Queens author encourages others to value their dreams with new novel
Anthony Sciarratta, a Queens-based novelist, didn’t enjoy English until he attended college. But now he is set to release his second novel, “The Letter.” “The Letter,” set to be released April 28 through Post Hill Press, focuses on Victor Esposito, a writer who falls into a coma, and his love affair Eva Abram. After Abram hears the news over a tele...
Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is just a click (or call) away for Easter staples
Upset you can't do your usual Arthur Avenue run in light of the coronavirus? No worries. Many of the local shops in the Belmont Business Improvement District (BID) also known as the “Little Italy in the Bronx” are currently operating for curbside pick-up, takeout, delivery and mail-order shipping, with many featuring Easter specials. Here's where y...
Introducing Beatrice Alecci, Program Director of Casa Belvedere
If you’ve visited Casa Belvedere recently, you already know who Beatrice is. She’s the one who welcomes you with a hearty “Buonasera!”, inviting you to come in, get comfortable, and get ready to enjoy a culinary experience in one of our cooking classes, or a cultural presentation during our Tuesday evening cultural progam. If you’ve dropped off you...
Queens Pastor Father Gioacchino Basile, 60, succumbs to coronavirus
A second New York City priest has died because of the coronavirus, church officials said. Father Gioacchino Basile, pastor of Saint Gabriel’s in East Elmhurst, Queens, died Saturday. He was 60, church officials said. Basile’s death is the second for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, coming a week after Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, who served...
St. Anthony’s Italian Festival canceled this year as organizers in Wilmington give way to effort to limit spread of coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed one of the most ballyhooed community events of the year in Wilmington as organizers of St. Anthony’s Italian Festival have decided to cancel this year’s celebration. This year’s celebration of culture, food and fun was set for June 7-14. Organizers announced on the festival’s Facebook page that restrictions aime...
This Brooklyn Landlord Just Canceled Rent for Hundreds of Tenants
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought life to a near standstill in New York City and caused an untold number of people to lose their jobs, tenants in the building did not need to pay April rent, it read. “STAY SAFE, HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS & WASH YOUR HANDS!!!” the landlord, Mario Salerno, wrote on the signs, which he posted at all of...
Tarallucci e Vino’s Owner Brings Italian Meals to NYC’s Healthcare Workers
Abruzzo native Luca Di Pietro opened the original Tarallucci e Vino restaurant in NYC’s East Village in 2001 and expanded to four other Manhattan locations in subsequent years. Earlier this month, he closed all but his Upper West Side eatery in response to efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the city. Now, in addition to providing take...
Governor Cuomo Sees Silver Lining in Spaghetti and Meatballs
On Sunday, New York’s 56th governor, Andrew Cuomo, gave another televised speech from Albany and ended it with how to find a silver lining during quarantine. In a rare twist, the governor shared a personal recommendation: spaghetti, meatballs, and sausage with family. “Everybody talks about how the Italians love the food. That’s true,” he said. “Bu...
Nissoli (FI): Lieto fine per 150 studenti italiani bloccati a New YorK
“Un ringraziamento alle nostre autorità diplomatiche e consolari negli USA che hanno garantito un fondamentale supporto per assicurare il rimpatrio dei connazionali che attendono di essere imbarcati sul volo per l’Italia da New York. Loro, per primi, ma noi tutti che ci siamo occupati del problema, abbiamo vissuto un po’ di apprensione ma poi, fort...
A Home Away From Home
If you ask any New Yorker about Arthur Avenue, you get either puzzlement or a flood of loving sentiment about one of the greatest neighborhoods in The Bronx. This is the best place for bread, pasta, meat, pastries, espresso, and basically the only place to buy a real Italian sausage. Arthur Avenue, also known as Little Italy, is famous for its trad...
Support Little Italy and Shop (and Social Distance) with a Purpose
As COVID-19 has forced restaurants, malls, barbershops, nail salons and schools to shutter throughout the city; some businesses on Arthur Ave. remain open. For New Yorkers who practice responsible social distancing and need to do their grocery shopping, Little Italy is welcoming customers and is home to many merchants who already provide takeaway,...
What Can NYC Learn from Italy’s Coronavirus Crisis? Consulate General of Italy Weighs In.
Last week, the number of people who died from the new coronavirus in Italy surpassed the COVID-19 fatalities in China, a country with a population more than 20 times greater. And the very sobering news is that scientists say the United States is on a trajectory that is more similar to Italy than the Asian countries. The Consulate General of Italy,...