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CONTENTS October / November 2012

14 On The Cover

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER & EDITOR Tony Zara EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore

Claudio Santaluce: Kid Accordion Leave it to a fresh-faced accordion maestro with a last name like Santaluce to light up a dull room.

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara

Italian Wine Guide 2012

The Accordion: Then and Now Ah, the humble accordion. That musical marvel of buttons, pleats, wood and wind.

AC CO R DI ON

Life & People

Food & Wine

Features

MANAGING EDITORS Viviana Laperchia Rita Simonetta MONTREAL MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore PROOFREADER Marisa Pellegrino

ART DEPARTMENT ART DIRECTION David Ferreira GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira Manon Massé

Departments

PHOTOGRAPHY Gregory Varano

Life & People

Lifestyle

The Accordion, then and now 12 Claudio Santaluce 14

Living Italian Style 44

Joe Caringi 16 Sebastian Carubia 18

Fall Fashion 46

Massimiliano Morabito 20

CONTRIBUTERS

Fisarmoniche fidardensi 21 Learning English Nova Scotia 22 Michelle Alfano 25

Arts & Culture

One More Day 26

La banda Garibaldina 48

Future Leader: Stephen Lecce 27

Riabilitazione di Galileo Galileo 49

Travel Lake Como 30 Monferrato 31

L’Italia sul tetto del mondo 50 Pizzi e Merletti 51

Various Events 52

Chef Massimo Capra 35 Cicerchie 36 In cucina con il vino 38

Salvatore Difalco David De Marco Alessia Sara Domanico Gaia Massai Jenny Galati Dante Di Iulio Daniela DiStefano Stefan Morrone Fabio Forlano Diana Di Mauro Tommaso Altrui Letizia Tesi Liz Allemang Romina Monaco Paolo Patrito Laura Ghiandoni Danila Di Croce Loretta Gatto-White Remo Zaccagna Serena Battista Giacoma Adamo Alessia Mocella

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Food & Wine

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Circulation Toronto edition: 100,000 Montreal edition: 50,000 Le opinioni espresse negli articoli firmati non rispecchiano necessariamente le idee della direzione e/o dell’editore che non vanno ritenuti legalmente responsabili del loro contenuto e della loro veridicità. Les opinions exprimées dans les articles signés ne sont pas nécessairement celles de la direction et/ou de l’éditeur et ils ne peuvent pas être tenus légalement responsables de leur contenu et de leur véridicité. The opinions expressed in this magazine and/or its signed articles are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of its administration or publisher and cannot be held legally responsible thereof.

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Comments Mr. Joseph Rizzotto

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Send us your thoughts and comments. Inviateci i vostri commenti e suggerimenti. RE : La Legge Tremaglia e i professionisti dell’emigrazione. Vol. 2 No. 4 Finalmente qualcuno con abbastanza coraggio da mettere per iscritto quello che la maggior parte della comunità Italo Canadese pensa sul voto degli Italiani all'estero. Ricordo che la comunità e, in particolare, il Congresso Nazionale degli Italo Canadesi, esercitarono una forte pressione sul Governo canadese in opposizione a tale voto. Ma le politiche interne fra i due Paesi e l'invio di fondi da parte del Governo italiano in favore di organizzazioni con interesse partitico, in Italia, prevalsero, a scapito di organizzazioni comunitarie italo canadesi. Il Governo Italiano ci concesse un voto che, ancora una volta, fece degli Italiani residenti all'estero cittadini di seconda categoria e intrudusse, in Canada, le bagarre della politica italiana. Alla prima occasione, non contenti dei risultati, alcuni politici italiani giudicarono il voto degli Italiani all'estero pieno di "brogli". Come se il sistema e le procedure di voto non fossero state ideate e gestite dall'Italia. Sembra che, per il futuro, il Governo canadese abbia compreso il sentimento degli Italiani residenti all'estero e della comunità in generale. Ce lo auguriamo per noi, che viviamo in questa grande nazione, e per il futuro dei nostri figli. Tutto ciò non toglie nulla al grande amore che nutriamo verso l'Italia, sentimento che non verrà mai meno. Angelo Delfino, Toronto Ciao Panoram Italia! I can’t help but reread the same issues over and over without being more amazed by all the stories it has to tell. It’s great to see that our Italian culture is being kept alive and has such a large impact on day to day lives. I began flipping through thanks to my mom who also enjoys reading the issues, and I’ve decided to express my interest and gratitude towards your magazine and your contributions to the Italian community throughout Toronto here on your Facebook page! It would be a great experience to be featured in a magazine that promotes one of the things that matters most to me, my heritage. Once again, thanks for keeping l'Italia alive outside its borders! Cass Mammoliti, Woodbridge I have received your magazine from the first issue and I look forward to it every time. I cannot believe my luck to have something so amazing sent to me for free! I am a first generation Italian, having immigrated to Montreal with my parents when I was only 4 years-old. Panoram Italia has opened my eyes and my heart so much that I actually visited Italy three years ago. What an incredible country it is — beyond compare to any other. I owe you many thanks for giving me the curiosity to explore my roots and for actually lighting the flame of pride for my home country! My family loves to read your magazine, which I always keep on my coffee table. It is so beautifully done and deserves a place of honour in my home. Please keep on doing this great work, which touches and inspires many people — especially those that have a connection to Italy, however far removed. Grazie, Antonietta Pettorelli, Pierrefonds, Quebec RE: Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, Vol. 2 No. 4 As a regular viewer of Formula 1 racing, in particular Team Ferrari, I have long wondered where I could someday go to experience the creativity and dedication of the “man with the black sunglasses.” In comes a wonderful article in your fantastic magazine about an Enzo Ferrari Museum dedicated to the man who revolutionized the racing industry. Congratulations on a great article by Alain Raymond. Just to let you know that I’m a subscriber and I just re-subscribed for three more years. Your loyal reader, Mike Trigiani, Toronto RE: Ciaolom — A Brief History of Toronto’s Jewish-Italian Camaraderie, Vol. 2 No. 3 I am taken by the quality and beauty of your magazine. Of particular note, Dante Di Iulio and Panoram Italia are to be commended for Mr. Di Iulio’s article Ciaolom — A Brief History of Toronto’s Jewish-Italian Camaraderie, appearing in your June/July 2012 issue. The article covers the current relationships growing between Toronto’s Jewish and Italian communities as well as delving into the historical and European background of the interactions of our peoples, highlighting the rich gestalt that arises when two communities work together to build diversity, resulting in a strength greater than the sum of our parts. Rabbi Yossi Sapirman, Beth Torah Congregation, Toronto

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Ed i t o r i a l

Let the société juste prevail both in Quebec and Ottawa By Filippo Salvatore

Pauline Marois, the first woman in the history of Quebec to have been elected as Premier, is busy forming her cabinet after her slim victory on September 4 (32% of popular vote and 54 seats). With Judge Charbonneau’s commission on the illegal bidding on construction contracts and possible links with organized crime in Montreal and Quebec underway (it will most likely turn out to be just a TV comedy/drama, with little or no substance, a lot of Italian name-dropping and bashing - the English and French language media like it so much - as if the only criminals in Canada were the people who have family names ending with a vowel), the federal government having just reconvened in Ottawa, and the return to power in Quebec of the separatist Parti Québécois, it is important to consider the possible implications in the months or years to come for the whole country. ad to say, Pauline Marois began her career as Premier with a tragic bang. While delivering her victory speech in downtown Montreal, a disturbed Englishspeaking Quebecer went on a violent rampage, killing one and wounding another innocent by-stander. Violence cannot be justified by any means. Nonetheless, what happened last September 4 on election night is significant: it’s the tip of the iceberg in terms of the frustration that a growing percentage of Quebec’s English-speaking community feels. Pauline Marois’ ethnocentric discourse, catering only to the interests of the French majority during her campaign exacerbated relations among the diverse segments of the population. Many who are not ‘francophone de souche’ are left feeling like they are less than full-fledged citizens and do not really belong, although their roots have been in Quebec for generations. Ethnocentrism and the intransigent defence of the French language are very divisive issues and need to be handled very carefully, not using ready-made clichés. The fact that the PQ won with only 4 MNA’s more than Jean Charest’s Liberals and thus forming a minority government, shows that the old-style nationalistic discourse is catering to a dwindling percentage of Quebec’s population. As a result, Premier Marois has two

choices: either use moderation and collaborate with other political forces, in particular with the CAQ (Coalition Avenir Québec) and hope to last as long as possible as a responsible government, or else fall into the temptation of provoking artificial crises and play the historical victim vis-à-vis the federal government with the hope of creating winning conditions for a third referendum on separation. Avoidance of confrontation is also what is expected of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He enjoys a majority government and the temptation for him is to stick rigidly to a conservative agenda, and to take for granted or disregard, for instance, complaints about lack of full implementation of bilingual policies in English Canada where over one million French speaking citizens live. If Marois embodies old-style separatism, Stephen Harper fosters a nostalgic view of the centrality of the British traditions and heritage in shaping Canadian identity. Canada in 2012 is a country where French and English are official languages, but where the majority of its population is neither of French or British origin. It is truly a multicultural country, especially where it really counts, in major urban areas. It is up to Liberal and NDP MP’s to remind the conservatives of this basic truth, and shape policies accordingly. Politicians in Halifax, Quebec, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, from coast to coast, should leave their seat in Ottawa and visit university campuses more frequently in order to realize how pervasive the ethnic diversity of the student population really is; only there will they truly see the future of French and English speaking Canada. For the last six years, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s conservative policies (environment, foreign affairs, federal/provincial relations and so on) have shaped Canada and will continue to do so until 2015. Which begs the question: is this really what both French and English speaking Canada want and deserve? In the 1970’s, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau came up with a catchy slogan: la société juste; he gave primacy to the rights and responsibilities of each citizen. Canadian federalism, he used to say, is an ongoing experiment which needs to be reinvented by each generation. Dialogue and a generous vision of the country where a multiplicity of views can coexist and grow together are what our country needs for the present and the future. We shall discover, both in Quebec City and in Ottawa, if we allow this to happen, that open-mindedness and tolerance will reduce differences and allow similarities to prosper, rendering Canada a better place to call home.

Newlyweds Sposi novelli

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2012

Send us your wedding pictures! Mandateci le vostre foto di matrimonio! Submit your picture on www.panoramitalia.com click on ‘Magazine’ followed by ‘Newlyweds,’ or by mail, and include their names and wedding date. To be published in our December/January issue.

Cost: $35 (tax incl.) Deadline: November 2, 2012 Si prega di inviare la foto a www.panoramitalia.com e cliccare prima su ‘Magazine’ e poi su ‘Newlyweds’, oppure spedirla per posta con i nomi degli sposi e la data di matrimonio. Per l’edizione di dicembre/gennaio. Costo: $35 (tax incl.) Scadenza: 2 novembre 2012

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Li fe &People

Illustration By Dave Ferreira

ACCORDION

The Accordion By Salvatore Difalco

Then and Now

Ah, the humble accordion. That musical marvel of buttons, pleats, wood and wind. That oneman band extraordinaire, instant party, joy machine. Joking aside, does a more gregarious instrument exist? Who doesn’t smile, in some manner, within earshot of an accordion?

fter a brief and perhaps unfortunate absence, the accordion has made a resounding comeback of late. The redoubtable, unkillable, volksinstrument of choice for much of the latter 19th and early 20th centuries, has reclaimed its place in the popular consciousness. And no, nostalgia hasn’t driven the resurgence. The accordion’s current legion of advocates and aficionados include cutting-edge Grammy winners like Montreal’s Arcade Fire (featuring two brilliant accordionists: Régine Chassagne and Richard Reed Parry), Green Day’s Tré Cool, steampunkers Abney Park, and a score of contemporary zydeco bands. Some would argue that the venerable accordion never went away. While true in countries like Mexico, Brazil and Columbia, where its popularity in mainstream and traditional music never waned, and in smaller cultural pockets around the world, like Italian and Polish immigrant communities who clung to this memento and musical repository of the Old World — let’s face it, in North America the accordion was for a time, well, the accordion. Long a staple at weddings, bar mitzvahs and polka parties, the accordion, in particular the piano version we most commonly associate with the term, lost currency during the shaggy, denimed cultural spasms of the late 20th century. Not the poster instrument for flower power counterculture and rebellion. Tie-dyes and accordions would have made awkward bedfellows. Blame it on the squarish stylings of accordion-wizard Myron Floren, a favourite guest of Lawrence Welk (himself an accomplished accordionist), the demise of the polka dance craze, a maturing immigrant population, or simply the advent of guitar-

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Li fe &People and-drum based rock and roll, for at least a generation the accordion was relegated to the dreaded purgatory of the uncool. With the arrival of synthesizers and digital technology the accordion’s cultural status seemed destined for the museum of musical obsolescence, like a latter-day harpsichord or clavinet. But it endured. Indeed this cross-breed of bellows and reeds has come a long way from its inventive and wheezy beginnings in early 19th century Europe (though in a sense its provenance dates back to ancient China and sheng reeds, 14th–12th centuries BC). It has run the gamut from folk talisman and full-fledged classical instrument — Tchaikovsy and Umberto Giordano among others composed works for the diatonic button accordion — to oft-maligned exemplar of goldtoothed, pomaded kitsch, and at last a favoured sound of the contemporary avant-garde. Very simply, the accordion makes music when its bellows is expanded or compressed while its buttons or keys are depressed, opening valves called pallets that allow air to flow across thin metal strips, called reeds. The reeds vibrate and produce sound inside the accordion’s body. During the early 19th century this design was replicated across Europe, and although other accordions may have been built before or concurrently, Berliner Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann takes credit for its invention in 1822 (as well as the harmonica, with both claims challenged); but an Armenian living in Vienna, Cyrill Demian, first patented an instrument called the accordion in 1829. Demian’s basic squeezebox was a far cry from the elaborate, enameled models manufactured at the height of the “Golden Age of the Accordion” (1900-1960), like the sturdy German Weltmeister, the Mercedes Benz of piano accordions. Today the flexible term accordion refers to a multibranched family of aerophones with varying components and propensities, everything from archaic 8-key bisonoric diatonic accordions, concertinas, Schrammels used in klezmer music, the folksy Italian organetto, and

exotic oddities like the trikitioxa of the Basques. Common to all these instruments are reed ranks of some format, which generate the instrument tones. In Italy, the fisarmonica and organetto have enjoyed privileged status since Unification, when Italians rediscovered not only their self-identify but their gioa di vita. The cheerful accordion, uncomplicated and portable, quickly became il popolo’s instrument of choice. During the 1860s, thanks to the industry of Mariano Dallapè, Northern Italy became a centre for accordion production, in a town called Stradella. Inexpensive two-bass diatonic accordions were soon produced across Italy — with few exported — and became so popular that in the 1870s the composer Giuseppe Verdi — then president of a ministerial music commission — put forward to the Italian conservatory a proposal for a study of the instrument. The accordion’s subsequent ups and downs in Italy during the 20th century rival the national upheavals, though during Mussolini’s reign, perhaps perversely, the suffering accordion industry was rekindled with propagandists declaring it an “Italian invention.” The accordion is presently enjoying another revival in Italy, the current emphasis on custom-made models, often exorbitantly designed and priced. Influential artists such as Gianni Coscia and Marc Perrone are also redefining the accordion’s role as a solo instrument. While we may not be reprising the Golden Age of the Accordion, when virtuosi Pietro Frosini and the suave brothers Count Guido Deiro and Pietro (for a time the highest paid performers in Vaudeville) rambled around Europe and America like rock stars, in some respects the accordion has come full circle, settling comfortably into the 21st century, and occupying a respected niche in popular and folk music worldwide. Despite its wild swings on the cultural pendulum, the accordion has proven a hardy and resilient international mainstay, and from all appearances it won’t be limping off to the museum for a long time.

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Cover Story

Claudio Santaluce

Kid Accordion By Salvatore Difalco

Leave it to a fresh-faced accordion maestro with a last name like Santaluce to light up a dull room. This is precisely what happens one low-key, midweek afternoon at Il Gatto Nero, in Toronto’s Little Italy, when Claudio Santaluce shows up to talk about his bread and butter, the accordion — and this without his accordion in tow. he 23-year-old Toronto native radiates a natural, almost old-fashioned charisma that touches anyone around him. His ebullience and laughter are viral. Easy to see why older and younger generations alike have kept him squeezing the buttons and bellows professionally for 15 years. No misprint. Santaluce started playing for pay at the tender age of eight. He smiles recalling his first brush with the instrument, when he was seven. Actually, it was an organetto, that modest cousin of the accordion and staple of traditional Italian music, powering folk songs from Friuli to Sicily. On a family stay in Salerno, his father Federico’s hometown, Zio Salvatore would fire up the organetto every night. “Everyone would sing and dance,” Santaluce reminisces. “I loved watching my uncle play, and really liked the joyful reaction he got. My father noticed, and when we returned to Canada he bought me an organetto. It was wooden, somewhat used, with a pink floral pattern.” Delighted by his son’s interest in the accordion, Federico arranged for lessons. Within a few short months the boy could dash off a basic tarantella like an old-timer. Federico, his keenest fan from the outset, dutifully drove him to rehearsals and lessons. Blessed with a natural facility for music, Santaluce admits that practicing never thrilled him, and that he learned most tunes by ear. “It got so bad,” he laughs, “that to please my instructor I’d pretend to read the sheet music.” Whether pretending to read the notes or not, it wasn’t long before his organetto wizardry landed him a gig at Rocco’s Plum Tomato, an Italian eatery on Toronto’s Queensway. There, for six years, playing weekend matinees and dinner hours, he honed his accordion skills and expanded his repertoire, dazzling nostalgic and appreciative audiences with a rich, perhaps restorative, array of classic Italian folk songs. He loved performing for them, and they loved hearing him, opening their hearts and wallets in gratitude. “I did very well,” he confesses with a sheepish grin. “I milked the crowds a little. I’d stroll the tables and if I heard a Calabrese accent I’d play ‘Calabrisella Mia’ or if they were from Abruzzo, I’d play ‘Reginella Campangola,’ you know.” Although Santaluce may have started out as a bit of a novelty act — the munchkin in the ruby tux performing “Capri” while you tucked into your veal parmesan — word of mouth spread in the community that the kid was good, better than good. It wasn’t long before his talents were being sought outside Rocco’s Plum Tomato. “Things got busier away from the restaurant,” he says. “I was getting hired for a lot of weddings.” He was also cutting his own CDs and expanding his musical horizons. If the accordion defines Claudio Santaluce for many people, the fact that somewhere along the line he embraced the drums just as passionately comes as a surprise. “Believe it or not the owner of Rocco’s gave my first drums,” he says, “this barely-used kit he had lying around.” Santaluce went on to study drums at Toronto’s Humber College, earning a Bachelors degree in Music. As a drummer he dabbles in rock/funk music, listing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire as influences — details at odds with a traditional accordionist. Indeed, he’s performed on the drums with progressive Canadian artists like Tara Priya and Danny Fernandes, in far-flung places like Japan and Singapore, a far cry from

Photographer: Gregory Varano Makeup artist: Desi Varano

serenading misty-eyed diners. Santaluce betrays no irony when he waxes fondly about his accordion accomplishments and the warm audience responses. “I want to keep my culture alive,” he insists. “That’s the reason I started to play accordion.” Among the many projects currently on the go — ”This year’s been my craziest!” — Santaluce is working on a Neapolitan-influenced CD, with piano, guitar, and a vintage mandolino he purchased in Naples. He calls the work: “A modern twist to traditional music, changing things up to make them fresh, and also striking out for a younger crowd.” While pursuing his more ambitious musical dreams, Santaluce continues to make a good living as a wedding accordionist, and considers teaching music down the road. When asked how his peers respond to his accordion-playing, he admits mixed responses, but he’s so comfortable with himself and musically confident that any doubts don't show. The cultural shame of a generation ago — something father Federico was perhaps trying to correct — has left no residue in young people like Claudio Santaluce, who easily reconcile the intrinsic value of maintaining traditions with the accelerated reality of the 21st century. “When I perform and see people react,” Santaluce says, “with their smiles and sometimes tears — it gives me great satisfaction. And I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it.”

Claudio Santaluce Il Ragazzo Fisarmonica É il viso radioso di un fisarmonicista, quello di Claudio Santaluce, che illumina l’ambiente sobrio, avvolto nella penombra, del ristorante ‘ll Gatto Nero’, che mi accoglie al nostro incontro. Mangia del pane e del burro, e parla della sua fisarmonica, anche se non l’ha con sé. 23enne nato a Toronto ha un carisma naturale, quasi vecchio stile, che cattura chiunque lo ascolti. La sua vitalità e la sua risata sono contagiose. È facile capire perché vecchie e nuove generazioni hanno mantenuto la stessa professionalità nell’ utilizzo dei bottoni e del soffietto per 15 anni. Santaluce ha iniziato ad essere pagato alla tenera età di otto anni. Lui sorride al ricordo del suo primo contatto con lo strumento, aveva appena 7 anni. In realtà quello era un organetto, modesto cugino della fisarmonica e base della musica tradizionale italiana che ha alimentato la musica popolare, dal Friuli alla Sicilia. Durante un soggiorno in famiglia a Salerno, città natale di suo padre Federico, suo zio Salvatore suonava l’organetto ogni sera. “Tutti cantavano e ballavano” – ricorda Santaluce. “Mi piaceva guardare mio zio suonare e la gioia che provava nel farlo. Mio padre se ne accorse e, al nostro ritorno in Canada, mi comprò un organetto. Era di legno, un po’ usato e con una decorazione rosa floreale”. Felice dell’interesse di suo figlio per la fisarmonica, Federico gli fece seguire delle lezioni. Dopo pochi mesi il ragazzo era in grado di suonare una tarantella come un veterano. Proprio Federico, il suo ammiratore più appassionato sin dall’inizio, lo spingeva

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Cover Story anche a suonare in pubblico. Nato con un talento naturale per la musica, Claudio Santaluce ammette che le lezioni non l’hanno mai entusiasmato e che lui ha imparato la maggior parte dei brani a orecchio. “Andavano veramente male – dice ridendo – tanto che per far piacere al mio insegnante facevo finta di leggere lo spartito”. Sia che leggesse le note o che andasse a orecchio, non passò molto tempo prima che la magia del suo organetto lo facesse arrivare al suo primo concerto al Rocco’s Plum Tomato, un ristorante italiano sulla Queensway, a Toronto. Lì, per 6 anni, suonando di pomeriggio e all’ora di cena tutti i fine settimana, ha affinato la sua abilità e ha ampliato il suo repertorio, incantando un pubblico nostalgico e riconoscente con un ricco repertorio di classiche canzoni popolari italiane. A Claudio piaceva suonare per loro, e loro amavano ascoltarlo; lui faceva vibrare i loro cuori e loro aprivano il portafogli in segno di gratitudine. “Lo facevo molto bene” – confessa con un sorriso imbarazzato. “Ho spremuto un po’ il pubblico. Passeggiavo tra i tavoli e, se sentivo l’accento calabrese, suonavo ‘Calabrisella Mia’ e, se erano abruzzesi, suonavo ‘Reginella Campagnola’. Il ragazzino dal vestitino rosso rubino sapeva suonare e la nomea che fosse bravo, anzi più che bravo, si è subito diffusa all’interno della comunità. Non passò molto tempo prima che, grazie al suo talento, lasciasse il Rocco’s Plum Tomato. “Gli impegni diventavano sempre più numerosi al di fuori del ristorante – dice - Venivo chiamato a suonare per tantissimi matrimoni”. Claudio ha anche inciso un CD e ha potuto, così, ampliare i propri orizzonti musicali. Se per tanti è la fisarmonica che caratterizza Claudio Santaluce, sorprende il fatto che a un certo punto si sia appassionato alla batteria. “É stato il proprietario del ristorante Rocco’s che mi ha regalato la mia prima batteria – dice – lui non la utilizzava più”. Santaluce ha studiato batteria all’Humber College di Toronto, conseguendo la laurea in Musica. Come batterista si è dilettato con la musica rock e funk, ascoltando i Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson, Earth e Wind & Fire – stili di musica in contrasto con quelli di un fisarmonicista tradizionale. Infatti, gradualmente, ha iniziato a suonare la batteria con artisti canadesi come Tara Priya e Danny Fernandes, in posti lontanissimi, come il Giappone e Singapore, rimpianto dai clienti del ristorante a cui mancavano le sue serenate da fisarmonicista. Santaluce non scherza quando ci parla del suo amore per la fisarmonica e del piacere che ricava dalla reazione del pubblico. “Voglio mantenere viva la mia cultura d’origine ed è per questo che ho iniziato a suonare la fisarmonica”. Tra i tanti progetti in corso – “Quest’anno è stato pazzesco!” – Santaluce sta lavorando a un CD con influenze napoletane, con pianoforte, chitarra e un vecchio mandolino che ha acquistato a Napoli. Lui chiama questo lavoro: “Un intreccio

moderno di musica tradizionale; cambiando qualcosa per renderlo più vivace e per entusiasmare un pubblico più giovane”. Mentre coltiva i suoi ambiziosi sogni musicali, Santaluce continua a fare il fisarmonicista ai matrimoni e pensa di diventare un insegnante di musica. Alla domanda su come i suoi coetanei reagiscono alla musica popolare, ammette che ci sono delle reazioni diverse, ma lui è così a suo agio e sicuro di sé quando suona che piace a tutti, indistintamente. Una generazione fa si aveva quasi vergogna di chi si era – un complesso che papà Federico ha fatto di tutto per correggere – I giovani della generazione di Claudio Santaluce l’hanno superato e conciliano il valore intrinseco del mantenimento delle tradizioni con la realtà del 21° secolo. “Quando suono e vedo le persone reagire con un bel sorriso e qualche volta con le lacrime – dice Santaluce – provo una grande gioia. E mi convinco che non smetterò mai di suonare”.

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Li fe &People

Joe Caringi In a class by himself By Loretta Gatto-White

Instrumentally speaking, what exactly is the iconic accordion? It has reeds like a harmonica, a keyboard like a piano, yet it’s played percussively as a pipe organ, so musically it’s in a class by itself, very much like Toronto’s accordion-playing legend and renowned music teacher, Joe Caringi. iuseppe Caringi was born in 1933 in Sora, Provincia di Frosinone in the region of Lazio. Although the Caringis weren’t a musical family, they acquired an accordion. They realized that from the time their son was 10 years of age, he not only had a passion for playing the instrument but a curiosity about its inner-workings as well. Caringi explains why, above all other instruments, the accordion fascinated him: “In Italy the accordion was the iconic acoustic instrument preferred and enjoyed at every celebration. It was not a musical celebration without an accordionist playing such wonderful music.” Despite the fact that Caringi’s family had modest means, they were determined to encourage their son’s talent. They made great financial sacrifices to send him to private lessons at the Casa Musicale Vicini di Sora and the prestigious Centro Didattico Musicale Farfisa where he obtained the status of teacher "Superiore." As his talent

flourished, so did his family’s enjoyment of a home filled with his accordion music and their pride in his achievements (Caringi won many local music competitions). After Caringi completed Italian military service, he decided to pursue his musical career in Canada in 1957. He settled in Toronto, where he was to meet the love of his life, Rosina Baldassarra. They married that same year and Caringi declares that they are just as passionate now about each other and his music as they were then. “Rosina is still at my side and as supportive as day one,” Caringi says. “I am sure it is all in the romantic sound of the accordion!” With Rosina at his side, Caringi worked ambitiously to take advantage of the business and artistic opportunities the burgeoning economy and the Italian community in Toronto presented. In 1958 he opened a small accordion shop and music school, Caringi Accordion House Ltd., at St. Clair and Oakwood, which he later moved to Woodbridge (and still runs at the age of 79). Even though he was a qualified master

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Li fe &People teacher, Caringi pursued further studies in music theory at the Royal Conservatory of Music between 1964 and 1966. Although language sometimes proved a barrier for Caringi, he integrated easily into the already established Italian music scene, where he found mentors like grand master Gervasio Marcosigniori and enduring inspiration for musical innovation in the playing of the great Richard Galliano. The Italian community in the 1960s loved to hear live music from their homeland and especially the romantic and folklore tunes from the iconic accordion without which no Italian celebration was complete. Soon Caringi started his own band, the Caringi Orchestra, which was so popular within the Italian community that they took bookings as far as a year in advance. It was also well received in the Polish community, which was an opportunity for the orchestra to expand commercially and culturally. Caringi has fond memories of his over 40 years of playing. He has entertained audiences at the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the eighth annual CHIN International Picnic and on television on The Dini Petty Show. “I just enjoyed performing for any kind of venue,” he says. “It was always special.” As the popularity of his orchestra grew, so did the demands of their performance, touring and recording schedules, making the balance between running an accordion business/music school and family life challenging, especially for his wife, Rosina, whose help and constant support Caringi credits as indispensable to his success. Caringi is very proud that the success of this musical profession has become a family tradition carried on by his son, Jerry Caringi, a versatile musician, vocalist and producer, who has performed with many international stars like Al Martino, Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer. Then there is grandson Adam Caringi, who is a professional drummer and band teacher. When asked what makes the appeal of the accordion and its musical repertoire endure with students and audiences today, Caringi says it’s the aesthetics of the instrument and its distinct ‘distant’ sound, which is inextricably associated with serenades, folklore and cultural celebration. “It will always be that sound and look…a novelty making it that special standout instrument.” And although the French accordionists may play their waltz-like musettes and the Polish their polkas, Caringi declares, “as soon as you hear an accordion, you think Italy” and possibly, love! This sentiment is quite apropos coming from Joe Caringi, legendary accordionist, master teacher, businessman, father, devoted husband and true musical romantic.

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Li fe &People

Sebastian

An accordionist with modern pizzazz

Carubia By Alessia Mocella

Every Italian knows the one thing that defines their heritage. For some it may be food, art or history, but for Sebastian Carubia, it is the accordion. From a young age, Carubia had a passion for the instrument and now that he is retired, he is discovering new avenues in which to explore the instrument’s sound. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine where the accordion has taken him. arubia grew up on College Street in the 1960s when Italian culture flourished and he remembers that as early as the age of nine he was enthralled with the accordion. He would see people play and think, “I want to be that guy.” His mother encouraged him to play and was keen on her son practising for at least an hour every day. He would confidently perform at festas, family gatherings, weddings or Sunday dinners. He wanted to make his mother proud and felt a sense of pleasure when he was able to get people in his community to dance and sing along to the accordion. As he matured, the popularity of the accordion dwindled and he learned how to play other instruments. He grew up to become a teacher and then a principal who was a strong advocate of music and drama among his students. It was not until retirement that Carubia revisited the accordion and renewed his passion for it. He practiced, as he does today, for hours on end and started to perform at weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other special events. Until that fateful day in 2010 when his stars began to change. On a warm June day as Carubia was on the way to a golf club, he received a call from producer Bruce Carson from The NE Inc. and was asked to perform in a music video with Mia Martina for her song “Stereo Love.” Thinking it was a hoax, Carubia was apprehensive, but he still accepted the offer. He practiced the song and a few weeks later he was at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto filming with the artist. The music video was nominated for a Juno and the director, Marc André Debruyne, won the 2012 Much Music Video Award for director of the year. Immediately after, Carubia received fan mail and praises from around the world and his musical career was given a swift kick into high gear. In one of his most cherished letters, a former student wrote saying her nine-yearold son recognized Carubia in the “Stereo Love” music video. At the time, her son was taking piano lessons but was inspired to switch to the accordion because he thought Carubia was “cool.” Now, Carubia is writing his own tunes that blend “DJ sounds” with the accordion. With his newfound and unexpected career in music, he is looking to revamp the sound of the accordion. He is releasing a CD and music video soon and is confident it will be like nothing anyone has ever heard before. He believes the accordion is making a come-back and the most inspiring feedback he gets is from his fans of the younger generation. Carubia intends to “take the accordion to a completely different level in pop music,” and appeal to a larger audience, especially the new generation. Although Carubia now considers himself a famous talent in the world of modern accordionists, he never forgets his roots. He still plays at Italian events and appreciates its ability to bring people together. Carubia claims the accordion as the “instrument of the every day simple man” because in the 1950s it was popular among Italian farmers who, after a hard day at work, would gather to sing along to the fisarmonica and share a dance. The accordion has been in his family for generations and is a constant reminder of his cultural traditions. Carubia intends to continue playing the accordion and to share this quintessential Italian instrument with the world in a new way, but never forgetting the nostalgia of old Italy that comes with it.

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Li fe &People

Sal Ritacca A fresh squeeze on tradition By Daniela DiStefano

As far as musical instruments go, the accordion doesn’t usually place high in the hip and trendy rankings. It can be cumbersome to hold and tricky to master the buttons and keys, but for Sal Ritacca, the glory days are back. was performing as part of a school play and one of the boys came up to me after and said, ‘I bet you get a lot of chicks with that thing! I’m going to ask my parents to buy me one,’” Ritacca recalls. “In my day you would never attract a girl playing the accordion, but most of these kids had never even seen one before and were so in awe of it.” In Ritacca’s eyes the accordion has come a long way since he was a 10-year-old taking lessons from his accordion teacher, Pasquale, in Toronto. Like most young sons of Italian immigrants in the ’50s and ’60s, he was exposed to the instrument because of its nostalgic ties to the homeland. “It wasn’t easy to come by extra money, but my parents did what they could for me to play it,” says Ritacca, now 60. “The accordion was a way to keep the ties to our culture — you would play the songs and hear the songs and remember where you came from.” Fast-forward to 2012 and you’ll find accordions in alternative rock bands across the continent and in the hands of longtime devotees and newly acquainted hipsters. “When I was a kid you didn’t go around telling people you played the accordion because it just wasn’t cool,” Ritacca says. “It was all about the saxophone and the electric guitar, but now it’s in style.” After a few years of accordion lessons Ritacca convinced his father to let him try the drums next, and he formed a band with his other musical family members to play at weddings and parties. In his thirties, as a high school math teacher, he took interest in the saxophone, and was part of a contemporary jazz band in his spare time. Then in 2005 Ritacca revived his connection with the bellows, buttons, reeds and keys when his aunt presented him with the old accordion of his late uncle Mike. “The last time my fingers had touched an accordion I had been a young boy, but I picked it up and started to play the songs I first learned,” he says. “I went through different instruments through the years, but for some reason I went right back to this one.” Soon after Ritacca embarked on a quest to find an accordion that would deliver the precise sound he was looking for. His journey took him to Castelfidardo, Italy, the capital of the reed instrument and the epicenter of the accordion manufacturing industry where he was able to play some of the old accordions in the museum collection. He was then invited by his cousin to play in the hills of Calabria for an annual hunting trip near his hometown of Rende, where he entertained the group with tarantellas. Now Ritacca plays an AC Continental Excelsior that once belonged to his grandfather — the closest he’s found to achieving his desired sound. He learns most of the songs in his musical lexicon by ear searching for tracks and artists on YouTube, and attentively listening to the notes as he plays them on the accordion. He’ll practice for about 40 minutes each evening in his music room at home going through everything from old Neapolitan tunes and Waltzes to Sinatra and Santana songs. “Very few human pursuits have the effects of music” he says. “There’s an element of the infinite when you’re playing, and I want the audience to be in that moment and experience that joy and nostalgia when they hear me,” says Ritacca, who often plays at picnics, markets and special occasions. One of the most important live performances Ritacca has given to date was in honour of the birth of his first granddaughter, Gianni. “When I first saw her I was inspired to write a song named after her, and I performed it at her baptism in the Marche region of Italy last summer,” he says. “It was a waltz and everyone sang the lyrics as I played. It’s a great feeling you get when people are having a good time and dancing to the music you’ve created.”

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Li fe &People

Massimiliano Morabito Come pizzica lu core l’organetto!

Serena Battista

Il Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino è un’orchestra di musica popolare salentina nata nel 1975. Oggi il Canzoniere rappresenta un’istituzione nel panorama della pizzica (la danza tipica del Salento, in Puglia) e della musica popolare. Durante la tappa canadese del tour internazionale del Canzoniere, abbiamo intervistato Massimiliano Morabito, il suo eccellente organettista. La sua storia ci fa riflettere sul salvifico e sacro potere della musica e le sue parole illuminano alcuni aspetti, spesso poco conosciuti, della tradizione musicale orale. Panoram Italia: Massimiliano, ci racconti quando e in che circostanze è avvenuto il tuo primo incontro con l'organetto e perché hai deciso di studiarlo? Massimiliano Morabito: Ho studiato al Dams di Bologna. Mi sono appassionato al mondo dell'etnomusicologia grazie al docente Roberto Leydi, ma fu un avvenimento triste a farmi avvicinare all'organetto. Nel 2000, quando avevo 27 anni, morì mio fratello. Io ero già orfano di padre. Distrutto dalla perdita di metà dellafamiglia, mi rinchiusi in uno stato di buio interiore. La mia salvezza fu incontrare Giovanni, il nonno della mia ex ragazza, suonatore di organetto. Era dolcissimo “sentire” come attraverso la musica popolare Giovanni donava allegria a tutta la famiglia e l'organetto sembrava avesse il magico potere di unirla. Fu allora che ne chiesi uno in prestito, con la certezza di poter lenire il mio male interiore. Contemporaneamente, studiai con il Maestro Mario Salvi, che si era trasferito, per mia grande fortuna, da Roma a Cisternino ma non avrei mai immaginato che la musica potesse diventare la mia professione; ero educatore di minori a rischio e pensavo che alla mia età la vita fosse già segnata. Oggi, guarito dal mio male, mi sento un po' medico dell'anima. Mi basta vedere, durante un concerto, la gente che sorride per darmi, quotidianamente, la voglia e la gioia di suonare. PI: Hai collaborato, in qualità di membro dell'orchestra popolare della Notte della Taranta, con musicisti e maestri concertatori internazionali. Qual è stato il connubio musicale che più ti ha entusiasmato? MM: La musica di tradizione orale non è mai stata pura ma la sua essenza si trova proprio nell'eterno incontro tra culture. Tradimento e tradizione si incontrano e si scontrano, non a caso entrambi i termini nascono dallo stesso verbo latino, tradere; la tradizione viene tradita nel preciso istante in cui è trasmessa, in quanto chi la riceve la muta con la propria sensibilità. In passato, però, queste trasformazioni erano lente, diluite nel tempo e accettate dalla comunità che creava quella magica ritualità dove non esisteva la differenza tra pubblico e musicista ma tutti erano attori principali. Oggi, attraverso i concerti, si perde questa forza rituale e le trasformazioni, gli incontri e le sperimentazioni sono all'ordine del giorno. Ma la sfida e, contemporaneamente, il divertimento del musicista moderno stanno nel creare, in tempo reale, nuove modalità di incontro tra artisti e pubblico. Ho collaborato con diversi musicisti internazionali, quali: Piers Faccini, il duo JuJu (Justin Adams e Juldè Camera), Ballakè Sissoko, la Fanfara di Tirana e i Maestri concertatori Ambrogio Sparagna e Ludovico Einaudi, ed è stato sempre entusiasmante fare musica con tutti loro perché, anche se culturalmente distanti, abbiamo

Photo by: Daniela Cardone

magicamente trovato un linguaggio comune. Ricordo con piacere, ad esempio, che con il duo JuJu fu subito intesa, sebbene non avessimo affatto parlato. PI: Il tuo album da solista, “Sendë nà rionettë sunà” (Squilibri ed.), ospita brani inediti nati da una ricerca sul campo: come si è articolata questa ricerca? MM: Questo disco nasce, per cosi dire, sul campo, grazie agli studi, alle rilevazioni, all'ascolto di registrazioni storiche e, soprattutto, all'assidua frequentazione di anziani suonatori e interpreti, le cui indicazioni mi hanno consentito di esplorare meglio ambiti musicali non ancora sufficientemente indagati. In particolare, i repertori per organetto continuano a essere trascurati, a dispetto della centralità che questo strumento, a partire dalla fine del XIX secolo, ha assunto nella musica tradizionale e, ancor di più, nella musica per la danza. Da qui l'idea di far rivivere il repertorio più antico delle tarantelle pugliesi, sia pure filtrato dalla mia sensibilità, per rendere omaggio alla tradizione. PI: Il 2012 ha portato il Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino in tour per il mondo: che tipo di approccio hai riscontrato tra i canadesi alla nostra musica popolare? MM: Il pubblico canadese si è dimostrato educato, attento e curioso, attratto non solo dall'energia della pizzica ma anche dal suo contesto originario. La pizzica ha avuto la straordinaria capacità di emozionare anche chi non ne capiva il significato più profondo. PI: L’uso di dedicare serenate, sebbene si stia perdendo, non è del tutto scomparso. Hai mai fatto una serenata alla tua innamorata? MM: MM: Certamente. Potrei rispondere con una frase in dialetto che dice:“mica lu scarparu rimane alla scasata”, ossia: “non può il calzolaio rimanere scalzo”. Questo dono speciale, ovviamente, lo riservo solo a una persona speciale.

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Li fe &People

Il fascino delle

fisarmoniche fidardensi

Quella mattina di maggio, quando le campane della chiesa avevano cominciato a suonare, Eugenio si era ridestato dal suo da fare, cominciato all’alba, e si era ricordato che la cugina Maria, che viveva con lui e tutta la famiglia nello stesso casolare, si sarebbe sposata proprio quel giorno. Eugenio aveva promesso che dopo la cerimonia avrebbe condotto lui, con la fisarmonica, l’allegra processione lungo la strada tra la chiesa e la casa della sposa. Prese, perciò, lo strumento ancora nella custodia e si incamminò con quello a tracolla. el secondo dopoguerra bastava una fisarmonica per portare un’intera orchestra in un paese, ovunque esso fosse situato. Era sufficiente un suonatore per dare inizio alle danze in ogni luogo della città e in un qualsiasi momento e rallegrare l’atmosfera durante i giorni di festa e le sere di noia trascorse in famiglia. La fisarmonica è uno strumento che appena venne inventato ebbe subito un grande impatto tra il popolo. Il brevetto fu depositato a Vienna da Cyril Demian il 6 Maggio 1829, ma esiste anche una leggenda che narra di uno straniero fermatosi a passare la notte nel casolare di una famiglia di contadini di Castelfidardo, cittadina situata nel centro delle Marche. Uno dei figli del contadino, incuriosito dall’oggetto portato dallo straniero, decise di comprarlo per poterlo studiare. Quel giovane si chiamava Paolo Soprani. Egli, dopo averne riprodotti alcuni esemplari migliorati, aprì, nel 1863, proprio a Castelfidardo la prima fabbrica di fisarmoniche della storia. Poiché lo strumento è costituito da oltre ottomila parti di centinaia di materiali diversi e il suono dipende da tutti questi elementi messi insieme, Paolo Soprani ebbe l’abilità di organizzare il lavoro degli operai in gruppi specializzati, senza mai smettere di cercare di ottimizzarne il suono. In questo modo la qualità della manifattura si mantenne altissima, le aziende della zona moltiplicarono e, negli anni ‘60, le fisarmoniche fidardensi erano famose in tutto il mondo. Oggi l’azienda che impiega il maggior numero di liutai è la Pigini. Gli operai al lavoro assemblano i pezzi uno a uno. Osservando una fisarmonica

Celso, liutai fidardense

dall’interno è possibile vedere e toccare il meccanismo delle ance metalliche che producono il suono quando sono stimolate dal flusso d’aria prodotto dal movimento del mantice. Per diventare liutai è necessario un lungo apprendistato. L‘ideale sarebbe imitare il percorso di Celso. Nato a Castelfidardo, classe 1931, ha imparato il mestiere quando era ancora ragazzino. La fisarmonica per lui ha significato non solo una professione da coltivare con amore, ma anche la possibilità di avvicinarsi alla musica; la sua vera passione. Non abituato a dilungarsi in discorsi, Celso ci mostra lo spartito sul quale ha studiato da giovane e la fisarmonica che ha costruito con le sue mani per sua figlia e sulla quale vi è il suo nome, in caratteri argentati. Siamo incantati dalla sua grande umanità. Lui, che si considera semplice, ha trascorso tutta la vita studiando i segreti di questo strumento in ogni sua singola parte, in numerose aziende della zona. Per tutti quelli come Celso, che hanno dedicato la vita alla fisarmonica, nel 1981 è stato inaugurato il Museo internazionale della Fisarmonica, dove è possibile ripercorrere l‘intera storia dello strumento. Torniamo a Eugenio che esce fuori dalla chiesa. La messa è finita. Il corteo si avvia per la strada e lui comincia a suonare una romantica melodia nuziale. Nelle case tutti interrompono quello che stanno facendo per affacciarsi sorridenti alla finestra. Incuriositi dalla vivace atmosfera di festa, ascoltano la musica di Eugenio. Mentre la processione si snoda lungo le vie, sembra che voli su note vibranti. È l’incantesimo della fisarmonica.

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Li fe &People

Learning English By Remo Zaccagna

in Nova Scotia

While the eurozone is in the throes of a debt crisis that threatens to plunge the entire continent into a recession, many youth are looking at ways to brighten their future job prospects. uch like their Italian forebears who made their way through Halifax's famed Pier 21 decades ago in search of a better life, a group of high-school students from a picturesque region in northeastern Italy have come to the shores of eastern Canada. Twenty-three students from Liceo Betrand Russell, a school in Cles, a small town of 6,000 people near Trento in the Italian Alps, touched down in Ottawa on May 29 and immediately made their way to Halifax for a month of learning a new language and culture. It's an excursion that English teacher Tiziana Ravina, who immigrated to Halifax in 1959 before moving back to Italy in her mid-20s, has made with her students for the last several years. And it's one that has become a necessity, as criteria for future employment continues to evolve in a challenging economic market. “If they want a good job, English is a prerequisite, it’s almost mandatory. If you can speak English, you can get a better job, or get a promotion (in Italy),” Ravina said, adding that some students may decide to take their talents outside the old continent. “I think that most of them want to learn English because it’s very important for them, even in Italy, to know a second language,” she said. “But some do go to the U.K., go to the United States, and come to Canada for their Masters or post-graduate studies or to get better jobs, because in Italy, some jobs, you know, they’re just off limits.”

For 28 days, the students, who range in age from 16 to 18, spent time learning English at the International Language Institute, and then retreated to their host families, whom were not necessarily Italian, for a lesson in Canadian culture. It's that type of environment that Ravina said she wants the students to be exposed to. “I find that the host families in Canada are better (than those in the United Kingdom). They’re better in the way they take care of my students…the learning environment is better,” she said. “And I would say, all in all, they’re quality families, where students can learn about the Canadian way of life, and Canadian culture and traditions.” Language learning aside, it's been an eye-opening experience for all of the students. Many of them do not have any extended families living in Canada, and most have never been on this side of the Atlantic. “I knew that there were many Italians here, but as for the rest, I didn’t know much about the country,” said Chiara Odorizzi, 17, adding that she hopes to be back again. “It would be great to go visit Toronto,Vancouver, and Montreal.” Lorenzo Bosatti, 17, said he enjoyed interacting with locals the most. “It’s a beautiful country…the weather isn’t that

great though. It’s a little cold for summer,” he laughed, on a grey June day as the students stood on the steps of the Italian Canadian Cultural Association of Nova Scotia. “But the people are nice and friendly, so I like it here.” As opposed to some places in Italy, Riccardo Bevilacqua said he was surprised by the amount of open areas “where there's space for everyone” in eastern Canada. But one unique aspect of Canadian life took him by surprise the most. “When I arrived in Ottawa, I heard people greeted first in English and then in French,” he said. “I knew people spoke French here, but it still seemed a little strange, because I only expected to hear English.” Canada's rugged beauty was Massimo De Poda's favourite part of the trip. “What was the most beautiful for me were the lakes,” the 17-year-old said. “As soon as you leave the city, you traverse immense forests and beautiful lakes. Hearing these experiences, Ravina envisions expanding the program to other parts of Canada, and possibly include Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa.“I would love to,” she said. “If (people) want to do an exchange with my school....anywhere in Canada, and then (they) can come to visit us.”

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Name: Madeleine Occupation: Student at Holy Name of Mary College School Claim to Fame: Co-founder of the Leadership Program Current Projects: President of Student Government Generation: First Mom & dad from: Lazio, Italy Why did you decide to attend HNMCS? My brother attended St. Michael’s College School in Toronto and loved it. Holy Name of Mary College School is their sister school. My parents and I thought I should have the same opportunity that he did. What do you like most about your school? I like the all girls environment and how instruction is tailored to the way we learn. Because there are activities with the boys at SMCS we get the best of both worlds. What are your future plans? I want to be an engineer and eventually be a CEO. How did HNMCS shape your life? The school gave me opportunities for leadership I could not get elsewhere. What is your favorite subject and why? Physics. I know it’s not a common for a girl to say that but I have an amazing teacher... What is the best piece of advice you were ever given, and from whom did you receive it? Dimmi con chi vai e ti diro chi sei – Nonno Tony

What do you like most about your Italian heritage? My nonna Maria’s homemade pasta – it’s the best. What feature / quality do you find most interesting in another person? Wit and humour. When you can laugh at yourself you become down to earth. Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met? Actually it’s my fellow students at school. Every one of us is different which makes it interesting but all of us have the same set of values. It's really neat. You have an afternoon all to yourself away from everything / everybody, how do you spend it? As president of the student government at school, I am always with fellow students organizing and planning so when I have a chance I like to find a quiet place and read a book. Mother: Elisabeth “This new generation of young Italo-Canadian women is daring to execute greater dreams than their grandparents could ever have envisioned for them. HNMCS allowed Madeleine the opportunity to build confidence and leadership while keeping our strong family values.”

Lydia

your daughter... Name: Veronica Occupation: Student at Holy Name of Mary College School / Singer Current Projects: Working on an album with Universal Music Generation: Second Mom & dad from: Canada Nonno on dad’s side from: Torino di Sangro, Italy Why did you decide to attend HNMCS? The teachers are absolutely awesome. They know you very well and push you to be your best. It is how I discovered my talent for music.

What do you like most about your Italian heritage? Apart from the amazing food, our family get-togethers are always memorable and an important part of my life.

What do you like most about your school? The students are all high achievers, well balanced and the environment is friendly. I like to surround myself with these kinds of students.

What would it take to make you go, WOW! Meeting my absolute favourite artist and fellow Torontonian, Drake!

What are your future plans? If all goes as planned, a successful career as a singer, songwriter and eventually a music producer. How did HNMCS shape your life? HNMCS has helped me to mature into a better person both academically and spiritually. What is your favourite subject and why? English is my favourite subject. I am passionate about it, I just love it. Who are your real life heroes? Mother Theresa. This petite woman who had nothing more than faith ended up changing our world for the better and did not want any credit for it. She’s my inspiration.

What’s your pet peeve; what really ticks you off? Bad table manners. You have an afternoon all to yourself away from everything / everybody, how do you spend it? Put me on a beach somewhere, with my music and headphones, and I am the happiest person in the world. Mother: Lydia “I am so proud of my daughter. She is handling all the work and pressure of school as well as balancing a music career all while taking it in stride. I am simply amazed! HNMCS has opened doors for her and, wherever she goes, I am confident that she will be successful in anything she pursues.”

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Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 24

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Li fe &People

Michelle Alfano A (Not So) Nice Italian Girl By Loretta Gatto-White

If a ‘nice Italian girl’ is docile, humble and upholds the status quo, then Bressani award-winning writer and editor, Michelle Alfano, is the antithesis of this wellknown stereotype. n fact, she is the co-founder, with poet Giovanna Riccio, of the literary reading group The (Not So) Nice Italian Girls and Friends whose aims are to subvert the stereotype of the ‘nice Italian girl’ and bring together various cultural groups with diverse viewpoints on topics like sexuality and gender roles. Their events are held several times a month at The Annex in Toronto’s west end, and they promote the work of established and emerging writers around challenging themes like, “What is a man?” and “Desire, Disenchantment and Disgrazia (Love and Desire).” Outside of her careers as a novelist, co-editor of Descant Literary Quarterly and Fundraising Researcher (University of Toronto), Alfano is responsible for co-producing the group’s non-profit reading events; securing the venues, convening the performers and advertising, all done on a volunteer basis and without any funding. Nevertheless, since The (Not So) Nice Italian Girls was formed in 2009, Toronto audiences’ appetite for spoken word events has been growing, and it’s no wonder as they strive to reach beyond the Italian-Canadian literary community to widen the circle, building bridges between Toronto’s diverse cultural groups, sexual orientations and artistic disciplines. As much as Alfano challenges Italian stereotypes, the relevance of ethnic identity in contemporary society is also called into question. She points out that although she has raised her teenage daughter to experience and appreciate Italian culture, she also identifies equally with her father’s Japanese heritage. Although she is proud of her Sicilian background and the talented Italian-Canadian writers with whom she works, the author is uneasy about being labelled an ItalianCanadian writer, considering it a constricting designation, albeit one shared with amiable and accomplished people. Through her activities with The (Not So) Nice Italian Girls, the author strives to bring artists and their artistic practice out of the comfort of their cultural zone and branch

out. Something she is pursuing in her new novel-in-progress, Vita’s Prospects, where she writes about issues beyond the specific context of the Italian-Canadian community, a departure from her first novel, Made Up of Arias. In pursuing her inclusive cultural agenda and promotion of new literary works, Alfano embraces social media, writing a blog at alitchick.blogspot.com, where the reader will find wry and insightful critiques on an eclectic selection of books, current art and social topics. Traditional publishing is as valuable a platform as cyber-space for Alfano, who seeks “to bring forward and promote the work of new writers and explore new areas of literature/art in Canada,” advising aspiring writers to “Write! Don’t talk about it, do it every day.... It’s not about being liked. It’s about speaking the truth through your art. It’s about cultivating originality and bravery. Keep the faith!” Aside from Alfano’s literary activities and full-time research job at the University of Toronto, she volunteers Friday nights during the winter season at the Eastminster Church as shift supervisor and food server with Out of the Cold, a non-profit that provides hot meals for Toronto’s homeless. It is an experience which she finds humbling: “...you realize how fortunate you are and that you should just stop whining about your petty problems when you see some of the issues that these folks are going through. Most people are really decent but are experiencing severe difficulties: physical abuse, substance abuse, loss of employment, discrimination and physical disability.” Despite the social marginalization and isolation some of our populations face, Alfano is still idealistic about our society’s future, hoping “for a welcoming attitude towards diversity — we have that in Toronto and I would like that to be the standard throughout Canada — inclusiveness; generosity of spirit.” Very inspiring words from an exemplary (Not So) Nice Italian Girl.

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One More Day

Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 26

Li fe &People

Saverino D'Orazio

If I could have one more day with my father, it would be the exact dream I had of him shortly after he passed away. My father, Severino D’Orazio, died on Dec. 17, 1983, at the age of 50, one week before Christmas. My mother, my sister and I had a hard time accepting his passing, but with Christmas one week away and with three small children, we pulled ourselves together and got through it for the children’s sake. After Christmas, our world and our lives changed. I was sad, bitter and angry of my loss. One night, I dreamt I went to visit my dad at the cemetery, and there he was standing near his resting place at Holy Cross Cemetery. I kissed him hello as always, and we walked for hours talking about everything. He hugged me, told me he as fine and walked away. When I woke up, I cried because I wished it had not been a dream, but there was a message for me: he was in a better place, and I shouldn’t be so selfish in wanting him with us when he was suffering so much when he was alive. If I had one more day with my father, I would tell him how much he is still loved and always remembered. Every function where our family is together, his stories are told, his past is relived; my mother tells the children about their grandfather, how he was when he was a young man, his ideas on life, his family values. I would tell him about his six grandchildren: he would be so proud of them. They have all grown up to beautiful adults inside and out. They are intelligent, successful, hardworking, and fun, loving individuals like he was. I would tell him that I feel his presence when my oldest son is in the house. His mannerism, his stand, his movements, his gentleness, gives me chills. My father loved to dance and taught me how to dance at a young age. I would tell him that the first time I attended a wedding after his passing, I cried when the father danced with his daughter, because I realized I would never be able to dance with him again. I would tell him that I am now a grandmother of four beautiful little girls, and that I finally understand his love for grandchildren. Lastly, I would let him know that he left his family in great capable hands: MY MOM. It was her strength and faith in God that got us through the difficult time of loss. Love, your daughter, Silvana

Lina and Angelo Mastrofini If I was given the gift of spending one more day with a deceased loved one, there would be no hesitation as to who I would choose to spend it with. Right away I would want to spend it with both my parents. There was a closeness between us unlike any other. The love they had for each other certainly permeated to everyone around them. They left us with so many wonderful memories and they filled our lives with tenderness and love. My three sons were very fortunate to have them in their lives. They did a lot with their Nonni, therefore the memories are very vivid and they still can recall everything that Nonna and Nonno said to them about their lives in Italy and their roots. I now have two granddaughters of my own, and so my wish for one more day would be for them to spend it with their great grandparents. They can start the day by taking a long slow walk around the old neighbourhood, of course stopping to greet all the friends and proudly introducing the girls, just like they used to do with my sons. The stores would come next, where they would buy a little toy for each; not a big one, because that would be spoiling them. The girls would come home with a new outfit, new shoes and new underwear. Ahh, the underwear: you could never have enough, my mom would say. All day, the girls would be smothered in kisses, with the line “come sei saporita” to each of them; exactly what was said to the boys. Once, back home they would have a big lunch together with all the family. We’d all share “un buon caffe” while the girls play with their new little toy. What a wonderful day that would be. Now that I am a grandmother I find that I am doing and saying the same things my mother used to say to my sons. Their memories live on and I will make sure that they are never forgotten. I just only wish I could really have that “one more day.” Grazie mamma and papà per tutto, Callista

What would you do if you had one more day to spend with a deceased loved one?

Maria Pomposo DiCristofaro If I could have one more day with my mother I wouldn’t know where to start. I know that I would want every minute of that day to be so meaningful and say all the things that I never got a chance to say, due to her sudden and unexpected death. I would start by saying “thank you”. Thank you for all your love, kindness, understanding and all your life lessons, but most of all thanks for being an amazing mother and grandmother. I would want to let you know the impact that you made on all our lives, and how you truly were the glue to the family. Our day together would be simple. Doing the little things that meant the most, like sitting at the kitchen table, talking about everything and anything over a cup of coffee, exchanging recipes and telling you how I was the better cook. We would both laugh knowing I had learned everything from you. We would walk together through your flower garden and admire your beautiful roses and how proud you were of them. Then we would have the family over with your grandchildren by your side, light up the BBQ and have everyone’s favourite lamb spadini. The homemade one’s which you cubed yourself and put on skewers that dad had made. We would all eat, joke around and you would tell us stories of the old days back in Italy. It was our “family picnic” as you would call it, even though we were in the backyard sitting on patio furniture. You took such pride in everything you did, a quality I so admire about you. As our day comes to an end, I know I would want another day with you, although feeling blessed to have had the opportunity to tell you how much you mean to all of us, especially me. You will always be in our hearts. Our memories of you will truly be treasured. Until we see each other again. I love you. Silvana

Future Leader

Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 27

Li fe &People - Future Leader

By Rita Simonetta

Focus and determination are two traits that have made Stephen Lecce so successful at such a young age. At only 25 years old, Lecce has an enviable and challenging position as Prime Minister Harper’s deputy director of communications. “I have an incredible job and I feel very privileged,” Lecce says. efore Panoram Italia talked with him by phone in the late afternoon of August 25, Lecce had just wrapped up a conference call, and hours before that he had attended Minister Julian Fantino’s second annual community BBQ. Lecce had arrived in Toronto only the day before from a trip to Italy that combined sightseeing with a business commitment: meeting with Primo De Luca, the new Canadian Honorary Consul General to Friuli. Lecce has always had a clear commitment to his goals. He graduated from Western University with a degree in Political Science, and while at school, Lecce merged his leadership skills with his passion for philanthropy by serving as the president of the university and volunteering with various charities. Lecce is glad he made the most of his time at university, and it’s something he advises to other young people who are pursuing their studies: “I would encourage students to pursue their passions. My message is simple: take advantage of opportunities to get involved. It’s certainly within everyone’s grasp to make a difference on their campus or in their community.” And Lecce’s involvement with both the international community and the one closer to home has always been evident. While he was at Western University, he led a group of student volunteers to help with Habitat for Humanity’s reconstruction efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Inspired by his volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, Lecce co-founded The Burgundy Brick Foundation in 2007 — a non-profit organization that assists with low-income housing within the GTA. He has also been involved with the Terry Fox Foundation as well as Relay for Life, a charity that raises funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Lecce says he owes this sense of duty and dedication to helping those less fortunate to his family, citing that he learned from them the values of hard work, charity and discipline. He points out that although he has his political plate full in Ottawa, he comes

Photographer: Gregory Varano Location: Hon. Julian Fantino's Constituency Office

Stephen Lecce

home whenever he can in order to spend time with his loved ones, which include his parents, older brother and two nonnas. “I put a big premium on maintaining that relationship,” Lecce says. “It’s a 500 km drive from Ottawa, but I make an effort to come back and see them.” He notes that because he’s lived abroad since university, he doesn’t get homesick as much as he used to, but his family values have never wavered. “At a very personal level I promised myself that I would stay connected and involved in Vaughan and my home and not lose sight of my beginnings.” He adds that this sense of maintaining links is also apparent in the individuals he respects and is influenced by. “I’ve learned that true leaders remain connected to their families and to their roots,” he says, and this is something that he noted in Minister of International Co-operation Julian Fantino. Lecce joined Fantino’s reelection campaign in 2012, and the experience of working with Fantino left a positive impression on Lecce that continues to this day. “He is a mentor,” Lecce says. “[Fantino] is a value-based leader…and his uncompromising love for Canada is very inspiring.” Lecce’s work and commitment to charitable causes was recognized in May when he received the Youth Achievement Award from the National Congress of Italian Canadians. “It was an incredibly humbling experience,” Lecce says of the honour. “As a recipient it gave me an opportunity to think about the sacrifices of my family and those pioneering men and women who made that difficult decision to leave their native land in the pursuit of something better.” It’s no small wonder that Lecce has already set new goals for the future. “The next step for me is to complete another degree,” Lecce says. “It’s important to have goals and to be accountable to your goals,” he adds. “And it’s important to be self-motivated in order to achieve them.”

Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 28

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When 15-year-old Dominic Meffe left Torella del Sannio, Molise, for Canada in 1965, he didn’t speak English and his family had little money. Upon arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, the young Italian was ready to embrace his new frontier and make a new life for himself. Arriving in Toronto on Christmas Eve, he was offered $5 to clear his neighbour’s driveway. He continued to the next house, and the next one and before he knew it, he had shovelled every driveway on the block. As his family prepared a large holiday feast, Dominic returned an hour and a half later, freezing cold and dripping wet. His father, worried sick, reprimanded him for disappearing for so long in a foreign land. Moments later, Dominic emptied his pockets onto the table, revealing $45 in cash. An entrepreneur was born. Dominic’s father, Giustino, put his arm around his son, smiled and said, “This land was made for you.”

orty-seven years and eight hotels later, Meffe is still committed to the quality service and respect that he showed on that snowy winter night. Like any immigrant story, success came with dedication and a strong will. “I believed in the Canadian dream of creating your own destiny with commitment, honesty and hard work,” says Meffe. “Owning your own business is the best way to control your destiny.” Upon his arrival in Toronto, Meffe worked as a construction worker, spot-welder, furniture builder, dishwasher, onion peeler and busboy. It was at the United Country Club, where all of his siblings worked that Meffe first became enchanted with the idea of owning a hotel. Asked to deliver room service, he knocked on a room door and the guest immediately gave him $2, grabbed the food and shut the door in his face. Meffe was startled by the lack of gratitude but realized that he was paid a handsome tip for two minutes of work — working six days a week performing back-breaking construction work only yielded $6 in Torella del Sannio, Molise.

In 1985, he raised $500,000 through the sale of the pizza business, borrowed another half a million from the Royal Bank of Canada to build a 34-room motel in Toronto’s west end. His 12-year-old son Justin came up with the name while walking the Midway at the CNE — the Monte Carlo. They opened a second hotel, a 65-room inn on Derry Road and Highway 10 (in Mississauga), which also proved successful. Today, in addition to the hotel in Mississauga TM Monte Carlo Inns has suites in Toronto West, Oakville, Toronto-Markham, Brampton, Vaughan, Barrie, and their newest hotel is located in downtown Markham. That is over half a million sq. feet of hotel rooms all located near major business centres. The corporate philosophy at TM Monte Carlo Inns emphasizes the importance of price, cleanliness, location and value for money. All locations are highly visible and easily accessible from major road networks, and all sport the same corporate design of a unique European-style hotel housed under a distinctive marley-tiled roof. The result is Monte Carlo’s cachet – the amenities and services of a five-star hotel combined with European elegance, and all at Canadian prices. TM Monte Carlo Inns offers rooms that go for anywhere from $100 to $250-plus for a Jacuzzi suite, a complimentary buffet breakfast in their in-house

restaurant, and a business centre; meeting rooms are also available. The tremendous demand for inns aimed directly at the business market saw Meffe develop a brand that targeted the corporate industry and deliver exactly what those business associates need when on the road. With its Mediterranean look – all fawn and earth-toned bricks, distinctive roof lines and marblelined lobbies – it’s easy to unwind in any of Monte Carlo’s eight locations. TM Monte Carlo Inns is very much a family business, with the passion emanating from the top and weaving its way throughout the company. Meffe sees a very bright future and it is made even brighter because of the strength of his own family. His son Justin is now VP of Operations, eldest daughter Laura works in advertising and purchasing, youngest daughter Sabrina works at one of the hotels, learning from the ground up, and son-in-law Danny is VP of Franchise Development. “You have to be able to look ahead in this business and work toward the future,” says Meffe. Looking ahead means TM Monte Carlo Inns may be entering the downtown core and expanding across Canada by taking over existing hotels/inns and renovating them to the Monte Carlo concept. They are also considering entering the booming western market with a property in Alberta. Meffe and his team have been looking at potential sites in Costa Rica and Rome, although nothing is official as of yet. The success of TM Monte Carlo Inns directly relates to the connection between the staff, customers and product. Although the product has evolved over the years, it is the people and service that has left an indelible mark on customers, giving them a feeling of comfort and ease. The next time that you find yourself at a Monte Carlo Inn, kick up your feet, relax and make yourself at home.

Meffe got married at 21 and bought his first restaurant, Italia Ristorante on the Lakeshore, with his wife in 1970. A year later, he sold it and traded up for Romi’s Pizzeria, a smaller but much busier restaurant. But after 12 years of exhaustingly long hours, he was more than ready to trade in his apron and ovens for another industry. “It was a tough business, especially in winter,” he says. “Delivery cars would get stuck in the snow; people would break in while you were on delivery at an apartment building just to steal a pizza. I used to deliver a lot to the motels along the lakeshore and at the airport and I envied the people who ran them. They always seemed to be sitting warm and comfortable, always lounging while watching Hockey Night in Canada. I finally had enough; I said goodbye to pizzas.”

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1-800-363-6400

Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 29

Advertorial

Dr. Joseph Fava Dr. Joseph Fava is a member of the Ontario Dental Association, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, the Canadian Dental Association, the Association of Prosthodontics of Ontario and the American College of Prosthodontics.

By David De Marco Since 1998, Dr. Joseph Fava has dedicated himself to delivering high quality, compassionate dental care. After practicing general dentistry for a number of years at his own dental practice in Brampton, he felt the need to seek further education to be able to skillfully treat patients suffering from serious dental issues. In 2008, he returned to the University of Toronto to complete a Master’s in Science in the area of aesthetics and dental implants, while completing his specialty certification in Prosthodontics. Dr. Fava is now one of Toronto’s only Italian-Canadian Prosthodontists. For the past 14 years he has helped create beautiful, healthy smiles for all his patients. Dr. Fava had a typical Italian-Canadian experience growing up in Toronto near the St. Clair and Caledonia area. His dad Rosario was born in the small town of Pentone, Catanzaro, Calabria, while his mom Donata is from the City of Venosa, Potenza, Basilicata. They met in Torino, after both moving there for work, and married soon after. They immigrated to Toronto in 1967, in search of a place where they could give themselves and their children a better life filled with more opportunity. Dr. Fava says his parents are the typical Italian immigrants: “very hard working, family-oriented, who stressed the importance of a strong work ethic and getting a good education.” He, along with his three siblings (Dr. Nick Fava, Dr. Vince Fava and Maria Fava MEd), credits his academic, professional and personal success to the values and support given to him by his parents. Without their assistance and sacrifices he recognizes that he would have been unable to achieve what he has today. Soon after graduating from dental school, he married his high-school sweetheart Laura, and together they have been blessed with two wonderful daughters. Dr. Fava is currently a partner in a general dentistry practice at 1500 Bathurst St., as well as 1795 Avenue Rd. Since 2011, however, he has focused most of his time on his true passion of Prosthodontics at his own specialty dental practice Hazleton Lanes Dental Group, in the Shops at Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville. His dental specialty essentially focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and maintenance of missing or deficient teeth. Dr. Fava deals with patients whose teeth are significantly worn, chipped or discolored because of structural problems, namely in the alignment of the teeth, jaw joint (TMJ) and how their bite comes together. As he explains, “when teeth do not come together properly, over time they can start to wear down to a point where there may be catastrophic damage potentially resulting in the loss of teeth.”

Many times, this can be a painful process physically, but more importantly, emotionally and psychologically. This causes tremendous strain in one’s life and negatively impacts a person’s social interactions with others. In effect, people lose their ability to eat and many times become very self conscious of their appearance. For Italian-Canadians, in particular, who as a culture identify with food, family, friends, laughter and socializing; losing one’s ability to eat or smile confidently can be especially devastating. In short, “la dolce vita” cannot be enjoyed without good oral health. While in many cases the procedures are aesthetically driven, Dr. Fava stresses, “it is critical to deal with the root cause of the problem so I can provide my patients not only with beautiful healthy smiles, but with healthy smiles that will last forever.”

Someone in their 40s should not have their teeth breaking or chipping. That is a clear sign there are problems that require investigation. He is also adamant that people avoid, or at least minimize, consuming processed, sugary and acidic foods as these contribute to accelerated tooth deterioration. At Hazleton Lanes Dental Group, Dr. Fava helps patients navigate through other issues like cost, insurance coverage, and follow-up visits. He is aware that this can be a substantial investment in their oral health and is more than willing to provide his patients with options that will help make things more affordable. Dr. Fava is able to place implants in an accurate, timely and efficient manner. Moreover, because he has an on-site dental laboratory, the dental prosthesis are fabricated under his watchful eye to ensure quality and precision. This streamlined approach provides patients with the highest level of care and service.

Before Many of his patients are elderly and have lost all or close to all of their teeth and they wear dentures. Dr. Fava prides himself with being able to fabricate dentures that are imperceptible and that function as comfortably as possible. Alternatively, if for whatever reason the patient cannot tolerate removable dentures or is unsatisfied with their level of function, then Dr. Fava recommends permanent non-removable bridges supported by dental implants. With an increasingly aging population, prosthodontics as a dental specialty is uniquely positioned to be a significant field of medicine that can bring positive change to many people’s lives. Dr. Fava feels, “to be able to bring back a person’s confidence and smile is a great thing to be a part of. The biggest complaint I hear is how my patients feel like they cannot go out anymore because their dentures fall out and that they are embarrassed.” With Dr. Fava’s expertise, patients can have their confidence restored and enjoy the pleasures of eating, smiling, laughing and socializing again. One of the things Dr. Fava loves most about this specialized practice is the ability it gives him to provide an elderly person with a full set of teeth similar to what they had when they were in their twenties. As he states, “It is really the only branch of medicine capable of such a feat. No other medical practice can claim to do the same. It is pretty amazing to be such a positive force in someone’s life.” Similarly, for younger patients in their 30s or 40s, it is important for someone like Dr. Fava to be able to identify problems before they happen or worsen. As he emphasizes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.”

Post-radiation therapy for oral cancer has left this patient unhappy with his smile and his reduced function.

After Patient has regained his ability to function and is now happy to smile. In the patient’s own words, "I can live again.

As for the future, Dr. Fava hopes to build his practice by creating more awareness on tooth wear due to occlusal diseases. He is currently teaching courses for other dentists to help them identify the signs of tooth deterioration. His goal is to help others see the importance of anticipating problems, to diagnose them before they occur or get worse, and to address them in the best possible way. Dr. Fava is also an instructor at the University of Toronto and co-director of a year long course teaching general dentists how to successfully place and restore dental implants.

Tel: 416-925-6767 E-mail: info@hazeltonlanesdental.com Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm 55 Avenue Road, Ste. 2100 East Tower Toronto, ON M5R 3L2 www.hazeltonlanesdental.com www.favaimplantdentistry.com

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Lake Como The Jewel of the Italian Lakes

By David De Marco

Half an hour from the hustle and bustle of Milan is Lake Como – a picture-perfect oasis of serenity. The breathtaking combination of lush Mediterranean foliage, azure and turquoise waters and snow-covered mountains in the distance, make this an area of stunning beauty. Varenna, lake front

t’s no wonder that for centuries Lake Como has attracted visitors from all over the world, ranging from artists to the rich and famous, to its shores. Over time it has become adorned with the most gorgeous villas and flourishing gardens. The best way to explore this exquisite lake is to visit its many memorable towns via ferry or pleasure cruise. It’s a slow, easy-going method of travel and helps tourists fully grasp the vast beauty of this small corner of Italy. Near the tip of the peninsula, where the three branches of the lake meet, sits Bellagio, la perla del lago (the pearl of the lake). Before it became the world- renowned resort it is today, Bellagio was just another quaint Italian fishing village. Because of its amazing views, narrow cobbled streets, immaculate homes, superb villas and wealth of colourful flowers, many consider this to be the most beautiful town in all of Europe. With its lakeside walkway of cafes, great mix of hotels and boutiques, mid-lake location, and frequent ferry service, Bellagio makes a great base to enjoy Lake Como and the picturesque towns on its shores. On the western shore, across from Bellagio, lies the charming town of Menaggio. While it is often overlooked, Menaggio is a lively place with a beautiful waterfront promenade lined with palm trees and colourful flowerbeds. The heart of the town, Piazza Garibaldi, adjacent to the lake, is surrounded by bars and restaurants and features many 19th century buildings finished in the Italian alpine style. From here, there is a stoned pedestrian walkway that leads to wonderful medieval churches like S. Stefano and S. Marta. Although quiet and relaxing, Menaggio is also popular with outdoor enthusiasts for walking, hiking, swimming, windsurfing, and rock climbing. South of Menaggio is the lovely lakeside town of Tremezzo. It too has a classic lakeside esplanade, as well as many wonderful old villas and lakefront hotels. Tremezzo is famous for its proximity to the renowned Villa Carlotta. Many consider this 17th century villa to be one of the best on Lake Como. The combination of its opulent interiors (superb stuccos, delightful ceiling frescoes and a great art collection, including

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an Eros and Psyche by Antonio Canova) and grand exteriors (over 500 species of plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world), make it a must-see for any lover of architecture, interior décor and botanical gardens. Just south of Tremezzo is the quaint village of Lenno, boasting a lakefront promenade that offers magnificent panoramic views. A short walk southward, in Piazza XI Febbraio, is the enchanting 11th century Romanesque church and baptistery of S. Stefano. The main attraction in Lenno, the absolutely stunning Villa Balbianello, is found at the south end of town. This immaculate yellow villa was once the home to famed 20th century Italian explorer Guido Monzino. Nowadays, it has become the setting for several Hollywood hits, including the Star Wars prequels and the James Bond movie Casino Royale. On the eastern shore of the lake, sits the truly unforgettable town of Varenna. All along its steep, twisting alleys are charming homes with balconies filled with beautiful blossoming hydrangeas. Here too you’ll find a romantic lakeside promenade with a quaint harbourfront, four small churches on the main piazza, and the half-ruined, but captivating 11th-century Castello di Vezio. The castle is located above the town just north of Italy's shortest river, Fiumelatte. There are also two famed villas to visit nearby – Villa Cipressi, with its stunning terraced gardens cascading down to the lake, and Villa Monastero, a true showcase of natural beauty and the site of a wonderful house museum. Another great vantage point to enjoy the splendour of Lake Como is in Piazza Cavour, in the town of Como, at the base of the southwestern arm of the lake. The stunning Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta within the historic center has a unique GothicRenaissance façade. The nearby Piazza San Fedele is lined with several colourful 400-year-old buildings and the 12th century basilica of San Fedele, considered to be one of the masterpieces of the maestri Comacini (masters of Como). A visit here would not be complete without a stop at the Baradello Tower located on a hill high above town; it offers a sweeping view of the lake.

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Tra vel

Food & Wine in Photo By: Flavio Pesce

By Alessia Sara Domanico

From endless vineyards to breathtaking views, head to the Piedmontese countryside for a fall feast you’ll never forget un mare di vigneti,” — “it’s a sea of vineyards,” describes Maurizio Martino of NizzaTurismo when I ask him to sum up Nizza Monferrato in a few words. You’ll see this for yourself if you take the postcard-worthy drive along Monferrato’s winding roads and hilltop towns. Nestled in the province of Asti in Italy’s northern Piedmont region, the area in and around the township of Nizza Monferrato is the perfect representation of the Italy we all fantasize about — one that is fading in larger, metropolitan areas, but that has thankfully been preserved and nurtured here. Mixing foodie draws with stunning surrounds covered in hues of red, orange, yellow and green; this is a genuine gourmet capital, with autumn undoubtedly being its shining season. After speaking with Maurizio for tips on what to see and do at the tourist office (Foro Boario, Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1), I head to Palazzo Crova. A Neoclassical style palazzo built for the Baron Luigi Crova di Vaglio in 1769, Palazzo Crova is now a public cultural centre that plays host to the regional enoteca, an enogastronomy museum and cavern-like restaurant La Vineria Della Signora in Rosso that serves up traditional peasant dishes typical of Monferrato’s past. The enogastronomy museum (aptly named the Palazzo Del Gusto/Taste) tells the story of Monferrato’s most notable historic personalities. There are former ‘man of the house’ Baron Crova’s diaries in which he and his wife meticulously recorded meals and recipes recounting the aristocratic cuisine of their time. The legacy of Carlo Gancia is also recalled, with an outline of how he first studied champagne production in Reims, later returning to the hills of Piedmont to simplify the process and technique using muscat grapes. Today, his namesake Fratelli Gancia is one of Italy’s most notable spumante producers and is managed by fifth generation descendants. Then we have Francesco Cirio, who we all have to thank for our pasta al pomodoro fresco and the Moriondo dynasty that brought us the crushed almond amaretti cookies that highlight our coffee breaks and wedding shower cookie tables. But the true stars of Monferrato are the meals themselves, simple and easy to make, but often requiring lengthy cooking times. The majority of the local dishes are ideal for autumn and winter due to their warmth and heartiness. With no shortness when it comes to variety, the locals have actually lost count over how many different appetizers the area lays claim to. Starter highlights include vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), crostini with cream of lentils, pasta with truffle shavings and anchovies prepared in just about every imaginable way: with oil, with lemon, with tomato, etc. Then we have the infamous cardo gobbo (cardoon) crop, which has been recognized by the international Slow Food organization. Cultivated in a special process unique to the area, the cardoon is planted in May and later bent over and buried in September under the soil. Because of this method, the cardoon swells and curves as it tries to find sunlight, thus acquiring its special ‘hunchback’ shape and turning out white, tender and tastier by the time it is harvested and ready to eat. The most popular regional recipe for the cardo gobbo is the bagna cauda — a dish that even has its own official confraternity, charged with protecting its good name. Essentially a hot sauce prepared in a terracotta pot, it combines garlic, olive oil, butter and anchovies. The act of eating this dish is also a verified ritual with rules on etiquette to boot! For my fellow carnivores, there’s my personal favourite: the Fassona — a real premium in the world of beef that can be eaten raw as tartare or cooked. Piedmontese cattle (which are distinguished for their grey-white exterior) possess an inactive Myostatin gene which causes them to have a higher lean to fat ratio, which makes Fassona a low-fat beef that is lower in calories, higher in protein and

“È

Cardo gobbo (cardoon)

the cardoon is planted in May and later bent over and buried in September under the soil. Because of this method, the cardoon swells and curves as it tries to find sunlight, thus acquiring its special ‘hunchback’ shape and turning out white, tender and tastier by the time it is harvested and ready to eat. contains a higher percentage of Omega 3 Fatty Acids — delicious and nutritious. Last, but not least is what we wash all of this down with: the Barbera D’Asti, a full bodied red wine that goes well with just about anything you order. Look for the ‘Nizza’ stamp on your Barbera as it indicates whether the wine was produced in one of the 18 towns and villages that border on Nizza Monferrato. These places are recognized for their excellence in grape production, where producers abide by the following stipulations: vineyards must be on a hill and facing south, south east or south west in order to gain maximum exposure from the sun; the pruning of the grapes must be done using the Guyot caning method; the weight of the grapes from each hectare must not exceed seven tons and the wine must be aged for a period no shorter than 18 months.

What to see in and around Nizza Monferrato Palazzo Crova Via Crova, 2 www.palazzodelgusto.it • Regional enoteca, enogastronomy museum and restaurant

Berta Distilleries Via Guasti, 34-36, Mombaruzzo www.distillerieberta.it • Producers of strong, soft-hearted grappa, the Berta family also invite you to visit their museum and surrounding nature park

Museo Bersano Piazza Dante Alighieri www.bersano.it • Museum dedicated to the history of winemaking

Chiesa ‘Madonna del Bricco’ • More ancient than Nizza Monferrato, this little hilltop church is surrounded by vineyards

Toronto OCT-NOV 17-32_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:10 AM Page 32

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Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 35

Food & Wine

Massimo Capra By David De Marco

Toronto's Italian Gourmet

Chef Massimo Capra has been a main player in the Toronto restaurant scene for the last 30 years. Born near Cremona, Italy, Capra climbed the career ladder by working in Italy’s best restaurants and hotels. In 1982, yearning to work overseas, he came to Toronto and after a very successful decade at Prego Della Piazza in Yorkville, he merged forces with Paolo Paolini and opened Mistura in 1997 to a very receptive public. In 2006, they also opened the very popular supper club directly above it, Sopra. urrently, he spends most of his time as a restaurant consultant (he recently helped rebrand the “The Rainbow Room” in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls), as a regular guest expert on City TV Cityline, and as a chef host on the upcoming series Restaurant Takeover on the Food Network.

Panoram Italia: How did you develop an interest in food and cooking? Massimo Capra: You can say the inspiration came from home. Growing up in my family, we were fanatical about food. I grew up on a farm in northern Italy. My father was a farmhand for big land owners. The daily routine of preparing all the meals fell on my mother and she was a master cook. Having this tradition of getting everything from the land gave me an advantage in the sense that you learn to use and appreciate what you had at that time of year. We never bought anything. Everything came from the land. When it was tomato season, everything we ate had tomatoes. When it was winter, we ate cabbage. It was that simple. It was a way of life.

PI: This must have shaped your philosophy of food. MC: That left an imprint. To this day, I cannot eat food out of season. For 14 years of my life I lived like that. Everything I ate was because my mother raised it and my father planted it. My father and I went out foraging for mushrooms, snails, frogs, anything that was there. My mother tended to her flock of chickens, so we had our own eggs as well.

PI: Do you find it difficult to eat locally and seasonally in Toronto? MC: It is not difficult to do in your personal life, but as a chef, from a business point of view, it is extremely difficult because you have to deal with the public and the public wants what they like. So you have to fine tune the balance between doing good business and providing top quality ingredients. Obviously, there are some things we cannot get locally. I would never buy Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano or Gorgonzola that is not from Italy.

PI: With all your travels, how do you think the Toronto restaurant scene stacks up against other cities you have been to? MC: I love the Toronto restaurant scene. Toronto has had a good restaurant scene for many, many years. There are some places that I really admire, that are inspiring. The

only criticism I have is on the public’s perception of Italian food. Many think that Italian food is just olive oil, garlic, pizza, pasta, rapini. This is not true. Italy is very different throughout and its cuisine is a prime reflection of this.

PI: What and where was the most memorable meal you had recently? MC: I was in the Yukon recently and found a place called Klondike Ribs and Salmon and it was absolutely fantastic. The ambiance, the service, the food… it was awesome! I had fish and chips made with fresh, local halibut. The desserts were great too, made with fresh berries foraged in the mountains.

PI: Italian food is very rooted in tradition. It is rustic and based on simplicity and fresh seasonal ingredients. Do you find it difficult to make it more contemporary? MC: I believe in minimal use of spices and sauces and letting the ingredient speak for itself. In Italy, very little spice is used. Really, just salt is used. The essence of Italian cooking is less is more. More and more people want to eat this way, so that is what always helps Italian food stay contemporary. The philosophy behind Italian food (simplicity, freshness, seasonal) is timeless.

PI: Are there any guilty pleasure junk foods you like? MC: All of them! I enjoy my chicken mc nuggets at McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken for chicken wings, chips, fish sticks…a lot.

PI: If you could choose, what would your last meal be? MC: Marubini (tortellini) in brodo and a bowl of bollito misto…followed by a pound of foie gras and a kilo of caviar!

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 36

Food & Wine

Minestra di Cicerchia Ingredients: • 1 cup cicerchie (chickpeas may be substituted) • Olive oil • 6 oz can of strained tomatoes • 1 large clove of garlic minced • 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley • 1-2 sprigs of rosemary • Water • 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock • Salt and pepper to taste Preparation: Soak the cicerchie for 24 hours in 4 cups of water, then drain and discard the water. Once drained, place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower heat and allow the beans to simmer, covered, until tender (1.5 to 2 hours approximately). Once cooked, drain and discard any of the skins that were removed during cooking. In a separate pot, warm a bit of olive oil and then add the garlic and the herbs. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant and then add in the tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add in the cooked cicerchie, and cook for an additional 10 minutes before adding the stock and enough water for desired consistency of soup. Continue the cooking for 10 minutes adding salt and pepper to taste. For an authentically Umbrian version of the dish, quadrucci pasta may be added to the soup, along with parmigiano, otherwise it can be served on its own drizzled with olive oil and accompanied by crusty bread.

Cicerchia is Back in the Spotlight By Jenny Galati

Food, just like fashion, is cyclical and everything old is new again. Such is the case for an ancient legume making its way back onto the culinary stage. icerchia, also known as chickling vetch, grass pea, khesari, and almorta, was popular for centuries in Italy before falling into oblivion during the war. In areas prone to drought and famine such as Asia and East Africa, it was commonly known as an “insurance crop,” due to the fact that it could withstand brutal drought conditions. It was often cultivated in spare patches of land, between corn plants and was a crop that could sustain people through the winter. The pebbly chickpea, small and spiky with colours ranging from grey to spotted brown, is enjoying a renewed popularity thanks to the Slow Food Presidia (a movement started in Italy, dedicated to supporting and protecting locally produced products, strains, and breeds). Aficionados in the Marche region have revived the crop that was nearing extinction and have restored it to its place among typical food products of the Verdicchio territory. Planted in April and harvested in August, cicerchia, like other grain legumes, is a high-protein seed, rich in iron, making it a hearty staple. Due to its

concentration of neurotoxic amino acids, however, it should not be a main source of nutrients for an extended period of time. It is for this reason as well that the beans, which are available only dried, should be soaked for 24 hours prior to cooking and the soaking water eliminated. The wild pea is predominantly grown in the central region of Italy in the hills around Serra De Conti, where each year, in November, it is celebrated with a festival. Once popular only among Umbrian peasants, cicerchia is now revered and exalted as part of la “buona tavola.” Behind the medieval walls of the charming village, the legume with the tender hull and unique earthy flavour (reminiscent of both chickpeas and lentils) is showcased in many dishes, soups and salads, as a side dish with salt-dried cod or pureed to serve with cotechino (charcuterie similar to salami). The resurgence of the chickling vetch has reintroduced the world to a delicious culinary tradition, and has brought the rare bean back into the spotlight.

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Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 37

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:53 AM Page 38

Food & Wine

In cucina con Gaia Massai

il vino

Ottobre è il mese del vino e dell’uva per eccellenza: dopo le fatiche della vendemmia, le cantine sono in piena attività. Il mosto che fermenta nei tini sprigiona il suo inconfondibile profumo e nelle vigne si raccolgono i grappoli lasciati qua e là, ben maturi e perfetti come ingrediente principale di ricette contadine. i parla spesso di abbinamenti vino-cibo mentre più raramente ci si sofferma sul cucinare con il vino, pratica antica che risale ai tempi degli Etruschi e dei Romani. Il vino era utilizzato principalmente come conservante per le carni: lasciandole marinare anche per qualche giorno, esse diventavano più resistenti alle contaminazioni e acquistavano maggior sapore una volta cotte. Il vino, bianco o rosso, è tutt’oggi l’ingrediente base per brasati e stracotti. Molte sono le ricette regionali che prevedono l’uso di vini locali: in Toscana troviamo il Cacciucco alla livornese a base di Chianti DOCG o di Bianco Toscano (a seconda delle scuole di pensiero) e i Cantucci preparati e serviti con il Vinsanto

Risotto alla milanese

DOC; in Lombardia il classico Risotto alla milanese prevede l’aggiunta di vino bianco dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC; il Brasato al Barolo è una delle ricette più classiche della tradizione piemontese, mentre i Saltimbocca alla romana della cucina laziale vengono preparati con l’Orvieto Doc. Cucinare con il vino è semplice e adatto anche per chi non lo beve: una volta raggiunti i 77°C infatti, alcol e solfiti evaporano. È bene seguire alcuni accorgimenti per sfruttare al meglio la funzione del vino in cucina, che è quella di accentuare e intensificare il sapore e il profumo del cibo, non certo quella di mascherarne o stravolgerne le caratteristiche. Cantucci

Cacciucco

Come regola generale, le quantità di vino consigliate sono: • 2 cucchiai da tavola per zuppe e sughi • ¼ tazza per carni da cuocere in brasati e stracotti

Ecco alcuni consigli e suggerimenti per un corretto (e appagante) utilizzo del vino nella preparazione delle pietanze: • Non utilizzare vini scadenti: non è necessario che siano costosi, ma di buona qualità; • I vini da cucina in commercio sono da evitare perché molto salati e con vari additivi aggiunti; • Non aggiungere il vino a fine cottura ma lasciar cuocere a fuoco lento per almeno 10 minuti: il vino ha bisogno di tempo per rilasciare il proprio sapore, ma se aggiunto troppo tardi impartirà note ruvide e aspre. Una volta aggiunto il vino, attendere almeno 10 minuti di cottura prima di assaggiare e decidere di aggiungerne altro; • I vini avanzati possono essere utilizzati per cucinare fino a una decina di giorni se conservati ben chiusi in frigorifero.

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 10:04 AM Page 39

Food & Wine

Advertorial

All roads lead to Eglinton West

By Liz Allemang

They say all roads lead to Rome, but for Nick D’Elia, all roads actually lead just a little bit west of Rome. Eglinton West, to be precise. But, hey, the pizza is Roman.

Photos by: Randi Weiner

think, by knowing what people are ordering, what people want to eat, it helps me cater to customers’ needs as a restaurant owner,” says D’Elia. “We offer gluten-free and whole-wheat pizza and pasta. And if someone wants to order a penne with butter or the kids want a plain cheese pizza, we’ll do that too. We love that. We want entire families to feel comfortable here. We want them to be able to come in at 5 o’clock as a family and to eat together and not worry about it,” says D’Elia. “Life is so busy, so we’re working on training people to sit back and enjoy themselves.” “It’s a menu of classic comfort dishes. But we also want to be able to offer a few new recipes and some unexpected twists — our oyster bar, as an example, has been doing great — for the couples on dates or the local restaurant workers

wenty-two years after D’Elia opened his first restaurants on the Eglinton strip — Pizza Pazza e Alla 45, followed by Sette e Mezzo — the tastemaker, pizza pro and all-around-nice-guy-who-really-just-likes-good-food-and-drink is returning to his roots. This shift is much to the excitement of his loyal followers who wanted more from him after he moved on from his last venture, Woodbridge’s Market Lane Pizzeria, and much to the surprise of, well, frankly, himself. “I was looking for a new space. Somewhere where I could settle down, as much as anyone can settle down while running a restaurant,” says D’Elia, who has three children with his “very patient” wife, a high-school sweetheart (they met as students at Oakwood Collegiate Institute), who works alongside him. “I love opening restaurants, but I’m 51 now and this is it. I’m really proud of what we’ve built here: I’ve been in the business for [almost 40 years] and I’ve learned so much working for myself, working for other people, opening restaurants, running restaurants. Doppio Zero (00) is a reflection of that,” he says.

“A true restaurateur should be in the kitchen. I’m doing what I love most and, I think, by knowing what people are ordering, what people want to eat, it helps me cater to customers’ needs as a restaurant owner.” Doppio Zero, named after the most highly-refined Italian flour, a key ingredient in superior pizza and pasta dough, is D’Elia’s pride and joy: an Italian joint that equally showcases his Barese heritage (there’s an orecchiette with rapini and sausage on the menu that sounds suspiciously like the pasta D’Elia used to make with his grandmother when he spent childhood summers in Bari), industry experience and attention to fixed and evolving customer taste. It is clear in speaking with D’Elia just how much he values the importance of his customer’s experience and, quite apart from obviously knowing his way around a kitchen — let alone around a La Spaziale espresso machine or a San Marzano tomato or a ball of foccaccia dough — he knows his audience. “I wanted a restaurant for families: a restaurant that would become a tradition within local families and a restaurant for my own family and our future. Eglinton West was probably the best neighbourhood to open this kind of restaurant. I stumbled upon this space and I jumped at the opportunity to return.” Not only has he returned to the area, but he’s also returned to the stove. “A true restaurateur should be in the kitchen. I’m doing what I love most and, I

and owners who stop by for a drink and a bite at the end of the night.” This means dishes like octopus carpaccio appear alongside pumpkin, parmigiano and amaretto ravioli, a white pizza topped with mascarpone and smoked salmon, as well as beef rolled with prosciutto and slow-cooked in tomato sauce. To drink, options are similarly wide-ranging with 65 kinds of wine by the bottle and glass, and a well-edited selection of beers including Menabrea, a Piemontese brew with 166 years of history. A menu of mostly comfort food demands a comfortable setting and Doppio Zero delivers. D’Elia and his team took over a former Thai restaurant mid-June and have thoughtfully updated the interior. The result is an inviting openconcept space that one might describe as cozy, even, were it not also large enough to accommodate 70 seats, with more to come next summer when D’Elia plans to add a patio. Another added benefit of the location is proximity to the Allen Expressway because, while D’Elia is quick to embrace a move back to midtown, he is not one to forget his foodie fans in Woodbridge, Maple and beyond. When Panoram Italia spoke with D’Elia, he had been open for just five days, a nearly imperceptible fact considering how well-rested and easy in manner he appeared to be. Perhaps it was the calm after the storm? Or, more likely, he is, at this point, such a seasoned pro that opening a new restaurant is as easy as pie. He mentioned how delighted he was by the overwhelming support in Doppio’s first days — that the table’s were packed, the line out the door, the take out orders constant and the locals stopping by to meet the “new” kid in town — and one encounter in particular stuck out. Says D’Elia, “A customer came in and asked, ‘So... are you new to Eglinton?’”

Doppio Zero (00) is open seven days a week and is located at 530 Eglinton Avenue West. For more information, call 416-488-0088 or visit doppiozero.ca

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 40

Food & Wine

ITALIAN

WINE GUIDE 2012 By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Legend

About our wine critic Gabriel Riel-Salvatore, Managing Editor and resident wine expert at Panoram Italia magazine, has been working in the wine industry for over 10 years and has travelled extensively to various wine regions of Italy. From 2008 to 2010, he served as president of the Montreal Slow Food Convivium and has been organizing numerous gastronomical and wine tasting events for Quebec’s food industry.

Notation

★ Ordinary (75-79) ★★ Good (80-84) ★★★ Very good (85-89) ★★★★ Excellent (90-94) ★★★★★ Sublime (95-100) Personal favourite Controlled designation of origin

DOCG: Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita DOC: Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata IGT: Vino a Indicazione Geografica Tipica

Abruzzo

Eclipse 2010 Bosco Nestore Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC $12,50 Consignment

★★ (82/100) Type of wine

Light, fruity bouquet of red berries with a soft, floral character. Honest, lively and fruity red wine.

Service

Red wine

Ready to drink

White wine

Ready to drink or keep until indicated

Sparkling wine

Abruzzo

Don Bosco 2007 Bosco Nestore Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC $13,50 Consignment

★★ (83/100) Nose displaying black cherry and raisin mixed with discrete herbal undertones. Easy, fruity red wine of medium intensity.

Keep until indicated Abruzzo

More selections on panoramitalia.com/en/food-wine

The prices indicated are subject to changes relative to the L.C.B.O. price policy.

Pecorino Bosco 2011 Bosco Nestore Colline Pescaresi DOC $18,90 Consignment

★★ (84/100) Minty nose with hints of melon and pineapple aromas. Fresh, mineral white wine with flavours evolving on yellow grapefruit fragrances.

Abruzzo

Pan Chardonnay 2008 Bosco Nestore Colline Pescaresi DOC $21,95 Consignment

★★★ (86/100) Zesty, fruity bouquet recalling peach, apricots and mango aromas with biscuity undertones. Vibrant and limy mouth with a nice, crisp finish.

Abruzzo

Abruzzo Pecorino 2011 Pasetti Abruzzo Pecorino DOC $24,95 Consignment

★★★ (87/100) Soft, mineral bouquet of exotic fruits and gun flint with lively, zesty undertones. Inviting mouth displaying rich exotic fruit flavours and a refreshing, limy finish.

Abruzzo

2013

Pan 2005 Bosco Nestore Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC $21,95 Consignment

★★★ (86/100) Lovely nose, with hints of menthol and a fruity bouquet that recalls a mix of plums and strawberries. A full and tasty mouth with pronounced tannins. A nice Montepulciano.

Abruzzo

2016

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008

Pasetti

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC $24,95 Consignment

★★★ (87/100) Inviting and delicate bouquet of sweet cherries and violets. Fruity, silky Montepulciano lingering on nice, floral fragrances and a fresh, peppery finish.

Calabria

Speziale (organic) 2010 Santa Venere Marsiglia Nera $25,55 Consignment

★★★ (88/100) Inviting and intriguing bouquet mixing marzipan, plum and fresh red berries. Luscious and refreshing mouth recalling rich plum aromas with a nice sensation of sweet cloves on the finish.

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 41

Food & Wine

Piemonte

Movendo Moscato n/v Villa Banfi Spa Sicilia IGT $12,95 L.C.B.O.# 277244

★★ (82/100) Suave peach and pear aromas with soft scents of honey and ginger. A soft, creamy, peachy Moscato.

Puglia

2016

Cappellaccio Aglianico Riserva 2007 Azienda Vinicola Rivera S.p.A. Castel del Monte DOC $18,95 L.C.B.O.# 984120

★★★ (88/100) Intriguing mix of black sour cherry with hints of cured meats and spicy cloves. Rich and fluid red wine with a generous fruitiness and a lovely, spicy finish.

2013

Piemonte

Langhe Bricco del Drago 2009 Poderi Colla Langhe DOC $28,95 L.C.B.O.# 716894

Barolo 2008

Deep bouquet of dark cherry intertwined with smokey and underbrush undertones. Meaty red wine with strong yet rounded tannins.

2015

Torrevento Puglia IGT $9,55 L.C.B.O.# 254300

Fragrant aromas of cherry, thyme and caramel combine with an inviting bouquet of sweet spices. Juicy, medium to full-bodied Barolo displaying good chunky tannins.

Puglia

Marangi 2009

2017

Azienda Vinicola Rivera S.p.A. Castel del Monte DOC $22,95 L.C.B.O.# 177295

★★★ (89/100) Rich bouquet of mature red fruits and black olives with lovely Rivesaltes and beeswax undertones. Fresh, luscious red wine with a lively fruitiness and a soft, spicy finish.

★★ (83/100) Nice mix of spicy blackberries and red berries with hints of liquorice and accents of black pepper. Good, fruity accessible red wine.

Sicilia

Il Falcone Riserva 2007

Tenute Mater Domini Salento IGT $20,95 Consignment

Puglia

Matervitae Negroamaro 2010

Beni di Batasiolo Barolo DOCG $29,95 L.C.B.O.# 178541

★★★ (88/100)

★★★ (89/100)

Puglia

2018

Piemonte

★★★★ (91/100) Charming and elegant aromas of mature plum and black berries intertwine with hints of vanilla, menthol and sweet spices. Full and powerful mouth displaying a lovely acidity and chunky tannins.

Regaleali Bianco 2009 Tasca d'Almerita Sicilia IGT $14,00 L.C.B.O.# 531780

★★★ (85/100) Inviting, fruity nose of pears with streams of peaches and mandarin. Sweet, ripe pear aromas lusciously combine with a zesty, vibrant finish.

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Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:57 AM Page 42

Food & Wine

Sicilia

2016

Santagostino Nero Avola/Syrah 2009

Sicilia

2015

Lamùri Nero d'Avola 2008

Toscana

2015

Nipozzano Riserva 2007

Casa Vinicola Firriato Sicilia IGT $19,95 L.C.B.O.# 291369

Tasca d'Almerita Sicilia IGT $17,95 L.C.B.O.# 568089

Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina DOCG $21,95 L.C.B.O.# 107276

★★★ (87/100)

★★★ (89/100)

Overwhelming aromas of rich ripe fruits mix with smokey, peppery undertones. Juicy, sassy red wine displaying a good, spicy ending.

2017

Toscana

Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori 2007

Antinori Chianti Classico DOCG $29,95 L.C.B.O.# 512384

★★★★ (91/100) Attractive fragrances of ripe berries combine with alluring cocoa and cedary undertones. Luscious and evocative Chianti Classico of great complexity.

Toscana

2020

Nice, rich plum aromas combine with streams of violets and vanilla. Tasty, mouth-filling red wine offering rich plum flavours lingering on a tickling, peppery finish.

Toscana

2016

Carione 2006

Soft, feminine bouquet of fresh red fruits balanced by nicely integrated oak fragrances and delicate floral undertones. A smooth, attractive and wellbalanced wine.

Toscana

2016

Le Volte 2008

Toscana

2019

Peppoli 2009 Antinori Chianti Classico DOCG $19,95 L.C.B.O.# 606541

★★★★ (90/100) Inviting nose of ripe red berries aromas intertwined with nutmeg and vanilla undertones. Rich, tasty Chianti Classico of good structure and impressive depth.

Toscana

2019

La Vite Lucente 2009

Ornellaia Toscana IGT $30,00 29,95 L.C.B.O.# 964221

Luce della Vite Toscana IGT $34,95 L.C.B.O.# 747030

Concentrated bouquet of red berries with grassy and sandalwood undertones. Tasty, mediumbodied Brunello with a vibrant, spicy finish.

★★★ (88/100)

Harmonious nose with lofty scents of blackberries and ripe plum combined with ground coffee and spicy insights. Powerful, yet luscious red wine of impressive depth and character.

Toscana

Tenute Di Toscana Brunello di Montalcino DOCG $29,95 L.C.B.O.# 266668

★★★ (88/100)

2025

★★★★ (92/100)

Fine and delicate inviting bouquet displaying notes of ripe berries mixed with soft vanilla aromas. Charming and balanced red wine with a nice, rich and silky finish.

2023

Trentino alto adige

Luce 2008

Ornellaia 2009

Luce della Vite Toscana IGT $89,95 L.C.B.O.# 979062

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore DOC $184,95 L.C.B.O.# 722470

Antinori Toscana IGT $251,95 L.C.B.O.# 987586

Valdadige DOC $16,95 L.C.B.O.# 106450

★★★★ (94/100)

★★★★ (97/100)

Evocative blackcurrant aromas intertwine with rich streams of mint, cedar and nutmeg. Gorgeous, mouth-filling multi-layered Supertuscan with a complex, refreshing lingering finish.

Elegant, multi-layered bouquet of ripe black berries filled with fine cedary streams, toasted cocoa and vanilla undertones. Rich and powerful Ornellaia of impressive character displaying well integrated muscular tannins.

★★★★ (95/100)

★★★ (85/100)

Deep, chocolaty textured bouquet displaying suggestive savoury aromas of ground coffee and cured meats combined with rich cassis and blackcurrant fragrances. Refined, velvety wine of impressive balance and complexity with a deep, lingering finish.

Fruity, peachy bouquet with lemony undertones. Fragrant Pinot Grigio with a crispy acidity and a vibrant finish.

Solaia 2008

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2011

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Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:40 AM Page 43

Food & Wine Umbria

Bramito del Cervo 2011

Umbria

2016

Cervaro della Sala 2009

Veneto

Masi Modello bianco 2011

Masi Modello rosso 2011

Castello della Sala Umbria IGT $22,10 Mark Anthony L.C.B.O.# 10781971

Castello della Sala Umbria IGT $54,95 Mark Anthony L.C.B.O.# 512376

Masi Delle Venezie bianco IGT $10,95 L.C.B.O.# 564674

Masi Delle Venezie rosso IGT $11,95 L.C.B.O.# 533026

★★★★ (92/100)

★★★ (82/100)

★★★ (83/100)

★★★ (87/100) Lovely, fragrant bouquet of mango and pineapple intertwined with oaky, buttery undertones. Charming, luscious white wine.

Rich, elegant bouquet mixing peachy, honey aromas with lofty, biscuity vanilla undertones. Great, crisp and unctuous white wine of tremendous depth.

Soft, flowery bouquet with fruity and citrusy overtones. Fresh and vibrant everyday white wine.

Veneto

Placido Pinot Grigio 2011

Masi Bonacosta 2010

Soft blueberry aromas intertwine with discrete vegetal undertones. Easy, refreshing red wine with a nice smooth finish.

Veneto

Masi Masianco Pinot Grigio & Verduzzo 2011

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2011

Placido Delle Venezie IGT $11,95 L.C.B.O.# 588897

Masi Valpolicella DOC $14,95 L.C.B.O.# 285585

Danzante Delle Venezie IGT $14,95 L.C.B.O.# 26906

★★★ (83/100)

Masi Bianco delle Venezie IGT $14,95 L.C.B.O.# 620773

★★★ (86/100)

★★★ (85/100)

★★★ (84/100)

Inviting bouquet of exotic fruits with hints of limy, mineral undertones. Fresh, crispy Pinot Grigio with a good, citrusy finish.

Veneto

Asolo Prosecco Extra Dry n/v

Fruity red berry aromas combine with gentle vanilla fragrances. Smooth, silky accessible Valpolicella.

Veneto

2016

Valpolicella Ripasso 2010

BYA - Cantina Montelliana Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG $15,95 Consignment

Farina Valpolicella DOC $16,95 L.C.B.O.# 999946

★★★ (85/100)

Inviting nose of ripe plum and strawberry jam with smokey, cedary undertones. Tangy, vibrant Ripasso with good, chalky tannins.

Lovely, fruity bouquet recalling green almonds and acacia flowers. Nice, fresh Prosecco with crispy green apple and yeasty fragrances.

★★★ (87/100)

Lovely, fruity bouquet of orchard fruits paired with nice streams of grapefruit. Smooth, fruity and vivid white wine with a good lemony finish.

Veneto

2016

Campofiorin 2008

Masi Rosso del Veronese IGT $18,45 Authentic L.C.B.O.# 155051

★★★ (88/100) Complex nose of plums, prunes, leather, cinnamon spice and violets. Fruity, medium to fullbodied wine with a nice tannic backbone and a refreshing, spicy finish.

Fruity bouquet of ripe apple, peach and banana aromas with nutty undertones. Crisp, fruity white wine displaying peachy, zesty fragrances.

Veneto

2020

Costasera Amarone 2007 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC $39,95 L.C.B.O.#317057

★★★★ (91/100) Clean, charming silky nose of ripe morello cherries and chocolate ganache with lovely notes of sandalwood. Suave and succulent mouth with loads of ripe fruits and a good vibrant finish.

Living Italian Style

Toronto OCT-NOV 33-48_Layout 1 12-09-21 9:41 AM Page 44

Lifestyle

Frank Pugliese

Alexandra Malfatti

Nickname: Pugsly Occupation: Student at McMaster University, Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Business Management Age: 23 Generation: Third Dad from: Reggio Calabria, Calabria Mom from: Haifa, Palestine Speaks: English Raised in: Mississauga Passion: Hockey, football, soccer, cars, technology Clothes: Guess jeans and dress shirt, RW & Co. belt, Aldo shoes Favourite designer: Guess Boutique: Macy’s Restaurant: Il Fornello Favourite dish: Lasagne Absolute must in the pantry: Bread and pasta Type of drink: Gin and Tonic Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Forza Italia!” Last time you went to Italy: Still waiting to visit Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life: Bell Centre to watch the Montreal Canadiens Favourite band or singer: David Guetta

Best Italian movie: The Godfather trilogy Italian soccer team: Juventus Sexiest Italian: Kaley Cuoco Dream car: Ferrari F-430 What you like most about our magazine: The fact that it brings the Italian community together Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: On St. Clair after Italy has won an important soccer game Thing about you that would surprise most people: I’m great at making BBQs Best coffee in Toronto: La Paloma Best pizza in Toronto: Vesuvio’s Pizzeria Pet peeve: My car being dirty

You know you are Italian when or if: You use hand gestures when you speak Your fashion idol: Giorgio Armani Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Go to Dundas Square Most common name in your family: Frank (5) You know you were raised Italian when: Your grandparents say: “You look skinny; you need to eat!” Favourite Italian song: L’Italiano by Toto Cutugno Best memory growing up as Italian: Italy winning the 2006 World Cup Favourite thing about being Italian: Huge family get-togethers Plans for the fall: Return to McMaster University for my final year

Photographer: Gregory Varano Makeup artist: Desi Varano Location: The Green Iguana Glassworks and Mercedes-Benz Maple

Nickname: Alex Occupation: Student at University of Toronto (OISE) Teachers College & Receptionist at Mercedes-Benz Maple. Age: 22 Generation: Third Dad from: Spormaggiore, Trentino Alto-Adige Mom from: Pesaro, Marche Speaks: English Raised in: Vaughan Passion: Visual Arts, teaching, travelling, baking Clothes: Kate&Mel boots, Flying Monkey jeans, Maison Scotch sweater and scarf from Honey boutique Favourite designer: Tom Ford Boutique: Honey Favourite dish: Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza Absolute must in the pantry: Chocolate Type of wine: Prosecco Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Portami a ballare” Last time you went to Italy: 2007 Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life: Florence Favourite band or singer: Mumford & Sons

Best Italian movie: La vita è bella Dream car: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG What you like most about our magazine: I really enjoy the way Panoram maintains Italian heritage through the arts and culture section. I think an important part of keeping the heritage alive is through articles that truly communicate what we are passionate about Thing about you that would surprise most people: I play ice hockey Best coffee in Toronto: Café Diplomatico Best pizza in Toronto: La Veranda Osteria Pet peeve: Loud chewing You know you are Italian when or if: Every condition, ailment,

accident or misfortune was because you didn’t eat something Your fashion idol: Rachel Bilson You know you were raised Italian when: You’ve walked multiple times into the hanging prosciutto in your nonna’s cantina. Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Sandro Botticelli if he were still alive Favourite flavour of gelato: Bacio Favourite Italian song: Con te partirò by Andrea Bocelli Best memory growing up as Italian: The big Sunday dinners at my nonna’s in Sault Ste. Marie Plans for the fall: Teachers College at OISE, University of Toronto

See all past profiles on panoramitalia.com

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Lifestyle

Tiana DiMichele

Daniel Salvatore Nickname: Danilo, Dan, Sal Occupation: Constituency Assistant to the Hon. Julian Fantino Age: 24 Generation: Second Dad from: Isola del Liri, Lazio Mom from: Toronto Speaks: English Raised in: Woodbridge Passion: Politics, fishing, squash and rugby Clothes: Bosco Uomo denim blazer, Sloan shirt, Bosco Uomo slacks, Vera Pelle belt, Kenneth Cole shoes Boutique: Per Lui Restaurant: Oca Nera Favourite dish: Linguine alla pescatora Absolute must in the pantry: Homemade hot peppers Type of wine/alcoholic drink: Grappa Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Auguri!” Last time you went to Italy: 2009 Favourite Italian city: Florence If never visited, which city would you like to visit: Isola del Liri — my father’s hometown

Favourite band: Tragically Hip Best Italian movie: The Godfather - Part I Italian soccer team: AS Roma Sexiest Italian: Monica Bellucci You know you were raised Italian when: The loudest person wins Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Cheering for Italy during the World Cup at AC Ranch on St. Clair Thing about you that would surprise most people: That I always aspired to have my own fine clothing store for men Best coffee in Toronto: St. Phillips Bakery Best pizza in Toronto: Market Lane Pizzeria Pet peeve: Explaining simple things

You know you are Italian when or if: You make wine with friends in your garage in September What you like most about our magazine: It captures the Italian way of life in the GTA Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Giancarlo Giannini Favourite flavour of gelato: Bacio Best memory growing up as Italian: Christmas Eve zuppa di pesce at nonna’s Favourite thing about being Italian: Knowing that nobody does it better Plans for the fall: Go on a one-week camping trip with my brother to Algonquin Park and celebrate Octoberfest in Kitchener, Waterloo

Nickname: T Occupation: Brand Manager (Pharmaceuticals) Age: 29 Generation: Second Dad from: Montorio, Abruzzo Mom from: Toronto Speaks: English, some Italian Raised in: Scarborough Passion: Travel, good food and family/friends Clothes: Judith & Charles dress, Aldo shoes, Michael Kors jewellery Favourite designer: Prada Boutique: Mendocino Restaurant: La Vecchia Favourite dish: Risotto Absolute must in the pantry: Aged balsamic vinegar Type of wine: Santa di Grotta Rossa Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Per sempre tua” Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2008 Favourite Italian city: Manfredonia If never visited, which city would you like to visit: Anywhere in Sardegna Favourite band or singer: Too many to choose!

Italian soccer team: Gli Azzurri Sexiest Italian: Francesco Arca Dream car: Maserati GranTurismo Sport What you like most about our magazine: It celebrates the Italian heritage and culture of multiple generations living in Canada Suburbs or downtown: Downtown Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Little Italy during Euro/World Cup finals Mare o montagna: Mare Thing about you that would surprise most people: I dislike shopping Best coffee in Toronto: Aroma Espresso Bar Best pizza in Toronto: My boyfriend's homemade Caprese Pizza

To be considered for a photoshoot in future Living Italian Style sections, simply like Panoram Italian on Facebook, and express your interest on our wall. An administrator will get back to you with further details.

Pet peeve: Bad drivers You know you are Italian when or if: You talk with your hands Your fashion idol: Jennifer Lopez Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Go salsa dancing at Babaluu on Yorkville Most common name in your family: Frank (3) You know you were raised Italian when: You eat salad after your main dish Favourite Italian song: Tua by Jula de Palma Best memory growing up as Italian: Being raised with traditional Italian values Favourite thing about being Italian: Big Italian weddings! Plans for the fall: Business travel and wine tasting in Niagara

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Lifestyle

By Alessia Sara Domanico

Go Baroque this season with glam statement makers, the perfect formula for that special occasion

hen in 17th century Rome…do as the Romans did. Barocco — aka the exuberant and dramatic Baroque art movement, which originated around the year 1600 in Rome — has been a driving force in creative disciplines from architecture to literature, music and of course, fashion design. The Barocco print was one of the late Gianni Versace’s lasting legacies to his eponymous label with those golden laurels printed on black and white silk blouses and scarves, as well as gracing the porcelain dishes and flatware of the Versace meets Rosenthal collection. The tableware collaboration is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year by reissuing 20 limited edition plates from the collection’s archives (brides to be, register now!). While the Baroque period warrants volumes upon volumes to its creative pursuits, for this issue, we’re going to focus on one of its lasting commercial legacies: the Byzantine revival. Yes, just like the trend theory goes, over time, everything comes back in style and for the Baroque period, the opulent black and gold of the Byzantine era was revisited with an updated pomp and circumstance. The Byzantine period has also greatly affected fashion design, case and point with the French house of Chanel whose recent Paris-Byzance collection honoured founder Coco Chanel’s fondness for Byzantine-style jewellery. Fast forwarding to now, as in right now with four hours to go before the girls come to pick you up for a night out, it’s time to bring a classic to life. Your tools? Let’s start with the base: a flattering black outfit in lace, silk, satin, denim, or even leather. Go for an LBD (little black dress), a halter top or shirt paired with some pleather leggings or a pair of skinny black jeans and finish off with a pair of black heels whether they be ankle boots, stilettos or platform pumps. Now that you’ve got the canvas, it’s time to add the glitter. The easiest way to do that is through jewellery: we’re fond of thin bangles, chunky rings, and layering long and short necklaces with various charms. Luckily, most classic handbags are designed in black leather with gold hardware. For the evening, go for a compact black and gold clutch, while for the daytime, a hobo or shoulder bag will do the trick. Don’t be afraid to stand out; shimmery gold can do that, but black tames it down, making for a winning combination. If you really want to embrace your Baroque, throw on a leather jacket embellished with gold studs — oh, Sandy baby!

W 3

4 5

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17 15

18 9

LEGEND

1. Dior 2. Dodo 3. Giuseppe Zanotti 4. Bulgari 5. Burberry 6. Dolce&Gabbana 7. Guess By Marciano 8. Kenzo 9. Carolina Herrera 10. Marc Jacobs 11. Blumarine 12. Louis Vuitton 13. Bulgari 14. Carolina Herrera 15. Gucci 16. Etro

17. Salvatore Ferragamo 18. Casadei 19. Elie Saab 20. De Grisogono 21. Juicy Couture

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La Banda Garibaldina di Poggio Mirteto, la più antica d’Italia Laura Ghiandoni

E’ davvero meraviglioso ascoltare la musica allegra della banda quando attraversa le antiche vie di questo paesino. Siamo a Poggio Mirteto, centro di 6000 abitanti situato su una collina della Bassa Sabina, a 45 km da Roma. Questa cittadina è ben conosciuta a livello nazionale e internazionale perché possiede la banda musicale più antica d’Italia. a Banda Nazionale Garibaldina, infatti, fu costituita nel 1592 e conserva negli archivi comunali la delibera di fondazione scritta a mano. In quell’anno, un religioso di nome Hieronimo prese l’iniziativa di insegnare a suonare vari strumenti a un gruppetto di cittadini entusiasti. Molto presto il gruppo si esibì in pubblico e con il tempo divenne banda ufficiale stipendiata dal comune, costituendo il vivace fulcro attorno a cui ruotavano le idee progressiste nonché motivo di orgoglio generale per la cittadinanza. La storia della Banda Nazionale Garibaldina è speciale, non solo per la costante validità musicale mantenuta nel tempo, ma anche perché legato ad essa è un esempio di coraggio mostrato nella seconda metà del 1800. A quei tempi, la banda era già nota a Roma per la sua importanza storica e musicale, ma proprio in quel periodo il Papa venne a sapere che i musicisti, suonando di paese in paese, incoraggiavano la diffusione delle idee garibaldine di Unità d’Italia e Roma capitale. Seguirono forti pressioni da parte del Pontefice che minacciava lo scioglimento del complesso. Questo tentativo causò una rivolta tra i musicisti, tale da portarli all’arruolamento volontario in massa nelle file di Garibaldi. Nel 1867 i musicisti indossarono la camicia rossa e il fazzoletto verde e formarono la fanfara della Legione Leonina, che seguì le truppe garibaldine nelle battaglie di Monterotondo e poi di Mentana, ultimo scontro con le truppe pontificie che vide la sconfitta dei garibaldini. Il riconoscimento ai caduti di quella che fu chiamata la Campagna dell’Agro dovette attendere fino all’inizio del 1905, anno di inaugurazione del Monumento Sacrario di Mentana che ne conserva le spoglie. Durante questa celebrazione, la presenza della banda ebbe un’importanza centrale e per questo fu invitata a suonare proprio sull’Ara Sacrario, sede del Museo nazionale della Campagna dell'Agro Romano per la liberazione di Roma. Un secolo dopo, durante la celebrazione del centenario della battaglia di Mentana, nel 1967, lo storico capo della banda, Perni Ilario, consegnò all’allora Presidente della Repubblica, Carlo Azelio Ciampi, la pergamena che ricorda i volontari garibaldini. Nella stessa data venne rinominata dall’Associazione Veterani e Reduci Garibaldini, con l’attuale nome di Nazionale Garibaldina, ma solo nel 1997 venne riconosciuta con un documento ufficiale. A partire dagli anni ’60 la banda visse un momento di grande vitalità e venne chiamata a suonare in ogni occasione che celebrasse il patriottismo dei nuovi Italiani, simbolo della forza della Repubblica. Per citare alcuni di questi eventi: a Grenchen, in Svizzera, per il 20° anniversario della Repubblica italiana e il 130° anniversario del conferimento della cittadinanza svizzera a Giuseppe Mazzini; nella Repubblica di San Marino per l’anniversario dello “scampo di Garibaldi”; a Reggio Emilia, chiamata a suonare con la Banda Città del Tricolore. Un passato storico così eccezionale non può non influenzare il presente: la banda oggi è una realtà molto attiva, include 45 membri di età compresa tra gli 8 e i 75 anni, uniti dalla grande passione per la musica e da un particolare orgoglio per quello che è stato. Abituata a superare i saliscendi della storia è in continuo rinnovo grazie a una costante presenza di giovani e giovanissimi che con la loro freschezza ed entusiasmo permettono di guardare non solo al passato, ma anche avanti, con la volontà di creare per la collettività di Poggio Mirteto un futuro che brilla sulle note della musica.

“The Lanzi family’s story is a remarkably accurate and beautiful account of a Tuscan family’s trials and tribulations during the rise of Fascism and into World War II. A truly fantastic read.” – Panoram Italia Magazine Buy these and other remarkable books (available in English and Italian) directly from Italian-Canadian author Giancarlo Gabbrielli at the special price of $15.00 each. E-mail him at: Giancarlog552@gmail.com or phone him at (647) 980-3661 to ask for a personalized dedication.

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La riabilitazione di Galileo, vent’anni dopo Una copia del Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi

Ritratto di Galileo Galilei

Fabio Forlano

Nel 1992 il Vaticano cancellò la condanna allo scienziato pisano. L’Italia ricorda uno dei protagonisti più geniali della sua storia. sattamente vent’anni fa, il 31 ottobre 1992, la Chiesa cattolica chiudeva una delle pagine più controverse della sua storia. Per volere di papa Giovanni Paolo II, il Vaticano cancellò, dopo 359 anni, 4 mesi e 9 giorni dalla sua proclamazione, la condanna inflitta nel 1633 a Galileo Galilei, il padre della scienza moderna. Una condanna dura, disposta nel vano tentativo di fermare il genio pisano, reo di aver abbracciato le tesi copernicane sul funzionamento dell’Universo.

Tra Copernico e Sacre Scritture Il nodo della discordia tra Galileo e la Chiesa è racchiuso nel concetto di eliocentrismo. Lo scienziato era un fermo sostenitore del modello copernicano: il Sole è al centro dell’Universo e i pianeti gli ruotano attorno. Lo stesso non si poteva dire del Vaticano che, per secoli, sulla base di alcune affermazioni contenute nelle Sacre Scritture e dell’interpretazione che di esse ne fecero i Padri della Chiesa, considerava la Terra al centro di tutto. Il primo episodio di tensione è datato 20 marzo 1615, quando il frate domenicano Tommaso Caccini denunciò Galileo al Santo Uffizio, in quanto sostenitore del moto terrestre attorno al Sole. Qualche mese più tardi il Papa ordinò al cardinale Bellarmino, personaggio simbolo dell’intera vicenda, di convocare lo scienziato per ammonirlo a non proseguire più nelle sue convinzioni.

Dialogo sui due massimi sistemi Dopo sei lunghi anni di lavoro, nel gennaio del 1630, Galileo terminò la sua opera più importante: il Dialogo sui due massimi sistemi. Servendosi dell’espediente della conversazione fra i protagonisti dello scritto, lo scienziato mise a confronto le due teorie contrastanti, eliocentrismo e geocentrismo, senza apparentemente schierarsi a favore di una di esse. Inizialmente l’opera ricevette molti elogi ma ben presto si diffusero le prime voci di una possibile censura. Il 23 settembre il Tribunale dell’Inquisizione ordinò a Galileo di presentarsi a Roma.

Il processo e la sentenza Il commissario inquisitore, il domenicano Vincenzo Maculano, contestò a Galileo di aver contravvenuto, con la sua opera, al precetto che il cardinale Bellarmino gli aveva imposto anni addietro e che lo obbligava ad abbandonare la teoria copernicana, a non sostenerla e a non insegnarla. Probabilmente Galileo non aveva mai ricevuto un documento che gli notificasse questo divieto. Eppure, per non

aggravare la sua posizione, durante tutto il dibattimento continuò a negare di essere un sostenitore dell’eliocentrismo, mostrandosi obbediente verso gli inquisitori. Il 22 giugno 1633, nella sala capitolare del convento domenicano di Santa Maria sopra Minerva fu emessa la sentenza. Galileo l’attese inginocchiato. Lo scienziato fu tenuto agli arresti nella casa romana del Granduca di Toscana per cinque mesi. Ma, soprattutto, fu costretto ad abiurare le sue convinzioni. Ricostruendo la vicenda, oltre un secolo più tardi, lo scrittore Giuseppe Baretti ha immaginato che Galileo avesse pronunciato la celebre frase «Eppur si muove» al termine della lettura della condanna. Così dicendo si sarebbe riferito, ovviamente, alla Terra e al suo movimento di rotazione attorno al Sole.

La cancellazione della condanna La riabilitazione di Galileo da parte della Chiesa risale al 1822 quando fu concesso l’imprimatur alla sua opera, Elementi di ottica e astronomia. Nel 1846, poi, a dimostrazione che anche il Vaticano aveva fatto sue le idee copernicane, da tutti gli scritti riguardanti le teorie eliocentriche fu rimossa la censura. Tuttavia solo Giovanni Paolo II, oltre un secolo più tardi, espresse la volontà di sanare completamente la frattura con Galileo. E così, nel 1981 fu istituita un’apposita Commissione di studio. Dopo undici anni di lavoro, il cardinale Poupard ammise che la condanna del 1633 era stata ingiusta, riabilitando in pieno il genio pisano.

Galileo ai giorni nostri Galileo Galilei è un personaggio capace di far discutere, anche a 370 anni di distanza dalla sua morte. Ne sa qualcosa l’attuale pontefice, Benedetto XVI, che solo per aver citato, in un contesto molto più ampio, una frase di Paul Feyerabend sulla ragionevolezza del processo del 1633, si ritrovò al centro di un’enorme polemica con alcuni docenti e studenti dell’Università Sapienza di Roma e fu costretto a declinare l’invito all’inaugurazione dell’anno accademico 2008. Oggi la comunità di galileiani in Italia è vastissima e pronta a ricordare con onore il ventennale della cancellazione della condanna. A Galileo è intitolato anche il Museo di Storia della Scienza di Firenze, sua città di adozione. Un’esperienza capace di rendere lo spirito di quegli anni così vivaci che hanno aperto la strada, nei fatti, alla rivoluzione illuminista del secolo successivo.

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L’Italia sul tetto Tommaso Altrui

del mondo

Ci sono territori che hanno sempre ispirato la fantasia degli uomini: terre lontane che generazioni di marinai e avventurieri cercano di controllare e di scoprire, a volte rischiando anche la vita. Il grande Nord Artico è costituito da una miriade di isole immerse in coste frastagliate di canali a volte stretti come fiumi. Il "tetto del mondo" diventa in estate un maestoso deserto bianco: in poche settimane la temperatura permette al ghiaccio di fondersi e fa sì che la natura rinasca. Il territorio impossibile sta diventando un sogno possibile per la bandiera italiana: grazie alla spedizione dell’Associazione Artic Sail Expeditions Italia, il mitico passaggio a Nord Ovest sarà attraversato a breve da coraggiosi nostri concittadini. in dal 1400, dopo che gli Ottomani presero il controllo del Medio Oriente, si è sempre cercato un collegamento con l’Asia attraverso l'Oceano Artico. Numerose spedizioni tentarono invano il passaggio. Il primo italiano a tentare la traversata fu Giovanni Caboto che, nel lontano 1497, il re d’Inghilterra inviò per la ricerca di ciò che cominciava a essere conosciuto come il “Passaggio a Nord Ovest”. Fu poi la volta di grandi esploratori come Martin Frobisher, che tentò l’impresa nell’Artico Canadese nel 1576, e Henry Hudson, che salpò nel 1609 alla ricerca del passaggio. La maggior parte delle navi, però, naufragavano o venivano schiacciate dal ghiaccio. Solo nel 1906 Ronald Amundsen, dopo circa tre anni di navigazione, riuscì a portare a termine la missione. Il Passaggio a Nord Ovest è un percorso d'acqua nel Canada settentrionale, a Nord del Circolo Polare Artico, che diminuisce il tempo di viaggio in nave tra l'Europa e l'Asia. Attualmente, il passaggio è accessibile solo a navi adeguatamente rafforzate contro il ghiaccio e con un equipaggio specializzato all’altezza dell’arduo compito. La rotta più difficile al mondo sarà attraversata dalla “Best Explorer”: questo è il nome del cutter in acciaio della lunghezza di circa 15 metri, costruito nel 1984, che disloca circa 25 tonnellate e dotato di una prua rinforzata in acciaio inox di 6 millimetri. La sua deriva mobile, inoltre, consente l’avvicinamento e il passaggio in condizioni di fondali ridotti, mentre la superficie velica di lavoro al Nord è di 80 metriquadri. Insomma, una barca coriacea che sta per riuscire là dove solo i potentissimi rompighiaccio avevano osato. La spedizione è partita a fine maggio 2012 da Tromso (Norvegia), e arriverà a Sand Point (Popof Islanda – Aleutine, USA) il 7 ottobre 2012. Dopo un totale di 129 giorni, grazie all’audacia di un equipaggio di uomini e donne coraggiosi, anche l’Italia potrebbe entrare nel novero delle poche nazioni che sono riuscite ad attraversare il leggendario passaggio. A guidare la spedizione è Nanni Acquarone, ingegnere di 69 anni, velista dal 1963 con più di 50.000 miglia al suo attivo. Insieme a lui oltre venti velisti di professione o per passione percorreranno il più famoso dei miti dell’Era moderna.

L'arrivo in Groenlandia

La spedizione è suddivisa in otto tappe: 31 maggio – 12 giugno 2012: Tromso, Norvegia – Jan Mayen – Reykjavik, Islanda (1200 miglia di navigazione nel Mar di Norvegia); 18 giugno – 29 giugno 2012: Reykjavik, Islanda – Nuuk, Groenlandia (1100 miglia di navigazione dal canale di Danimarca fino alla punta estrema della Groenlandia); 5 luglio – 16 luglio 2012: Nuuk, Groenlandia – Upernavik, Groenlandia (670 miglia di navigazione); 19 luglio – 26 luglio 2012: Upernavik, Groenlandia – Pond Inlet, Canada (500 miglia di navigazione dalle coste groenlandesi fino alla costa canadese dei territori di Nord Ovest a Pond Inlet) 31 luglio – 15 agosto 2012: Pond Inlet, Canada – Gjoa Haven, Canada (780 miglia di navigazione dove si sono bloccate tutte le spedizioni precedenti al passaggio di Amundsen); 23 agosto – 5 settembre 2012: Gjoa Haven, Canada – Tuktoyaktuk, Canada (950 miglia di navigazione attraverso una moltitudine di canali, rocce e isole, vicino al Polo Magnetico Settentrionale); 9 settembre – 15 settembre 2012: Tuktoyaktuk, Canada – Punta Barrow, Usa (550 miglia di navigazione attraverso strane cupole di terra e ghiaccio); 18 settembre – 6 ottobre 2012: Punta Barrow, Usa – Sand Point (navigazione verso il punto di sbarco di Sand Point sull’isola Popof, sulla costa sud della penisola dell’Alaska);

È una straordinaria pagina di storia quella che sta scrivendo la Best Explorer. Una pagina da riempire con i racconti dell’impresa di un gruppo di amici e che inizierà con una semplice frase: “ Grazie a Voi, l’Italia c’è l’ha fatta”. Per consentire a tutti di seguire le tappe della loro impresa, l’equipaggio racconterà il viaggio, giorno dopo giorno, sul sito internet www.nordovestitalia.org

571 Chrislea Road Woodbridge, Ontario 905-856-6263 15 Mollard Court Barrie, Ontario 705-727-9727 566 Arvin Ave Stoney Creek, Ontario 905-643-3964

atlantisbathcentre.ca

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Orecchini di chiacchierino e onice

Pizzi e merletti Il Made in Sicily comincia dalla tradizione Giacoma Adamo

Può succedere che un passatempo intrapreso in maniera casuale si trasformi in un’occasione per diventare un’attività a tutti gli effetti. Così è accaduto a Marilita Borgese, una signora palermitana che ha reso il suo hobby qualcosa di speciale, perché speciali sono gli elementi da cui ha tratto spunto per le sue creazioni. arilita, infatti, si è ispirata alle vecchie tradizioni, sbirciando tra le cose tirate fuori da un baule di famiglia. Una sorta di scrigno da cui sono riemersi pizzi, passamanerie, ricami al tombolo, lavori al chiacchierino. Un tuffo nel passato per rivitalizzare oggetti di una Sicilia antica e ricca, ancora una volta inesauribile fonte di ispirazione. I più giovani, forse, non conoscono in quale e quanto lavoro si spendessero le famiglie di un tempo, soprattutto nel predisporre una dote per il futuro destino da spose delle figlie. Era consuetudine che le mamme e le nonne operassero per anni, a volte fin dalla nascita delle bimbe, per preparare corredi impreziositi da ricami e pizzi ricercatissimi. Tovaglie, biancheria da letto, camicie da notte, il tutto opera di telai a cui le donne dedicavano i giorni e le sere, spesso solo alla luce di candele o di lumi ad olio quando, specie nei piccoli centri dell’isola, non era ancora arrivata l’energia elettrica. Sebbene queste tradizioni abbiano origini remote, in alcune località del cuore della Sicilia sono tuttora coltivate e conservano il sapore di scelte che il mondo femminile delle piccole comunità porta avanti. Le origini risalgono al periodo compreso tra il 1000 e il 1200, quando a Palermo nacque e si sviluppò un grosso centro di ricamo sotto la dominazione normanna di Federico II, conosciuto come grande sostenitore delle arti. Nel frattempo, l’arte del ricamo era sorta in altri territori dell’Italia e non solo, divenendo una tradizione artistica di grande pregio. Si pensi alla Liguria, dove la lavorazione del pizzo macramè si diffuse moltissimo sia per i corredi da sposa, che per gli arredi ecclesiastici. E ancora, si pensi al chiacchierino, un tipo di merletto realizzato con una serie di anelli e nodi, che risale addirittura all’epoca vittoriana.

Bracciale in macramè e cristalli

Marilita Borgese Bracciale in pizzo e swarovski

L’artigianato legato ai ricami diede impulso, in Sicilia, ad un’attività produttiva, soprattutto nel territorio ragusano, dove sorsero vari cotonifici che producevano fili e tele di alta qualità che erano utilizzati per lo più nel mercato regionale. Tuttavia, tanti di quei tesori, frutto di lavoro certosino, sono rimasti custoditi per anni, talora inutilizzati, rimaneggiati o ritagliati. La modernità, all’insegna di nuovi canoni e del tempo da inseguire senza tregua, ha reso anacronistico coltivare quelle antiche usanze. Marilita, invece, ha rispolverato quei capolavori e li tradotti in una versione contemporanea, aggiungendo elementi nuovi per farne monili ricercati, decorati da perline, cristalli e argenti che hanno ridato luce ed esaltato cromaticamente i tesori ritrovati. L’iniziativa ha consentito di raggiungere risultati inaspettati: da piccoli manufatti mostrati a pochi amici intimi, a un defilé presso il circolo dei Canottieri di Palermo – club sorto nel 1927, ubicato nel vecchio porto della Cala, recentemente rivalorizzato dall’Autorità Portuale di Palermo - che lo scorso giugno ha portato alla ribalta le creazioni di Marilita e di molte altre stiliste siciliane. Un’occasione per dare spazio alla creatività, ma anche per dare un segnale di slancio all’economia locale che necessita di iniziative come questa per incoraggiare la piccola imprenditoria. Se la tradizione può essere un elemento propulsivo, allora varrà la pena ripercorrere e recuperare le arti del passato riadattandole al gusto delle nuove generazioni.

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Events

John Madott OCAD University Scholarship Fund

Frances Madott, Francine Madott Kresnik and Josie MacLachlan Photo by Lorenzo Migliore

In an effort to commemorate her father’s memory and his art, Darlene Madott, a Toronto-based lawyer and award-winning writer, has started the John Madott OCAD U Scholarship Fund. John’s natural talent saw him submit his name for an art scholarship at the Ontario College of Art run by Arthur Lismer. Under the tutelage of Lismer, John thrived and eventually decided to pursue a career in commercial art, working for a variety of advertising firms and ultimately establishing his own company in “United Signs Ltd.” In his travels throughout Canada and abroad, he created an art collection that depicts a multitude of scenes and images identifiable to Canadians and those of European background. His last art show occurred at York Central Hospital, at Italian Heritage Day, with over 600 persons viewing his paintings. His last pen and ink drawing “Horses”, accomplished from his hospital bed, reflected Italians as the "work horses" of the nation, building the Canada we know today. John Madott passed away on July 28, 2011, in his 94th year, an artist to the end. The inaugural John Madott OCAD U Scholarship Fund was presented by Darlene and her mother, Francesca, to Josie MacLachlan, a recent graduate of OCAD University. Ms. MacLachlan majored in Drawing and Painting and minored in Art History. She currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario and is the lead coordinator for the artist collective, Paint Rocks! John Madott always told his daughter “the best work is the next one.” Darlene hopes that her father’s motto will extend to the Scholarship and continue to fund young, talented artists in his honour. (Dante Di Iulio)

Joe Avati back in T.O. Italian-Canadians throughout Toronto are familiar with Joe Avati. The comedian, who hails from Australia, garnered word-of-mouth fame when his jokes and stories about growing up Italian-Australian caught on. His CDs and DVDs were huge sellers, making him a household name. Now, after a four-year absence, Avati heads back to Canada this November as part of his Back to Basics tour. Avati plays Toronto from Nov. 9 – 10 with one show at 8pm on Nov. 9 and two shows slotted for Nov. 10 at 6pm and 9pm. The laughs take place at the George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, which is located at 5040 Yonge St. The venue serves as a badge of honour for Avati: the comedian still holds the record for the fastest-selling comedy show in Canada when he sold 3,200 tickets in just nine minutes at the Toronto Centre for the Arts years back. (Rita Simonetta) For tickets visit www.ticketmaster.ca

Lucidarium: Una Festa Ebraica (A Jewish Feast)

Photo by Abe Gitalis

From the moment Lucidarium took the stage at the 9th Biennial Ashkenzaz Festival on September 3, one could sense that this would be no ordinary concert. The musical ensemble transported the audience to 16th century Italy with a showcase of traditional Jewish works. Lucidarium, which specializes in medieval and Renaissance music, have been creating music for more than 20 years. But in recent years the band has focused on reconstructing the lost musical works of Jews who lived in Renaissance Europe. Avery Gosfield, one of Lucidarium’s members, explained that the move to incorporate Jewish cultural music began with an idea sparked in December 2003. Francis Biggi, one of the group’s directors, was watching a TV performance of a 16th century Purim play. It occurred to Biggi that what the artists were presenting should be delivered in an entirely new form. The actors were reading words written in the “ottava rima” style, a poetic form sung in Italy from before Boccaccio’s time. This made Biggi realize the potential of performing the folkloric pieces with music and singing instead. Through research the band discovered 16th-century Jewish poets as well as their song-texts from which the group began to base their music. Gosfield says that the creation of each song incorporates a lot of research. “Everyone works together; maybe one will find the [text], then the singers will bring their own interpretation to the music,” Gosfield explains. Traditional instruments are used to help create a unique sound, including pieces such as the lute, a key Renaissance string instrument, and the Hammered Dulcimer, which is ancestor to the modern-day piano. Lucidarium’s passion for their craft will take them around the globe with a North American Tour set for the fall of 2013. (Danila Di Croce)

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Events

Photos by Martina Bianchini, Carlo Trentino and Tony Paiva

Una Voce per Padre Pio nel Mondo

Padre Pio Symposium guests

Gemma and Sam Primucci of Pizza Nova – Gold Sponsor Toto Cutugno

Music has always been a channel to the spiritual, and that was made abundantly clear on August 25 at the Una Voce per Padre Pio nel Mondo benefit concert in Brampton. It was the first time the event (which marked its 13th edition) took place outside of Italy. Padre Pio (canonized in 2001) is a beloved Italian priest who had a lifelong devotion to helping those in need. The event was hosted by Massimo Giletti and featured a who’s who of Italian talent including Toto Cutugno, Pooh, and Orietta Berti. In keeping with Padre Pio’s lifelong devotion to helping those in need, proceeds will fund the construction of the Padre Pio village in Yaou, Ivory Coast, Africa. Funds will go toward ensuring that members of this community will have access to clean water, food, education and housing. The concert was co-presented by Italian broadcaster RAI and Greenpark Homes. The musical night was just one element of the four-day event dedicated to Padre Pio. There was a gala dinner on August 23, which was followed by a symposium the next day at Vaughan City Hall. Panelists at the symposium were Paolo Sandoni of NRG Productions, Enzo Palumbo, president of Una Voce Per Padre Pio Association, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Father Antonio Belpiede, spokesperson for Convento San Giovanni Rotondo, Father Marciano Morra, general secretary of Gruppi di Preghiera, Dr. Domenico Crupi, director general of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Prof. Angelo Vescovi, scientific director of Casa della Sofferenza, Don Riccardo Zagaria, missionary of Don Orione. Also participating in the panel was Carlo Baldassarra, owner of Greenpark Homes. “I’m very devoted to Padre Pio, and I have been from many years ago,” Baldassarra said. He added that he’s already on board to sponsor the event next year. The finale was a mass at St. Padre Pio Church in Kleinburg on Sunday, August 26. (Rita Simonetta)

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Dr. Crupi, Calro Baldassarra, Father Belpiede TRE.N.D

Angela & Carlo Baldassarra of Greenpark - Presenting Sponsor

Italian Films at TIFF The 2012 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) rolled out the red carpet in grand extravagance from September 6 to September 16 with 20 Galas, 49 World Premieres and 70 Special Presentations. The Italian program shined with six films starting with Marco Bellocchio’s Dormant Beauty, which explores the controversial issue of euthanasia ignited by the real-life case of Eluana Englaro, a young Italian woman who lived 17 years in a vegetative state. Matteo Garrone’s Reality casts a satirical eye at Italy’s obsession with celebrity as it follows the tribulations of a Neapolitan family man who believes he’s destined for reality-TV. Twice Born by Sergio Castellitto spins a yarn about an ill-starred romance that takes place against the backdrop of the siege of Sarajevo. Daniele Ciprì’s The Son Did It is a tale of family ties and ethical dilemmas. It centres on the Ciraulos, a poor Sicilian family whose young daughter is mistakenly killed in a shootout between local Mafia. Compensation from the State comes at a personal and ethical price as the Ciraulos become entangled in a web of obligation and debt. Beyond these four new offerings, a documentary and a film classic were also part of the Italian lineup at TIFF 2012: The War of the Volcanoes: Bergman and Magnani and Stromboli. The War of the Volcanoes by Francesco Patierno documents the love triangle between Anna Magnani, Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman. The doc tracks the high drama of 1950 when both Rossellini and his jilted ex-lover Magnani arrive in the mythical Aeolian Islands to shoot their respective films. Magnani is filming William Dieterle’s Volcano, while Rossellini is set to direct his new love Ingrid Bergman in Stromboli. And it’s Stromboli that marks the first onscreen pairing of Rossellini and Bergman. In the movie Bergman plays a young Baltic woman who marries a poor Italian fisherman in order to escape a Second World War prisoner’s camp. But her new miserable life on the remote island of Stromboli leads her to plot an escape. (Rita Simonetta)

Padre Morra, Prof. Vescovi, Dr. Crupi, Padre Belpiede, and Francesco (all from Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza, Italy)

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Events

Living Positive Gala Dinner Spreading a message of hope and inspiration for children living with HIV/AIDS is the mandate of St. Camillus Angels' Village Foundation, which hosts its Living Positive Gala Dinner on Saturday, November 17. The organization hopes to raise at least $20,000 to benefit the Camillian Centres for children living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand. This year’s fundraiser is highlighted by the participation of Father Giovanni Contarin, an Italian priest who serves as the director of the Camillian Centres in Thailand and whose benevolent work inspired the founding of St. Camillus Angels' Village Foundation. The not-for-profit organization began in September 2008 in Toronto with the immediate goal of raising awareness and funds for the Camillian social centre and projects in Thailand. The foundation provides financial support to legitimate organizations caring for HIV/Aids orphaned children in the third and developing world. Guests taking part in the November 17 dinner will enjoy a martini bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, deluxe bar as well as a gourmet coffee bar and sweet table. Live and silent auctions as well as a raffle and door prizes are part of the evening’s itinerary. A DJ and live entertainment round out the event. The gala dinner takes place at Le Parc Conference and Banquet Centre at 8432 Leslie St. in Markham. (Rita Simonetta) Tickets are $100 per person. To purchase tickets send an email to stcamillusangelsvillage@ymail.com or call 416-743-8700. For more about the organization visit www.stcamillusangelsvillagefoundation.com

Saluti a Jerusalem at Columbus Centre

The longtime fraternity between Toronto’s Italian and Jewish communities received a culinary, musical and artistic celebration on September 12 at the Columbus Centre’s Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery. That’s when the two communities came together for the Saluti Jerusalem fundraiser, which will help to build Giardino Canadese, a cultural community centre for all ages located in the heart of Jerusalem. The event included the participation of celebrity chef David Rocco who was on hand to create dishes inspired from Roman Jewish cuisine. Additional food was courtesy of restaurants such as Ristorante Boccaccio, Mistura, Grano and Fieramosca Trattoria. The recipes reflected the taste of neighbourhoods in Jewish Rome to the culinary delights of the Tuscany region. Beyond the delicious food, guests were treated to a photographic journey of both Italy and Israel thanks to photographers Neil Dankoff and Beverley Abramson. Saluti a Jerusalem was a joint presentation of Villa Charities and the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada. “The Italian and Jewish communities in Toronto have worked side by side for years, strengthening their bond and helping to build this city into the thriving metropolis it is today,” said Pal Di Iulio, president and CEO of Villa Charities. “It is important to honour and celebrate this kinship and ensure that it continues developing.” (Rita Simonetta)

San Antonio Fish Market Fundraiser San Antonio Fish Market in Woodbridge will once again show its commitment to the community when it hosts two seafood fundraising dinners this November. All proceeds will help families who are facing life-threatening diseases. The Saturday, November 3 dinner will help raise funds for six-year-old Noah Matia Facecchia who has Idiopathic Refractory Status Epilepticus, a rare life-threatening condition that causes him to suffer constant brain seizures. As a result of the brain seizures, he has developed a movement disorder. He is currently taking several anti-convulsion medications. Noah’s family is in the process of renovating their home to accommodate his many

needs. The second fundraising dinner on Saturday, Nov. 24 will benefit Luca and Julia Borreca. Six-year-old Luca was diagnosed with leukemia in November 2011. He’s undergoing intense treatment that’s expected to last for three and a half years. Meanwhile, Luca’s sister Julia has autism and is facing her own challenges. Both the Nov. 3 and Nov. 24 dinners take place at Riviera Parque Dining and Banquet Centre, which is located at 2800 Highway 7 W. in Concord. Tickets are $110 per person (open bar included). (Rita Simonetta) To purchase tickets call San Antonio Fish Market at 905-850-4088. A non-seafood menu is also available.

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Events

Million Dollar Smiles Halloween Fundraising Gala There’s certain to be plenty of tricks and treats on Friday, October 26. That’s when Million Dollar Smiles (MDS) hosts its annual Halloween Fundraising Gala to put a smile on the faces of children with life-threatening diseases. MDS is a non-profit organization that supports a wide range of fundraising campaigns which promote gift-giving and special MDS community events targeted to children up to the age of 18. Guests will be encouraged to sponsor a four-foot Teddy Bear for the 2012 Christmas Holiday Bear Drive. Each bear, along with a $100.00 gift certificate will be delivered by the sponsor or volunteers to special MDS children during the holiday season. Event organizers hope to raise $30,000 that will fund MDS’s gift-giving programs, which include building playgrounds for special MDS children and will also help with their 2012 Holiday Bear Program. The event takes place at Borgata Wedding Event Venue, 8400 Jane St. in Woodbridge. Tickets for this year’s Halloween Gala are $85 per person and include a four-course meal and an open bar as well as a night full of entertainment, dancing, silent auction and prizes for the best costumes. (Rita Simonetta) For tickets contact alopes@milliondollarsmiles.ca. For more information about the organization visit www.milliondollarsmiles.ca.

Anthony and Paula Brancati, winners of Vaughan Has Talent

Music prodigies performed with gusto during the Vaughan Has Talent Competition held August 12 as part of the 6th Annual Woodbridge Ribfest hosted by the Rotary Club of Woodbridge. Winners of the grand prize were sibling team, Anthony and Paula Brancati, whose riveting performance was an infusion of blues, soul, R&B and rock ’n’ roll. A third-year Humber College student, 20-year-old Anthony Brancati is tenaciously striving for his degree, majoring in piano — Contemporary Music/Jazz Performance. However, this isn’t Brancati’s first and only prize. He placed first in the Celebration of the Arts Talent Competition, was the winner of the Mitch Mitchell Rotary Jazz Award at the Markham Jazz Festival and is the recipient of numerous college bursaries. Paula Brancati, only 23 years of age, is already a veteran in the film, television and theatre industry subsequently earning two Gemini and Dora nominations. Not only has she performed in the Emmy-winning series Dark Oracle as well as the popular CBC/Soapnet series, Being Erica, she is also a principal cast member of the internationally acclaimed television series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. This new and exciting talent competition was part of a three-day fundraiser organized to support local and international projects. The main beneficiary this year was Caritas, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility within the GTA. “We created this annual event in order to celebrate, recognize and give exposure to young musical artists,” says event coordinator and initiator of “Vaughan Has Talent,” Laura Tonelli. As a Woodbridge Ribfest Committee Member on behalf of Caritas, she is fully aware of the positive impact community involvement can have on the younger generation. “It builds their confidence. It’s also important to support our young people in the realization of their dreams.” And that’s something that sibling duo Anthony and Paula Brancati, among many other talented artists, can attest to. (Romina Monaco)

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Events

Madonna delle Grazie Association celebrates 25 years The strength of faith and community spirit was evident on Sunday, September 2 when hundreds of people took part in the procession and mass celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Madonna delle Grazie Religious and Cultural Association in Toronto. It is an annual event held in honour of the Madonna delle Grazie from Torre di Ruggiero, a town located in Catanzaro, Calabria. The town is perhaps best known for its shrine dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie, which is visited by thousands of people each year. Members of Torre di Ruggiero who immigrated to Canada brought their steadfast faith to Toronto when they founded the association in 1987. The mass and procession on September 2 served as the culmination and highlight of the association’s yearlong itinerary of events that includes a fundraising dinner and a series of social functions and masses. It was a particularly special day for association members because they presented the Madonna and baby Jesus with new gold crowns. The crowns were melted down from the 870 grams of gold gifts given to the Madonna throughout the years. Bishop Boissoneau was on hand for the coronation at St. Philip Neri Church. (Rita Simonetta)

Trentino Club Annual Picnic 2012

It was one of the biggest turnouts in recent history for The Trentino Club of Toronto’s Club Annual Picnic, and committee members were happy to note that many of the picnic-goers were of the new Trentino generation. This year’s festivities were celebrated with great success on August 12 at Doctor’s McLean Park in Woodbridge. Guests of the picnic enjoyed a traditional mass led by Father Renzo Moser, then sat back and relaxed with great food and picnic fun. They were served sausages and polenta, along with hamburgers for the children, and watched as their kids participated in the many activities planned for the day. Current

Trentino Club President, David Corazza, shares his earlier picnic days with fondness: “As a child I looked forward to that annual trip…to run around the area and play the games set up for us. Those memories are with me now and will always be with me.” The Trentino Club of Toronto was founded in 1965. However, long before a committee was set in place to officially uphold Trentino traditions, families of this Italian region living in the Toronto area took matters into their own hands and gathered every summer for a community picnic. Their yearly gathering turned into what is now the club’s annual picnic. (Danila Di Croce)

Seneca Heights Forest Circle Court Get-Together BBQ Neighbourly gestures and community spirit are not relegated to the past as proven by the first Seneca Heights Forest Circle Court GetTogether BBQ, which was held on July 29. About 50 residents living in the large court of 13 homes in Vaughan came out in full force to enjoy food, conversation and entertainment. The idea for a street party had been suggested for many years in order to provide an opportunity for members of the neighbourhood to get to know one another. The party included BBQ and gnocchi as well as many fun activities such as bocce, basketball, hockey, a piñata contest and fireworks at mid-

night. Seneca Heights is one of the oldest and most historical areas of Vaughan. It’s no wonder it’s been dubbed the “Muskoka of Vaughan” considering it has a country charm appeal with its old trees and wide-open spaces. Some of the homes in the area were built in the ’50s and ’60s. Forest Circle Court is one of the newest streets on Seneca Heights; it was built 35 years ago. The day was such a success that everyone agrees they are looking forward to making it an annual affair. The event was organized by Mary Mauti, Brenda Roulston, Vittorio Mauti and Mary Pasquali. (Rita Simonetta)

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Events

The Canadian-Italian Open Golf Tournament The sun shined for a day of golfing, fun and delicious food on Wednesday, September 12 at The Canadian-Italian Open Golf Tournament. The event was co-hosted by the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association of Toronto (CIBPA) and the Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICCO) who offered up a bevy of things to do on and off the fairway. More than 200 golfers enjoyed refreshments and food sampling stations throughout the course as they hit the green at Lionhead Golf & Country Club in Brampton. Participants included Dr. Ignat Kaneff, chairman of Kaneff Golf, CIBPA president C. Mario Paura and ICCO president George Visintin. Golfers had a chance to win $1 million in the hole-in-one contest sponsored by The Giordano-Dri Wealth Team of ScotiaMcleod. Alas, none of the golfers pulled off the feat, but they had a lot of fun trying and Rob Fallone was just five feet away from taking it all. Guests also enjoyed gift bags and prizes. (Rita Simonetta) 5.

CLOCK WISE: 1. Lui Cossidente, Kathy Cossidente, Joanne Barbaro & Richard Barbaro 2. Joseph Gagliano, Tony Amendola, Dave Peters & David Doubilet 3. John Dickie, Mario Paura, Dr. Ignat Kaneff & Michael Cipriani 4. George Visintin, Elena Dell’Osbel, Diana Panacci & Mario Paura 5. Mario Paura, Tony Cipriani, Joseph Gagliano, George Visintin & Miss Woodbridge, Natalie Conforti 4.

Photo: Kin Wong

Tarantella Festival Argentina is known for the tango, Eastern Europe lays claim to traditional folk dancing and Italy has its beloved tarantella. The dance was born in southern Italy, but from September 8-9 it was on display on College Street as part of the second annual Tarantella Festival. Musical acts from Italy made the trip to showcase the dance that, as legend has it, was created in order to cure those unfortunate souls bitten by a tarantula. The tarantella’s dance motions were believed to provide the perfect remedy. Guests at this year’s fest learned the techniques of an authentic Italian tarantella dance from Marta Tortara of Rione Junno, one of the headlining acts. There were also performances by Tamburellisti di Torrepaduli as well as Marcello Colasurdo and Crocevia. Colasurdo taught audiences to play the tamburello with some impressive results. The two-day event included some friendly competitions with Pina and Angelo Trimarchi taking first place in the tarantella dance contest, while Nicodemo Larosa took home top prize in the organetto competition. Also part of this year’s Tarantella Festival was the Johnny Lombardi Canadian-Italian Song Festival where local artists showcase their talent. This year’s winner was Victoria Fragomeni. (Rita Simonetta)

From left: Anastasia and Joseph Messina (second place), Rosa Frasca (third place) and first place winners Pina and Angelo Trimarchi

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Events

Directors Nick Puopolo, Domenic Lavalle and Sadi Arbid

Italian automobile enthusiasts were in their glory on Saturday, July 21 as they took part in the second annual Italian Car Day. More than 1,300 people gathered at Boyd Park Conservation Area in Woodbridge to marvel at the more than 235 vehicles on display from every Italian brand including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, FIAT and Lancia. Highlights were a Ferrari F40, a rare 1956 Maserati 200si race car, a 1933 Fiat Balilla, two Lamborghini Diablo Roasters, a 1961 Alfa Giulietta Sprint Coup and a 1963 Stronello Sport Moto Guzzi motorcycle. Ferrari of Ontario also displayed some spectacular vehicles as well, including an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, a Ferrari 599XX and Nigel Mansell's 1990 F1 race care. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second annual edition also featured Italian motorcycles and scooters, represented by Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Vespa, complete with sidecars. The day was made possible thanks to event directors Nick Puopolo, Domenic Lavalle and

Sadi Arbid along with their marquee sponsor Engineered Automotive. Live Italian music and the flavours of Italy, provided by Cittadini Ristorante, along with the passion of all the car owners, gave everyone the feeling they were in Italy. This enthusiasm also translated into a helping hand since the event raised $30,000 to benefit The Safehaven Project for Community, which provides residential and respite care to children and youth who have physical and developmental disabilities. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to hit the $50,000 mark. With this in mind, raffle tickets are still being sold to win a new Fiat 500 Sport, which will be given away on November 2, 2012 at the Safehaven Gala. (Rita Simonetta)

Sadi Arbid and Loris Suppo

For gala and raffle tickets contact Safehaven at 416-535-8525 or visit www.safehaven.to For more information about the Italian Car Day event visit www.italiancarday.com

Domenic Lavalle, Nick Corrigan, Sadi Arbid

Left to right: Domenic Lavalle, Tony Zingaro, Silvio Ferri, John Barbaro, Sam DeMita, Nick Puopolo, Sadi Arbid, Frank Ciotola, Ellio LaLonde, Gord Lalonde, Giovanna Migliara and Fabio Venier

Domenic Lavalle and Frank Defrancesco

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Sports

Bartali circa 1938- Courtesy of Giovanni Corrieri

Gino Bartali By Liz Allemang

Road to Valour

The story of how the fascism-fighting champion cyclist, Gino Bartali, came to be a 10-years-in-the-making book, is not quite as unlikely a story as Bartali's rise through the riding ranks and contributions to the Italian resistance movement, but it's one that befits the broadly revelatory nature of the project. n the summer of 2002, Andres McConnon, who authored the book Road to Valour with his sister, Aili McConnon — which was presented at the Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto last September — was in France, when he caught the end of one stage of the Tour de France. It was “an ordinary stage” in Béziers, a town atop a bluff in Languedoc in the south, and he had gone to experience the “spontaneous displays of French 'joie de vivre.’ ” But it was the chatter from the sidelines that interested him most. Fans were talking about Lance Armstrong, a Tour hero — in 2002, anyway, prior to a recent investigation for doping — who was defying all odds and dominating the field as a cancer survivor and as an older rider. “There was a discussion among fans — and in corners of the press — about athletes who had won the Tour in their 30s. Bartali's name stood out because he won the Tour [his] second time at 34, and because the 10-year gap between his victories in 1938 and 1948 straddled the Second World War,” says Andres McConnon. “The question of what had happened to him during the war sent the wheels of my mind spinning.” With a shared interest of history and cycling, McConnon relayed Bartali’s story to his sister Aili. “I did a little research and found an Italian newspaper article which described [the champion cyclist] helping this Jewish family in Tuscany,” says Aili McConnon. “It’s a sports story. It’s a story about war. It’s a story that needs to be told.” Born in 1914 in Ponte a Ema to modest means,

Bartali, the third of four children, was particularly close with his younger brother, Giulio. Bartali grew up racing Giulio — who would later die in an accident that would see Bartali almost quit cycling — throughout the countryside, favouring the Tuscan hills near Florence. His climbing ability would later win him the Mountain Classification in two Tour de France and seven Giro d’Italia, in addition to 12 and 17 Individual Stages, respectively, during his career spanning 1935 to 1950. More significantly, he won the Overall Classification at two Tour de France and took the same title at three Giro’dItalia (1936, 1937 and 1946). “In his own time, he was as famous in the Italian context as Wayne Gretzky is to Canadians,” says Andres McConnon. The McConnon siblings agree that Bartali was born to race, but he made himself into a champion. “He was very determined. He built himself up. He would keep very detailed notebooks. He would tinker with what he ate,” says Aili McConnon. This included now-common endurance sport wisdom of bananas and pasta, and excluded, near blasphemously, tomatoes. He also enjoyed his wine (Chianti), however, and, on the advice of his doctor, was a dedicated smoker (to “treat” his low heart rate). His fierce determination could also be what drove him in his contributions to the resistance movement, as detailed in the most riveting pages of Road to Valour. Disappointed with the Fascists and eager to help in war work, he became a courier for the resistance network at the request of the Cardinal of Florence. “He was one of few people who could move freely

Bartali Postwar - Courtesy of Giovanni Corrieri

around the countryside. Because he was well-known, he could cycle through [Nazi and Fascist] checkpoints,” says Aili McConnon. He would smuggle counterfeit identity papers and documents, hidden in the frame of his bike. He harboured a family of Jews in an apartment that was paid for with money won cycling. “He decided to do what he felt was right,” says Aili McConnon. “The fascinating irony is that his fame, which was built up, in part, by a regime trying to use him as a propaganda tool was precisely the fame that he turned back on them.” “He always had an uncomfortable relationship with fame. I think he would have been happy if no one had ever found out about his saving this family or helping countless individuals escape.” After his behind-the-scenes resistance efforts, he returned to cycling as focused as ever on proving himself in the sport he loved. “We thought a lot about the importance of Bartali’s second Tour win,” says Andres McConnon. “After the war, you wonder, ‘Amid all the devastation, who cares about a bike race?’ But there is a universal human desire for a moment of fancy... to not think about your problems, to be happy.” Bartali likely sought this moment from the Tour as much as his fans and the European public did. Says McConnon,“There’s a larger message, in Bartali’s second victory, of the power of sports to unite people.”

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Sports

the Scorpion

The Man Behind

Left: Stunning 1950 Cisitalia Abarth 204 A berlinetta bodied by Vignale. Photo Alain Raymond

By Alain Raymond

Astrology buffs will confirm that people born under the sign of the Scorpion (October 22 – November 22) are constantly competing, not so much against others but rather against themselves. This trait of character perfectly describes a man born in Vienna on November 15, 1908. His name was Karl Abarth. s a young boy, Karl Abarth took on bicycle racing in the town of Merano, in the Italian Alps, where his family had moved. He later worked as an apprentice with Castagna, an Italian designer of bicycle and motorcycle chassis, and he switched to motorcycles. In 1927, he returned to Austria and decided to try motorcycle racing. By the mid 1930s, Abarth had won five European championships while gaining considerable mechanical experience. By then, Karl had become “Carlo” and acquired Italian citizenship.

From Motorcycles to Cisitalia to the Fiat 600 In 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Abarth suffered a very serious motorcycle accident in Yugoslavia. After his release from hospital, he decided to stay and work for a shop converting gasoline engines to run on kerosene. The war shortage also forced Abarth to explore ways of fixing and modifying the internal combustion engine. It is believed that this is where Abarth acquired his uncanny mechanical expertise. At the end of the war, Carlo Abarth returned to Merano and became associated

Right: Carlo Abarth loved cars and… apples. Seen here in 1965 in front of his cars Bottom: Abarth & company famous scorpion logo

with Cisitalia, the Grand Prix racing team based in Turin. Like many other racing lessons, Cisitalia went bankrupt, teaching Abarth that automobile racing on its own was not a viable activity. Nevertheless, Abarth decided in 1949 to form his own company, Squadra Corse Carlo Abarth, located on Via Trecate, in Turin, and adopted the scorpion as his logo. The first car to bear the Abarth logo was the 204 A roadster, based on a Cisitalia design and powered by a Fiat 1100 engine. Although not very successful in racing, the 204 A highlighted one of Abarth’s key ideas: the impact of lightness on performance. Several models followed the 204 A and Abarth offered his design expertise to other manufacturers, including Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Ferrari. But Abarth’s main efforts remained centered on Fiat-based cars, first with the 1100, then with the tiny rear-engined Fiat 600, introduced in 1956. With his keen marketing mind, Abarth chose to promote his brand with a string of speed record cars dressed with very streamlined bodies. From 1956 to 1959, Abarth established a number of world records, making the Scorpion a household name in Italy and beyond.

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Sports

Marmitta Abarth With the Cisitalia debacle still in mind, Abarth sought another way for financing his racing activities. The answer came from the accessory business, starting with the famous Abarth “marmitta.” The Abarth muffler became the craze among young aspiring drivers seeking to customize their cars with the deep sound and rich look provided by the Abarth marmitta. And unlike other performance muffler manufacturers, Abarth designed a specific exhaust system for practically every car on the market, including Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari. The chrome-tipped and black cracklefinished Abarth mufflers were not only sexy looking and sounding but they also enhanced performance. Abarth also offered various other engine improvements such as light-alloy oil sumps, intake manifolds and complete engine kits, including cylinder heads, pistons and crankshafts.

March 1950: The great Tazio Nuvolari (Enzo Ferrari’s favourite driver) is seen in the Abarth 204 A roadster (ex-Cisitalia and the first to bear the Scorpion logo). Standing to his left (cigarette in hand) is Carlo Abarth, always a very sharp dresser. Archive photo

Victory at the 12-Hours of Sebring If you lived in Europe in the 1960s, you must certainly remember the diminutive Italian bombas screaming around your neighbourhood and tearing up the many popular hillclimb races. Expertly massaged by the “Magician,” the tame little Fiat 600 was gradually transformed into the Fiat Abarth 750, then the 850 and ultimately the 1000TC and 1000TCR which terrorized competitors far and wide. The Abarth craze even crossed the Atlantic in the form of the Abarth 750 Record Monza bodied in aluminum by Italian designer Zagato and made famous by the Roosevelt Racing Team, owned by Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., son of the U.S. President. A Fiat dealer at the time, Roosevelt entered four Fiat Abarth 750 Record Monza cars in the 1959 12-Hours of Sebring. It was an absolute triumph, with all four cars grabbing the first four positions in their category. The win and the many others that followed made headlines in the U.S. and brought substantial prestige to the Scorpion.

From the Mahlon Kraft Collection, a surviving Fiat Abarth 750 Record Monza from Team Roosevelt which triumphed at the 1959 12-Hours of Sebring. Photo: Alain Raymond

Fiat Takeover The success of the accessory business and the numerous race victories allowed Carlo Abarth to move to the next stage by creating all-Abarth engines and cars. He entered sports car racing with phenomenal success and produced very potent engines, notably a 2-litre engine with a 4-valve cylinder head, a 2-litre V8 and a 6-litre V12 engine, hoping to compete with Ferrari. But Fiat who had taken a 50 per cent stake in Ferrari in 1969 did not wish the Scorpione to compete with the Cavallino Rampante. In 1971, the Turin giant acquired Abarth & C. and decreed that only Ferrari would be involved in racing, leaving Abarth to compete on the rally stage. Carlo Abarth played along and helped Fiat produce very competitive cars, including the Fiat Abarth 124 Rally, the Fiat Abarth 131, the Lancia Rally 037 and the awesome three-time World Rally Champion Lancia Stratos. But for Carlo Abarth, forced to abandon racing and to deal with Fiat bureaucracy, the mood had changed. Rather disillusioned, he retired to his native Austria and passed away on October 23, 1979 at the age of 71. On September 30, 1981, Fiat decided that Abarth & C. would cease to exist.

Abarth Today In 2007, 28 years after Abarth’s death, Fiat Group, under the stewardship of Sergio Marchionne, decided to revive the Abarth brand. First seen on the Fiat Grande Punto in Europe, the Scorpion now adorns the Abarth 500 recently delivered to Fiat North American dealerships. Loyal grey-haired Abarthistas and the younger “tuner” generation can once again enjoy the sound and fury of the small high performance car as best imagined by Carlo Abarth, the greatest “tuner” of them all. The Scorpion is back. And it is as wicked as ever. Forza Abarth!

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The one and only 1953 Ferrari Abarth 166 featuring a unique front-end treatment with three headlights was sold at auction for $850,000 in 2004. Photo: Alain Raymond

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