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The Onesti Entertainment Corporation was awarded the contract to produce the Taylor Street Festa Italiana in 2018. The event will take place this year from Aug. 16 to 19. The news comes from the awarding body, The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association. “We couldn’t be more excited,” says LICNA president Joseph Esposito. “Ron Onesti knows th...

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With the closing of Monastero’s in November, the Sicilian American Cultural Association needed to find a new home for its monthly meetings. After weighing its options, the venerable organization has settled on Cucina Biagio in Harwood Heights. Open to the public, the meetings often feature presentations on Sicilian and Italian arts, science, music,...

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Eataly USA, with stores in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles, will feature products from Calabria, a region in Italy. The stores will showcase the products with spotlights in the restaurants, market shelves and cooking classes. The products were launched with an opening event last month attended by Lidia Bastianich, world ambassador of...

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Some benefactors are drawn to the limelight that their generosity attracts and others prefer to work their charitable magic behind the scenes. Domenico Gambino is cut of the latter cloth. A co-owner of the Tony’s Finer Food grocery empire, Gambino has been a quiet force for good in the Italian-American community for decades, deploying resources and...

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Financial planner Jack Cannata stepped up to the presidency of the Columbian Club of Chicago at its annual installation gala. Joining him as 2018 officers are First Vice President Stuart Caravello, Second Vice President Mark Corrado, Third Vice President Michael Russotto, Secretary John Curry, Treasurer Vic Guerrieri and Sergeant-at-Arms Carmen For...

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The Italian American Executives of Transportation held their 2017 Dinner Dance at Alta Villa Banquets on Nov. 19. More than 600 were in attendance, making it one of the largest dinner dances of the year. Dominic Romanazzi was honored as Man of the Year, and Wayne Bubak was honored as Humanitarian. Past IAET honoree Lou Cairo did a tremendous job as...

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Four decades after realizing his dream of starting a hall of fame to honor sports heroes, George Randazzo, President and Founder of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, celebrated the organization’s 40th Annual Induction & Awards Gala along with Board Chairman Tony Ferraro, NIASHF directors and loyal supporters this past November in C...

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Onesti Entertainment opened three new food and music venues in one place at the former 27 Live building in Evanston in January. After almost two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations, Rock ’N Ravioli Italian restaurant, Bourbon ’N Brass speakeasy bar and the Evanston Rocks music hall are now in full swing. Rock ’N Ravioli serves...

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Società SS. Crocifisso & San Giovanni Bosco di Ciminna (Chicago) will honor Antonino Napoli as Man of the Year at its dinner dance on March 3 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. A longtime luminary of the Chicago-area Italian-American community, Napoli has been a driving force among local Ciminnesi for decades. “Tony has been a pillar of our communi...

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Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra marked their 350th concert together, with a performance in Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center Wednesday night at the onset of their East Coast winter tour. With dignitaries in the audience including the Italian ambassador to the U.S. Armando Varricchio, it was a celebratory affair capped by the single...

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