John Mirabelli was honored as Man of the Year and Marianne D’Amico as Woman of the Year at the Mazzini-Verdi Club’s President’s Ball in December. John Frank Mirabelli was born on Feb. 28, 1938, at home near Taylor and Ashland. His parents, Enrico and Mary Anne Mirabelli, migrated from Calabria to Chicago in the early 1900s where they raised their six children: Edith, Irma, Louie, Theresa, Joe and John.

He attended Notre Dame and Holy Trinity grade schools and St. Philip’s High School. John met the love of his life, Julie, on a blind date at North Avenue Beach in 1957. They were from opposite sides of town. He was from Taylor Street, and she was from Grand and Laramie. Despite being miles apart and neither of them having a car, they made it work. John and Julie married on Oct. 23, 1960, and had three children: John, Rosemarie and Joe.