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What comes to mind when you first hear the phrase “Roseland groups”? If you’re in your late 70s and older, its’ probably Frankie Bortoli or Eddie Baldacci and their bands. If you’re from the  generation before that, you’re probably thinking Styx or Chicago. If you so, you’d be way off the topic of this column. Many social groups were formed in Rose...

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When: Friday, June 3 at 6pm CT - Where: Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago  Prof. Jesse Rosenberg presents Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera" ahead of the upcoming performances of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra directed by Riccardo Muti. Verdi's “Un Ballo in Maschera” has long been a mainstay of the operatic repertoire, but its creation and the circ...

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In this era of ever-expanding inclusion, Italian Americans have long been the odd community out. That may soon change in Illinois if Diana Hartmann has anything to do with it. An educational administrator of Italian descent, Hartmann has watched as books about Italian and Italian-American history and culture have disappeared from the shelves of sch...

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A philanthropic powerhouse for more than 30 years, the Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization has bestowed nearly $900,000 in scholarships and tens of thousands more to veterans in need over the decades. Most of those funds have been raised at its annual Honor and Hope gala, but this year CIACO has decided to mix things up a bit. “We’...

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I have been on a personal journey as of late. I have been looking for the best Italian sub in the Chicagoland area. I have always had a favorite which was the Alpine Sub in Elmwood Park. I think I have found a new king of the best Italian sub in the Chicagoland area. The name of the sub shop is Serino Italian Deli in Addison. The deli has been in b...

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Casa Italia’s 2022 gala has blossomed into a standout event, with a cavalcade of outstanding honorees and game-changing entertainment. The stage will be set at 5:30 p.m. on June 24 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. The star of the show will be transportation construction dynamo Joseph Dote. “Joe has transformed the way we get from the gro...

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As part of an ongoing effort to “save our stories,” Italian Cultural Center librarian Dominic Candeloro convened a roundtable discussion about a possible second volume of “Italian Women in Chicago: Madonna mia! QUI debbo vivere?” Published 10 years ago and spearheaded by Candeloro, the book features 40 accounts by scholars, journalists, freelance w...

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Herrin Festa Italiana returns May 21-30. Events include pageants, a golf tournament, a bocce tournament, a triathlon, car show, poker run and more. See the carnival times and where to buy armbands here. Doors open at 6 p.m. for live entertainment: Friday, May 27 - Hairbanger’s Ball with opener Jungle Dogs. Saturday, May 28 - John Spicer featuring B...

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Chianti “red” denomination is the biggest one in Tuscany and Italy, and one of the territories, but also the Italian words, best known in the world. Thanks to the beauty of its landscapes, the success of its wines, but also to the many cinematographic quotations. Very famous is the one in which Professor Hannibal Lecter, in “The Silence of the Lamb...

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Each year, more than three-dozen Italian patron saint celebrations grace the Chicago area. Kept alive by paesani from villages and cities across Italy, these events preserve some of the most cherished of our traditions. Festivities range from simple religious services to solemn masses and processions to family festivals that last several days. But...

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