February 2018

ITALIAN TIMES THE

Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com FEBRUARY 2018 • VOL. 39, NO. 8

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Break out of the winter blues with music, masks and merrymaking at Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 10

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor Here’s the perfect remedy for a case of the winter blues: Come to the Italian Community Center’s 39th annual Il Grande Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 10 starting at the silly, yet traditional, time of 5:11 p.m.

There will be plenty of danceable music for all ages. Mask wearing is highly encouraged. So even if your face is showing the tinges of the winter blues, you can hide it behind a mask. Best of all, there will be lots of merrymaking, ranging from orchestrated to outright shenanigans.

Let’s go over these elements in more detail.

Music: Let’s simply say: “Bring your dancing shoes.” Guests of all ages can dance the night away to

the tunes spun by a deejay from Music On The Move Plus. There will also be performances pertaining to our Italian heritage by Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee and I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group.

Masks: There will be beautiful colorful Venetian masks featured that will bring a little bit of Venezia and the world-famous Venice Carnival into the ICC. The committee suggests that you come with a mask to add to the merrymaking of the evening, for the intrigue and for the mystery of who is hiding behind the mask.

Merrymaking: Carnevale is, after all, the ICC’s social event of the year. Come for the celebrations of Italian tradition, camaraderie, dancing, food, booming fireworks,

La Befana makes her annual trek to the ICC to the delight of the children

plus the ICC’s tradition of the coronation of a Royal Court and tantalizing sweet table.

The Carnevale Committee, in consultation with Bartolotta Catering, is pleased to announce the dinner menu. It begins with an

antipasto salad. The entrée will be boneless braised beef ribs with wine reduction sauce, potatoes, vegetables, Italian bread, dessert and coffee, tea or milk.

Fireworks are coming to Please turn to page 4

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor In keeping with its tradition of celebrating the Feast Day of St. Joseph, the Italian Community Center is proud to announce its 26th annual St. Joseph’s Day luncheon on Friday, Mar. 16 at noon.

Both ICC members and nonmembers are invited to attend. The costs have been set at $20 per ICC member and $23 per non-member.

Reservations, required by Friday, Mar. 9, can be made by filling out the form below and sending it with a check or money order to the ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. Reservations also can be made by calling Valentina at the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and paying with a credit card. People can also pick up at a St. Joseph’s Day

flyer at the ICC which has a form for making reservations. Please note: No exceptions will be made for late reservations.

“Our luncheon – the 26th annual – will serve as a joyous preview to the actual observance of St. Joseph’s Day, which is March 19th and is celebrated in many Catholic churches in Italy, the United States and other countries,” said chairperson Mary (Mineo) Winard.

ICC Chaplain, the Very Reverend Timothy Kitzke, will be present for the invocation. He will also bless with Holy Water the St. Joseph’s altar, those attending, and the bags filled with fresh fruit and baked round bread that they will take home at the close of the luncheon.

Winard will welcome guests and Please turn to page 6

Members and general public invited to St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon on Friday, Mar. 16 at ICC

Cosa c’è dentro?

What’s inside?

Bocce Court room, Members’ Room remodeled page 2 President’s message

La Befana, the Epiphany Eve Witch of Italian folklore, made her annual trek to the Italian Community Center on Jan. 6. She told the children of her failed attempt to meet the Baby Jesus upon his birth in Bethlehem and what she has done since then to make amends. This includes bringing gifts to all “good children” each Epiphany Eve. The ICC party each child had a chance to meet La Befana before getting a gift and candy.

Look for a story and many more photos on pages 18 and 19.. (Times photo

by Tom Hemman)

Calendar of events

Carnevale festivals in Italy

page 3 page 3 page 5

ICC seeking your support for ‘Taste of Italy’ page 7 Spring Italian classes begin Mar. 6

page 8

Italian American musicians we lost in 2017 page 9 Sale of DaVinci painting sets record page 10 Dracula’s Italian connection

Spotlights on the Arts

page 11

page 12

Dan Conley dedicated service to ICC and Festa page 13 Sezione Italiana

pagine 14-16

Much anticipated remodeling of Bocce Courts Room and Members’ Room done

After several years of discussion and delays, the bocce courts room at the ICC was finally remodeled over the Christmas holiday season. The room was completed before the start of the winter bocce season the week of Jan. 8. New carpet and new LED lighting were installed. The walls were painted. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

The newly remodeled Members Room features new carpeting, new furnishings and lighting, including a poker table, and the walls were painted. The Christmas tree shown here has been taken down. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Do you think you have ideas that could benefit the members of the Italian Community Center?

If so, you are encouraged to join the Membership Committee.

Chairperson Mary Anne CerasoAlioto has put out a call for persons

bers.

If you are interested in joining the Membership Committee, please contact Mary Anne at 414-801-4757 or Maryanne.ceraso@charter.com

by Thursday, Feb. 1.

She announced that the commit-

ICC Membership Committee wants your help to become a member of this committee, which plays an important role in virtually every event and activity that goes on during the year.

The committee is also essential in the recruitment of new members and the retention of current mem-

tee will hold its first year of the year at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1.

Correcting two errors in our January 2018 issue

In our January 2018 issue, it was incorrectly reported that Ed Ciano, the King of Il Grande Carnevale, is a member of the Order Sons of Italy. He is actually a member of the Sons of Sicily.

Our apologies to Re Edward.

In the same issue, we erroneously included information on mask and costume registration in the Carnevale article. There will be no costume and mask registration necessary. The Carnevale Committee is encouraging all attendees to wear masks.

Our apologies to the Carnevale Committee.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 (414) 223-2180 Published 11 times annually

Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . Dean Cannestra Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . .Blaise Di Pronio Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors, Reporters and Columnists . . . . . .Blaise Di Pronio, Barbara Collignon, Elizabeth Zizzo Angela Bozano and Donato Di Pronio

For advertising information, please call (414) 223-2180 or send an e-mail to: themman@iccmilwaukee.com.

Copyright 2017 The Italian Community Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved

PAGE 2 – FEBRUARY 2018

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, Visit Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward Association.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

A message from Dean Cannestra, Italian Community Center President I can imagine that many of you probably sat home New Year’s Eve and watched the ball drop again in Times Square or maybe you were in bed asleep a long time before that even happened. And now, the chill and snow of this winter is getting to you. I know how you’re feeling. It’s that time of year when you just want to break out of that cycle and do something fun and exciting. The

Deadline for March 2018 issue

All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the March 2018 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Friday, Feb. 9.

All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.com or sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-223-2189.

Italian Community Center has the perfect answer, our 39th annual Il Grande Carnevale.

The 2018 Carnevale, our preLenten costume and mask ball, will featuring dancing for all ages to enjoy, a tasty dinner, fantastic fireworks, a coronation of royalty, a spectacular sweet table, great camaraderie and a lot of shenanigans to go around. Chairpersons Rosie DeRubertis and Joanne Czubek and their committee are planning a fun-filled night, one that is bound to break you out of that rut and looking forward to brighter days.

Carnevale will be the evening of Saturday, Feb. 10. Complete details on our social event of the year can be found in this issue. Why go to Venice to celebrate Carnevale when ours is just as fun and a lot less expensive?

I want to congratulate the 2018 Royalty: Il Re e La Regina Eddie and Stephanie Ciano, Il Nonno e La Nonna Joe Mangiamele and Ann D’Acquisto, Il Principe e La Principessa Ryan Lieber and Miro

Mazza-Mueller; Il Piccolo Principe e La Piccola Principessa Izayah Angeles e Maya Hamdan, and Il Gran Maresciallo John Alioto. I know that you will enjoy the evening and your year as royalty as much as my wife, Mary, and I did in 2008 when we were King and Queen.

Another traditional Italian event is planned for noon on Friday, Mar. 16. That’s when the ICC will host its 26th annual St. Joseph’s Celebration Luncheon.

Chairperson Mary Winard and her committee are busy preparing for the event, which is celebrated across Italy and is especially pertinent to those of Sicilian heritage. I encourage all of those who can get off of work that day or are retired to join us for this luncheon. Look for the details in this issue.

Coming back for the 23rd consecutive year will be our “Taste of Italy” on Sunday, Apr. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I encourage all of our members and Italian societies and organizations to participate by volunteering, making

donations and buying raffle tickets when they become available. This the chairpersons are year, Christina Ziino, Marie Lieber and Val Schleicher. Ann Romano, who did a wonderful job chairing years fundraiser 21 of the past 22 times, is working with them as a consultant.

Since you’ll be in that “feel good” mood after coming to Carnevale, our St. Joseph’s Day lunch and Taste of Italy, we want to keep the ball rolling. Our 41st annual Festa Italiana will be July 20-22 at Maier Festival Park. Details will be announced.

– Dean Cannestra ICC President

Calendar of Events January 31 – February 28, 2018

Wednesday, Jan. 31 • Pompeii Women’s Club general membership dinner meeting, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 1 • Italian Community Center Membership Committee meeting, 7 p.m.

Details in this issue.

Saturday, Feb. 3 • Abruzzese Galileo-Galilei Society dinner with spouses, 6 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 5 • Carnevale reservations deadline. Details in this issue.

• Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 7 • Pompeii Women’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 8 • Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 10 • Il Grande Carnevale, 5:11 p.m. Details in this issue.

Tuesday, Feb. 13 • Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 14 • Valentine’s Day.

Thursday, Feb. 15 • Italian Community Center meeting dinner, 5:30 p.m.

• Italian Community Center general membership meeting, 6:30 p.m.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Wednesday, Feb. 21 • Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Lodge #2763/Order Sons of Italy in America general membership meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 28 • Pompeii Women’s Club general membership dinner meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The winter season runs through the week of Mar. 5.

The championship playoffs will take place Monday, Mar. 12.

• ICC Italian classes. The spring semester of Italian I and Italian II classes begins on Tuesday, Mar. 6. Details in this issue.

• ICC Children’s Italian class. No children’s Italian class is scheduled at this time.

• 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!

• Hula hoop dance fitness class. Every Tuesday night, 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. in the bocce court room. Everyone is welcome. Cost: $5 per member, $10 per non-member. No classes during the holidays.

FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 3

Music, masks and merrymaking part of a fun-filled celebration of Il Grande Carnevale on Feb. 10

from page 1 Carnevale courtesy of Wolverine Fireworks and its familiar local representative, Jeff Bartolotta.

The tradition continues with the coronation of the 2018 Royal Court.

The honors this year will be bestowed upon these deserving individuals: • Edward and Stephanie (Guttuso) Ciano as Il Re e La Regina (The King and The Queen).

• Joseph Mangiamele and Ann D’Acquisto as Il Nonno e La Nonna (The Royal Grandparents).

• Ryan Lieber as Il Principe (The Prince).

• Miro (Mazza) Mueller as La Principessa (The Princess).

• Izayah Angeles as Il Piccolo Principe (The Little Prince).

• Maya Hamdan as La Piccola Principessa (The Little Princess).

• John Alioto as Il Gran Mares-

Carnevale 2018 Reservation Form

Name(s) ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________

Phone: _________________ Email: _____________________________

Please list the names of persons in your party on a separate sheet of paper. Tables of 10 are available.

Number of ICC members attending: ______ x $55.00 = $

Number of non-members attending: ______ x $65.00 = $ Total amount of your check or money order: $

Please make your check or money order payable to: Italian Community Center. Send payment and this form with the list of those in your party to: Carnevale, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.

Reservation deadline: Monday, Feb. 5, 2018.

ciallo (The Grand Marshal) The sweet table, featuring varieties of tasty cookies, and other tantalizing pastries, will be presented after the fireworks show.

As previously mentioned, the merrymaking begins at 5:11 p.m. – that’s traditional Carnevale celebration time – with a cocktail reception in the galleria. A selection of appetizers will be served.

Upon your entrance, check in at the reception desk to pick up your table number for dinner seating.

The cost to attend this fun-filled night is $55 for an ICC member and $65 for a non-member. Reservations are a necessity by Monday, Feb. 5 in order to attend. To make your reservations, complete the form accompanying this article and send it in with your payment or call the ICC office at 414-223-2180 and have your credit card ready, or stop in at the office during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and make payment there. Remember, Feb. 5, 2018 is the absolute latest deadline for reservations. So act now!

During the course of the evening, guests will be able to purchase tickets for chances to win many enticing raffle prizes. The prizes will be on display. Guests will be able to decide which prizes they would best like the opportunity to win. There will be a box or envelope next to each prize where guests can deposit as many raffle tickets as they choose. The names of the prize winners will be posted toward the end of the evening.

If you cannot attend Carnevale 2018, please consider making a donation to support this event.

My/Our donation is : $_________________.

A Volto mask. Volto (“face” in Italian) was also known as the citizen mask because it was worn by the common people during all holidays since ancient time: St. Marco's Day, Sensa feast day, St. Vito and Modesto and St. Stefano festivities are only a few examples.

A Colombina mask. Colombina (meaning "little dove" in Italian) is a comic servant character from the Commedia dell'Arte. Colombina was usually dressed in a ragged and patched dress appropriate to a hired servant.

Occasionally, under the name Arlecchina she would wear motley attire similar to her counterpart Arlecchino. She was also known to wear heavy makeup around her eyes and carry a tambourine, which she could use to fend off the amorous advances of Pantalone. She was often the only functional intellect on the stage. Colombina aided her mistress, the inamorata to gain the affections of her one true love by manipulating Arlecchino and counter-plotting against Pantalone while simultaneously managing the whereabouts of the inamorato.

PAGE 4 – FEBRUARY 2018

An Arlecchio mask. Arlecchino is a most popular of Zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. Arlecchino traditionally wore an outfit of patches and rags, which evolved into the lozenge-shaped motley seen today. His mask was black or brown with a large red blemish on his forehead similar to a boil.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Carnevale festivals across Italy

Carnevale, also known as Carnival or Mardi Gras, is celebrated in Italy and many places around the world 40 days before Easter, a final party before Ash Wednesday and the restrictions of the Lent season.

Italy as a whole celebrates Carnevale with a huge winter festival featuring parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Children throw confetti at each other. Mischief and pranks are also common during Carnevale, hence the saying: “A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale” (Anything goes at Carnevale).

History of Carnevale in Italy Carnevale has roots in pagan festivals and traditions and as is often the case with traditional festivals was adapted to fit into the Catholic rituals.

Although carnival is actually one date, in Venice and some other places in Italy the carnival celebrations and parties may begin a couple weeks before. Masks, maschere, are an important part of the Carnevale festival and are sold year round at many shops in Venice, ranging from cheap versions to elaborate and expensive ones. People also wear elaborate costumes for the festival and there are costume or masquerade balls, both private and public.

Italy has many Carnevale celebrations, but Venice and Viareggio hold the biggest and most elaborate festivals. Many other Italian towns hold carnival festivals, some with very unusual events. Here are some highlights on some of these festivals: Venice Carnevale Venice’s Carnival season starts about two weeks before the actual date of Carnevale. Events and entertainment are held nightly throughout Venice, with people in costumes wandering around the city and reveling. Most high-end hotels hold masked balls during Carnevale and may be able to provide costumes for visiting guests.

Tickets may be expensive for these

balls, and most require reservations. Venice’s main Carnevale events are centered around Piazza San Marco, but events are held in every sestiere (areas in and around Venice). There are gondola and boat parades along the Grand Canal, a mask parade in St. Mark’s Square and a special Carnevale for children event in the Cannaregio district. A dynamic fireworks show in Piazza San Marco, which can be seen all over Venice, marks the climax of Carnevale.

Viareggio Carnevale Viareggio on the Tuscany coast has one of the biggest Carnevale celebrations in Italy. It’s known for its giant, allegorical paper maché floats used in parades not only on Shrove Tuesday but also the three Sundays before and two weekends following. The final parade is held on Saturday night and is followed by a huge fireworks show. Festivals, cultural events, concerts and masked balls take place throughout the carnival season both in Viareggio and its surrounding areas, and restaurants have special Carnevale menus.

Ivrea Carnevale Orange Battle The town of Ivrea, in the Piedmont region, has a unique carnival celebration with medieval roots.

The carnival includes a colorful parade followed by orange-throwing battles in the center of town.

The origins of the orange battle are murky, but local folklore cites the story of a young peasant girl named Violetta, who rebuffed the advances of a ruling tyrant in either the 12th or 13th century. She decapitated him and chaos ensued, with other villagers eventually burning the castle where he lived.

During the present-day reenactment, one girl is chosen to play the role of Violetta, and dozens of aranceri (orange-throwers) representing both the tyrant and the peasants throw oranges fruit at each other. The oranges are meant to represent stones and other ancient weapons. A parade, held

THE ITALIAN TIMES

about a month before Carnevale, is followed by orange battles from the Sunday before through the Tuesday of Carnevale. The culminating event is the burning of the scarli (big poles, erected in the middle of each district’s square, covered with dry bushes) to end the carnival season.

Carnivale celebration in the world, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Floats are very high quality and often include items from Brazil. The winning float in the Cento parade is actually taken to Brazil for Rio Carnival festivities. Participants arrive from all over Italy to march in the parade or ride along on their motorcycles and some 30,000 pounds of candy are thrown to spectators along the parade route.

Verona Carnevale Not far from Venice, Verona has one of the oldest Carnevale celebrations in Italy, dating back to 1615.

On Shrove Tuesday, Verona has a huge parade with more than 500 floats.

In Sardinian tradition The town of Oristano (in Sardinia) celebrates Carnevale with a costumed parade, horse races and a re-enactment of a medieval jousting tournament in a festival called La Sartigilia.

The island of Sardinia is steeped in tradition and that’s especially true in the mountainous Barbagia villages outside Nuoro. Tradition is strongly reflected in their unique Carnevale festivals, influenced by ancient cult and rites.

Acireale holds one of Sicily’s most beautiful Carnevale celebrations. Flower and paper-mache allegorical floats, similar to the ones made for other events going back to 1601, parade through the town’s Baroque center. There are several parades during Carnevale, as well as music, a chess tournament, children’s events and a fireworks finale.

Snow Carnival in the Alps The Alpine resort town of Livigno, near the Swiss border, celebrates Carnevale with a procession of downhill skiers, followed by an obstacle race, fancy dress ball and traditional parade in the streets.

Albanian Carnival in Calabria In the southern Italian region of Calabria, which has Albanian settlements, Lungro holds a Carnevale parade with people in dressed in traditional Albanian costumes.

Pont St. Martin, Val d’Aosta Pont St. Martin in the Val d’Aosta region of northwestern Italy celebrates Carnevale in Roman style with nymphs and people dressed in togas, sometimes even a chariot race. On Shrove Tuesday evening, festivities culminate with a hanging and burning of an effigy of the devil on the 2,000year-old bridge.

Brazilian Carnival in Italy Cento, in the Emilia Romagna region, is linked to the most famous

Carnival of Pollino The Carnival of Pollino in Castrovillari ncludes women dressed in intricate local costume and celebrates the Pollino wine of the region, Lacrima di Castrovillari. In northern Calabria, Montalto Uffugo holds an interesting wedding parade of men wearing women’s dresses. They hand out sweets and tastes of Pollino wine.

Following the parade, the kings and queens arrive for a night of dancing wearing costumes that include giant heads.

– Courtesy of tripsavvy.com

Word Search: Winter Fun T

by Blaise Di Pronio

To find Word Search solved, turn to page 6

FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 5

ICC welcomes all to its St. Joseph’s Day luncheon on Mar. 16

from page 1 introduce ICC President Dean Cannestra, who will act as master of ceremonies.

As in past years, pianist John Puchner is volunteering to play Italian songs and music appropriate for the occasion during the serving of the lunch.

Part of the tradition of St. Joseph’s Day is the serving of a meatless meal. The meal will be prepared and served by the Bartolotta Catering staff.

Winard reports that the ICC menu for the observance will include pasta con sarde e finocchio (pasta with sardines and fennel),

The ICC presents the St. Josephʼs Day Luncheon Friday, Mar. 16 • Reservation Form

Name(s): _________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________

City: _________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ___________________ Phone: ___________________________ Number of ICC members attending: ___ @ $20.00 per person = $

Number of non-members attending: ___ @ $23.00 per person = $

PRE-PAID RESERVATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY, MAR. 9TH. Tables of 10 available. Please list the people at your table:

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Weʼre attending and wish to make an additional donation to the event.

Besides my payment for reservations, Iʼm sending a $ contribution.

We are unable to attend, but wish to contribute $ this tradition in the high standard of the past.

to continue

Checks payable to: St. Josephʼs Luncheon. (One check preferable for all at same table.) MAIL TO: Italian Community Center, Attn.: St. Josephʼs Day Luncheon, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.

eggplant artichokes, tossed salad with grapefruit, Italian bread and coffee, tea or milk. The traditional and always-raved about Italian pastry zeppole will be served for dessert.

“We hope to see all of you who have been so faithful in attending our past St. Joseph’s Day celebrations at this year’s luncheon and we ask you to bring along your relatives and friends who might be interested in attending,” Winard said.

She added that donations, both small and large, are welcome to help with the various costs associated with the event, such as altar decorations and the program.

St. Joseph’s Day tradition St. Joseph’s Day is marked with celebrations across Italy. The lateICC Historian Mario A. Carini said Sicilian immigrants, who followed the observance in their hometowns, brought the tradition with them when they settled in Milwaukee starting in the late 1880s.

The subject has also been written about by Professor/Cavaliere Philip J. DiNovo, president of the American Italian Heritage Association of Albany, N.Y. In an article on the organization’s website DiNovo (www.aiha-albany.org), wrote: “In the Middle Ages, according to tradition, there was a severe drought that destroyed most vegetation and left many people in western Sicily dying of starvation.

People began to pray to St. Joseph asking him to ask the Lord for rain.

They promised if the rains came that they would honor St. Joseph for his intercession and perpetually honor him on March 19.

“At the stroke of midnight, the

Lord sent the rain; it was on this day the prayers were heard. The people had water, the vegetation turned green, and there were fish for the fishermen. The St. Joseph altars are based on this traditional legend, which has been handed down from one generation to the next.”

Today in Italy, St. Joseph’s Day is also known as Father’s Day. The day, which used to be a national holiday, is traditionally celebrated with bonfires and sometimes pageants with scenes from the life of St. Joseph. Children give gifts to their fathers on San Giuseppe Day. Zeppole (or zeppoli in southern Italian dialects) are traditionally eaten on St. Joseph’s Day. Zeppole are deep-fried dough balls that are usually topped with powdered sugar and may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream or a butter and honey mixture. In Rome, Naples and the region of Sicily, these little pastries are sold on many streets and are sometimes given as gifts.

Word Search: Winter Fun T

from page 5

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THE ITALIAN TIMES

ICC looking for support from Italian community for a successful ‘Taste of Italy’

A letter has gone out to Italian societies, clubs, organizations and businesses seeking voluntary participation and monetary support for the Italian Community Center’s 23rd annual “A Taste of Italy.”

This key fundraiser will be held Sunday, Apr. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the ICC. ICC President Dean Cannestra and Taste of Italy Chairpersons Valorie Schleicher, Christina Ziino and Marie Lieber signed the letter.

Schleicher, Ziino and Lieber are replacing Ann Romano, who chaired 21 of the past 22 events.

Romano stepped down this year but is assisting the Taste of Italy committee as a consultant.

“A Taste of Italy,” an extremely popular Italian food-tasting extravaganza held each April, is an essential fundraiser for the nonprofit ICC. It is the organization’s second largest fundraising event after Festa Italiana.

Volunteer participation and monetary donations in addition to a large attendance are the keys to a successful event. The Italian societies, clubs and organizations and businesses have been very respon-

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 a donation, please call 414-223-2808.

The following donations were received between Dec. 7, 2017 and Jan. 11, 2018.

F. William Russo

Thanks for your donations to the ICC

sive to this request for assistance in the past.

The chairpersons report that food and beverage ticket prices are set at $2 each or six for $10. As usual, every hall and meeting room will be utilized for this event with entrée items available in the Pompeii Grand Ballroom and desserts in the Festa Ballroom.

Guests will be able to purchase beverages in the galleria outside the Pompeii Ballroom and in the Festa Ballroom.

Prizes for a raffle were being procured at the time this newspa-

per went to press.

Besides a multitude of delicious Italian entrée items, desserts and beverages, there will be live entertainment. Performing on Apr. 22 will be Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group, the Sicilian Serenaders (Peter Balistrieri, Tom and Ted Pappalardo) and recording artist Jayne Taylor. Each has previously performed at the event.

Look for a much more complete story in next month’s issue of The Italian Times.

In memory of Salvatore Purpero King Juice Company, Inc. Judith A. Paluszynski

In memory of Pietro “Peter” Busalacchi Gino A. Dentice

In memory of Peter Frank Sorce Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce Christina Sorce

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Scarvaci Florists & Gift Shoppe Your Wedding and Holiday Floral & Gift Headquarters

In memory of Beatrice “Bea” Ceraso Emily Hernandez

Balloons • Stuffed Animals • Personal Service Citywide, Suburban & County Delivery

In memory of Dan Conley Paul Iannelli In memory of Dominic H. Frinzi

ICC Members: Planning to attend the dinner before the General Meeting on Thursday, February 15th?

If so, you are kindly asked to make a reservation on or before Monday, February 12th. Call 414-223-2180.

Your reservation will help the culinary staff of Bartolotta Catering prepare sufficient food for the buffet.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Catering THE ITALIAN TIMES

Visa • MasterCard • American Express • Discover

PLEASE ORDER EARLY TO GUARANTEE DELIVERY!

Ann Vollmer-Goralski

414-562-3214

If no answer, please leave message.

Harder Funeral Home

JAMES T. GUARDALABENE 18700 W. Capitol Drive

“Three generations of my family serving yours.” www.Guardalabene.com Phone: (262) 781-8350

Proud sponsor of the Festa Italiana Mass since 2002.

• AN ASSOCIATE OF THE HARDER FUNERAL HOME SINCE 2010.

• Personally providing the services you have come to expect at the Harder Funeral Home or your church or cemetery chapel.

• Funeral pre-planning and Title 19 expertise.

• Longtime member of the Italian Community Center.

• Not associated with Schmidt & Bartelt – Guardalabene & Amato FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 7

Weekly Italian classes for teens and adults return to ICC on Tuesday, Mar. 6

This spring, the Italian Community Center will offer an introductory class (Italian I) as well as an Italian II conversational class, both starting Tuesday, Mar. 6.

Both courses will be held on 10 consecutive Tuesday nights, with the final classes on May 8.

Instructor Enrica Tarantino Woytal described Italian I as being for those who want an introduction to the language and the culture of Italy. The introductory course will run from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m.

The Italian II course will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:15 p.m.

“Italian II is ideal for those who have completed our introductory course and are ready to learn more about the language and culture of Italy,” Tarantino Woytal said.

Enrollment is open to ICC members and the general public. There is a limit of 25 students per class.

The fee for each course is $125 per person. The fee does not include the course textbook.

To register, complete the form accompanying this article. Checks or money orders are payable to the Italian Community Center. Registration will be accepted up to the

start of the Mar. 6 classes if the enrollment limit has not been reached. People can also stop in at the ICC office, fill out the registration form and make their payment

with a check or credit card or call 414-223-2180.

Tarantino Woytal began teaching Italian classes at the ICC more than 35 years ago.

Registration form for Italian I course & Italian II course

Name(s) _________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip ____________________________________________________

Phone No. __________________Email _________________________________

I am (we are) enrolling in:

Italian I course Number of persons enrolling.

Italian II course Number of persons enrolling.

ICC’s 39th annual Il Grande Carnevale Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 Complete details in this issue.

ICC’s 26th annual St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon Friday, Mar. 16, 2018 Complete details in this issue.

Course fee: $125.00 per person.

Make payment to: Italian Community Center, and send to: ICC, c/o Italian Class, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Enrollment in each class is limited to the first 25 students who send in this registration form with full payment.

ICC’s 23rd annual “A Taste of Italy” Sunday, Apr. 22, 2018 Details in this issue.

Interested in advertising in our next issue? Get all of the details by calling 414-223-2189 or sending an email to Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.

41st annual Festa Italiana Friday, July 20 – Sunday, July 22, 2018 Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds)

ICC Membership Dues Benefits of Italian Community Center Membership

Four (4) Festa Italiana Tickets – Maximum of Eight (8) Per Family Voting Privelegs (21 & Older) Postal Service Delivery of The Italian Times Member Discounts on Social Events, Classes & Bocce Leagues Members Rooms Cultural, Educational & Social Activities Forever Friendships Stronger Bonds Between Your Family & Your Culture

Age 20 and under Individual

Annual Dues

Ages 21 – 65

Annual Dues

Gratis – $0.00

Individual

Couple/Family

$100 per year

Ages 66 – 84

Annual Dues

Ages 85 & Older

Annual Dues

Couple/Family

$75 per year

Members, age 20 and under, receive two (2) free Festa Italiana tickets. No voting rights. At age 18, a member may vote, but must purchase a membership to do so.

Individual

$50 per year

Individual

Couple/Family

$50 per year

$30 per year

$50 per year

Effective: January 1, 2018. All Memberships Valid Through December 31, 2018.

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM Names & Birthdates of Each Adult: _______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Names & Birthdates of Each Child (under age 21): _____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Address, City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone No.: ________________________ Email Address: ____________________________________________ No. of Members under 21: _____ No. of Members 21-65: ______ No. of Members 66-84: ______ No. of Members 85 & Older: _____ Payment Amount: _______________ Method: Cash Check Credit Card – Card Type MC Visa Discover Other

Card No. :______________________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________

___________________________________ Signature – Adult Member

____________________________________ Signature – Adult Member

Mail this form to: Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. The ICC respects your privacy and does not sell or distribute personal information such as birthdates, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. This membership registration form can also be emailed to cpalmer@iccmilwaukee.com. For further information, call (414) 223-2180.

PAGE 8 – FEBRUARY 2018

Words in an Italian word

by Blaise Di Pronio How many words can you make with letters in “volare” (to fly)?

Answers on page 11

And now, a word from Italy

by Blaise Di Pronio Money: A medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of their values on the market, including among its forms as a commodity such as gold and as an officially issued coin or note.

It comes from the Italian name Moneta, which was the nickname given to the temple of the goddess Juno in Rome which temple was also used as a mint where Roman money was coined. Moneta means currency or legal tender in Italy. Root for our monetary.

Saint Agatha feast day celebrated in Catania, Sicily

One of the largest religious festivals in the world takes place the first weekend of February in the Sicilian city of Catania when it honors its patron saint, Sant’Agata. Some estimate that up to a million people line the streets to honor this martyred young woman with Sicilian roots.

The Festa di Sant’Agata, this year, starts with a Mass at dawn on Saturday, Feb. 3, after which a statue of Saint Agatha holding her relics is placed on a 40,000 pound silver fercolo (carriage) which is pulled up Monte Sangiuliano by 5,000 men. The religious procession, said to be the second largest in the world, is repeated the next day.

The festival features plenty of local delicacies; live regional music and a highly touted fireworks show at the closing of the event.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Italian American musicians we lost in 2017

by Thomas Hemman While music fans might best remember 2017 as the year that Chuck Berry, Chris Connell, Gregg Allman, Chester Bennington, Glen Campbell, Tom Petty and David Cassidy died, there were several Italian American artists who we lost this past year and should be remembered.

Among them were singer/musician Buddy Greco, music producer Tommy LiPuma, vocalist Sonny Geraci and Pat DiNizio, lead singer and songwriter for The Smithereens.

Armando Joseph “Buddy” Greco was born into an Italian American family in Philadelphia, Pa. on Aug. 14, 1926. His mother introduced him to the piano at the age of four.

He initially performed on radio. At the age of 16, he was hired by swing bandleader Benny Goodman.

Buddy performed as a pianist and vocalist with Goodman’s orchestra for four years.

Buddy Greco

Buddy had a long career in the United States and the United Kingdom and was good friends with the Rat Pack.

His recordings, in several genres including jazz, pop and country, sold millions of records, including “Oh Look-A-There Ain’t She Pretty,” “Up, Up and Away” and “Around The World.” His most successful single was “The Lady is a Trump,” which sold more than one million copies. During his career, he recorded over 60 albums. He conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and performed for Queen Elizabeth II and with the Beatles.

Buddy Greco died on Jan. 17, 2017 at the age of 90.

During his career as a music producer, Tommy LiPuma received 33 Grammy nominations, had five Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums.

LiPuma worked with many musi-

cians including Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, George Benson, Phil Upchurch, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, Jackie DeShannon, Randy Newman, Queen Latifah, the Sandpipers, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Ben Sidran, The Crusaders, Joe Sample, Randy Crawford and Dr. John.

Born July 5, 1936, LiPuma was one of five siblings raised by Italian immigrants in inner-city Cleveland, Ohio. His family moved frequently and usually settled in tough, beaten-down neighborhoods, according to the Los Angeles Times.

His father was a barber and it was expected that Tommy would be, too. When he dropped out of high school in 10th grade, his father sent him to a barber college and then loaned him enough money to set up his own shop. Tommy hated being a barber. A chance opportunity to go on tour with a band changed his plans. His first real job in the music business was an entrylevel employee for a Cleveland music distributor. He eventually became the local promotions representative.

LiPuma worked as a record promoter and as a music producer for these labels: Liberty/Imperial (1961-64), A&M (1965-69), Blue Thumb Records (1968-1974), Warner Bros. (1974-78 and 19791990), A&M/Horizon (1978-79), Elektra Records (1990-95) and GRP/Verve (1990-2001).

Among the recordings that LiPuma produced were Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable…With Love” in 1991, which won the Grammy for “Album of the Year,” George Benson’s 1976 album, “Breezin’,” which yielded the Grammy-winning single “This Masquerade” and 11 albums with jazz singer-pianist Diana Krall. He also worked with

Barbra Streisand on the soundtrack for the 1973 movie “The Way We Were.”

LiPuma died Mar. 13, 2017 in New York City at the age of 80.

Emmett Peter “Sonny” Geraci was a musician and singer, best known as the lead singer of the rock-and-roll group The Outsiders and the pop group Climax. Geraci appeared several times at Festa Italiana, organized by the Italian Community Center of Milwaukee.

He first became known as the original lead singer with The Outsiders, a band from his hometown, Cleveland. The Outsiders recorded for Capitol Records, turning out four Top 40 hits: “Time Won’t Let Me,” “Respectable (What Kind of Girl Is This),” “Girl in Love” and “Help Me Girl,” which was arranged by Chuck Mangione.

Geraci’s biggest hit song was “Precious and Few” as the lead vocalist for Climax. The song reached #3 on the Billboards charts and #1 on various pop charts.

Later in his career, he sang with The Grass Roots and became an honorary member of that band.

Geraci, who was born on Nov. 22, 1947, was known as a street kid growing up in an Italian neighborhood in Cleveland to the music of Motown and the British Invasion, according to Gazzetta Italiana, an Italian newspaper in Cleveland. He died Feb. 5, 2017 at the age of 69 after ongoing effects from a brain aneurysm suffered in 2012.

Pat DiNizio

Sonny Geraci

Tommy LiPuma

Patrick Michael DiNizio was the lead singer/musician in the rock band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros in Carteret, N.J. The band is probably best known for its live performances and a string of modest hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s including “Only a Memory,” “A Girl Like You”

Zeno, Calogero, Dante, Gilberto, Carmelo, Maria and Vincenza are falling out of fashion.

The most recent data released by the Italian National Institute for Statistics show that the most popular girls’ names are short and simple. The top 10 female names are now Sofia, Giulia, Martina, Giorgia, Sara, Emma, Aurora, Chiara, Alice and Alessia. Popular foreign names for baby girls include Michelle, Deborah, Emily, Jennifer, Jasmine, Ashley, Jessica, Erika, Chanel and Sharon.

Among popular names for baby boys, classic names still dominate.

The top 10 names are Francesco, Alessandro, Andrea, Lorenzo, Matteo, Gabriele, Mattia, Leonardo, Davide and Riccardo. However, some parents are choosing foreign spellings of classic names such as Christian, Alexander, Thomas, Gabriel, Michael and David.

Name choices also have geographical links. Francesco is the top name for boys in three southern regions: Molise, Puglia and Calabria. Lorenzo is popular in six regions: Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo.

Leonardo comes top in Valle d’Aosta, Veneto, Friuli VeneziaGiulia and Marche. Alessandro is preferred in Emilia-Romagna and Sardinia.

For girls, Sofia is the most popular name in half of the Italian regions, but Giulia is the top girl’s name in all other regions. Campania and Sicily have preferences a little different to other regions.

There, the most common names for boys are still Antonio and Giuseppe, probably due to a stronger attachment to the tradition of naming boys after their nonni (granddads).

– Source: italymagazine.com

Most popular baby names in Italy

It used to be that Italians named their children after saints recognized in the Catholic Church, often naming a child after the name of the saint celebrated on the day they were born or after the local patron saint. Children born around Easter (Pasqua) were sometimes called Pasqua or Pasquale and, similarly, those born around Christmas (Natale) were baptized Natale or Natalina.

An even stronger tradition was that of naming babies after their grandparents, so classic Italian names continued to be popular.

In modern-day Italy, parents have branched out to giving their children different first names. Most people still choose some of the most Italian classic ones, others prefer foreign ones or names referring to popular celebrities, as baby names follow trends as in many other places in the world. Names like

THE ITALIAN TIMES

and “Too Much Passion.” Their rockin’ version of “Let’s Talk About Us” was included on the groundbreaking album “Brace Yourself: A Tribute to Otis Blackwell,” which was released in 1994 and gave due recognition to songwriter Otis Blackwell, who wrote numerous singles for other artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Peggy Lee and Jimmy Jones.

DiNizio was born Oct. 12, 1955 in Plainfield, N.J. His family moved to a large Italian American neighborhood in Scotch Plains, N.J. when he was a child.

In addition to recording and performing with The Smithereens, DiNizio released several solo albums and made an unsuccessful run for the New Jersey seat in the U.S. Senate in 2000. His campaign was chronicled in the 2001 documentary film “Mr. Smithereen Goes to Washington.”

He died Dec. 12, 2017 at the age of 62. According to bandmates, DiNizio’s health declined following a series of health issues that began in 2015 after a pair of falls that resulted in nerve damage which limited the use of his right hand and arm.

Did you know?

1). “Topolino” (Little Mouse) is the name for Mickey Mouse in Italy.

2). The Swiss eat the most chocolate equating to 10 kilos per person per year.

3). Money is the number one thing that couples argue about.

4). Honey is the only natural food which never spoils.

5). The longest street in the world is Yonge street in Toronto (Ontario), Canada measuring 1,178 miles.

6). Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs.

7). The sentence, “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” uses every letter in the English alphabet.

8). The average human brain contains around 78% water.

9). Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.

10). On your birthday you share it with 9 million others.

Umbrian town hold olive and bruschetta fest

The Umbrian town of Spello celebrates the Olive and Bruschetta Festival on the third Sunday of February. Farmers parade on decorated tractors and the festival includes music, dancing and an abundance of regional food.

FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 9

Sale of Da Vinci painting sets record

by Blaise Di Pronio At first glance, you do a double take. Was that the Mona Lisa with a five o’clock shadow? At closer inspection, you realize that the painting depicts a male face but with an uncanny resemblance to the female subject in Da Vinci’s iconic masterpiece. The painting was, in fact, nicknamed “The Male Mona Lisa,” but it is actually titled “Salvator Mundi” (Savior of the World). It is a 500 year old portrait of Jesus Christ. The painting depicts Christ in a blue robe holding a crystal orb, which represents the Earth, and is one of fewer than 20 paintings by the grand master known still to exist.

Salvator Mundi had originally vanished but then surfaced in England in 1958 where it sold for a mere 45 pounds or around $2,100 in today’s dollars. It was sold again in the United States in 2005 only in the five figures, at which time, an art expert was commissioned to clean and restore the work over a five year period.

The result of restoration revealed the telltale signs of a Da Vinci work such as the detailed hands (Da Vinci was known for dissecting cadavers and thus had the ability to render limbs and appendages in life-like detail) and burnished curls. Also evident is his sfumato (blurring as if seen through smoke or fumo in Italian) technique which makes objects close to the viewer (i.e., Christ’s hands to be in focus while the face has a softer, blurred look). Also a number of pentimenti (an alteration in a painting, evidenced by traces of previous work), show that the artist has changed his mind as to the composition during the process of painting. The word in Italian for repentance is the noun pentimenti.

These are evident, most notably the position of the right thumb which was painted over, in a kind of “repentance,” presumably, over the bad first attempt.

As stated, in 2005, the painting was acquired for less than $10,000 at an auction in New Orleans by a consortium of art dealers. It had been heavily overpainted so it looked like a copy, and was, before restoration, described as a dark and gloomy wreck. In 2013, a Swiss dealer purchased the painting for just over $75 million. The painting was then sold to Russian collector Dmitry Rybolovlev for $127.5 million.

The painting was in auction last November 2017. It sold for a total amount, including fees paid by the winner to the auction house, of $450,312,500 million following 19 minutes of bidding at Christie’s in New York – the highest price ever paid for a work of art at auction.

The purchaser was identified as

Saudi Arabian prince Bader bin Abdullah. In December 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that Prince Bader was, in fact, an intermediary

Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism for display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Scoring eggs

by Blaise Di Pronio To tennis aficionados, their quirky and, er... a bit unorthodox way of keeping score – that only they understand – must add, presumably, to the snob appeal of their sport. To the uninitiated, tennis scoring is cumbersome and confusing. One to zero points is actually 15-love in tennis lingo.

And what the heck is deuce* anyway? (*Deuce comes from the Italian due/French deux.) It means a player needs two consecutive points to win or it can also mean that the players have equal scores). Still confused?

Wait, there’s more.

How about scoring aces that have nothing to do with poker playing? A tennis ace is a legal serve that is untouched by the receiver. Score: 15 points, unless, they were at 30-30 and the ace now makes it 40-30. What the heck happened to counting by 15? Oh well, it will eventually make sense if you take up the sport. But what is this about being at or in love with the other player? Not that kind of love you randy reader, but tennis love. To serve to the point, so to say, the word love, when used in tennis, means zero. That’s it! But how did that happen?

In humble deference to them, I must indicate that the French beat out the Italians on this one. Tennis originated in France as something akin to

PAGE 10 – FEBRUARY 2018

for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the true buyer. However, Christie’s confirmed that Prince Bader acted on behalf of Abu

handball back in the12th century (acquiring its current form around 17th century England). The French word for an egg is un oeuf (pronounced as our e-nough). In Italian, an egg is an uovo (pronounced uo as in d-uo and vo as in vo-gue). If you say both words fast enough, you’ll begin to hear something that sounds like love. And since the lowly egg evolved into the sport term ‘goose egg’ as meaning a big, fat zero, love was and is used for zero in tennis.

Now, I know that was a long explanation. I made you read all this stuff when I could have just said that an egg looks like a zero and it sounds like love in French. But remember, being a lawyer by trade, I get to charge by the word, so I’m used to using lots of them even though the ICC pays me nothing for this.

P.S. Here’s another theory. Let’s call this one the Italian version: To make the player at the losing end look good, his score is said to be at “love,” i.e., he is playing for the love of the game and it doesn’t matter if he is unable to score.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

by Blaise Di Pronio You have all seen, read and heard those forever bound-together names of Count Dracula and Bela Lugosi. What great, Italian sounding names they had, what with all those beautiful and musical vowels and lack of nasty, guttural consonants. Surely there must be an Italian connection in there somewhere between this famous vampire and his famous portrayer , right? Let’s see what we discover.

The inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s gothic novel “Dracula” was born Count Vlad Tepes, who was part of a noble family which belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a group that was founded as a means of protecting Christianity in Eastern Europe from Ottoman expansion. His father was nicknamed Dracul, meaning “Dragon” (Dragone in Italian), so the young Vlad became known as Dracula, or “son of Dragon.” He was also known posthumously as Vlad the Impaler, a ruler known for his brand of cruelty across Europe, which included impaling (portending Stoker’s stakes) his enemies.

Bela Lugosi was born Béla Ferenc Dezs Blaskó, a native Hungarian. With a name like that, we can safely skip ahead. No paisan here.

It was becoming apparent that I wouldn’t find any worthwhile connections except, maybe, that good, old Vlad the Impaler’s territory was centered in the old and distant Roman colony of Romania, a country which absconded with Italy’s rightful name by birthright (Roma,

And now, a word from Italy

by Blaise Di Pronio Cantaloupe: A type of small, round melon (cucumis melo reticulatus), with sweet orange flesh and a rough skin resembling netting and also known as muskmelon or rockmelon.

The name is derived from the Italian place name of Cantalupo, which was formerly a papal summer estate and county seat near Rome, where the melons were first grown after being introduced to Europe.

Looking for a bite

capish?) instead of being named after cattle (Vitalus/Vitali). Except for the name, Romania’s connection to Rome and Italy faded away early on.

So, I was ready to close the books on this latest search when somehow I stumbled on this headline: ‘Dracula’s tomb’ discovered in Italy (io9.gizmodo.com), followed by this: “...Estonian researchers believe they may have finally discovered the whereabouts of Dracula’s grave, which is in Italy and not the Romanian Transylvanian Alps as first thought....” And hurriyetdailynews.com added:... “Researchers are claiming a newly uncovered headstone in Naples’ Piazza Santa Maria la Nova, in the same graveyard as his daughter and son-inlaw, could be Vlad/Dracula’s final resting place.” In effect, Vlad went to be with her in Naples, where he passed away and was buried at the church of Santa Maria La Nova.

Good stuff, yeah?

Medieval history scholar Raffaello Glinni said the 16th century tomb is covered in images and symbols of the House of the Transylvanian “Carpathians,” and not the tomb of an Italian nobleman.

“When you look at the bas-relief sculptures, the symbolism is obvious. The dragon means Dracula and the two opposing sphinxes represent the city of Thebes, also known as Tepes. In these symbols, the very name of the count Dracula

Tepes is written,” Glinni told reporters.

How about that? Now what?

Well, Naples could use a boost in its tourism revenues as the city has become known as one of strikes, organized crime, pickpockets, scammers and garbage strewn streets. It could use a newly discovered tourist attraction with the lure of the present day obsession with the supernatural and occult. Our gentle readers may be anxious to point out that Dracula, the vampire, was a fictional character. I’ll grant that but take a look at the city of Verona where a 13th-century house and its balcony became linked with fictional Romeo and Juliet for evermore and tourists visit it in droves nevertheless.

In Verona, there was a house that belonged to the Dal Capello family, commonly known as the Cappelletti. This was so similar to the name of Juliet’s family, the Capulets, that the house became the fictional character’s family home in everyone’s imagination and it stuck and, in the process, gave a great boost to Verona’s tourist industry.

The faux link was given extra weight by the convenient fact that there’s a small balcony overlooking the courtyard. Psst...,it was added in the 20th-century! To belabor a much maligned expression, ...er, so, do you know what I’m sayin here?

Tomb. Dracula. Tourists.

The Verona house and courtyard

Warped humor served for lunch

by Blaise Di Pronio There have been many famous, and sometimes infamous, movie lines. And none more egregious than the one uttered with malevolent calmness by a certain doctor sociopath in a Jonathan Demme film. But was there a hidden meaning in that iconic quote in Demme’s movie Silence of the Lambs when the brilliant but flawed psychopath Hannibal Lecter says: “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti?” which was followed by a slurping sound effect? Classic, yes, but still creepy.

There is some critical consensus that Lecter was really making a kind of medical joke, but only for his own amusement as most would not have known his references.

Lecter was a psychiatrist and he knew, after all, that he was being

treated with chemical inhibitors and, thus aware of the three things you’re not allowed to eat while taking them: Liver, beans and wine. So maybe he was cracking a joke for himself only, but hinting to his young adversary that he hadn’t been taking his meds (because that combination could prove fatal) and so was ready to explode. And explode it did.

In the book, Lecter actually said Amarone wine and not Chianti. The very expensive Amarone would be a much better fit for liver. As such, it shows off his sophistication but it further strengthens just how crazy he was – making sure to pair the liver with the proper wine. Apparently, the movie director thought which people wouldn’t know what Amarone was and so they switched to a wine that everyone

THE ITALIAN TIMES

would have known.

It should be noted that the fava (broad bean in Italian) is a staple of the Mediterranean/Italian diet.

It can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways. It was a primary food of old Mediterranean civilizations, particularly for the Romans.

In Sicily, Maccu is a Sicilian soup prepared with dried and crushed fava beans and fennel as primary ingredients. Maccu di San Giuseppe is usually served on Saint Joseph’s Day in Sicily. Here, St. Joseph is regarded by many as their patron saint and, in many Italian American communities, especially and including the Italian Community Center, thanks are given to St. Joseph (“San Giuseppe” in Italian) on his day – March 19th – for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages.

testify to the enduring power of legend and the search for romance that we all carry in our hearts. And wasn’t Dracula a kind of love story, after all. Like all of us, he too was searching for everlasting love. It’s just that he wasn’t too subtle about it.

“A-OOOOOOO” “Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”

Words in an Italian word

from page 8 83 words in ‘VOLARE’ 1. laevo 2. laver 3. loave 4. lover 5. orval 6. ravel 7. realo 8. valor 9. velar 10. volae 11. volar 12. aero 13. aloe 14. arle 15. arvo 16. avel 17. aver 18. earl 19. eorl 20. laer 21. lare 22. lave 23. lear 24. leva 25. levo 26. lore 27. love 28. olea 29. oral 30. orle 31. oval 32. ovel 33. over 34. rale 35. rave 36. real 37. role 38. rove 39. vale 40. vare 41. veal 42. vela 43. vera 44. voar 45. vola 46. vole 47. ale 48. are 49. ave 50. avo 51. ear 52. era 53. evo 54. lar 55. lav 56. lea 57. lev 58. lor 59. oar 60. ole 61. ora 62. ore 63. ova 64. rav 65. reo 66. rev 67. roe 68. vae 69. var 70. voe 71. vol 72. vor 73. ae 74. al 75. ar 76. ea 77. el 78. er 79. la 80. lo 81. oe 82. or 83. re.

Saint Biagio Day celebrated in Italy on Feb. 3

Saint Biagio Day, on Feb. 3, is a minor celebration all over Italy.

Saint Biagio is the saint of the throat. It is tradition to eat leftover panettone with a glass of wine to bless your throat.

In some places, Saint Biagio Day is celebrated with parades, music, a special mass or bonfires.

In Mugnano di Napoli (Campania region), there is a huge fireworks display as it is the home of one of the biggest pyrotechnics companies in Italy.

Biagio translates to Blaise in English.

Advertising in The Italian Times won’t take a “big bite” out of your budget, but just might slay your competition.

Get the details.

Call Tom Hemman at 414-223-2189 or send an email to him at themman@iccmilwaukee.com FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 11

Spotlight on the Arts

Aspiring vocalists await chance to shine at 68th Sanremo Music Festival

The 68th annual Sanremo Music Festival (Festival della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo 2018), one of the most anticipated musical events in Italy, will take place Tuesday, Feb. 6 through Saturday, Feb. 10 in Teatro Ariston di Sanremo. The song contest is televised and organized by RAI. Singer-songwriter and musician Claudio Baglioni will be the host and artistic director. Sharing the hosting duties will be actress, model and singer Michelle Hunziker.

RAI 1, RAI Radio 1 and 2 will be the official broadcasters of the festival in Italy. The show will be available in streaming via the website on RAI Play (http://www.raiplay.it/). The international television service RAI Italia will broadcast the competition in the Americas, Africa and Australia. The contest will be shown in Albania by RTSH and Russia by VREMYA. The contest will also be available via the website on Eurovision (https://eurovision.tv/).

Voting during the five-night event will occur through a combination of four different methods.

These include: • Public televoting, carried out via landline, mobile phone, the contest’s official mobile app, and online voting.

• Press jury voting, expressed by accredited journalists that follows

by Barbara Collignon Opera fans are in for a real treat March 16 and 18 when the Florentine Opera presents Viva Opera! A Celebration of Opera’s Greatest Hits at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

“Viva Opera will feature a starstudded cast with the full forces of the Florentine Opera Chorus and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, all on stage together,” states William Florescu, General Director of the Florentine. He enthusiastically says, “Headlining this concert will be English soprano Kate Royal, in her Florentine debut, alongside Florentine-favorite Keith Phares and a host of stars in an evening that celebrates the world’s most inspiring operas, composers, and repertoire.”

The very talented and beautiful Kate Royal was born in London.

She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio. Those of you familiar with the lovely voice of Kathleen Ferrier will be pleased to know that Royal was awarded the 2004 Kathleen Ferrier Award. She also received the 2004 John Christie Award and the 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award.

Royal has performed extensively in Europe and North America. She has sung with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, at the BBC Proms, the Edinburgh Festival, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala Milan, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and several others. Her bio is stunning.

Her opera performances are im-

PAGE 12 – FEBRUARY 2018

the competition from the Roof Hall at Teatro Ariston.

• A demoscopic poll, composed of a sample of 300 music fans, who vote from their homes via an electronic voting system managed by IPSOS. • Expert jury voting, resulting from points assigned by personalities from the world of music, entertainment and culture.

The voting system will have a percentage weight so distributed: • First, second and third evenings: 40% public televoting; 30% demoscopic poll; and 30% press jury voting.

• Fourth and fifth evenings: 50% public televotings; 30% press jury voting; and 20% expert jury voting.

In the final part of the fifth evening, a new rank indicating the first three acts, determined by the percentage of votes obtained that evening and those obtained during the previous nights, will be drawn up.

This past November, an RAI Commission, composed of Massimo Cotto, Stefano Senardi, Antonio Vandoni, Maurizio Caridi and Maurillo Giordana with the participa-

tion of Franco Zanetti and Amara announced that the initial list of 650 acts that sought to perform in the “Newcomers’ Section” had trimmed to 16 finalists.

The 16 finalists were wielded down to 8 finalists in December.

These are the finalists in the newcomers’ section and the song each act will perform: • Lorenzo Baglioni – “Il congiuntivo” • Mirkoeilcane – “Stiamo tutti bene” • Eva – “Cosa ti salverà” • Giulia Casieri – “Come stai” • Mudimbi – “Il mago” • Ultimo – “Il ballo delle incertezze” • Leonardo Monteiro – “Bianca” • Alice Caioli – “Specchi rotti” The finalists in this section hope to follow in the footsteps of past winners who include now famous Italian singers Andrea Bocelli, Giorgia Mietta, Laura Pausini and Eros Ramazzotti.

RAI has also announced the performers in the Big Artists section.

Here are those acts and the song each will perform: • Roby Facchinetti & Riccardo

Opera insights

Soprano Kate Royal

pressive and include roles from German, French and Italian operas. In October 2006, she signed an exclusive contract with EMI Classics. Her first solo recording was a musical portrait with the Academy of St Martin-in-theFields. Her first solo disc, A Lesson in Love, is a song cycle that Royal herself arranged. It is a firstperson narrative in four sections that describes the stages of a young woman’s first love: “Waiting, The Meeting, The Wedding, The Betrayal.” The songs, in three languages, form a lovely recital that should be of interest to any fans of the art song. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can hear Royal perform in YouTube clips.

Baritone Keith Phares, a graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, was a national winner of the 1998 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a finalist in the

1999 Eleanor McCollum Competition of the Houston Grand Opera. Recognized with a Richard Gaddes Grant from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, he also received the 2000 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Juilliard School of Music.

Phares is regarded as one of his generation’s most versatile artists.

In previous seasons, he sang, among others, the roles of Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.

For his debut with the Florentine Opera, he portrayed the title role in Elmer Gantry, prompting Opera News to report, “Keith Phares’s scrupulously rendered Elmer Gantry appears a strong contender for iconographic recognition.

Opera News also stated, “Beautifully vocalized and bursting with charismatic smarmy (think Burt Lancaster with buttery legato), Phares’s achievement will prove a difficult act to follow.” His performance was praised for his “rich, accurate voice; good looks; and fine acting ability to the part of Charlie, making his performance the highlight of the production.” (San Francisco Classical Voice).

Viva Opera! A Celebration of Opera’s Greatest Hits replaces Prince of Players, originally scheduled. Florescu explains, “Due to necessary logistical challenges, I decided to postpone our production and recording of Prince of Players until the early fall of 2018. With all the success we have had producing new America works, I want to give this piece all the advantages it deserves.”

Performances of Viva Opera! will take place in Uihlein Hall at

Fogli - "Il segreto del tempo" • Nina Zilli - "Senza appartenere" The Kolors - "Frida" • • Diodato & Roy Paci - "Adesso" • Mario Biondi - "Rivederti" • Luca Barbarossa - "Passame er sale" • Lo Stato Sociale - "Una vita in vacanza" • Annalisa - "Il mondo prima di te" Giovanni Caccamo - "Eter• no" • Enzo Avitabile feat. Peppe Servillo - "Il coraggio di ogni giorno" • Ornella Vanoni feat. Bungaro & Pacifico - "Imparare ad amarsi" • Renzo Rubino - "Custodire" • Noemi - "Non smettere mai di cercarmi" Ermal Meta & Fabrizio • Moro - "Non mi avete fatto niente" • Le Vibrazioni - "Così sbagliato" • Ron - "Almeno Pensami" • Max Gazzè - "La leggenda di Cristalda e Pizzomunno" • Decibel - "Lettera dal duca" • Red Canzian - "Ognuno ha il suo racconto" • Elio e le Storie Tese - "Arrivederci" The winner of the “Big Artists” category will be eligible to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, which will take place May 8-12 in Lisbon, Portugal

Baritone Keith Phares

the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. on Friday, Mar. 16 and Sunday, Mar. 18.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 414-291-5700, ext. 223.

Italy’s unmarried celebrate St. Faustino’s Day

Saint Faustino’s Day, on Feb. 15, commemorates the saint adopted by single people in Italy.

If you see a sign for a St. Faustino Day party, it is most likely an event for singles.

St. Faustino is also the patron saint of Brescia, a city in the Lombardy region of Italy.

There, a large festival is held on Feb. 15.

The day is filled with music, vendors, lots of food and a huge fireworks display at night.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Dan Conley played a key volunteer role at Festa and ICC

Family members described Dan Conley as a pumpkin-carving, jazzloving, pasta-making, bocce playing, Brewers rooting enthusiast and loyal member of the Fire Keepers Club. Known as “Dano” by his many friends, he died peacefully at home on Jan. 4 at the age of 69.

ICC members and Festa Italiana volunteers knew Dan most recently as the bocce manager.

Dan was born on Aug. 21, 1948 in Milwaukee and grew up on the city’s East Side. He was one of two sons born to Jay and Ruth Conley, both of whom are deceased. Dan’s brother is named Tom. Dan attended St. Robert’s

School, Dominican High School and Milwaukee Area Technical College.

During the course of his lifetime, Playback Electronics employed him in sales and management, Puccio’s Pastabilities Galore in production and sales, Empire Fish and NanSea Seafood Company in food sales and customer service and he worked in the Froedtert Hospital Mail Room.

In retirement, he was the pasta maker for Divino Wine and Dine, an Italian restaurant on Milwaukee’s East Side, owned by Italian Community Center President Dean Cannestra. Dan’s wife, Christine, told The Italian Times that her husband was remunerated for his work

Reflect and ponder Quotes from Dante Alighieri*

1). Beauty awakens the soul to act.

2). Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground.

3). In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.

4). Heat cannot be separated from fire, or beauty from The Eternal.

5). Pride, envy, avarice - these

are the sparks have set on fire the hearts of all men.

6). A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark.

7). There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery.

8). The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. * (1265-1321). Author of La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy)

Welcome new Italian Community Center members!

The following individuals became members of the Italian Community Center between Dec. 7, 2017 and January 11, 2018. Benvenuti! (Welcome!)

Laura Duronio of Francavilla Al Mare (Chieti), Italy Rebecca Angeles and son Izayah of Oak Creek Carol Iraci of Hales Corners

Roselle Mussomeli-Sturdevant of Shorewood Marie Mussomeli of Cedarburg

Dan Conley

with his favorite beer, Miller Genuine Draft.

On Dec. 29, 1973, Dan was married to Christine (Cannestra). The couple went on to have two daughters, Tina and Tracy, who gave them five grandchildren.

For Festa Italiana, Dan volunteered at Pasta Palace, at Puccio’s Pastabilities Galore food booth, for bocce court set-up/takedown and refeering and, for many years, as the bocce manager with his longtime friend, Troy Halverson.

Since the ICC started regular bocce leagues in 1991, Dan played on one of the original bocce teams, The Cannestras, in the Monday night league. He took over the role as bocce coordinator in the spring of 2016, assuming the role after the retirement of the late Anthony Gazzana.

Dan loved to bowl. He participated in leagues for many years

And now, a word from Italy

by Blaise Di Pronio Pay: To give money to in return for goods or services rendered.

It comes from the Italian pacare which means to calm, appease or pacify. In effect, you can buy your peace of mind with money.

and he and his wife bowled in couples leagues.

He was a pumpkin carving extraordinaire. He created huge Halloween displays at former Palermo Villa restaurant and, more recently, at Divino Wine and Dine.

He loved to create special displays, ranging from handmade signs for a fundraiser or an event to a sunburst deck in the backyard.

Dan was also an avid Milwaukee Brewers fan. He collected all of the special Brewers baseball caps.

Dan and Chris were recognized for their volunteer service and dedication to the ICC and Festa by being chosen as Il Re e La Regina (the King and the Queen) of Il Grande Carnevale, the ICC’s preLenten costume and mask ball, in 2014. Over the years, Dan either won or was a part of a group, which won a best costume prize at Carnevale.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Christine, his children Tina Conley (Abel Hamdan) and Tracy (Mike) Balistreri, his grandchildren Adam, Jenna, Maya, Amira and Sebastiana, his brother Tom ( (Roberta), his mother-in-law Pauline Cannestra and in-laws Betty Puccio, Kathleen Mirenda and Dean (Mary) Cannestra, niece, nephews and extended family and many friends.

Bologna hosts its 42nd annual Art Fair, Feb. 2-5

The 42nd annual ArteFiera, an international fair of modern and contemporary art, will take place in Bologna, Italy, from Friday, Feb. 2 to Monday, Feb. 5. Bologna is the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region.

This event is considered one of the most important contemporary and modern art fairs in Italy, with galleries in an area covering nearly 12.5 miles exhibiting the works of more than 1,000 contemporary and modern artists.

The fair is highlighted by the “White Night” initiative on Saturday, Feb. 3 during which shops, art galleries and museums remain open all night and special events are organized.

Cause for celebration

by Italian Senator Renato Turano We are fast approaching the end of the current legislative session, and there’s a lot to report and celebrate. The last weeks of 2017 were very busy and fruitful, both in Parliament and out in the communities. I would like to dedicate the first part of this article to the preliminary budget approved by the Senate, while the rest of the article will be devoted to the Calabresi in the World Council.

I’m proud of the results we have achieved on behalf of the communities of Italians living abroad in the current legislative session. The progress we’ve made in cooperation with the government has been very positive, both because we were able to obtain more funding than we initially thought we would, and because a good portion of it has a structural component, allowing funding to continue in the upcoming years. Those initiatives include support for the promotion of Italian language and culture abroad, salary adjustments for contracted

workers in consular offices, and subsidies for Italian-language media abroad.

In 2018, we will dedicate 1 million euro to the promotion of Italian language and culture, with a promise to increase that amount to 1.5 million in 2019. Most of these funds will support organizations promoting Italian language instruction in schools.

When it comes to the CGIE (General Council of Italians Abroad), we have set aside 400,000 euro to meet all the needs required by law.

The COMITES around the world will have a total of 100,000 euro to work with this year, while 600,000 euro will be destined for salary adjustments for public employees abroad, as established by article 152, n. 18, of the President of the Republic’s decree issued on Jan. 5, 1967. This measure has been neglected for the past 10 years. Finally, we obtained 400,000 euro for news agencies specialized in reporting about Italians living abroad, and another 500,000 to reinforce our

THE ITALIAN TIMES

contributions to Italian-language media abroad.

Italian chambers of commerce will have up to 1 million euro at their disposal.

Another important goal that we reached while negotiating the budget in the Senate was the approval of an amendment that authorizes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hire 150 new employees.

We passionately advocated for this measure, which will allow us to guarantee the proper functioning of a consular network that delivers so many vital services to its constituencies. The expense of looking for the new employees will be covered entirely by the Ministry.

These results have been very gratifying and are in line with progress that we’ve made in previous years. We should never take these gains for granted. The attention that has been paid to our communities of Italians living abroad is a clear and positive sign of how seriously the Italian government now takes us.

Regarding the Calabresi in the World Council, many topics and initiatives were discussed, paving the way for even more fruitful discussions in the future.

Without a doubt, the council is a clear indication of the strong ties that exist between Calabria and the Calabresi living around the world.

The role we play on behalf of our region is incredible, especially at this time. Who can better represent the excellence and the quality of our homeland? Who can better promote our territory and initiate exchanges and relationships in strategic sectors such as tourism and food?

Calabria must have the support of its citizens living abroad to enhance its vitality. The synergy promoted by the council needs to be constant, and that synergy will in turn burnish the image of our region around the world. That same synergy needs to be established between the other regions in Italy and their citizens living abroad, because the more we all work together, the better off we will all be in the future.

FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 13

La Pagina Italiana La Coppa Acerbo di Pescara

Un’antenata della Formula Uno

di Donato Di Proniio La COPPA ACERBO, gara annuale istituita nel 1923 e interrotta nel 1961, è stata una corsa automobilistica tra le più importanti d’Europa: si svolgeva il giorno del Ferragosto a Pescara in un circuito cittadino di oltre 25 kilometri fatto di rettifili, salite e discese.

La competizione fu denominata TITO ACERBO, un militare abruzzese morto eroicamente durante la Guerra Mondiale 1915/18 a Croce di Piave il 16 giugno 1918 in una cruenta battaglia. (Era nato a Loreto Aprutino il 4 marzo 1890). Fu insignito di due medaglie d’argento, della Croce di Guerra francese e della Medaglia d’Oro al valor militare. Era Capitano del 152° Reggimento di Fanteria, brigata Sassari.

La corsa fu creata per iniziativa di Giacomo Acerbo, fratello di Tito, e del corregionale pilota automobilistico Diego De Sterlich Aliprandi (1898-1976).

Giacomo Acerbo (1888-1969) è stato un importante uomo politico più volte decorato al Valor Militare, professore universitario di economia politica e agraria.

Durante il Governo Fascista, tra

l’altro, fu Ministero dell’Agricoltura e Foreste e Membro del Gran Consiglio. Il 25 luglio 1943 votò contro Mussolini. Fu condannato a morte in contumacia. Dopo la caduta del Fascismo, dal Governo Bonomi fu arrestato e condannato a pene detentive e poi amnistiato. Ha lasciato un interessante volume di

è ancora un problema avvolto nel mistero e nella leggenda. Goffredo da Viterbo,cappellano di Carlo Magno, attesta che fu proprio l’imperatore francese a denominare il Capo in onore del suo celebre paladino. Non si Continua a pagina 15

ricordi autobiografici (Tra due plotoni di esecuzione).

Il successo della prima gara (1924) arrise al giovane Enzo FERRARI (1868-1988), il “mago di Maranello”, l’indimenticabile delle vetture costruttore contraddistinte dal marchio “cavallino rampante”che tanti allori ha donato all’Italia, suscitando l’ammirazione del mondo intero; quello dell’ultima (1961) alla coppia Bandini-Scarlatti.

Tra i vincitori figurano Nuvolari, Fagioli, Borzacchini, Fangio, Campari.

Giuseppe Campari, tra i più famosi e assidui partecipanti alla Corsa Acerbo, la vinse tre volte. Nato l’8 giugno 1892, chiuse tragicamente i suoi giorni il 10 settembre 1933

100mila euro per quest’anno, mentre 600mila euro, a decorrere dal 2018, saranno devoluti per l’adeguamento salariale del personale di cui all’art.152 del decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 5 gennaio 1967 n. 18 — si tratta di un intervento atteso da 10 anni. Infine abbiamo ottenuto 400mila euro a favore delle agenzie specializzate sugli italiani all’estero e 500mila euro a integrazione della dotazione finanziaria per i contributi diretti in favore della stampa italiana all’estero. Le Camere di Commercio italiane all’estero avranno a disposizione un milione di euro per l’anno 2018.

Altro risultato significativo nella sessione di bilancio al Senato in merito alle politiche per gli italiani all’estero è relativo all'approvazione di un emendamento che autorizza il Ministero degli Esteri e della Cooperazione a bandire il concorso per l’assunzione a tempo indeterminato di 150 funzionari.

Questo intervento atteso e richiestoci è necessario a garantire la funzionalità della rete consolare e l’erogazione dei servizi ai cittadini. Inoltre è da sottolineare che la spesa relativa a tale concorso è autonomamente finanziata dal Ministero.

Esprimo grande soddisfazione per il raggiungimento di questi risultati, in linea con quelli già raggiunti negli anni passati ma che è sempre impossibile dare per scontati. L'attenzione che si è data

anche attraverso questi ultimi interventi economici alle nostre Comunità sta a dimostrare quanto l'Italia e questo Governo guardino con attenzione alle nostre Comunità all'estero.

Cambiando discorso, si è svolta nella seconda settimana di dicembre la Consulta dei Calabresi nel Mondo. Molti sono stati gli argomenti trattati e molti spunti interessanti si possono trarre da questi incontri.

Sicuramente la Consulta rappresenta il modo per affermare ancora oggi il legame che c'è tra la Calabria e i tanti calabresi di tutto il mondo. La funzione di noi calabresi nel mondo è di un valore eccezionale soprattutto in questo momento; chi meglio di noi conosce l'eccellenza e la qualità della nostra terra natia, e siamo noi che possiamo promuovere il nostro territorio e alimentare scambi e relazioni, per settori strategici come i prodotti alimentari e il turismo.

Voglio concludere, evidenziando come la Calabria ha assolutamente bisogno dei calabresi all’estero per promuovere il suo territorio. La sinergia fra regione e Consulta deve essere costante, in un rapporto sinergico che deve far volare alto il nome della terra di Calabria in tutto il mondo esaltandone natura, storia, cultura e filiera agroalimentare. Lo stesso discorso va chiaramente fatto per le tantissime altre comunità ed entità locali rappresentate in giro per il mondo.

Comune di Capo d’Orlando

Capo D’Orlando trae origine da un’antica città sicula denominata “Agatirno” dal nome del suo fondatore figlio di Eolo, fondata ai tempi della guerra di Troiaome da Agatirno si sia, al tempo della venuta dei Normanni, passati alla denominazione di Capo d’Orlando

Ragioni per celebrare

da Senatore Renato Turano Cari lettori, in prossimità della conclusione della legislatura, le ultime settimane del 2017 sono state intense e piene di impegni in Parlamento e nella Comunità. Dedico questo articolo al primo passaggio della Legge di Bilancio al Senato e all'ultima riunione della Consulta dei Calabresi nel Mondo.

Desidero informarvi sui risultati conseguiti per le comunità italiane all’estero. Considero molto soddisfacente il lavoro svolto in fase emendativa, di concerto con il Governo, non solo perché sono stati recuperati fondi aggiuntivi, ma soprattutto perché buona parte di essi, quali quelli per la promozione della lingua e cultura italiana all'estero, per l'adeguamento salariale dei contrattisti, per le agenzie di stampa, hanno carattere strutturale; cioè saranno garantiti stabilmente nei prossimi anni nei relativi capitoli di spesa.

Sono stati approvati i seguenti interventi: promozione della lingua e cultura italiana all’estero - 1 milione di euro (aggiuntivi rispetto al finanziamento a regime) per il 2018 e 1.5 milioni di euro a decorrere dal 2019, destinati in particolare al sostegno degli enti gestori di corsi di lingua e cultura. Per quanto riguarda il Consiglio Generale Italiani all’Estero, abbiamo stanziato 400mila euro per il 2018, necessari per garantire almeno l’adempimento degli obblighi previsti dalla legge. Ai Comites andranno

PAGE 14 – FEBBRAIO 2018

sulla pista dell’autodromo di Monza. Durante un suo soggiorno a Pescara, “Beppone”, così era affettuosamente chiamato con allusione alla sua mole, visitò una Colonia Marina di ragazzini; ne sollevò uno (lo scrivente) tenendolo nel palmo di una mano tra un tripudio di salti e di giubilo dei piccoli bagnanti.

Finalmente è Carnevale Ogni scherzo adesso vale, sono giorni d’allegria tutto è gioia e simpatia.

C’è letizia dentro i cuori tutti i bimbi vanno fuori, delle maschere è la festa Arlecchino sempre in testa.

Più degli altri poverello ma il vestito suo è il più bello, di colori e luce pieno sembra sia l’arcobaleno.

E’ da sempre squattrinato ma in amore fortunato, ama quella mascherina che si chiama Colombina.

E felice lui saltella abbracciato alla sua stella, è l’amico dei bambini al suo cuor sempre vicini. * * *

Canzonetta di Carnevale Pulcinella aveva un gallo; tutto il giorno vi andava a cavallo, con la briglia e con la sella.

Viva il galletto di Pulcinella!

Pulcinella aveva un gatto; tutto il giorno saltava da matto, suonando una campanella.

Viva il gattino di Pulcinella! * * *

Carnevale

Nelle piazze in ogni via c’è un’allegra compagnia che vestita in modo strano canta, balla e fa baccano.

Mascherine mascherine siete buffe ma carine con i vostri nasi rossi fatti male, storti e grossi con i costumi che indossate con gli scherzi che vi fate voi portate l’allegria in qualunque compagnia.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Una fame da lupi…per i lupini

di Blaise Di Pronio Nell’Italia degli anni ’50 e ’60 non esistevano snack salati e stuzzichini spezza fame come i pretzel, le patatine e i popcorn, il cui contenuto di sale è volutamente alto per indurre a comprare più bevande. L’alternativa servita nei bar italiani dell’epoca, più sana di quelle sopracitate anche se ugualmente molto salata per la sete, era scatenare rappresentata dai lupini.

Letteralmente il termine inglese lupine significa “come un lupo”. La malattia denominata lupus prende il nome dagli effetti che provoca, in quanto divora le aree del corpo che ne sono colpite proprio come farebbe un lupo affamato. Un

tempo si pensava che da una pianta di lupini derivassero solo sterilità e danni al terreno, così come quelli che la malattia provoca al corpo umano. In realtà non è così, si è anzi scoperto che seminare i lupini può migliorare le caratteristiche di un terreno sabbioso e può anche essere usato come rimedio contro le erbe infestanti.

I lupini sono in pratica i semi della pianta omonima, i quali, se non opportunamente preparati, presentano un sapore eccessivamente amaro al palato e talvolta possono risultare tossici per il corpo umano. Per ottenere un alimento commestibile bisogna dapprima lasciarli in ammollo in acqua, poi sciacquarli e conservarli

in salamoia.

L’utilizzo dei lupini risale agli antichi Egizi del 2000 a.C., successivamente tramandato all’epoca dell’Impero Romano e oltre. I Romani coltivavano questa pianta e quest’usanza fu trasmessa anche alle colonie, in particolare ai paesi del bacino mediterraneo e al Medio Oriente.

Come già accennato, i lupini risultano commestibili solo dopo che i semi sono stati messi in ammollo per alcuni giorni in acqua salata, la quale deve essere regolarmente cambiata in modo da eliminare l’amarezza e il sale in eccesso.

I lupini vengono solitamente venduti sotto sale in barattoli di vetro (come le olive e i sottaceti). Si mangiano intagliando la buccia con i denti e lasciando venire fuori il seme direttamente in bocca oppure si possono mangiare con la buccia. Quest’ultima può essere rimossa anche sfregando il seme tra il pollice e l’indice. Nelle aree sopra menzionate i lupini sono uno snack molto comune sia nei bar, affiancati da birra o vino, sia nelle case.

Nel caso vi fosse venuta voglia di prepararne un po’ potete trovarne in vendita in versione secca in negozi come Glorioso’s e anche online a Nuts.com. Va precisato che in soggetti comunque potenzialmente allergici, l’ingerimento di lupini può provocare reazioni fatali in quanto vi è una certa affinità con le allergie alle arachidi. Coloro che soffrono di una qualsiasi allergia alle noci e simili sono pregati di avvicinarsi

con estrema cautela ai lupini e ai piatti che li contengono come ingrediente.

Vi lascio una ricetta semplice per prepararli e…buon appetito!

Mettere i lupini a bagno in una bacinella contenente acqua fino a coprirli del tutto e lasciarli in ammollo per una notte, calcolando un totale di 24 ore.

Dopo 12 ore verificare che l’acqua sia ancora abbastanza da ricoprirli totalmente. Se necessario aggiungerne dell’altra.

Passate 24 ore mettere i lupini in una pentola e portare ad lasciandoli ebollizione successivamente cuocere a fuoco lento per due ore.

Scolare e asciugare i lupini.

Spostarli in un contenitore grande e ricoprirli con acqua fredda.

Lasciarli raffreddare e riporre il contenitore nel frigorifero.

Per i successivi 14 giorni cambiare l’acqua una volta al giorno ricoprendoli sempre con acqua fredda (questo procedimento aiuta ad eliminare l’amarezza).

Dopo 14 giorni aggiungere al contenitore 4 cucchiai di sale.

Riporre nuovamente i lupini in ammollo in frigorifero per una notte.

Il quindicesimo giorno i lupini sono pronti da mangiare con i propri condimenti preferiti o al naturale. Se sono ancora salati è necessario sciacquarli di nuovo.

Se ve ne avanzano dopo il vostro snack, conservateli in frigorifero.

– Tradotto dall’Inglese da Laura Duronio

Comune di Capo d’Orlando

continua da pagina 14 esclude che”Agatirno”, considerato toponimo paganeggiante fu cancellato dai Normanni troppo legati alla Chiesa di Roma.

Il 4 giugno del 1299 il mare di Capo d’Orlando fu teatro di una tremenda battaglia navale fra due fratelli aragonesi contendenti il trono di Sicilia : Giacomo e Federico.

Alla distruzione del castello in cima al promontorio è legato, un secolo dopo, l’episodio dell’assedio patito dal barone Bartolomeo Aragona da parte di Bernardo Cabrera conte di Modica, speditovi dal Re Martino.

Si ha notizia di incursioni piratesche sui lidi orlandini nel 1589 e nel settembre 1594, e la torre del capo, continuò ad ospitare guardiani in armi che provvedevano all’avvistamento dei pirati algerini.

All’erezione del Santuario (1600) sorto sulle rovine del castello, invece, è legato il rinvenimento di una minuscola statuetta della Madonna, che è divenuta la

patrona di Capo d’Orlando.

Intanto nelle terre di Malvicino, dal XV secolo, si era affermata la coltura delle “cannamele”. A difesa delle coltivazioni e del relativo commercio dai Baroni di Naso fu eretta una torre con annesse opere fortilizie ed un trappeto per la lavorazione dello zucchero. Nella zona di S.Gregorio, invece, fu impiantata una tonnara, che interessava il tratto di mare tra Capo d’Orlando e Capo Calavà.

Nella metà del 1800, alle pendici nord-ovest del promontorio, si costituì il primo nucleo del nuovo centro urbano essenzialmente abitato da famiglie di pescatori, mentre nella Piana alla coltura del gelso e dei vigneti cominciò ad innestarsi quella degli agrumi, in particolare quella dei limoni,che fino ad oggi ha rappresentato uno degli assi portanti dell’intera economia orlandina.

La costruzione della S.S.113 Messina-Palermo, nonché della S.S. 116 Capo d’Orlando Randazzo e l’ultimazione del tratto

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ferroviario nel territorio orlandino nel 1895, permisero un notevole sviluppo del commercio agrumario, nonché l’inizio di un crescente sviluppo economico e urbanistico.

All’inizio di questo secolo nacquero i primi sentimenti di autonomia dal Comune di Naso, che venne concessa, dopo una lunga serie di manifestazioni popolari, con L. 25 giugno 1925 n. 1170. Il 27 settembre 1925 fu inaugurato il nuovo Comune di Capo d’Orlando.

Geograficamente Capo d’Orlando si colloca sulla costa settentrionale sicula, con la visuale delle Eolie, fra Capo Calavà e Cefalù. Il territorio comunale ha una superficie valutata in 1.456 ettari ed è costituito da una fascia litoranea subcollinare che si allunga sul Mar Tirreno fra la foce del torrente di Santa Carrà a levante e quella della fiumara di Zappulla a ponente, e misura oltre 10 Km di cimosa costiera.

Morfologicamente il territorio può dividersi in due parti nettamente distinte: la Piana a forma di triangolo molto allungato,

compresa fra l’attuale centro abitato del capoluogo e il corso terminale della fiumara di Zappulla; e il territorio subcollinare accidentato, con pendenze talora notevoli e caratterizzato da ammassi rocciosi singolari come quelli del Capo che ha dato il nome alla cittadina. La Piana, alluvionale e ricca di acque, si presenta ancora come un grande tappeto sempreverde formato dal fittissimo agrumeto che la ricopre.

Capo d’Orlando conta circa 13.000 abitanti, che si triplicano durante il periodo estivo, in virtù delle presenze in residence, appartamenti e hotel, di migliaia di turisti che vi soggiornano.

Tuttavia durante tutto l’anno la città rappresenta un punto di riferimento per tutto l’hinterland per la vivacità, molteplicità ed eleganza degli esercizi commerciali, per i tanti studenti che frequentano le varie Scuole secondarie, per i punti d’incontro, svago e divertimento che offrono i tanti esercizi pubblici.

La coltivazione e la commercializzazione degli agrumi (limoni), insieme alle attività legate alla pesca, hanno rappresentato fino agli anni ‘60 gli assi portanti dell’economia cittadina; ma prima l’emigrazione in Australia (Fremantle) di intere famiglie di pescatori, per i quali la pesca in loco non rappresentava più un’attività remunerativa, poi la scarsa competitività sui mercati nazionali internazionali dei prodotti agrumicoli siciliani, hanno indirizzato le attività verso il commercio e i servizi legati a soddisfare le richieste del mercato comprensoriale e di quello turistico.

– dal sito comunale: comune.capodorlando.me.it

FEBBRAIO 2018 – PAGE 15

Pagella da Victory K-8

A dicembre tutti gli student della scuola hanno avuto la possibilita’ di partecipare alla gita presso lo Zoo di Milwaukee. Gli studenti che hanno rispettato le regole del PBIS sono stati premiati con la gita-premio. Le regole da rispettare erano: essere presenti, essere attenti, essere respnsabili e essere rispettosi. Congratulazioni a chi e’ stato ammesso alla gita.

Durante il mese di dicembre alla scuola Victory K8 & Milwaukee Italian Immersion si e’ tenuto il consueto concerto invernale. Le famiglie gradiscono ascoltarecantare i loro bambini. Le classi dal K4 alla 5^ hanno cantato canzoni in italiano e in inglese. E’ stato meraviglioso vedere cosi’ tante famiglie a scuola prima delle vacanze invernali.

Victory continua a supportare Kaylie affinche’ possa continuare a seguire la sua strada.

I piccoli del K4 migliorano ogni giorno. La loro pronuncia in italiano e’ ottima. Stanno imparando il nome di molti animali e cosa gli serve per sopravvivere. Bravi bambini continuate così.

La classe prima sta migliorando ogni giorno di piu`, sia in italiano sia nei vari test che i bambini devono affrontare. Inoltre, la collaborazione con la classe di Ms. Domagalski continua dare ottimi frutti. Dopo il progetto per le decorazioni dell'albero di Natale in Cathedral Square, i bambini di ambo le classi hanno decorato delle borse della spesa per Outpost in Bayview. Il supermercato le ha prima esposte e poi riempite di prodotti per famiglie bisognose. Durante il concerto di Natale le due classi hanno fatto una bake sale per raccogliere soldi per la loro prossima gita, andare a pattinare a Red Arrow Park. Quindi... stay tuned, vi racconteremo come e` andata!

La Victory e’ orgogliosa di Kaylie Deluna. Kaylie ha vinto un premio dal distretto riguardo Martin Luther King Jr. I Have a Dream Speech Contest. Kaylie e’ molto brava come oratore e ha mostrato molto coraggio quando ha raccontato la sua storia personale. Alla competizione Kaylie ha raccontato quali sono gli effetti delle droghe e la ricaduta che ha sulle famiglie, sulla comunita’ e sui bambini. Cosi’ ha guadagnato il terzo posto della sua categoria. La comunita’ della

La classe 4^ della maestra Cathy Essex raccoglie quello che puo’ servire per i senzatetto. Gli studenti hanno incoraggiato parenti e amici a donare calze guanti, libri,cappelli, e material di cancel-

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Ch’n magna, a magnee.

Literally: Who does not eat, has already eaten.

smell of food and wine (the kitchen; life) than to smell of wax(church and funerals; death).

Detti popolari: Popular sayings

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Un se mai struze e che sal taiadeli.

Literally: One never chocked on tagliatelle.

Meaning: One doesn’t get sick from food that one enjoys eating.

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Quand a manca al pess e’ bon anch i gambar.

Literally: When you are missing fish, even shrimp are good.

Meaning: When you can’t afford to eat what you like, you eat what you can.

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Mej puze ‘d ven che ‘d zera.

Literally: Better to smell of wine than wax.

Possible meaning: Better to

Dialect-Emilia- Romagna: I om i en c’me i ml’on: bota gram e poc bon.

Literally: Men are like melons, many bad and few good.

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Dona giuvna, vein, turtel e va la che ‘l mond l’e bel.

Literally: Young women, wine and tortellini make the world a beautiful place.

detto che devo dare rinfrescatina alle materie!”

Sull’Inverno Pioggia, freddo, ghiaccio, neve, * * *

notte lunga, giorno breve: con il naso un po’ arrossato anche l’autunno se n’è andato!

Ora è giunta la stagione Dell’inverno dormiglione E il ghiro, il tasso e l’orso Dormon come l’anno scorso.

Certi uccelli son partiti Son rimasti i più arditi: ecco! Guarda il passerotto, impaurito (sotto sotto) saltellando tra la brina cerca qualche briciolina.

Sai che a scuola ho studiato Che anche il freddo è misurato?

E se scende sotto zero, gela tutto il mondo intero!

Febbraio * * *

Toc, toc, toc batte Febbraio che è un mese allegro e gaio: con la neve puoi giocare e in montagna andare a sciare; e col freddo che farà ti consiglio sta cosa qua: per dormir la buona nanna cioccolata e tanta panna.

una

Siamo nella preistoria e un bambino arriva a casa con la pagella e la mostra a suo papà.. il papà guarda e commenta: “uhm, 2 in italiano..vabbè, passa...3 in matematica, beh insomma..ma su storia...4?!?..ma insomma devi studiare due pagine si e no!”

È l’ultima ora e si fa musica e la maestra dice: “voi suonate i vostri srumenti e cosa volete che suoni io?” e gli alunni: “la campanella!!”

La mamma alla sua bambina: “perchè metti tutti i libri nel frigorifero?” e la bimba: “la maestra mi ha

La maestra al piccolo Aldo: - “che lavoro fa tuo papà?”

- “meccanico” - “e tua mamma?”

- “credo faccia l’elettricista perchè ha appena dato alla luce mia sorella..

PAGE 16 – FEBBRAIO 2018

La neve

Bianca cosa luminosa cala silenziosamente, leggermente si riposa sulle cose sulla gente.

Bianca meraviglia muta che si guarda con stupore, luce in terra ricaduta che ti fa batte re il cuore.

– Courtesy of italyrevisited.org

Una bambina chiede alla propria zia incinta: “Ma perchè hai la pancia così grossa?” e la zia risponde sorridente: “Ho un bambino!”e la piccola con aria stupita: “Cosa, te lo sei mangiato?” e battendo sulla pancia della zia gridava: “Sputalo subito, mangiatrice di bambini,sputalo!!!.. mamma la zia mangia i bambini!!!”

La scuola è come la divina commedia: l’entrata = l’inferno. l’intervallo = il purgatorio. l’uscita = il paradiso.

luzione Americana e come la colonizzazione ha influenzato il paese che abbiamo attualmente. Hanno discusso I fattori che hanno portato i coloni dall’Inghilterra a creare un nuovo governo e I motivic he hanno scatenato la Guerra della Rivoluzione. Gli student hanno imparato come interpretare la storia analizzando i documenti, le testimonianze e le date. Questo li ha aiutati a capire come poteva essere la vita il secolo scorso.

Dialect-Emilia Romagna: Al ven e la tatta di vec.

Literally: Wine is the milk of the old.

Meaning: Wine is to the old, as milk is to the young.

E fatt’na risata

Francesca dice alla mamma: - “mamma mamma, lo sai che Luigino imita gli uccellini?”

- “perchè fa cip cip?”

- “no no, perchè mangia i vermi.”

leria. Gli student hanno poi preparato dei pacchi pronti da donare.

La maestra spedira’ I pacchi all’associazione Street Angels. Anche gli studenti di 3^ della maestra Robertson hanno partecipato alla donazione e alla spedizione. Gli studenti erano contenti di poter essere utili nell’aiutare gli altri in vista della feste.

La classe della maestra DeFilippis hanno approfondito la Rivo-

Lui era dolce......lei era dolce..e naque un bambino diabetico

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Report from the Italian Immersion Program at Victory K-8

In December, students in grades K4-8 had the opportunity to attend a special field trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Students that followed the school wide PBIS Expectations earned the privilege of attending the trip. The Victory Eagle Expectations are: Be There, Be Ready, Be Responsible, Be Respectful. Congratulations to all the students who were invited to participate.

Also, in the month of December, Victory K8 & Milwaukee Italian Immersion school hosted the annual Winter Concert. The families love to see their young ones perform. Students in grades K4-5 performed songs in Italian and in English.

It was wonderful to see so many families visit school before the winter break.

The Victory community is especially proud of Kaylie Deluna.

Kaylie earned an award from the district sponsored Martin Luther King Jr. I Have a Dream Speech Contest.

Kaylie is a talented speechwriter and showed plenty of courage when sharing her personal story. At the contest, Kaylie spoke courageously about the effects of the opioid epidemic and the impact it has on families, communities and children. She took third place in her category. The Victory community continues to support Kaylie as she creates her own path.

The youngsters in K4 are improving every day. Their pronunciation in Italian is impressive. They are learning the names of animals and what they need to survive.

Continue the great job!

The first graders are improving each and every day, whether it is in Italian or on the various tests that evaluate the students’ learning.

The collaboration between Amy Domagalski’s 5th graders continues to be fruitful. After working on the decorations for the Christmas tree in Cathedral Square, students in both classes decorated paper grocery bags for the Outpost grocery store in Bay View. Outpost displays the bags at the store and then fills the bags with groceries for families in need. During the Winter Concert, the two classes hosted a bake sale to raise money for the next field trip: ice skating at Red Arrow Park. Stay tuned, to find out how the trip goes!

The fourth grade students in Cathy Essex’s class collected items for the homeless. Students encouraged friends and family members to donate socks, mittens, books, hats, and school supplies. The students made stockings for the students to wrap the donations. Cathy Essex will deliver the stockings to the group called Street Angels.

The third graders from Annette Robertson’s class also participated by donating items to the drive. The students felt happy since they were able to help others enjoy the holiday season.

Rita DeFilippis’s 5th graders have been learning about the American Revolution and how the colonization of the New World led to the country we have today. They have discussed the push and pull factors of the colonists who left England, the challenges of establishing a new government, and the conditions that lead to the Revolutionary War. Students are learning to become engaged in history by looking at documents, testimonials, and timelines, which helps them get a clearer picture of what life was like hundreds of years ago.

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FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 17

From Italy to the ICC: La Befana makes her annual trek to give gifts and candy and tell her story

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor For the 16th straight year, La Befana, the Epiphany witch of Italian folklore, came to the Italian Community Center to give gifts and candy to good children and tell her story. Her visit, coordinated by the Avanti Committee, took place this past Jan. 6.

Before La Befana arrived, the Avanti Committee arranged for a kid-friendly, parent-approved lunch. Afterwards, children were able to decorate their own Christmas cookies and everyone – young and old – had a chance to make an

ice cream sundae. Volunteer pianist John Puchner played holiday music and welcomed the children to join him in a sing-a-long.

Children were also asked to place their shoes behind a curtain.

Volunteers would later fill their shoes with candy that the fabled Italian witch brought with her.

As the children sang “La Befana is Coming to Town,” the grand old witch made her appearance. She proceeded to tell the children her story of how she initially failed to recognize the importance of the birth of Jesus as told to her by the Magi as they passed by her home.

After the Bartolotta Catering staff scooped either chocolate or vanilla ice cream, each guest, young or old, got to decorate his/her own sundae.

After realizing her mistake, she tried to follow the Three Kings, but she lost her way and could not get to Bethlehem where the Christ Child was born. To this day she pledges to make up for her erroneous ways by delivering gifts to good children on Epiphany Eve. For those children who are naughty, she leaves stockings filled with coal.

The Avanti Committee reported to La Befana before her arrival that she need not bring any stockings

filled with coal for the children at the ICC as the word was that they all had been good!

After finishing her story, La Befana greeted and hugged all the children. Parents and grandparents took pictures as their children/grandchildren met La Befana. The children were then directed to the room where the good witch had dropped off their gifts.

The Avanti Committee wishes to thank Anna Pitzo for her special connection to La Befana.

Children showed artistic skills as they decorated their own holiday cookies.

Keyboardist John Puchner provided holiday music and led the young and old in a sing-a-long.

Rose Emanuele, 98, brought several of the youngest members of her extended family to the party.

PAGE 18 – FEBRUARY 2018

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Every child had a chance to meet La Befana before receiving his/her gift.

La Befana delivered her story of her ill-fated effort to visit and deliver gifts to the Baby Jesus and how she

Children were offered an opportunity to pick their own gift. This table had gifts for youngsters, 8 years and older. Amy Domagalski, a volunteer, assisted the children in making selections.

has since attempted to make amends by delivering gifts to good children each Epiphany Eve.

All Times photos by Tom Hemman

Two young ladies who have had the honor of serving as Little Princesses of Carnevale were present for the party with La Befana.

Here are Julia Bongert, who was La Piccola Principessa in 2015, and Lacey Marie Schober, who is the reigning La Piccola Principessa. Julia served as a volunteer at the party. Lacey attended the event with her great-grandmother Ann Romano.

The Avanti Committee along with several volunteers coordinated the party on Jan. 6. All of them are seen here with La Befana. Seated next to the legendary Epiphany witch is Sam Alioto. Standing from the left:

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Julia Bongert, Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto, John Puchner, John Alioto, Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie, Elizabeth Anne Ceraso, Amy Domagalski and Anthony Puchner.

FEBRUARY 2018 – PAGE 19

Maratea: The ‘Cannes’ of southern Italy

It is located on the stunning Tyrrhenian Coastline in the southwest of the beautiful region of Basilicata in southern Italy. It is an ideal location for holidays and vacations. Maratea is a chic coastal town, with a historic center, elegant harbor and graveled coves.

The landscape in Maratea is simply unique. It varies from breath-taking sea views to wooded hillsides and majestic mountains that sweep down to the blue sea.

There are over 20 white sandy beaches and pebbled inlets here, spread along 19 miles of stunning coastline, which is dotted with numerous sea caves, most of which can only be reached by boat.

La Grotta delle Meraviglie is the only sea cave accessible on foot and there are some amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations to be seen in this deep underground cavern.

Maratea is known as the “Cannes’ of southern Italy” with its chic and elegant residences and stunning harbor. It is a popular hidden retreat for the rich and famous. Like Cannes, Maratea hosts a prestigious International Film Festival in August every year with many renowned directors and actors converging on the town in a celebration of film.

The meaning of Carnevale: carne = meat, vale = farewell

John Smith was the only Protestant to move into a large Catholic neighborhood in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. On the first Friday of Lent, John was outside grilling a big juicy steak on his grill. Meanwhile, all of his neighbors were eating cold tuna fish for supper. This went on each Friday of Lent.

On the last Friday of Lent, the neighborhood men got together and decided that something had to be done about John.

He was tempting them to eat meat each Friday of Lent, and they couldn’t take it anymore.

They decided to try and convert John to Catholicism. They went over and talked to him. John decided to join all of his neighbors and become a Catholic, which made them all very happy.

They took him to church, and the priest sprinkled some water over him and said: “You were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, and now you are a Catholic.”

The men were so relieved, now that their biggest Lenten temptation was resolved.

The next year’s Lenten season rolled around. The first Friday of Lent came, and, just at suppertime, when the neighborhood was settling down to their cold tuna fish dinner, the smell of steak cooking on a grill came wafting into their homes. The neighborhood men could not believe their noses! What was going on? They called each other up and decided to meet over in John’s yard to see if he had forgotten it was the first Friday of Lent.

The group arrived just in time to see John standing over his grill with a small pitcher of water. He was sprinkling some water over his steak on the grill, saying: “You were born a cow, you were raised a cow, and now you are a fish.”

– Submitted by Blaise Di Pronio

PAGE 20 – FEBRUARY 2018

The town of Maratea is situated on a hilltop, overlooking idyllic waters. It has charming unspoiled scenery both inland and along the coast, with colorful houses nestled among the trees. It really is an undiscovered delight of southern Italy. The town contains an impressive 44 churches and a white Statue of Christ, ‘Il Redentore’, dominates the skyline above the village and coast. The climb up to the statue is a challenging one, but the panoramic view from the top is well worth the hike and is a vital part of your Basilicata holiday itinerary.

The historic center of Maratea dates back to the 13th century and is built upon the slopes of Monte San Biagio and was recently carefully restored. There are two main piazzas: the charming Piazza Buraglia and the Piazza Vitolo which are connected by a narrow street as well as a maze of winding streets and alleyways. Small shops sell a variety of regional specialty foods and crafts including colorful ceramics. The center is small and an hour or two’s stroll should be enough to do it justice.

The beaches around Maratea include many secluded coves accessi-

ble by car or the local bus. Winding roads with hairpin bends offer spectacular coastal and mountain views and they pass ruined towers which once guarded the shore. Some of the beaches are Castrocucco, Fiumicello and Macarro (a black sand beach). Other good options for swimming include the beaches at Acquafredda (10 km north) and Marina di Maratea (5 km south) that can be accessed from the coastal road. The Centro Sub Maratea, based in Santa Caterina, offers diving courses and excursions. During the holiday season it is also possible to hire boats or go on a sailing or fishing trip.

Maratea’s yacht harbor is 10 minutes by road from its historic center. Once a fishing harbor, these days it is used primarily to host yachts and other luxury boats. The port has an assortment of shops, pavement cafes and restaurants. In good weather, boats offer excursions to various caves and other parts of the coast. By now, you should be planning your trip!

– From: discoverbasilicata.com

Interested in advertising in our next issue? Get all of the details by calling 414-223-2189 or sending an email to Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.

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