Dear friends,
The year of the two anniversaries has begun – the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic. To celebrate them, We the Italians has launched a project, divided into two parts, that will accompany us throughout 2026: Two Anniversaries, One Heart. You will find a detailed explanation at this link.
Happy Birthday USA
Happy Birthday USA, which includes stories about Italy’s positive contribution to 250 years of the United States of America, is itself divided into two sub-projects.
The first is called Italy’s role in America’s greatness. We have selected eighteen great Italians who played a fundamental role in the 250-year history of America. Eighteen prominent Italians of today will tell the stories of those eighteen very famous Italians of the past.
The second is called Unsung Italian Heroes. We also want to tell the story of the impact that many other Italians have had in individual American states. These are more local Italian and Italian American heroes who are not as widely known. And who better than our Ambassadors to know at least one such story connected to their own area? They will tell us about the unsung hero who did something important in the place where they live and where they represent us. At the end of February, we will share the stories of the Unsung Heroes of New England; at the end of April, those from the New York area; at the end of June, those from the East; at the end of August, those from the South; and at the end of December, those from the West.
Happy Birthday Italy
In this case, twelve stories written by prominent Italians of today will each be dedicated to America’s positive contribution to Italy in a different thematic field. We will tell twelve reasons why Italy has been, is, and will always be grateful to the United States – reasons that have generated positive effects in Italy and that have strengthened the solidity and the exceptional nature of the friendship and alliance between Italy and the United States.
A small step on the way to 100,000 followers on our Facebook page: we have surpassed 90,000. The milestone is not far away – and then, the sky is the limit. Thank you to all our followers!
We the Italians has renewed its collaboration with the Federazione Italiana Baseball e Softball (FIBS), which is preparing for the World Baseball Classic, the world baseball championship that will take place in the United States and will feature the historic game between Italy and the United States on March 6 in Houston. Follow the updates we will share with you, congratulations to our national team – which also includes several Italian American athletes – and to FIBS for the excellent achievement of qualifying for the World Classic.
We have also been working for several weeks on our Gala, which will return in 2026 after a break in 2025. It will take place in Rome on June 4, at the prestigious Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi, and once again it will be the most important celebration of Italy–United States relations dedicated to the Italian American community. We are preparing several surprises – please stay tuned!
For this reason as well, I had the pleasure and honor of being received at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to represent and explain the importance of the Italian American community, today more than ever. And I can tell you that there is great attention toward Italian Americans – you can be sure of that.
The episode of the Italian American Podcast in which I participated together with friends Patrick O’Boyle, Marianna Gatto, and Marcella Martin is now online. We discussed the relationship between Italians who live in Italy – the “Italian Italians,” as I call them – and Italian Americans. It is a very important topic, especially in these times, and this podcast episode will not be the only occasion on which we at We the Italians address it.
2026 for We the Italians began with a major novelty: we moved from three to twelve podcasts. In fact, with the two new ones, Happy Birthday USA and Happy Birthday Italy, they are now fourteen! This significant editorial effort has led us to ask for your support. You can subscribe here – please do so – at the cost of a single espresso per month. Is that too much to keep learning positive things about Italy?
But the news at We the Italians does not end here. Starting this month, there is a change in the Italian cuisine column of our magazine. First of all, I want to thank my dear friend Amy Riolo, a wonderful person and extraordinary Italian American, who has curated the column in recent years: Amy will continue to be a great point of reference for us and for many others, and I am certain that we will collaborate again in the future. Thank you Amy!
Beginning in February, following the interview with Alice Gregori, the column will be curated by the friends of the North American section of the APCI – Professional Association Italian Chefs. I thank my friend Stefano Prior, who facilitated this agreement, and President Riccardo Bressan for the trust placed in We the Italians. Buon appetito, enjoy your meal!Fine modulo
Our family of Ambassadors is growing, and starting this month it can count on four new members: one in the New England area, and three in the New York area. I’m very happy to welcome them, and I’m blessed for this big, wonderful family of amazing friends!
Frank Ferraro is our We the Italians Ambassador in New Hampshire. Frank grew up in a close-knit Italian American neighborhood in Connecticut, where family, tradition, and community shaped his values. A second-generation Italian American, he carried those traditions throughout a distinguished career in the energy industry, building an international reputation for leadership and collaboration. Deeply committed to public service, Frank also served in numerous civic and Italian American organizations, most recently as Director and President of the Friends of Italian Americans, in New Hampshire. His heritage shines through in his devotion to family -his wife, their two children, and four beloved granddaughters.
Frances Curcio is our We the Italians Ambassador in Staten Island (New York). Fran is mathematics education professor emerita at Queens College, CUNY. Immersing herself in her Italian roots since 2011, she has written about her immigrant grandfather, Mio Nonno Totore and the American Dream. Her articles about Southern Italy have appeared in The Staten Island Advance. Interest in the Garibaldi Meucci Museum on Staten Island motivated the publication of The Case of Antonio Meucci and the Telephone: Just the Facts. Her NYC Council proposal to rename streets adjacent to the Museum “Antonio Meucci Way” and “Giuseppe Garibaldi Way” was accepted and will occur in April.
Carla Gambescia is our We the Italians Ambassador in Westchester (New York). Carla is an Italian cultural “edu-tainer,” award-winning author, travel journalist, lecturer and photographer. She has written about and toured al of Italy’s regions on foot or by bicycle and speaks on myriad topics of Italian cultural interest throughout the US at continuing education organizations, universities, museums, libraries, fine dining and retail establishments, private clubs and Italian-American cultural organizations. Carla’s book, La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z was awarded the Silver Prize for “Best Travel Book of the Year” in 2019.
Anna Malafronte is our We the Italians Ambassador in The Bronx (New York). Anna was born in Westchester, NY, raised in The Bronx and lived in Italy where she attended High School and returned for a second master's degree. Anna obtained a BA in Political Science and Italian Language and Literature and an MA in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University as well as a Certificate in International Marketing of Luxury Goods from Graduate Business School at Fordham University. In 1999 she was hired at the Consulate General of Italy. Anna currently holds leadership positions at NIAF, the Italian American Forum, the Italian Welfare League, the Fieri Scholarship Fund and Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.
And it doesn’t stop here! That’s why we ask you to subscribe to We the Italians.
It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. Stay safe and take care: the future’s so bright, we gotta wear tricolor shades! A big Italian hug from Rome.
