Team Italy pitcher Samuel Aldegheri signed by Philadelphia Phillies
Following in the footsteps of the recent MLB signings of fellow Italian-born and developed pitchers Daniele Di Monte (Detroit Tigers) and Matteo Bocchi (Chicago Cubs), 17-year-old Azzurri lefty Samuel Aldegheri has signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Expected to report to the Phillies Spring Training Facility in Clearwate...
Native son: South Philadelphia’s first Italian-American heavyweight contender is not a myth
Long before Sonny Conto made his professional heavyweight boxing debut at 2300 Arena by pounding Jimmie Levins until the ref stopped the fight in the first round, “Sonny from S. 9th Street” was just a well-known guy from the neighborhood. Like a hyped rap act with posters announcing its first mixtape or a young punk band hustling DIY stickers, the...
Off-Broadway’s ‘My Big Gay Italian Wedding’ turns 16; Staten Islanders join the cast this weekend
“My Big Gay Italian Wedding” is celebrating its Sweet 16 with a host of special performances in New Jersey. The eccentric comedy by Grant City playwright/actor Anthony J. Wilkinson first opened off-Broadway in 2003 at Actors’ Playhouse in Greenwich Village before moving uptown to Theatre Four in the spring of 2004. In 2009, the show moved to the St...
Rutgers Going All In for Top Ranked Wrestling Recruit AJ Ferrari
Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano were humungous additions to Rutgers Wrestling in their own respective timelines and were integral to making the Scarlet Knights a wrestling powerhouse. While Suriano has one more season to win his second national title, head coach Scott Goodale and company have their eyes set on another prized addition. This one, w...
Calamari sisters coming to Newton
Back with their brand new show, Delphine and Carmela Calamari are bringing their 23rd Annual Italian Sausagefest to town. Celebrate the days of summer with these sassy, brassy broads from Brooklyn as they sing, dance, and cook delicious street fair goodies for you and your friends. Whether you're a sausage-lover or not, you'll laugh until your side...
Imperioli all smiles at the end
Former Mount Union baseball coach Nick Imperioli stood in the PNG Field home dugout, arms crossed, a wide smile across his face. The Trojans just captured their 18th District 6 championship in 28 appearances and the first title since 2012 after beating a game Philipsburg-Osceola squad 1-0 in the ninth inning, thanks to a Grayson McClain walk-off RB...
Bocci Tournament benefits Saint Francis Commons in Lackawanna County
Some say it's "BAH' chee" while others say "BOH' chee" but no matter how you pronounce it, the sport served as a competition for a cause this Memorial Day weekend. Old Forge Sons of Italy hosted their 5th annual bocce tournament as a way to help veterans. Participants paid a 100 dollar entrance fee for a four-person team. Those proceeds benefit Sai...
Opera singers prepare like Olympic athletes for 'Tosca' in Washington
On the eve of every performance, Riccardo Massi goes silent, not uttering a single word all day. It's part of the Italian tenor's strict regimen to preserve his instrument -- his vocal cords. "I experimented a lot, and I saw this is the best thing to do," said Massi, the male lead in Puccini's beloved "Tosca" through Saturday at the Kennedy Center...
Reps. Pascrell and Doyle win annual bocce tournament
Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) won the annual congressional bocce tournament hosted at law and lobbying firm Venable LLP on Wednesday evening. The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) sponsored the tournament, which began in 2012. The participants played bocce on the court on the roof of Venable's D.C. offices. Pascrell...
Deana Martin To Make Multiple Appearances in Greater Washington D.C. to Honor Veterans for Memorial Day Weekend
From the moment she walks on stage, Deana Martin takes her audience on a musical journey with her non-stop dynamic energy, honoring her legendary father Dean Martin and other great performers who shaped American music and popular culture for over four decades. For this Memorial Day week, Martin has been tapped to perform and participate in multiple...
How to try your hand at half-ball, the old-school Philly street game
Smack in the middle of the annual Italian Market Festival in South Philadelphia Saturday, some 30 men gathered to play half-ball — a game with a local history spanning about 70 years that calls for a broomstick, a three-story building, and half of a squishy ball. Split into teams of five people, these men comprised the 10th annual John Marzano Half...
If you think you know Italy, think again
Singer and songwriter Mario Biondi, the Sicilian-born baritone, possesses a voice which is often compared to Barry White and Isaac Hayes. Biondi uses this as his base to approach international genres such as jazz and soul, playing his own distinctive sound. Able to move effortlessly between English and Italian languages, the artist creates origina...