Mount Carmel Italian fest raises largest amount of money in 24-year history
It was a night of celebration and recognition at Youngstown’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica. Dozens of volunteers and sponsors came together to be honored by the church for another successful Italian Festival. WKBN was among those recognized for our many years of sponsorship and support for the festival. At the end of the night, all of the mone...
Sculptor Joseph Burlini
A practicing artist for 50-plus years, Joseph Burlini has made a name for himself by creating inventive kinetic sculptures and soaring public works. A native of Morton Grove, Burlini has a degree in industrial design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and spent six years designing for Sears, Roebuck and Co. before pivoting to making ar...
City of Columbus (OH) sued by Italian advocate over renamed Columbus park
Columbus Parks and Recreation department is being sued by an Italian American after accusations that the city is demonstrating hostility toward its namesake. The lawsuit is based on a single park, Christopher Columbus Square, which was renamed Warren Square after a petition from the Italian Village Society. Now, some Italian Americans say its part...
OSDIA lodge celebrates 90th anniversary
The Amerigo Vespucci Lodge 1722 of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America celebrated its 90th anniversary on May 11 at the Quality Inn in Bradley, Illinois. More than 170 guests, including families from across the country, converged on the venue for the occasion. The lodge is based in Kankakee. The event included a fabulous meal, entertai...
Unveiling of restored Dante Alighieri monument on Belle Isle, Detroit (MI)
Consulate of Italy in Detroit and the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan, with the contribution of its membership and the Società Dante Alighieri headquartered in Rome, are proud to announce the unveiling of the newly restored Dante Alighieri monument on Belle Isle. The unveiling ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 1:00 PM...
Marching with Father Groppi: Looking back on Milwaukee’s Civil Rights demonstrations
He was a most unlikely Civil Rights leader. Father James Groppi was an immigrant’s son, the eleventh of 12 children who grew up behind the family’s grocery store in the Italian section of Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. Early in his priesthood, Groppi made a trip to Selma, Alabama, that stirred his conscience. The young cleric came back determin...
Southern Italian dinner raises money to restore fountain in Italian Cultural Garden
The 84-year-old Renaissance fountain in the Italian Cultural Garden is being restored. To raise the $34,000 needed for the work, garden supporters are hosting the second Pranzo Italiano, a benefit dinner at Valerio’s Restaurant in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. The garden, which is between Martin Luther King, Jr., and East Boulevards, is o...
Women on a mission in NW Indiana
As a leading member of the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County in Northwest Indiana, Gina Geiss represents its values both personally and professionally. Through the club, Geiss actively works to preserve the Italian-American heritage and culture, and serves her community by volunteering at nonprofit organizations. As an in-home beauty gro...
Onward to America
World War II reached from end to end of the Italian peninsula, leaving devastation in its wake. With the Allies’ aid and support through the Marshall Plan in 1946, structural reconstruction and governmental reform began. The monarchy was abolished by popular vote. Benito Mussolini’s death minimized the Fascist Party. America supported the democrati...
Documentary tracks search for lost WWII soldiers
At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27, the Italian American Veterans Museum will present a revealing documentary about the search for a group of American soldiers declared MIA during the campaign to liberate Italy during World War II. “The Lost Mountaineers” is dedicated to the memory of 25 G.I.s who perished when their amphibious vehicle sank in Lake...
From Italy to Green Bay, a New Franken couple celebrating 70 years of marriage share their love story
She was a seasick new bride when she arrived in America on a ship from her home country of Italy. He had 10 cents in his pocket when the train dropped them off at the station in Green Bay. A lifetime later, Merlin and Fatima Baenen didn’t just make it, they’ve made it all the way to a remarkable milestone in their love story. On Thursday, they will...
Little Italy Future Leaders and the Italian American Museum of Cleveland Raise a Glass as Torch Is Passed to Younger Generations
Little Italy Future Leaders (LIFL), a younger generations’ culture and networking club — formed through Italian Sons and Daughters of America — is thrilled to announce the success of its Inaugural history shuffle, “A Glass From the Past,” held on July 20. The event, hosted in conjunction with the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE), aimed...