Former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino is the new owner of the Providence Columbus statue. In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Providence Board Park Commissioners, headed by Mayor Brett Smiley, selected Paolino’s bid to purchase the statue. “[Paolino] was the most responsive bidder,” said Smiley. “There were two bids, effectively the same dollar amount....

Time tends to be a pretty good judge, particularly when it comes to restaurants. Restaurants that stand the test of time usually have a few things in common: A menu of delicious dishes, friendly service, and a warm ambiance. They’re the kind of place you want to eat over and over again. This Italian restaurant in Rhode Island has been dishing up cl...

Former Providence Mayor and real estate mogul Joe Paolino has set his sights on purchasing a controversial statue. Paolino tells 12 News he’s attempting to preserve the capital city’s Christopher Columbus statue, which has been vandalized numerous times in recent years. “It turned my stomach to see red paint thrown on it,” he said. “It was a slap i...

A new restaurant is set to open this spring at 49 Long Wharf Mall (formerly Panera Bread). The restaurant, a partnership between Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto Executive Chef Kyle Stamps, and Giusto General Manager Lauren Schaefer, will offer a casual, urban atmosphere with two distinct dining experiences. The first experience will be a quick counter-styl...

An Italian pianist will perform a free recital at 2 p.m. Jan. 22 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 87 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown, RI. The program by Daniel Roma will begin with two compositions from Calabrian composer Alfonso Rendano (1853-1931), followed by work from Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert and Alexander Scriabin. Roma is the world’s leadin...

Casual restaurant Tre Fratelli Italian Ristorante is opening in Federal Hill at 1121 Light St. in a space previously occupied by Light Street Cafe. Tre Fratelli is a concept from Pedro Lovo, who opened Brendali Italian Ristorante in Federal Hill with his wife Brenda Salgado, and his two brothers Elmer Lovo and Julio Lovo. Tre Fratelli means three b...

North Providence residents Dr. Frank W. Pallotta Jr., left, and Thomas “Pee Wee” DeAngelis were inducted into the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame at an induction dinner held on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. Pallotta played softball for 50 years, from 1968-2018, and won multiple tournaments all over New England, as...

Pizza is way more than just pizza to Anthony Giordano, owner of Anna’s Vesuviano mobile pizza trailer. It’s an edible symbol of cultures colliding to create something incredibly delicious. And even though his family comes from Naples, Italy, he says we shouldn’t just credit the Italians for inventing pizza. There’s one specialty pizza on his menu t...

Despite heartened pleas from community residents and Italian heritage groups to save the Christopher Columbus statue, only two people offered to buy it from the city, and at less than 10% of its appraised value. In light of the lack of interested buyers, the city is reissuing its request for proposals, as approved by the Providence Board of Parks C...

Tucked into the smallest state of the nation, you will find historic Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1900s, Federal Hill experienced an influx of Italian immigrants and it became one of the most populated Italian settlements. Known to residents as “The Hill” or “Little Hill,” this central neighborhood spanning Atwells Avenue...