Little Italy celebrating 150 years of Italian-American history
Little Italy Historic District is celebrating the 150th anniversary this year of Italian-American history and heritage in the city of Rochester. Italian-Americans have contributed to Rochester since the 1800s. Domenico Sturla was the first Italian immigrant to register in the city’s directory in 1868, according to an official recount of Italian his...
Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group Plans To Rebrand
Now disgraced chef Mario Batali and his business partner Joe Bastianich plan to rebrand their group of restaurants under the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group umbrella. Eater NY reports that employees learned about the changes in a letter emailed on Dec. 22 that a new company, with a new name, will be created “whose structure will better refle...
Salvatore Pacella, 101, steelworker, prisoner of war
Beginning as a boy, Salvatore Pacella was a hard worker. Born in Pacentro, a medieval village in the mountains of central Italy, he was one of six children and left school in the fourth grade to help support his family by taking firewood to town on a donkey and selling it. “I went back with him this past August, and he showed me where he harnessed...
All signs point to Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia becoming next Giants head coach
A rocket scientist has blasted his way into the lead to be the Giants' next head coach. The Daily News has learned that all signs are pointing to Matt Patricia, the New England Patriots defensive coordinator with a degree in aeronautical engineering, as the man the Giants will hire to point Big Blue back in the right direction. The Giants' glory da...
New Vegan Italian Eatery La Vellutata Opens in NYC
NYC just gained one more authentic vegan eatery, La Vellutata. The original restaurant, located in Venice, Italy, opened 20 years ago by the Mazzucato family. After success in Italy, the owner, Elisa Mazzucato, decided to open a location stateside in early November. Unlike many Italian restaurants, La Vellutata has a unique twist. “Here, I see many...
De Blasio’s monument commission opts to keep Columbus statue — but will add markers honoring indigenous people
Christopher Columbus stays — with an asterisk. The findings of Mayor de Blasio’s monuments commission were set in stone Thursday — with the group deciding after months of deliberations not to completely tear down any statues around the city in a monumentally anticlimactic ruling. Columbus will remain atop his perch high above the circle named for h...
A Bronx Tale to Donate to Families Affected by Deadly December 28 Bronx Fire
The producers of A Bronx Tale — The Musical announced that they will make a donation of $4 for every ticket sold to performances from January 16-21 through the Child Reach Foundation to help families affected by the fire that burned through an apartment building in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx on December 28, 2017. It was the deadliest fir...
Cristo Rey Brooklyn Hoops Taking Off Under New Coach
A familiar face is back in the Catholic school ranks. Anthony Alfaro, who coached the women’s basketball team at LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, for the past four seasons, has taken over as the girls’ varsity hoops coach at Cristo Rey Brooklyn H.S., East Flatbush. A native of St. Joseph’s parish, Astoria, and a current resident of Ho...
A sneak peek at Panino Rustico before the restaurant's grand opening
It's easy to picture a balmy, spring afternoon at Panino Rustico, with staffers shuttling its signature crepes and paninis to tables set in its outdoor section in Grant City. Alas, until the seasonal thaw, patrons of this new restaurant — opening Thursday for lunch and dinner — instead must soak in the sunshine at a booth or the wine bar via the ca...
Cassata Cake: Elegant, creamy and oh so delicious at Bruno's NYC
Spending time in the prolific kitchens of Bruno's NYC Bakery in Dongan Hills means learning from the master himself, master pastry chef Biagio Settepani, as he walks an observer through the process of building Italian desserts. Take the cassata cake, a complex specialty of the Bruno house. The dessert, the pastry patriarch and his colleague/son Joe...
This woman lives 'la bella vita' in Hudson Valley
Leaving home is never easy. When that journey means saying goodbye to your "terra madre" — or loosely translated, motherland — crossing the Atlantic and settling into an area that is just as foreign to you as the language, “difficult” doesn't even begin to cover it. Take it from Vita Maria Mesnick. With her Italian heritage and love of teaching per...
'Humbling' award caps busy 2017 for Gary Perone
The new year is officially upon us, but for Gary Perone 2017 was a year to remember. Perone, the assistant general manager for the Brooklyn Cyclones, was named the Italian American baseball executive of the year by the Italian American Baseball Foundation. "I was humbled and grateful," said the Tottenville resident Perone. "Very humbling because wh...