Vol. 55 ▪ No. 1 Washington D.C.
January 2016 $1.50
An Italian American Gazette of the Greater Washington D.C. Area
La Befana Arrives at Casa Italiana
Casa Italiana Hosts Film Screening, Musical Recitals Viva, viva la Befana, as she drops by to deliver gifts to parish children Italian producer and director Simona Irrera recently presented her film SongBirth at the documentary’s U.S. premiere in Casa Italiana. The evening’s program also included a piano recital by Helen Eva Garden, a longtime Holy Rosary parishioner, and a singing performance by singer-songwriter Joe Dunn. The hour-long SongBirth is a documentary that studies the process of creating a song. The film received the Roma Video Clip Award shortly before it aired in Casa Italiana. Featured in the film are about 50 musical artists from four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The film's artists spanned intergenerational music that covered a diverse pallet of musical genres. Through a series of interviews with the artists, viewers learn the perspectives, approaches and practices that songwriters use when composing a piece. The film was shown in English with Italian subtitles. After the screening, pianist Helen Garden performed an original composition called Love Letter without Words. She dedicated the classical piece to Continued on page 5
According to legend, la Befana was approached by the Three Kings as they searched for the newborn Jesus, but she declined to go with them. To this day she continues her search for the little baby, giving treats to children along the way. The arrival of la Befana is a popular, long-standing tradition at Holy Rosary. See page 4.
Matteo Renzi: ‟Nel 2016 correremo ancora di più” Il messaggio di fine anno del Presidente del Consiglio Matteo Renzi
Simona Irrera
FRANCESCO ISGRO
Il 2015 si chiude con l’Italia che torna dopo anni al segno più. Cresce il pil, crescono gli occupati, cresce la fiducia di consumatori e imprenditori, crescono i consumi (e i primi dati di questo Natale sono molto positivi, con buona pace di chi non ci credeva). Il nostro obiettivo di seminare fiducia non è un generico ottimismo ma una precisa strategia. L’Italia è un grande Paese, ha tutto per farcela e noi stiamo mettendo in gioco noi stessi per riportare questo Paese dove deve stare, nel posto che merita. Lo so. Sembrano numerosi quelli che protestano, che urlano che va tutto male, quelli che noi chiamiamo Continua a pagina 2
INSIDE
Matteo Renzi
Lighting Up St. Peter's 2
Dolce & Gabbana's Italian Roots 3
Welcoming 2016
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Address service requested Voce Italiana Holy Rosary Church 595 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-2703
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Washington D.C., January 2016
St. Peter’s Transformed into Contemporary Artwork Local film producer Max Bartoli plays a role in the historic event
by Francesco Isgrò
On December 8, the opening day of the Vatican's Jubilee Year of Mercy, a coalition led by the World Bank's Connect4Climate program presented Pope Francis, and an audience gathered in front of St. Peter's Square in Rome, with an extraordinary performance. St. Peter's became a work of public art, as beautiful images of the natural world were projected onto the facade of the basilica. Featured were works of some of the world's most notable photographers and filmmakers, including from National Geographic and from countries around the world. The goal of the installation, called Fiat Lux, was to raise awareness of the interdependency of all life on earth and to inspire change around the climate crisis across the globe, themes dear to the heart of Pope Francis, as he wrote in the Encyclical Laudato Si. The project was born from an idea by Lucia Grenna, founder and program director of the World Bank's Connect4Climate.
Photo by Elisabetta Villa
Film producer and media consultant Max Bartoli served on the project as chief producer for Connect4Climate. Bartoli said the project went from Grenna's "ambitious idea to an historic event that reached 4.4 billion people and was an important gift to a Pope whose words have begun a revolution in the hearts of millions." The spectacular event was also timed
Messaggio di Matteo Renzi Continua dalla prima pagina
gufi perché pur di andare contro il Governo sperano che l’Italia fallisca. Ma io sono certo che gli italiani sanno benissimo che l’unico modo per rilanciare questo bellissimo Paese è mettersi in gioco, rischiare, provarci. In questo 2015 abbiamo fatto molto, compreso qualche errore di troppo. Il fatto è che dopo anni di immobilismo, finalmente la politica agisce, anziché restare confinata a urlare nei talk-show. Non è più così. Abbiamo fatto molto e ancora di più faremo nel 2016. Vorrei dire grazie a chi ci sta GINO MARINUCCI, C.P.A., P.C. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS “SINCE 1975 YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST” ACCOUNTING ● TAX PLANNING TAX PREPARATION ● SOFTWARE SUPPORT COMPLETE PAYROLL SERVICE (301) 942-2266
accompagnando con pazienza ed entusiasmo, con speranza e timore. Essere alla guida dell’Italia significa avere una responsabilità straordinaria agli occhi dei nostri figli. E davanti alla storia dei nostri padri. Ma significa anche avere la possibilità di condividere una impresa meravigliosa con tante donne e uomini che - magari in silenzio - camminano insieme a te perché sanno che se vinciamo questa sfida, vince l’Italia. Il Paese più bello del mondo. Auguri, amici. Che il 2016 sia all’altezza dei vostri sogni. --Matteo Renzi (Facebook) Email: Jplamari@msn.com Web: AttorneyLamari.com
JOSEPH P. LAMARI ATTORNEY AT LAW 414 HUNGERFORD DRIVE
SUITE 404 ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850 (301) 762-2018
to coincide with the climate change meetings in Paris, with the wish, said Grenna, of inspiring the teams in Paris "to push for the most ambitious deal possible." Fiat Lux had to overcome some formidable obstacles to get off the ground. Getting the approval of the Vatican was one. "No one in the history of Christianity has ever turned the facade and dome of St. Peter's into a canvas to tell a story," said Bartoli, but Grenna was able to convince the Vatican of the project's potential impact. After receiving the go-ahead, the Connect4Climate team, made up of Grenna, Giulia Camilla Braga, Massimiliano Falcone and Bartoli, had just 34 days to coordinate a group of five companies, 100 individuals and eight types of police forces to make Fiat Lux a reality. Bartoli recalls working an average of 22 hours per day for three weeks, under extreme pressure (during the period just after the terrorist bombings in Paris). In the end, he said, "It was more than worth it. I'm proud of having been part of the project and am forever grateful to Lucia Grenna for including me in her team."
Noted Briefly... ►In one of the biggest tax settlements in Italian history, Apple Inc, has agreed to pay about $347 million dollars to resolve a disagreement in which Italy claims the company failed to pay more than double that amount in taxes from 2008 to 2013. Italy has one of the highest tax evasion levels in Europe and Italian tax authorities are looking at multinationals operating in the country for companies dodging taxes. The revenue collected will help boost the country's weak economy. ►The town of San Vitaliano in the metro Naples area, is banning wood-burning ovens for three months, according to the BBC. The reason is to cut down on costly pollutants that the pizza ovens emit. The town means business: pizzeria owners will have to install expensive filters on the ovens or face a fine of 1,000 euro. New York Mayor de Blasio tried to do the same last year but faced heavy opposition from the city's pizza makers. ►Gina DePalma, the longtime renowned pastry chef at Babbo restaurant in New York City, died of cancer this month at age 49. DePalma credited her mother and grandmother, who emigrated from Calabria, for teaching her how to cook. DePalma was hired at Babbo in 1998 by celebrity chef Mario Batali, who called her "the mother soul of the entire kitchen," according to the NY Times. After leaving the restaurant two years ago, she traveled to Italy to research her second cookbook, which she completed before her death. ►Robert Loggia, a versatile actor known for his gravelly voice and tough guy roles, died in Los Angeles at age 85. In addition to his numerous gangster roles, he also performed in a Chekhov play in London and put in an endearing performance with Tom Hanks in Big, as the two danced on a huge piano keyboard. Born Salvatore Loggia in 1930 on Staten Island, he was the son of Sicilian immigrants and grew up in Manhattan's Little Italy.
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BOOKS
Who in the World is Elena Ferrante?
The Italian novelist is acclaimed worldwide yet her true identity is a mystery build their lives within the tightly closed society. Other books in the series include My Brilliant Friend and The Story of the Lost Child, which was nominated for the Italian literary award, the Strega Prize. Naples plays a large role in her books. “I write what I know,” she has said, “For that reason, almost all of my books, even if they unfold today or are set in different cities, have Neapolitan roots.” Publicity-detesting Ferrante believes that “books, once they are written, have no need of their authors.” As she told Vanity Fair, she decided to liberate herself from “the anxiety of notoriety and the urge to be a part of that circle of successful people, those who believe they have won who-knows-what.” Ferrante says that thanks to this decision, she has “gained a space of my own, a space that is free, where I feel active and present.”
Elena Ferrante, author of a half dozen widely-acclaimed novels, has been heralded as the most important Italian novelist of her generation. Her books have reached the New York Times bestseller list; two were made into major films. Yet she has kept her identity secret since her first novel appeared in 1992. Little is known about Elena Ferrante, which is the author’s pen name. So little, in fact, that for some time there was speculation that she was really a man, or that the books were written by a committee. In a rare interview that she granted to Vanity Fair magazine recently, she revealed that she is a Neapolitan woman, a teacher and a mother. Ferrante is best known for Days of Abandonment (I giorni dell'abbandono), part of her series of novels about two intelligent Neapolitan girls who try to
FASHION
ART EXHIBITION
Hellenistic Bronzes at National Gallery Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World gathers about 50 sculptures and related works from museums in Italy, the Vatican and the United States, among other countries. The sculpture below, Alexander on Horseback, is from the archaeological museum in Naples. The collection is on view until March 20, 2016.
Designers Dolce & Gabbana Flaunt Their Italian Roots Design house devotes spring line to styles that say I Love Italy At the spring 2016 fashion show held recently in Milan, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana created a nostalgic collection dedicated to their beloved homeland.
The soft silk dresses, suits, and skirts looked like vintage postcards that captured beautiful Italian tourist spots, such as Pisa, Naples and San Remo. The iconic tourist attractions were
depicted on the clothing in fresh, enchanting designs, and in case the message wasn't clear, many of the pieces boldly stated, I Love Italy and Italia is Love.
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Casa Italiana Welcomes Babbo Natale,
Top and above: ushering in the New Year (Photos courtesy of Sergio Fresco)
Maria Marigliano, right, recounts the story of la Befana in English and Italian. La Befana herself made her entrance shortly afterwards to present sweet rewards to the good children of the parish.
Fr. Ezio Marchetto blesses the "bambinello."
Babbo Natale visits with Holy Rosary children.
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Washington D.C., January 2016
La Befana, and New Year 2016
COMMUNITY NEWS
Film Premiere, Recital at Casa Italiana
Parishioner Helen Garden performs classical piece she composed Continued from page 1
her late husband, Capt. Francis Garden, USAF, who regularly attended Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary with Helen before he passed away. Singer-songwriter, Joe Dunn performed his composition, a song called Truth, which was also featured in the SongBirth documentary. Dr. Irrera said, “It was an honor to
A number of dedicated volunteers helped prepare for the arrival of la Befana, including making 160 trays of pizza. Volunteers (not all pictured above) included: Maria Cascoli, Connie Catucci, Anna Falcone, Tony Falcone, Concetta Goetzinger, Bill Leali, Maria Mariggio, Caesar Mariggio, Lina Pronio, Andrea Pronio, Angie Santucci, Carmela Ventresca.
screen my movie in Washington at Casa Italiana. I felt the warmth of the audience, and I knew that evening that the years and work it took to make this film were worth it all from the wonderful and kind words shared by the guests who screened the film in Washington.� Songs featured in the film can be downloaded from Spotify or CDBaby. com.
Simona Irrera, Fr. Ezio Marchetto, Helen Garden, Joseph Lupo, Joe Dunn
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Washington D.C., January 2016 Editor-in-Chief: Fr. Ezio Marchetto, C.S. Executive Editor: Francesco Isgrò
Founded in 1960 An Italian American Gazette of the Greater Washington D.C. Area 595 Third Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
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New Office of the Scalabrinian Congregation Opens at Holy Rosary Another Monument in Washington D.C. Voce Italiana
Last month, as I was walking to the post office, I passed by a recently inaugurated monument. It was the new Holodomor Memorial in Washington D.C., which commemorates the lives of up to 10 million victims of Stalin’s man-made famine-genocide of 1932-33 against the Ukrainian people. The site is a triangular piece of federal land at the intersection of North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and F Street, five blocks north of the U.S. Capitol. I took the time to read the inscriptions and to pause and reflect. On my way back along Massachusetts Avenue, I passed by another monument dedicated to the victims of communism (it is located at the intersection of Massachusetts and New Jersey Avenues and G Street, NW, two blocks from Union Station) so I asked myself: how many monuments are there? Although it is hard to find definite numbers, it seems there are in D.C. about 139 monuments and memorials, 39 statues and 76 national historic landmarks, without counting the four statues in front of Casa Italiana.
When I walk around the city I often see plaques, statues and monuments, but I have to admit that most of the time I just keep on walking. Now, though, something has changed. The Holodomor memorial made me realize that each monument, statue and landmark has a story to tell and a lesson to teach and that the lives of countless peoples are reflected on those images, sculptures and words. Some are part of my heritage like the Columbus statue in front of Union Station or Dante's statue in Meridian Hill Park in Columbia Heights, or the sad and beautiful Teresina Vasco Monument located at Glenwood Cemetery. Other memorials are there to teach and inform about pages of history that are part of our common heritage and as we walk Washington's neighborhoods, we walk inside a rich museum of works and words that can teach us so much and where we can learn and discover fascinating peoples and events. Next time you pass by a monument, a plaque, a statue or a memorial, take the time to pause and learn. It will enrich your life.
The Holodomor Memorial in Washington D.C.
It was one of Fr. Caesar Donanzan's dreams. Back in 1975 he had written to his superiors suggesting the establishment of a specialized ministry: "The office that is proposed here would…be created and operated under the auspices and directions of the Scalabrinian fathers, in cooperation with the Center for Migration Studies of New York. The offices, located in Washington D.C., would be the Scalabrinian Fathers’ spokesman with members of the U.S. Congress in matters of immigration legislation [and with those in] charge of administering immigration laws. The office would also promote and coordinate apostolic programs for the benefit of people on the move, in accordance with papal directives and recognized diocesan policies. It would be the catalyst for proper concern and effective interest in the adequate care of immigrant and ethnic groups, as well as other categories of people on the move." Forty years later this dream has become a reality. As of January 1, the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles-Scalabrinians has established the Washington D.C. office of the Scalabrinian International Migration Network (SIMN) and of the Center for Migration Studies (CMS). The Scalabrini International Migration Network is an umbrella organization established in 2005 by the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, Scalabrinians, with more than 250 entities involved in various activities and services helping people on the move around the world. SIMN fulfills its mission through supporting an extensive network of cen-
ters of research and study, social service centers for migrants, refugees and seafarers, shelters, senior centers, orphanages, medical clinics, kindergartens, schools, vocational centers, and cultural centers. SIMN works closely with other entities at the national and international level, promoting comprehensive service programs and advocating for the dignity and rights of migrants and their families. SIMN (simn-global.org) was established to coordinate advocacy and fundraising initiatives at the service of all the pastoral fields and services of the Congregation. The pastoral fields are Personal and Interethnic Parishes; Ethnic Missions and Chaplaincies; the Apostleship of the Sea; leadership in Ecclesial Organisms; Centers for Migrants, Casas del Migrante and other apostolic works such as Orphanages, Refugee Camps, Schools, Day Care Centers, Nursing Homes. The pastoral services are active in the research, production and diffusion of qualified information; management formation; human and social sensitization and development; political input; representation and search for financial resources. The Center for Migration Studies of New York (cmsny.org) is an educational institute/think tank devoted to the study of international migration, to the promotion of understanding between immigrants and receiving communities, and to public policies that safeguard the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees and newcomers. CMS is a member of the Scalabrini International Migration Network, an international network of shelters, welcoming centers, and other ministries for migrants.
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Voce Italiana Asks: What is your wish for the New Year?
Christina Koutsoukos, 18
My wish is that the New Year brings me happiness and that my family stays healthy.
Crescenzo De Marco, 12
Auguro che tutte le persone nel mondo avranno un anno felice.
Salvatore Brunitto, 14
I hope to spend a nice year with my family and friends.
Nina Cordaro, 17
I hope to spend more time with my family.
FACES IN HISTORY
Frank Cappuccino: Remembering The Third Man in the Ring A master at a thankless job passes away In the last issue of Voce Italiana, we introduced the "Real Rockies," the great Italian-American boxers who inspired generations of competitors and fighters. To complete that story, we should not forget the "Third Man in the Ring," the referee. Often overlooked, being a referee is a thankless job when things go right, and a severely condemned life when a call goes awry. With a career that oversaw 25,000 bouts, including approximately 10,000 professional matches and 94 world championships bouts in North America, Europe and Asia, some of them the most famous boxing matches in history, Frank Cappuccino is due some recognition. Born in Philadelphia in 1929, Cappuccino grew up in the neighborhood known as Kensington. Both Frank and his brother Vito (Vic) were accomplished boxers. Fighting as a lightweight (130 lb. class), Frank Cappuccino fought more than 130 amateur bouts in the early 1950s.
Leaving the amateur ranks in 1955, Cappucino turned professional. Though undefeated in six professional matches, he retired early. Asked why he didn't continue with his professional career, Cappuccino told a reporter, "I decided that I had to either get out or get knocked on my heels. But I loved the sport and I wanted to stay involved." Cappuccino received his referee's license in 1958 and over the past halfcentury, had a glorious career as the third man in the ring. Boxing experts praised Cappuccino's work in the ring. He typically allowed a boxer in trouble to try to fight his way out of it, rather than calling an abrupt (and unpopular) technical knockout. That said, there has never been a recorded incident of a serious injury in a match that Cappuccino presided over. Some of the most memorable fights that he refereed were: Mickey Ward decisioned (10 rounds), Arturo Gatti, in May 2002 in Connecticut, considered
City, New Jersey. In a battle of undefeated fighters, Tyson knocked Spinks out in 91 seconds. Cappuccino considered it the greatest moment of his referee career. He commented, "I remember thinking here I am, a guy from Kensington, and I’m in the ring, looking out in the crowd, and I see people like Charlie Sheen and Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen. It was really something special." Cappuccino later portrayed a referee in the movie Rocky V. Cappuccino died in 2015, ending a legendary career as one of the finest referees in the history of the sport. Frank Cappuccino by many boxing purists as "The Fight of the Century;" Lennox Lewis TKO (5th round) Shannon Briggs, for Lewis’ WBC Heavyweight Title, March 1998, Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Mike Tyson KO’d (1st round) Michael Spinks, for Tyson's Undisputed WBC, WBA, and IBF Heavyweight Title, June 1988, Atlantic
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The Lido Civic Club of Washington D.C. 1929-2015 Our 87th Year
Metropolitan Washington’s Premier Italian-American Business and Professional Men’s Organization Brian R. DellaRocca Esq., President Thomas F. Regnante, Vice President Arthur J. Del Buono, Treasurer Vincenzo Fragomeni, Secretary Mark Letenzi, Public Affairs
William Bonacki, Sergeant at Arms www.lidoclub.org
MARK YOUR CALENDAR January 14, 2016. The Greater Washington D.C. Region of the National Organization of Italian American Women will honor three of D.C.’s outstanding Italian American women at its annual Epiphany Celebration: Lt. Gen. Gina M. Grosso of the United States Air Force; Lisa O. Monaco, Assistant to President Obama for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Prof. Gemma Puglisi of American University. For more information contact NOIAW at 212-642-2003. January 24 2016. The Italian Cultural Society hosts Carnevale, Festa in Maschera with music by the i-Talians at 3:00 p.m. Visit web site for additional info: www.italianculturalsociety.org January 31, 2016. The Abruzzo Molise Heritage Society meeting and luncheon at Casa Italiana with a presentation by geologist, Barry Centini, Ph.D., who will talk about the many ways that the geology of Italy has affected its history. Contact Lynn Sorbara, 301-926-7792.
February
6, 2016 Carnevale 2016, hosted by Lucchesi nel Mondo and AMHS at Casa Italiana from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Casa Italiana. This year's theme is Costumi di Carnevale, or costumes from Carnivals in Italy and throughout the world. Contact Tricia Maltagliati at 301 449-7230. Until March 20, 2016. Power & Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, a stunning exhibition at the National Gallery of art. Many of the bronze sculptures are on loan from Italian museums. October 1, 2016. SAVE THE DATE Pro Ecclesia Sacratissimi Award at Casa Italiana.