In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano's arrival to New York, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is trying to pass a bill to make the Verrazzano bridge toll-free this Wednesday. The Verrazzano bridge, which opened in 1964, was named after the explorer who arrived in the New York Bay on April...

New York City will recognize April 17 as Giovanni da Verrazzano day to honor the explorer after a piece of legislation passed Thursday. Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island/South Brooklyn) introduced the legislation in February to honor the explorer who sailed for France and became the first European to enter what would become known as New York Harb...

Because of her inherent love for her maternal grandfather and as a way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his passing back in the year 1974, Frances R. Curcio has authored a biography of “Nonno,” her grandfather whose formal name was Salvatore Cipolaro. The title of the book is “Mio Nonno Totore and the American Dream,” and Curcio’s work has be...

In Brick, New Jersey, there’s a spot called Denino’s Pizzeria South that’s dishing out some seriously good pizza. It’s a story that stretches all the way back to Sicily, Italy, with Giovanni Denino making his way to America and eventually setting up shop in Staten Island, NY. Fast forward through the years, and his son Carlo Denino adds pizza to th...

The Board of Directors of the Italian American Leadership Forum (IALF), founded in 2023, recently announced plans for coordinating initiatives to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the arrival of Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian navigator and explorer who traveled under the flag of France in his voyages across the Atlantic. While there may be a g...

The New York City-based Kairos Italy Theater along with the Italy-based KIT Italia and Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at NYU will present the 11th anniversary season of the In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, New York City’s premiere festival of Italian theater taking place in all five boroughs of NYC, April 29-May 13. Admission to all shows and e...

Monday, April 15, 2024, 7 to 8 pm in The Galleria - Casa Belvedere - 79 Howard Ave, Staten Island, NY. Light refreshments will be served. Get ready for the 500th anniversary of Giovanni da Verrazzano’s exploration of New York Harbor with an immersive journey through time to commemorate the life and enduring legacy of this legendary explorer. Join u...

Friday, April 12 from 10 to 11:30 AM. Casa Belvedere - 79 Howard Ave, Staten Island, NY. FREE for members, $10 donation non-members. Includes light refreshments. Explore the extraordinary inventions of Antonio Meucci, an Italian inventor whose work revolutionized communication. From his early days in Florence to his groundbreaking experiments in Ha...

As the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, as well as Women’s History Month, here on Grymes Hill the Festa Della Dama Luncheon was staged at Casa Belvedere, the Italian Cultural Foundation on Grymes Hill. The luncheon honored three extraordinary women, who each received an award during a special presentation in the new Galleria w...

After five months of negotiations and subsequent proposals, the Private Joseph F. Merrell Jr. - Father Vincent Capdoanno American Legion Post No. 1368, Staten Island, N.Y., was born. The new name became official on the afternoon of Feb. 27 during a solemn ceremony in the banquet room of Jody’s Club Forest in West Brighton — where more than 30 membe...