Italian America Magazine - Summer 2018

Aperitivi ~ Digestivi ~ Saluti!

Italy's Salubrious Liqueurs

A Garden for Artists Boboli Breathes Free in Florence

The 30th Annual NELA Gala A Night on the Harbor

The Florentine Spitfire La Fallaci: the Agitator

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ITALIAN AMERICA

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SUMMER 2018

VOL. XXIII No. 3

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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A GARDEN FOR ARTISTS Boboli Breathes Free in Florence

By Andrea Bufka

AperItivi – Digestivi – Saluti!

Italy’s Salubrious Liqueurs

By Chuck Pecoraro

THE 30th ANNUAL NELA GALA A Night on the Harbor

By Miles Ryan Fisher

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The Florentine Spitfire La Fallaci: the Agitator

By Liesl Bradner

ON THE COVER: Homemade limoncello made for a summer day. (Life morning)

D e pa r t m e n t s 11 Bulletin Board 12 Our Story 18 Book Reviews 25 Speakers Bureau 26 OSDIA Nation

2 National News 3 Oggi in Italia 4 Pagina Italiana 5 Mangia 6 Regions of Italy

31 From the National 32 Foundation Focus 33 Fighting Stereotypes 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 Writers: Evan Lloyd; Andrea Bufka; Chuck Pecoraro; Liesl Bradner Translator: Serena Lonigro Proofreaders: Peggy Daino, Marlene Palazzo Graphic Designer: Diane Vincent To advertise: Contact Dave Bayard dave@bayard.com (973) 822-9275 or Laura Lemos laura@boja.com (973) 822-9274

Italian America Magazine is published by 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 1-800-552-6742.

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National News

Italian American issues and events

First Italian-American Serves as Secretary of State On April 26, Mike Pompeo was sworn in as the 70 th U.S. Secretary of State, making him the first ItalianAmerican to hold the position since it was created in 1789. A native of Orange, California, Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point and served in the U.S. Army as an Armor Branch Officer from 1986 to 1991. He then attended Harvard Law School and worked at Washington D.C.’s prestigious law firm, Williams & Connelly, prior to launching an aerospace business with three fellow West Point graduates.

In 2010, Pompeo was elected to the

House of Representatives as a Tea Party Republican from Kansas. He represented Kansas’s 4th congressional district until 2017, when he was confirmed Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a position he held until succeeding Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) with Italy’s Ambassador Armando Varricchio.

(Photo Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.)

A public servant who is well-respected on both sides of the aisle, Pompeo was a member of the Italian American Congressional Delegation while he served in the House. His paternal great-grandparents were from Caramanico Terme, a small town located in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Living Legend Leaves a Lasting Grip Bruno Sammartino, known to many as the “living legend” for his domination of professional wrestling, passed away last April at age 82. A man who was literally larger than life, Sammartino held the World Heavyweight Championship (in what is now the World Wrestling Entertainment – WWE) two times for a record 11 years. His first reign (1963 – 1971) lasted for a record seven and a Vic Damone performs at the 2000 SIF NELA Gala. half years. Prior to his wrestling career, he set the world record for bench press, lifting 565 pounds.

Nicknamed “The Italian Superman” and “The Italian Strongman,” Sammartino was not always a superlative. He was born in Pizzoferrato, Italy (Abruzzo region), in 1935 and was just four years old when his father immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to work in the mines and steel mills. With the outbreak of World War II, his mother took Sammartino and his siblings to the mountains for refuge.

“We had to live on snow,” he once remarked. His mother was once shot while trying to obtain food for them.

After the war, the family immigrated to Pittsburgh to be with the father. When Sammartino arrived, he was 14 years old and weighed just 80 pounds. Weak in stature and speaking little English, Sammartino was bullied by classmates. A fellow student then took him to the YMHA (Young Men’s Hebrew Association), and he began lifting weights. Before long, the bullying stopped. “Not only did they quit picking on me,” he said, “they wanted to SUMMER 2018

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Bruno Sammartino beside his WWE Bronze Statue. (Miguel Discart) be my friend. They were afraid I was going to come back at them, which I never did. I wasn’t that kind of person.”

This attitude was one that Sammartino carried through life. Even as he rose to fame as wrestling’s biggest attraction— earning as much as the highest paid baseball players of that time—he maintained a humble mentality, one that sprouted from his immigrant roots. Throughout his life, he advocated against bullying and steroid use, which had become prevalent in wrestling and was the reason Sammartino refused to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame until 2013.

Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino passed away in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—the very city he’d immigrated to 68 years ago.

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Oggi in Italia

Italy’s news, politics, and culture

Number of Italy’s Blue Flag Beaches Grow This year, Italy’s fleet of blue flag beaches grew to 368, accounting for ten percent of all blue flag beaches in the world. Italy gained 26 new blue flag beaches, though it lost four. Of Italy’s regions, Liguria leads the way with 27 blue flag beaches, followed by Tuscany (19) and Campania (18). In addition to the coastline, inland bodies of water can also receive blue flag awards. Italy’s lakes received 16 awards, the majority of them (10) situated in the TrentinoAlto Adige/South Tyrol region, home to Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy.

Since 1987, the Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has been awarding blue flags to beaches and lakes based on 32 different criteria.

While water quality is one of the criteria, turquoise waters are not enough to earn the blue flag designation. The FEE takes a more summative approach, one that focuses not just on aesthetics but also on how well the environment is protected and how accessible and livable the area is.

Several of Italy’s blue flag beaches sit along Liguria’s Italian Riviera, including this one in Levanto. (Michela Simoncini) Though Italy has one in ten blue flag beaches, it ranks just fifth internationally. Spain ranks first with 590 blue flag beaches, followed by Greece, Turkey, France, and then Italy.

New Prime Minister Heads Italy Giuseppe Conte, a professor of law at the University of Florence, was sworn in on June 1 as Italy’s new Prime Minister. This came after a stalemate since March, when elections failed to produce a new government—the longest time Italy has gone without a government since becoming a Republic in 1946.

The selection of Conte, who has no prior political experience, was a compromise between the two populist parties who received the highest percentage of votes in March: the Five Star Movement and the League. The Five Star Movement champions anti-establishment ideals while the League supports right-wing ideals. The new government’s main agenda includes expanding welfare (and potentially implementing a universal basic income), cutting taxes, and reducing immigration. While there was prior discussion of Italy leaving the European Union, both parties insist that this is not part of the new government’s platform.

Italy’s 58th Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte.

(Photo Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.)

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Born in Puglia, Conte, 53, is an independent considered to be a political unknown. However, because he was put in office by the two populist parties, he will have to gain their support with any decisions that he makes in the future.

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Pagina Italiana

Per chi studia la nostra lingua

Tutto ciò che vediamo è il mare “All We See is the Sea”

Written by Evan Lloyd Translated by Serena Lonigro

Ognuno scrutava gli altri. Tutti quegli occhi guardavano cautamente attraverso gli scuri, enormi occhiali da sole, fingendo di leggere le riviste, fissando e immaginando le vite delle persone distese di fronte e accanto a loro, mentre tutti sfrigolavano lentamente sotto il sole splendente.

Parole sussurrate ai coniugi a proposito della coppia di fronte attraversavano l’acqua verde azzurrina della piscina tenuta impeccabilmente, raggiungendo le loro vittime.

Allo scoppio di una risatina seguivano rapidi sguardi da una parte all’altra della piscina. Cenni d’intesa ponevano l’accento su quei silenzi carichi di giudizio. Gli occhi diventavano bocche, si trasformavano in orecchie; creavano storie dettagliate e assurde, ben più avventurose ed esotiche delle vite reali di chiunque. Le casalinghe diventavano prostitute, i contabili benestanti degli spacciatori, figlie devote si trasformavano in arrampicatrici sociali, e il marito e la moglie di ognuno era interessato al marito o alla moglie di qualcun altro. L’immaginazione correva fervida, gli addominali erano misurati, gli abiti erano giudicati, e gli invitati alle feste di addio al celibato scopati, sposati o uccisi. Ognuno scrutava gli altri.

Non che io sia un ficcanaso. È che in Inghilterra siamo delle persone naturalmente ficcanaso, spione e impiccione. È quello che facciamo meglio. Non parliamo di nulla, ma vediamo ogni cosa. Non credo che gli italiani siano poi tanto meglio. Ciò che cerco di dire è che proprio non riuscivo a farne a meno.

Stavo sfogliando la mia nuova e sfavillante copia italiana della rivista Vogue, scr utando attraverso la piscina, quando mi venne da pensare che magari erano solo tutti un po’ annoiati. Era forse il loro modo di staccare la spina? Può darsi che il mondo in cui vivevano, intriso fino al midollo di reality televisivi e foto

scattate dai paparazzi, si era risolto in un mondo in cui ci s’incantava l’un l’altro.

Non m’importava poi tanto. Solo non riuscivo a credere alla fortuna che avevo nello stare disteso in quel paradiso, Positano! Il famoso hotel Casa Angelina, con le sue immacolate camere bianche, le colonne giganti e le tende fluttuanti. Una piscina che sembrava stare tra le nuvole, poggiata sulla scogliera. Mi sentivo come se stessi svolazzando in una novella intrisa di jazz di qualche riccone degli anni venti. Di certo io non appartenevo a quell’ambiente – con i miei capelli rossi crespi e la pallida e bitorzoluta pelle inglese. Del resto non me ne fregava un cazzo. Avevo lavorato duramente e ricevuto un super pacchetto viaggio su Expedia.

Un cameriere mi schizzava davanti portando su di un vassoio un attraente drink ghiacciato giallo che consegnò alla ragazza magra dall’altro lato della piscina - ed è questo che attirò la mia attenzione, è in quel momento che lo vidi.

Sembrava essere nato dal sole. Era bellissimo. Lo chiamai Pecs. Sembrava una star del cinema, e ne era consapevole; il pensiero mi mise un po’ di tristezza. Fui triste per Pecs.

Gli avrei dato quel nome se avessi saputo che sarebbe finito a galleggiare in piscina, morto? Certo che no.

Stavamo sbirciando tutti, era una cosa indecente. Tutti eravamo tutti attratti da lui. Ciascuno lo avrebbe voluto per sé. Tutti ci chiedevamo: quand’è che “vecchio” significa abbastanza vecchio? E quando “giovane” significa troppo giovane? Alcuni di noi lo guardavano in modo lascivo, ma di certo tutti lo avevamo osservato. Non ci chiedevamo quali potessero essere i suoi problemi, eravamo troppo presi dai nostri. Non ci preoccupava neanche sapere quale fosse il suo nome. Era diventato semplicemente qualcosa da guardare con occhi vogliosi, qualcosa su cui proiettare le nostre fantasie e immaginazione. Eravamo tutti colpevoli.

Evan Lloyd has worked as a literature teacher in the U.S. and the U.K. for 15 years. Find more of his stories at www. evanlloydwrites.com 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.

To read the English version, visit www.osia.org and sign in to access the digital copy of Italian America.

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Pagina Italiana

Per chi studia la nostra lingua

All We See is the Sea

by Evan Lloyd

Everyone was watching everyone. Eyes peering tentatively behind dark, oversized sunglasses, feigning reading magazines, staring and imagining the lives of the people lying opposite and adjacent of each other as they all slowly sizzled under the bright sun. Whispered words spoken to spouses about the couple opposite carried across the aqua marine-waters of the impeccably kept pool to their victims.

Giggles erupted with zippy glances across the pool.

Nodding agreements punctuated judgmental silences.

Eyes turned to mouths, turned to ears, creating detailed and wildly preposterous stories far more adventurous, and exotic than anyone’s actual lives. Housewives became prostitutes, wealthy accountants became drug dealers, devoted daughters developed into gold diggers, and everyone’s husband and wife was interested in everyone else’s husband and wife. Minds ran wild, six packs sized up, outfits judged, members of bachelor parties shagged, married, or killed. Everyone was watching everyone.

It isn’t that I’m just nosy. We’re a naturally nosy, curtain-twitching, hedge-peering-over, eavesdropping collection of people in England. It’s what we do best. We don’t talk about anything, but we see everything. I can’t imagine the Italians are much better. What I’m trying to say is that I just couldn’t help myself.

I was flipping through my shiny new copy of Italian Vogue magazine, perusing across the pool, when it occurred to me that maybe everybody was just a bit bored.

Perhaps this was their way of unwinding? Maybe the world they lived in, soaked to the bones in reality television and

paparazzi shot photographs, had resulted in the world becoming fascinated with one another.

I didn’t really care. I just couldn’t believe my luck to be lying here in paradise, Positano! The famous Casa Angelina hotel, with its pristine white rooms, giant pillars, and floating curtains. A swimming pool that felt like it was in the clouds, perched into the cliffs. I felt like I’d flittered into the some rich twenties jazz-soaked novella. I certainly did not fit in—frizzy red hair, pale lumpy English skin. I also didn’t give a shit. I worked hard and got a super great package deal on Expedia.

A waiter flitted by with a very sexy, yellow-frozen drink on a tray which he delivered to the skinny girl at the end of the pool—and that’s what drew my attention, that’s when I saw him. He looked like he had been born from the sun. He was beautiful.

I gave him the name Pecs. He looked like a movie, but he knew it, and because of that I felt a little bit sad. I felt sad for Pecs. Would I have given him that name if I’d known he’d end up floating in the pool dead? Of course not.

We were all peeking, it was obscene. We all liked how he looked. We all wanted him for our own. We all wondered how old was old enough? How young was too young?

Some of us leered. But everybody saw him. We didn’t think to wonder what his problems were, we were too tangled up in our own. We didn’t even bother to wonder what his name was. He just became something for us to leer at, to project our own fantasies and imagination upon.

We were all guilty.

Evan Lloyd has worked as a literature teacher in the U.S. and the U.K. for 15 years. Find more of his stories at www. evanlloydwrites.com

Mangia!

from the italian cookbook

Herbed Madeira Cream Sauce with Pancetta first minute to prevent any sticking. Cook according to the package (or recipe) instructions, draining the pasta 2 minutes short of the directed cooking time.

The pasta should be soft but still very firm. Right before draining the pasta, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.

Ingredients 1 cup Madeira wine 4 fresh sage leaves 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 ounces pancetta, chopped 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 small Vidalia onion, chopped Salt and freshly ground white pepper ¾ pound pasta ½ cup heavy cream Freshly grated manchego cheese for serving • Bring the Madeira to a boil in a small saucepan and continue to boil until reduced almost by half (this will concentrate its flavor, including acidity and sweetness). Remove from the heat.

• Set 3 sage leaves aside and very thinly slice (paper thin!) the fourth one. Set aside. Remove one third of the leaves from the sprig of rosemary and mince. Leave the rest of the rosemary sprig as is and set aside.

• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.Add the olive oil and increase the heat to medium.

Once the oil begins to swirl on the surface but is not yet smoking, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders its fat and turns a golden caramel color, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl.

• When the onion is cooked and you’ve added the pasta to the water, remove the sage leaves and rosemary sprig from the onion If you liked this recipe, find mixture. Raise the heat to more in Serena Cosmo’s The medium-high under the Ultimate Pasta and Noodle Cookbook skillet and add the cream and reduced Madeira.

Cook, stirring a few times, until the sauce thickens a bit, about 8 minutes.

• Drain the pasta and return the pot to the stove.

Immediately turn the heat to high and add the remaining ½ tablespoon butter and reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta and toss. Add the onion mixture and cook, tossing continuously, for 2 minutes.

• Divide the pasta among four warmed bowls. Serve piping hot topped with the crispy pancetta bits, the slivered sage, the minced rosemary, and a good dusting of manchego cheese (or pass the grated cheese at the table).

• Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Once it melts and stops foaming, add the onion, a couple pinches of salt, the 3 sage leaves, the rosemary sprig, and white pepper to taste, and stir.

When the onion starts to sizzle, adjust the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 20 minutes.

• While the onion cooks, put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Once it’s boiling, add salt (1 tablespoon for every 4 cups water) and stir. Add the pasta, stirring for the For more delicious recipes, be sure to SUMMER 2018 5 ITALIAN AMERICA

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Regions of Italy

Italy’s Twenty Regions

Abruzzo

Forte e Gentile Though Abruzzo is situated in Central Italy (east of the Lazio region), it is commonly associated with Southern Italy since it was controlled by the Kingdom of Two Sicilies prior to Italy’s Unification. As a part of this Kingdom, Abruzzo was administered as separate entities: Abruzzo Citeriore (Nearer Abruzzo), Abruzzo Ulteriore I (Farther Abruzzo I), and Abruzzo Ulteriore II (Farther Abruzzo II). The names were derived from their respective proximities to Naples, the capital of the Kingdom, and are also the reason why the region will sometimes be referred in plural form, Abruzzi.

Abruzzo is bordered to the west by the Apennine Mountains and to the east by the Adriatic Sea. One of the most mountainous regions in Italy, it is within the Apennines—in the Gran Sasso massif—that the Corno Grande is found. At 8,742 feet, the “big horn” stands as the highest peak on Italy’s peninsula. Abruzzo was also once home to the largest lake in Italy—Lago Fucino—which was drained in 1877 due to its propensity to flood.

Protected nature encompasses nearly half of Abruzzo.

With three national parks (Abruzzo National Park, Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, and Maiella National Park) and one regional park (Sirente-Velino Regional Park), Abruzzo has become known as “the greenest region in Europe.” Not only do these parks preserve Abruzzo’s verdant landscape, they also protect rare species, such as the golden eagle, Abruzzo chamois, Marsican brown bear, and Apennine wolf (also known as the Italian wolf).

Golden eagle (Richard Constantinoff)

Abruzzo chamois (Jakub Mrocek)

Apennine wolf (Sergio Boccardo) Abruzzo holds a wealth of castles and medieval towns, particularly around its capital, L’Aquila. In addition to this, the region also boasts a world famous wine: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Made from the Montepulciano grape, this red wine is generally regarded as the most exported DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) classified wine FUN FACT: Sulmona, a town in the province of L’Aquila, is home to confetti, the sugar-coated almonds given out at weddings and other celebrations. in Italy. Because of this combination of medieval towns and famous red wine, Abruzzo has been referred to as “Abruzzoshire”—a play off the nickname “Chiantishire” that is used for the Chianti area of Tuscany.

Like the regions of Southern Italy, Abruzzo was a historically impoverished region, prompting many to leave their villages in the early 1900s in search of work in larger cities (and America). Descendants, however, can return to see the beauty of a preserved land that writer Primo Levi—a native of Turin and survivor of Auschwitz—described as “forte e gentile” (strong and gentle), a motto that the region wears proudly.

Abruzzo Capital: L’Aquila Population: 1.3 million (14th of the 20 regions) Size: 6,730 square miles (13th of the 20 regions)

Marsican brown bear (Stefano Pellicciari) SUMMER 2018

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Provinces: Chieti L’Aquila, Pescara Teramo ITALIAN AMERICA

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The Pitti Palace at Boboli. (Catarina Belova)

The Isolotto is one of the most famous areas of Boboli. (© 2018 Bill Swartz)

A Garden for Artists Boboli Breathes

Free in Florence

By Andrea Bufka

The Boboli Gardens, perfumed and private, are an antidote to the bustle of Florence’s stone piazze and the tourists swarming its art museums and churches. Holding a place in history as important as the art of the Uffizi or the Duomo, a visit to the Boboli is refreshing and aweinspiring, and provides a glimpse into the birth of modern architecture and landscape design.

Though covering 111 acres, the Boboli Gardens feel like a secret.

After ascending the hill to enter the Pitti Palace (what seems like the most blinding stretch of stone in the whole city) you enter a courtyard of deep shade and quiet. An arched doorway at the far corner has one brown door propped open, and you might miss the plain lettering—Giardino di Boboli—in the arch above. A clerk in the ticket window checks your admission without fanfare, and you ascend the SUMMER 2018

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graded walkway, past the wall that defines the courtyard, and enter a terraced arena carved into the hillside.

Visiting the Boboli is like stepping back into the 16th century when they were originally designed. At that time, the gardens served as a setting for parties and masquerades held by the Medici Court. The Medici even employed a full-time superintendent of entertainment. In fact, entertainment went so far as to flood a courtyard just to stage an elaborate naval battle.

While many gardens of its era were remodeled by subsequent owners, the Boboli have remained mostly intact, mainly due to its remarkable topography. Set on a series of hills squeezed behind the Pitti Palace, it simply would have been too difficult and expensive to alter them. After Cosimo I of the Medici family purchased the Pitti Palace in 1549, his new wife, Eleonora of Toledo, hired designer

Bartolomeo Ammannati to enlarge the palace and designer Niccolò Tribolo to plan the garden. Tribolo had experience designing gardens for the Medici villa at Castello and was known as an expert in water supply and land management—one of the first in this field. When Tribolo died a year after planning the garden, Ammannati took up the task of executing his plan until his pupil and collaborator, Bernardo Buontalenti, took over.

Venturing inside the gardens, you’re engulfed by the spicy scent of cypress trees lining the pea gravel walkways that crunch underfoot. It’s surprising to find greenery that’s so deep and lush and full of birdsong in the middle of the stone city. This is partly why the Boboli has received double-billing as a UNESCO heritage site: in 1982 as part of the historic center of Florence, and in 2013 as one of the Medici Villas and Gardens of Tuscany.

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Before the Renaissance era, gardens were generally confined to cloisters or monasteries. As the revival of humanism grew in Florence, so did an interest in Roman architecture and garden design. The artists and designers of the Medici court looked to classical authors and Roman villas for inspiration to create formal gardens as part of the design of a palazzo.

When formal garden design began in Italy in the 16th century, its example spread throughout Europe. Visitors from across the continent studied Italian gardens like the Boboli, which provided a model for formal garden design until the French took the lead in the 17th century (meaning that without the Boboli, Versailles may not have existed). Northern artists traveled to Italy to create illustrations of such gardens. Consequently, much is known about the Medici villa gardens because of the set of “lunettes”—halfround paintings by Flemish painter Giusto Utens, that were commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of the Medici to depict the dynasty’s fourteen villas.

The Boboli Gardens are unique amongst the Medici villa gardens in that it is an urban garden meant only for events and entertainment of the court. Florence, however, is everpresent. Within the garden there is

The Boboli Gardens overlooking Florence. (TTphoto)

a wonderful view of the Duomo, and the Medici family had a private corridor from their offices at what is now the Uffizi Gallery to their palace at the Pitti.

Over the next few centuries, the Medici rulers enhanced the gardens, adding statues and features to enrich their design.

The beautiful and panoramic Cavalieri, or Knight’s Garden, was constantly being improved between 1527 and 1793. As you stroll through it on a spring day, you might find peonies bloom- (SJ Travel Photo and Video) ing and roses creeping over railings in a riot of blush pink, the white marble façade of San Miniato al Monte in the Piazzale Michelangelo visible in the distance.

The Cavalieri, or Knight’s Garden. (Volkova Natalia) SUMMER 2018 9 ITALIAN AMERICA

Per Tribolo’s design expertise, water is a central feature of the gardens, and its features and fountains were meant to serve as a symbol of the Medici family’s wealth and power.

In 1565, Cosimo I demonstrated his power by creating the first public fountain in Florence—Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune—in the Piazza della Signoria. As a city prone to drought, Florence had no public fountains before Cosimo I’s great effort to increase the city’s water supply.

An aqueduct was constructed to first feed into the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace before allowing enough water for a running fountain in the city center. In fact, Cosimo I was so proud of his accomplishment that, upon his death, he featured the aqueduct in his funeral celebration.

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The Grotto Grande, designed by Buontalenti and also powered by water, is by far the most impressive feature of the gardens. Today’s visitor sees the three rooms made to resemble a natural grotto—with stalactites, statuary, and frescoes—in a greatly reduced state since its hydraulic system ceased to function in 1754 after nearly 175 years of service. The cavelike structure had water running down its walls that made the frescoes and decoration more vivid, jets of water that doused visitors, and fish tanks on the floor and suspended from the ceiling. Since Florence stands at a point of maximum flow for the Arno, it has always been prone to flooding, and after large floods in 1547 and 1557, it’s possible that the grotto was meant to represent the flood’s destructiveness.

Visiting the Boboli is also an opportunity to see a point of inspiration for many writers. Married poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning spent much time there

Buontalenti’s Grotto. (Gimas)

since their apartment across the street included free admission to the gardens as part of their rent. Edith Wharton, in her landmark Italian Villas and their Gardens, thought the amphitheater to be one of the most important models of Italian garden architecture. The gardens even pop up as a setting for one of the stories in Zadie Smith’s most recent collection, Feel Free.

Perhaps it is fitting for the Boboli, a 111-acre garden set in the middle of

a busy city, to be part of such a collection. It attracted poets and painters, writers and engineers, who opened their minds to the beauty it beheld.

And it still does today, for those who visit Florence.

Andrea Bufka (andreabufka@gmail. com) is a Washington, DC based writer who has lived in Milan, Florence, and Bra, Italy. She is fluent in Italian and visits Italy as often as possible.

Tips for Visiting Boboli A combined ticket to the Boboli Gardens, Uffizi Gallery, and Pitti Palace offers access to all three on consecutive days, and priority timed entrance to the Uffizi (visit the Uffizi Gallery’s website to purchase). The last entrance to the garden is one hour before closing time.

When touring the garden, plan time to navigate the steep slope downhill to the Isolotto. If you don’t want to walk back up, you can exit at the Porta Romana. Alternately, at the top of the garden hill, it’s possible to exit by the Forte del Belvedere. When you visit, take time to see the popular Oltrarno district, an out-of-the-way neighborhood for restaurants and shops near Santo Spirito.

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Bulletin Board

What’s new: discounts, services and events

Find a Festa!

Are you looking for an Italian Festival in your area? The “2018 Directory of Italian Festivals in the U.S.” is now available on www.osia.org (under the “Programs” tab, select “Italian Festivals in the U.S.”). The directory lists over 200 Italian Festivals held across the country.

The oldest festival is believed to be the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Hammonton, NJ. The biggest festival is the Feast of San Gennaro held every September in New York City, which attracts about one million people.

Large festivals can also be found everywhere from West Virginia (Wheeling’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival July 27-29 and Clarksburg’s Italian Heritage Festival August 31 -September 2) to Wisconsin (Milwaukee’s Festa Italiana July 20-22).

The directory was compiled by the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA). If you know of an Italian Festival that should be added to the directory, please contact OSDIA by emailing nationaloffice@osia.org.

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Meet Inventor Antonio Meucci & General Giuseppe Garibaldi Share and discuss Italian history with your lodge!

Emmy-nominated and Award-winning filmmakers Marylou & Jerome Bongiorno have released Hearing Voices (22-minute fictional film) on DVD. It’s the story of inventor Antonio Meucci and General Giuseppe Garibaldi reuniting as ghosts at the home they shared in the 1850s in Staten Island, NY. The two hash out their respective legacies of the invention of the telephone and Italian Unification while debating a bigger question: why do we fight?

Hearing Voices was filmed at the very house Meucci and Garibaldi shared (now the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum). It was produced with the support of the Francesco and Mary Giambelli Foundation, Inc., the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, and the Staten Island Foundation.The film stars Tony Manna as Meucci and Tim Nicolai as Garibaldi.

DVD Bonus Feature: Italian Unification in a Nutshell (2018, 7-minute animated documentary) For more information, visit: www.BongiornoProductions.com The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is located at 420 Tompkins Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305. More information about it can be found at www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org SUMMER 2018 11 ITALIAN AMERICA

(Photo Courtesy of and © Bongiorno Productions Inc.)

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 11

Our Story

Italian American history and culture

Secondo a Nessuno

Italy Tops All Countries with Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Though some may boast that Italy’s culture is second to none, there is—at this moment—some proof to support that claim. Italy currently stands atop the list as the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

With 53 UNESCO sites, Italy is trailed closely by China (52) and then Spain (46). While the UNESCO acronym is appearing more and more frequently in travel guides and online articles, what exactly does it mean?

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whose roots can be traced back to the League of Nations, an intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1920 as a result of World War I. However, the onset of World War II disrupted any true formation, and UNESCO didn’t actually come into being until November 1946, rising from the destruction caused by the Second World War. Its formation was in response to a war “marked by racist and anti-Semitic violence”—its mission to “build peace and foster international cooperation in the field of education, science, and culture.”

It wasn’t until 1972 that UNESCO included the designation and preservation of world sites as one of its objectives. Known as “World Heritage Sites,” the sites are protected zones that prohibit trespassing, unrestricted access, or even local administrative negligence.

EXPERT ITALIAN VACATION PLANNING, CUSTOMIZED FOR YOU. myitaliandestination.com

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Calabria’s Sila National Park is the only unshared Italian site that was nominated to be added in 2019.

The other—the Mediterranean Alps—is a site shared

by Italy, Monaco, and France. (Christopher Salerno) There are two main classifications for sites: cultural and natural. While each classification has several criteria, the general difference between the two is that one is made (or influenced) by humans while the other is made by nature.

A much smaller third classification in which a site is a mix of cultural and natural. Currently, there are 1,073 World Heritage Sites—832 cultural, 206 natural, and 35 mixed.

Of Italy’s 53 UNESCO sites, 48 are cultural, which is the highest number for any country—by far. It is followed by Spain (40), France (38), and Germany (38).

Italy’s first recognized site was the “Rock Drawings in Valcamonica,” which was added in 1979. Located in the Val Camonica (Lombardy region), over 200,000 drawings span more than 8,000 years, dating from the Epipaleolithic period (700-500 BC) to the Middle Ages (400-1400 AD).

While the Lombardy region boasts six UNESCO sites, it’s Tuscany and Sicily who are tied for most UNESCO sites with seven. Campania has five, and Veneto and Lazio each have four.

While UNESCO has been criticized for being Eurocentric and may very well broaden its reach in the future, Italy’s culture is sure to rank high, even if it gets supplanted as the leader in World Heritage Sites.

ITALIAN AMERICA

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ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 13 To view Go Ahead’s complete Terms & Conditions, visit goaheadtours.com/terms.

AperitiviDigestiviSaluti!

Italy’s Salubrious Liqueurs

By Chuck Pecoraro

W

hile everything written about Italian wine could fill one of Rome’s iconic libraries, Italy also produces another alcoholic drink with a niche all its own. With less fanfare but no less distinction, Italian liqueurs have established a foothold in restaurants and bars, on dinner tables at home, and wherever else people have acquired a taste for palatable—and occasionally medicinal—elixirs.

Liqueurs are alcoholic fluids formulated with a fusion of mostly natural ingredients that endow flavors and various alcohol levels.

Additives are included to influence the taste of what are commonly known as spirits, cordials, bitters, and schnapps.

In Italian terms, they fit into two basic categories: aperitivo (perks up the appetite before a meal) and digestivo (aids digestion after a meal). Aperitivo is not a happy hour drink in the traditional sense.

It is simply meant to whet the apSUMMER SUMMER 2018 2018

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APERITIVI

Aperol With an alcoholic content of only 11 percent, this reddishorange spirit is one of the milder in the group. Made with bitter orange, rhubarb, and cinchona bark, it tastes and smells like bittersweet Campari.

Bellini Introduced in the 1940s at Harry’s Bar in Venice, this widely known cocktail combines peach pulp and sparkling Prosecco. It is usually served in a chilled Champagne glass, imparting a peachy pungency.

Campari This is the trademark name for a bittersweet beverage dating back to the 1860s. It is red in color, assembled with herbs, quinine bark, and orange peel, and garnished with lemon twist. It also comes bottled with carbonated water.

Disaronno This was named Amaretto di Sononno before adopting the title Disaronno Originale for marketing and legal reasons.

Introduced in 1525, the amber-colored drink consists of apricot oil, burnt sugar, and 17 herbs and fruit. Bottled in an oblong decanter, it can be served straight up, on the rocks, or mixed in a cocktail.

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Negroni In Italy, this is regarded as a nonno (grandpa) drink. In the U.S., it has become hip with the younger generation who embrace its trifecta of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Though basically an aperitivo, it has evolved into a drink for any time of day.

Prosecco It lacks the distinction of fine wine and elitism of Champagne, but is more than a carefree, inexpensive sparkler. Originating in northern Italy, it is processed from its namesake grape and balances the flavor and aroma of citrus and floral. It contains less alcohol than most white wine and has no yeasty aftertaste. It’s popular at holiday and celebratory occasions.

Vermouth This alliance of various wines is fortified with herbs, spices, fruit, seeds, roots, flowers, bark, and wormwood that sounds like an herbal train wreck. But the interplay of forceful flavors emerges earthy and spirited. With two distinct flavors—sweet and dry—it first appeared in China centuries ago as a proprietary medicine for intestinal disorders.

Zucca Labeled with the Italian word for “squash,” this relatively light drink is 30 percent alcohol. Flavor is derived from zest, cardamom seeds, and therapeutic herbs that render it delicate and bittersweet. It is generally mixed with soda water and ice.

DIGESTIVI Absinthe Originating in Switzerland in the late 18th century, this anise-flavored drink is assembled with botanicals such as green anise, fennel, and assorted herbs.

Classified as a high octane spirit, it packs up to 148-proof alcohol and is usually poured over crushed ice as a frappe.

Amaretto The Italian translation of “a little bitter,”this almondflavored liqueur has a base of apricot pits and/or almonds. It can be consumed by itself, mixed in cocktails, or as a stimulant in coffee.

Amaro Golden in color and adopting the Italian term for “bitter,” it comes together with unaged brandy fortified with distilled grapes and rounded out with oranges and herbs. The taste has been whimsically described as like that of cough syrup.

Anisette This anise-flavored potion is a mainstay in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless and produced with licorice, root extracts, and aniseed. It also is frequently found in cookie recipes.

SUMMER 2018 15 ITALIAN AMERICA

petite in preparation for sumptuous dining. Digestivo is a somewhat curative drink that helps digest all that sumptuousness.

Liqueurs are as rich in history as they are in flavors. Recipes for them have been discovered in Egyptian tombs and on ancient Greek scrolls.

But it was primarily the monks of Europe, particularly Italian monks, who first developed them as a way to infuse herbs for medicinal purposes during the 13th century.

Liqueurs played a major role in ancient cultures for both healing and socializing. In the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, dates were abundant and used to create beverages enjoyed by Arabian rulers and Egyptian pharaohs. Other cultures, such as Chinese and Viking, included rice and honey to sweeten their spirits. Meanwhile, the Greeks set an example for Romans to start producing their own concoctions.

Thus it was in Italy that the creation and study of distillation initiated the flavoring of alcohol with herbs, spices, fruit, plants, flowers, roots, bark, and nuts to conceive curative elixirs.

During the Middle Ages, the distilling process was perfected and experiments resulted in combining alcohol with a potpourri of natural ingredients. The idea was not to create a social drink, but to introduce medication to cure assorted ailments. Holy Orders were one of the first to undertake the development of what was referred to as aqua vitae, or “water of life.” They believed it was their divine duty as “doctors” to heal the sick.

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The experimentation did not remain in monasteries very long.

As the demand for these elixirs grew, alchemists began formulating their own liqueurs with secret components, selling them in shops that became the early versions of modern pharmacies. When Catherine de Medici married King Henry II of France, she introduced Italian liqueurs to the French and they became fixtures in their culture.

She helped popularize such drinks among the ruling elite of Europe, who often feasted on long, multicourse dinners, ideal for post-meal digestivi. Soon more liqueurs were invented, even by the royal courts themselves, as food poisoning became a common fear. During this period, liqueurs (and especially digestivi) started to make the transition from medicinal to social.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several books were published on the subject of spirits and distillation, helping to further spread their popularity. Liqueurs became increasingly more fashionable in the late 19th century, in particular absinthe, a 79-proof wormwoodbased spirit with hallucinogenic properties. Eventually the drink was deemed dangerous and banned in some countries.

During that same period, aperitivi and digestivi started to catch on in America. With more Italians immigrating to the United States and the return of American soldiers who were stationed in Italy during World War II, the introduction and demand for Italian liqueurs expanded.

In the 1960s, trendy liqueurs like Galliano and Tuaca, both favorites of U.S. war veterans, began appearSUMMER 2018

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Biscotti Originating in northern Italy and introduced in the U.S. around 2006, this relative newbie is marketed as “liquid cannoli.” Named for the Italian word for cookies, it imparts the flavors of nuts, citrus, caramel, fennel, and—naturally—cookies.

Fernet This classic Italian bitter with digestive properties emerges from a mélange of herbs and spices. With its dark brown profile, unique aroma, and syrupy overtones, it is traced back to a 150-year-old family recipe.

Frangelico Recognized by a trademark bottle shaped like a monk, it is named after a friar and made its debut in the 17th century. It blends toasted hazelnuts with expressions of vanilla, cocoa, and berries. In the U.S., it is often used to spike coffee.

Galliano Identified by a vivid yellow tint and tall, slender bottle, it is created from assorted herbs and spices like anise, vanilla, and licorice.

Named after Italian war hero Maggiore Giuseppe Galliano, it originated in Italy around 1896.

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Grappa Once perceived as a rugged, rustic 90-proof potion to keep farmers and outdoorsmen warm during winter, this “poor man’s brandy” is no longer your grandpa’s grappa. An updated version has expanded its appeal with refined techniques of distilling leftovers after grapes are pressed into wine. It is so ingrained in Italian culinary culture that there’s a museum dedicated to it in the town of Bassano del Grappa (Veneto region).

Limoncello The old cliché “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” is Italianized with “When Italy gives you lemons, you make Limoncello.” Made by steeping lemon rind in alcohol and sugary syrup, this chic elixir originated in Italy’s Amalfi Coast, where lush vineyards blossom with premium lemons. It tastes best when chilled, and is also available in an orange version.

Maraschino Flavored with cherry pits, it has a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Besides its dual personality as a cocktail mixer and after-dinner libation, it is frequently used to saturate ice cream and to augment other desserts with a tart cherry essence.

Mirto Oranges from the island of Sardinia are what gives this libation its character. It comes across as sweet, herbal, and smooth with hints of gin and Fernet. Serve it chilled.

Sambuca Elderberry, licorice, and anise are the key components of this drink commonly served con la mosca (with the fly) with three coffee beans floating on top to represent health, happiness, and prosperity. For dramatic effect, it is set afire so the beans roast and release an earthy fragrance.

The clear liquid is often used to spike coffee.

ing on retail shelves, in bars, and in homes across the country. Soon, other Italian liqueurs followed.

However, the flavors of these imports, served straight as a before or after-dinner potion, are still not a taste or cultural experience to which most Americans are accustomed.

With such a wide variety of Italian liqueurs available in restaurants, bars, and stores, drinkers are encouraged to keep trying and testing to find those that best suit their palates.

Unlike wine, these liqueurs are usually not compatible with food pairings. Their true pleasure is that they offer a reason to start or conclude a pleasant meal with conversation and companionship in the company of family and friends.

Chuck Pecoraro (chuckpecoraro@ sbcglobal.net) has written more than 1,500 restaurant reviews and articles on food, wine, and travel for the Chicago Sun-Times and other prominent publications and websites.

Strega The name translates into “witch,” considered appropriate due to its mysterious complexity of more than 70 herbs. Unveiled in 1860 with the help of a chemist, it is said to contain such exotic elements as Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris, Jamaican peppers, and juniper seeds.

Serve it the right way!

For their benefits to be fully appreciated, these liqueurs must be served properly. They are traditionally poured in small stemmed glasses, about two ounces at a time. Never fill the glass to the top, only two-thirds of the way.

Depending on which liqueur, some are served chilled, others at room temperature. Swallow them slowly with sips, not gulped like shots.

Follow these rules and these libations truly promise a grand finale.

SUMMER 2018 17 ITALIAN AMERICA

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 17

Book Reviews ITALIAN FOLK MAGIC

By Mary-Grace Fahrun

Italian Folk Magic brings to light many old traditions and superstitions. Author Mary-Grace Fahrun, a firstgeneration Italian American who was raised in the Italian neighborhoods of Connecticut and Montreal, grew up in a large Italian family surrounded by rituals, folklore, and practices of witchcraft (stregoneria). It wasn’t until she grew older, however, that she began to explore the meanings and practices behind the great matriarchs of her family.

SUMMER 2018 Selections

AUTUMN IN VENICE: Ernest Hemingway and His Last Muse

By Andrea di Robilant

After having been wounded in Fossalta (Veneto region) during World War I, Ernest Hemingway was forever intertwined with Italy. While he used Italy as the setting for A Farewell to Arms, this was just the beginning. In Autumn in Venice, Italian author Andrea di Robilant provides a very vivid and detailed account of Hemingway’s return to Italy in the 1950s, when he was in his fifties and on the verge of being considered a washed-up writer.

Italian Folk Magic touches upon many things that may remind you of your elders, starting with the malocchio, or “evil eye.” It will explain how Italian hand gestures were derived from symbols, that wearing a corno protects against malocchio (and for men, protects their potency), what herbs like rosemary represent, and the superstitious meanings behind defective pizza dough.

Upon his return, which occurred by accident, he made his way to Venice, a city he said was “like having died and gone to Heaven, a place you’d figured never to see.” It was also the place where his heart ended up remaining, as he fell in love with an 18-year-old Italian named Adriana Ivancich (though he was married).

For many readers, Italian Folk Magic will be a step back to former times, when homes were cleaned and blessed to summon la bella ‘mbriana and ward off il munaciello (or monaciello) or when saints were punished and their altars sparse because they failed to come when they were called. Perhaps the most entertaining and insightful part of Fahrun’s book is when she recalls a cacophonous experience in a hairdresser that she had as a child, then details every individual’s superstitious actions.

DID YOU KNOW? One of Hemingway’s favorite watering holes in Venice was Harry’s Bar, where the Bellini cocktail was invented.

Italian Folk Magic also teaches its readers how to put magic into practice—from creating amulets/talismans to casting spells. For many readers the true treat to Italian Folk Magic is how Fahrun sheds light upon superstitions and rituals that have become so customary in our culture.

DID YOU KNOW? A rabbit’s foot is a charm that must be given to you by the person who killed the rabbit in order for it to be lucky.

This love drove him to write the novel Across the River and through the Woods, modeling the main female character after Adriana. The novel received lukewarm reviews, but that didn’t discourage Hemingway from setting out to write something for her that was greater than what he’d ever written. What emerged was The Old Man and the Sea, his final major work, which ended up earning him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and contributing to his Nobel Prize in Literature (and for which Adriana drew the cover).

Di Robilant brings Hemingway to life in Venice, but what steals the show is Italy’s allure. In the midst of learning how a great American novelist fell in love in Italy and with Italy, you will see how Italy’s charm exposes his vulnerability.

Visit www.osia.org to find a selection of recent books written by OSDIA members!

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On The Bookshelf Books by and about Italian Americans

Murder in the Gardens

By Robert Trotta Murder in the Gardens is a well-written crime novel by first time author Robert Trotta, a retired Detective from the New York City Police Department.

Aging mobster Rocco DeAngelis is paroled from prison after spending twenty years behind bars for the sensational Drake Hotel New Years Eve robbery in 1993. Forced into retirement, Rocco moves to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he plans and executes the heist of a famous Marc Chagall painting at the behest of the NY Russian mob. Fearing the locals who abetted Rocco might not stand up to an interrogation, the mob has them murdered. The crime is investigated by Rocco’s former nemesis, retired police captain Dio Bosso, and Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Homicide Detective Lydia Martinez. As the two sleuths join forces, a relationship of mutual respect and romance ensues. Rocco, who has been a loner all of his life and never has had a relationship with a woman, also finds romance in Palm Beach Gardens. The reader will know who committed the crimes detailed in the story, but will enjoy seeing how the author develops the leads and clues to solve the theft of the paintings and the murders that follow. They will also gain insight to the exclusive lifestyles of the uber-wealthy of Palm Beach County, Florida

Available on Amazon.com in paperback and kindle editions

Award-winning author John Bessler tells the story of the Italian who inspired America’s founders and framers.

Bloodline

by Anthony Thomas DiSimone Inspiration for this story came from my ancestors in Corleone, Italy, for over 400 years. Bloodline traces events from the 1860s in Italy to the 1970s in New York City.

Murder, mayhem, adult content, and political power – some fictional and some very real – compels the reader to imagine living in those times. Much is based on real life.

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Archway Publishing.

-- A testimony to parents, family, community in a small West Virginia coal town.

-- A girl brimming with ambition yet over-protected and restricted by her Sicilian father.

-- Costs and benefits of seeking independence and a professional career. “written with love, deep feeling, candor, and much courage” “beautiful story” “helped me to understand why I also think and feel as I do” Details: amazon.com/dp/1977666280

A Sweeping Series Set in Stunning Tuscany

An epic narrative spanning each decade from WWII to the 1990s

The Celebrated Marquis Available on Amazon.Com SUMMER 2018 19 ITALIAN AMERICA

by award-winning author

PAUL SALSINI www.ATuscanSeries.com

www.amazon.com

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The 30th

s Annual NELA Gala

Thursday, May 24, 2018

A Night on the Harbor

By Miles Ryan Fisher

The Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) hosted its 30th Annual National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala at the magnificent Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, which sits along the Potomac River in National Harbor, Maryland.

The Honorees

President of the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute Dr. Timothy M. Block presented the evening’s first honor—the 2018 SIF Humanitarian Award—to Dr. Michael J. Sofia, Chief Scientific OffiOn this evening, the SIF cer of Arbutus Biopharma, presented awards to highly acInc. Dr. Sofia’s discovery complished honorees, awardof the drug Sofosbuvir led ed scholarships to several to the cure of millions of extraordinary students, and The honorees with the SIF President and NELA emcee prior to individuals suffering from recognized wounded veterans the gala. (L. to R.) SIF President Joseph DiTrapani, hepatitis C (HCV). He and its ongoing support of Dr. Michael J. Sofia, NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna, is the co-founder of ArLawrence “Pete” Peduzzi, and Michael DelGrosso.

Help Our Military Heroes. butus Biopharma, Inc., a SIF President Joseph DiTracompany dedicated to the discovery and development of pani praised the generosity of Italian-Americans across the country, which helped raise more than $200,000 for therapies to treat and cure hepatitis B. Central Italy earthquake relief. In the coming year, the SIF will be selecting a specific project to allocate those funds to, much in the way the SIF contributed $235,000 to the rebuilding of a center for autistic children that was destroyed by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. “These kinds of substantial donations make one thing clear,” DiTrapani said. “Italian Americans don’t forget where they come from. Whether we are first generation or second generation or third or fourth, we take pride that our ancestors came from such a beautiful land, and we intend to do our part in keeping it that way.”

For the 16th straight year, actor Joe Mantegna took the stage as the gala emcee. He kicked off the evening by introducing a video capturing 30 years of NELA, which included speeches from Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Anthony Odierno, Vice President Joseph Biden, Poet Laureate Dana Gioia, and NIAID (NIH) Director Anthony Fauci.

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Dr. Sofia, who grew up with two siblings in Baltimore’s Little Italy, reflected on the emphasis his parents placed on hard work. “The Italian immigrant work ethic that was ever-present,” he said. “The belief that you were given a great opportunity to be in America and that you didn’t

Dr. Michael J. Sofia receives the 2018 SIF Humanitarian Award and speaks about growing up Italian in Baltimore’s Little Italy.

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want to squander. The belief that the harder you worked, the better you would do and that you would be rewarded for that hard work eventually.”

Lawrence “Pete” Peduzzi received the 2018 SIF Award for Excellence in Business for his success in the business world, much of which is due to his military experience.

Mr. Peduzzi served 23 years in the U.S. Army, performing overseas tours as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and South Korea. In 1995, he founded Peduzzi Associates Limited as an Aerospace Business Development firm. Since that time the company has grown to include Defense Business Development, Government Relations, and Government Services.

Michael DelGrosso receives the 2018 SIF National Education and Leadership Award alongside his niece, Alexis Murray (left). On the right are Minister for Consular and Social Affairs at the Embassy of Italy Catherine Flumiani and SIF President Joseph DiTrapani.

commitment to preserving Italian heritage. They were the sole corporate sponsor for the widely-acclaimed PBS documentary “The Italian Americans,” which aired in 2015.

Lawrence “Pete” Peduzzi receives the 2018 SIF Award for Excellence in Business. (L. to R.) SIF President Joseph DiTrapani, Mr. Peduzzi, OSDIA President Vera Ferrara Girolami, and Brigadier General (ret.) Joe Ferreira.

Mr. Peduzzi talked about the importance of freedom—the freedom he served for—by echoing the words of President Ronald Reagan. “One of the greatest things our United States of America via our Constitution affords us is freedom. Freedom is a fragile thing. It is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance or the blood stream. It must be fought for and defended by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and have lost it, have never known it again.”

The DelGrosso Family received the 2018 SIF National Education & Leadership Award (NELA), the first time in NELA history that a family was honored. America’s “First Family of Pasta Sauce,” the DelGrosso Family is owner of DelGrosso Foods, which is the oldest major familyowned producer of pasta sauce in America. In 2000, the DelGrosso Family was presented a national Small Business Administration award by President Bill Clinton. The DelGrosso Family received the NELA Award for their ITALIAN AMERICA

Michael DelGrosso, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, accepted the award on behalf of The DelGrosso Family and talked about the extraordinary amount of response they received from sponsoring “The Italian Americans.” “When the show ended the first evening, the email notifications started coming in, and they didn’t stop,” he said. “Often (an email) would go on, sometimes for another paragraph or two or three or even more, recounting in often deeply emotional terms their own Italian-American story, the struggles they faced, but most importantly the hope and optimism their families carried with them to the New World.”

Soprano Maria Fassio Pignati sings the American and Italian national anthems beside the Takoma Park (Maryland) Police Department Honor Guard, who performed the Presentation of the Colors.

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The Scholarship Recipients Eleven very promising students—including one who led a campaign to pass Wyoming’s first state human trafficking law in 2013 and another who visited impoverished communities in the Dominican Republic in order to observe how doctors operated with limited resources in clinics in those areas—received SIF scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. A central part of the night’s program, the scholarships were presented to undergraduate and graduate students of Italian descent for their exemplary academic performance, school leadership, and community service.

The two van recipients, USArmy COL (ret) Greg Gadson (left) and USNavy MCPO (ret) Austin Reese.

the medley with the playing of “Taps” followed by the singing of “America the Beautiful.”

The 2018 National Education & Leadership Awards Scholarship Recipients. Eleven students in total were awarded scholarships.

Since 1989, more than $2.5 million in scholarships has been awarded at the 30 NELA Galas. “As always, the selection process was a challenging one with many impressive applicants,” said SIF Trustee and Scholarship Chairman Joseph Sciame in his introduction. “I would like to commend the students who will be receiving scholarships tonight.”

The Veterans Following the NELA award presentation, Michael Amante once again performed an inspirational rendition of the Armed Forces Medley, which included “Semper Paratus,” “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” “Anchors Aweigh,” “The U.S. Air Force,” “The Marine’s Hymn.” At each song, the veterans of the respective branch stood in recognition of their service. Amante concluded

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A very moving video was then played, in which the SIF recognized its ongoing support of Help Our Military Heroes, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing 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 since the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The SIF’s recent $25,000 donation to HOMH is its fourth donation in five years. This donation provided vans for two veterans— U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer retired Austin Reese and U.S. Army Colonel retired Greg Gadson—who were in attendance. “Let’s take a moment to recognize them and their families,” said Mantegna, who also hosts the annual National Memorial Day Concert.

“We are indebted to you for your service and sacrifice.”

A full video of the NELA Gala can be viewed on the Order Sons of Italy in America’s Facebook page.

In his tenth NELA performance, Tenor Michael Amante performs the “Armed Forces Medley.”

The SIF would like to thank Colavita Olive Oil, DelGrosso Pasta Sauce, and illy coffee for their donations to the NELA Gala. All photos by David Keith Photography.

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Shae Galli, who was one of last year’s top nationally ranked female students in the American Mathematics Competition, receives the Doctor Vincenzo Sellaro Scholarship from (L. to R.) Grand Lodge of Ohio State Vice President Anthony J. Perfilio, Ohio State Trustee Eldora Perfilio, and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Creator of the perpetual Charles Evans Scholarship, Linda Munson Rothkopf, with NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Elliot Kelly, who recently gained his dual-citizenship and was published in Italian America magazine last winter, receives the Sons of Italy Foundation Scholarship from SIF President Joseph DiTrapani and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Taylor Beninati, who was recognized by the Italian Consulate in Chicago for her work to promote Italian as more than just a language, receives the American University of Rome/Sons of Italy Foundation Scholarship from (L. to R.) National Italian American Bar Association President Paul Finizio, SIF Trustee Dr. Mark S. DeNunzio, and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

ITALIAN AMERICA

SUMMER 2018 23

Matthew Palmadessa, who was recognized as a Siemens Semifinalist for his science research project on enhancing the solar distillation of brackish water, receives the 2018 National Education & Leadership Award Scholarship from (L. to R.) Grand Lodge of New York President Robert Ferrito, OSDIA National First Vice President Nancy DiFiore Quinn, and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Corinne Dottori, who founded Warrior’s Wardrobe, a clothing drive that helped students in need of prom attire, receives the Pietro Secchia Memorial Scholarship from OSDIA National President Vera Ferrara Girolami and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Mia De Marco, who has also organized events to encourage students and community members to donate blood at the University of North Carolina Blood Donation Center, receives the Philip R. Boncore, Esq. and Paul S. Polo, Sr. Scholarship from (L. to R.) Commission for Social Justice President Kevin A. Caira, OSDIA President Emeritus Paul S. Polo, Sr., and NELA Emcee Joe Mantegna.

Not pictured: William Conti, who graduated Valedictorian of his high school class, was awarded the Joseph LaBanca Memorial Scholarship.

Daniel De Cecco, who led a campaign to pass his home state of Wyoming’s first human trafficking law, was awarded the National Italian American Bar Association & Sons of Italy Foundation Scholarship for the study of law.

Anthony Caropolo, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout when he was just 13 years old, was awarded the Henry Salvatori Memorial Scholarship.

Julianna Gatto, who studied abroad in Pescara, Italy (Abruzzo region) to conduct formal observation hours in the Physical Therapy Clinic at Gabriele D’Annunzio University, was awarded the Anthony J. & Eldora B. Perfilio Scholarship.

Joseph Durkin, who was named AP Scholar with Honor for last year’s performance on four AP exams and took ten AP exams this past spring, was awarded the perpetual Charles Evans Scholarship.

SUMMER 2018

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ITALIAN AMERICA

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 more speakers see: www.osia.org at “Culture & History.” To apply as a speaker, contact Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org • CALIFORNIA Author Bill Carpentier speaks humorously about growing up in an Italian family in the 1950s and 60s in Brooklyn and Queens. He also addresses topics, such as aging and technology, from a baby boomer perspective. A former marketing executive, he published Dust from the Attic (Mill City Press), a collection of humorous personal memories. Book signing. Contact: (916) 730-8560 Email: bill.e.carpentier@me.com • FLORIDA Author Carmine Vittoria speaks about World War II in the Naples area, which he experienced as a child. He recently published Bitter Chicory to Sweet Espresso: Survival and Deliverance from WWII in the Naples, Italy, Area. 1940-49 (Purpo, Inc.). A Professor Emeritus, he taught Electrical and Computer Engineering for 32 years at Northeastern University and has published numerous scientific articles. Book signing.

Contact: (305) 365-6428 Email: c.vittoria@neu.edu Website: cvittoria.com Will also travel to: Washington, D.C. and Boston • NEBRASKA Author Jane DiVita Woody speaks about her memoir—Lucky Girl: Growing Up ItalianAmerican in Appalachia. She has a PhD in English from Michigan State University and is Professor Emerita, University of Nebraska-Omaha, where she taught in the School of Social Work. Reading, presentation, and book signing. Contact: (402) 968-6569 Email: jwoody@unomaha.edu Will also travel to: West Virginia and other Appalachian areas • NEW YORK Author Anthony Mele speaks about Italian Americans in Major League Baseball. He has published four books on baseball. Book signing. Contact: (718) 317-0158 Email: andyp557@aol.com • NEVADA Author and Italian Ancestry Researcher Joseph L. Cacibauda speaks about Italians in the sugar cane plantations of Louisiana and in the coal mining

SUMMER 2018 25 ITALIAN AMERICA

towns of Southern Illinois. He also speaks about researching Italian/ Sicilian ancestry using websites along with his experience gaining Italian citizenship. He is the author of After Laughing Comes Crying: Sicilian Immigrants on Louisiana (Legas Press) and Not for Self: A Sicilian Life and Death in Marion (Legas Press). Book signing. Contact: (775) 8522303 Email: jlcaci@yahoo.com Website: https:// cacibaudajlwriter.weebly.com/ Will also travel to: United States and Canada.

• OHIO Ex-professional/college football coach and Vince Lombardi historian/professor Jack Giambrone speaks about the challenges and successes of the legendary Vince Lombardi. He shares anecdotes and displays historic pieces of his nationally recognized 500-piece Vince Lombardi collection. Several pieces of this collection are currently on display in The Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. Contact: (937) 689-7640 Email: coachgiamb@aol.com Website: The Lombardi Collection and Legacy (on Facebook) Will also travel to: Midwest and other locations • WASHINGTON Author Paul R. Spadoni speaks about his best-selling memoir, The American Dream: Living Part Time or Full Time in Italy. He was named Washington Journal Teacher of the Year and has degrees in journalism and education. He has also written features for Italian America magazine, including the popular “What’s in an (Italian) Name” (Spring 2015). Book signing. Contact: (253) 851-7839 Email: pspadoni@gmail.com Website: paulspadoni.com Will also travel to: Oregon and California

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 25

OSDIA Nation

OSDIA LODGES AT WORK

washington On February 15, the Washington State Senate passed Resolution 8680, recognizing the works of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) in Washington State. The resolution was sponsored by State Senator Phil Fortunato, who is a member of Auburn Lodge #1955 (Auburn, WA).

and of cultural relations between the United States and Italy; and the contributions members made to the war effort during World War II along with a post-war letter-writing effort to persuade relatives in Italy to support pro-democracy candidates in Italy’s first democratic election.

It recognized such things as the establishment (by early lodges) of orphanages and homes for the elderly, welfare societies, and credit unions to aid members in need; the promotion of the Italian language

Present for the passing of Resolution 8680 were many members from Washington State lodges, including Auburn Lodge #1955, Bella Vita Lodge #2285 (Olympia, WA), and Amerigo Vespucci Lodge #1814 (Aberdeen, WA).

new york OSDIA National Past President and Grand Lodge of New York State Past President Joseph Sciame was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, which is the highest ranking honor and most senior order of the Republic. Joe, who served as OSDIA National President from 2003 to 2005, has been a member of the Cellini Lodge #2206 (New Hyde Park, NY) since 1968. In 2015, he received the Guglielmo Marconi Award, OSDIA’s highest honor. He currently serves as Sons of Italy Foundation Trustee.

The honor was presented to Joe at the Consul General of Italy to New York on June 5 as part of the Festa della Republica celebration (Italy’s National Day, which is officially on June 2).

State Senator Phil Fortunato (center) with OSDIA National Financial Secretary Tony Anderson (left), Grand Lodge of Northwest President Rosetta Stella Beyersdorf (right), and beside Rosetta, Grand Lodge of Northwest First Vice Presdient Linda Buccini Anderson. On both sides are members from Washington State lodges.

ohio Last May, the Grand Lodge of Ohio presented Roma Intangibile Lodge #806 (Warren, OH) President Dan Titi, Sr., with a Certificate of Appreciation for his 45 years of hard work for the Order on both local and state levels. Dan, who served as the Grand Lodge State Deputy for several years, has served as Lodge President for nonconsecutive terms and last year received the Golden Lion Award for his lodge’s increase in membership.

Renaissance–Alliance Lodge SUMMER 2018

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Joseph Sciame displays the medal, presented to him by (L. to R.) Deputy Consul General Silvia Limoncini, Minister Francesco Genuardi (Consul General of Italy to New York), and Deputy Consul Chiara Saulle, on the right.

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 Dan Titi, Sr. (left) receives a Certificate details including your lodge’s name/number, a brief of Appreciation from Grand Lodge of write-up, and digital photos of 300 dpi to Editor Miles OhioLodge State President at mfisher@osia.org #1966: members Brian at theAndzik.

2018 “CannoliFisher Open” Golf Tournament.

ITALIAN AMERICA

OSDIA Nation

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

california Pulgiese Lodge #1375 (Los Angeles, CA) Queen Sarah Grace Taylor, 15, completed her Girl Scout Gold Award, titled “Connessioni Italiane – Italian Connections.” A junior member of the lodge, Sarah had been taking Italian lessons with her sisters since they were very young. So for her project, she started a new bilingual Italian-English Girl Scout troop. She and her troop made a gemellaggio (twinship) with a troop in Castiglione del Lago, Italy (Umbria region), and corresponded with them to learn about their scouting activities.

The two troops also bonded over the California’s and Italy’s proneness to earthquakes, and when Sarah heard of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake, her attachment to the Umbrian troop sent her into action.

She raised money for rescue blankets and special flashlights that are water-activated, and she brought these items to Italy, presenting them to the scout leaders for use in their bases.

Sarah is currently working on a bilingual website that will educate Italian and California youth about

arizona

Sarah with Fulvio Toseroni, one of the directors for all scouts of the Umbrian region, in front of the scout base in Assisi. earthquakes and how to prevent damage through retrofitting. This is especially important for Italy since much of the art hanging on the walls of churches and other buildings is vulnerable to earthquake destruction.

“I want to promote the Italian language and to help the people in Italy who were affected by the earthquakes of 2016 and 2017,” Sarah said. “It is really great to have this connection and to be able to make a difference for the two countries that I love, America and Italy.”

The Albert Bilotti Lodge #2540 of Mesa celebrated its 35th anniversary last April. The lodge paid tribute to its past, honoring the Grand Lodge of Arizona’s first State President John Suardini (elected in 1983), “Mesa” Lodge Founders Louise and John Martiniano, and the man for whom the lodge was renamed—Albert Bilotti—whose son, Ken, was in attendance. Also in attendance was the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America National President Vera Ferrara Girolami.

Lodge members toasted Prosecco—exclaiming, “That was the past.

Now let’s go forward!”—and enjoyed a sit-down dinner to the music of an accordionist who played traditional Italian songs.

Lodge President Marianne DePalma had a local bakery superimpose OSDIA’s logo on her lodge’s anniversary cake.

colorado Last March, Charter Member Mario DelPiccolo, along with his wife Julianna and niece Anna Svaldi Vann, presented a tribute to the Denver Lodge #2075 in celebration of its 60th anniversary. He gave a brief history of the lodge’s beginnings in 1958 and showed a video of all lodge past presidents, queens, and members.

In April, a Dinner Dance was held at the lodge with 175 members and guests. Those in attendance enjoyed antipasti, a sit-down dinner, and dessert. Sentimental Sounds provided the music for the evening.

SUMMER 2018 27 ITALIAN AMERICA

L. to R.) Fred Marzano (President of the Denver Lodge), Joey Regan (Past Queen), Anna Vann (Past Queen), Ann Cianco (Past President), Loretta Warne (Past Queen), Pam Wright (Past President), Dominic LoSasso (Past President of the Denver Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Colorado). In front is 92-year-old Laura Busnardo, Past Queen and wife of a Past President.

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 27

The Florentine Spitfire La Fallaci: the Agitator

By Liesl Bradner

Walking home from school one day, Oriana Fallaci, a budding woman in post-World War II Florence, came across an Italian newspaper that described events different from what she learned in school. She asked her father about the discrepancies.

“It’s a newspaper that tells the truth,” he explained.

“Then why isn’t it sold on newsstands?” she asked.

“Because it tells the truth,” he answered.

Outraged, Oriana then proclaimed, “One day I will work for newspapers that tell the truth!”

Her growing distrust formed as a 14-year-old Florentine during World War II. After the fall of Mussolini in the summer of 1943, the Nazis took over. Oriana’s father, a member of the Italian anti-fascist resistance movement Giustizia e Libertà, was jailed in Murate Prison, a convent built in 1424 for Benedictine nuns that was turned into a prison for men in 1845. There, he was interrogated and tortured beyond recognition, his swollen face covered in bruises and one eye sealed shut.

“Everything I am, my entire political worldview, dates from The Resistance,” wrote Fallaci. “It marked me just as a Pentecost left his mark upon the apostles.”

During the war, she enlisted in the anti-fascist movement as a courier disguised as “Emilia,” a petite and unassuming teenager with long, braided pigtails. She peddled her bike though Nazi roadblocks, carrying weapons and leaflets to la Resistenza, hiding grenades in cored out heads of lettuce.

Fallaci as a courier for the Partisans at age 14.

(The Perazzi Family Private Collection)

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In high school, she was insufferable. Raising her hand to complain, ITALIAN AMERICA

the teacher would mutter, “Let’s hear what the ball-breaker has to say or else she’ll say we’re censoring her.”

child bride in Pakistan—planted initial doubts in her about Islam and their treatment of women.

Fallaci’s rapid ascent through the ranks of Italian newspapers was no surprise. The prominent news magazine L’Europeo hired Fallaci to cover entertainment and society during the golden era of Italian cinema in Rome.

She eventually made her way to Hollywood, where notorious gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper offered her advice. “Speak ill of everyone. Don’t spare anyone. Take pleasure in being known as a snake.”

Her reportage traveled the globe, every bit as dangerous as it was adventurous. She found love and war in Vietnam; was jailed for taking part in the guerrilla campaign alongside Che Guevara in Bolivia; concluded that Muammar Gaddafi was a mentally ill, crazed idiot; and jumped out of a moving helicopter in Beirut. During The Tlatelolco massacre a week before the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she was shot three times, dragged downstairs by her hair, and left for dead.

The first time she used a tape recorder was with Ingrid Bergman.

It was a rental as big as a suitcase.

She would master the device, which became her tool of the trade. “Only Nixon,” she once stated, “knows more about tape recorders than I do.”

Eventually, her interest in Hollywood celebrities—who she described as “stupid and brilliant, corrupt, and puritanical”—waned, so she switched gears. In the winter of 1960, Fallaci was assigned to investigate the conditions of non-European women around the world. One of the conversations she had—with a frightened

“Oriana was the first Italian female journalist during a time when women were an exception,” noted Cristina de Stefano, author of Fallaci’s first authorized biography, Oriana Fallaci: The Journalist. The Agitator. The Legend.

“She represented a time when the focus was on the name and character of the journalist. She was incredibly talented but also outspoken and irritating.”

With a career spanning six decades and 20 books to her name, the intrepid, confrontational Fallaci became Europe’s best known female journalist

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SUMMER 2018 29 ITALIAN AMERICA

Fallaci with her uncle Bruno Fallaci (top left) and other colleagues from Epoca magazine.

(The Perazzi Family Private Collection)

of the latter half of the 20th century.

“I’m very serious,” she once said. “I dress in the least sexy manner with messy hair and no lipstick … a form of advanced feminism.”

Described as provocative and resourceful, a ballbreaker and ardent feminist, with beauty to soften the sharp edges and intelligence that often intimidated men. She once threw a microphone at Muhammad Ali’s face when he belched answers to her questions.

“He watched me in a way an elephant watches a mosquito,” she reflected.

Fallaci met and interrogated the most powerful and historical figures

Fallaci’s 1975 Letter to a Child Never Born was considered her finest work.

The book was written as a letter by a young professional woman to the fetus she carries. The long essay on the sanctity of motherhood enraged and distanced Italian feminists who had been her biggest fans.

www.treolive.com 413-224-2031 ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 29

Islamic dress, you are not obliged to follow it. The chador is only for young and respectable women.” Fallaci tore the ‘stupid, medieval rag’ from her head, then stormed out of the room.

The ire she held for Islam reignited following the 9/11 attacks, which happened while she was living in Manhattan. She subsequently published three books disparaging Islam and the lenience of the West.

Fallaci in her famous interview with Ayatollah Khomeini in September 1979, in which she removed her chador in protest. (The Perazzi Family Private Collection)

of her time. She reveled in provoking the ire of dictators and politicians. Her scathing portrait of Yasser Arafat attracted threatening letters and letter-bomb scares. In 1976, Rolling Stone Magazine deemed her the greatest political interviewer of modern times.

Her meticulous, deeply researched style of interviewing often resulted in serious repercussions. During an interview in the early 1970s with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after the war with India over Bangladesh, she persuaded him to say what he truly thought of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The revered statesman, executed in 1979, let loose.

“A diligent drudge of a schoolgirl, a women devoid of intelligence and imagination … she should have half her father’s talent!” When word of these comments reached Mrs. Gandhi, she declined to attend the signing of a peace agreement with Pakistan.

Often accused of combativeness, the 5’1”, 92-pound spitfire considered it a matter of courage. “Most of my colleagues don’t have the courage to ask the right questions,” Fallaci said.

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Perhaps her most confrontational interview was the one she conducted with Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.

For the interview, Fallaci was told to wear a chador, a traditional Muslim garment covering the entire body and part of the face. In response to Fallaci’s question about the role of women in his life, Khomeini remarked, “Women are important in a man’s life only if they’re beautiful and charming and keep their femininity and …This business of feminism.

What do feminists want? What do you want? You say equality. I don’t want to seem rude, but you’re equal in the eyes of the law, but not, excuse my saying so, in intelligence.”

After Fallaci then criticized the condition of women in Iran, Khomeini retorted, “If you do not like

“One of the main reasons she dropped out of the limelight was her controversial articles and books critical of Islam after 9/11,” noted de Stefano. She added how, in interactions with Muslims during earlier travels and reporting, Fallaci warned that ‘radical Islam would expand beyond the Middle Eastern arena and confront the West in a much wider war.’

Fallaci remained a recluse in her Manhattan apartment until she was diagnosed with lung cancer and returned to her native Florence. Her last wish: to die with a view of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s bell tower. On September 15, 2006, the bells of the Duomo rang.

Award-winning journalist Liesl Bradner (lieslb29@yahoo.com) is a regular contributor for the Los Angeles Times.

Her new book, Snapdragon: The World War II Exploits of Darby’s Ranger and Combat photographer Phil Stern, was published in May.

“I decided to talk about her starting from the private part of her life. I wanted to show how much her life influenced her work and not the other way round. For this reason there will be a lot of surprises, even for those who thought they knew her.”

Cristina De Stefano on her book, the first authorized biography of Oriana Fallaci ITALIAN AMERICA

From the National

WHAT NATIONAL DOES FOR YOU

From the President’s Desk

By Vera Ferrara Girolami

So much has transpired in the past ten months that it is hard to know where to begin! I have found this life to be a great balancing act between fulfillment and frustration.

This position calls for the constant rapport between an incredible staff, the supportive Executive Council, the National Past Presidents, and my friends and family!

We have become more visible because of our involvement with the State and Subordinate Lodge Presidents, the Membership Commission, the Commission for Social Justice. The monthly conference calls between these entities provide a new and vibrant communication that brings us closer together. Together we are being more creative and constructive.

The National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala was very well attended. The students who were awarded scholarships were amazing. The remarks of our honorees went to the heart of what the Order means to all Italian Americans. We were introduced to so many incredible wounded warriors who were invited to share the evening with us. Several have been given a new lease on their lives through our gift of vans to help them have more freedom! The evening was very successful in more ways than one.

My travels have included the Dolly Sinatra Lodge #2400 (Palm Springs, CA), where President Joseph La Porta was honored, and the Albert Bilotti Lodge #2540 (Mesa, AZ) to celebrate their 35th Anniversary. Bilotti Lodge President Marianne DePalma is doing a great job growing her membership! Then it was on to the Modesto Lodge #2021 (Modesto, CA) for a black tie affair where County Supervisor Jim DeMartini was honored. He has made it a priority each year to be sure Columbus Day is celebrated and the month of October is proclaimed Italian Heritage Month.

The following week, I visited the Grand Lodge of New Jersey to attend their Purple Aster Ball. State President Nick Burzichelli is to be commended for all he has accomplished. The next weekend was a very quick trip to Racine, Wisconsin, for the Grand Lodge of Illinois/Wisconsin’s SUMMER 2018 31 ITALIAN AMERICA

17th annual Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence Reception and Ceremony.

Awards were given to eleven outstanding honorees including Mrs. Tonette Tarantino Walker, the First Lady of Wisconsin, who was accompanied by her husband, Governor Scott Walker. They are all members of the Order!

OSDIA National President Vera Ferrara Girolami and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who is a member of the Filippo Mazzei, Greater Milwaukee Lodge #2763.

(Photo Courtesy of Arlene Nunziati)

June, so far, is a quiet travel month. I will be attending the Grand Lodge of California Convention in Ontario, California, and am looking forward to a very productive and always interesting session!

Preparations are being readied for the Plenary Session that will be held in Crystal City, Virginia (August 9-12), at the Hyatt Regency near Reagan National Airport. Please try to attend and I assure you, you will see exactly what it is that National does for all of us!

Many times a simple ‘thank you’ is forgotten. I want to publicly thank Grand Lodge of California State Past President and Sons of Italy Foundation Trustee Maria Fassio Pignati for always—and so eloquently—singing our Italian and American National Anthems at our functions. Thank you, Maria, for your generosity and for freely sharing your beautiful voice with your brothers and sisters of OSDIA! Special thanks to my travelling companions, California’s First Vice President Arlene Nunziati, my daughter Carol, and my constant supporter, my husband Judge Al Girolami!

Please send a prayer to National Past President, Joanne Strollo, as she recovers from hip surgery.

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 31

®

The Sons of Italy Foundation

®

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

A Tribute to Our Heritage

By Joseph DiTrapani, President

As you can see from this issue’s feature story, our 30th Annual National Education & Leadership Awards Gala was an incredible success! This year, we chose a new site for the gala: The Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland. The venue did not disappoint.

The Gaylord was every bit as impressive as its surrounding harbor area. Fortunately, we have already locked it in as the site of next year’s NELA Gala.

This year, we had some extraordinary honorees, including—for the first time in NELA history—a family. Honorees The DelGrosso Family (accepted by Michael DelGrosso on behalf of the family), Pete Peduzzi, and Michael Sofia gave some truly heartfelt speeches about their roots and about the very people whose courage afforded them the opportunity to live in America. If you have not listened to their speeches yet, I encourage you to watch the video of NELA, which you can find on www.osia.org.

such hope for the future. For the first time, we presented a video of the recipients talking about their heritage and what it means to them.

We also presented another very touching video that focused on Help Our Military Heroes and the two van recipients that the SIF’s recent $25,000 donation made possible. These two van recipients attended the gala along with many other military veterans. You can view the video of this year’s van recipients at www.osia.org.

This year’s NELA Gala was certainly a proud night. It was one that celebrated Italian-American contributions to this great country and gave back to the worthy causes of education and charity. I hope that you take the time to watch the NELA Gala video and that doing so encourages you to attend next year’s gala, which is sure to be just as momentous.

Of course, the scholarship recipients were some of the most impressive young adults. They bring our heritage

California Post Office Named for OSDIA Member On April 2, the Vallejo Post Office, located in Vallejo, California, was officially renamed Janet Capello Post Office Building. Janet was a member of Beatrice Portinari Lodge #1626 of Vallejo for more than 63 years and played an integral role in Vallejo’s public life, serving on many boards and commissions. She passed away in 2012 at age 77.

Representative Mike Thompson (CA-05) introduced legislation for renaming the post office. “Janet Capello was an icon of our community, working tirelessly to help others and fighting passionately to improve our entire district,” Rep. Thompson said. “Her work with the Order Sons of Italy helped support so many of our young people pursuing an education and her service to Vallejo improved our community as a whole.” Janet brought the “Sons of Italy Scholarship Commission” to Vallejo, helping hundreds of local students attend college. She also served as Grand Lodge of California Vice President and oversaw many charitable events. In 2007, Janet received the Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Award, which recognizes an Order SUMMER 2018

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Sons & Daughters of Italy in America member who exemplifies the ideals and principles of the Order’s founder.

“Janet was an incredible pillar of our Italian community who strived to better every aspect of her environment,” said John Costa, Grand Lodge of Janet Capello in one of the California State President. many fashionable hats that she was known to wear.

“We, as members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, were honored to have known her and to have worked alongside her. This Post Office will be an important reminder to us all to serve our community and those around us and to remember our dear sister Janet.”

ITALIAN AMERICA

®

The Commission for Social Justice

The CSJ Perspective

By Kevin Caira, President

It would seem that every column I write touches upon the issues that face the existence of Columbus Day. Unfortunately, it will be an ongoing issue. And while there are defeats from time to time, there are also victories.

I’m proud to report that Colorado’s bill attempting to repeal Columbus Day and designate Election Day as an official state holiday was struck down by its Appropriations Committee by a vote of 13-0! Additionally, California’s bill to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day—proposed by State Senator Henry Stern—was withdrawn.

These successes were due in large part to the efforts of OSDIA members and the coalitions we have formed.

Please continue to inform your CSJ State Chair or CSJ National when Columbus Day comes under attack. That way, the information can be relayed to others across the country, and together, we can work to preserve and protect our culture and heritage.

On June 8 and 9 I attended the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian-American Organizations held in New York. First and foremost on the agenda were the issues and strategies regarding Columbus Day. On this note, I would like to mention that the CSJ has recently designed promotional flyers and talking point cards to help combat the attack on Columbus Day. If you are interested th

fighting defamation

in receiving these materials, please send your request to CSJ National (csj@osia.org).

Lastly, while the CSJ’s primary focus has been preserving Columbus Day, it is important to remember that the CSJ’s mission extends far beyond that. The CSJ stands against the stereotyping of Italian Americans by the entertainment, advertising, and news industries. In order for the CSJ to continue fighting Italian-American stereotyping, please consider sending a donation to help fund CSJ’s overall mission!

YES! I would like to fight Italian-American stereotyping.

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

My check for $

is enclosed.

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

th

Mail to: Commission for Social Justice 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002 If you would like to donate by phone, please call the National Office (202) 547-2900

The Missing Z in Verrazzano

New York State Senate Passes Bill to Correct Misspelling of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge When the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in November 1964, connecting the New York boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn, it did so with a misspelled name. The bridge, named after 16th-century Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, omitted one of the two Z’s in his last name. Now, more than fifty years later, New York State is looking to correct this. A bill to do so was presented by State Senator Martin J. Golden and passed in the State Senate. It now moves on to the Assembly, and if it passes there, it would be put into effect by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

Spanning 4,260 feet, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States and SUMMER 2018 33 ITALIAN AMERICA

(El Gatinvisible)

11th longest in the world. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says that the cost of replacing 96 signs that bear the misspelling is estimated to be $350,000.

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 33

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Corrections for Spring 2018 issue

Regions (page 5) Piazza San Marco was named after one of the four evangelists (not one of the four disciples, as there were 72 disciples, which include the four evangelists).

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ITALIAN AMERICA

Italian America®

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.

Tel: 202/547-2900.

Email: nationaloffice@osia.org Editor-in-Chief Miles Ryan Fisher Administrative Assistant Emily Heinrich Bookkeeper Adam Jacobs Director, Operations and Programming Carly Jerome Project Coordinator Katie Vivian 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. ®

Italian America (ISSN: 1089-5043, USPS: 015-735) is published quarterly in the winter, spring, summer and fall

by OSDIA, 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.

Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. ©2015 Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any method without permission of the editor is prohibited.

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.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Italian America, 219 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Subscriptions are available through the OSDIA National Office, 219 E Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. OSDIA membership information is available at (800) 552-OSDIA or at www.

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SUMMER 2018 35 ITALIAN AMERICA

By Miles Ryan Fisher Editor-in-Chief, Italian America Magazine

I recently went on a trip with a couple friends to Nashville, and when we went out for lunch one day, one of my friends complained about how tight his shorts had become.

Apparently he’d gained a little weight since getting married. I suggested that we go back to our house so that he could put on something more comfortable. He said no, he’d simply buy a new pair while we were out. “That’s why I have a job,” he said. I found that particular remark disconcerting, and as I thought about why, a story I’d once read came to mind.

It was a story about a man who’d lived through the Great Depression.

He was in his nineties and lived a life of daily routines. Every day, he woke up at dawn, went to the same diner down the street, ate a modest breakfast and had his cup of coffee. He wore clothes that were worn but not tattered and had conversations with other regulars about current events.

That was how he lived his elderly years until he passed away. After he died, whoever cleaned out his house discovered a safe that held a stack of old stock certificates—so old they were actual certificates—of companies that had since grown into industrial giants. Those certificates had appreciated so much in value that they amounted to millions of dollars by the time the man died.

What I particularly remember about the story, though, was that the writer of the article remarked that it was silly for the man to leave so much wealth behind. There was nobody to inherit it, and, after all, he couldn’t spend it now. I remember reading those words and having the same disconcerted feeling. I felt the writer didn’t appreciate how much the man had been affected by living through the Great Depression. He experienced such destitution that he didn’t spend more than what was necessary—no matter how much he had.

That harkens a sentiment shared not only by those who lived through the Depression but also by those like my great-grandparents who arrived from Italy with little in their pocket. Because they didn’t have much, they took great care not to waste anything. They made stews using leftover food. They mended clothing that was torn. They saved pennies that were unnecessary to spend.

This makes me realize that, with the comforts that many of us are afforded today—comforts that past generations gave us—we still have much to learn from those generations. Simply because we live in more prosperous times does not mean that we should cast aside their way of life. I’m sure many of them would be the first to stress the importance of preserving what we have no matter how fortunate we are.

ITALIAN AMERICA SUMMER 2018 35

Piacere!

PLEASED TO MEET YOU, Donte

Donte DiVincenzo Donte DiVincenzo is a basketball player at Villanova University who starred in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, leading the Villanova Wildcats to the NCAA Championship and being named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Born in Newark, Delaware, Donte grew up playing soccer before turning to basketball. He led Salesianum High School to consecutive state basketball championships and was named Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Donte, who matriculated at Villanova University in 2015, has received honors such as Big East All-Freshman team and, this past season, Big East Sixth Man of the Year.

As a sixth man (the first player to enter the game off the bench), Donte made headlines with his performance in the 2018 NCAA tournament. In the championship game, he scored 31 points, the most ever for a player coming off the bench.

Last month, Donte was selected 17th overall in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tell us about your Italian background. When did your ancestors come to the United States and what type of work did they do when they arrived? (and what brought them to settle in Delaware?)

The only thing I do know is that my Dad’s uncle owns a construction business, which I believe is located in Sicily.

In terms of the Italian part of my heritage, everything I know is through my Dad. Beyond your immediate family, tell us about someone (coach, teacher, etc.) who had a powerful influence on you when you were younger.

The one person who comes to mind is my youth basketball coach, Coach Lester Lee. I played soccer when I was younger and he was the first one to notice me when I was playing pickup basketball. I was about nine or 10 at the time. He saw something in me and asked me to work out with his team. Ever since then he took me under his wing and has continued to work with me.

How has your Italian heritage played a role in your experience at Villanova University and the fact that it’s the oldest catholic university in Pennsylvania?

I take pride in my Italian heritage. It gives people something to talk about and I kind of like that. It’s something I take pride in, which makes it an awesome feeling.

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A broadcaster once dubbed you the “Big Ragu” for being a red-haired Italian.

Do you receive a lot of comments about this unique combination, and how do you respond to them?

I receive comments about that every day – when we’re on the road and when we’re on campus. I have fun with it and it doesn’t bother me at all.

There is a lot of pressure that comes with playing in the spotlight of an event like March Madness and the Final Four. What has it taught you?

It taught me a lot about the guys on our team, how close we are. I have learned about being able to block out distractions and our individual careers outside of basketball so that we could focus on giving everything we had to this team.

Many accomplished basketball coaches are Italian American, yet there aren’t many professional basketball players that are Italian American. How do you feel that your Italian name becomes a noted identity for you once you step on the basketball court?

Like I said, I take pride in it. Just going out there every day and trying to prove something and just having that behind me helps. I don’t focus on that when I go out there but afterwards when people acknowledge that or comment on it, that’s a really good feeling.

Does it make you feel a closer connection to your heritage?

I would say it helped me take more pride in it. Being known for being an Italian-American who plays basketball is something I appreciate. It seems like it’s not that common so I try to take that and run with it.

Your girlfriend is also Italian. Tell us about how you met and something you really admire in her.

My girlfriend is Italian. We met during my freshman year. I was friends with her roommate. The first date we went on was to an Italian restaurant.

ITALIAN AMERICA

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ITALIAN AMERICA

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ITALIAN AMERICA