January 2015 issue

ITALIAN TIMES THE

Published by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com VOL. 36, NO. 7 JANUARY 2015

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Italian Ambassador Bisogniero visits ICC

Italy’s Ambassador to the United States Claudio Bisogniero (center of photo) completed a busy day in Wisconsin on Monday, Dec. 1 with a visit to the Italian Community Center. Bisogniero has been Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S. for three years. A complete story on the ambassador and his tour of Wisconsin and more photos can be found on pages 14 and 15. Seen here with Ambassador Bisogniero are numerous ICC officers and directors, both past and present. Current officers, directors and past presidents are identified as such. From the left: Director Liz Ceraso, Immediate Past

President Gina Spang, past Director Rosemary DeRubertis (who stood in for Sergeant-At-Arms Joanne Czubek), Vice President Dean Cannestra, Past President Betty Puccio, Past President and current Director Joe Campagna, Jr., Past President Bill Jennaro, Ambassador Bisogniero, Past President Sam Purpero, Director Ted Catalano, President Giuseppe Vella, Director Tony Piacentini, Director Pietro Tarantino, Secretary Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie, Past President and current Treasurer Dave Spano and Past President Mike Palmisano. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Amore will be in the air as the ICC’s celebrates Carnevale on Valentine’s Day

By Thomas Hemman Times Editor Imagine combining the romantic nature of Valentine’s Day with the magic, pageantry and excitement of a Venetian-style costume and mask ball. What would you get? It’s the Italian Community Center’s Il Grande Carnevale 2015 – “Una Celebrazione dell’ Amore” (“A Celebration of Love”).

That’s right, the ICC’s 36th annual Carnevale will take place on Valentine’s night, Saturday,

Feb. 14, starting with an hour-long social reception at 5 p.m.

“It’s going to be an evening for lovers and those who simply love to have a grand time,” said Carnevale chairs Joanne (Sanfelippo) Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis. “By combining the splendor, pageantry, color and frivolity of Carnevale with the amore and romance associated with Valentine’s Day, the possibilities for a memorable evening are endless.”

As usual, the general public is

invited to join ICC members in attending. While the general public can revel in the festivities for $60 per person, an ICC member can partake for just $50. Reservations are required by Saturday, Feb. 7.

There will be assigned seating.

Your reservations can be made by using the form accompanying this article, in person at the ICC front office during regular business hours or by calling 414-223-2180 and having your credit card handy.

You may also pick up a Carnevale

Commitment-based membership dues structure approved for 2015

The Italian Community Center Board was challenged this fall with the responsibility of raising membership dues. The Board voted in November to raise the dues starting in 2015. This will mark the first increase in many years.

The questions the Board anticipates being asked by ICC members will no doubt be “Why?” Why are ICC dues being increased?

Why should I continue to support the ICC and remain a member?”

The dues are being increased

for the following reasons: 1. The Italian Community Center is an important symbol in our city, representing the Italian and Sicilian immigrants who settled in Milwaukee. Imagine our city without the ICC. It would be profoundly missed. Your financial help is needed to ensure its survival.

2. Admittedly, membership dues will not fully cover all of the costs of maintaining the Italian Community Center and are not really meant to. They are an

expression of commitment and of value. We hope our members will commit themselves and will value that commitment – financially, in person and in spirit.

3. An increase is long overdue.

We are emerging from and have survived a distressing economic period where expendable money decreased considerably. Nonessentials, such as culture, music and art suffered during that time because money was needed for the essentials, such as food, utilities, Please turn to page 9

flyer with a reservation form at various locations at the ICC. Those who have attended before know Carnevale is the ICC’s “Social Event of the Year,” featuring great food, dancing, a coronation of royalty, a costume and mask parade, Please turn to page 5

Cosa c’è dentro?

What’s inside?

President’s message

page 2

Holiday closings

page 2

Meeting dates changing

page 2

Free screening of MPTV documentary on Milwaukee’s Italians page 3 Oldies But Goodies reunion concert is Feb. 7 page 3 ICC donor pledges triple page 4 Children’s party with La Befana is Jan. 10

page 7

Volunteers present Italian heritage at Folk Fair pages 10-11

Volunteers serve dinner to less fortunate pages 12-13 Members’ Christmas dinner and dance

page 13

Members’ news

page 17

Society and club news

page 16

A message from Giuseppe Vella, Italian Community Center President

A tutti auguro un santissimo Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo! (I wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!) I hope you have a chance to celebrate with your family and carry on the holiday traditions of parents and grandparents.

On behalf of our officers and board members, I want to thank all the volunteers, members of societies and members of our Conference Center staff for doing such a tremendous job of decorating our building for the holidays. If you haven’t been to the ICC lately, I encourage you to stop in and see the displays.

We’re looking forward to the

New Year. One of our goals in 2015 is getting more people involved in the ICC. For our organization to be a viable entity in our community for years to come, we need the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of our older members to join and be involved in the ICC. We also want the ICC to be an inclusive organization. That is why we invite our Italian societies and community members to participate in our activities.

There are two activities early in the year at which all are welcome: our Gallery Night and Day program and Il Grande Carnevale.

Rose Anne (Ceraso) Fritchie and Liz Ceraso, co-chairs of our Avanti

ICC announces holiday closings

Italian Community Center President Giuseppe Vella announced that the ICC will be closed Christmas Eve (Wednesday, Dec. 24) through Sunday, Dec. 28 and New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1) through Sunday, Jan. 4.

Vella wants to remind every-

one that the ICC will hold its annual New Year’s Eve party on Wednesday, Dec. 31. A separate story with reservation form appears in this issue.

On behalf of the officers, directors and staff of the ICC, Vella wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Committee, have invited the students from Victory School’s Italian Immersion Program to display Venetian masks at Gallery Night and Day (Jan. 16-17). The entire event will have a Carnevale theme.

Joanne (Sanfilippo) Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis, Carnevale co-chairs, are working diligently with the committee to plan another spectacular celebration on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

We encourage our members, the Italian societies and community-atlarge to attend these events.

Our Festa Italiana committees are very busy planning for our 2015 festival, which will take place July 17, 18 and 19.

– Giuseppe Vella ICC President

ICC Board and general meeting dates changing starting in January

Starting January 2015, the Italian Community Center Board meetings will be moving to the second Thursday of the month and the general membership meetings will be held on the third Thursday of the month.

That means, the next ICC Board

Deadline set for February issue

All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the February 2015 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Thursday, Jan. 8.

All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org, sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-2232801.

meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. and the general membership meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. There will continue to be a members’ dinner preceding the general meeting. That buffet-style dinner will be available at 5:30 p.m.

The changes to the board meeting dates and the general meeting dates were approved by the board at a meeting on Nov. 20.

Previously, board meetings were held on the third Thursday of the month and general meetings on the first Thursday.

Please disregard a notice that was published in the December 2014 issue on the cancellation of the January and February general meetings.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

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

Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . . .Giuseppe Vella Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . Rosemary DeRubertis Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Italian Page Editor . . . . . . . Enrica Tarantino-Woytal Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors and Staff Writers/Reporters . . . . , .Mario A. Carini Angelo Castronovo, Barbara Collignon and Susan Christiansen Staff Photographers. . . . . . .Joe Spasiano, and Tom Hemman

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

Copyright 2014 The Italian Community Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved

PAGE 2 – JANUARY 2015

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

MPTV to present free screening of documentary “Storia Italiana: Milwaukee” on Feb. 4 at ICC

Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV) is offering everyone a chance to view “Storia Italiana: Milwaukee,” a compelling documentary on Milwaukee’s Italian American community, before the official broadcast. This event will be at the ICC on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the program beginning at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Italian Community Center members are encouraged to attend.

There will, of course, be free

parking. Cafe La Scala, the ICC’s public restaurant, will be open starting from 5 p.m.

“Storia Italiana: Milwaukee” is a one-hour local program produced in conjunction with the national Public Broadcasting System series, “Italian Americans,” set to air in mid-February.

The local documentary was written and produced by MPTV’s award-winning producer Maryann Lazarski. The local videographer and associate producer is Jeff Janca. They have been working on

this program since early summer.

The program looks at the storied history of Milwaukee’s Italians and tells of courageous, personal journeys from Italy and Sicily to the Milwaukee area. It also tells of hardships and the importance of faith, family and togetherness. It also looks at the crossroads of generations and what’s to come of the future for the Italian community.

The children of immigrants challenge the younger generations to carry on meaningful traditions first established by their great-grand-

parents, grandparents and parents and why it’s critical for the young to write the next chapter of this 150-year old story.

ICC Historian Mario A. Carini, past president Gina Spang and Gina Manning contributed information to the production team, which also came to the ICC to shoot video of the vintage Italian American photos and various activities.

Carini said he provided details on the Italian experience in Milwaukee. All three were interviewed by MPTV staff.

Oldies But Goodies Spectacular with special guests to perform at ICC on Saturday, Feb. 7 Advance tickets available now for this show reuniting Milwaukee’s top rock and rollers from ’50s to ‘80s

The Oldies But Goodies Spectacular, joined by special guest performers, will bring back Milwaukee’s ‘50s to the ‘80s rockand-roll scene in a concert at the

Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Doors of the Festa Ballroom open at 6:30 p.m. The show begins

Here are Tony Clementi, Kim Marie and Chuck Travis, vocalists for the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular. (Times photo by Joe Spasiano)

Carnevale is theme for Gallery Night & Day at ICC Victory School students to participate with mask displays

In honor of Il Grande Carnevale, the students from Victory School’s Italian Immersion Program will be presenting their versions of Venetian-style masks as the Italian Community Center participates in the winter Gallery Night and Day, Jan. 16 and 17.

The ICC will also have a display of Carnevale costumes that attendees might recognize from these pre-Lenten events that the organization has hosted.

Entering its 28th year, Gallery Night and Day is a quarterly event organized by the Historic Third Ward Association and the East Towne Association. The ICC will be one of about 60 venues participating Jan. 16 and 17.

Liz Ceraso, co-chair of the ICC Avanti Committee, said the hours for Gallery Night, Jan. 16, will be 6 to 10 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 17, the hours will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission and parking are free. All activities will take place in the Board Room.

If you haven’t already read it in this issue, the ICC hosts its annual

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Il Grande Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 14. See separate story.

Victory School is offering an Italian immersion program for students from four year-old kindergarten through sixth grade during the 2014-15 school year. The Venetian masks that the students make will be on sale with proceeds going to support the program.

Members of the Ceraso family and other volunteers are scurrying through their closets and storage areas to create a display of Carnevale costumes.

Attendees are invited to enjoy a meal at Cafe La Scala, the ICC’s public restaurant, before or after viewing the Carnevale displays.

There will be a banner outside Cafe La Scala, indicating that the ICC is a Gallery Night and Day participant.

The Historic Third Ward offers Gallery Night Xpress Shuttles that art fans can utilize to attend several of the participating venues. For more information, please visit www.historicthirdward.org.

at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are now available at the ICC for $20. Stop in or call 414/223-2180 with your credit card handy to purchase your tickets. Tickets are also available from members of the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular. Should tickets still be available the night of the show, admission will be $25.

Cafe La Scala, the ICC’s public restaurant, will be open at 5 p.m. that Saturday night. The staff will be on hand to take food and drink orders in both the restaurant and Festa Ballroom throughout the evening.

Kim Marie, the founder and one of the three lead vocalists of the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular, said, “Several very special guest performers will be joining us for this show, which is a reunion of Milwaukee’s best rock-and-roll artists from the late ‘50s through early ‘80s.”

The special artists and the groups they played with back in the day include: “Twistin’ Harvey” Scales of Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, Tom Anthony of The

Harvey Scales

Tom Anthony Group, “Bullet Bob” of The Comic Books, “Big Louie” of The Renegades, “Johnny B”, formerly of the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular and Pete Sorce, who was a singer in the band Toll Free Please turn to page 7

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 3

Member pledges to “Annual Donor Society” more than triple since last report

By Thomas Hemman Times Editor An appeal to Italian Community Center members to support the organization by pledging to the “Annual Donor Society” is being heard loud and clear as evidenced by the fact that pledges more than tripled since the last report was published in The Italian Times.

Through Dec. 1, 2014, a total of 44 pledges have been made, totaling $16,736.37.

The “Annual Donor Society” was initiated in mid October when campaign material was mailed to members.

This marked the first time in 25 years that the ICC has asked its members to participate in a donor campaign. During the mid 1980s, it was an appeal to raise funds for the construction of the organization’s current building at 631 E. Chicago St., in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, the home of many of the city’s early Italian immigrants.

Today, the ICC is asking its members to contribute for the continuation and growth of the organization which they cherish and love and all that it has come to stand for since its founding in 1978.

Like many nonprofit organizations, the ICC wants to make this an annual appeal to its members to ensure that the organization can prosper for years to come. Members who participate will become part of the “Annual Donor Society.”

In the letter that was part of the campaign material, then-President Gina Spang and then-Vice President Joe Vella, stated that the ICC has become a “dependable, friendly, welcoming place where Milwaukee’s Italian American community meets to enjoy friends, wonderful food and celebrate its rich heritage. More than bricks and mortar, the ICC is a testament to our ancestors who were unwaver-

ing in their quest to pave the way to a more prosperous life for themselves and generations to follow.”

(Spang is now the immediate past president and Vella is the the organization’s president.)

The letter and a supporting campaign document with a pledge form are reprinted inside this issue.

“Many organizations have annual appeals to their members and donors to sustain themselves and to grow,” said Rose Purpero Spang, who headed the volunteer committee that developed the campaign literature. “We believe an annual appeal is something that is long overdue here at the ICC. We trust that all of our members will read

the literature that was sent to them, think it over carefully and do whatever they can to support our Italian Community Center.

“We hope that our members who can afford it will make the largest gifts, in our gold category of $5,000 or our silver category of $2,500,” she said.

Other categories of support are: $1,000, $750, $500, $250, $150 or other amount. All donations are welcomed and appreciated. All donors will be recognized in The Italian Times. In addition, gold and silver category contributors will be listed in the Carnevale program book that will be published for the Please turn to page 22

Pompeii Women’s Club continues to show its support for ICC

Tom Lorino donates six wheelchairs to ICC

Thomas A. “Tom” Lorino, a major supporter of the Italian Community Center and Festa Italiana, has donated six wheelchairs to the ICC. The wheelchair will be used when necessary to accommodate disabled guests.

Lorino was among the first members to become a major donor to the building fund for the new ICC when construction was proposed in the mid 1980s, He also has been supportive of Festa Italiana throughout its 37 years.

The Pompeii Women’s Club demonstrated its ongoing support for the Italian Community Center with the presentation of a $500 donation at the ICC’s membership Christmas dinner and dance on Thursday, Dec. 11. The check was presented to ICC President Giuseppe Vella by Pompeii Women’s Club President Patricia Consolazione. Pompeii Women’s Club mem-

bers were invited to join Consolazione in making the presentation to Vella. From the left: Marie Schwindt, Mary Winard, Aggie Collura, Jane Palmisano, Pat Consolazione, Joe Vella, Mary Pecoraro, Lucy Sorce, Lena Zingale, Phyllis Travia and Suzanee Wypijewski.

(Times photo by Tom Hemman)

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Monday – Tex Mex: Black bean salad, soft flour torillas, crispy corn torillas, ground beef, grilled chicken, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, chicken enchiladas, rice and beans.

Tuesday – Pasta Abbondanza: Caesar salad, Italian pasta salad, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, penna pasta, meatballs, tomato basil sauce, Alfredo sauce.

Wednesday – Southern BBQ: Cobb salad, cole slaw, pulled pork shoulder, Mississippi roast beef, mac and cheese, fried potato wedges, corn bread.

Thursday – Italian: Antipasto, rice balls, pasta alla eggplant, chicken Florentine, minestrone soup, sautèed cauliflower.

Tom Lorino (seated) was thanked for his donation of six wheelchairs

by Sam Purpero, a past president of the Italian Community Center.

(Times photo by Tom Hemman)

PAGE 4 – JANUARY 2015

Friday – Fish Fry: Tossed salad, tuna pasta salad, baked cod, fried cod, French fries, parsley boiled potatoes, potato pancakes.

Also try CafeLa Scala’s new lunch and dinner menu, includingour famous pizza, with your favoritebeverage!

Cafe La Scala • 631 E. Chicago St. • Milwaukee 414-223-2185 • Opwn Monday - Saturday Lunch - 11am-2pm • Dinner from 5 pm, Friday at 4:30pm

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Amore will be in the air as the ICC’s celebrates Carnevale on Valentine’s Day

from page 1 special entertainment, plenty of pageantry, magnificent decorations and displays, a marvelous sweet table and always lots of surprises.

Alas, we can’t forget to mention, spectacular Bartolotta the Fireworks show!

Royalty chosen Czubek and DeRubertis are pleased to announce the 2015 Carnevale Royalty.

• Re and Regina (King and Queen): Joe and Ann Zambito.

• Nonno and Nonna (Grandparents): Tony and Barbara Lupo.

• Principe and Principessa (Prince and Princess): John Paul Carvalho and Rebecca Lee Schwindt.

• Piccolo Principe and Piccola Principessa (Little Prince and Princess): Anthony Puchner and Julia Bongert.

• Il Gran Maresciallo (Gran Marshal): Ted Catalano.

• Il Vescovo (The Bishop): Frank D’Amato.

The Zambitos, Lupos, Catalano and D’Amato have long been involved in the ICC and Festa Italiana. They are dedicated ICC members with a distinguished record of volunteerism. Catalano is a current director on the ICC Board.

John Paul Carvalho is a member of Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee.

Rebecca Lee Schwindt is the daughter of James and Kyle Schwindt and the granddaughter of James, Sr. and Marie Schwindt.

Anthony Puchner is the son of piano-playing member John Puchner.

Julia Bongert is the daughter of Chuck and Beth Ann Bongert and the granddaughter of Don and Fran (Sorrenti) Tollefson.

Carvalho, Schwindt, Puchner and Bongert have already exemplified what the younger generation has to offer the ICC and Festa Italiana in carrying on the traditions and pride of their parents and grandparents and their Italian ancestry.

Bios and photos of each member of royalty will appear in the next issue of The Italian Times.

Salute royalty with ad in program book Family members, friends, societies, organizations and businesses have an opportunity to salute each

member of royalty by placing an ad in the Carnevale program book.

Please contact either the writer of this article, Tom Hemman, at 414-223-2189, or Anna Pitzo, at 262-695-6119, to get the details on advertising. The program book serves as an essential fund-raiser for Carnevale. Act promptly, as the book must go to the printer by the end of January.

Appetizers, dinner, sweet table While hot and cold hors d’oeuvres will be offered during the opening reception (cash bar), save room for the three-course dinner that will be served at 6 p.m. in the Pompeii Grand Ballroom.

Dinner begins with an Italian salad, followed by mouth-water entrée: petite filet mignon with Bordelaise sauce and butterfly shrimp with fresh vegetables, baked potato and Italian bread and butter. A special Carnevale dessert follows. There will be wine on each table. Guests will have the choice of coffee, tea, iced tea or milk.

Later in the evening, a beautifully decorated and bountiful sweet table, will be available.

Dancing and entertainment The Carnevale co-chairs are pleased to announce that the Bill Sargent Big Band is returning to perform dance music for all ages throughout the evening. The band has been called “the tightest, most solid ensemble of expert musicians Milwaukee may ever see.”

Tradizione Vivente, its youth group I Bei Bambini, and the children of Carnevale will also perform.

Costumes and masks Everyone who attends Carnevale is encouraged to wear a costume or mask. There will be prizes awarded for the best as determined by a distinguished panel of judges.

If you are adorning yourself in either or both and want to participate in the costume and mask parade, please head to the registration desk upon your arrival to receive a number. Since the judging panel certainly won’t know each participant, numbers are written down by the judges in determining the winners.

The costume and mask parade, led by Gran Maresciallo Catalano and the royalty, take place before the judges make their final decisions.

Apply conventional wisdom when planning your next business conference, banquet or meeting. Hold it at the

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• Handicap access & convenient parking.

• Easy access to freeway & downtown.

For professional assistance in coordinating your event, call David or Gina at (414) 223-2800 or or visit www.italianconference.com.

Italian Conference Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI Just a block west of Summerfest in the Historic Third Ward.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Carnevale 2015 chairs Joanne Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis are seen here alongside one of the two Christmas trees that Czubek volunteered to decorate at the ICC for the holiday season. Czubek and DeRubertis have served as the chairpersons of the ICC’s pre-Lenten costume and mask ball the last several years. The other Christmas tree that Czubek decorated is in the galleria. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Raffle and donations Whether you’re attending Carnevale or not, you can participate by buying tickets in a cash raffle or making a tax-deductible donation.

Raffle tickets, which will be available soon, will be $2 each or seven for $10. Prizes are $500 – 1st prize, $300 – 2nd prize, $100 – 3rd prize and $100 – 4th prize.

Donations to help cover the cost

of this fund-raising event can be made the same way as reservations: by using the form accompanying this article, in person at the ICC, by filling out the flyer found in the building or with your credit card and calling 414-223-2180.

Remember, income tax season is approaching and all donations are tax deductible since the ICC is a registered 501.3c nonprofit organization.

Carnevale 2015 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 $50.00 = $ Number of non-members attending: ______ x $60.00 = $ 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: Feb. 7, 2015.

If you cannot attend Carnevale 2015, please consider making a donation to support this event. My/Our donation is : $_________________.

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 5

Still time to make reservations for grand New Year’s Eve party

Doo-Wop Daddies to play after fabulous dinner at this reservations-only event

By Thomas Hemman Times Editor Don’t wait a minute longer to make your reservations for the spectacular New Year’s Eve party planned at the Italian Community Center.

The celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 31, beginning at 7 p.m., will include lots of delicious food, plenty of party favors and dancing to the ‘50s-‘60s sounds of the legendary Doo-Wop Daddies.

Business Manager Laurie Bisesi said, “The Doo-Wop Daddies have always drawn large crowds every time we’ve booked them. So, I want to advise everyone to get their reservations made early.”

The cost for the evening is $80 per person. Reservations are required can be made either by calling 414-223-2180 and using a credit card or by completing in the form accompanying this story. Be sure to make your check payable to the Italian Conference Center and submit it along with the reservation form to ICC, 631 E. Chicago

St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.

If you wish to be seated at a table with specific persons, please list the names of those people on a separate sheet of paper. Don’t forget to include your own name.

The ICC will not be allowing walk-ins the night of the event.

At 7 p.m., guests will be able to enjoy a variety of the Italian Conference Center’s famous hot and cold hors d’oeuvres in the galleria. There will be a cash bar.

An hour later, guests will be called into the Pompeii Grand Ballroom for a sumptuous dinner.

It will begin with an Italian salad with Romaine lettuce topped with mozzarella cheese, salami, prosciutto, tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts and pepperoncini.

The main course will feature a combination entrée – center cut beef tenderloin topped with wild mushroom Bordelaise sauce and jumbo shrimp scampi – served over angel hair pasta, steamed vegetable medley, Italian bread, and coffee, tea,

ICC New Year's Eve Party Reservation Form Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014

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. Singles and couples: If you wish to be seated at a table with specific persons, please list their names on a separate sheet of paper.

Total number of people attending _________ x $80.00 = $

Please make your check/money order payable to: Italian Conference Center, and mail to: ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.

All payments are non-refundable and must accompany this reservation form.

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PAGE 6 – JANUARY 2015

The Doo-Wop Daddies are returning for the fourth consecutive year to perform at the Italian Community Center’s New Year’s Eve party.

iced tea or milk.

For dessert, guests will be served tiramisu (ladyfinger cookies, soaked in espresso and coffee liqueur, layered with mascarpone, dusted with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings).

Following a midnight champagne toast welcoming the New Year, a buffet station will be made available. The buffet will feature assorted cold cuts, cheese and relish trays, fresh rolls, pasta salad and assorted cookies.

The Doo-Wop Daddies will play from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Doo-Wop Daddies Based in Milwaukee, the DooWop Daddies capture the demanding vocal styles of doo-wop music with unsurpassed excellence.

That’s only the beginning. The Daddies don’t merely recreate this

classic genre, but have redefined it and made it their own 21st century doo-wop.

The group’s live shows attain that ideal unity of masterful performance and entertainment.

Combining elements of vintage and cutting edge musical technologies, the Daddies produce an exciting theatrical show that remains faithful to the doo-wop style.

The Doo-Wop Daddies’ lineup includes Mike Sturino, Mike Welch, Ryan Clark, Mark Lansing, Tom Riepenhoff, Lee Stephens, Lee Wanek and Terry Casey.

More than 500 people came to see the Doo-Wop Daddies perform during their last appearance at the ICC. The group played in the Pompeii Grand Ballroom on Sept.

18. It was the largest crowd for any of the summer 2014 Courtyard Music Series shows.

Since it’s too cold, wet, and snowy to play bocce outdoors in Wisconsin in the winter time, why not play Italian lawn bowling indoors at the Italian Community Center? Winter leagues are now forming.

The winter bocce season gets under way the week of Jan. 5.

Teams in the senior citizen leagues play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Teams in the mixed couples’ leagues compete on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Teams in each league play once a week. The regular season lasts eight weeks.

The winter season champion playoffs will take place Monday, Mar. 9.

If you’re interested in registering a team to play in a winter league, here are a few things you need to know. There are two sets of registration fees – one for those who are not members of the ICC and one for those who are ICC members. The non-member registration fee is $40 per person per league season. A discounted registration fee of $30 per person per league season is offered to an ICC member. Each team must consist of at least four players, with one player designated as the team captain.

Each league is interested in having eight teams.

Team registration forms are available from the league coordinators: Dan Conley (Monday night), Anthony Gazzana (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night), Anna Pitzo (Thursday afternoon) and David Alioto (Thursday night). The forms also can be obtained by calling Salina Castro at 414/223-2180.

The championship playoffs, featuring each league winner and four teams with the next best record, will be played the night of Monday, Mar. 9. Prizes will be awarded to the championship team and the runner-up in the tournament.

Spring and fall leagues dates Bocce players might want to mark their calendars for the starting dates for the ICC’s spring and fall 2015 bocce leagues.

According to Anthony Gazzana, who serves as the ICC’s bocce coordinator, the spring season will begin the week of Mar. 16 and the fall season will start the week of Sept. 14. In both the spring and fall, leagues will be available for mixed couples on Monday and Wednesday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

The spring championship playoffs will be on Monday, May 18.

The fall playoffs will be Monday, Nov. 16.

Winter bocce season to start week of Jan. 5

THE ITALIAN TIMES

ICC members: Last chance to sign up your children or grandchildren for the Jan. 10 party with La Befana

For the 13th consecutive year, the Italian Community Center will host a post-Christmas party for the youngest children and grandchildren of ICC members that celebrates the legend of La Befana.

The gift-bearing witch of Italian folklore will greet and provide gifts to youngsters on Saturday, Jan. 10 at a party that begins with a noon lunch in Festa Hall.

“Since the mission of the ICC is to promote Italian culture, we think it’s important that our children and grandchildren learn about La Befana,” said Liz Ceraso, chairperson of the Avanti Committee, which is organizing the event.

Having the party after the busy Christmas season has also proven quite popular with the parents and grandparents, added Rose Anne Ceraso-Fritchie and Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto, Avanti Committee members, who are co-chairing the children’s party.

Party details Children are encouraged to wear socks that day because, after they eat lunch, the children will be asked to take off their shoes and leave them behind a curtain. ICC officials have heard that Befana has expressed an interest in leaving special treats in the children’s shoes.

The lunch will feature a buffet with food to please both the children and the adults in attendance.

The menu will include barbeque beef sandwiches, chicken nuggets, french fried potatoes, macaroni and

CHILDREN'S LA BEFANA PARTY & LUNCH RESERVATION FORM

NAMES OF BOYS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Names of female adult members attending: ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cost: $20.00 per adult, $15.00 per child. Total Amount Enclosed: $ . Make your check payable to: Italian Community Center. Mail this form with your payment to: Italian Community Center, Attn.: La Befana party, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation form with payment due Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. No walk-ins permitted.

cheese, fruit, chocolate or white milk for the kids and coffee for adults.

For dessert, everyone will be able to make their own ice cream sundae.

The cost to attend will be – $20 per adult and $15 for child. Prepaid reservations are required by Wednesday, Jan. 7. Please use the form accompanying this article to make your reservations.

Please include on the form the names and ages of each child so that gifts appropriate for each age group are given out. Walk-ins on the day of the event will not be permitted.

Anna Pitzo, a longtime ICC member, is making the arrangements for Befana’s visit.

Oldies But Goodies’ winter reunion concert set for Feb. 7 at ICC

THE ITALIAN TIMES

NAMES OF GIRLS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

Names of male adult members attending: ____________________________________________________________________

La Befana: The Yuletide Witch In Italy, there still remains a tradition involving the beneficent witch named Befana. On the night of the Feast of Epiphany (the 12th and final day of the Christmas holiday observance), Befana leaves presents in children’s stockings, hung upon a hearth or a stairway railing (a tradition quite similar to the American Santa Claus story).

Please turn to page ?? and now performs with Jeff LeBarge Big Band.

Harvey Scales is an internationally known rhythm and blues singer, songwriter and producer.

He has been active in the music industry since the 1960s when he first became known as “Twistin’ Harvey.” He has composed songs for groups such as The Dells, The Dramatics and The O’Jays. He is particularly notable for his coauthorship of the songs “Love-It is” and “Disco Lady,” the latter single being recorded by Johnnie Taylor and spent four weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

People who have followed the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular through the years know that the band is comprised of several artists

AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

who also performed in popular Milwaukee bands from the late ‘50s into the ‘70s. Kim Marie was a member of Denny and The Darnells. Vocalist/guitarist Chuck Travis was the leader of The Do Wa Wa’s. Drummer Bruce Cole played with The Vantels. Trumpeter Mike Betts was with The Freeloaders.

Lead guitarist Tom Sorce who has performed with several bands and still leads his own Tom Sorce Band and plays with the Tom Anthony Group. Saxophonist Mike Miller was with Junior & The Classics.

Keyboardist Bob Sanderson played with The Citations. The group’s third vocalist, Tony Clementi, is the lone exception. He did not perform with any of Milwaukee’s early rock bands, but is flying from Florida on Feb. 7 for a rare wintertime appearance in the Brew City.

Legend has it that when Christ was born, the Three Wise Men (I re magi) stopped at Befana’s hut for directions on their way to Bethlehem and, in the conversation, asked her to join them.

Befana said no, she was too busy.

Later, a shepherd asked her to join him in paying respects to the Again, Befana Baby Jesus. declined.

When it became dark, Befana noticed a great star illuminating the sky just as the Wise Men had told her earlier in the day. She then realized that perhaps she should have gone with them. So, she gathered some toys that had belonged to her own baby, who had died as an infant, and boarded her

magic broom to find the kings and the stable where the Christ Child lay.

The legend states that, regretfully, Befana was unable to locate either the Three Wise Men or the place where Jesus was born. Since then, each year at this time, Befana continues her search for the Christ Child and leaves gifts along the way for good children and pieces of charcoal for bad ones.

Here’s an amazing fact about Befana’s visits to the ICC’s annual party: Not once in the past 12 years has Befana left charcoal in the shoes or gift bags of any of the children attending. Could that possibly mean that all the children had been good?

Taste of Italy set for Sunday, Apr. 19

Mark your calendars now: The Italian Community Center’s 20th annual “A Taste of Italy” will be Sunday, Apr. 19.

This Italian food extravaganza is an essential fund-raising activity for the nonprofit organization and has always been successful.

Chairperson Ann Romano said

that April 19 was chosen because it is two Sundays after Easter and the Milwaukee Brewers will be playing out-of-town (in Pittsburgh). Romano has chaired 19 of the 20 Taste of Italy events.

Look for a lot more information on “A Taste of Italy” in upcoming issues of The Italian Times.

Thanks for your donations to the Italian Community Center building fund

The officers and directors of the Italian Community Center wish to thank and acknowledge all those who pledged, fulfilled a pledge or contributed to the building fund.

To obtain information on how to make a donation, please call 414223-2808.

August J. Amoroso

In memory of Charles “Peter” DiMaggio George and Aggie Collura

In memory of Louis “Louie” F. Migliaccio Tony Machi Bill and Rita Jennaro

The following donations were received between Nov. 10 and Dec. 8, 2014.

In memory of Frank Sanfelippo Pompeii Men’s Club

In memory of Carmello “Carmen” Zingara Paul and Rose Iannelli

General donstion to the building fund Pompeii Women’s Club

In memory of Dennis Palmisano Sonny and Melody Gensler

In memory of Anthony LoCicero Pompeii Men’s Club

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 7

“Spring Fever Music Series” coming to ICC on Tuesday and Thursday nights in April and May

The Italian Community Center is offering people a chance to get over the winter blahs and warm up to jazz, blues and good-time rock and roll with its “Spring Fever Music Series.” This free-admission series will start the first week of April and end the last week of May. There will be either a jazz or blues group performing on Tuesday nights and rock and roll bands on Thursday nights. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Festa Ballroom.

“We want to emphasize that these shows are offered with no cover charge or drink minimum,” said Joe Campagna, Jr., series coordinator.

The staff of Cafe La Scala, the ICC’s public restaurant, will be on hand to take food and drink orders in both the restaurant and the ballroom starting at 5 p.m.

Call Cafe La Scala at 414-2232185 to reservation a table, especially if you’re coming with a large group.

Who’s performing Tom Sorce, legendary guitarist, recording artist and bandleader, put together the “Spring Fever” line-up.

Here’s the Tuesday night schedule.

• Apr. 7 – Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys.

(Blues) • Apr. 21 – Chris Mariari Band.

(Blues) • May 5 – Pete Sorce with the Jeff Lebarge Band. (Jazz) • May 12 – Alex Wilson Band.

(Blues) • May 19 – Anita Stemper with Tom Sorce Band (Jazz) • May 26 – Leroy Airmaster with Junior Brantley (Blues) The Thursday night rock and roll line-up dates and bands: • Apr. 2 – Noyz Boys & Gyrlz.

• Apr. 9 – Bob Hirschi & Groove Therapy.

• Apr. 16 – Larry Lynne Band.

• Apr. 30 – Tom Anthony Group.

• May 7 – The Classics (featuring members of the Doo-Wop Daddies).

• May 14 – Rick D’Amore Band.

• May 21 – Bob Hirschi & Groove Therapy.

• May 28 – Tom Anthony Group.

Information on each of the acts will appear in the next issue of The Italian Times. Sorce said that Anita Stemper’s May 19 show will serve as her latest Opus CD release party. There will be no shows on Tuesdays, Apr. 14 and 28, and Thursday, Apr. 23 since the Festa Ballroom is booked for private functions.

2015 schedules sought from societies and organizations that regularly use the ICC

The 2015 meeting and social event schedules of every society, club and organization that regularly use the Italian Community Center for activities is needed promptly by the Italian Conference Center’s Sales and Catering Department and The Italian Times.

While most of the societies and organizations have submitted their schedules, there are still a few that have not, and 2015 is just days ago.

David Stachowiak, Director of Sales, Catering & Special Events, and Gina Manning, Catering Sales Representative, need these schedules to guarantee dates and hall/room availability. SPECIFIC HALLS AND ROOMS CANNOT BE GUARANTEED WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF ALL SOCIETIES, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. Tom Hemman, Times editor, needs the information to provide an accurate reporting of events in the calendar published in this newspaper.

All groups are asked to submit their schedules including the starting time of all events as soon as possible. The goal is to have the schedules from all societies, clubs and organizations by the end of November.

Here’s how to submit your dates Please submit schedules by using any one of these methods: • Send an email to Tom Hemman at themman@italiancc.org or to David Stachowiak at dstachowiak@italianconference.com or Gina Manning at gmanning@italianconference.com.

• Fax the information to either The Italian Times or the Italian Conference Center Sales and Catering Department at 414/223-2187.

• Drop off the schedules in person at the ICC. Groups that don’t comply with this request may find it more difficult at a later time to get the accommodations they most desire. “We always try our best to accommodate all requests, but if we can reserve dates and rooms early, it’s to everyone’s advantage,” Stachowiak said.

Added Hemman, “If we don’t have your schedule of events and the starting time of each event, it becomes very difficult and a bit frustrating to prepare an accurate calendar listing for the newspaper. We do hear about it when an event is not listed in the calendar. This is why we have to depend on the presidents or the designated representatives of the many organizations to supply that information to us.”

Stachowiak and Hemman wish to thank those societies and organizations that already submitted their schedules.

Calendar of Events

December 24, 2014 – January 31, 2015

Wednesday, Dec. 24 • Christmas Eve.

Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Sunday, Dec. 28 The offices of the Italian Community Center, Italian Conference Center, Festa Italiana and The Italian Times will be closed. Cafe La Scala will also be closed.

Thursday, Dec. 25 • Buon Natale! Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, Dec. 31 • Italian Community Center New Year’s Eve party, 7 p.m.

Details in this issue.

• Cafe La Scala will be open for lunch only, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

No dinner service.

Thursday, Jan. 1 • Felice Anno Nuovo! Happy New Year!

Thursday, Jan. 1 – Sunday, Jan. 4 The offices of the Italian Community Center, Italian Conference Center, Festa Italiana and The Italian Times will be closed. Cafe La Scala will also be closed.

Monday, Jan. 5 – Thursday, Jan. 8 • Italian Community Center’s winter bocce season begins with mixed couples’ leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Tuesday, Jan. 6 • Pompeii Men’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

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

Thursday, Jan. 8 • Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. Please note: New meeting date.

Saturday, Jan. 10 • Italian Community Center’s La Befana children’s party, noon.

Details in this issue.

Tuesday, Jan. 13 • Abruzzese Galileo Galilei Society meeting, 7 p.m.

• Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.

PAGE 8 – JANUARY 2015

Thursday, Jan. 15 • Italian Community Center membership dinner, 5:30 p.m.

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

Please note: New meeting date.

Friday, Jan. 16 • Italian Community Center participates in Gallery Night program, 6-10 p.m. Details in this issue.

Saturday, Jan. 17 • Italian Family History Club meeting, 10:30 a.m.

• Italian Community Center participates in Gallery Day program, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 21 • Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Lodge #2763/Order Sons of Italy in America Board meeting, 6 p.m.

Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The winter league season will begin the week of Jan. 5 with mixed couples’ leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Registration forms are available from league coordinators or at the ICC front office reception desk.

• Free Children’s Italian class. Look for information on the spring semester of this free class in the next issue.

• Italian classes for teens and adults. Look for information on the spring semester of classes in the next issue.

• Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. This folk dance group practices weekly on most Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the ICC. Visit www.tradizionevivente.com for details. Ballate con noi! Dance with us!

• Members Room. Open to Italian Community Center members and their guests, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Editor’s note: If the time and date of your society or club meeting does not appear in this calendar, it is quite likely that no one from your organization has supplied The Italian Times or the Italian Conference Center’s Catering Department with a 2015 schedule of events. Please submit these schedules to us as soon as possible via email at themman@italiancc.org or dstackowiak@italianconference.com or by faxing to 414/223-2187 or mailing it to either department at 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. Schedules can also be dropped off at our office.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Want ICC news sent to you electronically?

By Susie Christiansen Social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as e-mail and cell phone texting, are currently the most common methods of communicating for people. Using those avenues, we want to develop a way to reach out to our membership to inform you about upcoming events organized by the Italian Community Center, such as Il Grande Carnevale, A Taste of Italy and Festa Italiana.

We can even email you a copy of The Italian Times.

When the ICC hosts wine tastings, musical events and cooking classes, it would be helpful to everyone involved to be able to send an e-mail blast or a cell phone text blast to ICC members and as many non-members as possible.

Right now, committee chairs and event planners here don’t always know what advertising options are available to them and how to reach out to you. Without spending a ton of money, we just aren’t sure how to let the people out there know about upcoming events at the ICC. ICC members can be placed on an e-mail list and a cell phone list when they sign up for or renew their membership. Our application includes a place for your e-mail address and cell phone number.

Our membership contact list is extremely private, and we will continue to keep it that way. We do not distribute our address, phone or e-mail lists to anyone. Rest assured your contact information will be retained by the ICC and only the ICC, and you will only be sent messages on a limited basis.

We simply want to inform you.

We want to tell you about the fantastic events, activities and ethnic experiences that the Italian Community Center has to offer.

These are the other options available for submitting your cell phone number and e-mail address: 1.The ICC website: www.iccmilwaukee.com – use the Contact Us Form (the last tab on the site).

2. By e-mail: susie@iccmilwaukee.com.

3. Call Constance Jones at the ICC – 414-223-2808.

Increase in ICC membership dues approved for 2015

from page 1 and mortgages.

We feel we can offer our members so much more, and we need your help.

We need your commitment and loyalty, your positivity, and your enthusiasm.

We need just some of your time, and we need your attendance at the outstanding events hosted by the ICC. We need your advice, your suggestions for improvement, your ideas and your expertise.

What you will receive in return for your commitment: • Home delivery of The Italian

Times.

• Four (4) complimentary tickets to Festa Italiana per adult member. Eight (8 Tickets for family membership).

• Voting privileges.

• Free international television in Members Room for Italian sports and cultural programs.

• Discounted price on ICC events.

• Social, recreational, cultural and educational opportunities celebrating Italy.

• Discount on advertising in The Italian Times.

• Free Italian language classes for children.

You will also be gifted with new and rekindled friendships, pride and personal satisfaction, continued celebration of the history of those who came to America from Italy, Italian language, culture and music and, lastly, enjoyment and a lot of laughter.

You give, and you get back so much more – that is a community.

Our community center needs every one of you.

You will find the new ICC membership form in this issue.

For those who have already renewed their membership, the dues increase will not take effort until the renewal period next year.

ICC Historian Carini wants your high school yearbooks and other memorabilia

Don’t throw away your old high school yearbooks or other memorabilia. If you attended a high school in Milwaukee County or surrounding counties, Italian Community Center Historian Mario A. Carini is interested in using the yearbooks and other high school memorabilia for furthering his research on local Italian Americans.

Carini will deposit the yearbooks and memorabilia at the Milwaukee County Historical Society after he completes his research.

“These can be yearbooks and memorabilia from public, Catholic or private high schools,” Carini said.

Yearbooks and memorabilia can be dropped off at the reception desk in the main office of the ICC. Please include a note with your name and phone number so Carini knows who made the donation.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 9

Volunteers present Italian heritage at the Holiday Folk Fair International

Italian Community Center volunteers presented an Italian culture booth at the Holiday Folk Fair International. The booth display followed in line with the Folk Fair theme, which was “Celebrate the Culture of the Artisan.” Featured were staged and photo displays of Italian artisans, such as a jewelry maker, glass blower and decorative plaster craftsman at work. Volunteering at the time this photo was taken were (seated, l to r): Lynn Sobye and Louise Au, (standing): Joanne Ruggieri and Jeannie Hoss.

The exhibit was coordinated by the ICC Culture Committee. (Times photo

by Tom Hemman)

On the left: MPS students D’Andrea Johnson, Teyonda Hamlin and Mariah Jackson worked on decorative art projects at the Holiday Folk Fair. The art class was taught by Gina Jorgensen, an MPS Art Specialist, member of the ICC, vice president of Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee and secretary of WisItalia. The class was part of the Student Education Day program that was held before the Folk Fair opened to the public on Friday, Nov. 21. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen)

Eugene Orlandini, a well-known maker of decorative plaster and architectural ornaments, appears here with Gina Jorgensen (first on left) and Rosa Loeffelholz, members of Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. All three volunteered for the Holiday Folk Fair International. In keeping with the theme of the fair – “Celebrate the Culture of the Artisans – the Italian Community Center’s Culture Committee invited Orlandini to demonstrate his decorative plaster skills.

His works are also prominently displayed in the cultural exhibit.

Jorgensen and Loeffelholz not only danced, but worked in the Italian food booth operated by Tradizione Vivente. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen)

PAGE 10 – JANUARY 2015

Members of Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, were in charge of the Italian food booth at the Holiday Folk Fair International. Guests were able to indulge in a wide variety of Italian entrees and sweets including pizza, pasta with meatballs, meatball sandwich, arancini (rice balls), an artisan plate with artisan bread and a trio of tapenades, spreads and cheeses, and Italian wedding soup with breadstick. For dessert, the booth offered assorted Italian cookies, cannoli, tiramisu, Sciortino’s Bakery artisan pizza cookie, and pizzelle. When this photo was taken, the volunteers working at the booth were (l-r): Giana Songstad, Jenna Hamdan and Linda DeSanctis. Nancy Meneese waited for her order at the booth. She also was a volunteer there. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Enrica Fracchia (left) and Sabrina Lupoli, Victory School Italian teachers, helped out in the Italian cafe at the Holiday Folk Fair. Fracchia, hailing from the Liguria region of Italy, is teaching fourth grade. Lupoli, from Taranto (Puglia), Italy, is a K5 co-teacher. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen)

Two of the ICC’s most dedicated volunteers, Anna Pitzo and Sophia Michalovitz, were staffing the culture booth at the Holiday Folk Fair when this photo was taken. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen)

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Tradizione Vivente extends thanks to Vella family, Sciortino’s Bakery

Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, wishes to extend “a huge thank you to the Vella family and Sciortino’s Bakery for providing amazing food for our Italian cafe at the Holiday Folk

Fair 2014!”

The cafe featured pizza, pasta with meatballs, meatball sandwiches, arancini (rice balls), an artisan plate with artisan bread and trio of tapenades, spreads and cheeses, Italian wedding soup with breadstick, assorted Italian cookies, cannoli, tiramisu, Sciortino’s artisan pizza cookie and pizzelle.

Members of Tradizione Vivente and volunteers recruited by the group worked at the cafe the three days of the fair.

Photo on right: A manikin dressed as a glass blower performing his craft was part of the Italian culture booth. The display was accompanied by photos of glass blowers at work and information about this art. Some of the information is shown in the photo on the left. (Times photos by Tom Hemman)

U.S. Marine Corps holds 239th anniversary event at ICC

The United States Marine Corps held a 239th anniversary celebration at the Italian Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 8. The event included an inspirational program to honor Marines who have served and lost their lives in service. The top photo shows the USMC Color Guard. Photo below: Among the event attendees

THE ITALIAN TIMES

were two ICC members and retired Marines, Joe Campagna, Jr. (first on left) and Peter Russo (far right). In between them are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fritz (retired). Campagna is a past president of the ICC and a current member of the Board of Directors. (Times photos by Paul Inzeo)

It’s essential to let ICC know if your mailing address changes

Any member of the Italian Community Center who has a change of address is asked to notify the ICC promptly so that mailings from the Center are sent to the correct address.

Since the ICC uses nonprofit bulk rates to mail The Italian Times, the United States Postal Service is entitled to charge a fee (57¢) for each newspaper that is returned to the ICC and deemed undeliverable due to an incorrect address.

Even if you are temporarily away from your permanent residence and are not receiving mail at that address, you need to notify the ICC of your temporary address so that your newspaper can be delivered to that address and so that the ICC is not charged 57¢ for each failed attempt to deliver the publication to your permanent residence.

“We’ve had a number of members who have gone to Florida or another warm weather location for the winter and these people did not supply us with their temporary change of address; hence their newspaper was returned to the ICC with the service fee due for each newspaper,” Editor Tom Hemman said.

Nonprofit bulk rate mail is not forwarded to a new address, which means those members who neglect to inform the ICC of their change of address will not receive the newspaper.

Please send change of address information to: Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 or email Constance Jones at this address: cjones@italianconference.com or call her at 414/223-2808.

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 11

Gratitude extended to all who donated to Thanksgiving dinner for less fortunate

On behalf of the Italian Community Center, general chairman Tony Lupo extended a “heartfelt thank you” to all who donated product, money or time and talent to the 38th annual Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate.

The dinner was served on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Open Door Cafe, a meal site on the campus of St. John’s Cathedral in Milwaukee.

“Your input, be it product, monetary or onsite volunteering made the serving of a Thanksgiving feast to the less fortunate a success,” Lupo said. “We served hundreds of people a full complimentary dinner.”

Lupo noted that every donation – no matter how large or small – was greatly appreciated. “From the largest donations made by Ted Glorioso and his daughter, Theresa Antonicci, John Pellmann, Jane

Gertler and the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO to the smallest donations, every one helped us to provide a dinner that nearly 300 of the less fortunate in our community might not otherwise have a chance to enjoy,” he said.

In all, $3.605 was raised for the dinner, which was prepared and delivered to the meal site by the Italian Conference Center staff.

That total is about $500 more than last year, Lupo said.

The donation from Jane Gertler was made in memory of her husband, the late Dr. Coleman Gertler and the late Sadie Machi, wife of the ICC’s first president, Anthony T. Machi.

A list of all the donors appears at the end of this article.

Lupo also extended thanks to the students of St. Dominic School

Here are many of the volunteers who served the Thanksgiving dinner to less fortunate guests at the Open Door Cafe on Nov. 16. Front row: Joe Dentice, Tony Zingale, Charlie Zingale, George Collura, Claire Davis, Ray Martinez, Carol Martinez, Lena Zingale, Barbara Lupo and Liz Conway.

Back row: Bryan Gaener, Mike Cardo, Michael Sludky, Kurt Peot, Tony

Director of Outreach Ministries thanks Tony Lupo and ICC for sponsoring Thanksgiving dinner for community’s less fortunate

Schauneille Allen, Director of Outreach Ministries at St. John’s Cathedral, extended her thanks in a letter to Anthony Lupo, all of his volunteers and donors, and the Italian Community Center for sponsoring the Thanksgiving dinner for the community’s less fortunate.

The letter is reprinted here.

Dear Tony and Members of the ICC’s Men’s Service Club: Well, the busy day is over for another year and I cannot thank you enough for all of the hard work by all of your members and staff to prepare and serve 280 Thanksgiving dinners this year.

Thankfully, there were no weather warnings, cell phone alerts and blaring sirens like last year. The meal was beautiful, delicious and plentiful.

PAGE 12 – JANUARY 2015

Our guests were thrilled to have a full and delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, plus all kinds of sweets, ice cream, and beverages to choose from. Club members and sponsors gave generous donations of time, talent and treasure to make this special event a reality again this year. We look forward to this partnership each year and look forward to working with each of you again next year.

Thanks again to all of you for your generosity of spirit and openness of heart to our poor and homeless brothers and sisters.

May God’s blessing be with you always!

Gratefully, Schauneille R. Allen Director of Outreach Ministries The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

in Brookfield who volunteered as servers the day of the event.

“Thank you to everyone for your generosity. We look forward to your participation in 2015, which will be our 40th year of service,” he said.

Generous donors Here are the names of all those who generously donated funds for the Thanksgiving dinner: Salvatore (Ted) Glorioso and Theresa Antonicci, John Pellmann, Jane K. Gertler (in memory of Dr. Coleman Gertler and Sadie Machi), Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO, Gordon and Bernice Boucher, Pompeii Women’s Club, Pompeii Men’s Club, Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National, Lynn Sobye, Carmello SanFelippo, Sam Purpero, Phillip Pu-rpero and Geraldine Accetta Purpero, David Richards, Tony and Lena Zingale,

Gina Spang, Rose Spang, George and Aggie Collura, Ray and Carol Martinez, Tony and Lena Zingale, Mary Ann Maglio, Tom and Susan Christiansen, Sonny and Melody Gensler, Sophia Michalovitz, Ann and Joe Zambito, George and Gina Manning, Società Maria Santissima Addolorata Di Santa Elia, Robert Trotalli, Salvatore Quarino, John Sekula, Dr, Marisa Gatti Taylor and Steven M. Taylor, Michael Balistreri, William Eckart, Anthony and Barbara Lupo, Josephine Spano, Joseph Lembo, David Doern, Salvatore and Antonette LoCoco, Mario A. Carini, Margaret Carini, Anna Pitzo, Tony Gazzana, Joe Panella, Agnes Bova-Ulzelske, Rosemary DeRubertis, Isidore and Mary Pecoraro, Mary Winard, Joe Dentice and numerous anonymous donations.

Lupo, Jack Damico, Sydnee Livingston, Mike Toffler and Peter Greco.

Many of these volunteers are members of the Italian Community Center.

Others came from St. Dominic Catholic Church in Brookfield. Tony Lupo served as general chairman of the dinner.

Times photos by Joe Spasiano

Among the group of regular volunteers for the Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate are these gentlemen. From the left: Mike Cardo, Charlie Zingale, George Collura, Tony Lupo, Joe Dentice and Tony Zingale.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

In the foreground, Barbara Lupo and Ray Martinez are seen serving the mashed potatoes and turkey. In the background are Lena and Tony Zingale. (Times photo by Joe Spasiano)

Earl Williams of the Italian Conference Center staff helped with the delivery of the food for the Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate that was held at the Open Door Cafe at St. John’s Cathedral on Nov. 16. The Italian Conference Center’s culinary staff prepared all of the turkey and fixings for the dinner. (Times photo by Joe Spasiano)

ICC hosts Christmas dinner and dance for members and friends

More than 160 people were on hand for the Italian Community Center’s 2014 Christmas party on Thursday, Dec. 11. The event was open to members and non-members.

Susan Christiansen, a director on the ICC Board, served as general chairperson.

Rosemary DeRubertis and Joanne Czubek were in charge of the fund-raising bake sale and raffle that took place.

A Sicilian steak dinner was prepared and served by the Italian Conference Center staff. Dance music was presented by Music on the Move Plus.

Guests were able to have their Christmas picture taken at a photo booth operated by Gianni and Christina Vaccaro. A 2014 Christmas party photo album will be put together and available to see at the Jan. 15 general meeting.

Attendees who had their photo taken can pick up a free copy at the ICC. Christiansen announced that the law firm Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C. donated $100 to the ICC, which was used to help offset the costs of the event.

Raffle prizes included a multicolor vase, Calvin Klein men’s winter scarf, a crystal set by Oleg Cassini, a cocktail set with recipe book, glam red-glittered flask, necklace and earrings, Christmas gift basket, Italian platter, wine set

by Cristalleria FUMO, admission passes to the Milwaukee Art Museum to view the exhibit “Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting,” and four Milwaukee Bucks basketball ticket for five games this season. All of the prizes were donated.

Times photos by Tom Hemman

Here are three young ladies who had a big hand in making the ICC membership Christmas dinner and dance a grand success. From the left: event chairperson Susie Christiansen, Gianni Vaccaro and Christina Vaccaro, operators of the photo booth. The photo booth allowed attendees to get their picture taken either in the apparel they wore to the party or with added costume and decorative apparel. Attendees who had their photos taken can pick up one free copy at the ICC. A 2014 Christmas party photo album will also be put together and available to see at the Jan. 15 general membership meeting.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Santa Claus and his favorite elf delivered a birthday cake to Bea Ceraso, who happened to be celebrating her 85th birthday on the day of the ICC membership Christmas party (Thursday, Dec. 11). Bea, her late husband, Sam, and the entire Ceraso family have been active in the ICC since the inception of the organization in the late 1970s. Sam served as president of the organization during the 1984-85 term. Bea is a past president of the Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National and has had key roles in many ICC activities throughout the years. The appearance of Santa and his elf was made possible by two of Bea’s favorite fellows, John Alioto, her son-in-law, and Sammy Alioto, her grandson. Santa and his elf greeted all the attendees and passed out candy upon their arrival.

Attendees danced to the music supplied by Music on the Move Plus. A wide variety of danceable music styles was played throughout the evening. Holiday music was played during the dinner hour.

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 13

Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero spends busy day in Wisconsin, capped off by visit to Italian Community Center

Claudio Bisogniero, the Italian Ambassador to the United States, capped off an extensive tour of Wisconsin on Monday, Dec. 1 with a visit to the Italian Community Center.

The ambassador was greeted at the ICC by President Giuseppe Vella, Vice President Dean Cannestra, other officers and board members, ICC members and representatives of Italian societies, organizations and cultural groups.

Bisogniero started his day in Madison at a meeting with Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker.

His next stop was Victory School on Milwaukee’s south side. As readers of The Italian Times know, this Milwaukee Public School offers an Italian immersion program for students in K-4 (four year-old kindergarten) through sixth grade. The immersion program began in 2006.

This year, five new Italian teachers were added to the program, including four who were born and raised in Italy and the other who spent a greater portion of his life in Italy.

The teachers were hired by Victory Principal Janine Graber and MPS’ Office of Human Capital in collaboration with WisItalia, a nonprofit group that advocates for and supports the teaching of Italian.

Bisogniero’s third stop was at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where he was given a tour of “Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian From Glasgow Paintings Museums,” a collection that is on display there through Jan. 4.

Bisogniero entered the ICC at about 4:45 p.m. and was welcomed

by ICC President Giuseppe Vella.

Bisogniero was first guided on a tour of the organization’s extensive collection of vintage Italian American photos that line the walls from the main entrance to the west end of the building. ICC Historian Mario A. Carini provided the ambassador with details about the photos.

Afterward, President Vella introduced the ambassador to the

gathering. He also presented Bisogniero with a plaque to commemorate his visit to the ICC. Bisogniero said that, before he arrived in Milwaukee, he “never could have envisioned such a beautiful building that salutes Italy and its heritage and pays tribute to those who left the country to come to America.”

He added that, while the United States and Italy have been allies for many years, Italy, Milwaukee and Wisconsin, have, over the course of years, developed lasting ties through commerce, education and culture.

A reception followed the ambassador’s comments. Many in attendance had an opportunity to greet Bisogniero before his departure.

Bisogniero’s background Bisogniero was born in Rome, on July 2, 1954. After graduating with a degree in Political Science from the University of Rome (1976) with a dissertation in International Economics, he completed his military service as an officer in the Italian Army in 1976-77. He entered the Italian Foreign Service in May 1978. In September of 1981, he was posted to the Embassy of Italy in Beijing, China as First Secretary for Economic and Commercial Affairs with responsibility also for bilateral and multilateral development co-operation programs with China.

From 1984 to 1989, he served at the Permanent Mission of Italy to NATO in Brussels, as Counselor with primary focus on disarmament and international security issues. He also served as a delegate to the Senior Political Committee.

In 1989, he returned to Rome and was assigned to the Office of the Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Republic, Francesco Cossiga, where he remained until April 1992. In this task, he covered a wide range of international issues, both bilateral and multilateral, relevant to all

aspects of the international activity of the Italian President.

From 1992 to 1996, he served at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C. as First Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, with special focus also on financial issues, relations with the IMF and World Bank, think tanks, and defenseindustry co-operation.

In 1996, he was assigned to the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in New York, with primary responsibility for political affairs and UN reform. During this period he served as a member of the Italian delegation in the UN Security Council in 1996 and as a member of the Italian delegations to the 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd UN General Assemblies.

Three years later, he returned to the home office, serving first with the Division of Personnel and later with the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as direct collaborator to the Secretary General.

In February 2002, he was appointed Deputy Director General for Political Multilateral Affairs Deputy Political Director - responsible for NATO, United Nations, G8, disarmament, OSCE, anti-terrorism, and human rights.

In June 2005 he was named Director General for the Americas, with responsibility for the relations of Italy with the United States and Canada, as well as with all the countries of Latin America.

Two years later, he took up his duties as NATO Deputy Secretary General, responsible for a variety of security and strategic issues on the Alliance’s agenda. He also followed the NATO Summits in Bucharest, Strasbourg/Kiel and Lisbon, and worked actively in the preparatory phase for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago Named Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Bisogniero presented his credentials to President Obama on Jan. 18, 2012.

Bisogniero is married to Laura Denise Noce Benigni Olivieri. They have a daughter and a son.

Ambassador Bisogniero addressed the gathering at the ICC.

Times photos by Tom Hemman

ICC President Giuseppe Vella presented a plaque to Ambassador Bisogniero to commemorate his Dec. 1 visit to the ICC.

PAGE 14 – JANUARY 2015

Seen here with Ambassador Bisogniero are Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judges Clare Fiorenza and Mary Triggiano.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

From the left: Joe Reina, Joe Dentice, Ambassador Bisogniero, Vince Vitale, Frank Schiro and Joe Zambito. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

ICC President Giuseppe Vella welcomed Claudio Bisogniero, Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S., to the ICC. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Larry Baldassaro (left) had a brief discussion with Ambassador Bisogniero. Besides being an ICC member, Baldassaro is an Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an author. He is the former Director of UWM’s Honors Program. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

As part of his tour of Wisconsin on Dec. 1, Claudio Bisogniero (third from left), Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S., paid a visit to Victory School, the Milwaukee Public School where an Italian Immersion Program is offered currently to students in four year-old kindergarten through 6th grade.

The program, which has expanded one grade level each school year since its inception, has received support from nonprofit groups such as WisItalia and the Italian Community Center. WisItalia played an important role in helping to bring three teachers from Italy to Victory School to teach this fall. From the left: Al Rolandi, WisItalia President, Janine Graber, Victory School Principal, Ambassador Bisogniero, and MPS’ Art Specialist Gina Jorgensen, who is also the secretary of WisItalia. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen) Photo on left: Ambassador Bisogniero is seen here with the teachers who came to Victory School this year from Italy. From the left: Second Grade Co-Teacher Angela Margerita Bozano, First Grade Teacher Emanuela La Grutta, the Ambassador, K5 Co-Teacher Sabrina Lupoli and Fourth Grade Teacher Enrica Fracchia.

Photo below: Ambassador Bisogniero with the Victory School teaching and administrative staff.

Photos provided by the Victory School staff.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 15

Italian Society and Club News

UNICO Ladies present a dozen $75 holiday food certificates to needy families

The Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO have presented $75 Pick ‘n Save food certificates to 12 needy families in the Milwaukee area.

Ann Romano, chairperson of the Ladies of UNICO Community Projects Committee, said the donation of the certificates will no doubt

make the holidays brighter for these families. “It’s the right thing to do.” she said.

The donation of these certificates follows in a longstanding tradition of holiday contributions by the Ladies of UNICO to the most needy in the Milwaukee area.

Pompeii Men’s Club collects donations for MACC Fund on Candy Cane Lane

Pompeii Women’s Club congratulate Judge Triggiano

The Pompeii Women’s Club is very proud of our honorary member, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Mary Triggiano, who was honored by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers at its Columbus Day Dinner. Mary was recognized as “Jurist of the Year.”

Our organization placed a congratulatory ad in the evening’s program book. Mary has often accepted our invitation to administer the oath of office to newly elected officers and board members at our installation dinners.

Christmas party Our Nov. 29, membership Christmas dinner at the ICC was a

huge success. The dinner was excellently prepared and served by the Italian Conference Center staff.

Member Marie Schwindt was the reservations hostess. She made arrangements with Goodwill Industries for a fashion show review, featuring styles and apparel of the 1920s, ‘30s, 40s and on.

The models were perfectly matched to their outfits.

Table centerpieces of poinsettias were given as door prizes.

We wish all of the other Italian clubs and societies and the ICC staff a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

– Mary (Mineo) Winard Publicity Chair

How are all those cousins related?

By George Koleas

Members of the Pompeii Men’s Club collected donations and handed out candy one evening to passers-by who came to enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations on Candy Cane Lane in West Allis. Candy Cane Lane is located north of Oklahoma Ave., between S. 92nd and S. 97th Sts. and is bordered by Montana St. on the north. The funds collected by volunteers on Candy Cane Lane are donated to the MACC Fund. Over the course of the years, organizers have raised more than $1.5 million to fight childhood cancer. Candy Cane Lane is open for public viewing through Christmas. Pictured here from the left: Chuck Lazzaro, Mike Cardo, Chris Bartolone, Domenic Foti and Joe and Jane Palmisano. Pompeii Men’s Club President Tony Baudo thanked the volunteers for doing a great job for great cause. (Photo provided by the Pompeii Men’s Club)

Pompeii Men’s Club puts up nativity display at ICC

The Pompeii Men’s Club set up a nativity scene in the curio cabinet in the galleria near the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Chapel at the Italian Community Center. The nativity scene was donated to the club by the late Peter Boyer. Seen here are (l to r): Pompeii Men’s Club members Sal Colla, Joe Palmisano, Chuck Lazzaro and Tony Zingale, who set up the display.

(Photo provided by Pompeii Men’s Club)

PAGE 16 – JANUARY 2015

The holidays are here and a new year is upon us. Memories of your family gatherings are fresh in your mind. Identifying your aunts, uncles, grandparents, great aunts and great uncles, great-grandparents, greataunts and great-uncles is very straightforward and understandable.

But, what about your cousins? Many people just identify all cousins the same way. They are simply cousins. But are they a first cousin or a second cousin or a third cousin? Are they once or twice removed? What does that mean?

It is about relationships. Let’s start with you. The children of your parents’ brothers and sisters (your uncles and aunts children) are your first cousins. The children of your grandparents or the brothers and sisters of your grandparents (your great uncles’ and great aunts’ children) are your second cousins.

What does it mean to be “removed”? This time, it is about generations. A generation is considered to be 25 years. Let’s start with your generation. Those at different generation levels are “removed.” Your first cousins’ children are your first cousins once removed. One generation different from you. A two generations difference is twice removed.

The number of generations you are separated is the number removed.

It can get a little more confusing as you try to match up different relationships and different generations. This can be determined easily by using a relationship chart. Just such a chart is available for free at: http://www.familytreemagazine.com/upload/images/pdf/relationship.pdf So what does this matter to someone researching his or her family?

Gaps in generations of over 25 years tell you that you need to re-evaluate your information. You may have placed a cousin in the wrong generation. In most cases, researching your family starts with you and works backward, finding older and older generations. There are times when you are researching your family, when you run into a “brick wall”. A brick wall is something that is keeping you from making progress on your research. Maybe you can’t find a birth certificate, or you can’t find your relative in a census, or you can’t find their immigration record or you can’t find their record in Italy. You can get around your brick wall by going around it by searching for cousins that are second and third removed. Identifying a removed family member will help you find clues that will lead you back to the relative you are seeking and to older generations. If you have ever watched: “Who Do You Think You Are?” (on TLC) or “Finding Your Roots” (on PBS), you will have seen this method used to find older generations and then work back to the ancestor you are seeking.

For plenty of information on generations, visit: http://www.ancestry.com/cs/Satellite?childpagename=UKLearningCente r%2FLearning_C%2FPageDefault&pagename=LearningWrapper&cid=1 265124426382.

For more explanations about the relationships between members of the same family can be found at: https://familysearch.org/blog/en/cousins-removed/ and http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bridgett/cousins.htm.

Those holiday family gatherings you are attending and stories you hear may have inspire you to learn more about your ancestors. Our organization is the Italian Family History Club, also known as Pursuing Our Italian Names Together, Chapter 22 and the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society Italian Area Interest Group. At our meetings, we discuss new developments in researching your family history; members report on progress they are making in their research and how they did it; members describe their brick walls and other members offer suggestions on how to overcome those brick walls and we help new members to get started. If you are from the Milwaukee area, you may even find a family connection to one of our members.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Italian Continued on page 17

THE ITALIAN TIMES

IN THE KNOW . . .

News About I.C.C. Members Ron Benigni Henck, longtime ICC member, Festa volunteer, dies at age of 75

Ron Benigni Henck, who assisted Cosmo Carini in building Festa Italiana’s most admired structures such as the Venetian bell tower, the Pinocchio mobile, the lighted arch and the Pinocchio tricycle, died Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the age of 75.

The two also repaired and refurbished the gondola fleet that the Vella family and the festival acquired and operates each year.

“Ron was my right-hand man,” said Cosmo Carini, designer and chief builder of the projects. “He never said no when I asked him to help me out. He spent many hours with me working on everything we did for Festa in the warehouse (located on the south end of the Italian Community Center property).”

Carini noted that he and Henck were often among the last volunteers to leave the Festa grounds when setting up and taking down these projects and helping out in other areas where their skills were required.

“Ron is really going to be missed,” Carini said. “I miss him already.”

ICC President and Festa 2015 General Chairman Giuseppe Vella said, “Ron Henck was a valuable volunteer, who helped Festa get things done. Working in conjunction with Cosmo Carini, their skills

and dedication and the time they donated saved Festa a lot of money and manpower over the years.”

In all, Henck worked with Carini for 13 years. He had also volunteered for a previous Festa set-up crew, headed by John Vella.

“He brought us to Festa and showed us everything that he had a hand in building,” said Henck’s son, Steven. “He was very proud of the work he did for the ICC.”

Henck was born in Toledo, Ohio, on Aug. 7, 1939. He worked in the tool and die business and at Schlitz Brewing Company in the canning division. After the brewery closed, Henck opened his own tool and die business. He eventually went to work for Carini in the painting and remodeling business.

In addition to being a longtime ICC member, Henck was a member of the West Allis Lodge of the Shriners International. He was in the Shriners Motor Corps, participating regularly in parades and other activities. He had attended a Shriners meeting the night before he died.

Henck became a Master Mason in 2004.

He is survived by his sons Ron, Jr. and Steven and his daughter Leann, two grandchildren Cory and Hailey, other relatives and friends.

Welcome new ICC member!

The following individual became a member of the Italian Community Center since the last publication deadline of The Italian Times.

Benvenuti! (Welcome!)

Rick Varisco of Eden, Wis.

How are all those cousins related?

from page 16 Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, starting at 10:30 a.m. and ending at noon. Our other meeting dates for 2015 will be on April 25, September 19 and November 14. Anyone with an

interest in Italian family history is welcome to attend.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com or by calling 262/251-7216 after 7 p.m.

Incorporation dates of Italian American Mutual Aid Societies of Milwaukee (1884-1928)

By Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian

1. Galileo Galilei January 11, 1884 2. Cristoforo Columbo January 5, 1893 June 5, 1905 3. Santa Croce 4. Unione Fratellanza Toscana September 21, 1907 5. Giuseppe Garibaldi December 4, 1908 6. Madonna del Lume April 17, 1909 7. San Giuseppe November 7, 1909 November 17, 1909 8. Duca degli Abruzzi 9. Trinacria Milazzese January 17, 1910 10. Nasco Capo d’Orlando May 17, 1910 11. Vespri Siciliani July 10, 1910 12. Tripoli Italiana July 6, 1912 November 1922 13. Loggia Dante Alighieri 14. San Pietro November 5, 1924 15. Eleonora Duse January 10, 1925 16. San Rocco November 25, 1925 17. Loggia Francesco Crispi July 2, 1927 18. Società Abruzzese August 17, 1927 19. Principe Umberto August 3, 1928 Source: Angelo Cerminara Collection, Milwaukee County Historical Society.

Having dinner for up to 300 guests?

Here’s Ron Benigni Henck (center) with John Vella on the left and Cosmo Carini on the right. They are standing in front of Festa Italiana’s 43-foot tall replica of Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark’s Bell Tower in Venice, Italy)

Longtime ICC member Ruth Storniolo dies at age of 95

Ruth C. Storniolo (nee Witt), who was a longtime member of the Italian Community Center, died on Nov. 26 at the age of 95.

She was preceded in death by

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her husband, Joseph A. Storniolo, and is survived by her son Jeffrey, her granddaughter Nicole TenPas, her granddaughter Lily, and other relatives and friends.

Entertain them at the Italian Conference Center’s FESTA BALLROOM.

A gorgeous setting in which to enjoy great food!

The Italian Conference Center in the Italian Community Center

631 E. Chicago St. (a block west of Summerfest)

Call David or Gina at 414/ 223-2800 to reserve your party or meeting space at the ICC. Visit: www.ItalianConference.com

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 17

Italians married in Milwaukee: 1926-1940 Part IX Compiled by Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian

Introductory Notes The Milwaukee Marriage Index: 1926-1940 includes the name of the individual married and the month and year the marriage took place.

Information contained in the Milwaukee Marriage Index: 1926-1940 was compiled by this researcher in January of 1993 and will be featured in The Italian Times the next several months.

Reporting of the volume Milwaukee Marriage Index was obtained from the Milwaukee County Historical Society and copies at the City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. These works are all copyrighted and an original copy is at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. for all time.

Please keep in mind that these marriages were actualized only in the City of Milwaukee. Accordingly, if you were married outside the city limits (e.g., Shorewood, West Allis, Cudahy), your name won’t appear in this listing. Names appearing here are listed and spelled exactly as found in the marriage volumes. If you know of a relative who was married in Milwaukee during the time period 1926-1941 and that relative’s name does not appear in these listings, please contact the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Parts I and VIII of this series were published in past issues of The Italian Times.

Name Puccinelli, Anita (Balistreri) Puccinelli, Carl J Puccinelli, Carl J Puccinelli, Josephine (Dicristo) Puccinelli, Louise (Pagac) Puccinelli, Roger Puccio, Anthony Puccio, Frederick Puccio, Vincent Purpero, Carmella (Silvestri) Purpero, Pasquale Purpero, Theresa (Fricano) Purporo, William Quarino, Jasper Quarino, Mary (Zarcone) Quarino, Nancy (Sorano) Quartana, Aselda (Strillmatter) Quartana, Frances (Tarantino) Quartana, Joseph Quartana, Peter Quartulle, Thomas Quartullo, Adelia (Colavita) Quartullo, Basil Quartullo, Louise (Da Mario) Quartullo, Lucille (Rulli) Quartullo, Margaret (Sendik) Quartullo, Rita (Rizzo) Quattrocchi, Tony Quella, Bernard Quella, Clara (Franklin) Quella, Louise (Psiropoulos) Querio, Agnes (Abel) Querio, Ann (Stefani) Raccanelli, Anna (Gentile) Raccoli, Arthur Raccoli, Helen (Kriofske) Raciti, Concetiine (Adorato) Raciti, Frances (Dougherty) Raffaele, Rose (Gleason) Raffaeli, Theresa (Buzzanca) Ragio, William Rametta, Thomas Rampolla, Anna (Crapitto) Rampolla, Joseph Ranallo, Joseph Randazzo, Andrew Re, Pauline (Schmier) Reinerio, James Reno, Anthony Renteria, Rosario Renzaglia, Albino Renzoni, Lorraine (Zandi) Reppeto, John Restifo, Rose (Mirazola) Rezzo, Antonio Ricardi, Sadie (Reichman) Riccardi, Enrico Ricci, Leonard Ricciardi, Agnes (Crivello) Ricciardi, Andrew Ricciardi, Ignatius Ricciardi, Nathalie (Zielinski) Ricco, Jennie (Salani) Riccobuono, Louise (Crisci) Rigo, John Rimanelli John Rinaldi, Ralph Rinaldi, Ralph Rinaldi, Tony Rinaldi, Tony Riolo, Carl Rizzi, Anna (Gauger) Rizzo, Joseph Rizzo, Lucille (DaQuisto) Rizzo, Pauline (Dentice) Rochetti, Carmella (Kolp) Rodino, Florence (Stetter) Rodino, Florence (Stetter) Roggi, Edward Romano, Anthony Romano, Corinne (Long) Romano, Frances (Romano) Romano, John Romano, Lucille (Harmueller) Romano, Nick Romano, Pasquale

PAGE 18 – JANUARY 2015

Married Oct-1938 Oct-1932 Mar-1940 Nov-1940 Jun-1939 Jul-1930 Oct-1928 Jan-1932 Sep-1934 Oct-1935 Jul-1937 Apr-1926 Sep-1939 Aug-1934 Sep-1939 Nov-1927 Sep-1933 Feb-1936 Sep-1929 Oct-1927 Jul-1937 Oct-1935 Aug-1933 Nov-1940 Jun-1930 Jan-1934 Nov-1936 Aug-1940 Jan-1930 Oct-1928 Feb-1935 Aug-1935 Jan-1935 Nov-1939 Jul-1938 Nov-1937 Dec-1931 Nov-1937 Sep-1940 Mar-1926 Jun-1936 Jul-1939 Jul-1932 Apr-1926 Nov-1935 Oct-1931 Dec-1933 Aug-1935 Mar-1932 Aug-1933 Nov-1937 Jun-1936 Dec-1927 Apr-1934 May-1930 Jun-1929 Jul-1926 Dec-1936 Jul-1934 Jun-1926 Nov-1937 Sep-1940 Jun-1936 Apr-1935 Dec-1936 Nov-1929 Jul-1927 Jul-1927 Apr-1929 Apr-1929 Apr-1938 Aug-1927 Nov-1936 Sep-1933 Mar-1938 Aug-1940 Jun-1926 Jun-1926 Nov-1926 Jun-1934 May-1937 Jul-1926 May-1933 Apr-1940 Jul-1926 May-1939

Name Romito, Frank Rondella, Peter Rondello, Gertrude (Janiszewski) Rossetti, Joseph Rossetti, Tessie (Meyers) Rossetto, Florence (Armand) Rossi, Bernice (Wright) Rossio, Rose (Gardetto) Rosso, Harold Rosso, James Rosso, Joseph Rosso, Sylvia (Schaefer) Ruano, Louis Ruatti, Millicent Ruffolo, Anthony Rugolo, Fortunato Russo, Carmela (Marino) Russo, Carmelo Russo, James Russo, Leonard Russo, Liboria (Famularo) Russo, Mariano Russo, Marie (Randazzo) Russo, Mary (Zarcone) Russo, Vincent Sabatinelli, Rose (Maglio) Sabatino, Santo Sabatino, Thomas Saccullo, Serafino Saggio Mary (Tusa) Saggio, Carmella (Corrao) Saggio, Charles Saggio, John Saggio, Mary (Balisteri) Saggio, Theodore Sagio, Rosie (Rozzario) Salamone, Angelo Salamone, Carmella (Pallaria) Salamone, William Salerno Concetta (Giuseppi) Salomone, Rita (Cifaldi) Salsa, Jennie (Fitzpatrick) Salsa, Margaret ( Gaspardo) Salsa, Sebastian Salvadori, Fred Salvo, Charles Salvo, Josephine (Camarda) Salvo, Theodore Salvo, Virginia (Salvo) Salza, John Salza, Nick Sammarco, Angeline (Devita) Sammarco, Margaret (Flemingo) Sampaolo, Salvatore San Felippo, Mary (Lococco) San Fillippo, Antonia (Drellos) Sandretto, Anna (Gallinatti) Sandretto, Erma (Segrin) Sandretto, Orlando Sanfelippo, Andrew Sanfelippo, Anna (Sanfelippo) Sanfelippo, Anthony J Sanfelippo, Dominico Sanfelippo, Ida (Gagliano) Sanfelippo, Lawrence Sanfelippo, Mario Sanfelippo, Pietro Sanfelippo, Salvatore Sanfellipo, Rose (Lombardo) Sanfilippe, Anthony Sanfilippo, Fred Sanfilippo, Joseph Sanfilippo, Josephine (Crivello) Sanfilippo, Lorenzo Sanfilippo, Santo Sanfilippo, Virginia (Garrella) Sanfillippo, Frances (Conte) Sanfillippo, James Sansone, Casmir Sansone, Frank Sansone, Michael Sansone, Rocco Sansone, Rosalie (Serio) Sansone, Rosaria (Caporal) Sansone, Rose (Serio) Santa Maria, Thomas

Married Oct-1927 Jun-1936 Jan-1940 Feb-1940 Jul-1939 Jun-1929 Aug-1937 Sep-1928 May-1935 Jan-1939 Aug-1934 May-1936 Mar-1927 Jul-1940 Jun-1928 Oct-1939 Oct-1927 Apr-1926 Nov-1939 May-1933 Nov-1932 Sep-1937 Oct-1931 Jul-1935 Sep-1931 Mar-1940 Jul-1937 Apr-1935 Sep-1927 Feb-1929 Mar-1934 Nov-1939 Sep-1934 Nov-1936 Sep-1936 May-1929 Jun-1927 May-1926 Jun-1940 Aug-1931 Nov-1929 May-1936 Sep-1927 Jul-1936 Nov-1934 Mar-1935 Oct-1932 Sep-1939 Mar-1935 Sep-1940 Jul-1934 May-1937 Jun-1939 Mar-1930 Dec-1927 Aug-1937 Apr-1937 Nov-1940 Nov-1934 Apr-1940 Jul-1926 Jun-1940 Jul-1937 Apr-1931 Sep-1926 Oct-1939 Jul-1926 Nov-1933 Sep-1926 Nov-1940 Feb-1932 Aug-1940 Jun-1940 Sep-1937 May-1933 Jun-1940 Jul-1930 Oct-1929 Nov-1940 Sep-1938 Feb-1938 Apr-1929 Jul-1930 Jul-1940 Sep-1929 Sep-1935

Name Married Santa, James Jan-1937 Santacroce, Salvatore Feb-1926 Santi, August Jun-1940 Santilli, Italo Aug-1937 Santilli, Michael Jul-1935 Santilli, Rose (Silvestri) Jan-1935 Santo, Elizabeth (Varklick) Apr-1926 May-1930 Santo, James Santo, Julia (Trick) Jul-1930 Santo, Margaret (Steinke) Oct-1928 Santoro, Cono Oct-1928 Santoro, Nick Jan-1932 Santoro, Rosario Jun-1939 Santoro, Sam Apr-1929 Sanzone, Pavidenza (Madenti) Jun-1928 Sapienza, Basile Sep-1936 Feb-1939 Sapienza, Salvatore Sara, Anthony Apr-1940 Sara, Joseph Jun-1935 Sara, Peter Oct-1940 Sardella, Mary (Camillo) Oct-1928 Sardella, Venerina (Porchetta) Sep-1940 Sardina, Angeline (Herden) Jun-1936 Sardina, Anthony Jun-1934 Sardina, Frank Jun-1936 Feb-1928 Sardina, Gaetano Sardina, Jack Dec-1929 Sardina, Jane (Sardina) Jun-1934 Sardina, Mary (Turek) Sep-1940 Sardina, Sarah (Barker) Jun-1937 Sardina, Thomas Nov-1926 Sardina, Thomas May-1928 Sardino, Joseph Sep-1935 Sarno, Dellarose (Heling) May-1927 Apr-1934 Sarno, Jelsomina (Jekel) Sartorio, Josephine (Corrao) Jun-1930 Sassi, James Apr-1934 Saterbo, Frances (Neven) Jul-1935 Satina, Emilie (Hopp) May-1939 Satori, Ludwing Oct-1926 Savaglia, Donato May-1936 Sberna, Caroline (Dragotta) Nov-1940 Sberna, Charles Apr-1940 Sberna, Charles B Aug-1939 Sberna, Jack Jul-1929 Sberna, Joseph Apr-1934 Scafasci, Ione (Tamboli) Oct-1936 Scaffidi, Carmelo May-1933 Scaffidi, Mary (Greco) Oct-1935 Scaffidi, Salvatore Feb-1926 Scaffido, Carmella (Pintarro) Oct-1939 Scaffido, Rose (Botic) May-1939 Scaglione, Vincent Mar-1927 Scaia, Arminia (Masconi) Feb-1928 Scaia, Catherine (Grahek) Nov-1935 Scala, Joseph Apr-1937 Scalici, Ted Jun-1934 Scalish (Scalici), Michael Jul-1930 Scalish (Scalici), Nick Dec-1929 Scalzo, Frank Jun-1926 Scaniglia, Arthur Oct-1934 Scardina, Giuseppe Jun-1931 Scarpace, Frank Oct-1927 Scarpace, John Sep-1938 Scarpace, Mary (Brunetto) Nov-1927 Scarpace, Ralph Nov-1937 Scarpace, Vincent Sep-1926 Scarpinato, Antonio Oct-1926 Scarvaci, Cora (Dicristo) Oct-1937 Scarvaci, John Oct-1939 Schapira, Carl Jan-1926 Schiavo, Louis Aug-1938 Schiera, John Dec-1933 Schiera, Joseph Jun-1940 Schiero, Frances (Herman) Sep-1935 Schiro, Josephine (Pecoraro) Jul-1940 Schiro, Katherine (Miller) Nov-1937 Sciano, James Sep-1938 Sciano, Josephine (Ierevellino) Dec-1932 Sciano, Michael Nov-1932 Sciano, Philip Jul-1937 Sciano, Tessie (Tralongo) Mar-1926 Sciano, Tony Sep-1937 Scifo, Pauline (Kopp) Jul-1940 Scioli, Marianna (Norcia) Sep-1938 Continued in the next issue of The Italian Times.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Opera Topics by Angelo Castronovo

Memorable events sometimes occur in the same time period, and two such events happened to me as I sat down to write this month’s column. One of them was an operatic milestone of great importance, namely the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental masterpiece Aida, which debuted on Christmas Eve 1871 at the Cairo Opera.

Earlier that year, on October 8th, a major disaster took place in the United States, sadly it was the great Chicago Fire, which tragically killed some 300 people, destroyed more than three square miles of city structures and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.

Two important events within months of each other: one, an artistic triumph, the other a blaze of such proportions that it left a

city and the nation reeling from its impact.

For Verdi, it was a transition between his middle and late periods, and the opera is noteworthy for its stunning orchestral and harmonic richness and great choral scenes. Contrary to popular belief, Aida was not written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.

Regarding the conflagration, it was widely thought the fire was caused by a cow kicking over a lantern in a barn owned by Catherine and Patrick O’Leary. As it turned out, it was a story written as a joke by Michael Ahern, a reporter for the old Chicago Republican.

Chicago’s predominate use of wood as a building material plus a drought and strong winds were

believed to be prime factors in the destructive spread of the fire.

Cited also was the misdirection of firefighting forces when they were sent to the wrong location.

Broadcast opera is well under way at the Metropolitan Opera this month, and it should be noted that the Met’s first radio transmission of opera took place on Christmas Eve 1931 with Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

This work is back on the radio schedule the first week of January.

Also in the current broadcast schedule, listeners are enjoying Le Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata and Die Meistersinger. And interestingly, operatic characters come in many guises, with some from real life such as a number of novelists, poets and playwrights. There’s Giovanni Bocaccio in Von Suppe’s

L’Angolo del Poeta

Bocaccio, Lord Byron in Banfield’s Lord Byron’s Love Letters, Miguel Cervantes in Strauss’ Das Spitzenrouch der Kongin, Andrea Chenier in the same opera, and Voltaire in Bernstein’s Candide.

Quotable quote: “God bless us everyone.” – Charles Dickens

Prepared by Barbara Collignon

Sigmund Freud said, “Poets are masters of us ordinary men in knowledge of the mind, because they drink at streams which we have not yet made accessible to science.” He also wrote, “Everywhere I go I find that a poet has been there before me.”

One wonders what he would have said of Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi (June 29, 1798 – June 14, 1837) and his poems. Leopardi lived an unusual life growing up in Recanati, a village in the ultra conservative Papal States, under the rigorous religious discipline of his mother.

Leopardi’s father was a gambler who lost much of the family’s fortune and his mother attempted to restore the family’s fortune by saving money. Leopardi, nevertheless, did enjoy a happy childhood and wrote about sharing it with his siblings in “Le Ricordanze”.

Frail and probably suffering from Pott’s disease or tuberculous spondylitis, a rare form of tuberculosis caused by the invasion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the spinal vertebrae, Leopardi was tutored in the family tradition by priests. Extremely studious, he learned to read Latin, Greek and Hebrew and tried on his own to learn as much as he could between the ages of 12 and 19. This studiousness and his fragile health prevented him from enjoying a normal active childhood. Studying constantly as he did was probably also a way to escape mentally, at least, the rigid environment of his family home.

When he was 20, he tried to escape the oppressive atmosphere of the family palazzo but was caught and returned home. His family members then monitored him constantly and his relationship with them and with his father in particular deteriorated. He was later allowed to live in Rome with his uncle, but he became disillusioned with life there, nursed an unrequited love for his cousin and, as his health declined, so did his belief in justice, love and heroism.

In 1828, he was offered a professorship in Bonn or Berlin, but poor health required he refuse and he returned to Recanati. He did manage to live independently in Florence from 1830 to 1832 and

THE ITALIAN TIMES

later in Naples near his friend Antonio Ranieri. The climate there offered health benefits. He died during the cholera epidemic of 1837 at only 38 years of age, perhaps of pulmonary edema. He was buried in the atrium of the church of San Vitale at Fuorigrotta. In 1939, his tomb, moved to the Parco Virgiliano, was declared a national monument.

Leopardi was an atheist inspired, no doubt, by experience and his extensive knowledge of Classicism and the Enlightenment.

His poetry is Romantic in the literary sense. In light of his health struggles, disillusionment in life and love and a thwarted academic career, his life can be seen as stormy. Some of that is reflected in this poem; however, there is a certain happiness reflected in the ordinary aspects of life to which he alludes in the quiet that follows a storm. Make what you will of the last lines, which are permeated with a certain bitterness.

(In this translation, for the sake of greater readability, I’ve dispensed with the convention of capitalizing the first word of each line and taken liberties with punctuation.)

LA QUIETE DOPO LA TEMPESTA

By Giacomo Leopardi Passata è la tempesta: Odo augelli far festa, e la gallina, Tornata in su la via, Che ripete il suo verso. Ecco il sereno Rompe là da ponente, alla montagna; Sgombrarsi la campagna, E chiaro nella valle il fiume appare.

Ogni cor si rallegra, in ogni lato Risorge il romorio Torna il lavoro usato.

L’artigiano a mirar l’umido cielo, Con l’opra in man cantando, Fassi in su l’uscio; a prova Vien fuor la femminetta a còr dell’acqua Della novella piova; E l’erbaiuol rinnova Di sentiero in sentiero Il grido giornaliero.

Ecco il Sol che ritorna, ecco sorride Per li poggi e le ville. Apre i balconi, Apre terrazzi e logge la famiglia: E, dalla via corrente, odi lontano Tintinnio di sonagli; il carro stride Del passegger che il suo cammin

ripiglia.

Si rallegra ogni core.

Si dolce, si gradita Quand’è, com’or, la vita?

Quando con tanto amore L’uomo a’ suoi studi intende?

O torna all’opre? O cosa nova imprende?

Quando de’ mali suoi men si ricorda?

Piacer figlio d’affanno; Gioia vana, ch’è frutto Del passato timore, onde si scosse E paventò la morte Chi la vita abborria; Onde in lungo tormento, Fredde, tacite, smorte, Sudàr le genti e palpitàr, vedendo Mossi alle nostre offese Folgori, nembi e vento.

O natura cortese, Son questi i doni tuoi, Questi i diletti sono Che tu porgi ai mortali. Uscir di pena È diletto fra noi.

Pene tu spargi a larga mano; il duolo Spontaneo sorge: e di piacer, quel tanto Che per mostro e miracolo talvolta Nasce d’affanno, è gran guadagno.

Umana Prole cara agli eterni! Assai felice Se respirar ti lice D’alcun dolor: beata Se te d’ogni dolor morte risana.

THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM Translation by Roberto Ciampi

The storm has passed: I hear the birds rejoice; and the hen, returned to the road, takes up her verses. Here’s the serene sky breaking in the west, into the mountain: The countryside clears; bright appears the stream in the valley.

Every heart cheers; on every side sounds reverberate, the usual work resumes.

The workman stares at the watery sky, with his work in hand he sings, appears in the doorway; rushing outside, the young lady goes to collect water from the new rain; The vendor takes up again, from lane to lane,

his daily cry.

The sun returns and smiles across the hills and the villas.

The servants open terraces and balconies: and, on the main street, from afar one hears the tinkling of the bells, the creaking carriage of the traveler who resumes his journey.

Every heart is cheered.

Whenever, as now, is life so pleasant and so dear?

When, with so much love, does man keep at his work?

Or resume it? Or take on new tasks?

When is he less mindful of his troubles?

Pleasure is the son of pain!

O vain joy, fruit of past fears, which shook the man who abhorred life, but dreaded death!

With which people, in endless agony, cold, and silent and pale, sweating and pining, seeing the lightning, clouds, and winds, about to hurt us.

O courteous nature!

These are your gifts to us, these the delights you give to mortals!

Escaping from pain, is our delight.

You scatter sorrows with a generous hand; grief spontaneously arises; and that which by some monster or miracle is born of pain, is a precious gain of pleasure!

O human race, so dear to the gods!

Be happy if you are granted any relief!

Be blessed when Death releases you from grief!

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 19

LA PAGINA ITALIANA a cura di Enrica Tarantino-Woytal

Sicilia Mondo - Emblematica la voglia di Italia in Australia dalla lettera di Mariangela Stagnitti, Presidente dei Comites di Brisbane e delegata di Sicilia Mondo, dove tra l’altro la lingua italiana è la più studiata nel sistema scolastico australiano dopo quella giapponese

Caro Presidente Azzia, Le scrivo la presente per comunicarLe la grande emozione di tutti gli italiani ma anche di tutta la città di Brisbane per la visita del Presidente del Consiglio italiano Matteo Renzi in occasione del G20.

Perché qui a Brisbane la gente è impazzita per l’Italia.

Tutta la città era davanti al televisore per vedere l’arrivo del Presidente Renzi con la moglie all’aeroporto. Ad attenderlo l’Ambasciatore d’Italia in Australia Dott. Pierfrancesco Zazo con la

moglie e vari rappresentanti del Governo dello Stato del Queensland.

Il sindaco di Brisbane ha persino dichiarato il 14 novembre giornata di festa per godere dell’entusiasmo e dell’atmosfera elettrizzante che si respirava in occasione dell’evento, anche tra i cittadini australiani.

8000 i partecipanti e oltre 5000 poliziotti per la sicurezza.

Io come Presidente del Com.It.Es Qld ho aspettato con emozione l’evento ma non mi è stato possibile avvicinarlo.

Fuori dai confini nazionali c’è una forte domanda di Italia.

Forse pochi sanno che nel mondo ci sono 250 milioni di italici, tra italiani che sono emigrati o discendenti o coloro che amano l’italiano, persone che si identificano o che si sentono affini all’Italia per cultura, lingua, stile di vita, musica, arte, letteratura, etc. 80 milioni di italiani tra oriundi, naturalizzati o discendenti, seconda diaspora mondiale dopo quella cinese. 4 milioni e mezzo con cittadinanza e passaporto italiano.

Infine l’associazionismo regionale diffuso in tutte le parti del mondo.

La lingua italiana è la quarta nel mondo.

Su questo scenario italico senza confini geografici, ha avuto luogo a Firenze la 2 giorni di confronto degli Stati Generali per la promozione della lingua e della cultura italiana nel mondo sul tema “L’italiano nel mondo che cambia”, organizzata dal Ministero degli Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, in collaborazione con il Ministero della Istruzione, Università e Ricerca e del Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo.

I lavori sono stati aperti dal Sottosegretario agli Esteri Mario Giro, il quale ha affermato che l’iniziativa vuole essere l’occasione per approfondire le strategie di diffusione dell’italiano all’estero e fare il punto sulle nuove sfide da affrontare.

Studiosi, ricercatori, esperti nella materia sociale, docenti universitari, burocrati ministeriali, esponenti del mondo artistico e culturale italiano si sono alternati sui tavoli delle discussioni tematiche, strategie di diffusione della lingua italiana nel mondo, nelle due tavole rotonde su italofonia e prospettive in Italia ed all’estero.

Il Sottosegretario Giro ha preannunziato che gli Stati Generali restano convocati insieme ad un nuovo gruppo in via di costituzione per appuntamenti e verifiche di quanto realizzato al 2015 e al 2016.

Nel documento conclusivo sono indicate le linee normative, di

indirizzo politico e gestionale, progettualizzate per la promozione della lingua e cultura italiana, attraverso l’abbraccio di tutti gli italofoni del mondo con l’obiettivo di dare risposta alla domanda di lingua e cultura che viene da fuori, ridare immagine, crescita economica e turismo internazionale al Paese Italia. Fare sistema.

Negli atti del Convegno non mancano i riferimenti alle comunità italiane.

Ma poco si dice sul loro coinvolgimento e partecipazione e sul ruolo della rappresentanza: Comites, CGIE e sulla ragnatela dell’associazionismo regionale italiano diffuso in tutte le parti del mondo, collegata con le Regioni di appartenenza attraverso leggi e strumenti operativi come le Consulte regionali. Le Regioni, infatti, hanno la delega sulla emigrazione.

Si tratta di una infinità di associazioni, circoli, clubs, aggregazioni e centri culturali piccoli e grandi, legate tra loro dalla identità regionale che svolgono una intensa attività di rapporti, relazioni e contatti tra di loro e le altre realtà regionali presenti nel territorio. Una galassia in movimento.

Per tutte le aggregazioni, la lingua, unitamente alla cultura italiana, è fattore indiscusso di riaggregazione e di unità nei quali i connazionali si ritrovano e si riconoscono, riscoprendo l’orgoglio della appartenenza italiana mai dismessa.

Sicilia Mondo – Stati Generali per la promozione della lingua e della cultura italiana nel mondo. Il dopo incontro

PAGINA 20 – GENNAIO 2015

Un patrimonio immateriale straordinario che è risorsa dalle potenzialità incalcolabili.

Siamo convinti che chiamare in causa, e possibilmente responsabilizzare le comunità italiane, significherebbe allargare a livello di base la iniziativa promozionale nelle società di insediamento, nella quotidianità, nel lavoro.

Nessuno meglio di chi la parla può diffondere una lingua. Lo stimolo al suo uso è promozione vera.

In questa direzione, l’apporto diventa importante alla iniziativa degli Stati Generali.

In compenso, la domenica del 16, durante la Santa Messa in una chiesa a New Farm, frequentata da numerosi siciliani, la mia mamma Antonina Stagnitti, emigrata da più di 50 anni da Castiglione di Sicilia, dopo aver letto la prima lettura, ha avuto modo di conoscere la Signora Agnese Renzi, moglie del Presidente del Consiglio, presente alla celebrazione, che alla fine ha gentilmente salutato tutti e si è complimentata con lei per la lettura. Tutta la parrocchia si è commossa.

Io nel frattempo mi trovavo a Sydney, dove ho partecipano ad una cena insieme al Presidente Renzi, ero emozionatissima. Circa 490 invitati, tutti italiani provenienti da varie città australiane. Tra i numerosi ospiti il Senatore Francesco Giacobbe, l’On Comm. Santo Santoro ed i rappresentanti del governo Australiano.

Una serata per me indimenticabile. Il Senatore Giacobbe mi ha presentato il Presidente Renzi con cui ho avuto un cordiale colloquio di circa 10 minuti. E’stato gentile, mi ha chiesto da che parte d’Italia ero

originaria, il perché mi trovassi in Australia. Ed io, orgogliosissima Siciliana, ho raccontato la storia dei miei genitori che lasciarono il loro paese Castiglione di Sicilia per venire in Australia. Mi ha parlato altresì di Catania e della Sicilia, mi ha augurato un “in bocca a lupo” sia per il lavoro in banca che come Presidente dei Comites.

Lo abbiamo ascoltato per quasi un ora, ha toccato tanti temi sul passato, sull’oggi e sul domani dell’Italia e dell’Australia.

E stata una bellissima serata, densa di emozioni….a tal punto che credo che mio nonno sarebbe stato orgoglioso che sua nipote abbia conosciuto il Presidente del Consiglio. Perché mio nonno e gli italiani della sua età ma anche gli altri hanno trapiantato l’amore e la stima per gli italiani. Oggi tutta l’Australia fa il tifo per gli italiani e l’Italia.

Caro Presidente, sperando che mi scusi per gli sbagli, Le invio tanti saluti da Brisbane.

Mariangela Stagnitti Relationship Manager Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Sicilia Mondo: Comunicazione ai Presidenti ed alla struttura sul rinvio elettorale dei Comites

Mi premuro informarTi che il Consiglio dei Ministri ha approvato un provvedimento d’urgenza che posticipa al 17 aprile 2015 la data di voto per l’elezione dei componenti dei Comitati degli italiani all’estero, inizialmente prevista per il 19 dicembre. Di conseguenza il termine ultimo per l’iscrizione degli elettori è stato spostato al 18 marzo 2015.

La notizia dello slittamento del voto è stata accolta con soddisfazione anche da Sicilia Mondo che ha apprezzato la

decisione presa dal Governo ritenendola un atto di sensibilità democratica nei confronti della numerosa collettività italiana residente all’estero.

Viene così superato il malumore molto diffuso tra i connazionali e create, nello stesso tempo, le condizioni per una più larga partecipazione al voto.

E’ chiaro che adesso occorre non allentare l’impegno della nostra struttura ma cogliere l’occasione del rinvio per intensificare ulteriormente l’azione di adesione alla elezione dei Comites, primario presidio della rappresentanza italiana nel mondo.

Gradirei, pertanto, notizie sulle iniziative in programma per l’ulteriore sensibilizzazione in vista del nuovo appuntamento del 17 aprile 2015.

La crisi economica toglie il respiro, soprattutto con l’avvento del Natale. In Sicilia si prova a combatterla con i mercatini in piazza. Dalle periferie alla città i mercatini sono affollati e sono l’occasione per curiosare tra prodotti tipici locali, ma anche idee regalo. E soprattutto tra luci e profumo di caldarroste respira l’aria di Natale.

E’ prevista per oggi alle ore 17,30 l’apertura del “Primo mercatino di Natale” promosso da

Impresa di Sicilia, con il patrocinio della VI circoscrizione, negli spazi esterni della settecentesca Villa Castelnuovo in viale del Fante 66 a Palermo. Oggi taglio del nastro anche per la “Mostra dell’Artigianato Siciliano”presso il Salone degli Specchi e lungo il colonnato esterno del Teatro Politeama di Palermo.

In tutti i mercatini della Sicilia si cerca di favorire la vendita dei prodotti locali e soprattutto rivalutare l’artigianato.

Il provvedimento si è reso necessario a seguito di una verifica sull’esito deludente delle iscrizioni richieste agli aventi diritto, soprattutto dovuto alla ristrettezza dei tempi in calendario.

Nei mercatini locali per uno shopping anti-crisi in Sicilia

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Report from Victory School’s Italian Immersion Program

Victory K-8 has had quite a spectacular autumn, including a visit from His Excellency, Claudio Bisogniero, the Italian Ambassador to the United States.

Maestro Kaftan’s K4 kindergarten students are working hard in math. They are counting, recognizing shapes and patterns and learning how to make sets of numbers. Everyday, the students do a calendar in Italian. They are also having Italian books read to them, and they enjoy watching Italian shows like Mickey Mouse (Topolino

in Italian).

Maestra Sabrina and Mrs. Brunnelli’s K5 kindergarten class has a sister classroom in Italy. The students have spoken to each other on Skype. The Victory kindergarteners sang an Italian song to their new friends in Italy, and the Italian students sang “Jingle Bells” and “Happy Birthday” in English to the Victory school kindergarten students. K5 students are counting animated ants to learn their ordinal numbers. Maestra Sabrina is teaching the students about Italian

culture, colors, numbers and how to greet one another.

Maestra Zizzo’s and Maestra LaGrutta’s first graders are learning all about Italian traditions.

Another focus in first grade has been Italian vocabulary related to

the human body, seasons and colors.

Maestra Bozano and Maestra Robertson’s second graders are hard at work. In math, students have been adding and subtracting Please turn to page 22

MALTEMPO A PALERMO Nuovo ingresso pronto soccorso va sott’acqua, dirottati pazienti

A causa PALERMO dell’acquazzone che si è abbattuto su Palermo si è allagato l’ingresso per le ambulanze del pronto soccorso dell’ospedale Civico di Palermo realizzato da pochi giorni.

In questo momento i pazienti in ambulanza sono dirottati negli altri ospedali in attesa di cercare di rimediare al disservizio e prosciugare l’acqua che ristagna nel viale.

«L’acqua che non è defluita attraverso il sistema fognario del Comune è finita dentro il nuovo ingresso del Pronto Soccorso. Le griglie che erano state installate non hanno retto alla mole di acqua che è venuta giù da via Ughetti.

Alla luce di quanto successo prenderemo nuovi accorgimenti. È chiaro che gli interventi devono

essere eseguiti in sinergia con il Comune», dice Giovanni Migliore direttore generale dell’azienda ospedaliera Arnas Civico di Palermo.

Intanto, vigili del fuoco in azione con le idrovore in diverse strade e magazzini, allagati a causa di un acquazzone. I pompieri sono intervenuti in via Messina Marine, a Mondello e nella zona di Partanna Mondello e in Piazza Indipendenza.

Decine e decine le telefonate alla sala operativa della caserma Caramanna da diverse zone della città. Sotto osservazione i sottopassi in viale Regione Siciliana, che nel corso degli ultimi temporali si erano allagati bloccando la circolazione.

Papa ha acceso albero Natale da Guinness Mille luci su Gubbio, festa ‘occasione perdono e pulizia anima’

Papa Francesco ha acceso con un tablet, dal suo studio in Vaticano, l’albero di Natale più grande del mondo, una struttura con circa mille luci (nel Guinness dei primati) sulla parete del Monte Ingino, alle spalle di Gubbio. Lo aveva fatto anche

Benedetto XVI nel 2011.

“Vogliamo che la luce di Cristo sia in noi” - ha detto -. “Se voi avete qualcosa di oscuro nell’anima, chiedete perdono al Signore: è una bella opportunità, questa del Natale, per rendere pulita l’anima.

Circo senza permesso: animalisti fanno sospendere lo spettacolo

PALERMO - Un gruppo di animalisti ieri sera ha chiamato polizia e vigili urbani e ha fatto sospendere il secondo spettacolo del circo Sandra Orfei che si trova nei pressi del centro commerciale Forum a Brancaccio, a Palermo. Gli animalisti della Lida (Lega italiana per i diritta degli animali) hanno iniziato a tempestare i centralini di polizia e vigili urbani per segnalare che anche senza autorizzazione si stavano tenendo gli spettacoli sotto il tendone.

«Avevamo letto che il Comune non aveva dato le autorizzazioni ai circhi che ci sono in città - dice Alessandra Musso dell’organizzazione animalista - Abbiamo chiesto solo il rispetto della legalità».

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Gli agenti sono arrivati e hanno verificato che la struttura non aveva i permessi.

«Martedì tutto sarà risolto spiega l’avvocato Antony De Lisi che assiste le compagnie dei circhi Venerdì si è tenuto un incontro chiarificatore e tutto verrà verbalizzato martedì».

Probabilmente quindi il circo in questione entro martedì sarà in regola con i permessi, ma non è detto che per la struttura i problemi finiranno, visto la la Lida di Palermo ha organizzato proprio per martedì un sit-in informativo e di protesta davanti al circo per mostrare alla gente alcuni video sull’addestramento degli animali nei circhi.

GENNAIO 2015 – PAGINA 21

Member pledges to “Annual Donor Society” more than triple since last report

from page 4 pre-Lenten costume and mask ball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015.

Contributions can be made by check or credit card. As an option, donors can contact the ICC office at 414-223-2180 to set up a payment plan.

So far, two gold category pledges have been made. Those came from Sam Purpero and Ebbie and Joe Mangiamele.

One silver category donation has been made, coming from Joseph John and Rose Purpero Spang.

“I want to remind our members

that all donations to the ICC, a 501c.3 corporation, are taxdeductible,” Vella said. “With income tax season approaching, a donation to the ICC before year’s end would unquestionably work to your advantage.”

from page 21 numbers up to 20 in Italian and counting to 100 and sometimes to 1,000 in Italian. The class spent time learning vocabulary such as: “Ringraziamento,” and “Pellegrini, nave, e tacchino.” Recently, students wrote a spontaneous “poesia” in Italian. Students are now focused on language and culture related to the “Citta!” In “Scienza,” students have been studying the water cycle and what happens in the different states of water.

Students are studying water and land conservation and material properties of the earth.

Center where a beautiful reception was held in honor of the Ambassador. The Ambassador gave an inspirational speech to community members, reflecting on the great value of an Italian elemen-

Listed below are the names of the members who made a commitment to the “Annual Donor Society” through Dec. 1, 2014: • RoseMarie DeMichele • Michele R. Butz • William and Rita Jennaro • Leonard and Marlene Widen • Joe Manone

• Vincenza and Vincent Vitale • David and Jeannie Doern • Gordon and Bernice Boucher • Joseph and Virginia Magestro • Gerald and Judith Perona • Keith Gross • Jerry W. Hermann • Maurine and Nick DeLeo • Anthony and Barbara Lupo • Margaret Mary Carini • Mary L. Herro • Joe and Carole Casamento • Joseph and Diane Barbieri • Peter and Mille Gustin • Santa L. Mazza • Gaetano Canzoneri • Wayne Kitzerow and Sheila

Report from Victory’s Italian program

tary program and how it would help students in the future to strengthen their education, career and life work.

– Submitted by Annette Robertson

Vivi • Vincent and Lucretia Lo Coco • Joseph Charles Spang • Joseph John and Rose Purpero Spang (Silver Pledge) • Sam Purpero (Gold Pledge) • David C. Shaw • Otto and Joan Satula • Rosario and Josephine Spella • Gwen Wood • Sandy M. Powers • Bob Mari Ann Larsen • Frank and Betty Fugarino, Sr. • Anna L. Pitzo • Joseph and Jane Vento • Donald and Frances Tollefson • Grace M. Elliott • Theodore F. Mazza • Michael N. Balistreri • Edward and Edith Brown • Kenneth H. Pakulski • Ebbie and Joe Mangiamele (Gold Pledge) • Joseph J., Jr. and Christine Ziino • Tony and Lena Zingale

Maestra Laurenzi’s third graders are looking for heroes.

Students are learning about what it means to be a hero. They were inspired by a little girl named Rachel and a vet named Nick in the article, “Helping a Hero”. If a little third grader can help out an American hero, then so can Maestra Laurenzi’s third graders.

The class is on a mission. They are inviting you to join them to collect toiletries for the Homeless Vets in Milwaukee. Please contact Maestra Laurenzi at 414-304-6701 for a list of the toiletries that are acceptable for the vets.

The focus of Maestra Enrica’s fourth graders is the learning of Italian so that they can have content-based lessons. Right now, they are working on building sentences and reading in Italian.

The fifth and sixth graders in Maestro Falsetti’s classroom visited Jones Island Water Treatment Plant, and they learned about how water is cleaned and used in the City of Milwaukee. Afterwards, they worked with Ms. Sylvia Piene from the Haggerty Art Museum to compare how water is used today and how the ancient Romans used water. The students researched Roman baths and acqueducts.

Then, a real life Centurion from the Roman Legion visited the entire school. Mrs. Peine’s husband, a historical re-enactor, brought in props and information about Roman baths to bring context and to make the experience alive for students.

His Excellency, Claudio Bisogniero, the Italian Ambassador to the United States, visited Victory K8 along with the Consulate General of Chicago, Adriano Monti. His Excellency spent an hour with the Italian team before heading to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see, “Five Hundred Years of Italian Art”. After viewing the exhibit, His Excellency reconnected with the Italian teachers from Victory School at the Italian Community

PAGE 22 – JANUARY 2015

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Celebrating Epiphany in Italy

The most important date on the Italian calendar in January is Epiphany, falling on Jan. 6 each year. Epiphany is a Christian festival commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi (the Three Wise Men).

While in many countries, people exchange gifts at Christmas,

THE ITALIAN TIMES

for centuries in Italy, the gift exchange occurred on the Epiphany, and, in many households across Italy that practice is still followed today.

Children hang stockings the night before Epiphany in hopes of getting gifts from La Befana, the kind witch, who, according to Italian folklore, declined an oppor-

tunity to travel to Bethlehem with the Three Wise Men to see the Baby Jesus. To make amends for the mistake she realized she made, Befana decided she would deliver presents every year to good children.

Many churches across Italy present live nativities on Epiphany.

Have something to sell that would be of interest to readers of The Italian Times? Why not put it in an ad in our next issue?

For details on ad sizes and costs, please call 414-223-2801 or send an email to: themman@italiancc.org.

JANUARY 2015 – PAGE 23

ICC decorated for holiday season

On a brisky November day, Anthony Harris (left) and Roberto Oquendo of the Italian Conference Center staff put up many Christmas trees and other festive decorations in the Italian Community Center’s courtyard.

Various Italian societies and clubs also put of Christmas trees and holiday displays. Everyone is invited to come to the ICC to see the holiday displays in and around the building. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Italian ski resorts flourish in January

While January is off-season for most tourist destinations in Italy, the ski resorts in the northern part of the country flourish.

Italy is internationally known for its world-class ski slopes and its great mountains that remain covered with snow during the winter months. The famous Dolomites are generally the most popular for those who like winter sports.

The Dolomites are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana).

The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino.

The Dolomites are listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site and are characterized by their dozens of high, snow covered mountain peaks.

Several highly acclaimed ski resorts are located in the area.

Some of the most famous are located in Alleghe, Auronzo, Falcade, Urtijei and Arabba.

January weather across Italy

Traveling in Italy in January is often a mixed bag. The weather can be dreary, cold, wet and gray. Parts of Italy do get covered in blankets of fluffy, white snow while other parts get inundated with fog and rain.

The mountains that line the border of northern Italy tend to be the coldest areas of Italy, but the January snowfalls produce some of Europe’s best skiing and snowboarding conditions. In all of Italy’s mountainous areas (and there are many beyond the northern regions), the weather is generally colder and snowier than the rest of the country.

Since the Italian peninsula is so narrow, the coastal climate extends quite a ways inland on both sides; meaning even if you’re as far inland as Rome, for instance, you’re more likely to get rain during the winter than snow.

During January, there is quite a range of temperatures across Italy. As a general rule of thumb, these are the temperature ranges: • Northern Italy: 25º-45º Fahrenheit.

• Central Italy: 40º-55º Fahrenheit.

• Southern Italy (including Sicily): 50º-60º Fahrenheit.

PAGE 24 – JANUARY 2015

Your Special Occasion Deserves Our Special Attention.

Whether you're planning significant family functions -- reunions, christenings, quinceañera, bridal or baby showers, or you're faced with organizing a last-minute event, such as a funeral luncheon . . .

Or you want the perfect setting for a wedding reception or engagement or wedding rehearsal dinner, or your company is looking for an ideal location for a business or social gathering . . .

the Italian Conference Center is your answer.

Our Catering Director will work closely with you to make sure that every detail that goes into a successful event is planned. And the food at the ICC! Ah, the food. Your guests will shower you with compliments after they've eaten the delicious meals prepared by our outstanding chefs and served by our friendly and efficient wait staff.

Everything you need for a successful event is ready and waiting at the Italian Conference Center. For assistance in scheduling and planning your event, call David or Gina at . . .

414-223-2800 or visit: www.ItalianConference.com

In the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee Free parking • Handicapped accessible

Minutes from downtown and freeway access in the Historic Third Ward

THE ITALIAN TIMES