Office: 10001 Stonell Drive
IL PENSIERO
“THE THOUGHT”
Member of FUSIE (Federazione Italiana Stampa Unitaria all’Estero)
NIAF Statement on the Passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) mourns the sudden passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), who died on January 6, 2026, at the age of 65. Congressman LaMalfa was a proud member of the Italian American Congressional Delegation and a steadfast champion for Italian American values and heritage.
Throughout his distinguished 13year career in Congress representing California’s 1st Congressional District, Congressman LaMalfa was a valued participant in NIAF events both on Capitol Hill and in Washington, D.C. As a member of the bicameral and bipartisan Italian American Congressional Delegation (IACD), he stood alongside his colleagues in celebrating and preserving Italian American contributions to our nation. Congressman LaMalfa exemplified the Italian American values of hard work, family, and service to community. As a fourth-generation rice farmer from Northern California, he brought the authentic voice of rural America to Congress while never forgetting his Italian heritage.
“Doug LaMalfa was a true friend to the Italian American community,” said NIAF
President and CEO Robert Allegrini. “His presence at our events and his commitment to the Italian American Congressional Delegation demonstrated his pride in his heritage and his dedication to strengthening the bonds between Italy and the United States. He will be deeply missed.”
As Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, Congressman LaMalfa was a powerful advocate for the values and priorities that resonate throughout Italian American communities across the nation. His sudden passing is a tremendous loss not only for his constituents in Northern California but also for all who knew him as a man of principle, integrity, and genuine warmth.
NIAF extends its deepest condolences to Congressman LaMalfa’s wife, Jill, their four children, and all who knew and loved him.
Carolyn Ranzini Stelzer Receives Award From Cuggiono
On January 10, 2026, during a video conference among the cities of Cuggiono (Lombardy), Herrin (IL), St. Paul (MN), and St. Louis (MO), the mayor of Cuggiono, Giovanni Cucchetti, along with Oreste Magni, president of the Ecoistituto della Valle del Ticino, a non-profit organization promoting cultural, social, and ecological initiatives in the Ticino River Valley in the
northwest of Italy, awarded local resident Carolyn Ranzini Stelzer a Certificate of Merit for devotion to her Cuggiono roots and the friendship connections she has fostered over the years among the several generations of descendants of Cuggiono immigrants here in St. Louis.
Carolyn Ranzini Stelzer, the daughter of Louise Garegnani and Ambrose Ranzini, was born and raised on The Hill. All four of her grandparents emigrated from towns in Lombardy, Italy–Cuggiono, Castelletto di Cuggiono, and Bernate. She married Jack Stelzer, and on and near The Hill, they
Continued on page 5
2026 Article/Ad Deadlines
March: February 13
April: March 13
May: April 17
June: May 15
July: June 12
August: July 17
September: August 14
October: September 11
November: October 16
December: November 13
Degli articoli firmati che appaiono sul giomale sono responsabili i singoli autori, i quali non rappresentano necessariamente il punto di vista generale, ne’ esprimono la politica de “Il Pensiero.” Operando conforme alle nostre vedute democratiche, si accetta la collaborazione di persone esprimenti il piu’ largo arco di opinioni, senza pregiudiziale di sorta.
The signed articles appearing in Il Pensiero “The Thought” are the opinions of the individual authors, who do not represent the general point of view, nor do they express the views of Il Pensiero. We accept the collaboration of people expressing the most wide range of opinions. Opinions expressed in Il Pensiero “The Thought” are not necessarily those of Il Pensiero and Il Pensiero does not accept responsibility for advertising content. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk.
(TP) Italia
PENSIERO
Staff Photographer
Holy Matrimony St. Ambrose Catholic Church January 17, 2026
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Sansone
Fletcher Daly and Giovanni Gabriele
Fletcher Daly and his friends
Continued from page 1
Throughout her life, Carolyn has, inter alia, helped local residents reconnect with their Italian relatives, assisted locals by translating letters to and from their relatives, taught Italian to grade school students at St. Ambrose Catholic School, and co-organized Italian tenor Alberto Fraschina’s concert at St. Ambrose Church on May 16, 2004. She has been active with The Hill Community Center, where she is part of a group that collected and documented Lombard dialect vocabulary and expressions used by many of The Hill’s first- and second-generation residents. She is a long-time member of the Italian Club of St. Louis, St. Ambrose Catholic Church, and the Mount Carmel Sodality.
Currently, Carolyn continues to host and teach Italian to a small group of adult students at The Hill Community Center. Additionally, she is part of a group that collects and writes stories about local Italian immigrant women who, over the past hundred-plus years have contributed their talents in various ways to the development of The Hill neighborhood.
be honored posthumously for his important research on Italian immigration.
Carolyn,
bottom left, is surrounded by her family during the video conference with Cuggiono.
Pioggia di stelle al Marostica Summer Festival Volksbank
Arriva
John Legend, star del pop-soul Il cantautore
americano in concerto il 6 luglio in Piazza Castello con “A Night of Songs &
Stories”
Con David Byrne (26 giugno), Legend è l’ospite internazionale del festival, che vedrà sul palco anche Il Volo (1 luglio), Negramaro (3 luglio), Claudio Baglioni (4 luglio), Europe (5 luglio), Fiorella Mannoia (7 luglio), Francesco Gabbani (9 luglio) e Luca Carboni (11 luglio). John Legend, uno degli artisti più influenti e trasversali della musica contemporanea, torna in Italia con “A Night of Songs & Stories”, uno spettacolo intimo e coinvolgente che attraversa oltre vent’anni di carriera, tra musica e racconto personale. Lo show propone versioni intime dei più grandi successi di John Legend, da All of Me a Ordinary People, fino a Tonight, insieme a brani amati dal pubblico e a storie personali, aneddoti e riflessioni che accompagnano il suo percorso artistico e umano.
Vincitore di 13 Grammy Awards, John Legend fa parte del ristrettissimo gruppo di artisti EGOT, avendo conquistato anche un Oscar, un Golden Globe, un Tony Award e quattro Emmy Awards. Un traguardo che lo colloca tra i soli diciannove artisti nella storia ad aver ottenuto questo riconoscimento, confermandone la straordinaria versatilità creativa.
In addition to Carolyn, three women from Illinois–Sandra Colombo of Herrin, Michaelann Stanley of Johnston City, and Barbara Klein of Belleville–will be recognized for their contributions to the Cuggiono-Herrin Sister City Program and promoting Italian culture more generally. Prof. Rudolph Vecoli, a former professor of history at the University of Minnesota, will
Continued on page 6 raised their six children–Raymond, John, Michael, Jacquelyn, Robert, and Matthew.
Una star del pop-soul sul palco del Marostica Summer Festival Volksbank. John Legend il 6 luglio (ore 21.30) arriva in Piazza Castello per la dodicesima edizione della rassegna firmata DuePunti Eventi, in collaborazione con la Città di Marostica e con il supporto di Volksbank e Fondazione Banca Popolare di Marostica – Volksbank.
Nel corso della sua carriera, Legend ha pubblicato undici album: Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), Evolver (2008), Wake Up! (con The Roots, 2010), Love in the Future (2013), Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas (2018), Bigger Love (2020), LEGEND (2022), LEGEND (Solo Piano Version) (2023) e My Favorite Dream (2024). Nel 2024 ha
un annuncio
by Carina Marino
Submit content to info@ilpensiero.net before February 13, 2026 to be featured in the March issue. We look forward to receiving your announcements! Thank you
BIRTHDAYS
Anthony Gandolfo ANNIVERSARIES
February 1
Tony and Melodie Nicastro
A Special Note:
Be sweet to one another.
Carina Marino and the Il Pensiero staff
Continued from page 5
inoltre celebrato il ventennale del suo album di debutto con la versione digitale deluxe di Get Lifted, arricchita da remix e collaborazioni con artisti come Tems, Simi, Killer Mike e Lil Wayne, accompagnata dal Get Lifted 20th Anniversary World Tour. Parallelamente alla musica, John Legend ha costruito una carriera di grande rilievo anche nel mondo dello spettacolo e della produzione. La sua interpretazione di Gesù in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC, 2018) gli è valsa una nomination come miglior attore protagonista e un Emmy Award come produttore. È inoltre uno dei coach più amati di The Voice, ruolo che tornerà a ricoprire nella prossima stagione.
Con la sua casa di produzione Get Lifted Film Co., fondata insieme a Mike Jackson e Ty Stiklorius, Legend ha realizzato numerosi progetti di successo per cinema, televisione e piattaforme streaming, affiancando all’attività artistica un forte impegno imprenditoriale e culturale. Da sempre attivo anche sul fronte sociale, Legend è fondatore di FREEAMERICA, organizzazione impegnata nella riforma del sistema di giustizia penale negli Stati Uniti, ed è membro di diversi board e advisory board in ambito educativo e sociale. Nel luglio scorso è stato nominato Philanthropist of the Year da The Hollywood Reporter per il suo costante impegno a favore del cambiamento sociale.
“A Night of Songs & Stories” si preannuncia come un ’occasione unica per
vivere da vicino l’universo artistico di John Legend, in un formato raccolto che mette al centro la musica, le parole e l’esperienza condivisa con il pubblico.
Marostica Summer Festival Volksbank è organizzato da DuePunti Eventi in collaborazione con la Città di Marostica e con il supporto di Volksbank e Fondazione Banca Popolare di Marostica –Volksbank.
Tutte le info su: marosticasummerfestival.it Prevendita dedicata agli iscritti alla newsletter D’Alessandro e Galli da venerdi 23 Gennaio alle ore 11.00 a sabato 24 gennaio alle ore 10.00. Biglietti disponibili su ticketone.it da sabato 24 gennaio alle ore 11.00.
Biglietti a partire da € 60+dititto di prevendita. Disponibile anche Pacchetto VIP – John Legend Live, che include: Biglietto in Poltronissima Platinum
• Drink di benvenuto in area riservata
• Ingresso dedicato con accesso prioritario
• Pass commemorativo dell’evento
• Omaggio enogastronomico del territorio
• Un modo unico per lasciarsi accompagnare dalle melodie di John Legend e vivere il concerto con comfort ed esclusività.
Un modo unico per lasciarsi accompagnare dalle melodie di John Legend e vivere il concerto con comfort ed esclusività.
Read With Alexandra (RWA)
By Alexandra Marino-Durmišević
“Someday, Now: A Memoir of Family, Reclaiming Possibility, and One Sicilian Summer” By
Continued on page 8
Tembi Locke
Sunday Football Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
2 cans of artichokes
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Chop up artichokes and add the ingredients and mix together. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with your choice of cracker.
Warm up with this appetizer!
Continued from page 7
I am kicking off 2026 RWA with an audiobook. If you’ve been following my column, you know that this is fairly new to me. I am really into them now and find that it is a great way to relax while I am doing a mindless task. This month’s pick is a good starter audiobook because it incorporates sound bites from Locke’s trip to Sicily. It is an immersive way to listen to her follow-up memoir to “From Scratch”—whether you read the book or watched the series on Netflix.
For Tembi Locke and her daughter, Zoela, the island of Sicily feels like home. Both women are at the beginning of a major life change. Zoela is off to college across the country, and Tembi is coming to terms with being an empty nester with her new husband. She decides to take one last girls’ trip with her daughter to celebrate the end of one chapter and the start of a new, different one. Going back to the island is both cathartic and essential for them and their healing process.
See you in March!
Italian Consul General Visits
St. Louis
By Angelo Sita Joseph Colagiovanni, the Honorary Consul in St. Louis, made arrangements for
the Italian Consul General from Chicago, Mario Bartoli, to come to St. Louis. The purpose of the visit was to introduce Continued on page 12
CONSOLATO GENERALE
D’ITALIA
Mario Alberto Bartoli CONSOLE GENERALE
500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1850 Chicago, IL 60611 phone: 312-467-1550
certified email (PEC): con.chicago@cert.esteri.it italcons.chicago@esteri.it Hours: (open to public) Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Onorario D’Italia/Honorary Vice Consul Joseph Colagiovanni
Honorary Vice Consul of Italy ITALIANCONSULSTL@GMAIL.COM 314-705-2413
VISTI/VISAS visti.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5487
PASSAPORTI/DOCUMENTI VIAGGIO/ NAVIGAZIONE/ PASSPORTS/ EMERGENCY TRAVEL DOCUMENTS passaporti.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5485
AIRE anagrafe.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5485
ELETTORALE/ ELECTORAL elettorale.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5485
STATO CIVILE/VITAL RECORDS chicago.statciv@esteri.it (312) 995 5485
CITTADINANZA/CITIZENSHIP cittadinanza.chicago@esteri.it (312) 995 5484
UFFICIO STUDENTI/CODICI FISCALI/ EQUIPOLLENZA TITOLI DI STUDIO/ COMMERCIALE/ STUDENT OFFICE/ FISCAL I.D./EQUIVALENCY OF DEGREES AND PROFESSIONAL TITLES/ COMMERCIAL commerciale.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5486
NOTARILE/NOTARY legale.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5483
UFFICIO SCUOLA/ EDUCATION OFFICE scuola.chicago@esteri.it 312-995-5489
Italian Trade Agency 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1720 Chicago, Illinois 60611 chicago@ice.it 312-670-4360 website:ice.it/it
Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo/ Italian Government Tourist Office
500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2240, Chicago, IL 60611 312-644-0990 italiantourism.com
ONLY FOR ITALIAN CITIZENS WITH TRUE EMERGENCIES (accidents, arrests, etc.):
Available from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. CST Monday –Friday, and from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and holidays – Call +1(312) 909-0304
Emergencies between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. CT, contact the MAECI at 011 39 06 36912666
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago 500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1450 Chicago, IL 60611 phone: 312-822-9545 fax: 312-822-9622 email:iicchicago@esteri.it website:iicchicago.esteri.it
Schedule Basic
Sig. Bartoli to leaders of the academic community, leaders of the business community, elected officials, and members of the Italian community. This is the first time in over six years that the Consul General from Chicago visited St. Louis. Joseph Colagiovanni asked Chris Saracino, Vincenzo DiPiazza, and Angelo Sita to help schedule events for the delegation.
The delegation included the Italian Consul General from Chicago, Mario Bartoli, and he brought a delegation with him. In addition to the Italian Consul General, Mario Bartoli, the following members of the delegation were included: Dr. Marcello Alecci, Science Attaché; Professor Marina Lenza, Director of the Education Office for the Consulate General of Italy in Detroit and Chicago; and Chiara Avanzato, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Chicago.
Chris Saracino treated the delegation to a special dinner at Bartolino’s on The Hill on their first night in St. Louis. This was a pleasant way for them to relax after a busy day.
The delegation had a full schedule for the two and a half days that they were in St. Louis. Meetings were scheduled that focused on promoting governmental, economic, educational, and cultural cooperation and exchanges between Italy and Missouri. They met with the St. Louis Art Museum to discuss the Art Museum’s exhibition focusing on Roman art during the reign of Emperor Trajan, which will open in March 2026.
The Italian government has long promoted the teaching of Italian in U.S. schools. During their visit, the delegation met the children at St. Ambrose School, which has the only Italian language program for elementary students in St. Louis. The delegation also went to Thomas Jefferson High School, which has the only Italian language program for high school students in St. Louis, and met with the faculty of the Italian Studies department at Washington University, which has a broad range of Italian-focused programs, including language, literature, film, art history, economics, and science.
The delegation met with Italian and Italian American scientists affiliated with the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), Washington University, Washington University Medical School, and Cortex to discuss ways of encouraging and supporting scientific research and cooperation between scientists based in Missouri through a chapter for ISSNAF— an organization of Italian scientists working in North America.
Tanina Santangelo reserved the Polizzi Room at St. Ambrose, so many in the Italian community would have the opportunity to meet Mario Bartoli. The purpose of this evening was primarily a meet and greet, but Sig. Bartoli spent over two hours talking to the 60 people who came to meet the Italian Consul General. Vincenzo DiPiazza provided refreshments for those in attendance.
The delegation also met with Governor Mike Kehoe to discuss his trade mission visit to Italy in March 2026 to promote economic opportunities between Missouri and Italy.
On Saturday, December 19, the delegation visited The Hill. Their first stop was at The Hill Welcome Center, where Carolyn Cassani Ring, the director of the center, explained how the center was working to preserve the history of The Hill. No visit to The Hill would be complete without a visit to Piazza Imo and St. Ambrose Catholic Church.
After a visit to Piazza Imo, the delegation went to the Italian American Bocce Club. The IABC recently made major improvements to the building, and the Italian Consul was very impressed with the club. He stated that he has never seen a beautiful bocce club like the one on The Hill. He said that in Italy they do not have a place like the IABC to play bocce. Angelo Sita explained that the IABC would welcome the Italian Consul office in Chicago to utilize the facilities of the club if he needs a place to meet people when he returns to St. Louis.
Before leaving The Hill, they stopped at Vitale’s Bakery. Angie Vitale gave them bread to eat on the train back to Chicago.
Keep Italian Traditions Alive
By Courtney Finn
Back in December, we shared an article titled “3 Ways to Keep Italian Traditions Alive This Holiday Season” and invited readers to help us bring that story to life by sending in their family traditions, memories, and photos. This month, we’re delighted to present a submission from Paul DeGregorio, who generously shared his family traditions and included some photos. His story is a beautiful reminder that Italian traditions aren’t just preserved— they’re lived, shared, and passed down, one generation at a time.
“Our family of 22, which includes 12 grandchildren, works hard to keep our Italian traditions alive. We make about 130 meatballs per month (10 lbs). During Christmas time, we have a cooking day with our grandchildren to make ravioli, arancini, and meatballs that we eat on Christmas Day. When I was young, my cousin John Signorino and I used to spend the weekend with my grandmother Sally DeGregorio and help her make ravioli, sausage, and cuccidati. It is her and other long-time family recipes we use today. We make her cheese and meat ravioli and make our own ricotta, all using family recipes.
Below are some pictures of our cooking. One of them features three grandsons making meatballs in London, and the other features two other grandsons making meatballs in our kitchen. The London grandsons moved there with their parents in 2024 when their mom, our daughter, got a job there with Enterprise Leasing. My wife and I go to see them 2x per year. Each time we go, they make a big batch of meatballs, which they freeze to enjoy for months.”
Mario Bartoli, Consul General of Italy in Chicago
Vince DiPiazza, Tanina Santangelo, Mario Bartoli, Mike Santangelo, Fr. Leo Spezia and Angelo Sita