa Italiana’s 2017 Italian Idol contest on July 23. Her performance, in Italian, of “Ave Marie,” was judged the best among the eight finalists who sang that night. Finishing second was Alex Monroe, who performed the song “I Will Always Love You.” Third place went to Mark Koch who sang “Wicked Games.” Keane was awarded a $500 cash prize. Monroe received $300 and Koch won $200. In addition to singing a song of their choosing, each contestant was asked to sing a few verses of the international successful Italian song “Valore.” Keane was the lone contestant to sing that tune entirely in Italian. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Verdi Club staffs Festa sausage booths
Madilyn “Maddie” Polzin, who won the 2017 Kids’ Pizza-Making Contest in the 5-9 year old bracket at Festa, was learned how to cook Italian-style from her great-grandmother, Marion Magestro. Both are shown here. Marion is the aunt of Italian Community Center member Joe Ziino. Maddie’s mother, Carol, is Joe’s first cousin. The Polzin family lives in St. Louis, Mo. (Photo provided by Chris Ziino)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
The duties of grilling the Italian sausage at the Verdi Sport Club’s north booth were being handled by John Rossetto (left) and Alan Smith at the time this picture was taken. The Verdi Club uses fund raised from participating in Festa for its soccer program. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 11
Festa’s new Italian Heritage Exhibit
While visiting the Italian Heritage Photo Exhibit at Festa Italiana, Anthony Schwartz found himself on an 8th grade St. Rita School
class picture from 1970. Schwartz is half Italian. His mother was the former Annamarie Sorci. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Volunteers Marian Yoder, Sheeda D’Amato and Yvonne Zarcone worked at a booth inside the Italian Heritage Exhibit where vigil lights were sold. These lights could be placed on a stand or with a saint in the exhibit. Proceeds from the sale benefited the Festa Mass. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Theresa (Mirenda) Peavler found a photo taken in 1940 in which her nonna, Marie Mirenda, appears. The photo was taken at a birthday party for Ann Megna. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Religious artifacts that once graced Milwaukee’s Italian-built Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church were on display in the Italian Heritage Exhibit at Festa. The church, which came into existence through the efforts of the city’s early Italian immigrants, was dedicated May 14, 1905, but was demolished Oct. 9, 1967 under an urban renewal order. Shown here are artifacts representing the societies of St. Theresa, Madonna del Lume and Santa Rosalia. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Photo above: Pat and Carmelo Serio of Mesa, Ariz. viewed the photos in the Italian Heritage Exhibit. (Times photo by John Ferraro)
Photo on the left: Festa volunteers Tony Lupo (left) and Ray Martinez outside of the Italian Heritage Exhibit sponsored by Sendik’s Market. The large poster gave guests a good idea of what they could expect to see inside this new building. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Having an autumn sale. Let our readers know about it with an ad in our next issue. Get all of the details by calling (414) 223-2189 or by sending an email to themman@iccmilwaukee.com.
PAGE 12 – SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Giant puppets add to spectacle of Festa’s parade
Giant Italian-style puppets, like this one decked out as a gondolier, participated in the Festa Grand Parade. The puppets, designed by local puppeteer Jeffrey Holub, were new participants in the parade, which was conducted on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. As you can see, it took
Children filled the Pinocchio mobile, one of the units which is part of Festa’s Grand Parade. The mobile was built by Italian Community Center member Cosmo Carini. The panels along each side of the mobile tell the story of Pinocchio as written in the book by Italian author Carlo Collodi in 1883. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
two puppet masters – Susie DeSanctis Christiansen and her brother, Mark DeSanctis – to operate this huge puppet. Parade manager Gina Jorgensen had giant hats, scarves and sashes made for the puppets. Donations helped to offset the costs. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Making a special pizza delivery to Festa Italiana during the Grand Parade on July 22 and 23 was this giant pizza chef puppet, designed by Jeffrey Holub and decorated by Gina Jorgensen. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
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Could a career in engineering or building construction be in the future for Michelle Trujillo and Jeanne Anton? The two were busy doing some creative design with LEGOs when this picture was taken at Festa. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
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Some of the acts that entertained you
Last summer, former pizza delivery man turned overnight singing sensation Sal Valentinetti became a fan favorite on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” This summer, the performer of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and other great Italian male vocalists became a fan favorite at Festa Italiana. His Festa performances on July 22-23 were his first in Wisconsin. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Aaron Caruso of the Sicilian Tenors is seen here. Caruso performed with Elio Scaccio and Sam Vitale each of the three days of the festival. Caruso also performed the National Anthem at Festa’s opening day ceremony. (Times photo by Naomi Berkowitz)
Once again, the Russo Brothers – Nick and Dominic (center) – their band of musicians, the Paesans, with the bevy of Las Vegas-style dancers proved to be one of the first-class acts in the Festa Italiana lineup. The
Russo Brothers, who hail from Brookfield, have been performing at Festa since Nick was 8 and Dominic was 4. This year’s shows drew large crowds to the Calypso Lemonade Stage. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
Drawing huge crowds for both its Saturday and Sunday night shows at Festa Italiana were the Violin Femmes Starring the Bella Electric Strings. Performing rock anthems with precision and outstanding show-
manship, the group drew standing ovations each night. The musicians performed on the Calypso Lemonade Stage. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
PAGE 14 – SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
The Gin Blossoms, with Robin Wilson on lead vocalists, delivered the group’s classic hits, including “Hey Jealousy” and “Follow You Down,” plus songs from the band’s new album, which is expected to be released later this year. The band performed on Festa’s Saturday night on the Calypso Lemonade Stage. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
For the third consecutive year, Sbandieratori dei Borghi e Sestieri Fiorentini from Figlione Valdarno, Italy, brought the special of Italian flag throwing to Festa Italiana for the enjoyment and amazement of guests. Here’s the troupe in one of its performance on the Colosseum sports court. The flag throwers came to Festa through a generosity sponsorship from the Milwaukee-based Palermo’s Pizza. (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
The University of Wisconsin Marching Band gave a 5th quarter performance at Festa Italiana. This marked the second straight year that this nationally-recognized band appeared at the festival. (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
Here is Tradizione Vivente performing the “Ribbon Dance” at its final performance on the Colesseum Sports Court at Festa Italiana. It
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Dog ‘N’ Butterfly, a tribute to Ann and Nancy Wilson and the classic rock band Heart, kept Festa audiences rocking both Saturday and Sunday in performance at the Calypso Lemonade Stage. Lizann (third from left) is the founder of the group and stunningly replicates the vocals of Ann Wilson. Desha Dunnehoe has perfected the role of the guitar-playing Nancy Wilson. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
was a busy weekend of dancing and volunteering for group members. Many of the dancers worked where margaritas and other adult bev-
erages were sold. (Times photo by Noami Berkowitz)
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 15
by Sr. Ann Catherine Veierstahler Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida Most Reverend Jeffrey R. Haines, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who presided at the Festa Italiana Mass, shared some of the following reflections. He noted that this is the 50th anniversary of the closing of the “Little Pink Church.” Our Lady of Pompeii Church closed in October 1967. Paraphrasing what Bishop Haines said, indeed, the physical church is no more. But, the church was made up of living stones. People who were members of Our Lady of Pompeii carried their faith and spirit to all churches throughout our community and many communities. He added that we are called to continue to share the Gospel and we live this through our joy in the Lord and our many acts of kindness to others. This truly continues to make Our Lady of Pompeii and Christ truly present in our lives today! Bishop Haines also recalled that Mother Cabrini, an Italian, is the Patron of Immigrants and that at one time many of us were immigrants to the United States and
Faces of Festa 2017 there were people here to welcome us, teach us, share the sacraments, etc. He noted that our church was the center of our lives and gave a great beginning to adjust to a new life in these United States. Today, there are 46 million immigrants in our country. They are all part of our abundant harvest and we are now called to share with them all that we have received. On a personal level, I want to thank the Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida who taught me in High School. I remember so well Sr. Alfreda, Sr. Tarcisia Tonna, and many other sisters. Mother Monica and Sister Flavia Styles along with Sr. Celeste Rossi, Sr. Claudia Borg, Sr. Mary Agnes and many dedicated Sisters cared for our elders at St. Joan Antida Home. When we look at the faces of the people who attend Festa Italiana today, we see that our Italian community has reached out and touched the lives of a very diverse population – all our part of the family of God. A very special thank you to all the volunteers and participants of Festa. It has been a great privilege and honor to be one of your photographers this year. I made many more friends.
Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Haines is seen here with First Communicant Lilian Verplancke and her grandmother Pat Morrisey of St. Louis, Mo.
Vietnamese immigrants Son Thai and Thein enjoyed a sample of pasta and meatballs provided to guests after a cooking demonstration at la cucina at the Bartolotta Restaurant Group stage.
Sister Ann Catherine Veierstahler met Liala Amin at Festa. Both are graduates of St. Joan Anitda High School in Milwaukee.
All photos by or provided by Sister Ann Catherine Veierstahler
Here is Armela Lembo, who was a member of Our Lady of Pompeii Church. Her father was a barber in the old Italian neighborhood in the Historic Third Ward.
PAGE 16 – SEPTEMBER 2017
Retired Green Bay Packers defensive end Santana Dotson is seen here with Sister Ann Cather Veierstahler. Dotson was one of the celebrities at the “Vince Lombardi Walk/Run to Tackle Cancer” awards ceremony that was held under the pavilion at the Bartolotta Restaurant Stage on July 22.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Country Financial sees Festa as a ‘good fit’
For Joe Jannazzo, Country Financial Manager for the Southeastern Wisconsin area, being a sponsor of Festa Italiana was an easy decision. “I believe Festa is a good fit for Country Financial,” he said. “Festa brings the community together for an annual celebration of food and family. Country Financial, through its products, has been involved in protecting the well being of families. The company’s involvement in communities goes back a long time. Its roots are in the farming community.” Jannazzo added that the demographics of the crowd that Festa attracts are right for the products that Country Financial has available. Those products include auto, home, life, small business and commercial insurance and retirement planning. Jannazzo has been with Country Financial since 1998. He and his wife moved to Wisconsin from central Illinois when he began with Country as a Training and Marketing Specialist in 2004. He became a Financial Representative in 2007. Three years later, he was promoted to Manager for Southeastern Wisconsin. He oversees 23 financial representatives in the district. The Greater Milwaukee Agency is at 16655 W. Bluemound Rd., Suite 215, Brookfield. Country Financial serves as one of the sponsors of Festa Italiana’s fourth annual futsal tournament. The other sponsor was Nomad World Pub. Joe traced his Italian roots to Sicily on his father’s side. His dad, Joseph Jannazzo, Sr., operates a restaurant and bar in Springfield, Ill. Joe, Sr. donated pasta sauce –
Here is Joe Jannazzo with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughters Gianna, Isabel, Mia and Gillian in a photo taken next to the gondola billboard that was
Onofrio Classic Sauces – for the raffle drawing conducted at Festa’s 2017 Regional Exhibit. Joe, Jr. was appointed to the Italian Community Center Board as a director-at-large last fall to fill a one-year vacancy. He serves on
displayed at this year’s Festa Italiana. (Photo provided by Joe Jannazzo)
two committees, Fundraising and
ICC Members: Planning to attend the dinner before the General Meeting on Thursday, September 21st? If so, you are kindly asked to make a reservation on or before Monday, September 18th. Call 414-223-2180. Your reservation will help the culinary staff of Bartolotta Catering prepare sufficient food for the buffet.
Milwaukee Police Department K9 Officer Johnson brought his dog, Enox, to Festa Italiana to meet the attendees. The MPD K9 Foundation, a nonprofit organization, had a booth to collect donations for the purchase of more police dogs and the daily needs of the dogs already assisting officers. (Times photo by John Ferraro)
Bylaws. He is also a member of the Filippo Mazzei Lodge #2763 of the Order Sons of Italy in America. At Festa, he volunteered in one of the beer booths operated by OSIA members. Joe and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since 2003. They have four daughters, Gillian, 11, Mia, 9, Gianna, 6, and Isabel, 3. They live in Waukesha. The two oldest daughters play softball for the Pewaukee Predators.
Who won Festa’s 50/50 raffle?
Drum roll, please! The winner of Festa Italiana’s first-ever 50/50 raffle is . . . Jacqueline Houlihan of Chicago, Ill. She won $3,130. That’s exactly half of the money that was spent by Festa-goers who purchased raffle tickets. The other half goes to the organizing body, which, in this case is Festa Italiana.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Catering THE ITALIAN TIMES
Representatives of Milwaukee Italian Immersion School at Victory K-8 were on hand at Festa Italiana to offer information to the public about the Italian program and to promote enrollment for the 2017-18 school year. Seen here are Mary Hammer (left) and Principal Janine Graber. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 17
Pompeii Women’s Club install new officers and board members
The Pompeii Women’s Club installation dinner was held on June 28 at Alioto’s on Mayfair Rd. with 60 guests in attendance. Prior to the serving of dinner, Judge Mary Triggiano, an honorary member, administered the oath of office to the 2017 slate of officers and board members. Taking the oath of office were the following: President Suzanne Wypijewski, Vice President Karen Dickinson, Recording Secretary Janet Corona, Corresponding Secretary Rosalie Giano, Treasurer Patti Bennetts and board members Agatha Collura, Anna Rose San Felippo, Carla SanFelippo, Agnes Bova-Ulezelski and Mary G. Winard. A brief speech was made by new President Wypijewski, who pledged her continuing support to our club as she has done since she joined 10 years ago. Fr. Mike Hammer, one of the club’s chaplains, gave the invocation before dinner was served. After dinner and awards presentation (see separate story), a drawing of door prizes was conducted by Immediate Past President Pat Consolazione, who then called upon Fr. Mike for the benediction prayer. The club welcomed attendees of other Italian organizations including Italian Community Center Vice President Joseph Emanuele, Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National Vice President Sophia Michalovitz, Vince and Vincenza Vitale of the Filippo Mazzei Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy in America and several members of the Pompeii Men’s Club including Chuck Lazzaro,
Shown here are the members of the Pompeii Women’s Club Board and its officers taken at the June 28 installation dinner. From the left: Immediate Past President Pat Consolazione, Mary Winard, Agnes Bova-Ulezelski, Anna Rose San Felippo, Carlo San Fe-
Dave Doern, George Collura, Tom Consolazione and Tony Zingale.
lippo, President Suzanne Wypijewski, Vice President Karen Dickinson, Aggie Collura, Lucy Sorce, Corresponding Secretary Rosalie Giano, Recording Secretary Janet Corona and Treasurer Patti Bennetts. (Photo provided by Suzanne Wypijewski)
Lastly, the club wishes to thank its Immediate Past President Pat Consolazione for her loyal and dedicated service the past four years including the adversity that was encountered long the way. – Submitted by Mary G. Winard Public Relations Chair Pompeii Women’s Club
Awards presented to seven Pompeii Women
Seven members of the Pompeii Women’s Club were presented with service awards at the club’s June 28 installation dinner and meeting. The awards were presented to the following: • Lucille (Lucy) Sorce, outgoing Vice President, for her many years of service. • Christina MacCudden, outgoing Board Member. • Phyllis Travia, outgoing Board Member. • Anna Rose SanFelippo, for her nearly 15 years as Sunshine Chairperson.
• Mary Winard, for 20 years of continuous service. • Margaret (Peggy) Zoet, for her beautiful flower arrangements at the club’s May Crowning and years of donated floral decorations. Outgoing President Pat Consolazione was honored with a gold President’s charm and a Garden Angel. a symbol of the Pompeii Women’s Club. The club presented Sister Ann Catherine, a member, with $100 to further her work at the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Services.
UNICO Ladies invite all to Sept. 19 dinner and vintage jewelry fundraiser
“Oh, What a Night” was a big hit for Frankie Valli & Four Seasons in the mid 1970s, but those four words could also be used to describe what everyone will be saying when they attend the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO dinner meeting and vintage jewelry fundraiser at the Italian Community Center on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Ladies of UNICO President Carla Pellin said, “It will be a fun and informative evening as we take a look back in time and honor our nonagenarians (our 90years and older members).” The vintage jewelry sale will serve as a fundraiser for the organization’s 2018 scholarship program. Members have been asked
PAGE 18 – SEPTEMBER 2017
to go through their jewelry collection to find pieces to donate for the sale. Everything will be reasonable priced. “We invite everyone to come and shop and have some fun with us,” Pellin said. A fabulous dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m. by the Bartolotta Catering staff. The entrée will be chicken scaloppini with lemon caper sauce. The cost for dinner is $20 per person. Reservations are required by Sept. 12. To make your reservations, call Sophia Michalo-vitz at 414-4760461. – Submitted by Sophia Michalovitz Vice President Ladies of UNICO
Here is new Pompeii Women’s Club President Suzanne Wypijewski and her good friend, Sue Banghart at the installation dinner. (Photo provided by Suzanne Wypijewski)
Justinian Society announces its 2017 Columbus Day banquet honorees
The Wisconsin Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers will hold its annual Columbus Day dinner on Friday, Oct. 13 at the Wisconsin Club, 500 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. A reception is set for 5 p.m. with the dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $85 per person. Justinian Society President and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge John DiMotto said that three individuals from the legal community will be presented awards and two students will be given scholarships. The honorees include:
• Kelli Thompson, Wisconsin State Public Defender, recipient of the Justinians’ “Citizen of the Year” award. • Joseph Kearney, Marquette University Law School Dean, recipient of the Justinians’ “Italian of the Year” award. • William Brash III, Wisconsin Court of Appeals District 1 Judge, recipient of the Justinians’ “Jurist of the Year” award. The scholarship recipients will be Danielle Marocchi and Nathan Oesch, Marquette University Law School students. Look for more information in the next issue of The Italian Times.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Sal Mussomeli left his mark on Milwaukee’s Italian community and world’s manufacturing community
by Thomas Hemman Times Editor He was charter member of the Italian Community Center, a charter member and past president of the Pompeii Men’s Club, a longtime manager of Festa Italiana dry goods operations, a past member of the ICC Board and the 1989 King of the organization’s pre-Lenten ball, Il Grande Carnevale. Professionally, he was also a highly respected engineer, a manufacturing plant manager, a manufacturing consultant, an inventor and a patent holder. Those two paragraphs summarize some the highlights in the career of Salvatore A. “Moose” Mussomeli, who died June 30 at the age of 84. Many knew him for his humor as well as his sarcasm and his larger than life personality. He was also known as an intelligent, knowledgeable man, someone who got the job done and was able to teach others and made their jobs more efficient. He was always ready to offer his advise. Sal was born Jan. 26, 1933, the son of the late Antonio and the late Rosina (Carini) Mussomeli. The family lived in Milwaukee’s old Third Ward. Family members told The Italian Times that Sal often repeated this statement to them: “Life is made of memories, so make them good ones!” “Education was very important to my father,” said his daughter Roselle Mussomeli Sturdevant. “Coming from immigrant parents, he was guided into making a name and career for himself. He was given the opportunity to become a pro football player, but his father told him that he needed to go into tool and die making, a solid techni-
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Comrade- A person who shares one’s interests or activities; a friend or companion. It comes from the Italian camera or room/chamber and camerata or one who shares the same room, i.e., roommate.
Salvatore A. Mussomeli
cal career.” Sal completed his apprenticeship in 1955 at International Harvester. However, after finishing, he was drafted into the United States Army and served three years. After returning, he continued to work at International Harvester and went to night school at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He earned a degree in manufacturing engineering. He began working at Johnson Controls in 1963 and, by 1972, had become the plant manager at the Humboldt location. He later become manager of the Manufacturing Engineering Division at the company, a global diversified technology and multi-industrial leader which serves a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. Toward the end of his career, he became a consultant for the Johnson Controls and flew all over the
Welcome new Italian Community Center members!
The following persons became members of the Italian Community Center between June 12 and August 10, 2017. Benvenuto (Welcome!) Amy J. Domagalski of Milwaukee Joseph A Balistreri of Brookfield Benedict J. Di Salvo of Madison
Hugh Hudson and Cathleen Catanfaro and children Emma & Benjamin Hudson of Wauwatosa Daniel Slardino and Tina Btschli and children Alyssa Nimann and Makinna Melzer of Brookfield Nick and Elaine Mazza and children Van, Zoe and Theo Mazza of Waukesha
John Doherty and Mary Smarelli of Milwaukee Zachary Pecorano (Jr. Membership) of Racine Jim and Deb Heller of Appleton
Stephen A. Cardassi of Ocala, FL
THE ITALIAN TIMES
world to see how manufacturing plants in foreign countries were operating the machinery that they used and to evaluate the parts production. He helped many European and Asian plants improve their production. “He enjoyed teaching others the how and why of engineering,” Roselle said. “His favorite places to travel for Johnson Controls were Switzerland, Austria and Japan.” Sal was also an inventor. He received a U.S. patent on the method of mounting mechanical elements to a plate. The patent was awarded to him in 1996. He received numerous certifications and awards for his work, his family stated. Sal was a lifetime member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and certified by its institute as a Manufacturing Engineer. He was a charter member of the Ro-
botics Society International. He was a member of the Order Sons of Italy in America, a charter member of both Pompeii Men’s Club and the ICC. He served as president of the Pompeii Men from 1986 to 1998. He served on the ICC Board as a director-at-large during those same years. Jimmy Spataro, who became the ICC President in November 1985, asked Sal to become the volunteer manager of dry goods for 1986 Festa. His job included ordering and purchasing all of the festival tshirts, sweatshirts, caps and other sportswear and apparel. Sal accepted the offer and got the Pompeii Men’s Club involved in staffing and operating the dry goods booths. He went to manage the operation about 15 years “Sal did an absolutely wonderful job. Festa couldn’t have had a better volunteer for this important operation,” Spataro said. The dry goods division raised funds for both the ICC and the Pompeii Men’s Club. Most of the funds raised by the club were returned to the ICC in the form of an annual donation. These donations resulted in the naming rights for the ICC’s largest ballroom, the Pompeii Grand Ballroom. In 1989, in honor of his volunteer service and commitment to the organization, the ICC honored Sal at Il Re (the King) of the 10th annual Carnevale. “My father was a charitable man,” Roselle Sturdevant said. “He donated to many charities because he believed in giving back to the community and those in need. Some of the charities that were closest to his heart were St. Labre Indian School, St. Joseph’s Indian School, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Boy’s Town.” St. Jude’s was important to him because he lost his son, Nino, to leukemia, Rosella said. She added, “My father was always a teacher and a guide. He mentored many, and they always found success from his guidance. He also taught us about life, investments and politics. He espePlease turn to page 20
Thanks for your donations to the ICC
from page 7 In memory of Salvatore A. In memory of Frances Mussomeli Busalacchi Ron & Joanne Czubek Tony A. Machi, Sr. George & Judy Menos Dr. Grace Machi Jimmy & Linda Spataro Ted Machi Tony A. Machi, Sr. Dr. Tony A. Machi, Jr. Raymond & Carol Martinez In memory of Joe Panella Gino A. Dentice Sam Purpero Gerry Accetta Purpero In memory of Phillip Purpero Pompeii Men’s Club Mary Winard Mr. & Mrs. John A. Sanfilippo Tony & Barbara Lupo In memory of John L. Sam Purpero Sanfilippo Larry & Joan Balistreri Paul Iannelli George & Judy Menos In memory of Joseph C Tom & Rose Zingale “Peppy” Purpero Pompeii Men’s Club Tony A. Machi, Sr. Gerry Accetta Purpero In memory of Joseph Catalano Mary Rose Vicini Pompeii Men’s Club In memory of Freda M. In memory of Margaret Petrusek Balistreri Tony A. Machi, Sr. Ines Spinelli Dr. Grace Machi In memory of Dorothy Lanza Ted Machi Frances Collura Boyles Rose M. Cook
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 19
To be or not to be . . . a Sicilian?
by Blaise Di Pronio He is known in the English speaking world as The Bard. In Italy, it would be Il Bardo (Celtic poet). We all know him as William Shakespeare, the English poet and playwright, born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom – or so we’ve been told. It is well known that there has been past speculation regarding Shakespeare’s birth, origin and authorship of the many plays and poetry bearing his name and, hold on now! Some believe that he was, in fact, born in Messina, Italy and not Stratford. This assertion is not a prank, nor a stunt, so please read on and let’s see what you think. It is undisputed and thus all agree that Shakespeare was very familiar with all things Italian. He had read Boccaccio and Bandello, and the like. He knew Italian geography and history. Almost half of his many plays were set in Italy, and they show an accurate portrayal and detailing of Italian history, rulers and internal affairs and its life and laws. It should be noted that he never wrote as such about Stratford! A Sicilian Professor, Martino Iuvara (aka Juvara), wrote a book on the subject in 2002 entitled Shakespeare Era Italiano (Shakespeare was Italian). He claims that the poet was born Messina, Sicily, to a Dr. Giovanni Florio and Guglielma Crollalanza, a Sicilian noblewoman. He was named Michelangelo Florio Crollalanza. At the time, the Catholic Inquisition was taking place and since the family was Calvinist and the father had published articles against Rome and the Church, their existence in Italy was in a precarious state eventually costing the father his life. This so-called Crollalanza Theory seems to have been first set out in Santi Paladino’s 1929 pamphlet Shakespeare sarebbe il pseudonimo di un poeta italiano (Shakespeare seems to be the pen name of an Italian poet). Let’s now consider some inter-
William Shakespeare
esting and intriguing facts and circumstances. The name Crollalanza translates to collapses (crolla) or shakes (scrolla as some spell the name) and spear (lanza). Guglielma is the Italian feminine version of William (Guglielmo). Iuvara goes on to cite that, when in Sicily, Michelangelo wrote a play in the Sicilian dialect entitled Tanto Traffico per Niente, which translates to Much Traffic/Ado About Nothing. His father, at one time owned a house called Casa Otello, which had been built by a Venetial called Otello, who had murdered his wife in a jealous rage. While in Milan, Michelangelo fell in love with a 16 year-old girl named Giuletta. Her aristocratic family was opposed to the relationship and so they sent her off to Verona. When Michelangelo finally located her whereabouts, he discovered she had committed suicide, but he ended being considered a
suspect of her murder. Because of this and the prior problems with the Inquisition, he fled to England and changed his name to its English equivalent as describe above. There is also some suggestion that he may have taken the identity of a cousin on his mother’s side, who had died prematurely and had lived in Stratford like the rest of the cousin’s Crollalanza family, which was also using that English equivalent name of Shakespear.. Coincidences you say. I say we rest the case for now and allow you, our dear readers, to deliberate and decide. As an aside, please read the following fractured fantasy fable exercise written by your author as a light play with the plays using a liberal dose of poetic license in order to refresh your memories a bit. An Imagined Aside: It was on “The Twelfth Night” of
Hungry like the wolf . . . for lupini
by Blaise Di Pronio In 1950s and ‘60s Italy, there were no salted snack and munchy bar foods such as pretzels, chips and popcorn (over salted to get you to buy more drinks). What was usually featured in Italian bars back then was a more wholesome and healthier alternative (albeit still oversalted to induce thirst) known as ‘lupini’ (lupin beans in English). On its own, the English word lupine means wolf-like. The disease lupus is called such as it “devours” the affected areas of the body like a wolf. It was thought that the lupin plant was, like the disease, harmful and wasteful to the soil. In reality, it is not. It can actually improve sandy soil. It can also be used to choke out weeds. The snack beans lupini are actually the seeds of the lupinus plant. Without proper preparation, they are extremely bitter and sometimes even toxic to the system. They must first be soaked, rinsed and pickled in order to become palatable.. Lupin usage dates back to 2000 B.C. Egyptians and, of course, they eventually came down to the Roman Empire era and beyond. The Romans cultivated the bean
PAGE 20 – SEPTEMBER 2017
and its usage spread to their colonies, especially in the Mediterranean countries and the Middle East. As indicated, lupini beans are only edible after soaking the seeds for some days in salted water which has to then be changed periodically until the bitterness and saltiness is eliminated. Lupini beans are commonly sold in a brine in jars (like olives and pickles). They can be eaten by making a small tear in the skin with one’s teeth and “popping” the seed directly into one’s mouth but they can also be eaten with the skin on. The skin can also be removed by rubbing the bean between forefinger and thumb. In the areas mentioned, they are very popular in bars as a snack while drinking beer or wine and also very popular in home usage. Should you wish to have a go at preparing a batch of lupini, the dried beans are available for purchase at places like our Glorioso’s and, nowdays, also online. But, as a word of caution, lupin allergy may cause life-threatening reactions in sensitive individuals since there is some cross-reactivity with peanut allergy. So nut allergy sufferers should exercise extreme
caution with lupini and lupin-containing foods. Here is an easy to follow recipe and buon appetito! Put the beans in a pot of water and soak overnight, for a total of 24 hours. Be sure that the water covers the beans completely. After 12 hours, check on the beans to make sure they are fully submerged and add more water if needed. After the 24 hours of soaking, bring the beans to a boil and simmer for two hours. Drain and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large container and cover with cold water. Let them cool and then place them in the refrigerator. For the next 14 days, change the water once a day with new cold water (this soaking is what removes the bitterness). After 14 days, add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of salt . Place back in the refrigerator to soak overnight. On the 15th day, start eating (rinse, if too salty) as is or first add favorite condiments and seasonings. Keep what’s left refrigerated between snacks.
June when those star-crossed lovers, “Romeo and Juliet” decided to marry. For them, it was “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” come true. “The Tempest” of a relationship between their feuding families was to them “Much Ado About Nothing”. So they went to “The Merchant of Venice” for the wedding rings. The old man told both: ‘You can inscribe them “As You Like It’ and so they did. The wedding now set, the process of preparing a guest list became “The Comedy of Errors”- typical for an Italian wedding in light of the many rivalries, vendettas and feuds and the “Love’s Labour Lost” between them all was replaced by hostility. So sitting who with whom without resulting chaos was pretty challenging for the young lovers. What to do with “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” who were despised by “The Two Noble Kinsmen” on Romeo’s side? “Venus and Adonis” could sit next to “Troilus and Cressida” with no problem. And there was one way to do “The Taming of the Shrew” from Egypt by sitting “Anthony and Cleopatra” next to their Roman friend “Titus Andronicus,” thus keeping that vixen away from “Julius Caesar”. Seating “Hamlet” and “Othello” next to “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was a no-brainer and, of course, “King Lear”, “Richard II”, “Richard III”, “King John” and all those “King Henry”s would be at their own head table. So overall, “Measure for Measure”, except for “Macbeth” whose address was unknown and “Timon of Athens”, who was stuck in Greece, the arrangements were done to the hoped satisfaction of all. Thus, one would think that “All’s Well that Ends Well” except, as we all know, the bride and groom, for whatever reason, failed to show and love’s labor was lost after all.
Mussomeli contributed here and abroad
from page 19 cially enjoyed teaching my children about their Sicilian heritage and about the Italian community here in Milwaukee. He used to sit both of my children down at his kitchen table and draw scale diagrams of machinery, tools and pieces. They learned a lot about engineering, thanks to their Nonno. He loved the fact that his granddaughter, Valentina, was given a position in the ICC office and could keep helping the community as he once did. He was also very proud of his grandson, Salvatore, for going into the accounting field as he is finishing his schooling at UW-Milwaukee to became a CPA. My father’s passions were history, culture, language, engineering, travel, family and friends. He loved al his family and friends wholeheartedly.”
Sal was preceded in death by his wife, Rosalie (Mandella). He was the father of the late Anthony “Nino”, Roselle (Wesley) Sturdevant and Marie Mussomeli and the grandfather of Valentina and Salvatore “Tony” Sturdevant. He was the brother of Mary (the late Nicholas) Rondinelli, the Josephine (the late Vincent) Carini and Nina Mussomeli. He is survived nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Polizia primer: A primer on Italian police
Those of you that have traveled to Italy must have noticed the myriad of law enforcement types bedecked in an array of usually befitting uniforms. Did you ever wonder who was responsible for what? Well, here is a breakdown of who is who and what each branch is responsible for. Take notes for your next trip so you’ll know when wondering whom to call.
2). Municipal Police – Polizia Municipale Each commune has a Municipal Police force responsible for enforcing local regulations, traffic control and investigating petty crimes. They are also known as “Polizia Comunale,” “Polizia Urbana” or “Vigili Urbani.” In some regions, the Provincial Police and the Municipal Police are grouped together as “Local Police” (Polizia Locale).
Two local forces 1). Provincial Police – Polizia Provinciale This force is responsible for enforcing national and local hunting and fishing laws as well as some traffic regulations. They are not present in every province.
Five national forces 1. State Police - Polizia di Stato. The State Police (Polizia di Stato) is a civilian police force primarily responsible for the maintainance of public order and security, under the control of the Department of Public Security (Dipartimento della Pubblica Sicurezza).
by Blaise Di Pronio Do you know what a proprietary eponym is? At first, I didn’t know either, but I’m sure you know what Kleenex, LEGOs or more recently, Google are. In fact, they all started out as trademarked brand names that, because of their resulting popularity and usage, they became the generic name of a general class of a product, i.e., tissue, building blocks and searching in these cases. Jet Ski was trademarked by Kawasaki Industries, but we know it to mean a personal watercraft (a la snowmobile on water). Chapstick was branded by Pfizer and now it means a lip balm. And, on and on. are there any Italian So named/owned trademarked/branded names that have become a generic part of the English vernacular? Did you ever soak in a jacuzzi? We now know it as a tub or pool filled with hot circulating water and used for hydro-therapeutic massages, relaxation or pleasure. Jacuzzi is an American corporation founded in 1915 by seven Jacuzzi brothers led by Giocondo Jacuzzi. The family had emigrated to California from Italy in the early 1900s. It originally manufactured pro-
pellers for the military and then water pumps. In 1956, Candido Jacuzzi invented the jacuzzi whirlpool tub to ease the pain and discomfort of his 15 month old son, who was born with rheumatoid arthritis. It eventually became synonymous with the mentioned hot tub products regardless of who the manufacturer was. And then there’s the zamboni, which is defined as a machine used to resurface ice for skating. Frank Zamboni was born in 1901 to an Italian immigrant family. Frank developed early mechanical skills and a knack for tinkering and, with his brothers, he delved into a variety of business ventures. He developed his famous machine after many experimental hits and misses finally perfecting it into the machine we know today by its eponymous name. Are there any more recent brand names of Italian origin on their way to generic use and notoriety? I’m sure there are many, but Nutella comes readily to mind. It now signifies any chocolate hazelnut spread. There are knock-offs on the shelves, but it was originally manufactured and trademarked by the Italian company Ferrero. It was
There are several divisions operating within the State Police force including: • Polizia Stradale or Polstrada, responsible for highway patrols. • Polizia Ferroviaria or Polfer, responsible for the railways. • Polizia Postale, responsible for postal and internet communications. • Polizia di Frontiera, responsible for border controls, alongside the Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza.
2. Finance Police - Guardia di Finanza. It is responsible for all crimes involving finance, such as: bribery and corruption, money laundering, credit card fraud, cybercrime, and counterfeiting. It also shares responsibility for border con-
Trading names
Santa Mazza and Gloria Kautzer offered guests free samples of Nutella with animals crackers at a stand under the pavilion of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group Stage during Festa Italiana. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
first introduced in 1965, but it dates back to post-war 1946 when Pietro Ferrero owned a bakery in Alba, in the Piedmont (Piemonte) region of Italy known for its production of hazelnuts. Since at that time there was a chocolate shortage, he extended its limited supply by mixing it with the plentiful hazelnuts. And then the spread, and it was spread and spread....hey, I’m out of my nutella!
Words in an Italian word
by Blaise Di Pronio How many words can you make with the letters in “TEATRO” (theater)? Answers on page 23
trols with the ‘State Police’ and the ‘Carabinieri’, investigating such crimes as: illegal immigration, smuggling and international drug trafficking.
3. Military Police - Arma dei Carabinieri. The Carabinieri are the national military police force of Italy. Controlled by the Ministry of Defense, they have both military and civil responsibilities.
4. Prison Police - Polizia Penitenziaria. The Prison Police (Polizia Penitenziaria) are under the control of the Italian Ministry of Justice and are responsible for the operation of the Italian prison system. These responsibilities include: maintaining order inside prisons The protection of prisoners inside the system Preventing escapes Transporting prisoners to and from court and medical facilities, managing work and education programs for inmates.
5. Forestry Police - Corpo Forestale dello Stato.The Forestry Police (Corpo Forestale dello Stato) is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, and is responsible for protecting Italy’s natural resources, the environment, countryside and ecosystems, especially the 24 national parks and national forests. It is also responsible for safeguarding protected animals and enforcing laws to protect endangered species. In addition, it is responsible for policing criminal activities such as poaching, violations of environmental legislation and the production of counterfeit or unlicensed foods. A police station in Italy is called a “Questura” and there is one located in each of the 103 provincial capitals of Italy. Source: understandingitaly.com
Word Search: Roman Holiday by Blaise Di Pronio
To find Word Search resolved, please turn to page 29
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 21
La Pagina Italiana
Comune di Santo Stefano Quisquina
Il Paese si trova nella maestosa e amena valle del Magazzolo. Sorge a 732 metri sul livello del mare e dista 73 chilometri da Agrigento. Il territorio ricco di acque e di terre fertili ha subito diverse dominazioni e civiltà (sicane, musulmane, normanne, austriache e spagnole), ma i primi dati certi risalgono al 1729 quando il paese venne dedicato a S. Stefano, probabilmente perché l’area è coronata da monti, dal greco “STEFANOS” che vuol dire corona. Prima della sua fondazione, documenti attestano alcuni l’esistenza di un casale Sancti Stephani appartenuto, già nel X secolo alla famiglia Sinibaldi. Il primo signore di Santo Stefano, di cui sappiamo il nome, fu Giovanni di Caltagirone, che visse ai tempi del regno di Federico II di Aragona (1296-1337). A Giovanni successe il figlio Nicola, che viene ricordato per avere edificato un fortilizio a protezione del nuovo casale. Ad Antonio Caltagirone seguirono Giovanni e Ruggero Sinibaldi. Quest’ultimo si ribellò al re Martino d’Aragona ed i suoi beni furono confiscati e devoluti alla Reale Corona. Ruggero Sinibaldi era sposo di Maria Guiscarda, parente di Ruggero II, re dei Normanni. Dal loro matrimonio nacque Rosalia, proclamata santa e patrona del paese. Nel 1396 divenne signore del paese Guiscardo de Agljs. Questa famiglia mantenne il potere in città sino al 1504 quando l’ultima erede, Giovanna, andò in sposa a Giovanni Larcan e i Larcan divennero i nuovi baroni del territorio. Nel 1549 Vincenzo Larcan vendette la baronia e gran parte dei suoi beni al Protonotaro del Regno
di Sicilia, Alfonso Ruiz, che fece dono della baronia alla madre Elisabetta nel 1574. Essendo, questa, moglie di Carlo Ventimiglia, nel 1599 ogni diritto transitò alla famiglia Ventimiglia e Pietro Ventimiglia (figlio di Elisabetta e Carlo) fu investito della baronia il 16 settembre 1599. Intanto il casale andava trasformandosi in un vero paese. I Ventimiglia dominarono a lungo, sopravvissero anche ad eventi luttuosi. Il paese ebbe un particolare sviluppo sotto Giuseppe Emanuele Ventimiglia. Assunse definitivamente la denominazione di S. Stefano Quisquina il 4 gennaio 1863. Sono da visitare le belle costruzioni del Settecento e in particolare e la Chiesa Madre del XVI secolo dedicata a S. Nicola di Bari che conserva un Crocifisso ligneo intagliato, la Chiesa del Santuario di Santa Rosalia, posto
di Donato Di Pronio Questa regina della cucina (secondo una tradizione mesoamericana fu donata agli uomini dal dio Pachacamac) era coltivata nelle zone più alte della regione delle Ande già nel secondo millennio A. C. Fu importata in Europa nel 1524 da Pizarro Francisco, un conquistatore ed esploratore, tipico esponente degli avventurieri spagnoli del primo Cinquecento: figure “piratesche ed eroiche ad un tempo”. Ma la patata, anche per il suo aspetto irregolare e deforme, non risvegliò particolari interessi, rimanendo
Mestieri estinti o prossimi alla fine
Il lattaio L’uomo, uscito dalle caverne, cominciò a costruirsi delle capanne, a coltivare la terra e diede inizio alla domesticazione degli attuali animali domestici. Ed il latte entrò nella sua alimentazione. Lo mungeva da pecore e capre e successivamente anche da asine, vacche, cavalle, yak e cammelle. Durante gli scavi a ovest della città mesopotamica di UR (patria di Abramo, il primo e il più grande dei patriarchi ebrei, nato nel 1996 a. C.
PAGE 22 – SETTEMBRE 2017
secolo sita in piazza Castello. Il territorio è, in gran parte, adibito a pascolo. Non manca l’attività artigianale. Dal sito comunale: comune.santo stefanoquisquina.ag.it
una curiosità botanica. Per i superstiziosi, non essendo citata nella Bibbia, significava che Dio non intendeva che gli uomini se ne cibassero; fu persino associata alla stregoneria e al demonio.
corte e rustiche tagliatelle fatte semplicemente con farina impastata con sola acqua, “eccezionalmente” con l’aggiunta di qualche uovo) e dei frascarelli (una imitazione dei più elaborati bonifàtoli). Le coltivavano di preferenza nelle contrade pedemontane; parte del raccolto era lasciato sul posto, “nascosto” in buche scavate nel terreno: una porzione serviva da seme per l’anno successivo ed un’altra veniva portata a casa per uso alimentare. Durante il sotterramento, i tuberi, forse per effetto del “riposo” sotto la neve, acquistavano un sapore dolce gradevolissimo.
La Patata
L’angolo delle curiosità
di Donato Di Pronio I giovani vengono a conoscenza, dai libri o da qualche film, di lavori e professioni che oggigiorno fanno parte del nostro recente passato: lattaio, carbonaio, lampionaio (incaricato dell’accensione manuale dei lampioni pubblici a gas), tagliatore di ghiaccio (andava a raccogliere il ghiaccio o la neve per rivenderli a bottegai e famiglie … di benestanti), riganaro (rivenditore ambulante di profumatissimi mazzetti di origano), ricottaro (anche lui girava per le strade gridando forte è arrivato il ricottaro! Ricotte fresche ancora calde !), lustrascarpe (ancora presenti in qualche aeroporto), cacciatore di topi (!), ecc.
in luogo ameno, ricco di vegetazione e situato tra i monti Cammarata e delle Rose. Insigni sono le architetture urbane come il Palazzo Baronale dei Ventimiglia del 1745 e la splendida Fontana del XVIII
e morto a 175 anni) fu rinvenuto un intarsio su pannelli raffigurante un uomo nell’atto di mungere una vacca. Il latte è sempre stato per l’uomo sin dalla sua nascita un alimento completo e indispensabile, ma la sua conservazione è sempre stata nel contempo un problema più che problematico. Chi non aveva animali propri, il più delle volte lo acquistava dai lattai, spesso ambulanti. Ogni giorno, d’estate e d’inverno, tempo bello o cattivo, con la pioggia e con la neve, di buon mattino, questo benemerito delle famiglie portava al domicilio di abbonati latte fresco e lo vendeva pure a chi si faceva trovare sotto casa al suo passaggio. Spesso girava per le strade (mi è capitato di incontrarne uno qualche anno fa in una cittadina calabrese) un pastore con un piccolo gregge di capre: mungeva latte direttamente nel recipiente degli occasionali acquirenti, da una delle capre che chiamava per nome e che docile ed ubbidiente, gli si avvicinava. Cose da non credere, ma vecchie di secoli! Ma un giorno, brutto per il lattaio bello per noi, arrivò il frigorifero ed il suo, come altri mestieri, andò in pensione!
Inutilmente il prussiano Federico II, il grande, stimolò la diffusione della patata obbligando addirittura i suoi sudditi a coltivarle. Se ne diffuse il consumo, rivoluzionando l’economia alimentare, dopo una terribile carestia verificatasi in Irlanda nel 1663. In Italia, la patata fu introdotta dai Carmelitani Scalzi, i quali dalla Spagna ne portarono un bel po’ in regalo a Papa Pio V (156672). Un sacerdote ligure, che ne aveva sperimentato sapore e bontà, si mise ai fornelli e nel giro di un lustro riuscì a diffonderne il consumo in tutta la regione.
Un lungimirante agronomo e farmacista militare francese, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813), si fece letteralmente in quattro per convincere i villici a mangiare questo tubero saporito e nutriente; autentico “missionario” della patata, arrivò al punto di circondare di gendarmi armati le sue piantagioni, per far sì che i diffidenti contadini si invogliassero ad andare a rubarle nottetempo, mentre i gendarmi fingevano di cascare dal sonno! La patata (cruda, cotta o grattugiata / benedetta sia la patata) contribuì assai a “migliorare” l’alimentazione anche degli abitanti di quel piccolo paese di Roccamorice (Abruzzo), qualche volta menzionato nelle pagine di questo giornale. Il loro primo, e quasi sempre unico, “piatto” era quello delle sagne (una sorte di
A questo punto vorrei suggerire a quanti accendono ancora il camino (e sono amanti di gustosa cucina!) il seguente semplice ma gustoso e raffinato modo di cucinare le patate sotto lu coppe: un arnese di lamina di ferro, simile ad una teglia. Scansata la brace dal focolaio, vi si pone una teglia (tièlle) guarnita di patate con l’aggiunta, a seconda delle preferenze, di carne, di baccalà, di pesce, di “testine” di capretti o di agnelli (una vera leccornìa), ecc.; la si copre con lu coppe, sul quale si stende la brace e si alimenta un fuocherello. Quando la tièlle “torna alla luce”, anche un anoressico giunto sino al disgusto per qualsiasi cibo si “darà da fare”! Le patate comunque cucinate sono sempre gustose; provate anche questa ricetta: tagliarle a metà, oliarle, insaporirle con un pizzico di sale, ricomporle, poggiarle direttamente sui mattoni caldi del focolaio, coprirle con lu coppe come sopra e … pazientare per pochi minuti. Buon appetito!
Top 10 Albums in Italy as of Aug. 4, 2017 1. Coldplay - Kaleidoscope EP 2. Various Artists Hot Party Summer 3. Coez - Faccio un casino 4. Various Artists - Kiss Kiss Play Summer 2017 5. Vasco Rossi VASCONONSTOP
6. Gue’ Pequeno - Gentleman 7. Various Artists - Radio Italia Summer Hits 2017 8. Imagine Dragons - Evolve 9. Various Artists Hit’s Summer! 2017 10. The giornalisti Completamente Sold Out
THE ITALIAN TIMES
di Blaise Di Pronio In occasione di un evento tenutosi di recente all’Italian Community Center (ICC) il nostro Bill Jennaro ha raccontato la storia di un’affascinante scoperta fatta mentre, insieme a sua moglie Rita, era in visita privata offerta da un loro caro amico, Padre Reginald Foster (studioso e traduttore di latino per conto dei papi, attualmente in pensione a Milwaukee), presso i Musei Vaticani a Roma. Durante la visita al museo, Bill ha notato quella che sembrava una vetrina sopraelevata contenente una scatola con della sabbia solidificata somigliante a uno in bassorilievo che stampo raffigurava una specie di mappa disegnata a mano libera nella sabbia. Questa raffigurazione è risultata essere una mappa dell’Oceano Atlantico molto antica e non dettagliata, dove una linea verticale, incisa grossolanamente al centro, divide alcuni territori continentali inseriti al di qua e al di là della stessa. A sinistra si trovava ciò che era allora considerato il
Da che lato sto?
Nuovo Mondo appena scoperto da Colombo ed altri esploratori, a destra invece erano disegnate le coste occidentali dell’Europa e dell’Africa. È innegabile che questa incisione abbia risvegliato l’interesse di Jennaro che ha ottenuto da Padre Foster maggiori informazioni a riguardo e la storia così raccontata è stata riportata all’ICC e quindi al vostro scrittore. Proviamo ora a scoprire alcuni dettagli su questa mappa. Come ben ricordate, nel 1492 Colombo scoprì il Nuovo Mondo col patrocinio della Spagna dalla quale fu poi rivendicata la scoperta. Ovviamente questo non fu gradito dal re del Portogallo, il quale iniziò a lanciare allusioni minacciose contro la Spagna, temendo che questa stesse infrangendo le rivendicazioni delle scoperte territoriali fatte dal Portogallo prima del 1492, per territori quali le Isole Canarie al largo dell’Africa nord-occidentale ed altre aree. Dato che la Spagna non aveva un potere militare paragonabile a quello che Portogallo deteneva il nell’Atlantico, decise di imboccare
Detti popolari – Popular sayings
1. Tutto fumo e niente arrosto. Literally: All smoke and no roast. Meaning: It’s no big deal. *** 2. Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino. Literally: The cat goes to the lard so often that it will eventually leave its paw print on it. Meaning: If one keeps doing the same bad thing over and over again, sooner or later one will get caught. *** 3. Belle parole non pascono i gatti. Literally: Beautiful words don’t feed cats. Meaning: The poor don’t need speeches, they need food. *** 4. O di paglia o di fieno purche il corpo sia pieno. Literally: Either with straw or with hay, as long as the body is full.
Meaning: As long as you don’t starve and have something to fill the belly, then life goes on. Equivalent: Something is better than nothing. *** 5. Perdersi in un bicchier d’acqua. Literally: To lose oneself in a glass of water. Equivalent: To make a mountain out of a molehill. *** 6. Acqua passata non macina piu. Literally: Water that’s flowed past the mill doesn’t grind anymore. Equivalent: What’s done is done. It’s no use crying over spilled milk. *** 7. Il bicchiere della staffa. Literally: The stirrup’s glass. Meaning: The last drink before leaving. Equivalent: One for the road.
Italian idioms and expressions
1. Fare una brutta figura Literally: To make an ugly figure. Equivalent: To make a bad impression. To lose face. *** 2. Fare i conti. Literally: To make an accounting. Equivalent: To confront or face your problems. *** 3. Sono diventata livida dalla rabbia. Literally: I became livid with anger. Equivalent: I got blue in the face. *** 4. Carte da gioco con raffigurazione di volti umani. Literally: Playing cards with depictions of human faces. Equivalent: Face cards.
*** 5. Si chiama Pietro e torna indietro. Literally: Its name is Peter and it comes back. Meaning: When someone wants to borrow something from you, you lend it by using this expresion so they understand you want it back. The rhyming is important. Equivalent: “Its name is Jack and I want it back.” *** 6. Fare le corna a qualcuno. Literally: To make the horns on someone. Equivalent: To cheat on a spouse or lover. *** 7. Vai a quel paese. Literally: Go to that town. Equivalent: Get lost!
THE ITALIAN TIMES
la via della diplomazia. Essendo entrambi paesi cattolici, si rivolsero al Papa per chiedere il suo intervento. Il Papa allora in carica era Alessandro VI (il suo nome era Rodrigo de Borja, in seguito italianizzato Borgia, nato a Valencia, Spagna). Egli, esponendo una capacità di giudizio in stile re Salomone, elaborò una soluzione rapida cercando però prima l’aiuto di Amerigo Vespucci, famoso cartografo italiano dal quale le Americhe presero in prestito il nome. In presenza di emissari spagnoli e portoghesi, il Papa fece disegnare a Vespucci una mappa stilizzata nella sabbia come quella descritta sopra e poi aggiunse egli stesso quella che diventò la famosa linea di demarcazione. Questa linea divise di fatto l’Oceano Atlantico in due, assegnando i territori occidentali (a sinistra della linea) alla Spagna e i territori orientali (a destra della linea) al Portogallo. Il
fatto accadde nel 1493, quando non si sapeva ancora molto di cosa ci fosse a sinistra di quella linea. Oggi però sappiamo che si trattò di un ottimo affare per la Spagna, sebbene siano state in seguito applicate delle modifiche che però non ebbero effetti sostanziali sui possedimenti del Portogallo. Immaginate quale enorme impatto abbia avuto all’epoca quella linea che divideva gli emisferi, impressa in un quadrato di sabbia! Oggi sarebbe del tutto inconcepibile attribuire questo forte potere al papato, a Roma e alla Chiesa. Da allora sono state disegnate molte linee vere ed altre immaginarie nella sabbia di chissà quante aree, ma nessuna di queste ha avuto il significato che ha assunto quella disegnata alcuni secoli fa in una scatola riempita di sabbia davanti ad un gruppo di bravi ragazzi. – Tradotto dall’Inglese da Laura Duronio
Top 10 on Italian Music Charts as of Aug. 1, 2017
1. Takagi & Ketra - L’esercito del selfie (feat. Lorenzo Fragola & Arisa) 2. The giornalisti - Riccione 3. Baby K - Voglio ballare con te (feat. Andrés Dvicio) 4. J-AX & Fedez - Senza pagare VS T-Pain (feat. T-Pain) 5. Fabio Rovazzi - Volare (feat. Gianni Morandi) 6. Fabri Fibra - Pamplona (feat. Thegiornalisti) 7. Luis Fonsi - Despacito (feat. Daddy Yankee) 8. Benji & Fede - Tutto per una ragione (feat. Annalisa) 9. Francesco Gabbani - Tra le granite e le granate 10. Morat y Alvaro Soler - Yo Contigo, Tú Conmigo
E fatt’na risata!
Una signora va a farsi visitare dal ginecologo e il ginecologo le dice: “Signora, lei si trova in stato di gravidanza” e la donna: “Un’altra volta?” e il dottore: “Ma suo marito non prende nessuna precauzione?” e lei: “Si, Lui si, però gli altri no”. *** Una signora va a comperare dei prodotti, arrivata in cassa e una signora le dice scocciata: “Signora deve fare la coda!” e la signora ribatte: “Perchè? non sto bene con i capelli sciolti?” *** “Come fai a far cadere le donne tutte ai tuoi piedi?” “Semplice...gli fai lo sgambetto!” *** Le ragazze sono come le mele..sempre in compagnia di un verme. *** La dieta perfetta: “Questa volta sono sicura di aver trovato il rimedio adatto per lei” dice la dietologa “Per dimagrire, d’ ora in avanti potrà mangiare tutto quello che vuole. Basta che non lo inghiotta”. ***
Una signora un pò snob dice al marito: “Tesoro, ho bisogno di cambiare, vorrei passare le vacanze di Natale in un posto dove non sono mai stata”. e il marito duramente: “Bene, penso che dovresti provare ad andare in cucina”. *** Un giorno un uomo guarda una donna, allora lei dice alla sua amica: “Ora gliene vado a dire quattro: nome, cognome, indirizzo e telefono”. * ** Una donna molto brutta va da una veggente: “Quando potrò incontrare un uomo?” e la veggente risponde: “Quando morirai ne troverai a migliaia”; allora lei decide di buttarsi da un ponte ma sfortunatamente cade dentro un camion di banane, ne tocca una ed esclama: “Sono in paradiso!”. *** Qual’è la differenza fra una donna e uno specchio? Lo specchio riflette senza parlare, la donna parla senza riflettere!
Words in an Italian word
from page 21 76 words in “TEATRO” 1. rotate 2. rotte 3. troat 4. orate 5. tarot 6. toter 7. roate 8. otter 9. treat 10. ottar 11. tater 12. torta 13. oater 14. arett 15. torte 16. tetra 17. aero 18. tear 19. tret 20. tora 21. teat 22. rota 23. trat 24. tore 25. toea 26. rote 27. trot 28. aret 29. tare 30. rate 31. tort
32. taro 33. tote 34. rato 35. etat 36. tart 37. tate 38. tea 39. ora 40. eat 41. rat 42. ore 43. att 44. rot 45. tae 46. era 47. are 48. toe 49. tao 50. tet 51. ort 52. tar 53. tat 54. tor 55. art 56. eta 57. oar 58. ate 59. tot 60. oat 61. roe 62. reo 63. ear 64. ret 65. re 66. ea 67. ae 68. ta 69. oe 70. te 71. er 72. et 73. ar 74. at 75. or 76. to
SETTEMBRE 2017 – PAGE 23
A review of the Florentine Opera’s Festa performances
by Barbara Collignon The Florentine Opera intern artists wowed their audience at Festa Italiana with stunning performances of favorites from Italian opera, Neapolitan canzone and contemporary songs of Italian inspiration. Not to go unmentioned is Ruben Piiraninen, who with virtuoso talent, provided piano accompaniment for their extraordinary performance. General director of the Florentine Opera, William Florescu, was the master of ceremonies and delighted the audience with his warm, witty introductions. Mezzo-soprano Jessica Blau, soprano Rachel Blaustein, baritone Leroy Y. Davis and tenor Thomas Leighton opened with the brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata, a song that encourages drinking and living joyously: Libiamo, libiamo ne’lieti callici che la bellezza infiora / let’s drink from the joyous chalices that beauty so truly enhances. As an introduction to the next three arias by Puccini, the four sang “I Love Giacomo Puccini”, a charming song believed to have been written by Giampiero Boneschi. With exceptional grace, Soprano Rachel Blaustein delivered the haunting strains of “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi. Tenor Tom Leighton and baritone LeRoy Y. Davis sang a stirring duet from La Boheme followed by Leighton’s rousing interpretation of Nessun Dorma from Turandot, always a crowd pleaser. The appreciative Festa audience seemed to be inebriated with the combined voices of the four talented singers. With enthusiastic applause and cheers, listeners frequently stood to show how excited they were to hear these outstanding voices. Perhaps you saw “The Mission,” a British film from 1986, with musical score by Oscar- winning Ennio Morricone. Sarah Brightman begged Morricone to allow her to write lyrics for “Nella fantasia” and was the first to record it. Jackie Evancho also recorded it and performed it at Festa Italiana last summer. All four Florentine singers joined in a moving rendition of this iconic piece. With joyous brio, the four Florentine interns sang a gorgeous rendition of the Neapolitan favorite, “O sole mio.” It is normally a solo tenor piece but this version in four-part harmony was a real treat.
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Appointment – An arrangement to do something or meet someone at a particular time and place. It comes from the Italian punto or dot, period, spot and appuntamento or at some spot or point in place or time.
Bocce champ’s last name misspelled in Festa issue
The last name of Russs Sereno, a player on the spring bocce champion Club Garibaldi team, was misspelled in our July/August Festa 2017 issue. Sereno and his team won the Italian Community Center bocce championship on May 22. Our apologies to Mr. Sereno.
PAGE 24 – SEPTEMBER 2017
All Times photo by Naomi Berkowitz
Tenor Thomas Leighton sang with soprano Rachel Blaustein in this brindisi from Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata.
It was once recorded by Elvis himself in an English version, “There’s No Tomorrow.” Then followed two songs from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”. Mezzo Jessica Blau greatly pleased the audience with “Una voce poco fa” and LeRoy Y. Davis gave an exuberant interpretation of the famous aria “Figaro”. The singers not only sing beautifully but also portray their characters with superb acting talent! Davis sang Italian singersongwriter Lucio Dalla’s “Caruso”. Dalla wrote it as an homage to the beloved tenor in 1986. Following his death, the song entered the Italian Singles Chart and peaked at number two for two consecutive weeks. There is even a recording of Dalla and Pavarotti singing it together. You may have heard Josh Grogan’s interpretation. Here is the haunting refrain from the song. Te voglio bene assaje
Deadline for October 2017 issue
All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the October 2017 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Friday, Sept. 8. All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.com or sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-223-2189.
I love you very much ma tanto tanto bene sai very, very much, you know
è una catena ormai It is a chain by now che scioglie il sangue dint’e vene sai... that heats the blood inside of our veins, you know... The words and music are based on a Neapolitan song entitled “Dicitencello vuje“, published in 1930 by Rodolfo Falvo (music) and Enzo Fusco (text). As the evening advanced, Blaustein and Leighton sang “Time to Say Good-bye” by Francesco Sartor, followed by all four singers performing “Ritorna a me,” an old favorite made popular by Dean Martin. To the audience’s delight, soprano Blaustein sang “Musetta’s Waltz” from La Boheme. Then again from La Boheme, Leighton as Rodolfo and Blaustein as Mimi, two characters very much in love, were paired against Blau (Musetta) and Davis (Marcello), spatting lovers, in the 3rd act finale of La Boheme. “The Prayer“, a popular song written by David Foster and others, by Celine popularized Dion and Andrea Bocelli, was the second to last song performed and did not fail to please the Festa audience. In a fitting farewell to their enthusiastic fans, the four Florentine artists sang “Arrivederci Roma.” Rachel Blaustein offered these comments about Festa. “Festa Italiana was a great event. I thought the repertoire that we sang was perfect for our audience and it was just the right length with no intermission. We got a lot of positive feedback from it and it seemed as though everyone really enjoyed it!” This performance of beloved songs by the gifted singers of the Florentine Opera still plays in the hearts of those who attended!
Mezzo-soprano Jessica Blau is shown here performing one of her arias in the program brought to opera fans under the pavilion of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group Stage at Festa Italiana.
Baritone Leroy Y. Davis is seen here singing.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
A sparkling toast to Festa’s 40 years presented by Corvina Wines
The 40th Festa Italiana got off to a sparkling start in the Cucina at the Bartolotta Restaurant Group Stage. After a short discussion of Italian wines by Joe and Frank LaSusa of Corvina Wine Company, samples of
What’s life without a sense of humor? Chef Richard Lombardi (left), who battled cancer and won, shared a bit of humor with Filippo Voltaggio, a singer, author and life coach, during one of his cooking demonstration at la cucina (the kitchen) set up on the Bartolotta Restaurant Group Stage at Festa Italiana. Voltaggio served as host of the “Filippo and the Chef” show, which was presented July 22-23. Lombardi focuses on cancer-fighting ingredients in his recipes and encourages other chefs to join his movement he founded called “Cancer Fighting Chefs” (www.thecancerfightingchef.org). During Festa, he prepared two of his recipes – spaghetti puttanesca and escarole and beans. (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
In celebration of the opening of the milestone 40th Festa Italiana, Fabio (Tarantino) Woytal decided to have his crew dress up for the
occasion with caps decorated with stuffed il polpo and il calamari (octopus and squid), both Sicilian delicacies, and Italian flags. Octopus
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sparkling wines – Prossecco (from Italy’s Veneto region) and Moscato (from Piedmont) – were offered guests to salute the festivals four decades. Shown here are several of the guests who joined in the salute to Festa. The sparkling wines are available at Corvina Wine Company’s West Allis location, 6038 W. Lincoln Ave. Besides the wine toast to the fesitval’s milestone, there was free cake for guests to enjoy, courtesy of Festa. Before these beautiful cakes were cut, this picture was taken in the back of the cucina. Seen here with the cakes are (l-f): Cucina volunteers Gerry and Bill Spitznagle and Anne Lutz, Cucina manager Marie (Andaloro) Lieber, and Joe and Frank LaSusa of Corvina Wines. (Times photos by Tom Hemman)
John Reutler cooked the meatballs in the kitchen of the Trattoria Di Carlo booth on the south end of the Festa grounds. (Times photo by Tom Hemman
and squid, the kind you eat, were available on the restaurant’s menu. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Peter Carini displays the calamari and eggplant spiedini sold at his booth, Carini’s La Conca d’Oro. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 25
In this picture, Festa attendees from Pewaukee, Illinois and Lithuania were aboard a gondola steered by gondolier Anthony Frigo. Gondola rides in the lagoon off the Festa grounds were available each day. This year, Festa had four gondolas avaiable for ridership and another on dry land for viewing. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Members of the Pompeii Men’s Club, with the help of family members and friends, operated the booth where guests could purchase all sorts of Festa, Italian or Sicilian apparel. From the left: John Sanfilippo, Thom Mannella, Toni Balistrieri, John Wanke, Debbie Nobel, Pam Catalano and Nancy Sparacino. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Volunteers Christina Ziino (left) and Fran Tollefson stood alongside an exhibit of Christopher Columbus memorabilia that was donated for use in Festa’s salute to the Liguria region of Italy by Dan Amato. Amato is the owner of the Columbus Antique Mall & Museum in Columbus, Wis. and is a member of the Italian Community Center. The explorer Columbus hailed from Italy’s Liguria region. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
George Koleas (right) was one of several members of the Italian Family History Club and the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society who were on hand to help people explore their family roots. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Meghan Roehm (left) and Diana Weinblatt played a game of bocce during their visit to Festa Italiana. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Several of the members of I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group, are seen here in one of the group’s performances at the Children’s Stage. (Times photo by Sister Ann Catherine Veierstahler)
All of the thrills of an amusement park were brought to Festa Italiana with no big exception: Festa offered all of the carnival rides free of
charge! The rides were presented by Lake Enterprises. (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
PAGE 26 – SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Scenes from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Association’s Run/Walk
John Hacker was the overall winner of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation’s “5K Run to Tackle Cancer” held July 22.
Runners participating in the Vince Lombardi 5K Run to Tackle Cancer passed the starting gate north of the Festa Italiana grounds on July 22. Post run/walk activities took place under the pavilion at the Bartolotta Restaurant Group stage on the Festa grounds.
Many family reunions take place at Festa Italiana. The Zancanaro family, seen here, has been having such a reunion at Festa for many years. Marynell Christenson said it was the only time of the year the whole Zan-
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Barbara Wilke was the first woman to cross the finish line in Lombardi 5K Run.
All Lombardi Run/Walk photos by John Ferraro
Recognize these runners? They are (l-r): Antonette and Sal Lo Coco and Maria Zingale, who participated in the 5K run organized by the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation and held in conjunction with Festa Italiana. Sal Lo Coco served as co-manager of the Festa Mass & Procession Committee and is the co-chair of the Italian Community Center’s Nominating Committee.
canaro family can get together at one place. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 27
Volunteers remain one of the cornerstones of Festa after 40 years
Mark Yeoman had just given a hammer to Tom Lupo (wearing baseball cap) to complete work on the Memorial Arch that was set up inside the main entrance to Festa Italiana. The arch, built by Italian Community Center member Cosmo Carini, is reminiscent of the arch that greeted attendees to the St. Rocco Society in the first half of the 1900s. Festa’s arch carried a message welcoming them to the festival. Both Yeoman and Lupo are longtime Festa volunteers. Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Among the volunteers who served on Festa’s Security Patrol were (l –r ): Josh Fox, Jim Sheenan and Mike Cardo. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Longtime Festa volunteers Carole Casamento and Frank D’Amato were busy setting up the Italian heritage photos on the panels at the exhibit when this picture was taken. (Times photo by Tom Hemman) When this picture was taken on a very hot Thursday, the day before the opening of the 40th Festa Italiana, Nino Emmiti, Festa’s most experienced gondolier, was busy, prepping each of the four gondolas for use. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Patrick Coffee, one of Festa’s longtime volunteers, worked behind the scene in the radio control trailer with Linda (Hoffman) Kopacky. (Times photo by Naomi Berkowitz)
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Appointment – An arrangement to do something or meet someone at a particular time and place.
PAGE 28 – SEPTEMBER 2017
It comes from the Italian punto or dot, period, spot and appuntamento or at some spot or point in place or time.
If you brought a margarita at one of the booths where members of Tradizione Vivente worked, you helped the groups raise money for its 2018 trip to Italy. Festa Italiana recruited members of the Italian Dance Group to staff these booths and offered the group a percentage of the sales in exchange. Here, Gina Loeffelholz and Alex Pawlak, longtime dancers with Tradizione Vivente, were staffing a booth. Malfy Gin was one of the sponsors of Festa Italiana. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Three of the most knowledgeable volunteers in setting up the Festa grounds are seen here. From the left: Tom Zingale, Paul Iannelli and Bruno Giacomantonio. Ianelli served as the executive director of Festa for nearly three decades. All three have been involved in Festa since its beginning. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
In spite of the seemingly unending rain from mid afternoon to the late evening on Festa’s opening day, July 21, these members of the Festa Patrol kept their smiles. From the left: Ed Travis, Karen Gersonde, Mary Billo and her sister Lisa Bucci. Karen, Mary and Lisa have been friends since their childhood days in Bay View. Ed and Karen are cousins. (Photo provided by Karen Gersonde)
Longtime Festa volunteer Joe Liberto (wearing Italian cap) got admission tickets and greeted guests as the entered the festival grounds. (Times photo by John Ferraro)
Word Search: Roman Holiday – resolved from page 21
Here are three volunteers who staffed one of the 50/50 raffle booths. From the left: Trudy Ranallo, Ron Ranallo and Mary Sweeney. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
A central part of Festa Italiana’s 37-year history of hosting VIP Day for persons with disabilities has been to provide a couple of pieces of fresh fruit to these special guests. The tradition continued at the 40th annual Festa. The fruit was donated by a local produce vendor who wishes to remain anonymous. The volunteers who handed out the free fruit between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., July 22 were (l – r): Mary Demlow, Rosalie Boos, Jerry Epstein, Rose Mary Jennaro and Nardo Carini, all longtime VIP Day helpers. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
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Interested in advertising in The Italian Times? For
infomration on ad sizes and costs, call Tom Hemman at 414-223-2189 or send an email to him at themman@iccmilwaukee.
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 29
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced that, in honor of Festa Italiana’s 40 years, he had proclaimed July 21, 2017 as “Festa Italiana Day in Milwaukee.” The Mayor congratulated Italian Community Center President Dean Cannestra and all of the Festa Italiana volunteers for a job well done. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
A large crowd gathered as banner carrier and musicians of Sbandieratori dei Borghi e Sestieri Fiorentini marched into an open area near the statue of David for an impromptu performance by the flag throwers. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
PAGE 30 – SEPTEMBER 2017
Dean Cannestra, president of the Italian Community Center and general co-chairman of Festa Italiana, welcomed guests to the opening day ceremony. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
For the first time in Festa Italiana’s 40-year history, professional wrestling appeared in the entertainment lineup. The “Rumble at Festa,” sponsored by Papa Luigi’s, was held July 23. The card was under the direction of MIAW Pro Wrestling. The ring was set up on the sports court at the Colosseum Stage. (Times photo by Tim Townsend)
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@iccmilwaukee,com. You may also contact Newspaper Committee Chair Blaise DiPronio at 262-376-0019. 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@iccmilwaukee.com. 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 ian, reporting their activities and fun things. Please turn to page ??
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Special Olympicians play in spite of the elements
Here are Troy Halverson (far left), Festa Bocce Manager, and Joe Palmisano (far right), Festa’s Special Bocce Tournament Manager, and all of the Special Olympic athletes in a photo taken in the early afternoon of Saturday, July 22 when the bocce courts were soaked from the
Members: Please notify ICC of a change of address
Any member of the Italian Community Center who has a change of address is asked to notify the ICC promptly so that mailings from the Center are sent to the correct address. Since the ICC uses nonprofit bulk rates to mail The Italian Times, the United States Postal Service is entitled to charge fees, which start at 59¢, for each newspaper that is returned to the ICC and deemed undeliverable due to an incorrect address. Even if you are temporarily away from your permanent residence and are not receiving mail at that address, you need to notify the ICC of your temporary address so that your newspaper can be delivered to that address and so that the ICC is not charged for each failed attempt to deliver the publication to your permanent residence. “We’ve had a number of members who have gone to Florida or another warm weather location for the winter and these people did not supply us with their temporary change of address; hence their newspaper was returned to the ICC with the service fee due for each newspaper,” Editor Tom Hemman said. Nonprofit bulk rate mail is not forwarded to a new address, which means those members who neglect to inform the ICC of their change of address will not receive the newspaper. Please send change of address information to: Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 or email Constance Palmer at cpalmer@iccmilwaukee.com or call her at 414-2232808.
rain that fell from Friday morning into Saturday morning. “All of the Special Olympics athletes should have gotten an award just for playing on such wet and soggy field,” Palmisano said., “But, they did and showed the true competitive spirit they have.” (Times photo by Paul Inzeo)
ICC Membership Dues – 2017 Benefits of Italian Community Center Membership
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Four (4) Festa Italiana Tickets – Maximum of Eight (8) Per Family Voting Privelegs (21 & Older) Postal Service Delivery of The Italian Times Member Discounts on Social Events, Classes & Bocce Leagues Members Rooms Cultural, Educational & Social Activities Forever Friendships Stronger Bonds Between Your Family & Your Culture
Age 20 and under Individual
Annual Dues
Individual
Couple/Family
Annual Dues
Gratis – $0.00
Individual
Couple/Family
$100 per year
Annual Dues
Ages 85 & Older
Annual Dues
Members, age 20 and under, receive two (2) free Festa Italiana tickets. No voting rights. At age 18, a member may vote, but must purchase a membership to do so.
Ages 66 – 84
Ages 21 – 65
$50 per year $75 per year
Individual
Couple/Family
$50 per year
$30 per year
$50 per year
Effective: January 1, 2017. All Memberships Valid Through December 31, 2017. MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM Names & Birthdates of Each Adult: _______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Names & Birthdates of Each Child (under age 21): _____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
Address, City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________
Phone No.: ________________________ Email Address: ____________________________________________ No. of Members under 21: _____ No. of Members 21-65: ______ No. of Members 66-84: ______ No. of Members 85 & Older: _____ Payment Amount: _______________ Method: Cash Check Credit Card – Card Type MC Visa Discover Other
Card No. :______________________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________
___________________________________ Signature – Adult Member
____________________________________ Signature – Adult Member
Mail this form to: Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. The ICC respects your privacy and does not sell or distribute personal information such as birthdates, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. This membership registration form can also be emailed to cpalmer@italianconference.com. For further information, call (414) 223-2180.
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PAGE 31
11th annual MITO SettembreMusica set for Milan and Turin
The northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin will host the 11th annual MITO SettembreMusica, a series of classical music concerts starting Friday, Sept. 3 and ending Thursday, Sept. 21. SettembreMusica features 140 concerts at affordable prices. Some of the performances offer free admission. Each concert is themebased with introductory commentary for each performance. Many of the programs also feature open singing events, resulting in audience involvement. The theme for this year’s series is “Nature.” Milan Mayor Giuseppe
Sala and Turin Mayor Chiara Appendino said the theme “provides an opportunity tdo realize that our ecosystem is made up not only of earth, water and sky, but all things we see and contains a sound element as well, the space in which we hear. It is our duty to protect and develop space, to keep it alive.” The performances will be held in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo and Turin’s Piazza Castello. Giuliamo Pisapio, Mayor of Milan, and Piero Fassino,Mayor of Turin, are the Honorary Chairmen of Mito Settembre Musica. For more information, visit http://mitosettembremusica.it.
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 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.
Fall bocce season to start week of Sept. 11
from page 5 tering a team to play in a fall 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 non-member 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: Troy Halverson (Monday night), Craig Lieber and Carole Casamento (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night) and Loretta O’Boyle (Thursday afternoon).
Juliet’s birthday saluted in Verona, Italy
PAGE 32 – SEPTEMBER 2017
The birthday of Juliet (of “Romeo and Juliet” fame) is celebrated Sept. 16 in Verona (Veneto region), Italy. The day is filled with parades, dances and street entertainment put on by the locals for i turisti (the tourists) who flock to the city where Shakespeare set his most famous tragedy.
THE ITALIAN TIMES