Mass, procession highlight festival
Antonio Cusano was in perpetual motion Sunday morning in an effort to make sure the third and final day of the town’s 13th annual Italian-American Festival went off without a hitch. Sunday started with an outdoor Mass, said in Italian, and a procession of the Madonna Della Strada statue through downtown streets. Even when Cusano, co-chairman of the...
LeClairs to open Paradiso Italian restaurant on waterfront
A Hertford couple have been working all month to transform the former Water's Edge Grill on the Elizabeth City waterfront into an Italian restaurant that they hope to open sometime early next week. Andrew LeClair and his wife, Tiffany, plan to have a “soft” opening for their Paradiso restaurant just for family and friends on Tuesday. The LeClairs t...
3-day Greater Youngstown Italian Festival begins Friday in downtown Youngstown
The 32nd annual Greater Youngstown Italian Festival will be from Friday to Sunday in downtown Youngstown. From midnight to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday setup will take place. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday a number of live events will occupy these roads rendering them closed to traffic until midnight Sunday: Federal Street, from...
Grammy, Emmy & Tony-Award Winner Barry Manilow to Perform at Columbus Citizens Foundation 2017 Gala
Pop music legend Barry Manilow will perform at the Columbus Citizens Foundation 73rd Annual Gala on Saturday, October 7 at the New York Hilton. The Gala will honor Leonard Riggio, the Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble, and will benefit the Foundation's Italian-American Student Scholarship Fund. The theme of this year's Columbus Day Celebration...
Take a culinary journey down Via Emilia 9
Designed to make diners feel as though they’re inside an Italian home kitchen, Via Emilia 9 boasts an eat-in bar, a pasta making station, rustic chairs, a mini-market with Italian goods, and an entire chalkboard wall dedicated to showcasing featured wines. It’s intimate, romantic, and its shabby chic vibe makes you feel as though you’ve left South...
St. Rocco's Feast Kicks Off Wednesday
The 88th annual St. Rocco's Feast is Wednesday through Sunday. The St. Rocco's Society of Fort Lee sponsors the event, which features a carnival downtown. The event ends Sunday with a procession where a statue of Saint Rocco is carried through the street. There will be a carnival Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday from 4 to...
Nilo L. Vidi, who sharpened knives in Baltimore for nearly 50 years, dies
Nilo L. Vidi, who spent nearly 50 years making sure Baltimoreans’ knives remained sharp, died Friday from complications of dementia at his Woodbine home. He was 89. The son of Pietro Vidi, also a knife grinder, and Maria Ferrari Vidi, a homemaker, Nilo Louis Vidi was born in Pinzolo, a small village in the Italian Alps, and spent his early years th...
St. Jude Italian Festival returns next month
The 27th annual St. Jude Italian Festival will kick off next month with plenty of food and entertainment at the church grounds on Route 111. Over the years the festival has grown from a two day carnival to the current four day festival attracting over 10,000 visitors during the event. What makes the festival so great is the food and there is a lot...
The Colorful World of the Sicilian Cart
One of the most recognizable symbols of Sicilian folklore, the Sicilian cart (carretto siciliano) is an ornate, colorful horse- or donkey-drawn cart that originated in the early 19th century in Sicily to transport goods. With the advent of motorization in the Sicilian countryside in the mid-20th century, the use of the carretto became obsolete; tod...
Marconi Social Club, nearing its 100th, puts out an SOS
The Marconi Social Club of Cohoes is looking for any and all past membership photos, information and or club history as it plans for the club’s 100-year celebration on Oct. 15, when it was incorporated. Current Marconi Club Executive Board members and general membership are looking for help from Cohoes and the surrounding communities. A private mem...
Basil, Green Goddess of Summer!
It’s that time of year. From the moment you bring the first zucchini into the house, up until October, it’s non-stop freezing, blanching, drying, pureeing, canning, and cooking. But, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it’s completely worth all the time and effort. Of course, you should make sure to preserve one of the most popular herbs in Ital...
How Sebastian Maniscalco Went From Waiter To One Of The World's Top-Earning Comedians
Sebastian Maniscalco has had a good year--just don’t tell him that; he doesn’t want to jinx it. In the past 12 months, he has performed over 100 stand-up gigs, has released his fourth comedy special for Showtime, welcomed his first daughter, has gone on a few nice trips with his wife and bought a Vespa. That last one may not compare to Jerry Seinfe...