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In Cleveland, Ohio, prior to the formation of the city’s present day Little Italy, Italian immigrants settled in an area called Big Italy, located to the south and west of Public Square, in what was known as the Haymarket District. Prior to 1880, the neighborhood was primarily Jewish, but as the Jewish population moved on to better neighborhoods, t...

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We’ve been waiting over a year to get our hands on the infamous Warehouse Bruschetta and 15 Layer Lasagna again.  And now, we only have to wait about another month.  According to Spaghetti Warehouse’s website, they’re officially opening on November 30th. This new Downtown location, at 150 S. High St., right by the Columbus Commons, is going to offe...

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The couple behind Pelino’s Pasta are bringing a little more Italy to Columbus. Vinny and Christina Pelino will expand their empire to open Piazza Pelino at 772 N. High St. As residents of the Short North, Vinny and Christina saw the need for a neighborhood gathering place – the literal meaning of piazza. Christina says the piazza was one of a few i...

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On October 29,  The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby will shut down for the season. At that time Geraci's Slice Shop, which has enjoyed two summers at that popular attraction, will pack up and ship out. But they won't be traveling far; the family will be opening a full-service restaurant down the block."I look at the Yard as kind of an incubator for us to...

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Mary Elizabeth Bianchi Ferrante was born on Cleveland’s West Side to Francesco and Angelina Pasqualoni Bianchi, immigrants from Abruzzo, Italy. She is very passionate about and proud of her Italian heritage and is staunchly dedicated to its preservation and perpetuation. Mary has selflessly given years of service to the Italian American community i...

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Hon. Basil Russo was formally inducted as a “Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy” on Sunday, Oct. 8. The Order, established in 1951, is the highest-ranking honor of the Italian Republic. The official ceremony took place in Little Italy at Angelo’s Nido Italia, where Russo earned the Cavaliere dell’ Ordine al Merito della’ Repubbli...

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I have four kids who have four big appetites. This can make for a big bill when we go out to eat as a family — not to mention, finding a place that caters to each of my kids’ preferences is no easy feat. Pizza, however, is something we can all agree upon, but… what to top it with? How many should we order? There are so many factors. Unless, of cour...

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Tomorrow, thousands of Greater Clevelanders will gather in Little Italy to attend our annual Columbus Day parade. The story of how the first Columbus Day celebration began in 1892 is a tragic example of the mistreatment of immigrants that needs to be told. Between 1880 and 1920, some 4 million Italian immigrants left impoverished towns throughout s...

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The Columbus Day Parade is marching back to Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood on Monday, Oct. 9, along Mayfield Road. Elaborate floats, marching bands, local artifacts, and city leaders will make up the parade, which steps off at noon to celebrate Northeast Ohio’s deeply rooted Italian American culture. As usual, Columbus Day Mass will be held...

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Angelo Petitti immigrated to the United States in 1963 at age 16 from Faeto, a small mountain village with a population of 600 in southeast Italy. For 3 years, he worked at Pick-n-Pay Supermarket and as a busboy to support himself while attending Kent State University night classes to study political science. Angelo also leveraged his innate sense...

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