NEWS FROM : Art & Heritage  

Over the course of a 28-year career as an administrator for the Air Force, Ernest “Skip” Dalle Molle came to realize the key role that helping people played in so many of his job descriptions. One of five children, Ernest “Skip” Dalle Molle was born in Evergreen Park to Ernest and Mary (Bertoletti) Dalle Molle. He grew up in the Roseland neighborho...

Westlake Urgent Care is a labor of love and source of pride for Shellye Pechulis, a nurse with more than four decades of experience who was integral to its creation in 2021. Pechulis, 71, currently works as nurse administrator at the non-profit urgent care facility in Melrose Park, which was created by her and a team of doctors, nurses and medical...

Being Italian has always been central to Frank Schiro’s identity, and for decades he has devoted himself to highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of the community in the United States. An experienced litigator and trial attorney in Milwaukee, Schiro recently was elected president of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Gra...

The Tyrolean Trentino Club of Norway, MI donated almost $1,200 to the Jake Meneghini Museum. The Trentino Club was an Italian heritage club dedicated to preserving the memories and culture of the early immigrant Italians in Dickinson County. The club dissolved following a decline in membership and donated the remaining funds and cultural artifacts...

The City of Columbus is looking to discover how the community wants to display the city's Christopher Columbus statue. That statue was removed from its pedestal outside city hall on July 1, 2020 and put in storage in a secret location. "Mayor Ginther made the decision that the statue, as it was displayed, didn't reflect our values and our aspiratio...

A cherished event that honors St. Joseph, patron saint of workers and families, promises a day filled with tradition, community and generosity. The 47th annual Feast of St. Joseph celebration takes place March 10 at The Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth St. The festivities begin at 2 p.m. with the welcoming of attendees from across the region to partake...

When many of us who share in the Italian American experience attempt to capture and preserve our rich family history, we sometimes find it a daunting experience. I can recall several years ago opening a box stored in my mother’s basement that was full of photos, documents, and records that to me were like pieces of a puzzle. These abstract records...

Paul Iannelli loved being Italian. "He was a family man. He was very proud of his Italian heritage," his daughter Paulette Zizzo said. "And he was a man who wanted things done yesterday." His family remembers Iannelli as a man of few words but lots of action — from building a parking business with his brother to helping create the Italian Community...

Holy Week is central to the spiritual lives of Italians on both sides of the Atlantic. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine and the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will play their parts from Palm Sunday (March 24) to Easter Sunday (March 31). OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL (Melrose Park) will celebrate Mass with the distribution of palms at 7:45 a.m. and...

People in Columbus are sharing what symbols of art they would like to see around town. It's been four years since the Christopher Columbus statue was taken down from the front of City Hall. Reimagine Columbus announced it wants to replace it but wants community input. Starting in March, people will have the chance to share their opinions on what th...

The Italian American Political Coalition will present Judge Celia G. Gamrath with its William Paca Award, Richard Caifano with its Lifetime Achievement Award and Richard Catezone with its Public Service Leadership Award at its annual Heritage Celebration on March 7 at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. For tickets, call 708-369-2500. Richard Caifan...

Ralph “Hack” Pasqurella was born in Melrose Park in 1917 to Gaetano and Gabriella Chiero Pasqurella, who immigrated to the U.S. as teens. His father came from Melizzano in Campania and his mother from Trivigno in Basilicata. Pasqurella’s father died during the 1918 flu epidemic while his mother was pregnant with their second child. She eventually r...