City’s switch to Indigenous Peoples’ Day slights Italian immigrants’ contributions
I attended the Sept. 18 City Council meeting that was attempting to eradicate Columbus Day as a city holiday, a proposal sponsored by Councilor Pious Ali. It is true that Native Americans endured many atrocities in the past, and these actions should be rectified, but not at the expense of celebrating our Italian ancestors, who also faced discrimina...
Vintage baseball game in Newport honors WWI hero
Bernardo Cardines was an Italian immigrant, a resident alien, a tailor and a future soldier who lived just a short distance from one of the earliest baseball parks in the United States. He had journeyed to Rhode Island by his 15th birthday, registered for the draft by his 22nd birthday. He never celebrated his 23rd birthday. He was killed on a batt...
Lauretti to lead Bridgeport’s Oct. 8 Columbus Day Parade
It’ll take place in the Park City but the 109th Columbus Day parade on Oct. 8 will be led by longtime Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti. This is not the first time Lauretti, destined for a 14th term as Shelton’s mayor come November since no one is running against him, has head events here. In 2008 he served as the Barnum Festival Ringmaster and marches i...
Columbus Day Parade returns to West Haven Oct. 8
Pleasant outdoor temperatures, autumn foliage and ethnic pride for Italian-Americans. That’s the tradition for the Columbus Day Parade in Greater New Haven, which was held in Hamden last year and East Haven the year before that. This year’s march, the largest of its kind in New England, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, in West Haven. The parade st...
Actor-comic Andrew Santino comes to Mohegan Sun
In the Showtime series, “I’m Dying Up Here,” actor Andrew Santino is Bill Hobbs, a caustic and cynical comic who is determined to climb to the top of the entertainment heap — at just about any cost. As stand-up comic Andrew Santino, he is far from being Hobbs. One critic has described the Chicago born-and-raised Santino as having a “dry-yet-jovial...
What Mario Batali likes to eat at Eataly Boston
Celebrity chef Mario Batali has a lot of love for Boston's food scene, which isn't a surprise considering he's opened a few ventures in the Hub over the years."The Chew" co-host is back in the city this week for the 2017 Inbound conferencein the Seaport, so expect him to stop by some of his favorite restaurants while he's in town. Batali tells Metr...
Benevento’s – Gluten-free in in the North End
To my fellow gluten-free eaters, I have good news for you: it is possible to eat a quality, fulfilling Italian meal in the North End — and you don’t have to limit yourselves to just salad or risotto. There are a number of establishments that offer gluten-free options, but one of my favorites is Benevento’s, an affordable semi-casual joint that offe...
Maine town will consider renaming Columbus Day, but not until after Columbus Day
A Newcastle selectman has suggested that the town formally recognize the second Monday in October, Columbus Day, by some other name. Joel Lind brought the topic up for discussion during the Newcastle Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, after reading an article about the Portland City Council’s resolution to recognize the day as Indigenous Peopl...
Noah Webster House to host Italian-American poetry reading
On Sunday at 2 p.m. the public is invited to hear poets Dennis Barone, David Cappella, Maria Sassi, Tom Nicotera, Geri Radacsi, Tony Fusco and Maria Frank as they lead an afternoon of poetry at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. Dennis Barone served as the second Poet Laureate of West Hartford. He is the author of seven book...
Nutella B-ready gets only U.S. tryout at Big Y stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut
Get ready New England. Get ready for Nutella B-ready. Ferrero USA, the company that makes Nutella -- the Italian chocolate-and-hazelnut spread that inspires devotion among its fans -- has chosen Springfield-based Big Y Foods Inc. as the sole U.S. test market for its Nutella B-ready product. Nutella B-ready is a is a crispy wheat wafer filled with N...
Arezzo Owner Opens Le Madri in Bethel CT
This week Chef/Restaurateur Vinicio Llanos of the popular Arezzo Ristorante & Wine Bar located alongside the tranquil Saugatuck River in Westport, CT, introduced his newest CT venture, Le Madri, to the town of Bethel. This family owned and operated restaurant, bar, and event venue features rustic Italian cuisine set in an open and contemporary spac...
Italian-American Of The Year Named In West Haven
The West Haven Columbus Day Committee will honor its “prima italiana” at the city’s 19th annual Columbus Day Celebration. Grace Iannucci Hendricks, the granddaughter of immigrant grandparents from the Campania capital of Naples, Italy, will receive the committee’s Italian-American of the Year award Oct. 6 at City Hall. Accompanied by Italian music,...