THE
ITALIAN TIMES Published by the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 www.ICCMilwaukee.com
VOL. 33, NO. 10
APRIL 2012
A message from Dave Spano, Italian Community Center President In my President’s acceptance speech in November of 2010, I laid out several of our goals. One specific project that I pointed to was to make sure that we were putting our assets to their highest and best use – particularly the parking lot land. A Request for Information (RFI) was researched and drafted, and the Board of Directors voted to send it out to more than 60 architectural firms and developers. We formed a committee of ICC members and outside experts to review the proposals and interview the respondents. After careful consideration, the committee recommended that the path of further due diligence was the most prudent. Therefore, we have engaged a team of highly tal-
ented, capable and experienced firms to conduct a six-month feasibility study regarding the potential development of the complete property. We are glad to announce that Coachyard Developments, LLC, a division of Marcus Investments, has been selected to proceed with this exercise. The study will examine the possibilities of a mixed-use development that could include parking, retail, restaurants, residential and hospitality. We will continue conversations with our neighbors, such as the Historic Third Ward Board, Summerfest, the City of Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, among others, on what could become an exciting new addition to
It was a ‘grand’ Carnevale indeed
our city. The Marcus Corporation had previously engaged Bruce Westling, president of MLG Commercial, to work on the leasing efforts on their open-air mall anchored by Von Maur at their Corner’s Project in Brookfield. Marcus felt that Westling could piggy-back on those efforts in conjunction with our due diligence and marketing study. The Marcus Please turn to page 5
Enjoy ‘A Taste of Italy’ at ICC on Sunday, Apr. 22 By Thomas Hemman Times Editor If you love Italian food, you’ll want to be at the Italian Community Center on Sunday, Apr. 22 for the 17th annual “A Taste of Italy.” This hugely popular event, which offers a bountiful selection of low-cost delicious Italian foods and beverages, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both admission and parking are free. This year, attendees can purchase seven food and beverage tickets for just $10 or a single ticket for $1.50. Food and beverage tickets will be sold on-site. Entrée items will be served in the Pompeii Grand Ballroom. Desserts will be offered in the Festa Ballroom. Seating will be available throughout the building, including the bocce court room and the spacious courtyard. “We want to make sure everyone has a place to sit down and enjoy the food,” Ann Romano, general chairperson, said. “This year, we’ve ordered extra large trays for carrying your food and beverages to your table,” she added. As has been the case since its inception in 1995, “A Taste of Italy” continues to be an essential fund-raising activity for the nonprofit Italian Community Center.
In spectacular fashion, recalling the pre-Lenten mask and costume festivities of Venice, Italy, the Italian Community Center presented its 33rd annual Il Grande Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 18. Vivian and Vincenzo Balistreri (seen here) were crowned as La Regina (the queen) and Il Re (the king) of Carnevale. Nearly 400 people attended the gala. The theme of this year’s event was “La Stella di Venezia” (“The Star of Venice”). Look for more photos and information on Carnevale inside this issue. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Live entertainment During the course of the afternoon, Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee will perform in tbe Festa Ballroom. The Sicilian Serenaders II (Peter Balistrieri and Tom and Ted Pappalardo) will stroll throughout the building playing Italian and Sicilian music as visitors enjoy their food and beverage selections. Both groups
have long participated in “A Taste of Italy.” Appearing in the entertainment lineup for the second straight year will be ICC member Charles Evans, who will be singing Italian songs that are popular in the United States and some that aren’t heard here as often. All the songs will be sung in Italian. He will be accompanied by Galina Gerakosov on electronic piano. Evans, who has sung many times in Italian including as a member of the Florentine Opera Chorus, has produced a CD of sacred music, which will be available that day. All the entertainers are donating their services for the event. The appearance of the Sicilian Serenaders II is courtesy of La Società di San Giuseppe, which has also made a monetary donation to the event, Romano said. Giant raffle As has been the custom in past years, a giant raffle will be held in conjunction with “A Taste of Italy.” This year’s prizes are quite impressive. First prize is a 40-inch LCD HDTV. Second prize is an Apple IPad with WI-FI. Please turn to page 9