Italian America Magazine - Winter 2022

WINTER 2022

$4.95

They Arrived with Horses Naples: The Capital of the Classical Art of Equitation

Trovato

The Foundlings of Italy

Witch's Brew

A Living Strega Who Mixes Her Own Blend of Folk Magic

The Son of His Father's Songs The Story of Jim Croce

ITALIAN AMERICA

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WINTER 2022

VOL. XXVII No. 1

Italian America

®

T h e O ff i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e O r d e r S o n s a n d D a u g h t e r s o f I t a l y i n A m e r i c a ®

FEATURES

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WITCH’S BREW

A Living Strega Who Mixes Her Own Blend of Folk Magic

By Kristin D’Agostino

THEY ARRIVED WITH HORSES Naples: The Capital of the Classical Art of Equitation

By Jessica Morton

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TROVATO

The Foundlings of Italy

By John DeLorenzo

THE SON OF HIS FATHER’S SONGS The Story of Jim Croce

By Miles Ryan Fisher

ON THE COVER: A gelding (castrated male horse) named Napole.

(Photo by Cecile Zahorka)

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 National News 3 Oggi 4 Regions 6 Pagina Italiana 8 Our Story

13 Mangia 14 Bulletin Board 15 Speakers Bureau 20 Book Reviews 26 OSDIA Nation

31 From the President's Desk 32 Foundation Focus 33 Fighting Stereotypes 34 Letters to the Editor 35 The Last Word 36 Piacere

ITALIAN AMERICA is published by the ORDER SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ITALY IN AMERICA 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 • Phone: (202) 547-2900 • Web: www.osia.org Editor-in-Chief: Miles Ryan Fisher mfisher@osia.org

Proofreaders: Peggy Daino, Marlene Palazzo

Writers: James De Monte; Kristin D’Agostino; Hannah Fodera; Jessica Morton; John DeLorenzo; Felicia Marianna Naoum

To advertise: Contact ItalianAmerica@osia.org (202) 547-2900

Graphic Designer: Diane Vincent

Translator: Serena Lonigro

Italian America Magazine is a publication of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA), the nation’s biggest and oldest organization for people of Italian heritage. To subscribe, see www.osia.org or call (202) 547-2900.

ITALIAN AMERICA

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NATIONAL NEWS

ITALIAN AMERICAN ISSUES AND EVENTS

Tony Bennett’s Final Performance Airs for All

Bennett sang many classics—including his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” along with “Fly Me to the Moon” and “New York, New York.” The concert also included duets with Lady Gaga, with whom Bennett released an album entitled Love for Sale last September. The album has received six Grammy nominations.

It also earned Bennett another impressive distinction. At 95 years and 60 days old, he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to release an album of new material.

Six months ago, Bennett’s family revealed that he is suffering from Alzheimer’s and that he, at times, does not know where he is or what is happening around him.

However, on the night of his final performance, he knew

Tony Bennett performs at the Sons of Italy Foundation’s 2003 NELA Gala.

(mark reinstein)

After eight decades as a performer, Tony Bennett took the stage of New York’s Radio City Music Hall for his final performance on August 3, 2021—his 95th birthday. On November 28, CBS aired his performance for all to see in a television special called “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.”

exactly where he was: on stage. He not only received his first standing ovation prior to singing a single note—he also earned a dozen more over the course of the concert.

Bennett was presented with the Sons of Italy Foundation Humanitarian Award at the National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala in 1999. He also attended and performed at several galas over the course of NELA’s 32-year existence.

Ohio Lodge Member Wins OSDIA Family Photo Contest In celebration of Italian Heritage Month last fall, the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) held a members-only Family Photo Contest in partnership with My Italian Family, who donated a Genealogy Research Package worth $3,000 to be awarded to the contest winner. OSDIA’s National Office received hundreds of captivating submissions along with their remarkable

Gloria Marano’s winning submission, in which her family says salute e buon Natale!

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back stories. Alas, only one winner could be chosen. The OSDIA Membership Committee and OSDIA Technology Committee reviewed all submissions and cast votes—and Gloria Marano of the John Pirelli Lodge #1633 located in Dayton, Ohio, was declared the winner!

Gloria, who serves as Vice President of her lodge and Trustee of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, submitted a family photo that features the Marano family celebrating Christmas in 1947 at her grandparents’ house in Brooklyn, New York. In the photo, they raise a toast as her uncle hoists a jug of her grandfather’s homemade wine. Her father, Carlo F. Marano, Sr., was a freelance photographer and took the picture. Her mother, Marjorie Caudill Marano, is on the far left and eight months pregnant with Gloria’s older brother, Alphonse. The Marano family has its Italian roots in the towns of Avellino and Salerno.

Congratulazioni to Gloria and grazie mille to every member who participated. Although there could be only one contest winner, submissions will be periodically appearing on OSDIA’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Keep an eye out for yours!

ITALIAN AMERICA

OGGI IN ITALIA

ITALY’S NEWS, POLITICS, AND CULTURE

Italy Wins European Championship of American Football Italy defeated Sweden 41-14 to claim the 2021 European Championship of American football. The team, coached by Davide Giuliano, had an overwhelming 34-0 lead at halftime and coasted to Italy’s first championship in 37 years. Italy’s previous championships were in 1983, the first year that the European Championship was held, and 1987. Though Italy’s national American football team sports blue uniforms, rather than being referred to as the Azzurri—like Italy’s national soccer team—they are instead known as The Blue Team.

While Italy has been competing at the international and local levels for many years, it was only in 2008 that the Italian Football League (IFL) formed by combining individual Italian leagues. The IFL is composed of 12 teams. Of its 13 Italian Bowls (their version of the Super Bowl), the Milano Seaman and Parma Panthers have both won five titles.

Italian National players singing the national anthem before an American Football game in Milan 2013. (Paolo Bona)

Italian Football League (IFL) Teams

Ancona Dolphins Ferrara Aquile Milano Seamen

Bergamo Lions Firenze Guelfi Napoli Briganti

Bologna Warriors Lazio Marines Parma Panthers

Bolzano Giants Milano Rhinos Torino Giagua

Abandoned Car Becomes a … Landmark?

Mother and Father of Tiramisù Die Two Weeks Apart

For 47 years, a light blue 1961 Lancia Fulvia sedan sat parked in the same spot on the street in Conegliano, a town in the Veneto region. The car, which belongs to 94-year-old Angelo Fregolent, was originally parked outside the newsstand that he and his wife ran back in 1974. Even after they retired, the car remained. Eventually, it began to attract tourists and locals alike, who snapped photos and posted them online. The photos then went viral.

Alba and Ado Campeol, the couple known for creating and serving tiramisù at their restaurant, died less than two weeks apart from each other last fall. Alba, who is credited with creating one of the world’s most beloved desserts, invented the initial recipe by accident.

Last fall, town officials removed the car to have it restored.

After restoration is complete, it will be put on permanent display outside a school beside the Fregolents’ house.

Angelo Fregolent’s light blue 1961 Lancia Fulvia sedan.

ITALIAN AMERICA

According to lore, she mistakenly added mascarpone to the egg and sugar mixture as she was making vanilla ice cream. She then tried the concoction on coffee-soaked savoiardi cookies (the biscuit type of lady fingers), and upon doing so, tiramisù was born in 1969. Three years later, the dessert started appearing on the menu in their restaurant, Le Beccherie, located in Treviso, a city in the Veneto region about 20 miles north of Venice.

The dessert’s name—tiramisù—comes from Treviso dialect—tireme su—which means “lift me up.”

Alba passed at the age of 92 and Ado at the age of 93.

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REGIONS OF ITALY

ITALY’S TWENTY REGIONAL CAPITALS

Trieste

Italy’s Vienna A part of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1382 to 1918, Trieste reflects the influence of the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because of this, the city is often referred to as the “Vienna by the sea.” It served as the monarchy’s main port on the Adriatic Sea and, for that reason, it grew to be the Empire’s fourth largest city—following Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. The location of Trieste made it a natural gateway for trade to Northern Italy, Austria, Central Europe, and Germany.

Due to its connection to the Suez Canal and Turkey, it became known as the end of the Maritime Silk Road.

The history of Trieste, especially as it relates to Italy, is rather tumultuous. It did not become a part of Italy until it was annexed at the end of World War I, as a result of the provisions of the 1915 Treaty of London and the Italian-Yugoslav 1920 Treaty of Rapallo. For joining the Allied Powers in World War I, Italy had been promised significant land, and at the time, Trieste had a substantial Italian population.

INTERESTING FACT: The only concentration camp with a crematorium that existed on Italian soil was constructed in Trieste following Italy’s armistice, which led to German occupation.

This did not, however, cement Trieste as a permanent part of Italy. The city was left fractured and war-torn since it was a main target of allied bombing during World War II. Following the war, Trieste was designated an independent city state—the Free Territory of Trieste—and was overseen by the United Nations. The territory was split into Zone A and Zone B, the former becoming a part of Italy in 1954 and the latter becoming a part of Yugoslavia (in today’s countries of Slovenia and Croatia).

Trieste lies in Italy’s northeastern region of FriuliVenezia Giulia, which serves as Italy’s border to Slovenia.

While Italian is Trieste’s official and most widely used language, several other languages—including Slovene, German, and local dialect—are also prevalent.

A port city on the Adriatic Sea, Trieste architecture reflects its history as a part of the Austrian Empire.

the level of tourism that other regional capitals do. The most notable landmark is the Castello Miramare, built from white Istrian stone in the 19th century for Archduke Maximilian of Austria. In addition to that are the 14thcentury cathedral of San Giusto and, opposite that, a Roman arch—Arco di Riccardo—which is believed to have been built in the 1st century BC. The city’s main square is the Piazza dell’Unità.

Today, a calm and pleasant ambiance spreads over the city, which was rated as one of the 25 best small towns in the world in 2020 and one of the ten safest cities in the world in 2021. Though a part of Italy, Trieste is a great way to experience Eastern European culture. In fact, because the city is located a few miles from an international border, buses make daily trips to Slovenia and back.

Trieste

Capital of: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Region Province: Trieste Population: 204,338 U.S. Sister Cities: None

Trieste sits on the Gulf of Trieste, perched on the Karst Plateau, which drops steeply into the sea. Though it serves as an important port city, Trieste does not attract

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PAGINA ITALIANA

PER CHI STUDIA LA NOSTRA LINGUA

Da dove viene la tua gente?

TRANSLATED BY SERENA LONIGRO

Ci incontriamo nell’area comune. Mia sorella, Lena, è lì, insieme a mio nipote, Willy. Era stato il compleanno di qualcuno e stavano portando una torta rosa con glassa alla mandorle e delle ciliegie candite in cima. Avevano anche della polenta con sugo di carne. Mi danno baci e abbracci, mi chiedono come ho dormito, se ho mangiato qualcosa.

Si sistemano tra le piante artificiali, le vecchie suore e gli acquari, qui dalle Sorelle della Misericordia, e Willy mi mostra le immagini dell’albero di una nave e la lista dei passeggeri di Ellis Island. È tutto racchiuso in un raccoglitore con gli anelli e i fogli sono pesanti, spessi quasi quanto quelli con cui fanno i cartoni del latte. Sono i documenti di mia madre e mio padre. So che Lena desiderava che suo figlio non lo avesse fatto.

Il primo documento, quello di papà, recita ELENCO O MANIFESTO DEI PASSEGGERI STRANIERI PER GLI STATI UNITI, datato 1914. Chi ha pagato il suo passaggio, chiedevano i documenti. Un italiano? Quanto lontano a sud? Aveva promesso un lavoro negli Stati Uniti?

Questo è ciò su cui Willy trascorre tutto il suo tempo.

Comincia a spiegare qualcosa a proposito di un’altra foto che è nel raccoglitore. È un vecchio stemma, con rifiniture blu intorno. Nella parte superiore c’è scritto ‘UNIONE LAVORATORI DELLE MINIERE.’ Al centro, vi sono due mani d’oro che si stringono. Nella parte inferiore c’è scritto ‘D’AMERICA,’ e poi ancora al di sotto, ‘8 ORE.’ Lo interrompo. “Nessuno ha bisogno di raccontarmi delle miniere di carbone, dannazione.” Sento ancora quella vita nella mia schiena.

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Nella pagina successiva, la sezione di Mamma aveva dei lillà intorno ai bordi. Secondo questa pila di carte era arrivata in terza classe su una nave chiamata La Lorraine.

“No, Mamma è venuta con una nave irlandese chiamata Adriatic,” dico. Non lo dimenticherò mai, perché me lo ha detto quando lavoravo alla miniera di Rosemarie. C’era un protestante rosso in faccia, corpulento e mezzo ubriaco di Belfast. La mamma era quasi inciampata in cucina a casa, e le dissi che sembrava stesse ballando una giga come il vecchio minatore Doherty, e questo ci portò a parlare dell’Irlanda del Nord, che a quei tempi era un nuovo paese.

Lena dice, “Potrebbe essere giusto.”

Willy picchietta le dita sul raccoglitore. “Non secondo questi documenti. Probabilmente lo aveva dimenticato. Ricorda, la nonna non sapeva davvero né leggere né scrivere.”

“Non in inglese,” gli dico, “ma è andata a scuola a Cles.”

Lena ci pensa, sembra convincersi. “Giacomo ha ragione. La mamma lo aveva detto.”

“No. Ecco qui il suo nome,” indica Willy. “Nonna era confusa, soprattutto in età avanzata.”

Spingo il raccoglitore dal mio grembo sul pavimento, lo stemma dei minatori che fuoriesce e mi fa l’occhiolino.

Willy lo raccoglie. Con voce tremante, il figlio americano curvo e pallido di mia sorella dice: “Il problema è che i fatti si confondono con le storie. La cosa importante da sapere,” mi dice, “è che la nostra gente è arrivata nel modo giusto.”

Il modo giusto? La mamma mi raccontava che erano stipati come bestiame e non ha mai parlato di terza classe, seconda o di qualsiasi altra classe. Era sola, diciottenne, senza madre e senza padre, l’ultima degli ultimi.

Non so dopo quanto tempo io mi sia assopito. Quando ho finalmente riaperto gli occhi, si stavano mettendo i cappotti. “Dove diavolo stanno andando tutti?” Dico.

“Giacomo,” dice Lena, mettendosi la sciarpa e poi strofinando la mia schiena tra le spalle, “torno domain.”

“Forse la prossima volta che vengo, zio Jackie,” dice Willy, “ne sapremo di più.” Mi mette davanti la torta e la polenta e porta con sé il suo raccoglitore.

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Serena Lonigro was born and raised in Napoli. She graduated from the University of Naples “L’Orientale” with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures and now works in marketing and news media.

ITALIAN AMERICA

PAGINA ITALIANA

Where Are Your People From? it. “Giacomo’s right. Mama did say that.”

BY JAMES DE MONTE

They meet me in the communal area. My sister, Lena, is there, along with my nephew, Willy. It was somebody’s birthday, and they’ve brought a pink cake with almondflavored frosting, candied cherries on top. Polenta with gravy, too. They give me hugs and kisses, ask how I’ve been sleeping, ask if I’ve been eating anything.

They settle in amongst the artificial plants and old nuns and filled-up fish tanks here at Sisters of Mercy, and Willy shows me images of a ship mast and passenger list from Ellis Island. It’s all enclosed in a ringed binder, and the sheets are heavy, almost as thick as what they make milk cartons from. These are my mother and father’s papers. I know that Lena wishes he wouldn’t have gone and done this.

The first, Papa’s, says LIST OR MANIFEST OF ALIEN PASSENGERS FOR THE UNITED STATES, dated 1914. Who paid for his passage, the papers asked.

An Italian? How far south? Was he promised a job here?

This is what Willy spends his time on. He starts explaining something about another picture in the binder.

It’s an old crest, blue trim around it. Across the top is UNITED MINEWORKERS. Underneath that are two gold hands shaking in the middle. Beneath that is written OF AMERICA. Below that is 8 HOURS. I stop him. “Nobody needs to tell me about digging coal, goddamnit.” I feel a lifetime of that in my back still.

“No. There her name is.” Willy points. “Nonna got mixed up, especially in old age.”

I shove the binder off my lap onto the floor, the miner’s crest spilling out and looking back up at me.

Willy gathers it up. His voice shaking, my sister’s hunched and pale American son says, “The problem is, the facts get mixed up with the stories. The important thing to know,” he tells me, “is that our people came over the right way.”

The right way? Mama told me they were jammed in like livestock and never mentioned anything about third class or second class or any class. She was alone, eighteen years old, motherless and fatherless, the bottom of the bottom class.

I don’t know how long it is before I doze off. When I finally open my eyes, they are putting their coats on.

“Where the hell’s everybody going?” I say.

“Giacomo,” Lena says, tying her scarf and then rubbing my back between my shoulders, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Maybe next time I stop in, Uncle Jackie,” Willy says, “we’ll have more of this all sorted out.” He puts the cake and polenta in front of me and takes his binder with him.

James De Monte (jamesbdemonte@gmail.com) is an English professor and directs International Education at Lakeland Community College. Cornerstone Press will publish his story collection Where Are Your People From? in 2023.

On the next page, Mama’s section has lilacs around the edges. She came over third class on a ship called La Lorraine, this pile of papers says.

“No, Mama came on an Irish ship called the Adriatic,” I say. I’ll never forget this, because she told me this much when I was first working at the Rosemarie mine. There was a red-faced, stout, half-drunk Protestant there from Belfast.

Mama nearly tripped over herself in the kitchen at home, and I told her she was dancing a jig like old Doherty the coalminer, and that got us talking about Northern Ireland, a new country back then.

Lena says, “That might be right.”

Willy taps the binder. “Not according to these papers.

Probably forgot. Remember, Nonna couldn’t really read or write.”

“Not English,” I tell him, “but she went to school in Cles.”

Lena seems more convinced the more she thinks about ITALIAN AMERICA

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OUR STORY

ITALIAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

OSDIA Grand Lodges Make Substantial Donations to OSDIA National Charities When the continuation of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) 57th Biennial Convention commenced virtually the week of Columbus Day, OSDIA Grand Lodges presented their two-year fundraising totals for OSDIA National Charities. This tradition, which takes place at every biennial convention, produced particularly heartwarming results in light of the pandemic, which prevented many lodges from holding their regular fundraising events. OSDIA has three National Charities: Cooley’s Anemia Foundation; Alzheimer’s Association; and the Doug Flute, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. “The generosity of our members has been quite remarkable, especially during the course of COVID-19,” remarked Sons of Italy Foundation President Joseph Sciame. “We have all been quite impressed at the amount of time and energy that have been expended in order to raise funds despite the hurdles of not being able to meet in person or regularly.”

Cooley’s Anemia Foundation Grand Lodges raised $43,500 for the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, which was designated as an OSDIA National Charity in 1974. Since that time, OSDIA has donated more than $3 million.

The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation mission is to advance the treatment and cure for this fatal blood disease; enhance the quality of life of patients; and educate medical professionals, trait carriers, and the public about Cooley’s Anemia/Thalassemia Major

Alzheimer’s Association Grand Lodges raised $38,350 for the Alzheimer’s Association, which was designated as an OSDIA National Charity in 1993. Since that time, OSDIA has donated more than $1.7 million.

The Alzheimer’s Association mission is to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. Grand Lodges raised $27,850 for the Doug Flutie, WINTER 2022

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Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc., which was designated as an OSDIA National Charity in 2011. Since that time, OSDIA has donated a few hundred thousand dollars.

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc., has programs and activities to improve the quality of everyday life for people and families affected by autism. The Foundation aims to provide a path for education and/or employment during the day; opportunities for physical and social activity outside of work/school; and the tools to be safe, supported, and informed at all times.

Help Our Military Heroes and the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum In addition to its National Charities, OSDIA has also dedicated ongoing suppor t for Help Our Military Heroes (HOMH) and the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum (GMM).

Grand Lodges raised A past Sons of Italy Foundation $2,875 for HOMH, HOMH van recipient. which provides fully equipped, adaptive minivans to our country’s most severely wounded, injured, and ill service men and women who sustained their injuries while on active duty. Last year marked the seventh time in eight years that the SIF has donated at least $20,000 to HOMH. This year, OSDIA committed yet another $20,000 to HOMH. Grand Lodges raised $3,100 for the GMM, which is operated by OSDIA. Its mission is to collect, hold, own, maintain, preserve, and exhibit historical objects and artifacts relating to the lives of General Giuseppe Garibaldi and Antonio Meucci, the inventor of the telephone.

It also offers a wide variety of services that promote Italian culture—including programs for children and adults, museum tours, opera classes, Italian language The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum located in Staten classes, and a young inventors program.

Island, New York.

ITALIAN AMERICA

OUR STORY

ITALIAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

Quieter and Quieter

BY HANNAH FODERA

I grew up with loud entrances.

When my family arrived at Nonna’s for Sunday dinner, a rowdy cheer circled the room as if we were the guests of honor, the ones they’d all been waiting for. Nonna always welcomed us with a Ciao Bedda! Not everyone spoke Italian, but we knew what that meant. We’d make the rounds, kissing every cheek, even Uncle Guy, whose booming voice terrified me. I’d pass the Adult Table, then the Teenager Table, and find a seat at the Little Kids’ Table, where my cugini were already kicking shins and talking trash. Soon, the next carload of cousins would arrive, and we’d join in the cheer for them.

But slowly—year after year—Sundays turned to birthday gatherings, and birthdays gave way to just Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cousins moved away. Family members passed. Now, the youngest kids barely remember Sunday dinners. I never made it to the Teenager Table.

In 2017, the family celebrates Nonna’s 80th birthday by surprising her at a restaurant.

Nonna and Nonno sit surrounded by all their grandchildren (and one great-grandchild!). my extended family still gets together—even if there are no Ciao Beddas. I can tell my kids about Nonna, show them her wedding photos, cook her signature red sauce, sing “Victory in Jesus” as I tuck them in.

I’ve been thinking about those dinners lately, as my Italian family grows more Americanized. Will my own Last summer, on my college break, my family drove to children ever hear the bellezza cadences of Sicilian voices at the next table? Will they understand this crucial part of my cousin’s house for his birthday. We parked out front me—which is, in turn, a part of them? How do we move and walked up the drive. The party would either be in on when, out of necessity, our families gather less and less? the backyard or inside the house, so I went to the side The worst blow came when Nonna passed away last gate. Birds chirped. Oak leaves rustled. Pool water lapped April. She was the bloodline, the link between the bright against concrete. It was hard to tell if anyone was there.

Sicilian coast and our gritty Boston suburb. The day she died, my immediate family stood around our kitchen island. My twin couldn’t stop sobbing, but I had no idea how to feel. I remember looking down at Nonna at her viewing, feeling only my mom’s arm across my shoulder.

Weeks later, on a flight to Kentucky, it struck me: I’d never again hear her Ciao Bedda. I finally cried.

Months later, we can finally remember her and chuckle over her quirks: her quaint, klutzy English; how she might burst into “Victory in Jesus” in the middle of dinner; the sofa she kept encased in plastic, though it had been in the living room for years. We can smile and hope, because we can still honor her life.

Without Nonna, many traditions are gone forever, but my heritage can evolve. My future family won’t experience my childhood, but there are ways I can preserve the past. I can learn more Italian from my dad. (He taught me some words as I worked on this piece.) I can cherish the times ITALIAN AMERICA

I pushed the gate open. There they were—some aunts and uncles, chatting at the backyard tables. A few cousins sat at the pool’s edge.

“Here, they are!” someone said.

We made the rounds, exchanging muted hellos.

“We didn’t know if you were out back,” I said. “We usually hear you from the off-ramp!”

“Yeah,” Uncle Frank said, as I kissed his cheek. “Every year we get quieter and quieter.”

I smiled, a little wistful, and took the chair next to his.

He was right; we were quieter. But we were all here, the sun was shining, a big bowl of moglio di aglio (garlic sauce) was on the table, and I was happy.

Hannah Fodera is a writing student at Biola University studying Bible, Theology & Ministry and Interdisciplinary Studies. She loves her family, good food, and animated children’s movies.

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Lori Bruno, the strega from Salem. Her family hails from the slopes of Mount Etna, the active volcano in Sicily.

BY KRISTIN D’AGOSTINO

Artistic depictions of real-life strega, Lori Bruno.

(Lightshed Photography Studio)

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I first met Lori Bruno 15 years ago while working as a reporter in Salem, Massachusetts, covering the so-called Witch City’s mix of art, maritime history, and vibrant pagan community. At the time Bruno, 68, was introduced to me as a true Italian strega, one who practiced Sicilian witchcraft. Bruno had just opened a new shop in town, and I was asked to cover it for a story.

Having grown up in a religious home where even the Smurfs were forbidden for their mystical influence, I had some negative preconceived notions about witchcraft. But, during a sitdown visit to her home, Bruno quickly won me over. With her broad smile and Boston accent, she felt instantly familiar, like a long-lost Italian relative I’d never met. She called me “Bella,” made me tea, and chatted with me for hours in her kitchen about our common southern Italian roots and its superstitions.

I recently picked up the phone to reconnect with the now 83-year-old Bruno, and soon we were chatting like no time had passed. These days, after a COVID-induced hiatus, the real life strega is back to giving psychic readings and running her Salem shop, Magika, which sells books, candles, and other new-age merchandise.

It’s no surprise the long-time witch is thriving. Bruno’s combination of grandmotherly warmth, Italian folk magic, and psychic ability has garnered much attention in the past five decades, including a spread in The Wall Street Journal ten years ago during the housing crisis, when she was hired by new homeowners to perform cleansing rituals on foreclosed homes believed to hold bad vibes.

A second-generation Italian American whose parents hailed from Sicily and Naples, Bruno grew up in Brooklyn in the 1950s in a neighborhood rich with cultural diversity. Immigrant ITALIAN AMERICA

“The Jews know all about bad magic, good magic. On the kabbalistic tree of light, witchcraft exists in the first three triads. Low magic works with earth currents and herbs. When you want to learn more, you climb the ladder.

My family learned more.”

The inside of Magika. (Lightshed Photography Studio)

neighbors, many of them Italian, would regularly come to her house to visit her mother who was known for her healing powers.

“The doctor came in, and I was giving her unsalted cashews,” Bruno said. “Have you noticed cashews look like a fetus?”

“She would take away headaches and say prayers for the evil eye,” Bruno recalled. “She would do readings and tell people about the dead.”

While the doctor performed treatment, Bruno cast a spell that she believes helped the woman conceive.

Bruno’s own first supernatural experience came at age 12, when she looked over at a classmate in school and suddenly experienced a vision accompanied by a cold chill.

“Her lower back looked gray,” Bruno recalled. “I went home and told my mom and she said that little girl had cancer of the kidneys.”

Over the years, Bruno has built up her psychic abilities, using them to help the community. After working for NASA, creating technical drawings for nearly ten years in the 1960s, she gave up her career and devoted herself full time to psychic service. Since then, she has worked with police to find missing people, counseled married couples, and cast fertility spells on barren women.

Several years ago, a woman came to her unable to conceive and asked for help to have a baby boy. So Bruno accompanied her to a fertility treatment.

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“She had a boy,” she said. “I am the child’s godmother. [The couple] is Christian but they have a Strega Nonna.”

Bruno’s healing practices are a witch’s brew of cultural beliefs. Roman, Egyptian, and Catholic statues all fill her Salem home. A typical workday may include prayers to Michael the Archangel, the Egyptian goddess Isis, or the Black Madonna—a darkskinned version of the Virgin Mary that many believe holds unique healing powers. Bruno keeps a lit candle in front of the Black Madonna at all times and prays regularly to “the great mother,” before performing healing rituals.

According to Bruno, two kinds of magic were practiced in Italy with the earliest recorded references to witchcraft dating back to the 16th century when many—mostly peasants—were put to death for their beliefs. Benandanti, Bruno says, is magic focused on healing and blessing people. Historically, those who practiced it blessed crops, marriages, and babies being born. Melandanti, on the other hand, is magic focused on inflicting harm upon others. One of the most well-known Italian superstitions, malocchio—or the evil eye—is believed to be brought on by an insincere compliment delivered by someone who secretly envies another’s qualities or possessions. It reveals itself in the form of a headache and can only be cured by someone gifted with healing abilities, usually a woman who whispers a secret prayer.

Bruno attributes her healing powers to her Sicilian roots. The island’s cultural diversity through the centuries, she says, has made it fertile ground for magic.

“At one time, Sicily was a mix of Jews and Italians,” she explained.

Lori Bruno’s shop in Salem, Magika.

(Lightshed Photography Studio)

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As a healer, Bruno has often helped relieve victims of il malocchio. The process, she says, involves pouring three drops of olive oil into a bowl along with a sprinkle of salt. She then punctures the drops of oil with a lit match and waits for the oil to form a line or a circle, which indicates the gender of the person who brought on the bad luck. The victim is then blessed with a secret prayer. In Italy, Bruno says, the most superstitious individuals have learned to ward off the evil eye before it happens, wearing talismans or making the symbol of horns with their hand.

I’m not sure how I feel about the evil eye, but I know I carry superstitions of my own. The last time I saw Lori Bruno for our kitchen interview, I remember being surprised when, at the end, she took down a painted Italian pitcher from a shelf and handed it to me as a parting gift. Convinced the vessel may hold some secret spell, I left it on the “free” table in the newspaper’s employee break room.

These days, I like to think I’m a little more open-minded. Having never experienced a psychic reading, I recently decided to give it a try and asked Bruno for a phone consultation.

The results were amazingly righton. After giving a creepily accurate read of my love life, she honed in on other things.

La Befana: Italy’s Witch of Winter Who needs Santa Claus, the stodgy old man in the sleigh, when there’s an Italian witch on a broomstick to bring presents to the bambini?

La Befana, according to age-old Italian legend and tradition, makes her appearance on January 6, the day the Wise Men are believed to have arrived at baby Jesus’s manger. This day, known as The Feast of the Epiphany, is a national holiday in Italy and marks the end of twelve days of Christmas and New Years’ festivities.

The Night of La Befana was mentioned as early as 1549 in a poem by Agnolo Firenzuola. In the poem, La Befana was portrayed as an ugly, old woman flying over houses on a broomstick, entering through the chimneys, and leaving sweets for good children or garlic and coal for bad ones.

La Befana’s roots are a mix of pagan and Christian beliefs. Some scholars believe that her story originated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, a pagan celebration starting just before the winter solstice. At the end of Saturnalia, Romans went to the Temple of Juno on the Capitoline Hill to have their fortunes read by an old crone.

Others point to her Christian roots.

“Her name derives from the word for epiphany: Epifania,” says Art History Professor Rocky Ruggiero. “Legend has it that she showed the three magi hospitality on their way to Bethlehem.”

According to folklore, La Befana was invited to join the Wise Men on their

“You will always be creative. I see things growing all around you,” she said. At the end, in typical Strega Nonna-style, she added, “I love you, honey. God Bless.”

Kristin D’Agostino is a poet, journalist, and teacher living in Vermont. Learn about her memoir-writing workshops for Italophiles and find more of her writing at https://kristinmdagostino. com.

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La Befana flies on her broom over the small Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano and delivers gifts to children on the eve of Epiphany. (antonpix)

A depiction of Italy’s beloved old witch, La Befana. (vetre) journey to find the Christ child, but declined their invitation, choosing to stay home and attend to her housework.

Later, when she realized the child’s importance, she regretted her decision. Legend has it that since then, she’s roamed the earth searching for the Wise Men, rewarding good children and gently admonishing bad children.

Unlike Santa Claus (or Babbo Natale as he’s called in Italy), La Befana has been a holiday tradition in Italy since the 13th century. Though some Italians embrace the American tradition of Santa Claus, Christmas in Italy is far less commercialized, and La Befana remains a more popular figure. Her arrival on January 6th is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone, special cakes, and cookies called befanini. In honor of the Three Wise Men, Italians go to church and enjoy spending the day with family. Children who have been wellbehaved receive candy while those who have misbehaved get lumps of coal—or these days, more likely, black rock candy.

La Befana is most associated with Rome and central Italy, however, the custom spread to the rest of the country during the 20th century.Today, there are festivals throughout Italy, including a four-day festival from January 2-6 in Urbania (Marche region) and a large Befana Christmas market in Rome’s Piazza Navona.

Salem strega, Lori Bruno, feels a special kinship to La Befana, reaching out to her when she encounters a mother or child in need.

“Now that I’m a grandmother I talk to her,” says Bruno. “I say, ‘Befana, we need you to help the children.’”

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MANGIA!

Chunky-Cream Butternut Squash Sauce

Chunky Mascarpone, Walnut, and Basil Sauce

Serves 2 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 4 ounces peeled and cubed butternut squash ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 sage leaves, thinly sliced ½ cup water ¼ cup heavy cream 1 ounce freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Serves 2 2.6 ounces imported Italian Mascarpone 0.5 ounces fresh basil leaves (about 20 leaves), washed thoroughly and blotted dry, stems removed, cut into julienne 1 ounce freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 ounce shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Make pasta. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, adding about 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the sauce first and stirring it in with a rubber spatula.

2. Add the squash, and season with the salt, pepper, and sage.

3. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes, shaking the pan often.

4. Pour in ½ cup of water and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

(If you prefer a sauce with a touch of bright acidity, feel free to use white wine instead of water.)

5. Cook 20 minutes or until just tender. When the squash is cooked, the water should not have been completely absorbed by the squash; if it has, add a splash more.

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Stir the pasta into the sauce and add additional pasta cooking water as needed to achieve a sauce with the right coating consistency.

4. Adjust the seasoning, and serve hot, dusted with additional Parmigiano.

6. Uncover the pan. Crush gently with a fork into a coarse, chunky purée.

7. Add the cream and drop to a gentle simmer to keep warm while you cook the pasta.

8. Make the pasta. Remove the pasta and add to the squash in the pan.

9. Stir in the Parmigiano. Dilute with some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed.

10. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

11. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional pepper.

Pass additional Parmigiano at the table if desired.

Chunky-Cream Butternut Squash Sauce

Chunky Mascarpone, Walnut, and Basil Sauce.

(Photo Courtesy of Rustico Cooking)

If you liked these recipes, check out Rustico Cooking, which offers culinary tours to Italy, cooking classes and team-building cooking events in NYC, and a members-only video cooking site for lovers of Italian cuisine.

(Photo Courtesy of Rustico Cooking)

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BULLETIN BOARD

Connect with OSDIA through the new QR Codes below!

WHAT’S NEW: DISCOUNTS, SERVICES AND EVENTS

Sons and Daughters of Italy Scholarships Applications Close February 28th!

Last year, the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) awarded $105,000 to 15 scholarship recipients. The scholarships assist outstanding Italian-American students with their college and graduate studies.

Grants awarded are up to $20,000 per student, and all scholarship recipiScholarship recipients at the NELA Gala. ents are invited to be guests at the SIF’s annual National & Education Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala. Each applicant will receive a one-year At-Large Membership to the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, which includes a one-year subscription to Italian America magazine.

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The deadline for all submissions is Monday, February 28, 2022. To find scholarship information and the application, visit www.osia.org/programs/scholarships.

Contact scholarships@osia.org for questions or assistance.

OSDIA Launches Women’s Action Committee

Website

The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) launched the Women’s Action Committee (WAC) under the leadership of National President, Robert A. Bianchi, Esq. The committee’s mission is to provide and promote educational and awareness programs in addition to networking and social events to OSDIA members. These events will be geared toward increasing interest in membership as well as leadership opportunities not only for women but for everyone. The WAC will collectively work with the entire membership in supporting one another, sharing best practices and new ideas, and embracing our Italian culture and heritage.

Over the next two years, the committee plans to offer a variety of events on topics such as financial wellness and personal safety and awareness as well as many opportunities to recognize famous Italian women and overall Italian history and culture.

The WAC is comprised of 18 members and its National Advisor, National 2nd Vice President Michael G. Polo. The committee meets once a month to discuss new and exciting ideas and events to share with the membership.

Anyone interested in sharing an idea, becoming a committee member, or asking questions regarding the committee, please feel free to contact one or both of the co-chairs.

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Committee Contact Information: Co-Chair - Linda Buccini-Anderson (buccini@rainierconnect.com)

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Co-Chair - Lori Capaccio (lcapaccio@comcast.net)

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SPEAKERS BUREAU

LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR CULTURE & HISTORY

Sons & Daughters of Italy Speakers Bureau Need a speaker for your club meeting or a special event? Contact these experts directly. Some may require travel expenses and/or honorariums. For a complete list of speakers, visit www.osia.org and click “Speakers Bureau” under the tab labeled “Programs.” To apply as a speaker, contact Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org Don’t forget: You can host speakers over Zoom!

• CALIFORNIA Photojournalist, Author, and Peace Activist Francesco Da Vinci speaks about his historical memoir—I Refuse To Kill: My Path to Nonviolent Action in the 1960s—as well as the spirit of the sixties, conscientious objection to war, and today’s need for service to others and what each person can do to build a more nonviolent, humanistic culture in America. He was a photojournalist for 25 years—along with two years with the U.S. Senate Gallery of Photographers— and a professor of social psychology. Book signing and public speaking with multimedia.

Contact: (424) 535-3072 Email: francescoproductions1@gmail.com Website: irefusetokill.com Will also travel to: Los Angeles or San Diego • CALIFORNIA Author Gail Reitano speaks about her debut novel—Italian Love Cake—and themes that arise in it, including Italian-American immigration/ assimilation; pre-WWII economics, politics, and fascism; Italian-American feminism; the role of ancestors in shaping our identity and the role of food in uniting the Italian-American family. Book reading and signing.

Contact: (415) 215-1526 Email: gail.reitano@ gmail.com Website: https://gailreitano.com Will also travel to: San Francisco Bay Area • CONNECTICUT Children’s Book Author and Illustrator and Art Teacher Stefania Munzi-Logus speaks about her children’s book—Jojo’s Tiny Ear—and diversity and hearing-loss awareness, and teaching these topics to children. Book signing.

Contact: (203) 988-6271 Email: sfmunzi@gmail.com Website: https://www.stefaniamunzi-logus.com Will also travel to: New England Area • FLORIDA Author of Italian-American fiction and Licensed Mental Health Counselor C. D’Angelo (pen name) speaks about her novel—The Difference: A culturally inspiring genealogy and immigration women’s fiction novel—and writing/story developing for Italian culture. She also speaks on mental health, travel, immigration, ancestry, and genealogy—which serve as themes in her novel. Book signing, book club ITALIAN AMERICA

Q&A, pitch-writing, coaching, motivational speeches.

Contact: (904) 742-8796 Email: c.dangelo.author@gmail.com Website: www.cdangeloauthor.com • OKLAHOMA Author and Associate Professor of Literature and Film Marc DiPaolo speaks about his recent book—Fake Italian—as well as Generation X Italians, genre fiction, Dorothy Day Catholicism, comic books, movies, and staying Italian when moving away from an enclave. He has a doctorate in literature and is a winner of CHOICE Outstanding Academic Text award 2011 for War, Politics and Superheroes.

Book talk and signing.

Contact: (405) 306-2103 Email: dr.dipaolo@gmail. com Website: https://drdipaolo.wixsite.com/marc Will also travel to: New York, Texas, Colorado, or anywhere if a stipend is offered • NEW YORK Actor, Producer, Director, and Author Joseph Cirillo speaks about how he became an actor, his relationship with A-list Italian-American celebrities (Sinatra, DeNiro, Pacino, Connie Francis), and his recent memoir entitled An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse.

He was a member of the New York Police Department and is recognized for his role as a police captain in Ghostbusters. Book signing.

Contact: (516) 673-5871 Email: joeactor27@ gmail.com Website: oroloroentertainment.com • UNITED KINGDOM Author Jennifer Anton speaks about her novel—Under the Light of the Italian Moon—which focuses on women during the rise of fascism and World War II as well as the connection between mothers and daughters and the strength of women. She also speaks about gaining Italian dual citizenship, moving to Italy, living between countries, raising a third culture child, and buying property in Italy. Presentations and book signing/readings.

Contact: +44 07845598075 Email: jenniferanton@hotmail.com Website: www.jenniferanton.com WINTER 2022 15

Napolitaine is one of Maresca’s top stallions. The horse is trained to pull a buggy and is often used in breed shows and demonstrations around Italy.

BY JESS MORTON

In 600 BC, when the Etruscans first populated the fertile countryside around Capua, a city 15 miles north of Naples, they arrived with horses. As plains-dwellers, Ancient Etruscans relied on equids to play an important role in their society. The remains of horse skeletons recovered from settlements in the area alludes to their place as elite animals used for racing, war, and leisure.

Farther south on the Italian coast, Ancient Greek cities of Spartan and Aegean colonies had flourished, creating centers of Hellenic culture which served as cultural mixing WINTER 2022

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pots for the exchange of ideas on horsemanship between the Etruscans, Romans, and other civilizations. In the now famous treatises of Xenophon, writers of Greek horsemanship would lay the foundations for cavalry training in Etruria, Greece, and Ancient Rome.

Later, when the Romans conquered the entire area, their Berber and Turkish stallions mixed with the local Etruscan and Greek mares, creating a larger, stronger cavalry mount that would spread throughout Roman ITALIAN AMERICA

territories. The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is one of the most important remaining artifacts of Roman antiquity. The stallion that Aurelius is riding has a convex or Roman profile1, strong, muscular haunches, and a highstepping gait—traits that were conserved by breeders for centuries afterwards.

Courageous and intelligent, the Neapolitan Horse evolved. By the 15th century, they were powerful warhorses capable of withstanding the demands of difficult training and high school movements thanks to their natural ability, temperament, and spirit.

The Equestrian Renaissance Started in Italy

After the fall of the Ancient Greek and Roman Empires, the art of equitation was lost for nearly 2,000 years. Fortunately, principles preserved in ancient Greek scripts, like On Horsemanship by the Greek general Xenophon, were rediscovered during the Renaissance by Italian scholars.

These ancient texts inspired an important period of enlightenment that radically reshaped the treatment of horses throughout Europe. The Renaissance ideal of art imitating nature specifically applied to the art of horsemanship and the horse, itself, which had been ridden as a beast of burden during the medieval period. Suddenly, the animal was revered as a living piece of art.

The first equestrian academy in Europe was established in Naples in 1530 by Federico Grisone. The Neapolitan 1 A Roman nose or convex profile on a horse is when there is a bump or a rise somewhere on the part that falls between the horse’s forehead and nostrils.

An old drawing, circa 1648, of a collection of horses found in Europe at that time.

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Napole, a handsome gelding owned by a young man from Paestum, a former Magna Grecia city

nobleman had studied under Cola Pagano, one of Aragonese King Ferrante’s most illustrious horsemen, and he famously combined medieval cavalry techniques with ancient Greek theories.

He published the first treatise on classical horsemanship—Ordini di cavalcare (Rules of Riding)—in 1550, which was an international bestseller throughout Europe.

Between 1550 and 1623, there were 20 editions printed in Italian, 15 translations in French, six in English, seven in German, and one in Spanish.

Grisone started a revolution in horsemanship that rippled throughout Europe. Naples was soon considered the greatest city in the world to learn the classical art of equitation. Soon, every European court that could afford it was sending their young men to Naples to study under classical masters like Grisone, Pignatelli, and Battista. After a stay that usually began as a teenager and lasted one or two years, the young men returned to their courts demonstrating poise in the saddle, good judgement, quick-wittedness, determination, and stoicism—all necessary skills for a member of the gentry to succeed in life.

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Giostre e Cavalieri (Jousting and Knights) The equestrian culture of Naples was celebrated with parades on horseback through the city streets for special occasions such as weddings, birth, and military triumphs.

The horse had become the most important symbol, and there was never a public ceremony that did not portray the animal in a position of glory.

Between the 15 th and 17 th centuries, extravagant equestrian shows became popular in the courts of Italy.

These events started out as imitations of ancient Roman triumphs and quickly spread around Europe. Performances usually included a parade followed by a mounted horseback fight in choreographed form. The events provided riders the opportunity to demonstrate their self-control, their poise, and the battle-readiness of their horses. They performed movements such as zigzag half passes, canter pirouettes, and geometrical formations with music, poetry, and costumes.

During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Naples was the epicenter of an important cultural transformation.

Classical Equitation reached a level of extreme refinement, and soon, all European courts that could afford it had their own Italian horsemen and horses imported from the prestigious Neapolitan stud farms.

Horses Built to Perform

The horses most suitable to perform classical exercises were strong, spirited, and well-balanced with excellent conformation. For this, Frederico Grisone chose to use Neapolitan horses in his academy.

Persano horses graze outside the royal palace of Carditello, once a famous Neapolitan horse stud farm owned by Charles of Bourbon.

Neapolitan horses were especially suitable for performing the haute ecole, or airs, above the ground, which are courageous movements designed for warfare combined with highly-controlled, refined training techniques. Horse and rider training generally took place in an indoor manege, or riding hall, where the horse was taught everything from the basics all the way up to the haute ecole—movements in which the horse rears up (levade), jumps up and kicks out (capriole), and even jumps on its hind legs (courbette).

Neapolitan horses were often used as a means of acquiring diplomatic leverage. An alliance between two princes or counts could be built on a shared interest in fine horses, and Naples certainly possessed a much sought-after product: the studs were widely acclaimed as among the best in Europe.

Horses were often gifted or traded to royalty. Henry VIII imported many Neapolitan horses to improve his depleted cavalry bloodlines, and Neapolitan horses contributed to many prestigious royal breeds in England, Spain, Denmark, and Germany.

The quality of the horses bred in Naples is discussed by Boccaccio in The Decameron, when he discusses the misadventures of a horse merchant, Andreuccio da Perugia, who visited the city of Naples because of its exceptional horse breeding.

Pasquale Caracciolo, a Neapolitan nobleman who wrote a famous treatise on horses and horsemanship, enthusiastically described the Neapolitan horse:

Persano horses—a descendant of the Neapolitan horse—graze near Capua.

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This prompted the young Maresca to travel throughout Europe searching for any trace of the extinct Neapolitan horse. After trawling through old Lipizzaner breeding registries in Rome, he was pointed toward Eastern Europe, where many dark Neapolitan horses had been exported. In Serbia, which was in the middle of a violent war, he managed to find a black and white photo of a horse that had belonged to General Tito Marshal. The picture was of a horse said to be a descendant of one of the last Neapolitan stallions exported by the Austrians.

Sibilla, one of Maresca’s finest mares, is held in high regard by his breeder. The branding is a special mark just for Neapolitan horses.

But if among all horses, those who are adorned with all the qualities and suitable for every kind of exercise are very rare, only the Neapolitans are worthy of such praise, because they are excellent at walking, in performing the passage, in trotting and cantering, as well as in combat, vaulting and hunting; they are very strong and of remarkable lightness, with a clever mind and of great courage; they have a steady head, a pleasant mouth and an amazing obedience to the bridle. Finally, they are so docile and so skilled, that when ridden by a good rider they move to the rhythm and nearly dance.

The annexation of the Bourbon provinces by the Savoy monarchy in 1860 marked the end of the Neapolitan horse. The Italian government dispersed the last of the breeding studs established by Bourbon King Charles III due to perceived ties with the former rulers.

Some say the Neapolitan horse went extinct by the end of the 19th century while others claim they can still be found in other breeds in Italy.

Searching For Galloping Ghosts: The Story of Giuseppe Maresca

Giuseppe Maresca, a coffee merchant from Sorrento, learned about the Neapolitan horse as a teenager traveling through Brazil with his father in the 1970s. A Brazilian coffee plantation owner showed him an old painting over lunch and asked him to find him a living example of the breed to add to his private collection of horses.

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The young coffee merchant and his Serbian translator searched through the war-torn countryside until they came upon a half-destroyed farmhouse. Inside was ‘Il Vecchio,’ the very stallion Maresca had searched half of Europe for.

The stallion was already advanced in age, but Maresca successfully brought him back to his home in Sorrento where he produced a foal from one of the broodmares that he had acquired from Capua.

Il Vecchio died shortly after his arrival in Italy much to the dismay of his new owner, but he produced an heir before he passed on, which became the founding stallion for Maresca’s Neapolitan Horse. The Neapolitan breed was officially recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2002 and has its own breed registry. Currently, there are fewer than 50 Neapolitan horses in the world. Two of them have been exported to the United States. One is in Virginia, and the other is in Texas.

Formalized studbooks and registries are a fairly recent development in the world of horses—mostly developed in the past century. During the Renaissance, the term razze was better described as a certain type of horse, particularly the appropriateness of a horse to a specific environment and riding style of the time. Maresca’s line of horses could be considered his own private razze of the now extinct Neapolitan breed. His collection of horses bear such a strong semblance to those in Renaissance paintings that these majestic horses thought to be extinct can once again graze the plains of Capua and prance through the crowded streets of Naples.

Jess Morton is a New Zealand-born equestrian and lifestyle writer based in Tuscany. She has worked around the world in both the equine and travel industries and enjoys writing about science and technology and Italian history.

The photos are all by French/German photographer Cecile Zahorka from www.thepixelnomad.com

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BOOK REVIEWS

WINTER 2022

A TUSCAN TREASURY: Stories from Italy’s Most Captivating Region

By Paul Salsini

Set in (no-surprise) Tuscany, A Tuscan Treasury is a captivating collection of short stories that span World War I to present day. Through the stories, author Paul Salsini deftly uses fiction as a tool to recreate the past, and in the variety of stories he shares, there is something for every reader.

The opening story, Also Under the Tuscan Sun, sets an entertaining tone for what readers can expect. The plot focuses on four old men in the lesser-known town of Cortana, which would come to prominence through Frances Hayes’s novel, Under the Tuscan Sun. This story serves as an example of how Salsini takes a slice of true events and builds fictitious ones around them in an enjoyable and enriching manner.

DID YOU KNOW? In the 14th century, flag throwers, known as flag wavers, were used as signalers to communicate between military regiments on the battlefield to coordinate movements and attacks.

Salsini’s stories range from a modern-day take on Romeo & Juliet coming from rival contrade of Siena, the plight of Albanian immigrants who find their way to Florence by way of Bari, the role of women partisans—known as staffette—during World War II, and the tradition of flag-throwing and how it persists in Pienza today. One story, set during World War I, is told solely through letters sent between Florence and the Italian front as it pushes into Trieste.

With well-crafted characterization and fairness to every character, Salsini develops unique individuals, each set in unique times and circumstances, that all have various motives and perspectives. This combination makes every story a fresh new tale and makes it difficult for readers to have a favorite. In the end, the collection’s title accurately reflects what it really is—a treasure of Tuscan stories.

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ITALIANS SWINDLED TO NEW YORK: False Promises at the Dawn of Immigration

By Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia

Italians Swindled to New York is an eye-opening, highly edifying read that focuses on the origin of Italian immigration to the United States. The thorough research by authors Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia reveals very sad and stark circumstances that will enlighten even the most educated of readers.

The book traces the onset of The Great Migration, which arose after Italy’s unification in 1861 and the hardships it brought, particularly on peasants in southern Italy. With the destitution that southern Italians faced, outsiders devised a way to exploit them by misrepresenting the opportunity that existed in the United States. The scheme, which developed as early as 1870, was not solely the work of outside opportunists. It also implicated Italy’s own government.

Charging double the steamship ticket price, swindlers sent peasants to America with the promise of jobs that didn’t exist while pocketing the fee. Many cheated immigrants ended up not just in the United States, but also in Argentina, Venezuela, and Peru. Immigrants who could not afford the ticket prices were forced into indentured servitude to pay back the ticket. Even more unsettling than that were the children sold into veritable slavery, being shipped off to beg and play music on the streets of New York.

DID YOU KNOW? The first documented lynching of an Italian in the United States was in Coalburg, Ohio—near Youngstown—on July 27, 1873.

The victim was a replacement worker for striking coal workers.

This ugly truth behind the origin of Italian immigration—which not only lined the pockets of swindlers but was also used to undercut American workers—is that they were the victims of human trafficking, a consequence of the impoverished conditions of their homeland. In this, Italians Swindled to New York proffers the heartbreaking reality that many emigrants do not want to leave their homeland unless they have no alternative.

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On The Bookshelf Books by and about Italian Americans

PLAY JIMMY ROSELLI Growing up Italian American in 1950s Brooklyn

By Kenneth Uva Born in Brooklyn to parents who were the first generation of his family to be born in the U.S., a young boy confronts the conflicts between being “American” and being “Italian.”

This novel explores the struggles to find his identity in the face of family history, a diverse neighborhood, and the everyday reality of the world around him in an era of change and transition.

Available on Amazon.com “Learn to Prepare Delicious & Authentic Southern Italian GF recipes.

Gain knowledge about how to use GF ingredients.” kitchenwisdomglutenfree.com

Available at Amazon.com

Fake Italian

An 83% True Autobiography with Pseudonyms and Some Tall Tales

By Marc DiPaolo

In a city torn apart by racial tension, Damien Cavalieri is

an adolescent without a tribe. His mother - who pines for the 1950s Brooklyn Italian community she grew up in - fears he lacks commitment to his heritage. Damien's fellow Staten Islanders agree, dubbing him a “fake Italian” and bullying him for being artistic. When a tragic accident shakes Damien to his core, he begins a journey of self-discovery that will lead him to Italy, where he will learn, once and for all, who he really is.

“If Lenny Bruce had stolen a time machine, kidnapped the young James Joyce, and trained him in a Staten Island dojo circa 1975, the result would be this portrait of the artist as a fake Italian boy.”

- Anthony Lioi, Nerd Ecology: Defending the Earth with Unpopular Culture

Softcover available on Amazon.com - Audiobook available on Audible.com

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BY JOHN DELORENZO

G

ianni, ammunini!” Let’s go, my aunt called out to me from the bottom of the old stone staircase leading down to the sea.

“

“There!” my aunt exclaimed, pointing to a wharf-side restaurant. “That’s where Big Grandpa lived.” The original building had long since been demolished, but the site she was referring to was, in days past, essentially a large clapboard shed in the section of town known as “La Marina.” La Marina was where the discarded boys of the town lived, my great-grandfather—Calogero Bellomo—among them. He was a “trovato,” a foundling. One of the many discarded children from all over Italy, born into a system where the odds were stacked against them from birth.

But why? Why were all these children given away like this? What was life like for them as children and later as adults? These were the questions that I hoped to answer during my visit to my family’s hometown of Sciacca, Sicily.

The house of “Big Grandma,” Giuseppa Bellomo.

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It may be difficult for us to understand in today’s world, but in a society such as post-unification Italy where extreme poverty was the rule, the Catholic Church’s word was law, and the stigma that attached itself to those who violated the Church’s laws could destroy lives and follow families for generations. To an unwed teenage girl getting pregnant or to a family in already dire financial straits, having another mouth to feed could be disastrous.

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Pregnancies were hidden, babies were delivered in secret, and children would be brought to the foundling homes that each town was required to have as mandated by the Church since the 1700s.

One unique feature of these institutions was the “foundling wheel,” a lazy Susan-type device used for anonymously giving up your child. Built into the walls of the institution, an exterior panel would slide open, and the child would be placed on the wheel and spun around to the inside. A bell would be rung to alert a nun or midwife, and the child would be taken.

Wanting to learn more about my great-grandfather, I went to the town hall’s Department of Social Affairs to see if I could find any paperwork on him. The clerk at the office seemed less than eager to help me, but after two trips, she finally relented. Once I went into the records room, I realized why she was so apprehensive. It was a room filled to the ceiling with large ledger-style books, some dating back over 200 years, all written in archaic calligraphy that was nearly incomprehensible.

After giving the clerk some rough dates, she was able to locate my great-grandparents’ marriage certificate as well as the record that indicated exactly when my greatgrandfather was given up. It was written in a flowery script that was very difficult to read, but the clerk was able to decipher that on April 7, 1880, a baby boy was left on the foundling wheel at Chiesa San Michele. He was christened at a different church across town—the Basilica di Maria Santissima del Soccorso—known to the locals as La Chiesa Matri, The Mother Church. He was baptized “Calogero Proietto Belluomo.”

Belluomo. Handsome man.

Later in life, he dropped the “Proietto,” and the spelling of his last name was changed to “Bellomo,” but there he was, right in front of me on paper.

The naming of foundlings was left up to the clergy or midwives who baptized or cared for the children, and the names they were given most often marked their standing in the community. In my great-grandfather’s case, the name Proietto means “discarded,” and it was a popular name given to foundlings, as was Belluomo for male children.

It wasn’t until the late 1920s that it became illegal to give children names that designated them as foundlings. They were often given names based on their circumstances or the physical attributes they possessed, so someone at some point looked at my great-grandfather and decided that he was a rather handsome fellow!

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Calogero and Giuseppa Bellomo.

Other popular names that were given to foundlings were:

Esposito (exposed)

Ventura (fortune) Salvato (saved) D’Angelo

(of an angel) On the marriage certificate, where the names of the bride’s and groom’s parents were listed, the name listed as my great-grandfather’s guardian was “Maria Montalbano.” This surprised me as neither I nor my family had ever heard of this woman before. The helpful clerk told me that it wasn’t unusual for the midwives or wet nurses to unofficially adopt or act as a guardian to the children they cared for, especially if they were childless themselves.

As a thanks to the clerk for all her help, I ran to the café next door to buy her a coffee and a cornetto. I then went to both the Church of San Michele and the Chiesa WINTER 2022 23

Matri to find more answers. I hoped to see the foundling wheel but learned from the caretaker that the wheel was removed when the church was renovated many years ago.

The Chiesa Matri gave me no further answers either, as everyone was preparing for the Feast of San Calogero the following day.

Thinking I went as far as I could go with my research, I began walking back toward the steps to get to La Marina.

Then my cell phone rang. It was my aunt, saying that since I was taking such an interest in our family history, she had someone she wanted me to talk to.

I met up with my aunt a few blocks away, and she walked me down a narrow, winding street to the apartment of an old family friend, a woman everyone called Zia Carmela.

She was a small nut-brown woman with kind eyes. At 104 years old, she did not look a day over 90.

Upon meeting me, Zia Carmela clutched my hands, and as I bent down to kiss her cheek, she roughly pinched my face in the endearing way so typical of elderly Sicilian women. She did not speak standard Italian, but local dialect in an accent so thick that I needed my aunt to translate for me. She was a neighbor and family friend of my greatgrandmother, Giuseppa, whom we called “Big Grandma.”

Giuseppa’s mother was Zia Carmela’s godmother. Zia Carmela showed me the door of the house, now a ceramics shop, where Giuseppa lived and recounted what she remembered about them and the times in general.

She remembered my great-grandfather as a hard-working and serious-minded young man, which contrasted with his wife who loved to laugh and made a joke out of almost everything. The differences did not end there. Like most of the men in town, Giuseppa’s father was a fisherman, and he was fairly well-to-do. He owned his own boats, had people that worked for him, and lived in a house that he owned on top of the hill in town.

OSIA members benefit from a 10% discount on all our services!

La Marina, where discarded boys of the town lived and where the author returned to honor his grandfather’s spirit.

According to Zia Carmela, my great-grandparents’ marriage was something of a scandal. In those days, people from town did not even mingle with people from La Marina, most of whom they saw as being below their social standing at best or outright criminals at worst. A marriage between them was unthinkable.

Carmela went on to talk about how many of the foundling boys worked down by the docks. They cleaned boats, unloaded fish, and reloaded them onto buyers’ carts. They were paid a paltry amount, and sometimes they were paid in fish. “The way they worked those boys was a sin!” she exclaimed, nearly spitting out the words. “Some were only six or seven years old!”

She was only a child herself at the time, but she remembered hearing the story from the adults in her neighborhood. How, at the age of 16, Calogero declared to Giuseppa’s father his intention to marry his daughter.

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ITALIAN AMERICA

The town of Sciacca, Sicily, where the author’s family came from. (essevu)

How he left home and became a merchant mariner and sailed ships to Africa and China and Japan for four years to ensure he had enough money saved to come home and buy a fishing boat of his own. How he returned to Sciacca, went straight to Giuseppa’s father, and boldly asked when the wedding would take place. Giuseppa’s father must have been impressed by the short, strongly built youth because he agreed and welcomed Calogero into his family.

Zia Carmela was a teenager when my grandfather was born, and she vividly remembers them packing up everything they owned and moving to America. That was the last she ever heard of them.

“But here you are now!” Carmela exclaimed, grabbing my hands. “No one ever comes back,” she added sadly.

After saying my goodbyes to her, I told my aunt that I wanted to take a walk. I walked toward the steps that led down to La Marina, thinking about all that Carmela told me. As I descended toward the water, I made my way toward a small cluster of buildings. I thought about how, when I initially came here, it was to learn more about a man in my family that I thought merely had an interesting history. What I didn’t count on was coming away with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for a man that I had never met. A man who was not satisfied with the hand that life and an unfair system had dealt him and decided to push forward and create a better life for himself, and by extension, for me as well.

I knelt and, taking a small coin purse I had on me, scooped a small handful of earth from the ground beneath my feet. I put it into my pocket before making my way back toward the steps leading up to the town that nobody ever comes back to.

The “records department” a Sciacca’s town hall.

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John Delorenzo is a union carpenter and part-time freelance writer. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, with his wife, Daniele, 18-month-old daughter, and two stepchildren.

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OSDIA NATION

OSDIA LODGES AT WORK

MASSACHUSETTS

CALIFORNIA

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts hosted a meatball championship cook-off last October at the Piave Fiume Lodge #1036 of Watertown. The competitors were Darlene Campisano (Christopher Columbus Lodge #216 of Brockton); 99-year-old Ann Pacetti (Cristoforo Colombo Regina Elena Lodge #169 of Fitchburg); Donna Crisa (Methuen Lodge #902); Allison Crisci (Tewksbury Lodge #2872); Mark Pettiglio (Piave Fiume Lodge #1036 of Watertown); and Joe Martell (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli Lodge #2183 of Wilmington). All participants had competed against members of their own lodges before advancing to this final competition. Members from 16 nearby lodges attended to cheer on the competitors.

The Vincenzo Bellini Lodge #2519 of Chico and the Dolly Sinatra Lodge #2400 of Palm Springs sponsored golf tournaments to raise funds for the Sons of Italy Western Foundation, which is operated by the Grand Lodge of California.

The competitors’ meatballs were rated by a prestigious assembly of judges.

The judges were Yolanda Cellucci, The First Lady of Fashion and 2021 NELA Gala Honoree; Michael Colomba, owner and chef at Brelundi in Waltham; Pam Donnaruma, owner and editor of the Post Gazette; Anthony Matarazzo, owner and chef at Lola’s Italian Kitchen and Market in Natick; and Theresa Reddish, owner of Service With a Smile, a hostess support service, in Natick.

The winner of the competition was Mark Pettiglio, who donned an apron that read: Meatballs are the answer. Who cares what the question is?

All competitors received a “meatball” hat and a bottle of wine. The judges received an Italian flag apron and a bottle of wine. After the competition, food and desserts were served.

“The world may have COVID,” said Event Chair Carol Rossi, “but on the twenty-third of October, the Grand Lodge had FIFFF: Fun, Italian Feast, Festivity and Fraternity!”

Most recently, the Vincenzo Bellini Lodge hosted their 22nd Golf Tournament at Canyon Oaks Country Club in Chico. It featured a regular golf round of foursomes and also a “Frozen Meatball Putt.” The meatballs were deep frozen for three days and then brought to the golf course, where they were kept in a cold place.

The golfers made three attempts to putt the meatballs, which were marked by how close they came to the hole.

After the “real” golfers made their attempts, Grand Lodge President Barbara Fumosa Wisniewski stepped up against her will. After two dismal shots, she said, “If you were a baseball, I could hit you!”

Then she closed her eyes, thought of the little dimpled ball as a baseball, hit it, and … it went right into the hole!

The meatball championship cook-off judges: (L. to R.) Theresa Reddish, Anthony Matarazzo, Pam Donnaruma, Michael Colomba, and Yolanda Cellucci.

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Grand Lodge of California President Barbara Fumosa Wisniewski interviewed by Action News Now after her winning putt.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

NORTH CAROLINA

MASSACHUSETTS

For the ninth consecuItalian Festival in Raleigh tive year, the Triangle Sons each year. During her acceptance speech, Shelley & Daughters of Italy Lodge spoke fondly about her #2817 of Raleigh has recognized the “Outstanding Italian-American upbringing— which reinforced Italian American in North strong work ethics, famCarolina.” Unique to the ily values, and carrying on lodge, this annual award Shelley Berardinelli was established in 2013 to McPhatter receives Italian-American traditions. honor Italian-Americans the award from Since its inception, prior Award Selection who have demonstrated sigwinners of the “OutstandCommittee Chairnificant success in his or her man, Pat DiLeonardo. ing Italian American in chosen career, embraced his North Carolina” award or her Italian-American heritage, and have included film and documentary served as an inspiration and role model producers, authors, journalists, judges, to other Italian Americans. child health advocates, veteran support

Last November, the Methuen Lodge #902 in Methuen, Massachusetts, hosted its First Annual Women’s Pickup Champion Bocce Tournament. Run by Vice President Gina Neve, it was the very first women’s tournament ever held at the lodge.

Every woman was welcome—whether they played in a league, played just for fun, or never even played at all, and … 40 women signed up!

This year’s award winner, Shelley Berardinelli McPhatter, is Founder and President of Bridgepoint General Contracting, a full-service construction company with expertise in developing commercial projects in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. She also serves on the Festa Italiana Board, which sponsors a major

leaders, and educators.

“The award demonstrates the significant and positive impact of Italian Americans in our communities and the need to counter the narrow portrayal of Italian Americans in entertainment focused television and movies,” said Lodge President Don Cimorelli.

With breakfast muffins, doughnuts, and coffee cakes, the tournament kicked off and teams competed throughout the day. Wearing multiple hats, Gina not only organized the tournament, she also served as Head Chef, making a delicious lunch consisting of pasta, meatballs, salad, Italian bread, and butter along with a variety of pastries for dessert.

Though the tournament had to lead to a winner, everyone who competed didn’t want the day to end!

PENNSYLVANIA Northeast Lodge #610 of Philadelphia may have the oldest member in the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA). On August 29, 2021, Albert Gannotta turned 103 years old!

To commemorate his long life and everlasting dedication to the ItalianAmerican community, Northeast Lodge Financial Secretary Joe D’Angelo presented Al with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the OSDIA Supreme Council and National President Robert A. Bianchi, Esq. Al was born amidst the 1918 flu pandemic and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was sent to the Pacific theater, where he took ITALIAN AMERICA

103-year-old Albert Gannotta receives an OSDIA Certificate of Recognition from Northeast Lodge President Joe D’Angelo. part in multiple landings—Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, twice in New Guinea, Guam, the Philippines, and Hiroshima.

Last December marked Al’s 36th anniversary of the day on which he was initiated into the Order.

Winners of the First Annual Women’s Pickup Champion Bocce Tournament (L. to R.) Sheila Sacchetti, Lorraine DeRose, Lisa Labadini, and Cathy Sallese.

Have you or your lodge done something remarkable that makes a difference to your community or promotes our heritage and Italian studies? If so, send details including your lodge’s name/number, a brief writeup, and digital photos of 300 dpi to Editor Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org WINTER 2022 27

BY MILES RYAN FISHER

THE STORY OF JIM

Before he set out on tour, Jim Croce took a walk with his wife, Ingrid. They talked about their future—now with a two-year-old son in tow—and Jim expressed his desire to leave the music business altogether. It was September 1973, shortly after Jim had seemingly become an overnight success, a songwriter shooting to stardom. Yet, in spite of his album sales and in spite of his concert performances, he still didn’t receive much income from his music. Life on the road had been taking its toll, and Jim simply wanted to be at home for good with his family.

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It was family that initially inspired his love for music. Born in South Philadelphia during World War II, Jim grew up a first-generation Italian American surrounded by a large Italian family that was always singing and dancing. His father, James Albert Croce, was born in the town of Trasacco (Abruzzo region), and his mother, Flora Mary Babusci, was born in the town of Palermo (Sicily region). With a penchant for singing, Jim was raised on songs about Pennsylvania miners and farmers—tales of the working class, their lives and their struggles. It was his father who played them on the radio, instilling Jim with not only a love for songwriting but also a working-class identity.

Jim attended Villanova University, paying his way by driving a delivery truck and performing every kind of music at any kind of party that would hire his band.

While in college, he attended a hootenanny—an informal folk concert with music and dancing—and it was there that he met a young woman named Ingrid, whom he’d marry just three years later.

Together, they shared a love for music, playing and singing songs along the East Coast before settling in New York City and recording an album in 1969. The album, however, didn’t sell, and it wasn’t long before they realized that music wasn’t offering them the means to make a living. So they retreated to a farmhouse in Lyndell, Pennsylvania, a rural town west of Philadelphia.

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Jim continued to play in small dive bars, the kind in which he performed surrounded by chicken-wire to protect him from a rowdy crowd and flying beer bottles. He even grew accustomed to playing a strapless guitar while standing, since it made for an easier escape when, as Jim once put it, the “Martini Madness” set in.

But at this point, his live performances still weren’t paying the bills.

Furthermore, Jim grew disillusioned by the music industry altogether, having signed a contract in New York City with representatives who made promises that were left unfulfilled. While others profited on his past recordings, he remained penniless.

Jim began selling off his acoustic guitars—one by one—to generate the income that he and Ingrid would need to get by. He also took on jobs as a construction worker and a truck driver—blue-collar work that, like the songs his father had played for him, would have a profound effect on him and the identity of his music.

Meanwhile, the Croces’ farmhouse became a refuge for many like-minded

Jim and Ingrid with their newborn son, A.J. ITALIAN AMERICA

musicians—a collective of songwriters who would soon rise to fame.

Songwriters like James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman, and Arlo Guthrie. Yet Jim dwelled on his seemingly inextricable situation, one that caused him to quit writing songs altogether, fearing that the music representatives would pocket all the profits from his future recordings as they’d done in the past. During this time, he was introduced to another musician, Marty Muehleisen, for whom he began playing second guitar at Muehleisen’s gigs in Philadelphia.

Then, in December 1970, Ingrid became pregnant. And this—the vision of his own child entering the world—ignited a flame inside Jim that induced a lifetime of songwriting to pour from him in just one week. Character-based songs like “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” and “Rapid Roy.” Sentimental songs like “Operator,” “Photographs and Memories,” and the one he’d penned for his future son: “Time in a Bottle.”

It was this combination of characters and sentimentality—along with Muehleisen’s complimentary guitar lines—that would soon propel Jim Croce to the top of the charts.

Armed with a stockpile of songs and Muehleisen now backing him, Jim recorded two albums: You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (1972) and Life & Times (1973). By late 1971, he was on the road, performing at a pace of 300 shows per year. He’d become the working man of the music business, and it was in this image that listeners would perceive him—a songwriter whose lyrics captured the working-class identity and would one day be seen as the link between Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen.

True to this identity, Jim never

The classic cover for the album You Don't Mess Around with Jim that features Jim Croce staring from the window of an outhouse that still stands at the farmhouse in Lyndell, Pennsylvania. canceled a show. There was, however, one date which he had to forego due to illness. It was a performance in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he was scheduled to play at Prather Coliseum for Northwestern State University students. Rather than canceling the show, Jim decided to postpone it—promising to return on his next tour and make good to the students who’d bought tickets.

While on his tour, it was the first single, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” from his second album that broke big and shot to #1 on the charts, propelling Jim’s album to be certified Gold, with more than 500,000 copies sold.

Still, income didn’t follow his success, regardless of album sales and live performances. Meanwhile, touring continued to take him far from home, away from his family.

Soon, Ingrid confronted him about this—the meager income paired with prolonged absences. A disagreement ensued, and it was later that night that Jim stayed up and penned one of his most famous songs: “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song.”

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They decided to move to San Diego, California, trying to normalize their life on the other side of the country. But with another tour and time on the road looming, Jim and Ingrid took that walk—the last one before he left for his next tour. It was on that walk that they talked about their future and about Jim leaving the music business behind. It was on that walk that they talked about Jim returning home and staying for good.

The impression that this made on Jim prompted him to write a letter after he’d embarked on his tour. It was a confession and a promise that he addressed to his wife. After he landed in Natchitoches, Louisiana, he mailed it.

Dear Friends, This is a birth note. I, after 30 years of looking, have recently found that I’ve lost many of my ingrained, inherited, learned, imagined, and programmed fears. My cup got so full it overflowed, and I had to empty it to really learn about life and what it means to me.

I now want to be the oldest man around with a face full of wrinkles of wisdom and a lot of across the board buddies. One thing I don’t want to become is intense. It’s the first 60 years that count, and I’ve got 30 to go.

Be cool, Jim

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Jim and his partner, Marty Muehleisen, who wrote memorable second guitar lines, such as that in the song “Operator.”

On September 20, 1973, Jim landed at Natchitoches Regional Airport, returning to the little Louisiana town to fulfill the promise that he’d made to the students of Northwestern State University. Since postponing the show, Jim had become a household name, and Prather Coliseum held but a fraction of the audience that he now played for. But that didn’t matter to Jim. What mattered was staying true to his word and keeping the promise he’d made. That evening, Jim played a show that included multiple encores and culminated with “Time in a Bottle.”

After the show, he boarded the twin-engine Beechcraft plane that was chartered to take him from Natchitoches to Sherman, Texas, for his next show at Austin College. The plane

taxied to the runway and, with limited visibility between the night sky and surrounding fog, accelerated downwind toward the row of pecan trees that lined the end of the runway. The pilot pulled back on the controls, and the nose lifted upward. As the plane lifted off the ground, one of its wings clipped a pecan tree, sending the plane crashing to the ground.

Jim Croce along with his guitar partner, Marty Muehleisen, and the four others on board died on impact.

The country met the news of Jim’s tragic death with disbelief. A songwriter with stories to tell had suddenly crashed while on his way up. Meanwhile, his music continued to climb.

It was just the day after his death that “I Got a Name”—a song that makes regular appearances in popular culture today—was released as the first single off his eponymous album.

Then, less than one month after his death, a re-released version of “Time in a Bottle” reached #1—his only other song to reach the top of the charts. It was the last song that he’d ever played live. The song that he’d written for his little boy.

Miles Ryan Fisher (mfisher@osia.org) is the Editor-in-Chief of Italian America Magazine.

ITALIAN AMERICA

FROM THE NATIONAL

WHAT NATIONAL DOES FOR YOU

From the President’s Desk

By Robert A. Bianchi, Esq.

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends of OSDIA: It has certainly been a very active few months since taking on the Presidency for the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA). It is a great honor to serve the largest and oldest Italian-American organization in the United States.

We continue to ensure that our members, and prospective members, know that we not only promote our Italian-American culture, but have done so by raising tens of millions of dollars in charitable contributions and scholarships through our Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF).

Simultaneously, our Commission for Social Justice (CSJ) has been at the forefront of combating the attacks on Columbus while also promoting the positive image of Italian Americans that is so necessary to counter the unrelenting and unfair attack upon our heritage.

While the SIF and CSJ are vital components to OSDIA, so, too, are the Committees of OSDIA that serve every day in so many necessary areas—like membership, technology, budget & finance, bylaws, future good of the order, fundraising, women’s action committee, business development committee, and Grand Lodge outreach committee, just to name a few.

Unlike ever before, our committees are using the talents of our membership (regardless of where that talent is) to assist us in moving the organization forward.

With the help of the SIF, CSJ, our Committees, and the National Office staff, we have implemented many changes including auditing finances, auditing vendor contracts, creating Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for doing business, and so much more. My team is composed of Dr. Mark DeNunzio and Dr. Mary Kovach, who also serve as my points of contact to the National Office. Their work to make sure that all projects have clarity and vision is greatly appreciated. So far, we have saved thousands of dollars, and our review continues.

Also, I am very proud of each and every Vice President, all of whom serve as Advisors to every committee ITALIAN AMERICA

in the Order and have been instrumentally involved in my decision-making process and are a sounding board for me. Their counsel and advice not only assists me, but also prepares them as they move up the chairs of the Order. I think our new manner of working together as President and Vice Presidents has never been healthier and more productive. They are all delivering value to OSDIA and are incredibly engaged in moving the vision forward.

As important, because of our newly implemented organizational practices, we have been better able to target high priority projects that are designed to increase membership, develop alternate sources of revenue, and score on some incredible marketing that has never been seen before, and which I am very proud of.

This is not to mention the great programming, contests, and projects that we completed and have coming up in the next few months. They will be educational and very interesting not only to members of OSDIA, but to all people from all walks of life. It is my vision that OSDIA not only preserve our heritage, but also be seen to the outside world as an organization that provides thought leadership to all people. Such programs, for instance, would be our Domestic Violence Awareness, Mental Health Fitness, and Financial Independence seminars that will be run through our newly formed Women’s Action Committee.

There is so much to do, and I thank all of you who have supported our efforts to maintain our traditional ways, but so too, bringing new, novel, and fresh ideas to complement the best that we have always had to offer.

My best for a Happy New Year.

Fraternally,

Congratulations to Lodges Celebrating Their 100th Anniversary in 2022!

William Marconi #1140 (Clarksburg, WV) Colombo-Stella #1149 (Fresno, CA) Ashtabula #1169 (Ashtabula, OH) Trionfo Italico #1171 (New Castle, PA) WINTER 2022 31

THE SONS OF ITALY FOUNDATION ®

The Foundation Focus

By Joseph Sciame, President

In times such as these, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) members can be really proud of the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) accomplishments in 2021. Our efforts for Giving Tuesday were amazing and bode well for the future, for we are a generous people who give back just as our beloved parents and grandparents did.

As we enter the New Year, the deadline for national scholarship applications—February 28—is nearing (see Page 14), and we look forward to presenting them to another inspirational group of students at our 33rd Annual National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala this May. Details for NELA are in the formative stages, but we are hoping for and working toward an in-person event.

This year, the SIF will be donating yet another modified van to a wounded veteran through Help Our Military Heroes. Please continue to support our mission to help our nation’s veterans with a donation to the SIF. You can even sponsor a veteran’s attendance at our NELA gala in May! Once again, our hats are off to those who have established scholarship legacies. These endowments create perpetual scholarships. This can be accomplished by seeking the advice of accountants and tax return preparers. In the months ahead, you will hear more about “Legacy Giving” and how you can make a difference. In making arrangements for your estate, remember the OSDIA and SIF!

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

unrestricted funds to be bequeathed to the SIF. Because they are unrestricted, we can and will propose at the next SIF Board of Trustees meeting that a special fund be established in his name for the purpose of funding Italian heritage-related grant requests that the SIF receives and/ or special future SIF projects. We have never been able to enjoy such funding, and it will certainly assist us in perpetuity. May Mr. Forcellini rest in peace knowing that his contribution will support Italian heritage for many years to come.

We can never forget what we continue to do biannually for our three National Charities: The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, The Alzheimer’s Association, and The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. COVID-19 did not thwart us (see Page 8), for we were able to raise $110,000 in total for all three charities! Despite the hurdles and challenges, YOU did it through your individual contributions and through the collective efforts of your Local Lodges and Grand Lodges.

As we close out what can be considered a grand year for our Sons of Italy Foundation, I want to remind everyone to be as generous as possible when responding to the regular mailings from our mail order program. Every dollar helps, and whether it is the beautiful SIF calendar, a tote bag, a notepad, an ornament, or a set of address labels, please help us keep the momentum going by contributing regularly.

May the year ahead be a blessing for each of us as we pave new roads in our journey of generosity. For indeed, we are living a continued legacy of giving!

This is what Antonio Forcellini, a late OSDIA member, did when he set up his will and designated $100,000 in

Bellissime Italian Notecards!

The Grand Lodge of the Northwest is selling beautifully designed Italian Notecards. Each card is hand-drawn by one of our own members, artist Kathi Butorac.

There are two options to choose from. All proceeds go to the National Charities of The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America. We would love your support!

To order a set of Italian Notecards, visit https://grandlodge-of-the-northwest.square.site/ WINTER 2022

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THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ®

The CSJ Perspective

By Robert M. Ferrito, President

With another year gone by, I am proud to report that the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) has now transformed into the united front that we intended it to be. Last month, on December 3, our delegation met with Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, who was appointed last summer. This meeting alone shows the influence that COPOMIAO has fostered and will continue to gain. At the meeting, we discussed matters of importance to the Italian-American community, including the preservation of Columbus Day. As Commission for Social Justice President, I play a lead role in COPOMIAO, and I vow to every member of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America that I will continue to do so. I will ensure that our organization’s voice is represented at the main table—not just for every one of our members, but also for every single Italian American across the country.

Ambassador Zappia was very receptive to our interests, and naturally, we found many areas in which our interests were mutual—especially with regards to maintaining the close bond that the United States and Italy has. After all, it is because of our immigrant ancestors that we share this special bond, a bond that will live on indefinitely.

FIGHTING DEFAMATION

is designed to provide pertinent Christopher Columbusrelated information—including videos, books, articles, informational brochures, and much more. We will continue to build upon what we already have, but please check it out! You can find it under the “CSJ” tab on www.osia. org. The direct website address is https://www.osia.org/ commission-for-social-justice/resource-page/.

I am also pleased to report that the CSJ had a recent meeting with Congressman Lee Zeldin. We emphasized the importance of preserving Columbus Day, our Columbus statues, and Italian heritage as a whole, and he is working with us to ensure that this is a priority. We also have an ally in Congressman Thomas Suozzi who has been very supportive to the Italian-American community over the years.

Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of our donors from the past year. The road has not been easy, but through your support, we’ve continued to champion our heritage and our holiday. Your donations have gone to support mailings to every member of Congress and printed Columbus brochures that are distributed by the hundreds. Through our involvement with the Conference of Presidents, the CSJ has been growing ever stronger every year!

This year, I hope you continue to show your support with a donation to the CSJ. And in return, I promise that the CSJ will continue to be at the forefront of the charge to preserve our beloved Columbus Day and promote a positive image of Italian Americans.

On the CSJ level, I am proud to announce that we recently launched the “CSJ Resource Page.” The page

Sempre Avanti!

YES!

I would like to help Save Columbus Day and keep Columbus Statues standing.

Please accept my tax-deductible donation to support the Commission for Social Justice’s mission.

To donate online, visit www.osia.org/csj To donate by phone, call the National Office at (202) 547-2900 $10

$25

My check for the total amount of $

$50

$100

$

is enclosed.

(Please make check payable to the “Commission for Social Justice”)

Mail to:

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Commission for Social Justice 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002

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The Perfect Gift Looking for a unique present for family or friends? Give the gift of Italian-American heritage with a oneyear subscription to Italian America magazine, the most widely read publication in the U.S. for people of Italian descent. We will contact your gift recipient to tell him/her of your present and also send them a complimentary copy of the most recent issue.

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Letters to the Editor I just read your column (Spring 2021) about the savings bond you received from your great-grandfather. I have attached a PDF of the first bond I received from my parents on the occasion of my first Christmas. The $50 they used to purchase the bond came out of my father’s $2,000-a-year salary working for the City of New York. There were many more to come.

I have redeemed all of them except for the first. It stopped accruing interest a long time ago. Its monetary value is around $3,000, but its emotional value is priceless to me. It sits in a special place in my den.

Joseph Padronaggio Parish, Florida Bradenton Lodge #2782 I found the article “A Gift for Nicholas” (Spring 2021) very informative. A few issues back, I especially enjoyed reading “An Olive Tree for Evelyn” (Spring 2020) and how you two met. Of particular interest to me was that she comes from Aachen (Germany), which I know well. I grew up in the area!

Lydia Dante Winter Park, Florida WINTER 2022

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Have You Checked Out Your OSDIA Member Benefits?

The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America offers its members a range of special discounts on Italian products, genealogy research, travel, healthcare, specialty items, and other services.

To view your Member Benefits, log on to www.osia.org and click on “Member Benefits” listed on the left.

If you are a Lodge Member and do not have a Username/Password, please contact your Grand Lodge or Subordinate Lodge about setting one up.

If you are an At-Large Member and do not have a Username/Password, please contact NationalOffice@osia.org about setting one up.

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Italian America Magazine is produced by the national headquarters of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America®, 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.

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Email: nationaloffice@osia.org Editor-in-Chief Miles Ryan Fisher Director of Finance Adam Jacobs Managing Director Justin Smith Administrative Assistant Stephanie Strickland Italian America is the official publication of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America® (OSDIA), the largest and longest-established organization of American men and women of Italian heritage. Italian America provides timely information about OSDIA, while reporting on individuals, institutions, issues, and events of current or historical significance in the Italian-American community nationwide. ®

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Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily imply an opinion on the part of the officers, employees, or members of OSDIA. Mention of a product or service in advertisements or text does not mean that it has been tested, approved or endorsed by OSDIA, the Commission for Social Justice, or the Sons of Italy Foundation. Italian America accepts query letters and letters to the editor. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts. Italian America assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Annual subscriptions are $20, which are included in dues for OSDIA members. Single copies are $4.95 each.OSDIA MEMBERS: Please send address changes to your local lodge. Do not contact the OSDIA National Office.

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BY MILES RYAN FISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ITALIAN AMERICA MAGAZINE

I recently came across some old essays that I’d written for college applications, and it was interesting to read my responses to the prompts and then consider how I’d respond to them today. I never had to answer one of the more common questions: If there was anybody you could meet in history, who would it be and why.

I don’t know what my response would have been as a high school student, but I do know what my response would be now. I would choose to meet Amalia DiPalma.

Amalia was born in the town of Terracina, along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea almost equidistant between Rome and Naples. It was 1878, and according to lore, Amalia was born into a particular social standing, one that held great importance in that day and age.

As she grew older, she began to take notice of a young man—a gardener on the grounds of her family’s estate. His name was Salvatore Molella, and he was five years older than Amalia.

Feelings began to grow between the two—feelings that their disparate social standings told Amalia to ignore, for she was above a mere gardener and in lowering herself to Salvatore’s level she would have to relinquish her standing in society.

But Amalia chose love.

She eloped with Salvatore, marrying him when she was in her late teens.

At 20, she bore their first child, Christina. Then two years later, Bianca.

Two years after that, in 1902, she had Ermanna. Two years after that, Elda.

The choice that she made to be with Salvatore took them and their four daughters to America, and it was there that they had five more children— three boys and two girls. Eventually, Amalia would meet her granddaughter, Clara, who was born in 1920 to Ermanna.

Clara was my grandmother.

Amalia died when Clara was 16. Clara must have remembered her grandmother, but I never asked her about the woman who chose love above all.

The older I become, the more I find myself in awe of the courage that Amalia must have had to make this decision and the more I yearn to know what made her choose love and, in doing so, shed the skin of her social standing.

But, of course, I will never know her. I will never be able to meet her or speak with her or ask her questions. Still, there is one Amalia that I may be able to meet—one that hasn’t even been conceived. Perhaps one day, life will bless me with a daughter who can carry on her great-great-grandmother’s name.

And although I will never be able to know the Amalia of the past, I’ll have the good fortune of knowing another Amalia. The Amalia of the future.

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PIACERE! PLEASED TO MEET YOU, PAM

Pam Arciero INTERVIEW BY FELICIA MARIANNA NAOUM

Pam Arciero has been starring on the iconic children’s television show, Sesame Street, since 1983 as the voice of Grundgetta, Oscar the Grouch’s girlfriend. She has also done voice acting for Between the Lions (2002-2014) and the Nickelodeon’s series: Oobi (2000-2005), in which she served as director, background puppeteer, and puppeteer supervisor. Since 2001, Pam has directed Live Character Shows for Sesame Street in countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, and South Africa.

Since 2002, Pam has served as the Artistic Director for the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where she mentors and teaches students who pursue creative endeavors similar to her own.

Pam was born in Hawaii, and her paternal grandparents were from Acerra, a town outside of Naples that was named after the family.

Being a puppeteer and voice-actress is a rather unique and uncommon career. How did you become interested in these specialized arts?

I was a dance and theater major, studying at the University of Hawaii. A man named Kermit Love (who built Big Bird and Snuffleupagus) came from New York to teach a summer puppetry class, and he made me fall in love with puppetry. You need to be able to dance, sing, act, and make your own puppets. I got to use all of my own skills and create the character as well. It was so entertaining and so fun, and it was like a bell went off in my head that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I was lucky I found “it.”

You’ve helped countless children learn lessons through Sesame Street. Now tell us about a lesson that a child has taught you.

Oh, well you know, we get a lot of Make-A-Wish kids, right, where their final wish, very often, is to come to Sesame Street. When you work with children like that, what they teach you is how wonderful it is to be alive, no matter how short or how long your life is. The gift of just being alive—they teach you that over and over again.

Were you ever able to express your Italian heritage through Sesame Street or other shows you’ve worked on or puppets you’ve voiced?

Well, yes, actually. My grandmother, she was here since she was 17. She lived to be 104. At 103, she was still making homemade pasta, and she wouldn’t let me cleanup because she said, “It gives me something to do.” She never lost her Italian accent. She never wanted to learn to read English. She only wanted Italian. I will remember her accent and do that with characters. Le Befana, The Christmas Witch, had an Italian accent, so, yes I use it that way for sure. Also, the Italian culture, the welcomeness, the love.

For me, I have the family I grew up with. That’s huge.

Family is everything. I bring that up on Sesame Street.

If Oscar the Grouch and Grundgetta honeymooned in Italy, where would they go and why?

That’s very funny! That’s a good question! I love it!

Maybe Venice. Oh, probably Mount Vesuvius. They would just go and see the old rock formations, and that would make them very happy. They’d see all the frozen bodies and stuff. They like muddy, mushy things, so I’m thinking maybe Venice, walk around in the water. But, most likely, Vesuvius would be the first place they want to go.

Do the Hawaiian and Italian cultures intersect in a way we may not be aware of?

Oh absolutely. Between food and family, they’re the same. Hawaiians are very welcoming and loving and all about their food and making sure you are well-fed in their house, and every Italian family I know does the same thing.

You walk into an Italian family house, and you will get the same thing. I think that intersection is very clear. I immediately fit into my husband’s east coast Italian family, not just because I’m Italian, but because I’m Hawaiian. I think the reason I fit so well in the New York/Connecticut Italian culture was my Hawaiian culture.

Leave us with words to live by.

Oh, that’s a hard one. A Grundgetta piece of advice would probably be: Just be true to yourself. If you don’t like something, say so. And my piece of advice would be: Keep life joyful. It’s too short to be any other way.

FeliciaMariannaNaoumisacelebrityfeature writer from Parma, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland). Her maternal great-grandparents are from Calabria, Italy.

(Photo by Richard Termine)

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