ITALIAN TIMES THE
Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com DECEMBER 2016 • VOL. 38, NO. 6
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Quite a ‘day’ for new ICC President Dean Cannestra
If you didn’t attend the Italian Community Center’s installation dinner, you might not have known this fact: Friday, Oct. 28 was officially designated as “Dean Cannestra Day in the City of Milwaukee” by Mayor Tom Barrett. A proclamation, recognizing the new ICC President Cannestra for his dedication and leadership, was presented to him at the dinner by Giuseppe Vella, who is now the immediate past president. Find more photos from the installation dinner on pages 14-15 of this issue. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
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Bravo! Festival di Danza e Cultura
Multi-cultural event is superb
People who weren’t able to attend the Italian Community Center’s fourth annual Festival di Danza e Cultura on Nov. 1 missed a superb performance showcase. The event featured seven folk dance and music groups. It was organized by the ICC Culture Committee, under the leadership of Gina Jorgensen, and served as a preview to the Holiday Folk Fair International, which took place Nov. 18-20. Shown here are the Caledonia Scottish Dancers performing their first number, MacNeil of Barra. Look for more photos from Festival di Danza e Cultura inside on pages 12-13. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Past President Phil Purpero dies at the age of 94 ICC members owe a great debt to Purpero for all of his unheralded efforts
by Thomas Hemman Times Editor When Italian Community Center members speak with pride of the history of their organization, the beautiful facility in which it is housed and their celebration of Festa Italiana, they should always include the name of Phillip J. Purpero in the narrative. From the very start of Festa and
the ICC in 1978, Phil played an instrumental role, and never sought the accolades he certainly deserved for all of time and energy he devoted in a voluntary capacity. Proud to be Italian, and giving to an organization he believed in and wanted to see prosper, was satisfying enough for Phil. A past president, Purpero, who everyone knew simply as “Phil,”
Special membership meeting called for Dec. 8 to act on offer to purchase
President Dean Cannestra has called for a special meeting of the Italian Community Center membership to be held on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. to act upon a pending offer to purchase of a small portion of ICC’s unused land at the far southwest corner of the ICC property. The ICC bylaws state that the sale or long-term lease of any portion of the Italian Community Center Coachyards property require approval by a 2/3 vote of all votes cast at a special meeting of the general membership. In addition, the voters must be mem-
bers of the ICC for at least 60 days prior to the vote. Since the offer contains a confidentiality clause, more details cannot be disclosed in this article but a more detailed letter on the sale is being mailed to all ICC members. The meeting will allow for discussion of the transaction and the voicing of all viewpoints prior to the actual voting on whether or not to sell. “As time is of the essence, we are thus convening on such a short notice,” Cannestra said. “It is very important that all members attend the meeting.”
died Friday, Nov. 4 at the age of 94. Phil was one of the founders of the ICC in the late 1970s and served the organization diligently as its executive director for more than five years as a volunteer. He performed crucial duties for Festa Italiana from its beginning. Joined by his lifelong friend, Tony Machi, and Jimmy Spataro, the organization was able to win approval from the Milwaukee County Board in April 1986 to purchase the 15.7-acre “Coachyards” property, upon which the organization built its current home. Phil and Tony, who became friends in Please turn to page 10
Phillip J. “Phil” Purpero
Cosa c’è dentro?
President’s message
(What’s inside?)
La Befana is coming
page 3
page 5
ICC package deal for DaVinici/Michelangelo show at The Pabst page 6 Tony and Alma Gazzana leave gift for ICC page 7 Use your La Scala gift certificates by Dec. 3
page 8
Students say thanks to ICC volunteers page 8
Judge Clare Fiorenza “Jurist of the Year” page 16 Christmas: Italian-style
page 17
Sezione Italiana pagine 18-19 Pompeii Men donate to St. Joan Antida program page 21
PAGE 2 – DECEMBER 2016
THE ITALIAN TIMES
A message from Dean Cannestra, Italian Community Center President
I’m honored to become your president of our Community Center. I’ve been given this responsibility because I represent continuity. I believe our organization is happy with the direction we are going in. I promise to continue along that pathway. Thank you to everyone who attended the installation dinner. It was a great evening. The food, the music and the atmosphere set the tone for a wonderful night. But the camaraderie and spirit of the people made it special. There was a great sense of pride and belief in the future our Community Center I would like to congratulate Joe Vella on his presidency. It was an amazing performance of leadership and management. We are definitely better off today than we were two years ago. There is still much to do. The focus will be on our Community Center. We will be dedicating our staff to coordinate events and build our membership base. We must work to fulfill the mission statement of our bylaws by giving back through charitable activities and demonstrating the positive force of Milwaukees Italian Americans. We must prepare ourselves for a great transition in our operation. The partnership with the Bartolotta Group will grow our business and help us regain the
Fall bocce championship goes to Club Garibaldi
Club Garibaldi, the first-place finisher in the Wednesday night league, proved it can beat the best on a Monday night (Nov. 14) as its players rolled past three top-notch opponents to win the Italian Community Center’s fall bocce league playoffs championship. Those players are Jim and Joe Lehmann, Russ Sereno, Gary Lisiecki and Joe Zdrojewski (alternate).
In the title match, Club Garibaldi defeated the Pallino Magnets – Anita Moyer, Carmela Renda, Michael Renda and Dennis Antonia – the runner-up team from the Tuesday afternoon league. The
reputation of being a top quality restaurant, banquet and catering service. And we must set a goal to retire our debt. We cannot again leave this for the next generation. I look forward to working with everyone and continuing this journey in honor of our of relatives and friends who came here over 100 years ago to give us this opportunity to live in this great country. Lastly, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. – Dean Cannestra ICC President deancann@sbcglobal.net
Buon Natale! Merry Christmas!
Here are the players on the Club Garibaldi team, winner of the ICC’s fall bocce championship. From the left: Jim Lehmann, Russ Sereno, Gary Lisiecki and Joe Lehmann. (Photo provided by Dan Conley)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 (414) 223-2180 Published 11 times annually
Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . . .Giuseppe Vella Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . Blaise DiPronio Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors, Reporters and Columnists . . . . . . .Blaise Di Pronio, Barbara Collignon amd Donato Di Pronio Staff Photographers. . . . . . .Joe Spasiano, Tim Townsend and Tom Hemman
For advertising information, please call (414) 223-2180 or send an e-mail to: themman@italiancc.org.
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score was: Club Garibaldi – 12, Pallino Magnets – 8. Players on the Club Garibaldi team received a $15 Cafe La Scala gift certificate while the players on the Pallino Magnets were given a $5 gift certificate. The other teams that qualified for the championship playoffs were: It’s All Good, the top Monday night team; Porticello, the runner-up on Monday night; Felici Amici, the first-place first in the Tuesday afternoon league; the Rose Buds, runner-up in the Wednesday night league; Paisani, the top team in the Thursday afternoon league and Como Si Chiama, the runner-up on Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2016 The Italian Community Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved
January 2017 issue deadline
All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the January 2017 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Thursday, Dec. 8. All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org, sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-223-2189.
All advertisements must be in accordance with the rules and requirements as determined by editorial policy. Paid advertisements are not to be interpreted as an endorsement by the Italian Community Center or its newspaper, The Italian Times. In addition, the Newspaper Committee reserves the right to reject ads based on editorial policy approved by the Board of Directors of the Italian Community Center. The Italian Community Center is a member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce,
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THE ITALIAN TIMES
La Befana coming from Italy to ICC with gifts for the good girls and boys on Jan. 7
The Italian Community Center’s Avanti Committee is pleased to announce that La Befana, the legendary Epiphany witch of Italian folklore, is coming to the ICC for her annual visit. A luncheon party has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 7 at noon. After a buffet-style lunch, La Befana will meet and greet all of the children and present gifts to those who have exhibited good behavior this past year. Youngsters who have been naughty should be aware: La Befana might give you a stocking filled with coal. (Parents and Grandparents: A Ripley’s Believe or Not insert here is needed here. In the 15 years that the ICC has invited La Befana to come to the party, no child has ever gone home with a stocking filled with coal yet!) “Since the mission of the ICC is to promote Italian culture, we think it’s important that our children and grandchildren learn about La Befana,” said Liz Ceraso, Avanti Committee Chairperson.
CHILDREN'S LA BEFANA PARTY & LUNCH RESERVATION FORM
Names of male adult members attending: ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAMES OF BOYS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________
AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
NAMES OF GIRLS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________
Names of female adult members attending: ___________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cost: $20.00 per child, $25.00 per adult. Total Amount Enclosed: $ . Make your check payable to: Italian Community Center. Mail this form with your payment to: Italian Community Center, Attn.: La Befana party, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation form with payment due Monday, Jan. 2. No walk-ins permitted.
socks the day of the party (Jan. 7) because, after they eat lunch, the children will be asked to take off their shoes and leave them behind a curtain. Avanti Committee members have told The Italian Times
that La Befana has expressed an interest in leaving special treats in the children’s shoes. The lunch will feature a buffet with food to please both the children and the adults in attendance.
by Susie Christiansen Walk the red carpet to the premier event of the holiday season – the Italian Community Center Christmas Party. All members and non-member guests are invited to start the holiday season with a Hollywood-inspired celebration on Thursday, Dec. 15 beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. This glitzy gala will include a delicious sit-down dinner and wonderful entertainment, all for the price of $20 per member and $35 per non-member.
cpalmer@italianconference.com. Thank you SO MUCH to those who donate bakery to the sale.
tain and care for your children under the supervision of an adult. If you can’t find a babysitter, or would simply prefer to have your children with you, please take advantage of the ICC Christmas Party child care room, and all of the fun they have planned for your young ones.
Dancing Providing the entertainment for the evening will be Music on the Move Plus. Its deejays ensure that the evening is full of dancing, music and fun! Whether it’s swing, polka, disco, the rock-and-roll of the ‘50s and ‘60s, or today’s best music, these deejays can provide it. What better way to celebrate the holidays than to dance the night away. Come jitterbug, cha cha, rock-and roll and electric slide your way into the holidays.
Child care room New this year: The ICC Youth Committee, Gruppo Adolescenti, will provide child care that evening in a separate room. They welcome children of all ages, and will enter-
Party details Children are encouraged to wear
ICC rolling out the ‘Red Carpet’ for you at the membership Christmas party on Dec. 15
Dinner Dinner will begin with an Italian salad comprised of fresh greens topped with Italian meats and cheeses. Guests will then enjoy an entrée of tender Sicilian steak, side of pasta, fresh sautéed vegetables, and Italian bread, with creamy gelato for dessert.
Bake Sale Imagine the vast array of freshbaked cakes, cookies, cupcakes and pastries. The quality of this stunning bake sale is second to none. You won’t want to miss this. If you would like to donate baked goods, please see Rosemary DeRubertis or Joanne Czubek. You can also call Constance Palmer at the ICC at 414-223-2180 or send an email to her at
THE ITALIAN TIMES
AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Red Carpet photo area And last, but not least, be the superstar that you are, and have your photograph taken by the paparazzi in front of the ICC Red Carpet backdrop. You can do so with the Hollywood-inspired photo props, or you can have your picture taken as you choose. Have your family picture taken. Take a picture with your “famed” friends. The sky is the limit. New This Year: Our photographer will have access to a photo printer, so you will be able to take your prints home that night! We will then create a 2016 ICC Members Christmas Party photo book, which will then be available for view at the January general membership meeting.
Reservation details Advance reservations are required. The cost for this fantastic evening is $20 per member, $35 per non-member. Please use the form accompanying this story to make yours. Checks are payable to the Italian Community Center. You may also call 414/223-2180 and make your payment with a credit card. Please note: the reservation deadline is coming up quickly. It’s Thursday, Dec. 8. The dinner and dance are replacing the regular general membership dinner and meeting. However, after dinner and before the entertainment begins, there will be a brief business meeting. Let’s come together to celebrate our friendship and our love for the Italian culture. Buon Natale!
The menu will include barbecue beef sandwiches, chicken nuggets, french fried potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit, chocolate or white milk for the kids and coffee for adults. For dessert, everyone will be able to make their own ice cream sundae. There will also be an opportunity for children to decorate their own Christmas cookie! The cost to attend will be – $20 per child and $25 per adult. Prepaid reservations are required by Monday, Jan. 2. Please use the form accompanying this article to make your reservations or call the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and have your credit ready. Please make sure to give the names and ages of each child so that gifts appropriate for every age group are given out. Walk-ins on the day of the event will not be permitted. Avanti Committee members wish to thank longtime ICC member Anna Pitzo, for making the arrangements for La Befana’s visit. La Befana: The Yuletide Witch In Italy, a tradition is carried on about the beneficent witch named Befana. On the night of the Feast of Epiphany (the 12th and final day of the Christmas holiday observance), Befana leaves presents in children’s stockings, hung upon a hearth or a stairway railing (a tradition quite similar to the American Santa Claus story). Legend has it that, when Christ was born, the Three Wise Men (I re magi) stopped at Befana’s hut for directions on their way to Please turn to page 6
ICC General Membership Christmas Party Reservation Form
Name(s) ____________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ________________________________________________
Phone No. ________________ Email _____________________________
Number of ICC members attending ________ x $20.00 = $_____________
Number of non-members attending ________ x $35.00 + $_____________
Make check or money order payable to: Italian Community Center. Send this form and your payment to: ICC, Attn.: Membership Christmas Party. 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation deadline: Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016.
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 5
Package deal available through ICC for Jan. 21 showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience at the Pabst Theater
A discount ticket package – with or without transportation to The Pabst Theater – is available through the Italian Community Center for the showing of DaVinci & Michelangeol: The Titans Experience at The Pabst on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. In addition, everyone who purchases a ticket to the performance will receive a free admission to the DaVinci Machines Exhibition currently on display at Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago. A story on this exhibit appeared in the November 2016 issue of The Italian Times.
About the show For the Jan. 21 show, the audience will be taken on a fantastic, awe-inspiring journey through the Italian Renaissance as seen through the eyes of the monumental geniuses of DaVinci and Michelangelo. This original theater performance is a non-stop, multi-media event featuring movies, videos, 3-D animination and images of DaVinci and Michelangelo’s inventions, machines, sketches, painting and sculptures.
Everyone who purchases tickets through the ICC will receive a 20% discount on each ticket and $2 will be donated back to the ICC. If the ticket sales reach an unspecified level agreed to by The Pabst and the ICC, The Pabst will giveaway these prizes to those who attend: • A licensed digital recreation of the Mona Lisa from the DaVinci Museum in Florence. The framed Mona Lisa is a spectacular recreation and comes with a certification of authenticity from the exhibition. • Two huge “coffee table” books of “DaVinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings” and one of “Michelangelo: The Complete Works.” The books retail for $69.99 each. The ICC is offering transportation to and from the ICC to The Pabst through Riteway bus service.
Costs for ticket packages Costs for tickets with the transportation package ordered through the ICC are: • $42 – Orchestra. • $38 – A Section, 2nd Floor. • $34 – 2nd Floor. • $30 – 3rd Floor. Costs for tickets ordered without the transportation package are:
• $32 – Orchestra. • $28 – A Section, 2nd Floor. • $24 – 2nd Floor. • $20 – 3rd Floor. Please use the reservation form accompanying this article to order your tickets. Tickets can also be
purchased on the ICC’s website, www.iccmilwaukee.com or by calling the ICC office at 414-223-2808 and having your credit card ready. The special discount ticket offer is valid through Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017.
ICC Discount Ticket Package for Jan. 21 showing of DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience
Name(s) _____________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip________________________________________________ Phone__________________ Email_______________________________
I/we wish to order with ticket package with roundtrip transportation: ____ Orchestra: $42.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
____ A Section, 2nd Floor: $38.00 x ___ number of tickets = $________ ____ 2nd Floor: $34.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ ____ 3rd Floor: $30.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ I/we wish to order the ticket package only:
____ Orchestra: $32.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
____ A Section, 2nd Floor: $28.00 x ___ number of tickets = $________ ____ 2nd Floor: $24.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________ ____ 3rd Floor: $20.00 x ____ number of tickets = $__________
ICC’s 2nd annual Holiday Boutique Saturday, Nov. 26
ICC’s annual Membership Christmas Party Thursday, Dec. 15 ICC’s La Befana Children’s Party Saturday, Jan. 7
ICC’s 22nd annual “A Taste of Italy” Sunday, Apr. 2
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Apr. 21 and Saturday, Apr. 22
40th annual Festa Italiana Friday, July 21 – Sunday, July 23
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21
ICC’s 4th annual Casino Night Friday, Sept. 8
ICC’s 24th annual St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon Friday, Mar. 17
ICC’s 3rd annual Holiday Boutique Saturday, Nov. 25
ICC’s 38th annual Il Grande Carnevale Saturday, Feb. 25
ICC participates in Gallery Night & Day Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $___________________________ Send this form with your payment to: ICC c/o Theater package, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. The ticket package deadline is Jan. 4, 2017.
Umberto Mucci donated $5 for each of his books sold at ICC, not $2 as previously reported
In our November 2016 issue, we reported that Umberto Mucci, editor of the website We The Italians, donated $2 from every one of his books sold at the Italian Community Center. The Times has been informed that Mucci donated $5 from each book sold. The book is titled We The Italians: Two Flags One Heart. One Hundred Interviews About Italy and the U.S.
2017 schedules of Italian societies and organizations that regularly meet at ICC are needed promptly
The 2017 meeting and social event schedules of all of the societies, clubs and organizations that regularly use the Italian Community Center for their activities are needed by The Italian Times. Times editor Tom Hemman needs the information to provide an accurate reporting in the calendar published in each issue of the newspaper. All groups are asked to submit their schedules including the starting time of all events as soon as possible. The goal is to have the schedules from all societies, clubs and organizations by Nov. 30. Please submit schedules using any one of these methods: • Send an email to Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org. • Fax the information to 414-223-2187.
PAGE 6 – DECEMBER 2016
• Drop off the schedules in person at the ICC. Groups that fail to comply with this request may experience difficulty in securing the accommodations they most desire. Please note: Starting Nov. 1, Bartolotta Catering will be in charge of booking the Pompeii Grand Ballroom, Festa Ballroom and the Conference Rooms, and all food and beverage services. The ICC will book the activities in the Board Room and the Bocce Courts. “If we don’t have the schedule of events for your organization with the starting time of each event, it is impossible to prepare an accurate calendar listing for the newspaper. We depend on the presidents or the designated representative of the many Italian organizations to supply this information,” Hemman said.
Our apologies for reporting the wrong amount of the donation.
La Befana coming to ICC on Jan 7
from page 5 Bethlehem and, in the conversation, asked her to join them. Befana said no, she was too busy. Later, a shepherd asked her to join him in paying respects to the Baby Jesus. Again, Befana declined. When it became dark, Befana noticed a great star illuminating the sky just as the Wise Men had told her earlier in the day. She then realized that perhaps she should have gone with them. So, she gathered some toys that had belonged to her own baby, who had died as an infant, and boarded her magic broom to find the kings and the stable where the Christ Child lay. The legend states that, regretfully, Befana was unable to locate either the Three Wise Men or the place where Jesus was born. Since then, each year at this time, Befana continues her search for the Christ Child and leaves gifts along the way for good children and pieces of charcoal for bad ones.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
ICC displays its own art for October Gallery Night & Day
ICC to take part in the next Gallery Night & Day, Jan. 20-21
The Italian Community Center, joined by Bartolotta’s Catering at the ICC, will participate in Gallery Night & Day, Jan. 20-21. The ICC’s Avanti Committee is pleased to announce that art students from the Milwaukee High School of the Arts will display their works. All of the art that will be shown will be a reflection of the students’ experiences living in Milwaukee. Some of the artists will be Adjua Nsoroma, Meah Powel, Renee Marfitt, Jade Nolan, Margaret French, Nylah Balderas and Clayrissa Browning. Gallery Night hours will be from 6 to 10 p.m. on Jan.20. The hours for Gallery Day, Jan. 21, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The art works will be shown in the ICC Board Room. Admission is free. Wine and cheese will be available on Friday, Jan. 20. “We hope that everyone will come out and support these fine young artists,” said Liz Ceraso, Avanti Committee Chair. “Enjoy dinner or lunch at Cafe La Scala.” Gallery Night & Day, a quarterly event, is coordinated by the Historic Third Ward Association and the East Towne Association. The ICC will be one of many participating venues.
People who came to the Italian Community Center on the weekend of Oct. 21-22 learned about the artifacts inside the Pompeii Chapel from volunteer Tony Zingale. Other volunteers offered guided tours of other art work and photo-
graph as the organization participated in the October Gallery Night & Day program. Among the other art works that were displayed were the replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà and the paintings of artist Laura Easey Jones that represent
a sampling of the original works created by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. The ICC’s Italian heritage photo collection was also available to see on a guided tour. (Times photo by Liz Ceraso)
Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church. The rendering was handmade by the late Tony “BoomBoom” and Alma Gazzana and donated to the ICC.
Tony died this past Sept. 22. Alma died Nov. 16, 2014. Both Tony and Alma were proud, longtime ICC members. Both were 95 at the time of their death.
The Pompeii Church rendering that they created was made in 1995 from seashells that were collected while vacationing in Florida, Please turn to page 9
Handmade shell rendition of Pompeii Church donated to ICC by the late Tony and Alma Gazzana
If you have been inside the room where bocce is played at the Italian Community Center lately, you should have seen a beautiful shell rendition of the fondly remembered
The late Alma and Tony “Boom-Boom” Gazzana
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DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 7
Students thank ICC volunteers for Italian culture day experience
This past Oct. 17, Italian Community Center volunteers presented an Italian educational, cultural and recreational experience to 99 students from All Saints Catholic School in Union Grove and the Milwaukee Italian Immersion School at Milwaukee’s Victory K-8 and one student from Washington Elementary in Wauwatosa, who attended with her mother.
Fifth graders from All Saint’s Catholic School wrote letters of thanks to the volunteers for the learning opportunity. Selected paragraphs from some of the students’ letters are presented here.
Notice there is a common theme in virtually all of them. * * * Tyler wrote: Thank you for allowing us to come to the Italian Community Center for our field trip.I loved all of the activities, but my favorite was bocce. I also enjoyed lunch and pasta making. * * * Jakob: I liked playing bocce ball. Bocce ball was my favorite thing. I also loved making spaghetti. The lunch was amazing! * * *’ Ben: My favorite part of the Italian Community Center was the immigration experience. My parents got me through adoption. * * * Abigail: I really liked making the pasta and my favorite thing to do was bocce. It was really fun. * * * Cassie G.: My favorite part was when we played bocce. It was fun because I like playing games and learning about Italian traditions. I had so much fun and the food was amazing! Thank you, again! * * * Lindsey: My favorite part was
If you have a Cafe La Scala gift certificate, you should plan on stopping in soon. Under an agreement with Bartolotta Restaurant Group, the new operators of the restaurant, gift certificates issued by the former operator, the Italian Conference Center, will be honored until the end of the year. Bartolotta became the official
operator of Cafe La Scala, the public restaurant at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The restaurant continues to offer affordably priced Italian food for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. Reservations can be made by calling 414-2232185.
Called “Student Culture Day,” the all-Italian experience included: a mini-course on Italian language, a lesson on the history of Italian Americans in Milwaukee, a handson lesson on learning how to make pasta from scratch, participating in playing the game of bocce, and a reenactment of the Ellis Island experience (circa 1910) with the students playing Italian immigrants and the volunteers decked out as the United States immigration officials.
Bartolotta to honor Cafe La Scala gift certificates until end of 2016
playing bocce. I also loved the eating part. The food was amazing! It was a lot fun. Thank you! * * * Jace: My favorite part was bocce ball. It was the best. The lunch was great food. My complements to the
chef! It was cool to learn to make pasta. Thank you so much. * * * Daniel: My favorite part was bocce ball, but I liked all of it. I hope we can go back. Thank you, again.
Notice To ICC Members
Please Be Advised That Bringing in Your Own Food and/or Beverages For Your Events Is Strictly Prohibited. All Food and Beverages Must Be Purchased From Bartolotta Catering or Cafe La Scala. Thank You For Your Cooperation.
Calendar of Events
November 29, 2016 – January 1, 2017
Saturday, Nov. 26 • Italian Community Center Holiday Boutique, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 3 • Abruzzese Society social, 2 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 5 • Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Christmas party, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 8 • Italian Community Center Special General Membership meeting, 6:30 p.m. Details in this issue.
Tuesday, Dec. 13 • Abruzzese Society meeting, 2 p.m. • Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 15 • Italian Community Center Membership Christmas party, 6 p.m. Details in this issue.
Wednesday, Dec. 21 • Order Sons of Italy in America/Filippo Mazzei Lodge general meeting, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 24 • Christmas Eve. The Italian Community Center office will be closed.
PAGE 8 – DECEMBER 2016
Sunday, Dec. 25 • Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! The Italian Community Center office will be closed. Sunday, Jan. 1 • Buon Capodanno! Happy New Year! The Italian Community Center office will be closed.
Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The winter season will get underway with mixed couples’ leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons starting the week of Jan.9-13, 2017. Team registration forms are available from league coordinators, at the ICC office or online at www,italiancc.org.
• Hula hoop dance class. Every Tuesday night, 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. in the bocce court room. Everyone is welcome. Cost: $5 per member, $10 per nonmember. No classes during the holidays. • ICC Italian classes. The dates of the spring semester of classes will be announced in our next issue.
• ICC free Children’s Italian class. The dates of the spring semester of classes for children, 6 to 12 years old, will be announced in our next issue. • I Bei Bambini, The Children’s Italian Dance Group. This children’s folk dance group practices weekly on most Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the ICC. New dancers are welcome. For details, visit: www.tradizionevivente.com. Breaks are taken during the holidays. • Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. This folk dance group practices weekly on most Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the ICC. Visit: www.tradizionevivente.com for details. Breaks are taken during the holidays. Ballate con noi! Dance with us!
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Handmade shell rendition of Pompeii Church donated to ICC by the late Tony and Alma Gazzana
from page 7 Hawaii and Sicily. The church was built in Milwaukee’s old Third Ward by the early Italian immigrants. It served the community from 1905 to 1967. Tony was born and raised in the old Third Ward. Tony acquired his nickname “Boom-Boom” while working on the crew that lit those explosive fireworks for Bartolotta Fireworks Company, Inc. at Festa Italiana and many other events. Tony was a longtime member of Festa’s fabled “911 Crew,” a group of senior volunteers who, for many years, set up lights, decorations,
signs and staging equipment at the festival. The crew was given the nickname by Paul Iannelli, a longtime executive director of Festa, who would say that he was afraid he would have to call 911 if one of them got injured doing something a senior shouldn’t be doing. Tony was a World War II veteran who served in the United States Army and was a recipient of the Purple Heart award. Alma and Tony were longtime member of the Holy Crucifix Society, which organized the first Italian feast in Milwaukee in September 1906.
The officers and directors of the Italian Community Center wish to thank and acknowledge all those who pledged, fulfilled a pledge, or made a contribution to the nonprofit organization. To obtain information on how to make a pledge or make a donation, please call 414-223-2808. The following donations were received between Oct. 7 and Nov. 10, 2016.
Jimmy & Linda Spataro David & Jeannie Doern Ann Romano Joe Panella Joe & Virginia Besasie
Thanks for your donations to the ICC
In memory of Peter Frank Sorce Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce Christina Sorce
In memory of Joseph J. Spang Bill & Rita Jennaro Anthony T. Machi Anna Pitzo Ron & Joanne Czubek
In memory of Anna Lazzo Ron & Joanne Czubek Gino A. Dentice David & Jeannie Doern
In memory of Lucy Ziino Sal & Antonette LoCoco
In memory of Phillip J. Purpero Anthony T. Machi Jimmy & Linda Spataro Joe & Marie Gazzana and Family Ron & Joanne Czubek George & Judy Menos Paul & Rose Iannelli Anna Pitzo Pompeii Men’s Club
Benvenuti! Welcome, new ICC members
The following persons became members of the Italian Community Center between October 7 through November 9, 2016. Benvenuti (Welcome!)
Newaukeean of the Week
Louis Rugani of Kenosha, WI
Jo Jo Dascenzo of Milwaukee, WI Peter Podlesnik of Cudahy, WI
Cristina Roux and children Chloe & Charlize Atabe Etame of Oconomowoc, WI
Here is the seashell rendering of the Pompeii Church that was made by Tony and Alma Gazzana and donated to the ICC. It is located in the Bocce Court Room. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
Taste of Italy set for Sunday, Apr. 2
Mark your calendars now. The Italian Community Center’s 21st annual “A Taste of Italy” will be Sunday, Apr. 2. Chairperson Ann Romano announced the date at the ICC’s September general meeting. “A Taste of Italy,” at which attendees can enjoy entrée items, sandwiches, salads, dessert and beverages, at extreme low prices, is an essential fund raising activity for the nonprofit organization. It has always been a success, said Romano, who chaired the activity
21 of the 22 years it has been held. She announced that Anthony Zingale has agreed to return as volunteer food ticket chair and that Marie and Jim Schwindt are returning to be charge of the raffle held in conjunction with “A Taste of Italy.” The entire building will again be used for this Italian food extravaganza. Look for much more information on “A Taste of Italy” in upcoming issues of The Italian Times.
by Blaise di Pronio Italian Community Center member Tina Balistreri was featured on Newaukeean of the Week on the website Newaukee.com. Tina is the daughter of longtime ICC members Tom and Barbara Balistreri. The website recognizes Milwaukeeans who are doing “awesome” things in our community. Tina is an attorney in Milwaukee specializing in Criminal and Family Law. She was asked a variety of questions and we think she was also thinking about our Festa and ICC summer activities when she mentioned about loving “The way that the city comes to life in the spring and summer months. I think that the people of Milwaukee do a great job at embracing all the seasons, but in the summer, the city feels different; it is more alive everywhere you go.” You can read her complete article and interview at: http:// newaukee.com/about/media/ featured-newaukeean/
THE ITALIAN TIMES
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 9
ICC members owe a great debt to Phil Purpero for all of his unheralded efforts
from page 1 kindergarten, were the co-chairs of the ICC’s land acquisition committee. For those who might be unfamiliar with the ICC’s history: Tony Machi was the first president of the ICC, serving from 1978 to 1980. Jimmy Spataro worked his way up to the presidency and served in the office during 1985-86 term. Phil Purpero earned his chance to be president during the 1987-88 term. Back then, ICC members elected a president-elect each year, and that individual automatically moved into the presidency the next year. All three men acted as general chairman of Festa Italiana during their years as president of the ICC. “No one helped me more than Phil during my term as president,” said Spataro. “Tony Machi did an outstanding job negotiating with County Executive Bill O’Donnell and the County Board of Supervisors in getting us the votes we needed. While Phil used his business sense and savvy along with his connections in the community to help us get our proposal in order for purchasing the land. “When we needed to get a commitment for financing, Phil went to the Marine Bank, and got the letter from his personal banker,” Spataro said. “Phil knew how to get the job done and never expected anything in return.” After winning the County Board’s approval to purchase the Coachyards, the ICC had an opportunity to make some money operating it as a parking lot during Summerfest and the 1986 ethnic festival season. Spataro said Phil made sure all of the paperwork was done to secure a permit from the county to operate a parking lot. He put together a crew to staff the lot. He had his own water truck come in and spray down the dust on the lot daily since none of it was paved at the time. Spataro added that it was his job to get the money that was collected from parkers deposited at the bank. Having a longtime friendship with the principle owners of the C.G. Schmidt, a construction management and contracting firm in Milwaukee, Phil got the company on board to build the new ICC on the Coachyards property, Spataro said. As the founder of C.W. Purpero, Inc., a successful family-run excavating business, Phil, with his brothers, Tony and Sam, made sure the parking lot at the Coachyards was professionally graded and the building foundation was excavated to the exact specifications, at a cost that no other could beat. After a fundraising campaign, in which Phil played an active role as a major donor and solicitor, the organization opened its new facility in the fall of 1990. “Phil was a savior,” Spataro said. “God blessed the Italian community for giving us Phil. You never had to ask Phil to help. He would say, ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it.’ He did all these marvelous things for the ICC and never expected anything in return.” Awhile later, Phil negotiated with the Joseph Di Frances family for a donation to the ICC of a fondly remembered piece of Milwaukee’s Italian American history – the bell from Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church. The city’s early
PAGE 10 – DECEMBER 2016
Italian immigrants in the old Third Ward built the church. It served the community from 1905 until its demolition in the fall of 1967 under an urban renewal order. Phil was elected many times as member of the ICC Board, serving almost continuously from 1979 to 2005. He served as a director-atlarge (1979-84, 1989-1991, 19942005), second vice president (19841985), first vice president (19851986), president-elect (1986-1987) and president (1987-1988). He also chaired and served on numerous key ICC committees, including land acquisition, building and grounds, finance and personnel, and the Festa Italiana Steering Committee. For many years, Phil was in charge of securing the insurance for the Festa. He also handled the contracting for the electrical work needed in the tents and managing the water distribution crew, an especially important group of volunteers who kept people hydrated as temperatures climbed into the 80s, 90s and sometime past 100 degrees. Phil’s water crew always included many young volunteers. It was his philosophy to bring in the sons, daughters and grandchildren of ICC members so they could become acquainted with the operations and eventually take on responsibility for carrying on the business, traditions and activities of Festa and the ICC. “Phil’s role in Festa was putting out a lot of fires,” said his brother Sam. “He knew what had to be done and made sure it was done the right way.” This reporter remembers Phil from the years he acted as the executive director of the ICC in a voluntary capacity in the 1980s at the former ICC building at 2648 N. Hackett Ave. He was the kind of boss everyone wishes they could have. He was very supportive of the staff, generous with his time and made everyone feel they were a part of the team. He always gave the staff gifts at Christmas, which, no doubt, were paid for out of his own pocket. In 2002, the ICC conferred its highest honor – the Theodore Mazza Community Service Award – on Phil, recognizing his dedication and many years of distinguished service to the organization and the Italian community in general. Mazza (1906-1985) was a leader
Phi Purpero and his daughter Rosalie (“Bo”).
in the Italian American community locally and nationally for more than 60 years. The ICC established the Mazza award in his honor in 1986. Phil Purpero was the ninth recipient of the award. In an interview in the March 2002 issue of The Italian Times, Phil said, “I’m very honored to be the recipient of the Mazza award. It’s because of Ted Mazza and people like him that I became involved. Ted Mazza, Louis Panella, Emil Santacroce, Ignatius Costa, Angelo Provinzano, Joe Maro, Tony Machi, Tony Guardalabene and Joe Panella – to name a few – set the example for young men of Italian heritage to follow. They believed in giving back to the community, helping with the education of our youth through scholarships and working to promote Italian Americans. It’s because of Ted Mazza and others that I joined the Milwaukee Chapter of UNICO National. I saw what they were doing and realized it was something I believed in and wanted to help perpetuate for the benefit of our children and grandchildren.”
Milwaukee native Phil was born on March 2, 1922 and was raised at 210 N. Jefferson St. in Milwaukee’s old Third Ward. He was the first of five children born to Charles William and Rosalia (Emanuele) Purpero, both whom were immigrants from Sant’Agata, Sicily. Phil’s siblings are Tony, Sam,
Phil Purpero with his late wife, Rose Mary.
Phil Purpero in his Army Air Force uniform.
Caroline Besasie and Rose Spang. Each is a longtime members and supporter of the ICC. Phil attended Andrew Jackson School and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1940. He was attending Marquette University on Dec. 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese, marking the U.S. entrance into World War II. After completing two years at Marquette, Phil enlisted in the Army Air Force in November 1942 as an Aviation Cadet and was called to active duty in January 1943. He attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as part of the aviation cadet pre-flight training program. He then went to the twinengine pilot school in Pecos, Texas. Upon graduation as a pilot, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and was assigned to the western training command in Carlsbad, New Mexico, to fly twin-engine planes in the training of bombardiers and navigators, While stationed in New Mexico, Phil piloted a flight from the base to Madison, Wisconsin, and family members recall that he took a bit of a detour. “He flew over the Third Ward and buzzed the roof of our family home, not once, but twice, as everyone proudly waved to the Second Lieutenant,” said Rose Spang. In August 1945, his unit was preparing for overseas duty when World War II ended. Phil was transferred to Selman Field in Monroe, Louisana, where was honorably discharged in December 1945, completing three years of military service. Continued on page 11
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Remembering Phil Purpero
from page 10 After the war, Phil was offered a job as a pilot, but decided to work for his father, Charles, who owned a trucking company that he started in 1918. At the time, his father owned a dump truck, and Phil bought another one. Two years later, they bought a power shovel for excavating residential basements. C.W. Purpero, Inc. was incorporated on Dec. 23, 1949. When Phil’s brother, Tony, joined the business, more equipment was purchased and the number of employees was increased which allowed C.W. Purpero to expand its operations into commercial and municipal work. As a team, Charles, Phil and Tony guided C.W. Purpero, Inc. into becoming a major player in the excavating business. Charles was honored as “Excavator of the Year” by the Wisconsin Excavating and Grading Association (WEGA) and Phil was recognized with the same award a few years later. He also served a term as president of the WEGA. Phil’s primary duty was the bidding on projects and solicitations for jobs. Tony did the digging. Their brother, Sam, joined the business in 1956. When the Third Ward was redeveloped in the late 1960s, C.W. Purpero moved from there to a larger facility on 6th Street and Grange Avenue. Later, the company had outgrown that facility and moved to its current location at 1190 W. Rawson Ave., Oak Creek.
He purchased tickets for a family event when the Green Bay Packers played a few games each season in Milwaukee. He also got a lot of attention when he drove his Cadillac around town with the license plate reading “FAVRE.” a reference to the Hall of Fame Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Many people remember Phil for his deep, commanding voice. Phil had a mobile phone set up in his car long before cell phones were invented. Anyone who happened to call him on his car phone when he wasn’t there to answer probably recalls his clear, strong voice message, “BIG PHIL HERE. I can’t come to the phone right now…” He became “Big Phil” when his brother Sam and his late wife, Lucille, had a son named Phil, who is now the Chief Executive Officer of C.W. Purpero, Inc. “Big Phil” was a member of the Pompeii Men’s Club, the Milwaukee Chapter of UNICO National and the Knights of
Columbus.
Generous and charitable As mentioned previously, Phil never sought accolades for the volunteer work he performed. He was also very generous, providing monetary assistance and support in many different forms or doing favors for various organizations, businesses and numerous individuals and families. His brother Sam said, “There was no finer gentleman. He helped a lot of people over the years and never mentioned it to anyone. He never bragged about it. To this day, the family is still finding out about the many generous and charitable things Phil did that he never spoke about. He did a lot of favors for a lot people.” Second marriage On Dec. 22, 2012, Phil married Geraldine “Gerry” Accetta, a longtime friend, member of the ICC and active Festa volunteer, at St. Rita of Cascia Catholic Church/Three
Holy Women Parish. “Phil was one of those people who you somehow knew would always be there if you needed him,” Gerry said. “I, like many others, had the privilege of working with Phil on various ICC and Festa committees. He always knew how to get things done without much effort or fussing about it. I was fortunate to know him as my friend and, for a few short years, as my husband. He will be missed by me and many others.” The members of the Purpero family wish to extend their thanks and gratitude to Gerry for her dedication to caring for Phil during his final years, especially his time in hospice care. They also thank everyone who has given their condolences. Memorials should be directed to the ICC, the Three Holy Women Parish Legacy Fund or the Charles and Rosalia Purpero Endowed Scholarship Fund at Alverno College.
Marriage and family On Dec. 11, 1946, Phil married Rose Mary McMahon, who was raised in a large Irish family. Rose Mary was introduced to Phil while visiting her brother, Jerry, who was also a pilot stationed in Carlsbad. After moving into the Purpero family home, Rose Mary began to embrace the Italian culture. She learned how to prepare the family’s favorite Italian meals alongside her mother-in-law, Rosalia. She learned to speak Italian and participated in cultural festivities. In the early years of their marriage, Rose Mary managed the office at C.W. Purpero, Inc. She did the payroll and payables. On Sundays, Phil and Rose Mary would often go on long drives scouting for dump sites. The couple would eventually have three children, Rosalia “Bo,” Phyllis “Phillie” and Charles P. “Cha.”four grandchildren, Megan, Nick, Miles and Dylan, and a greatgranddaughter, Charlotte Rose. Rose Mary died Jan. 24, 2009 at the age of 84. Family members told The Italian Times that Phil didn’t engage in any particular hobbies. His interests were his family and the business.
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THE ITALIAN TIMES
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 11
The 4th annual Festival di Danza e Cultura – November 1, 2016
The final performing group was one familiar to ICC members: Tradizione Vivente: The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. The group presented Tarantella Fantasia, a lively tarantella from the town of Agrigento in the region of Sicily, and Vai! – Italian for “Go!” The dance celebrates the
unique style of tarantella called “Pizzica,” one of the most ancient forms of the famous dance hailing from the Puglia region of Italy. The group also performed another dance entitled Peppinella.
Donauschwaben Youth Dance presented three German polka dances. The group carries on the tradition of polka which began in the early 1830s.
Here are the Tamarind American Tribal Belly Dancers. The American Tribal style began in 1974 and is influenced by folkloric dances from Morocco, Egypt, Spain and other countries and is best known for its improvisational nature. Times photos by Tom Hemman
The Festival di Danza was kicked off by the Academia de Danza Mexico, shown here performing an Azteca dance. Azteca dances are traditional dances from the indigenous people that inhabited the Central Valley of Mexico in the 16th century. The authentic dresses transform the dancers into the descendants of the pre-Hispanic population who faithfully preserve the transitional rituals. The group is directed by Marina Croft.
PAGE 12 – DECEMBER 2016
West African dancing and drumming was presented by ONFYAH – Our Nation For Youth Arts & Healing and Yoruba Chant and Ritual Dance Steps. Song, dance and storytelling are used to intensify the historical context of values and beliefs and are essential to the cultural purpose of West Afriean dance. The ONFYAH dancers and drummers are seen performing here.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Folk groups excel in performances at Festival di Danza e Cultura at ICC
Seven ethnic dance and music groups came together to perform at the Italian Community Center’s fourth annual Festival di Danza e Cultura on Nov. 1. The performance completed the ICC’s celebration of Italian Heritage Month and served as a preview to the 73rd Holiday Folk Fair International. While each performance showcased a variety of dance and music styles, all of the groups had one thing in common, excelling in the representation of their heritage. Participating groups included Academia de Danza (presenting Azteca dance); ONFYAH – Our Nation For Youth Arts & Healing (presenting West African drumming); Yoruba Chant and Ritual Dance Step (presenting West African dance); Donauschwaben Youth Dance (German dance); Caledonian Scottish Dancers; Tamarind American Tribal Belly Dance; and Tradizione Vivente: The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. Gina Jorgensen, ICC Culture Committee chair, enlisted the performance groups. Al Durtka, Chief Executive Officer of the International Institute of Wisconsin, served as master of ceremonies. The Institute hosts the Folk Fair.
Before closing the program, Tradizione Vivente invited all in attendance to “Balla con noi!” (“Dance with us!”). Many of the attendees and members of the dance
This group from the Dance Academy of Mexico – Milwaukee presented Jalisco dances, the
groups accepted the invitation. A simple tarantella was taught by Tradizione Vivente dance director Mark DeSanctis.
most recognized and symbolic of all Mexican dances.
The Scottish Caledonia Dancers
Here are many of the performers who participated in the Festival di Danza e Cultura program.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 13
Italian Community Center installation ceremony – October 28, 2016
It was a special moment for Past President Betty Puccio as she got the opportunity to administer the oath of office to her nephew and newlyelected ICC President Dean Cannestra. The ICC held its installation dinner on Oct. 28. Cannestra became the 22nd individual to serve in the office. Puccio was the 10th individual elected to the presidency and the first female elected to the office in the history of the organization. She served during the 1989-1990 term. Cannestra was the vice president the past two years.
Before dinner was served, outgoing President Giuseppe Vella, who acted as the master of ceremonies, asked everyone to join him in a toast to incoming President Dean Cannestra. Salute!
While the ICC Board meetings are generally much tamer than some of those riotous governmental meetings you might have seen on CNN in reports from far away nations, Treasurer Sam Purpero jokingly presented new ICC President Dean Cannestra with a huge gavel to keep the order. The newly-elected officers were sworn in by outgoing President Giuseppe Vella. From the left: Vice President Joe Emanuele, Secretary Susie Christiansen, Sergeant-At-Arms Joanne Czubek and Treasurer Sam Purpero.
ICC President Dean Cannestra addressed the guests in attendance for the installation dinner and ceremonies.
PAGE 14 – DECEMBER 2016
Outgoing President Giuseppe Vella administered the oath of office to the newly-elected and newly-appointed directors. From the left: Karen Dickinson, Ted
Times photos by Tom Hemman
Catalano, Tony Lupo, Blaise Di Pronio, Tony Zingale and Joe Jannazzo. The other returning directors are Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto and Pietro Tarantino.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
New ICC President Dean Cannestra is a longtime Green Bay Packers fan. Gifts presented by his family helped him to indulge in the “Green and Gold.” His aunt Betty Puccio presented him with this Green Bay Packers rug. Puccio said she won the rug in a raffle at the Milwaukee Catholic Home Harvest Fest and thought it would be a perfect gift for Dean to put out during the Packers game. His family gave him money to be used for expenses when he joins immediate past president Giuseppe Vella, and Giuseppe’s son, Sal, for a Packers away game against the Tennessee Titans. The game was played on Nov. 13 in Nashville. Unfortunately, the Packers lost, 47-25.
Guitarist Tom Sorce performed light music during the cocktail reception and dinner hours.
Father Mike Hammer offered the invocation before dinner. Fr. Mike is the founder and director of the Milwaukee Archdiocese AIDS Ministry. He was the principal celebrant of the 2016 Festa Italiana Mass.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
The new president with his extended family. On the left are past president Betty Puccio with her “two nephews” – new ICC President Dean Cannestra (left) and Immediate Past President Giuseppe Vella. Puccio said that, because the two worked so closely together and spent so much time together the last two years handling the affairs of the ICC (when her actual nephew, Dean, was the ICC Vice President), she began calling both Dean and Giuseppe her nephews.
On the right: Classical crossover singer and Festa’s 2012 Italian Idol winner Anastasia Lee performed the famous arias Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot and Libiamo ne` leiti calici, “The Drinking Song” from La Traviata. Both are favorites of the ICC’s new President Dean Cannestra.
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 15
Judge Clare Fiorenza honored as ‘Jurist of the Year’ by Justinian Society
The Wisconsin Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, at its 23rd annual Columbus Day Awards Banquet, honored the Honorable Clare L. Fiorenza, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge since 1996, as “Jurist of the Year”. The banquet was held Oct. 14. Judge Fiorenza has been a member of the Italian Community Center for more than 25 years and a Festa Italiana volunteer. She was a member of the ICC Fundraising Committee in 1989 and the Festa Food Committee in 1990. This past Festa, she helped to hand out the redeemable cards that volunteers could use at vendor food stands. She is currently the secretary for the Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National. Fiorenza is assigned to the Civil Division of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court system. She previous-
ly served in the Felony and Misdemeanor Divisions, which included presiding over cases in domestic violence courts and drug courts. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and her law degree from Marquette University Law School. After graduating from law school, Fiorenza clerked for Justice Donald W. Steinmetz of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and then joined the law firm of Fiorenza & Hodan, S.C., where she worked and became a shareholder until 1996 when she became a judge. While in private practice of law, she worked in various venues including corporate law, litigation, real estate and estate planning/probate. Fiorenza’s legal affiliated mem-
berships include the Association of Women Lawyers, the Justinian Society of Lawyers – Wisconsin Chapter. the Milwaukee Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Trial Lawyers Association with whom she serves on the Board of Directors. She is a member of the Board of Directors and on the Scholarship Committee for the Justinian Society of Lawyers. She served on the Marquette University Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors, Wisconsin State Bar Board of Directors and the Trust Account Wisconsin Foundation Board of Directors. In 2015, she received the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation’s Arthur B. Kohasky’s Leadership Award.
Judge Clare Fiorenza
Christmas celebrations throughout Sicily begin in earnest on Dec. 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. While Christmas trees are now common, it was only during World War II, when the Allied occupied the island, that the American holi-
day symbol first became popular. A much more widespread custom is the nativity scene, first brought to life by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223. Sicily is considered second only to Napoli (Naples) in the magnificence of its “Presepi” (Nativity scenes), which can be
found in most homes and the vast majority of churches. One of the most intriguing Nativity scenes on the island is the “Presepe Vivente” in Custonaci, between Trapani and San Vito lo Capo. Here, deep in the huge Mangiapane cave, is a little hamlet which, until about 65 years ago, was still inhabited. Now, it provides an extremely evocative back-
drop for the Presepe, in which locals dress up and re-enact the Nativity from Christmas Eve to Epiphany Sunday. Other noted Presepi displays are found in the towns of Isnello and Collesano in the Madonie mountains. Large bonfires are lit to keep the baby Jesus warm on Christmas Eve.
Sicilians second to Neapolitans in their affection for Nativity scenes
Hit me
by Blaise Di Pronio Did you ever wonder if there was a connection between Italy and slapstick comedy? No? Well don’t bother wondering now. Just read on. The word “slapstick” doesn’t come from an Italian word, but it originates from an Italian club-like object composed of two wooden slats/sticks used in the Commedia dell’Arte (the Italian theatrical format which flourished throughout Europe in the 16th century which featured masked stock characters/types that did original sketch comedy). When the two slats were struck together, it produced a loud smacking noise. The actors used it to hit each other for effect and comedy without inflicting actual pain or harm. Please note that the whoopee cushion (an inflatable bladder back then) was also invent-
ed about this time. Comedic chases featuring beatings/hittings with a slapstick were incorporated in many subsequent Please turn to page 22
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AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS FROM THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY CENTER: THE 38TH ANNUAL IL GRANDE CARNEVALE IS SET FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH IN THE YEAR OF 2017.
PLEASE HOLD THE DATE FOR THIS PRESTIGIOUS, YET FUN-FILLED AND MEMORABLE CELEBRATION OF ITALIAN HERITAGE. LOOK FOR MORE DETAILS IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE ITALIAN TIMES.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Christmas dining, Italian-style
by Blaise Di Pronio Italian Christmas dinner is not a singular concept as it actually involves two dinners: the one for Christmas Eve or Vigilia and the one for Christmas Day. The term vigilia does mean eve, but it also means a time or period of remaining vigilant and staying awake and awaiting a special religious event or observation. The traditional Christmas Vigilia was a day without meat, i.e., a giorno di magro: a day of scarcity and and low-fat food so as to purify the body for the upcoming holy day and its inherent ministrations. This was true for all religious holy days in Italy and not just Christmas. But from what your author can discern,
this tradition is going by the wayside taken by meatless Fridays and Latin Masses. Tradition states that the Christmas Eve dinner should be about fish and vegetables. As such, the servings include baccalà (salted codfish), squid and a variety of shellfish such as mussels and clams. There are the usual pastas, but without meat sauce, along with vegetables like zucchini, cabbage, artichokes and broccoli. Desserts and sweets are frowned upon. But let’s be totally honest here: on Christmas Eve, you are not supposed to eat anything that tastes good! So, as your body purifies, and you go a little hungry as those sardines on sauceless pasta just
don’t look appetizing, you can look forward to Christmas Day and the feast to follow. Of course, Christmas Day features the usual Italian feast one would expect on the biggest holiday of the year. The meal is a full blown spectacle of courses: aperitivos, appetizers, soup, pasta, meats, fish, vegetables, salads, desserts, panettone, coffee and, er...., digestivos to settle everything down after the onslaught. There is no real ubiquitous Christmas item on the Italian menu alla turkey on Thanksgiving Day in America. Rather, the different regions of Italy vary their menus according to the ingredients readily available in their areas.
Mountainous Abruzzo will have lamb and goat while water based Sicily will have fish and fowl and the farm friendly areas of Valle D’Aosta favors beef dishes such as La Carbonata: beef in red wine sauce. The Christmas Day food varies per region, but the abbondanza, the plentiful/abundance is everywhere. What was missing on the vigilia dinner will be made up multifold. But the biggest item at the Italian Christmas Day table is the family, coming together, its scattered members reunited, the table is full again, separations are forgotten, and the spirit of Natale engulfs and binds all. As it should. Buon Natale e Buon Appetito!
by Italian Senator Renato Turano We are fast approaching Christmas, and I hope that the spirit that fills our homes during this season can spur us to give a little more to those in need this year. There are times, in our collective history, in our community, during which we must rally together and leave behind all divisions. This is one of those times, after central Italy was rattled by yet another wave of violent earthquakes, including the most powerful recorded in Italy since 1980, wiping out entire towns and leaving thousands without homes and many losing their loved ones.
American communities banded together to show their support. It is not the first (and certainly not the last) time that the ItalianAmerican community has rallied for a cause to support Italy.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, putting forth a concerted effort to promote the Italian language abroad. The network of Italian schools and institutions abroad represents a resource for the promotion of the Italian language and culture, as well as an important way for sons and daughters of Italian immigrants to preserve their Italian identity. Scattered around the world, these schools are a vehicle for spreading ideas, projects, initiatives, all in collaboration with embassies and consulates. These are the places where an investment is most needed because it is also where Italy can get a cultural, financial and political return. It’s with this positive note that I’d like to close, hoping it will be a good omen for the new year. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Italian Sen. Renato Turano
In the spirit of Christmas
At the end of August, when the first of these earth-shattering quakes hit towns like Amatrice and Pescara del Tronto, I had already said it was a tragedy. Another tragedy for which we will never have an answer, is especially for those who lost a family member, a friend, for those who lost a home, a job. Back then, I expressed my condolences and my closeness to the victims, as well as that of the entire community of Italians living abroad, and I do so again today. It is important to constantly think about our fellow Italians while we pray and to keep them in our thoughts and support them in any way possible. It is time to get to work and start rebuilding. I was moved by the generosity and the kindness expressed by the many communities of Italians scattered around the world. Many fundraising initiatives were promoted in various countries. In the United States, many Italian
It should come as no surprise that Italian Americans from coast to coast have opened their hearts and pocketbooks in response to these tragedies. UNICO National (www.unico.org) and the Order Sons of Italy in America Foundation (www.osia.org/sif/laquila) are spearheading their own initiatives, and dozens of foundations, organizations, businesses, museums, cultural centers, websites and publications across the country have banded together under the aegis of the National Italian American Foundation to raise funds through ItalianAmericanRelief.org.
We are soon going to leave behind another year, which has been a positive one for the Italian language. In 2016, in fact, we learned that Italian is now the fourth most studied language in the world. This is due, not only to the beauty of the Italian language itself, but also to the hard work that has been put in by on-theground organizations, consulates and cultural centers. We are finally reaping the fruits of the creation of CLIQ, the certificate of Italian language quality. Four accredited Italian institutions have gathered under this project: The University for Foreigners of Perugia, the University for Foreigners of Siena, the Università degli Studi Roma Tre and the Dante Alighieri Society have all worked together with the
St. Barbara Day celebrated in Paternò, Sicily in early December
The Sicilian city of Paternò (Catania province) celebrates the Feast of St. Barbara during the first week of December. St. Barbara is honored as the saint who saved the city from destruction during the fires, storms and eruptions of nearby Mount Etna.
Words in an Italian word
by Blaise Di Pronio How many words can you make with the letters in “AMORE” (love)? Answers on page 19
THE ITALIAN TIMES
The celebration begins on Dec. 1 and continues for a week, but the big day is Dec. 4, which is the formally designated day. The Paternò festival has been held since the 16th century when St. Barbara appeared in a dream to a Benedictine nun in quarantine, and the nun begged her to save the city. Once the prayer was answered and the city was saved from the epidemic, St. Barbara was named Paternò’s co-patron saint along with St. Vincenzo. Along with the emotional religious ceremony and procession, the modern celebration includes sporting and musical events, and the biggest draw of all, a spectacular fireworks display set to music.
How to guarantee a Happy Italian New Year
by Blaise Di Pronio I think you will all agree that Italians are a superstitious lot. Remember the malocchio (evil eye), the red corno (horn) and the two-finger (index and little) sign? So it’s no surprise that there are a few Italian-style New Year’s Eve traditions that could be said border on the obscure which we will discuss below. You must start out the festive eve wearing new, red undergarments as they will ward off evil spirits and guarantee happiness for the year. Your Capodanno (new year but literally “head of year”) underwear must have been gifted to you, and you cannot cheat by buying your own. You have to play Tombola (Italian style Bingo created in Naples in the 1700s) sometime in the evening while awaiting the new year. The New Year’s party should last until sunrise so you can see the arrival and birth of the new year. Old cups and plates must be tossed out the window as proof that you are ready for the new year. As an alternative, to pacify those pesky neighbors, you can bang your pots and pans at the
front door to scare those evil spirits mentioned above. The menu must include lentils which symbolize wealth and prosperity as they look like little golden coins, a fatty, rich food like sausages which symbolize abbondanza/abundance and, lastly, grapes which symbolize frugality as it takes a lot of willpower to have saved them from a long ago harvest until December 31. Blow off some fireworks (as the ICC used to do at its New Year’s Eve galas) since evil spirits and demons don’t like loud noises (and neither do city ordinances so use a little common sense here). Watch out for the first person you run into after midnight as it will forebode your fortunes for the coming year. So be wary of doctors or you will experience ill health. Avoid all priests as they will plan your funeral. Keep away from those sneaky lawyers or you’ll end up in jail. (I guess I won’t be invited to any of your New Year’s Eve parties then?) So you have all been warned, and you can ignore at-will any of the above but only at your own risk. But nevertheless: Buon Capodanno!
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 17
La Pagina Italiana Nello spirito del Natale
del Senatore Renato Turano Ci avviciniamo a Natale, e spero che lo spirito che ci accompagna durante queste feste ci sproni a dare un po’ di più a chi ne ha bisogno quest’anno. Ci sono momenti, nella nostra storia collettiva, come comunità, in cui dobbiamo stringerci l’uno con l’altro e dimenticare qualsiasi divisione. Questo momento è ora, dopo che l’Italia centrale ha subìto una serie impressionante di scosse di terremoto, inclusa la più forte registrata in Italia dal 1980. Interi paesi sono stati rasi al suolo e migliaia di persone hanno perso tutto. Già a fine agosto, quando il primo della serie di terremoti colpì paesi come Amatrice e Pescara del Tronto, dissi che era una tragedia. L’ennesima. A cui mai troveremo le risposte adeguate o le giuste parole di conforto per chi ha perso un familiare, un amico, un conoscente, per chi non ha più una casa né un lavoro. Espressi allora il cordoglio e la vicinanza, mia personale e di tutti gli italiani all’estero, alla popolazione colpita dal sisma, e lo faccio di nuovo in questa triste occasione. A loro è giusto dedicare le nostre preghiere, i nostri pensieri e dare tutto il necessario sostegno. È il momento di stare uniti, tutti. E di metterci subito al lavoro per la ricostruzione. Mi ha commosso la generosità e la vicinanza espresse da comunità di italiani sparsi per il mondo, che hanno sentito loro il dolore delle vittime di questi eventi catastrofici. Iniziative per raccogliere fondi sono state promosse in moltissimi paesi diversi, e qui negli Stati Uniti le comunità italoamericane non sono state da meno. Non è la prima (e
non sarà certo l’ultima) volta che la comunità italoamericana apre il proprio cuore e dona somme ingenti per rispondere alle tragedie che colpiscono il nostro paese. UNICO National (www.unico.org) e la Order Sons of Italy Foundation (www.osia.org/sif/laquila) hanno portato avanti diverse iniziative, mentre dozzine di altre fondazioni, organizzazioni, società, musei, centri culturali, siti internet e giornali in tutto il paese si sono unite sotto la guida della National Italian American Foundation per fondi tramite raccogliere ItalianAmericanRelief.org.
Ci apprestiamo a lasciare alle spalle un altro anno, un anno positivo per l’italiano. Nel 2016 abbiamo infatti imparato che l’italiano è ancora una lingua molto amata in tutto il mondo, tanto da essere classificata come la quarta più studiata. Questo è dovuto non solo alla bellezza della nostra lingua, ma anche al lavoro fatto all’estero da consolati, centri di cultura ed enti scolastici. Sono i frutti che raccogliamo dalla creazione del sistema unico di Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità — CLIQ, che riunisce sotto un unico marchio di qualità i quattro enti certificatori. L’Università per Stranieri di Perugia, l’Università per Stranieri di Siena, l’Università degli Studi Roma Tre e la Società Dante Alighieri hanno infatti costituito l’Associazione CLIQ, con cui il Ministero degli Affari Esteri ha sottoscritto una convenzione. La rete delle istituzioni scolastiche all’estero costituisce una risorsa per la promozione della lingua e cultura italiana, nonché
L’Angolo delle curiosità
La bandiera Italiana
di Donato Di Pronio Premessa: come noto, sino al 1860 l’Italia era divisa in diversi Stati (Regno di Sardegna, Repubblica di Venezia, Regno di Napoli, ecc.). Ma la volontà del popolo era quella di riunirla e farne uno Stato libero ed indipendente. A questo fine sorsero nel corso degli anni movimenti, segreti e palesi, per raggiungere lo scopo: il Tricolore era il vessillo della loro lotta per l’unificazione. Un primo esemplare dell’attuale Tricolore (biancorosso-verde) fu sbandierato a Bologna il 4 novembre 1795 da alcuni giovani rivoltosi (la loro manifestazione-sommossa fu repressa nel sangue). Nel mese di ottobre del 1796, Napoleone (dopo aver ottenuto il comando in capo dell’esercito in Italia) ne approvò l’adozione per le regioni lombarde e italiane. Il successivo primo gennaio fu dichiarata bandiera nazionale. (Ma durò poco). Dopo la caduta di Napoleone, il tricolore divenne la bandiera dei patrioti che parteciparono ai moti insurrezionali del 1821 in Piemonte, del 1832-33 a Napoli, del 1837 a Catania e Siracusa,
PAGINA 18 – DICEMBRE 2016
ergendola ovunque a simbolo di italianità. Il Tricolore fu adottato anche nella lotta per l’unificazione intrapresa negli anni 1830-31 da Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72), uomo politico di grande portata, fondatore della Giovine Italia, il cui programma era quello dell’Unità d’Italia e della Repubblica. Nel 1848 le donne di Reggio Emilia offrirono un magnifico vessillo tricolore, da esse lavorato, agli studenti del battaglione toscano che combatterono, coprendosi di gloria, a Curtatone e Montanara (comuni della Lombardia) in un’epica battaglia contro l’esercito austriaco che partito da Verona tentava di aggirare quello piemontese. L’11 aprile dello stesso anno Carlo Alberto, Re di Sardegna (1798-1849) proclamava finalmente il tricolore bandiera nazionale italiana, sovrapponendo alla banda centrale lo scudo dei Savoia, sormontato dalla corona reale. E tale rimase dopo l’unificazione d’Italia avvenuta nel 1860. Con l’avvento della Repubblica (2.6.1946), lo scudo sabaudo è stato eliminato.
per il mantenimento dell’identità culturale dei figli dei connazionali e dei cittadini di origine italiana. Presenti in tutto il mondo, le scuole italiane rappresentano uno strumento di diffusione di idee, progetti, iniziative, in raccordo con Ambasciate e Consolati e con le priorità della politica estera italiana. Le scuole italiane, infine, sono spesso un punto di riferimento nei Paesi in cui operano, potendo produrre per l’Italia ritorni di lunga durata in tutti i settori: culturale, politico ed economico. È con questa nota positiva che vorrei chiudere, nella speranza che sia di buon auspicio per l’anno che verrà. Da parte mia, come sempre, ci sarà il massimo impegno per portare avanti i temi a cui teniamo di più. Cari auguri di Buon Natale ed un sereno anno nuovo.
Soltanto – Sicilia
A circa 1,5 Km dal centro abitato di Santa Flavia, sorge la borgata marinara di Solanto, che ha ereditato il nome dalla vicina cittadella Fenicia di Solunto. Il villaggio, costituito da un piccolo nucleo di abitazioni, ruota attorno al Castello e al Palazzo Reale, e deve la sua origine all’attività della tonnara, ormai non più attiva. Il Castello, edificato nel XII sec., all’epoca di Re Ruggero al preciso scopo di difendere l’attigua tonnara, era costituito da un torrione centrale quadrangolare e da un complesso di bastioni ancorati ad una ripida scogliera.
Nel XVIII sec., non rimaneva che un rudere, e solo nel secolo scorso si procedeva al restauro dell’antica rocca attorno a cui veniva costruita l’attuale palazzina in stile gotico dei Principi di San Vincenzo. Francesco Carlo D’Amico, nelle sue “Osservazioni Pratiche Intorno la pesca, corso e cammino de tonni” del 1816, elenca i diversi passaggi di proprietà della tonnara di Solanto, annessa al Castello, essa fu concessa con suo castello, feudo, torre, terre boschi, ed erbaggi dal serenissimo Re Martino nel 1392 a Francesco Casasaggia il figlio del suddetto Francesco lo vendette a Corano Spadafora avendone questi presa l’investitura il 28 luglio 1416. Fu poi questa tonnara, e feudo
Senatore Renato Turano
in potere di corrado Agliata avendola acquistata in dote da Margherita Spadafora e posseduta col feudo per molto tempo dalla suddetta famiglia. Come ricorda anche il Villabianca,”l’investitura del feudo e Baronia di Solanto, col suo Castello e tonnara” passa nel giugno 1749 a Critoforo Filangeri principe di Santa Flavia, che l’ottiene dalla moglie Antonina joppolo e Grugno, figlia di Baldassare, principe di Sant’Elia e barone di Solanto.
Il castello di Solanto è inoltre legato alla singolare vicenda che vede protagonista nel lontano 1410 la regina Bianca di Navarra, che vi si rifugiò nel tentativo di sottrarsi alle insidie del vecchio ribelle Bernardo Chabrera, Gran giustiziere del regno. Accanto al castello si trova il Palazzo reale, edificato agli inizi del XVI sec. inglobando una originaria torre medioevale, esso svolgeva la duplice funzione di caricatore di grano e centro di tonnara. Successivamente il palazzo reale fu venduto a Giuseppe Amato principe di Galati, che ne fece la propria dimora estiva. Alla fine del 1700, Ferdinando IV esule in Sicilia, vi soggiornò periodicamente. – dal sito: comune.santaflavia.pa.it
Italian idioms and expressions
1. In Bocca al Lupo. Lit.: Into the Mouth of the Wolf. The equivalent of wishing someone good luck.
2. Qualcosa Bolle in Pentola. Lit.: Something is boiling in the pot. Meaning: Something is going on or trouble is brewing. 3. Buona Notte al Secchio. Lit.: Good night to the bucket. Meaning: All is lost. 4. Un Pezzo Grosso.
Lit.: A big piece. Meaning: A big shot.
5. Ad ogni morte di Papa. Lit.: At every death of a Pope. Meaning: Not very often,i.e., Once in a blue moon. 6. Sogni d’oro. Lit.: Golden dreams,i.e., Sweet dreams.
7. Cercare I Peli Nell’Uovo. Lit.: Look for hair in the eggs. Meaning: Be very fussy or picky.
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Festivita’ di fine anno: Vigilia di Natale
di Donato Di Pronio La sera della Vigilia di Natale nella casa di un pastore della montagna Maiella (Abruzzo). E’ tutto pronto per la cena. Intorno al focolaio, tièlle (tegami) di fagioli, di ceci e di lenticchie, cappucce strascinate (verza), checuccilli secchi (fette di zucchine seccate al sole), baccalà arrostito sotto la cinigia, i fritti di pasta e di baccalà e sardine … e altre leccornìe. In un tegame a parte stava cuocendosi lu capone aripiene per il pranzo del 25. Il pù dei pastori, vecchio accompagnandosi con il suono d’nu calašione (una specie di rustica chitarra) intonò il canto de la pastorelle. Più o meno, in dialetto, diceva così: “Nasce il Verbo del Cielo in terra. Quando stanotte viene, ancora splendon la luna e le stelle: tutti raggi del Signore. E si canta in questa sera, suona il piffero il pastore, se ne fugge dal pensiero ogni pena e ogni dolore. Figlio il Verbo fu del Padre che mandò l’Ambasciatore: ‘Chiamato
sarà il Nazareno’. Venga, venga il Redentore. Oh che pena aveva Giuseppe: mezzanotte era vicina e trovato n’aveva un sottotetto. Oh l’affanno che aveva nel petto per le fasce soprattutto. Ma Maria lo consola: ‘Dio ci provvede, mio diletto!’. Vieni, vieni, Fanciulletto; vieni, vieni in questa notte: tutto il mondo è lì che t’aspetta. Sei il Padre, il Dio di tutto. Or che è nato il gran Messia, il Re della terra, del cielo Sovrano, sia narrato che avrà mai fine. 0 Signore, quando dal peccato riscattarci voluto hai, in questo mondo sei venuto, e in questa notte ciò è stato. Voi, Signori, capito avete la storia di Dio, che ci ha creato, che di marzo fu concepito e di dicembre Cristo è nato. E il Bambino tra noi presente adoriamo eternamente. Or che il canto mio udito avete con tanta cortesia, per farmi assai contento, brindate con me in allegria.”
Gesù bambino Baby Jesus
Gesù bambino
Nell’umile capanna nel freddo e povertà é nato il Santo pargolo che il mondo adorerà.
Baby Jesus
In the humble hut, In cold and poverty The Holy infant is born, Who the world will adore.
Osanna, osanna cantano con giubilante cor i tuoi pastori ed angeli o re di luce e amor.
Hosanna, hosanna*, sing With a joyous heart, Your shepherds and angels, O King of light and love.
O bel bambin non piangere non piangere, Redentor! la mamma tua cullandoti ti bacia, O Salvator.
O beautiful boy do not cry Do not cry, Redeemer! Your mother cradles you, Kisses you, O Savior.
Venite adoremus venite adoremus venite adoremus Dominum.
Osanna, osanna cantano con giubilante cor i tuoi pastori ed angeli o re di luce e amor. Venite adoremus venite adoremus venite adoremus Dominum.
Come let us adore, Come let us adore, Come let us adore The Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna*, sing With a joyous heart, Your shepherds and angels, O King of light and love. Come let us adore, Come let us adore, Come let us adore The Lord.
Proverbi Italiani
1. Se il giovane sapesse, se il vecchio potesse, è non c’ e cosa che non si facesse. If the young man knew, if the old man could, there is nothing that couldn’t be accomplished.
2. Chi ben vive, ben muore. He who lives well, dies well.
3. L’esperienza e ottima maestra. Experience is the best Teacher.
4. Da stagione tutto e buono. Everything is good in its proper season, i.e., place
5. Con tempo e la paglia, si maturan le nespole. The loquat fruit matures with time and straw. (Meaning) Time and patience work wonders.
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6. A ben far non dar di mora, peche presto pass l’hora. Don’t wait too long to do good, for life and time slide fast away.
7. Anni e peccati son sempre piu di quell che si dicono. Age and sins are always more than what you say they are. (Meaning) You always lie about how old you are and how many sins you have.
8. Il tempo elimo sorda. Time is a file that wears you away and makes no noise.
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Words in an Italian word
from page 17 43 words in “AMORE”. 1. morae 2. mare 3. aero 4. omer 5. roam 6. moer 7. ream 8. roma 9. mora 10. more 11. rom 12. ora 13. ore 14. mar 15. ame 16. era 17. mor 18. are 19. arm 20. emo 21. erm 22. oar 23. roe 24. rem 25. moa 26. mae 27. reo 28. ram 29. moe 30. ear 31. me 32. re 33. ea 34. mo 35. ae 36. oe 37. em 38. am 39. er 40. om 41. ar 42. or 43. ma
E fatt’na risata
Berlusconi in aereo dice: “Ora butterò 10€ e farò felice un italiano”. Poco dopo dice: “Ora butterò 50€ e farò felici cinque italiani”. Allora interviene un passegero dicendogli: “Perchè non ti butti tu così farai felice tutta l’Italia?”.
Pierino va dalla mamma e le fa “Mamma mamma ho una notizia buona e una cattiva...” “Inizia da quella buona, caro!” “Allora quella buona è che ho preso dieci in classe!” “Bravissimo!!! E quella cattiva?” “Quella cattiva è che non è vero!!!” * * * Una paziente va dal dottore e dice: “Dottore, dottore oggi ho fatto la cacca gialla, ieri verde e l’altro ieri rossa”. E il dottore: “Ma che tieni la dentro, un semaforo?” * * * Un bambino dice alla madre mamma perchè hai quella pancia cosiì grande? - mamma- perchè aspetto una sorellina per te.
Nella stazione degli autobus il bambino vede un uomo con la pancia grande e domanda all’uomo- signore e lei cosa aspetta? - signore - io aspetto l’auto bus. bambino- se le esce una bici me lo puoi dare a me? * * * Pierino viene interrogato dalla maestra che le chiede “Pierino, ascoltami bene: io studio, tu studi, egli studia, noi studiamo, voi studiate, essi studiano.Che tempo è?” E Pierino le risponde: “tempo sprecato signora maestra”. * * * Due giovani sposi stanno passeggiando, tenendosi teneramente abbracciati, sotto il chiaro di luna. Ad un certo punto lei, contemplando il cielo stellato, chiede dolcemente: “Tesoro mio, tu sai dov’è l’Orsa Maggiore?” E lui risponde, leggermente seccato: “Ti prego tesoro! E’ una serata troppo bella, non vorrai mica ricominciare a parlare di tua madre!”
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Exsanguinate – To drain of blood. All of you fans of crime victim and medical shows on TV should be familiar with this word. As should those of the Dracula movies franchise know. It comes from the
Italian sangue or blood. We also have the English word sanguine which is defined as: one characterized by an active and energetic circulation of the blood; having vitality; hence, vivacious; cheerful; hopeful; confident; ardent. In other words, hot-blooded.
Once a year, on Dec. 7, Milan (Lombardy), Italy, celebrates its patron saint, Saint Ambrose (Sant’Ambrogio), with a fair called: “O bei O bei.” This festival takes place on the streets in the area surrounding the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in the center of Milan. The streets are full of displays where you can find antique furniture and handicrafts and wife variety of food. In fact,
you can find cured meats, cheese, sweets and the customary wine of the day, vin brulé, which is enjoyed with roasted chestnuts - just what you need to warm up on a cold day. There is a special morning Mass in the Duomo cathedral. The festivities actually start two days earlier and culminate with the fair on Dec. 7 and overlap the opening of the opera season at La Scala.
Milan’s Festival of Sant’Ambrogio is on Dec. 7
Cost of living indicators in Italy
Average monthly disposable salary > After tax $2,117.76 Basic utilities > Garbage, water, heating, electricity $ 215.12 Cinema ticket price > International release $ 10.92 Clothing and shoe prices > Jeans > 1 pair of Levi 501s $ 117.75 Clothing and shoe prices > Shoes > Pair of Nikes $ 123.18 Internet > Broadband 6Mpbs, uncapped data $ 34.89 Prices at markets > Egg > Dozen $ 3.31 Prices at markets > Loaf of bread > Fresh, white $ 2.19 Prices at markets > Milk > 1 litre $ 1.72 Prices at markets > Rice > White, 1kg $ 2.60 Prices at markets > Water > 1.5 litre bottle $ 0.55 Real estate prices > Rent per month 3 bedroom city apartment$1,485.80 Restaurant prices > McDonalds meal $ 9.56 Transport prices > New car > Volkswagen Golf 1.4 $27,311.21 Figures for 2014 – nationmaster.com
DICEMBRE 2016 – PAGINA 19
Stradivarius: The story behind this valuable Italian violin
The 20th century The Stradivarius Society, headquartered in Chicago, has about 197 Strad’s on record today and the information is very interesting. All
Stradivarius violins have individualized names. The Milwaukee stolen Strad was officially recorded in these records as the “Lipinsky” made in 1715. Seventy one others are owned anonymously, 62 have known personal ownership, and 40 are owned by organizations such as the Royal Academy of Music or the Smithsonian. The Stradivari family owns two as does the city of Cremona. The di Vinci family owns one and one had been known to have been destroyed in a Berlin bomb raid during World War II. Of these 197, 68 are “on loan” such as the the Lipinsky and 11 are known to be missing or stolen. Asians have a particular interest in Stradivarius violins. Thirteen are owned by the Nippon Society. Several have been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Rin Kei Mei of Singapore. Most recently, individual instruments have been sold for $2.0, $2.7 and $3.5 million. The auction sale for this last one took an amazing five minutes. Notable Americans who owned Strads are Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz and Yeuhudi Mendhin. All were classical violin virtuosos with world acclaim. Most surprising is that an instrument made by Stradivarius in 1729 was commonly seen on American television between 1950 and 1965, being tortured by Benjamin Kubelsky. Although Kubelsky entertained thousands, feigning horrible violinists’ talent with poor tone control and seemingly minimal ability, he was, in fact, a pretty good violinist. His Strad is now in the hands of the Los Angeles Symphony. The priceless instrument bears the official name, the “Benny” and, of course, we all know Benjamin Kubelsky as Jack Benny.
by Blaise Di Pronio Your author has many memories of growing up in Italy in the 1950s. It was a different time. It was a different world. And, then, the immigration to the Promised Land. Many customs and traditions crossed the ocean with us, but there is a specific one that never made it big in Milwaukee and still lingers in my memory. It is the now, almost forgotten, Italian cure for the “idle hands” of proverb fame: the hand game of La Morra. The game is the epitome of simplicity. There is no need for bats, balls or other equipment. All you need is your hands and the ability to count to 10 or more (this could prove to be a challenge if playing for alcoholic beverages, which was the custom for adults). When us kids played it, it was also for drinks but of water, that is, and in the reverse, i.e., the loser had to drink multiple glasses of water, which usually created other issues since we had no public toilets. But back to the game. It is played with one hand and between two or more contestants. Each player sticks out front an arm and hand while all players simultaneously extend any number (1 to 5) of fingers and call out a number between 1 and the possible total of fingers (10 for two players, 15 for three and so on) which could be extended. Any player who successfully guesses the total number of
fingers shown/extended by all players combined scores a point. Got it? Here’s an example of a two-player game: Player A extends an index finger and shouts out “five”. B extends a thumb and says “two”. B wins the point as the extended fingers total is 2. And so on, until a pre-determined number of points is reached. The game dates back thousands of years to the glory days of Greece and Rome. The “casting lots” reference in the Bible alluded to La Morra. In ancient Rome, the game was called micatio, which derived from the Latin micare or flash/show, fingers in our case. It eventually intertwined with the Italian mostrare/to show which evolved into La Morra. There is an old Roman proverb which connotes and pays homage to a person of high honesty by saying: “You can play La Morra in the dark with so and so.” Capish? In the olden Little Italys of many American cities, La Morra used to be not only seen but also heard as the numbers were shouted out at higher and higher decibels proportionate to the glasses of wine drunk. But the game slowly phased out of favor as the generations changed and went on to the present dearth of human interaction in favor of electronic contacts. So shout out one more time: SETTE, LA MORRA!
by Bill Dickinson The theft of the Stradivari violin in Milwaukee a couple of years ago was major news around the world. I thought it would be interesting to lean some more about this rare Italian musical instrument, its heritage and its maker.
In the beginning First of all the violin as we know it today is truly an Italian development. I say development because stringed instruments were no stranger to Italy in the years before the 1600’s. I encourage you to look up viola da samba, violone, lira, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo. What these instruments had in common was that they were all played with a bow rather than strummed or plucked. All of these musical instruments were commonly in use for perhaps 100 years before Stradivarius appeared on the scene. Whereas violins today, typically, have four strings, these early ancestors had as few as three and as many as seven or more. Another similarity between these early instruments was that they were all substantially larger than the violin as we know it today. Commonly, the size of the modern cello or “bass fiddle” and they were played in a vertical position. As time passed, musicians, many of them street performers, felt the need for smaller, more transportable instruments. Another development came about because as formalized musical groups grew in size, the need for higher pitched instruments became fashionable.
Cremona This is the background for the craftsmen in the Italian province of Lombardy and particularly the city of Cremona.. It was here that Andrea Amati (1566), his sons Gerolamo and Antonio (viola, 1615), grandson Niccol (1658), Giuseppe Guarneri (1689), his son Giuseppe Guarneri del Ges (1734), and Antonio Stradivari (Stradivarius) (1715) perfected their talents. The availability of local materials, their production innovation and personal craftsmanship established Cremona as the seat of royalty for violin development and manufacture. The golden age of violin-making in Cremona began with Andrea Amati (1505-1577), who is considered the inventor of the mod-
PAGE 20 – DECEMBER 2016
ern violin. His grandson Niccol Amati (1596-1684) made significant acoustic and aesthetic improvements. Guarneri del Ges (16981744) made robust instruments with a powerful, rich sound, qualities so admired by the virtuoso violinist and composer Paganini that he owned four of them. But the city owes its fame to the inimitable master of all time Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1737). Stradivarius crafted around 1,100 string instruments, mostly violins, of which half are still in existence. He became rich and famous in his own lifetime. Violinists and collectors alike started salivating over his instruments soon after he set up shop in Cremona in 1670. A string instrument school gradually developed in Cremona. In the 1950s, it picked up momentum and gained strength. Today, this school inspires and renews the passion for making violins in the tradition of the founding fathers. The handful of violin-makers in the 1960s has today grown to some 100 workshops where the “new masters” and their apprentices make or restore mainly violins but also violas and cellos. As the annual production of a violin-maker is around 10 instruments a year, most work is commissioned, and the waiting list can be as long as SIX months to a year. Today a new Cremonese violin costs between $25,000 and $212,000.
The secret ingredient The question of what exactly makes a Stradivarius violin so extraordinary has plagued violinmakers to this day. The fact that he used a more prominent scroll, made
the corner blocks more massive, increased the curvature of the middle ribs, reduced the arch of the belly, and modified the f-holes may be easy to see and imitated. But these features, if copied, produce results that are nowhere near the master s. Fausto Cacciatori, an experienced violin maker and restorer in Cremona, reveals that the essential difference is a threephase varnishing technique Stradivarius used. He mixed silica and potash and applied the resulting glassy liquid to the assembled violin. The liquid entered the pores of the wood and wrapped around the fibers giving the violin a robust constitution, the main reason such a large number of Stradivarius instruments have survived. The fact is that the actual ingredients Stradivarius used in the all-important varnishing phase are partly lost or are not known or no longer available.
Hands out
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Pompeii Men’s Club contributes to St. Joan Antida High School pilgrimage
The Pompeii Men’s Club made a donation of $4,000 to St. Joan’s High School to buy ingredients for homemade egg rolls. The egg rolls were sold at St. Joan Antida, Nov. 11-12, for the bargain price of $15 a dozen or $8.50 a half dozen. All funds raised will be used to send 15 students on a 10-day pil-
grimage to Assisi, Carceri, Greccio, and Rome Italy. They will be visiting several churches along the way were the pilgrims will be attending daily mass and spend time in meditation and discussions about hope for a brighter future. They also will experience the Italian culture and reflect on the life of St. Francis of
Pompeii Men’s Club President Anthony Baudo presented a $4,000 donation to Sister Jennifer Daul and Elisabeth Lingen. (Photos provided by the Pompeii Men’s Club)
Sister Jennifer Dual is holding a finished eggroll.
Assisi and St. Clare. St. Francis was born in Assisi in 1182. In his youth, he loved pleasure and fine clothes. He renounced his wealth and became the most extraordinary Saint of the Middle
Ages. He founded the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the Please turn to page 22
Pompeii Women’s Club report on October dinner meeting
Aggie Collura, Phyllis Travia and Sandy Swanson hosted the Pompeii Women’s Club’s dinner meeting on Oct. 26 at the Italian Community Center. Riverwest Food Pantry was designated as the monthly charity, and members brought canned fruit and vegetables to help stock the shelves. After dinner and a brief business agenda, members assembled packages of toothbrushes, toothpaste and sugar-free gum for the “Smart Smiles School-based Oral Health” program at Columbia/St. Mary’s Medical Center. Phyllis Travia’s daughter, Geralyn, who is involved in the program, attended the club’s meeting and spoke briefly on the merits of the program. It was great to see members Rose Witz and Chris MacCudden at the dinner. Rose has been recovering from some broken bones. Phyllis Travia brought along a
guest, Gabrielle Ciancola. We would enjoy having her join the club. Sr. Ann Catherine Veierstahles, a member, brought along some pillowcases that were made by her and a group she is part of that sends these pillowcases to needy persons. The cases are made from women’s and younger girls’ discarded dresses. Keep that in mind for a monthly charity. Club President Pat Consolazione asked to have the meeting adjourned following a closing prayer by Spiritual Director Phyllis Travia. – Submitted by Mary (Mineo) Winard Public Relations Chair Photos provided by Suzanne Wypijewski
Here are several Pompeii Women preparing packages of toothpaste, toothbrushes and sugar-free gum (and pencils) for distribution by the Smart Smiles program. Going around the table from the eight o’clock position: Karen Dickinson, Pompeii Women’s President Pat Consolazione, Sandy Swanson, Rosalie Giano, Corresponding Secretary Lucy Sorce and Louise Au.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Pompeii Women’s Club member Sister Ann Catherine is shown here with a small sample of the dresses and quilts made for the needy in Cambodia. The Pompeii Women donated bedding sheets and materials to make them. Sr. Ann Catherine is a member of the Sisters of Charity whose order in the Cameroon comes to the United States to pick up the dresses and quilts to take to Cambodia and work to ensure these donations reach those most in need.
Seen here are Geralyn Travia, Aggie Collura and Phyllis Travia. Geralyn is a dental hygienist with Ascension Columbia/St. Mary’s Smart Smiles Program. Pompeii Women’s Club members assembled packages of toothbrushes, toothpaste and gum for the program.
DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 21
UNICO Ladies invite all to Christmas dinner and program
The holiday season is upon us, and the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO will celebrate with a
Christmas dinner and evening of entertainment presented by the Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Hit me
from page 16 comedies by authors like Shakespeare and the writers of British music-hall theatre. The popularity continued well into the 19th century vaudeville houses and 20th century silent films,
especially with Mack Sennett cops wielding nightsticks now instead of the Italian slapsticks. So the term “slapstick” then evolved into its present connotation of comedy characterized by broad visual humor, absurd situations and lengthy and sometimes violent chases and beatings. Remember Curly at the hands of Moe?
As mentioned, slapstick was highlighted in early vaudeville venues which featured song, dance and burlesque. The vaudeville routines were often a series of separate, unrelated acts shown together on a common bill. The burlesque portion of the vaudeville shows featured bawdy comedy and stripteasing. It should be noted that the term “burlesque,” unlike slapstick, does come from an Italian word: burlesco which, in turn, comes from burla or joke, fun and mockery and the Latin burra or trifle/nonsense.
So next time you watch “The Three Stooges,” you will remember those slats in the picture whenever Moe hits poor Curly over the head with a two-by-four and you, of course, roll on the floor with laughter, yes?
Show Choir.
Come join us on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. for social gathering and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dinner choices are chicken scallopine with tomato and mushrooms dressed with capers and lemon butter or broiled whitefish with lemon butter sauce. The dinner will include hay stacked angel hair pasta with sautéed fresh vegetables. A delicious dessert of cassata cake will complete the dinner. The cost is $20 per person. Reservations can be made by calling Sophia at 414-476-0461 and sending payment to: Sophia
Michalovitz, 1333 N. 59th St., Milwaukee, WI 53208.
The deadline for reservations has been set for Wednesday, Nov. 30. Along with your name, please include your phone number, payment, and the guests with whom you would like to be seated. Tables of eight are available.
All are welcome to join us for a great evening. Merry Christmas to all! – Submitted by Sophia Michalovitz Ladies of UNICO Vice President
Pompeii Men donate to St. Joan Antida H.S. program
from page 21 most venerated religious figures in history and was designated patron Saint of Italy. He is associated with many miracles including the Stigmata. He died in 1226. St. Clare was born in 1194 in Assisi. She renounced all her worldly goods, in spite of the opposition of her family and was an early follower of St. Francis. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition, and wrote their Rule of Life, the first set of monastic guidelines known to have been written by a woman. Following her death in 1253, the
order she founded was renamed in her honor as the Order of Saint Clare, commonly referred to today as the Poor Clares. Sister Jennifer Daul. a member of the Sisters of Charity, has been instrumental in organizing and supervising the making of the egg rolls for the last eight years. Sister hopes to raise over $7,000. The students also participate in other fundraisers such as car washes, selling parking for the downtown fireworks, selling Boston Store discount booklets, and letter writing campaigns asking for donations throughout the year to help pay for their pilgrimage.
Milwaukees Italians who served in the U.S. Military during World War II – Part 18
Researched and written by the late Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian The information presented here was researched and copyrighted as a historical record of the men and women of Italian descent who lived in the City of Milwaukee and served in the United States Military during World War II. The information recorded and documented by this researcher from records kept at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. These works were copyrighted in 2004 and an original copy has been placed in the repository at the United States Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The research was secured from City of Milwaukee Directories 1941, 1942 and 1944-45. No directory was published in 1943. The years 1944 and 1945 were combined into one directory.
Name SanFilippi, Alfred Sanfilippo, Domenic Sanfilippo, John J. Sanfilippo, Mario Sanfilippo, Nick Sanfilippo, Peter B. Sanfilippo, Sam Sanicola, Jim Sansone, Anthony Sansone, Anthony T. Sansone, Charlie Sansone, Joe Sansone, Mike Sansone, Mike Sansone, Rocco Santilli, Jim Santilli, Nick Santo, Richard C. Sapienza, William Sara, Peter Sara, Peter B. Sarapani, Joe Sardino, Joe Sari, Frank Sari, Jim
Branch Navy Marines Navy Army Army Marines Army Navy Army Army Army Army Army Navy Navy Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Navy
PAGE 22 – DECEMBER 2016
Address 3130 W. Juneau 430 E. Detroit 3130 W. Juneau 604 N. Cass 9334 E. Pearson 3130 W. Juneau 1422 N. Van Buren 618 E. Detroit 522 E. Detroit 2776 N. 1st St. 3472 N. Fratney 2776 N. 1st St. 522 E. Detroit 2446A N. Fratney 522 E. Detroit 1200 S. 1st St. 1200 S. 1st St. 3118 S. Nevada 1109 N. Cass 1723 N. Cass 2423 N. Cramer 445 N. 25th St. 820 E. Mason 2509 S. Lenox 2509 S. Lenox
Name Sarrano, Ray Savasta, Angelo Savasta, Patsy Saviano, Bernard Sberna, Blaise Sberna, Leonard Sberna, Phil Scaffidi, Joe Scaffidi, Rosario Scaife, George Scalci, Charlie Scalici, Charlie Scalici, Mike Scardina, Sam Scarpace, Anthony Scarpace, Joe Scarpace, Martin Scarvace, Anthony Jr. Schiera, Joe Schiera, Bernard Schiavo, Louis Segneri, Silvio Seidita, Louis Seidita, Salvatore Sergio, Anthony Sericati, John Serio, Anthony J. Serio, Charlie Serio, Ignatius Serio, Carl I. Serio, Carl J. Serio, Carl J. Serio, Rosario Serio, Santo A. Severa, Milton Severi, Ed Siammonne, Bob
Branch Marines Army Army Navy Army Army Marines Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Marines Marines Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Coast Guard Navy Army Army Army Army ROTC
Address 510 N. Cass 432 E. Chicago 432 E. Chicago 1812 W. Clybourn 2458 N. Dousman 2458 N. Dousman 2458 N. Dousman 3079 N. Bartlett 1627A N. Jackson 2640A N.24th St. 517 E. Lyon 517 E. Lyon 3515 W. North Ave. 601 E. Detroit 2018 E. Greenwich 315 N. Jefferson 2317 N. Palmer 2025 N. Holton 2528 N. 20th St. 1524 N. 20th St. 2471 N. Buffum 2109 W. Kilbourn, Apt. 1 332 N. Jefferson 332 N. Jefferson 517 N. Jackson 136 W. Hadley 2710 W. St. Paul Av. 2710 W. St. Paul Av. 2710 W. St. Paul Av. 2800 W. Melvina 2343 N. Palmer 3056 N. Bartlett 2800 W. Melvina 2800 W. Melvina 2431 N. 18th St. 5109 W. National 754 N. 15th St, Apt. 8
Source: Wright’s Milwaukee City Directory, 1941, Wright Directory Co., Milwaukee. Continued in the next issue
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Report from Milwaukee Italian Immersion School at Victory K-8
In Mr. Alex Kaftan’s full day K4 (kindergarten) class, the students are learning how to pronounce “A” in Italian, reinforced by learning a few short and frequently-utilized words that begin with the aforementioned letter.
Opera insights
by Barbara Collignon “Casta Diva”, one of the most beautiful and most familiar arias in bel canto style ever written, was composed by Vincenzo Bellini for “Norma”, a Romantic tragedia lirica opera that debuted at La Scala in 1831. The Chicago Lyric Opera will perform this tragic lyric opera several times in January and February of 2017. Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Montserrat Caballé are among the most famous divas to have sung this moving melodious aria. It is said to be an extremely taxing aria because the singer must possess not only enormous control of range but also flexibility, dynamics and a wide range of emotions. Callas performed it in no less than 89 stage performances. “Norma” remains a popular and frequently performed opera to this day. It is a pity that the prolific Bellini, lovingly referred to as “the Swan of Catania” died at the young age of 34. Wagner said Bellini had an uncanny ability to match music with text and psychology. Bellini’s body lies in a beautiful tomb in Catania Cathedral in Sicily. Among his works are 11 operas, six symphonies, 40 sacred works, six symphonies and numerous songs. You may be familiar with “Il Pirata”, “I Capuleti e Montecchi”, “La Sonnambule” “I Puritani” and, of course, “Norma”. The libretto was penned by Felice Romani after a play by Alexandre Soumet called “Norma ou l’infanticide/Norma or the infanticide”. Romani himself called it “the most beautiful rose in the garland” of Bellini’s work. The scene is set circa 50-100 BC in a Druid grove. Norma is a high priestess of the Druids and daughter of Oroveso, Chief of the Druids. She is in love with Pollione, Roman proconsul in Gaul, the father of her two sons. As high priestess, she has betrayed her role as priestess by breaking her vow of chastity and by having fallen in love with the enemy. In the first act, she removes a cluster of mistletoe from a sacred oak tree and offers it to the Casta Diva with these words: “Virtuous Goddess, covering with silver these Please turn to page 24
And now, a word from Italy
by Blaise Di Pronio Abate – To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. It comes from the Italian abbattere or to strike or beat up and also to beat down or slaughter all of which would certainly lessen one’s strength, power and intensity. Our word “abbreviate” or make shorter is also derived from abbattere.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
The children are also learning something about shapes, colors, numbers, familial names and directions. The K4 students are doing a great job acclimating to school and are able to follow directions in Italian. The K5 Italian group has been learning about the fall season. They are practicing counting apples, pumpkins and leaves. The students are excited to use the language. If you visit Maestra Sabrina Lupoli’s room, you will hear the students counting to 10 in Italian while they are working on their independent math work. 1st grade: I bambini della Maestra Bozano e della Maestra Enrica hanno iniziato l’anno molto bene, attenti e pronti ad imparare. Hanno approfondito la storia di “Pezzettino”, quella di “La volpe e l’uva” e nei prossimi giorni lavoreranno su “Cappuccetto Rosso”. In matematica esplorano le addizioni entro il 20 e si divertono a risolvere semplici problemi matematici. In scienze esplorano il
corpo umano e i cinque sensi. Il loro livello di comprensione dell’italiano e’ buono e le frasi che compongono sono semplici ma corrette. Bravi bambini! Maestra Annette Robertson’s second grade class is studying family, the election, First Nations traditions and Thanksgiving in social studies. In scienza, stiamo studiando le pianeti e la sistema solare. The studente are experimenting with the states and properties of matter. They plan to make several kinds of pizzas in our new kitchen to prove irreversibile matter, then the studente will enjoy the meal. They are going to the Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, with their 8th grade “reading buddies” to see the First Stage production of “GOOSEBUMPS.” Third grade teacher Cathy Laurenzi is having their student work on the three branches of goverment. They are also discussine the importance of
symbols and symbolism associated with the United States. The studente were also immersed in the presidential election being exposed to the different political parties and the symbols that describe each one. The fourth and fifth grade Italian studente took a trip to the Oriental Theater to see the move “Oddball.” The move was an educational screening through the Milwaukee Film Festival. Studente were cheering for their hero, Oddball, throughout the movie and gave excellent reviews. Some of the studente were able to share their favorite scenes during a “Q&A” after the show. – Submitted by Annette Robertson Editor’s note: The Milwaukee Italian Immersion Milwaukee is located at Victory School for the Gifted and Talent, 2222 W. Henry Ave. on the city’s south side. It is part of Milwaukee Public Schools. Presently, the Italian immersion program extends from K4 through fifth grade.
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DECEMBER 2016 – PAGE 23
Opera insights
from page 23 sacred ancient plants, turn towards us your fair face cloudless and unveiled….spread on earth the same peace that make you make reign in heaven.” Why mistletoe? The Druids used to gather it to use in their fertility rites. For them, it symbolized regeneration and the restoration of family-life. This is ironic because Norma is a woman contemplating infanticide. Her lover Pollione, the father of her children and also her political enemy, has betrayed her with Adalgisa, another priestess. Adalgisa refuses to run away with Pollione and vows she would rather die than steal him from Norma. In Act II, Norma plans to kill her children in their sleep to protect them from an uncertain future with their father. However, she has a change of heart and tells Adalgisa to marry Pollione and take the children to Rome. Adalgisa, loyal to her friend Norma, says she will go to Pollione only to entreat him to return to Norma. In the meantime, chief Druid Oroveso rages over the Roman oppression and announces that
Pollione will be replaced with a new commander. He tells the Druids that in order to ensure the success of the eventual revolt, they must be patient. Despite Adalgisa’s pleas, Pollione doesn’t want to return to Norma. She is outraged and urges her people to attack the conquerors. Oroveso demands a sacrificial victim and Pollione is brought in. Once alone with Pollione, Norma promises him his freedom if he will leave Adalgisa and return to her. When he refuses, Norma threatens to kill him and their children and punish Adalgisa. She summons the Druids again and tells them that a guilty priestess must die, referring to herself. And with a dramatic twist of fate and with the typical greater than life tradition of opera, Pollione is so moved by her nobility that he asks to share her fate! Norma begs Oroveso to watch over her children and leads her lover to the pyre.
Casta Diva Casta Diva, che inargenti queste sacre antiche piante, a noi volgi il bel sembiante senza nube e senza vel Tempra, o Diva, tempra tu de’ cori ardenti tempra ancora lo zelo audace, spargi in terra quella pace che regnar tu fai nel ciel Fine al rito e il sacro bosco sia disgombro dai profani. quando il Nume irato e fosco, chiegga il sangue dei Romani. Dal Druidico delubro La mia voce tuonerà. Cadrà; punirlo io posso. Ma, punirlo, il cor non sa. Ah! bello a me ritorna Del fido amor primiero; E contro il mondo intiero difesa a te sarò. Ah! bello a me ritorna Del raggio tuo sereno, e vita nel tuo seno, e patria e cielo avrò. Ah, riedi ancora qual eri allora, quando il cor ti diedi allora, ah, riedi a me.
Virtuous Goddess Virtuous Goddess, covering with silver these sacred ancient plants, turn towards us your fair face cloudless and unveiled Temper, oh Goddess, you temper the ardent hearts furthermore temper the audacious zeal, spread on earth the same peace that make you make reign in heaven Complete the rite and the sacred forest should be cleansed of the profane when the Spirit irate and gloomy, will ask for the blood of the Romans. From the Druidic temple my voice will thunder. He'll fall; I can punish him. But my heart doesn't know to punish. Ah! Come back to me beautiful to your loyal first love; and against the whole world I shall protect you. Ah! Come back to me beautiful along with your serene radiance and life in your womb, and I'll have homeland and sky. Ah, come back again as you were then, then when I gave you my heart, Ah, come back to me.
by Blaise Di Pronio Republic – A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives who then exercise such power but are ultimately responsible to the citizens. It comes from the Latin and Italian res-thing and publicapublic, thus, literally: the public thing. Also, popolo in Italian means
people/population. It should be noted in this year of elections, that the United States is not a pure Democracy as most believe. In a pure Democracy, the majority rules. The U.S. is a Republic where supreme power rests in the people via elected representatives. Thus, the individual is protected from the majority. Which is why each state in the Union, irrespective of population, gets two senators.
“Casta Diva” from the Bellini opera Norma in Italian and English
Reservation Required for ICC General Meeting Dinner Beginning with the January General Meeting of the Italian Community Center Membership, persons wishing to enjoy the buffet dinner before the meeting must make reservations with the ICC Office – 414-223-2180. Reservations will be accepted through the Monday prior to the general meeting. The dinner will continued to be available from 5:30 p.m. to the start at the meeting at 6:30 p.m. The ICC has agreed to provide the Bartolotta Catering staff with the number of reservations to allow its culinary staff an opportunity to prepare enough food for all those signed up.
And now, a word from Italy
Have something to sell to the readers of The Italian Times? Let them know about with an ad in our next issue. Get all
of the details about ad sizes and costs by calling (414) 2232189 or by sending an email to themman@italiancc.org.
PAGE 24 – DECEMBER 2016
THE ITALIAN TIMES