Jan 2016 - Italian Times

ITALIAN TIMES THE

Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com JANUARY 2016 • VOL. 37 NO. 7

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Celebrate Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 6 at ICC

By Thomas Hemman Times Editor Cast aside your burdens for one spectacular night as the Italian Community Center celebrates its 37th annual Il Grande Carnevale on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Show your creative side by wearing a costume or mask. Dance the night away. Be treated to a fabulous double-entrée dinner and a tantalizing sweet table.

Be a witness to the tradition and pageantry that includes a coronation of royalty, a gleeful parade of those in costume and mask, spec-

tacular fireworks and a few surprises that are sure to add to the excitement of the evening.

Organizers hope that all of the pomp and circumstance will make you shout “Viva Il Carnevale!”

In fact, “Viva Il Carnevale” is the theme for the Italian Community Center’s 37th annual Il Grande Carnevale. Saluting the traditions of the past and the hope of the future, Carnevale will bring together generations of families and friends for a celebration that no one should want to miss the evening of Feb. 6.

The fun begins at 5:11 p.m. in the galleria with a cocktail reception (cash bar). The Italian Conference Center’s renowned hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Guests will be called into the Pompeii Grand Ballroom at 6:11 p.m. for the start of the program and dinner.

The dinner will feature a combination entrée of chicken Roma and a petite filet mignon. There will be bottles of wine at each table to enjoy with the meal.

After dinner comes the program Please turn to page 8

The National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities, with its donation of $3,500, has fulfilled the $100,000 financial pledge the Tournament made to the Italian Community Center.

The pledge was made by Anthony T. “Tony” Machi on behalf of the Tournament. Machi is one of the Tournament’s charter and longtime members and director of its Board, serving, at times, as its president.

The Tournament was founded in 1958 by a group of local business and professional men. Among the originators of the event were Joseph and Angelo Alioto, Joseph Dentice, Attorney William Calvano, Peter Balistrieri, who won the event the first three years it was held, and, of course, Mr. Machi.

The Tournament has continued without interruption every year since 1958 and has provided significant financial assistance to numerous charitable organizations includ-

ing the Boys and Girls Towns of Italy, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, the American Cancer

Society and Milwaukee’s Italian Community Center.

During the period of Machi’s

The National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities completes its $100,000 pledge to the ICC

Cosa c’è dentro?

What’s inside?

Party with La Befana ICC volunteers make Thanksgiving special President’s message

Bocce leagues start week of Jan. 4

St. Joseph’s Day luncheon scheduled

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page 6 page 6

U.S. Navy recognizes ICC, Pompeii Men’s Club page 10

Nabucco: Verdi’s Biblical epic Sezione Italiana

Puzzle No. 8

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page 15

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In honor and recognition of Anthony T. “Tony” Machi (seen above), the National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities recently fulfilled a $100,000 pledge to the Italian Community Center. Machi, who was actively involved in the annual charitable event for many years, was the first president of the Italian Community Center, 1978-80, and the first general chairman of Festa Italiana during the same years. The only other Italian organization to complete a pledge of $100,000 or more has been the Pompeii Men’s Club. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

active participation in the Tournament event, he proposed to the Board of Directors that a $100,000 cash pledge be made to the ICC to assist the organization during its difficult organizational years. As time went on, and the Tournament grew from a primarily local event to one that is truly national in scope, the reach of the event grew from a one to a three-day event. There were also many changes in the individuals who comprised the growing and changing Board of Directors. After much discussion and serious consideration, the new and expanded Tournament Board unanimously voted to honor Mr. Machi’s pledge made under the authority of a board long since retired and continue to honor the $100,000 pledge until it was paid in full. The deciding and determinative rationale for continuing the fulfillment of this promise was the respect and affection the new, and much younger, board members had for Tony. The Board felt that without his efforts and the other original organizers of the event, the Tournament would no longer exist and could not have continued for 58 uninterrupted years in the good work they do.

The Tournament has grown over the years to meet the demands of changing times. The National Italian Charitable Trust, a bona fide 501(c)3 organization, was created and a scholarship program begun. In 2015, two $7,500 scholarships were given to students of Italian descent, raising the total number of scholarships to 28.

In addition to the $3,500 donated to the ICC, which fulfilled the original pledge made by Machi, another $15,000 in scholarships was dispersed in 2015 by the Please turn to page 6

Children: La Befana, legendary Italian witch, is coming to ICC to meet, greet and present gifts on Saturday, Jan. 9

For the 14th 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 present gifts to youngsters on Saturday, Jan. 9 at a party that begins with a noon lunch in the Pompeii Grand Ballroom.

“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 barbecue beef sandwiches, chicken nuggets, french fried potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit, chocolate or white milk for the kids and coffee for adults.

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

THE ITALIAN TIMES

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

Publisher . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . . . . . .Giuseppe Vella Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . Blaise DiPronio Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors, Reporters and Columnists . . . . . . . Blaise DiPronio, Barbara Collignon, Annette Robertson.

Donato DiPronio, Angelo Castronovo, and the late Mario A. Carini 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 2015 The Italian Community Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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.

PAGE 2 – JANUARY 2016

The cost to attend will be – $20 per adult and $15 for child.

Pre-paid reservations are required by Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Please use the form accompanying this article to make your reservations.

La Befana

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.

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).

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 Baby Jesus.

Again, Befana declined.

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

The legend states that, regretfully, Befana was unable to locate either the Three Wise Men or the place where Jesus was born.

Since then, each year at this time, Befana continues her search for the Christ Child and leaves gifts along the way for good children and pieces of charcoal for bad ones. * * * Here’s an amazing fact about Befana’s visits to the ICC’s annual party: Not once in the past 13 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?

CHILDREN'S LA BEFANA PARTY & LUNCH RESERVATION FORM

NAMES OF BOYS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

NAMES OF GIRLS ATTENDING __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

AGE ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Names of male adult members attending: ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. No walk-ins permitted.

Upcoming events ICC New Year’s Eve Party Thursday, Dec. 31 7 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

ICC’s 37th annual “Il Grande Carnevale” Saturday, Feb. 6 5:11 p.m. – 12:11 a.m.

ICC’s 24th annual St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon Friday, Mar. 18 Noon – 1:30 p.m.

ICC’s 21st annual “A Taste of Italy” Sunday, Apr. 17 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

ICC’s 39th annual Festa Italiana Friday, July 22 – Sunday, July 24

ICC’s 3rd annual Casino Night Friday, Sept. 9 ICC’s 2nd annual Holiday Boutique Saturday, Nov. 19

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Homeless and poor given a Thanksgiving feast courtesy of ICC and its volunteers

About 275 homeless and poor individuals, including several families, were able to enjoy a full Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of the Italian Community Center and its volunteers. The buffet-style turkey dinner was served at the Open Door Cafe, a meal site at St. John’s Cathedral, on Sunday, Nov. 15.

The dinner was prepared and delivered to the meal site by the Italian Conference Center’s staff.

Donations to buy the food were collected by Tony Lupo, dinner chairman. An initial article thanking the donors appeared in our

December issue.

The Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate was started nearly 40 years ago by a group of local Italian American men that included Mario Bartolotta, Dr. Jim Balistreri and Tom Busalacchi, all of whom are deceased. The tradition has continued and is now a charitable project of the ICC and its volunteers. Tony Lupo has served as chairman the last several years.

Here are some photos from the dinner which were taken by Times volunteer photographer Tim Townsend.

Top photo (l - r): Shelly Roder, director of Outreach Ministries at St. John’s Cathedral, is seen here with the ICC volunteers who served the Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless and poor on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Open Door Cafe meal site. From the left: Roder, dinner chair Tony Lupo, Ray Martinez, Sam Purpero, Carol Martinez, Barbara Niles, Barbara Lupo, Peter Greco, George Collura, Charlie Zingale, Tom Greco, Lena Zingale, Mike Toffler, Tony Zingale, Dineo Black and Domenic Foti.

More donors reported for Thanksgiving dinner for the poor

Tony Lupo, chairman of the Italian Community Center’s Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate, reported that some of those who made donations for the Nov. 15 event were not listed in the December issue of The Italian Times.

Those donors included: • M.S.S. Addolorata Society di Santa’Elia • Bill and Rita Jennaro • Casper Balistreri

• Sciortino Bakery Lupo expressed his thanks to these donors and all of the others who helped to make it a recordbreaking year for contributions.

The donations of more than $4,300 were used to buy the full Thanksgiving dinner for those who came to the Open Door Cafe, the meal site at St. John’s Cathedral in downtown Milwaukee. The meal was prepared by the Italian Conference Center culinary staff.

Times photos by Tim Townsend

From the left: Mike Toffler, Ray Martinez, Tom Greco and Tony Zingale are seen here serving the dinner.

Barbara Lupo and Carol Martinez helped to serve the cake.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Guests’ plates were filled with the Thanksgiving feast by the volunteers as they moved down the buffet line.

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 3

Last chance to register to attend ICC’s New Year’s Eve party

Lots of food, fun and dancing to Doo-Wop Daddies

Consider this your last chance to sign up to spend an enjoyable New Year’s Eve with your family and friends at the spectacular party planned at the Italian Community Center on Thursday, Dec. 31.

The festivities start at 7 p.m.

They include plenty of delicious food, party favors and dancing to the sounds of the legendary DooWop Daddies.

The cost for the evening is $80 per person. Reservations are required and can be made either by calling 414-223-2180 and using a credit card or by completing the form accompanying this story.

Flyers with reservations are also available at the ICC. 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 with specific people, please list those persons on a separate sheet of paper. Don’t forget to include your own name. Tables of 10 are available.

The ICC will not allow 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 with wild mushroom Bordelaise sauce and jumbo shrimp scampi – served over angel hair pasta, steamed vegetable medley, Italian bread, and coffee, 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.

ICC New Year's Eve Party Reservation Form Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015

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.

Doo-Wop Daddies

Back by popular demand, the Doo-Wop Daddies will play from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The group has performed for the last several years at the ICC on New Year’s Eve and always attracted a good crowd.

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

That’s only the beginning – the group doesn’t merely recreate this classic genre, but has 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 Doo-Wop Daddies produce an exciting theatrical show that remains faithful to the doo-wop style.

The Doo-Wop Daddies last performed at the ICC before a capacity crowd on Sept. 3.

The USO of Wisconsin has booked the group for a fundraising gig on Saturday, Apr. 9 at the ICC.

All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the February 2016 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Friday, 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 414-223-2189.

Deadline set for February issue of The Italian Times

Calendar of Events

December 31, 2015 – January 26, 2016

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

Details in this issue.

Friday, Jan. 1 • Felice Anno Nuovo! Happy New Year! Italian Community Center will be closed in celebration of the holiday.

Tuesday, Jan. 5 • Pompeii Men’s Club Board meeting, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 8 • ICC Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 11 • ICC Finance Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 12 • Abruzzese Society Board meeting with spuntino, 7 p.m.

• Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 14 • Società Santa Rosalia Board meeting, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16 • Italian Family History Club, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 19 • ICC Culture Committee meeting, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20 • OSIA/Filippo Mazzei Lodge Board meeting with spuntino, 6 p.m.

PAGE 4 – JANUARY 2016

Thursday, Jan. 21 • ICC membership dinner, 5:30 p.m.

• ICC general membership meeting, 6:30 p.m. Vote on bylaws amendments.

Tuesday, Jan. 26 • Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6 p.m.

Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. Winter bocce leagues will get underway the week of Jan. 4, 2016 with mixed leagues on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and seniors leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Team registration forms are available for league coordinators and at the ICC. • ICC’s free Children’s Italian class. Look for information on the spring semester class for children, ages 6 to 12, in an upcoming issue.

• ICC Italian classes for teens and adults. Look for information on the spring semester classes in an upcoming issue.

• I Bei Bambini, The Children’s Italian Dance Group. This children’s folk dance group practices weekly on most Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at the ICC. New dancers welcome. For details, visit www.tradizionevivente.com.

• 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!

THE ITALIAN TIMES

A message from Giuseppe Vella, Italian Community Center President

To all of our members and friends, I want to wish everyone a blessed holiday season and a safe and healthy new year.

As members of the Italian Community Center, we can look forward to 2016 with great optimism. I believe that your Board of Directors has set our organization on a path to succeed. I want to thank our officers and directors for their efforts and their commitment to our organization.

Carnevale While your attention right now is likely on the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s, I don’t want you to forget that the ICC has its annual Il Grande Carnevale scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Joanne Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis and their committee are working very hard to make Carnevale an outstanding event.

Complete details on Carnevale can be found in this issue.

Membership renewal time As your President, I want everyone to take time to renew your membership in the Italian Community Center for 2016. It is

Pompeii Men’s Club makes donation for ICC’s Thanksgiving dinner for poor

with your support, your dedication and your volunteerism that the ICC has prospered for almost 38 years and will prosper for years to come.

Buona fortuna a tutti!

A $200 donation for the Italian Community Center’s Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate was presented to the dinner chairman Tony Lupo (right) by Peter Russo on behalf of the Pompeii Men’s Club. Russo is the vice president of the club. This donation along with other contributions from other Italian organizations and individuals helped to raise a record $4,300 for the dinner. The donations were used to buy the full Thanksgiving turkey dinner that was served for the homeless and poor families and individuals who came to the Open Door Cafe, the meal site at St. John’s Cathedral, on Sunday, Nov. 15. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

John A. Cefalu Isidore and Mary Pecoraro Pauline Cannestra Mary G. Winard Leonard and Jeannine Machi Eddie Glorioso Zeke and Rose Marie Patterson Michael Mielotz and family

Vince and Judy Russo Nick and Alhana Russo Summit Filtration Technology Western States Envelope and Label Isidore and Mary Pecoraro Sam and Joanne Seidita Joseph and Rose Purpero Spang Larry and Joan Balistreri

Thanks for your donations to ICC 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.

The following donations were received between November 10 and December 9, 2015.

In memory of Peter Frank Sorce By his parents Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce and his sister Christine Sorce James and Marie Schwindt In memory of Peter Machi, Sr. George and Gina Manning James and Marie Schwindt Salvatore Purpero Michael Mielotz and family

– Giuseppe Vella ICC President

In memory of Ted Catalano, Sr. Sal Mussomeli Eddie and Joanne Glorioso Ron and Joanne Czubek Paul and Rose Iannelli George and Judy Menos Tony and Barbara Lupo Ray and Carol Martinez Bill and Rita Jennaro Peter A. and Judith A. Spera Tony Machi Anna Pitzo Pompeii Men’s Club Rosemary DeRubertis Patti Fritz

In memory of James Curro Bill and Rita Jennaro In memory of Russell Enea Eddie and Joanne Glorioso Jimmy and Linda Spataro Bill and Rita Jennaro Tony Machi

Larry and Joan Balistreri

In memory of Frederick Alioto George and Judy Menos

In memory of Joseph Castrovinci Carmen Schlotthauer

In memory of Micheal Oberleitner Carmen Schlotthauer

In memory of Gino Carrao Carmen Schlotthauer

In memory of Charles Carrao Carmen Schlotthauer

ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA

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THE ITALIAN TIMES

www,sonsofitalymilwaukee,org Call 262-788-5000 for more information.

JOSEPH EMANUELE, PRESIDENT

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 5

The National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities completes its $100,000 pledge to the ICC

from page 1 National Italian Charitable Trust, which has become the receiving and disbursing vehicle of the Tournament, $5,000 was donated to Associazione Volartariato in Rome, Italy, $1,000 to the ALS Association, $1,000 to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, and $1,000 to a woman’s breast cancer research organization.

Under the leadership of the Tournament’s current president, Attorney Joseph G. Alioto, the son of one of the Tournament’s originators, and the efforts of Mr. Machi

and men like him, the Tournament would not have been able to continue for more than a half century.

“We are pleased to announce the completion of the $100,000 pledge

by Mr. Machi on behalf of the Tournament and the successful conclusion of his promise to help the ICC continue to grow and expand,” Tournament officials said in a statement to The Italian Times.

“The Tournament’s Board of Directors, under the leadership of its officers, headed by Attorney Alioto, hope to work with Joseph

St. Joseph’s Day luncheon set for Mar. 18 at ICC

The Italian Community Center’s 24th annual St. Joseph’s Day luncheon will be held Friday, Mar. 18 at noon, chairperson Mary Winard said.

Winard asks that people mark

the date on their calendars.

Complete details on the luncheon, honoring St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ, will be announced in the next issue of The Italian Times.

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Emanuele, President of the Order Sons of Italy in America/Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Lodge, and Joseph Vella, President of the Italian Community Center, to present a united and cohesive front to

establish the Italian American community in Milwaukee to its rightful place in and among the larger population of our city,” said John J. Balistrieri, Chairman of the Board of both the Tournament and Trust.

Winter bocce season to start week of Jan. 4 at ICC

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

The winter bocce season gets underway the week of Jan. 4.

Teams in the senior citizen leagues play on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Teams in the mixed couples’ leagues compete on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday nights. The regular season lasts eight weeks.

The winter season champion playoffs will take place Monday, Mar. 7 at 7 p.m.

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 player registration fees. The lowest fee is for players who are members of the ICC. That fee is $30 per person per league season.

The non-member registration fee is $40 per person per league season. 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. That way every team can compete each week.

Team registration forms are available from the league coordinators: Dan Conley (Monday

night), Craig Lieber and Carole Casamento (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night), Anna Pitzo (Thursday afternoon) and David Alioto (Thursday night). The form also can be obtained by calling the ICC office at 414/223-2180 or by dropping one up at the ICC. The championship playoffs, featuring each league winner and four teams with the next best record, will be played the night of Monday, Mar. 7. 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 2016 bocce leagues.

According to Dan Conley, who serves as the ICC’s bocce coordinator, the spring season will begin the week of Mar. 14 and will conclude the week of May 9. The fall season will start the week of Sept.

12 and end the week of Nov. 7. 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 16.

The fall playoffs will be on Monday, Nov. 14.

The staff of Cafe La Scala invites you to stop in for lunch or dinner.

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631 E. Chicago St. • 414-223-2185 LaScalaMilwaukee.com Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 11am-2pm Dinner, Mon.-Thurs., 5-9pm, Fri., 4:30-10pm, Sat., 5-10pm PAGE 6 – JANUARY 2016

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Bylaws amendments proposed

Two amendments have been proposed to the Italian Community Center Bylaws by the Bylaws Committee.

The first proposal calls for replacing Article IV, Section 10 with a reworded amendment.

The current Article IV, Section 10 states: Any member of the Board of Directors absent without excuse from two consecutive Board meetings shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board.

The Bylaws Committee is asking members whether they would like to replace this amendment with a two-part amendment.

This is the proposed twopart amendment to Article IV, Section 10: a). Any member of the Board of Directors absent, with or without excuse, from more than three (3) Board meetings in a term year of office shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board. b). Any member of the Board of Directors absent, with or without excuse, from more than four (4)

general membership meetings in a term year of office shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board.

The committee provided this rationale for the amendment: Members of the Board of Directors, officers and directors, are elected by the members to conduct the business of the Italian Community Center. Multiple absences reduce the effectiveness of the position of the absentee.

The second proposal would create a new amendment to the bylaws – Article IV, Section 20.

This is the proposed Article IV, Section 20: Each director shall serve as a member of a standing of the Italian committee Community Center.

The committee provided the following rationale for the amendment: This amendment ensures that the Executive Board has an ongoing knowledge of the activities of each standing committee of the ICC. The membership will vote on the proposed amendments at the general meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21.

Mark your calendars now. The Italian Community Center’s 21st annual “A Taste of Italy” will be Sunday, Apr. 17. Chairperson Ann Romano announced.

“A Taste of Italy,” at which attendees can enjoy entrée items, sandwiches, salads, dessert and beverages, at extreme low prices, is an essential fund raising activity for the nonprofit organization. It has always been a success, said

Romano, who chaired the activity 20 of the 21 years it has been held.

She announced that Anthony Zingale has agreed to return as volunteer food ticket chair and that Marie and Jim Schwindt are returning to be charge of the raffle held in conjunction with “A Taste of Italy.”

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

Taste of Italy will be Apr. 17

Give us this day our panettone

By Blaise Di Pronio Yes, life is sweet, la dolce vita, and especially in Italy on New Year’s Eve. The nation of Italy is sweetness personified, if a country can be so attributed. It is known for all things sweet such as its confetti, cookies, liqueurs and, of course, our panettone – the sweet, fruity bread loaf made famous in Milan eons ago but now popular all over the world during the Christmas and New Year seasons.

In Italian, the word “pane” means bread. Its diminutive “panetto” signifies a small loaf and its augmentative “panettone” thus means a very large loaf. And it is large and cupola (like a giant muffin) shaped. Its dough is made of flour, water, butter and eggs, but what’s inside is what counts: candied fruits, raisins, lemon zest, almonds, chocolate and, at times, a variety of liqueurs. Please note, as shown below, the name of this cake is not as simple as I’ve made it as it also has some history.

Like all else Italian, the history of panettone goes back to Roman Empire times where it started out as leavened cake sweetened with honey, and it continued to make appearances throughout the ages in literature, paintings and traditional foods. And then, of course, the legends kick in. One such legend claims that the word derives from the Milanese, “pan del ton”, meaning “cake of luxury”. (In England, ‘tony’ means: expensive, fancy, high quality). Another traces the invention to the 15th century

Milanese nobleman Ughetto Atellani, who loved the daughter of a poor baker named Toni. To help his cause, the nobleman disguised himself as a baker and invented a rich cake to which he added the above indicated ingredients. The duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro Sforza (1452–1508) agreed to the marriage, which was supposedly held in the presence of Leonardo da Vinci, and encouraged the launch of the new bread-like cake: Pan de Toni (or Toni’s cake).

In the more recent early 20th century, two other Milanese bakers began to make panettone in large quantities for all of Italy to enjoy.

They were Angelo Motta and Gioacchino Alemagna. Their brands were to become world famous and are still being produced today.

In the United States, panettone is slowly becoming the light and airy alternative to the much maligned and ridiculed brick-like fruitcake (of mail order fame and famously quipped by Johnny Carson that “there really is only one fruitcake in the world passed from family to family”). Nowadays, a new, smaller size loaf, called (back to the diminutive) panettoncino is making inroads with the calorie minded and, thus, showing up on shelves.

Because of its ultra sweet taste, panettone is best enjoyed with sweet wines and, thus, back to New Year’s Eve and its featured Spumante (Italian champagne, literally:bubbly,fizzy) such as Asti or Please turn to page 18

Milwaukees Italians who served in the U.S. Military during World War II – Part 8

Researched and written by the late Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian The information presented here was researched and copyrighted as a historical record of the men and women of Italian descent who lived in the City of Milwaukee and served in the United States Military during World War II. The information recorded and documented by this researcher from records kept at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. These works were copyrighted in 2004 and an original copy has been placed in the repository at the United States Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The research was secured from City of Milwaukee Directories 1941, 1942 and 1944-45. No directory was published in 1943. The years 1944 and 1945 were combined into one directory.

Name DuBuono, Joe Durante, Felix Durante, Mike Dandrea, Bert DeCastro, Fred Eannelli, Pasquale Eannelli, Joe Eccher, Mario Emanuele, Charlie Emanuele, John Emanuele, Vince Endrizzi, Augusto Endrizzi, Charles Endrizzi, Ernest Endrizzi, Germano Endrizzi, Marino Endrizzi, Martin Enea, Joe Erato, Angelo Erato, Victor Ermi, Angelo Ermi, Louis, J. Fabera, Charles Fabina, Joe

Branch Army Army Army Army Coast Guard Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Navy Army Army Army Army Navy

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Address 2913 W. Mount Vernon 3041 N. 12th St. 5203 W. Greenfield 824 W. Armour 3217 S. 25th St. 818 E. Center 2011 N. Buffum 2651 S. Delaware 1426 N. Jackson 1426 N. Jackson 3111 N. Bartlett 924 W. Lloyd 924 W. Lloyd 2416B N. 11th St. 2334 N. Buffum 2138 N. 23rd St. 2138 N. 23rd St. 163 N. Jefferson 712 E. Michigan 712 E. Michigan 1807 S. 11th St. 1339 E. Potter 2752 N. 16th St. 1637 N. 14th St.

Fabina, Steve Faccidomo, Andrew Faccio, Andrew Faccio, Angelo Falbo, Joe Falbo, Sam Falbo, Sam Falbo, Sam Faldi, Veri Falletta, Sam Famularo, Angelo Famularo, Anthony Famularo, Buster Famularo, Sebastian Famularo, Joe Fare, Carmelo Farina, Charlie Farina, Mike Farina, Tony Farino, Larry, Jr. Fatigati, Jim Fatura, John Fazio, Anthony Fazio, Jim Ferra. Phil FarracinI, Paul Ferrara, Frank Farrara, George Ferrara, Joe Fazio, Jim Ferrari, Ed Ferrari, Guido Ferraro, Annunzio Ferraro, Ottilio Ferri, Nellie Ferrito, Batiato Fiasca, Fred

Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Navy Marines Army Army Army Army Army Army Navy Army Army Army Army Army Army Army Marines Army Navy Army Coast Guard Army Navy Army Army

726 W. Galena 430 N. Van Buren 213 W. Brown 213 W. Brown 1605 W. Meinecke 1605 W. Meinecke 2024 N. Buffum 2024 N. Buffum 325 E. Wright 721 S. 34th St. 1648 N. Franklin 1747 N. Arlington 1725 N. Pulaski 1725 N. Pulaski 1430 E. Brady 1740 S. 10th St. 2227 N. 4th St. 2809 S. Logan 2809 S. Logan 132 N. 33rd St. 2412 N. Holton 3815A N. 14th St. 1601 N. Jackson 1602 N.Jackson 418 E. Detroit 807 E. Brady 3429 N. Bartlett 3439 N. Bartlett 3419 N. Bartlett 3398 N. 23rd St. 216 E. Garfield 216 E. Garfield 2538 S. Logan 2538 S. Logan 2457 S. Superior 1416 N. Jefferson 1691 N. Marshall

Source: Wright’s Milwaukee City Directory, 1941, Wright Directory Co., Milwaukee.

Continued in the next issue

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 7

Viva Il Carnevale: Feb. 6, 2016

from page 1 that co-chairs Joanne Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis say will be “a combination of exciting entertainment, colorful pageantry and tradition.”

Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, and I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group, are expected to perform.

Highlighting the evening’s program will be the coronation of royalty. The worthy recipients of these honors will be: • Sal and Maria Purpora as Re and Regina (King and Queen) • Ray and Carol Martinez as Nonno and Nonna (Grandfather and Grandmother) • Thomas Blaubach and Claire Elliott as Principe and Principessa (Prince and Princess) • Charlie Bartolone and Isabella Vella as Piccolo Principe and Piccola Principessa (Junior Prince and Junior Princess) • John Alioto as Il Gran Maresciallo (The Grand Marshal) • Frank D’Amato as Il Vescovo (The Bishop).

Ready to fill the dance floor with music for all ages will be Bill Sargent’s Big Band. Sargent’s band has long been known as “the tightest, most solid ensemble of expert musicians Milwaukee may ever see.”

The program will return with the parade, led by Il Gran Maresciallo John Alioto and the royalty. The parade will allow everyone who comes adorned in costume and/or mask to march before a panel of judges, who will select the best in various categories. Winners will receive an array of prizes.

As the judges complete their scoring, Alioto will lead everyone out of the ballroom into the loggia (or for those who want to brave the cold, outdoors) for the spectacular Bartolotta Fireworks show, staged across Chicago Street in a parking lot.

After the show, everyone will be invited to a scrumptious sweet table in the galleria.

The band resumes for everyone’s pleasure as people return to the ballroom. The only other stoppage

of the music will come for the awarding of costume and mask prizes and the drawing of winners for the Carnevale raffle. There will be four cash prizes awarded: $500 for 1st prize, $300 for 2nd prize, $100 for 3rd prize and $100 for 4th prize. Raffle ticket prices will be $2 each or seven for $10.

As usual, the general public is invited to join ICC members in attendance. While the general public can revel in the festivities for $60 per person, an ICC member can partake for just $55. Reservations are required by Jan. 31.

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 flyer with a reservation form at various locations throughout the ICC. There will be assigned seating.

Check in at the reservation table during the social hour to get your table assignment.

For the third straight year, the

Carnevale Committee is pleased to announce that free valet parking will be available that evening, The drop off point is under the canopy at the south entrance to the building, which makes it a short walk to the registration table, the coat check room and the galleria where the festivities begin.

Whether you are attending Carnevale or not, you can participate by buying tickets in the raffle or making a tax-deductible donation to the ICC. Donations to help cover the cost of this event can be made the same way as reservations by using the form accompanying the article, in person at the ICC, by filling out the flyer found in the building or by calling 414-223-2180 and using your credit card.

Il Re e La Regina Sal and Maria Purpora

Sal and Maria have been married 26 years. They have three wonderful children: Francesco, 23, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who is now the owner of Papa Luigi’s in Cudahy, Salvatore,19, a student at the University of WisconsinWhitewater, and Josephine, 18, a senior at Oak Creek High School.

The Purporas are long time residents of Oak Creek. Sal is a graduate of St. Rita’s grade school, Pulaski High School, and UWMilwaukee graduate business school. Maria, a graduate of Notre Dame High School, attained her hairdressing degree. She oversees the financial affairs of the family businesses.

Sal and Maria own Papa Luigi’s Cudahy, which has been there for 33 years, Papa Luigi’s II in South Milwaukee for 10 years, and S&P Equipment, Wisconsin’s largest new and used restaurant dealer for over 30 years.

They are upstanding donors for Continued on page 9

For your Wedd ing Reception and Rehearsal Dinner

The Italian Conference Center

located at the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee

You'll welcome our attention to detail and the way our staff goes out of its way to meet your every need. Your guests will love the setting, the food, and easy access and parking.

Our wedding specialists will work closely with you to make certain that your day is everything you dreamed it would be. They'll even assist with floral arrangements, music, photography, ordering the wedding cake and other extras.

Call David or Kim Marie now for available dates and a tour.

(414) 223-2800

www.italianconference.com

PAGE 8 – JANUARY 2016

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Carnevale 2016 Royalty

Il Re e La Regina Sal and Maria Purpora

from page 8 the schools in the area which include Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, St. Francis, and Cudahy. They are also supoorters of Three Holy Women Parish/St. Rita Church, St. Joan Antida High School, and the the Italian Community Center.

Sal’s motto is give back to the community that helped you. Sal and Maria’s businesses stress family values and hospitality.

They are long time members of the Italian Community Center. Sal

is also a member of the Pompeii Men’s Club and is on its Board of Directors. He sponsors bocce and soccer teams that play at Festa.

Papa Luigi’s has been a vendor at Festa for four years. They love how Festa brings family together. Sal’s known for his “Fugettaboudit” and “How u Doin?” sayings. He loves making people feel like family.

Sal and Maria’s election as Re and Regina is in recognition of all their efforts and contributions,said Carnevale Chairs Joanne Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis.

Maria and Sal Purpora

Il Principe Thomas Blaubach

Thomas Blaubach is an 18-year old senior at Homestead High School in Mequon where he is on the National Honor Society, ran Cross Country, participates in the Latin Club, and is a member of the Jazz Band.

His parents are Ryan and Fran LoCoco Blaubach. He has a 15 year-old sister Sarah. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, traveling, reading about history, and running 5Ks. Thomas is a regular usher at the Festa Italiana Mass under the

Thomas Blaubach

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Il Nonno e La Nonna Ray and Carol Martinez

Longtime ICC members Ray and Carol Martinez will be filling the roles of Nonno and Nonna (Grandfather and Grandmother).

The couple, who live in Grafton, have established a solid track record for volunteering at such events as: the ICC’s “A Taste of Italy,” in the Festa volunteer tent, at the Pompeii Women’s Club’s Palm Sunday breakfast, the Pompeii Men’s Club’s Good Friday fish fry buffet, the St. Joan Antida High School spaghetti dinner and the ICC’s Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless and poor.

Ray and Carol have been married for 57 years. They have two married children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, all whom live in the Milwaukee area. Their children are: Michele (Javier) Lopez and Robert (Pietra) Martinez. Their grandchildren are: Elena (Matt) Laudon, Natalie and

Robert Martinez and Nicole and Angie Lopez. Their great-grandchildren are: Jaymeson and Benjamin Laudon.

For 34 years, Ray worked as an industrial engineer for Harnischfeger Corporation. He is an active tennis player. He spent the first five years of his retirement as tennis coach at Port Washington and Dominican High Schools.

Carol retired as a supervisor from Blue Cross/Blue Shield after 31 years.

Ray and Carol are members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grafton where Ray volunteers as an usher and Carol is on a committee that prepares appetizers for various church functions.

The couple said they have “strong family ties and enjoy spending time with family and longtime friends, especially at the ICC.”

Ray and Carol Martinez

Il Gran Maresciallo John Alioto

leadership of his grandfather, Sal LoCoco. He is considering attending college at either the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota, the Loyola University in Chicago, or the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse to pursue a degree in Political Science and International Studies.

John Alioto has been an active member of the Italian Community Center since its beginning when he assisted Sam Ceraso, his father-inlaw and past president, in cleaning and organizing the former home of the ICC on Hackett Street.

He is married to Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto. He and Mary Anne

Claire Elliott, La Principessa, is a senior at Whitefish Bay High School. She is planning to attend college in the fall to work on a degree in education and eventually teach at the elementary level.

Her school activities include being involved in student council and Bay Gives Back. She played volleyball for the past eight years and is now an assistant coach for a club team.

Claire is the daughter of Roseanne and John Elliott. She has an older sister, Cassie, who attends Creighton University, and a younger brother, Jack, who is a student at Holy Family Catholic School. Jack was Il Piccolo Principe at Carnevale in 2014.

Joining Claire on the 2016 Royal Court, will be her grandfather, Frank D’Amato, who is serving for the sixth straight year as Il Vescovo. Frank and his late wife, Catherine, were Il Re e La Regina

of Carnevale in 1997.

In her free time, she loves to spend time with family and friends.

La Principessa Claire Elliott

were the Re and Regina of Carnevale in 2013. Mary Anne is currently a director on the ICC Board.

John has three daughters: Jenna, Kayla and Anna, and a son, Sam. Jenna was the Principessa of Carnevale 2008. Sam was the Piccolo Principe in 2010.

Please turn to page 10

John Alioto

Claire Elliott

More Royalty information and photos on page 10.

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 9

La Piccola Principessa Isabella Vella

Following in the footsteps of her siblings and her parents, Isabella Vella becomes the fifth member of her family to serve as Carnevale Royalty. Isabella, 8, will succeed her sister, Maria, 10, as La Piccola Principessa. Her brother Sal, 12, was Il Piccolo Principe in 2012 and her parents, Giuseppe and Rhiana Vella, as Il Re and La Regina in 2010.

Isabella is an avid swimmer for the Shorewood Swim Club and competes in meets every weekend.

She also loves to dance and take Hip Hop classes.

The third grader at Lake Bluff Elementary School in Shorewood has shown that she is a very smart girl. Her favorite subject is math.

Isabella loves to help in the family bakery, Peter Sciortino Bakery.

As she is getting older, her desire to help out in the bakery has gotten stronger. She helps her Zizi with the cookies and loves working with the customers in the store.

Festa Italiana is one of her favorite times of the year. Running around with her friends, getting to eat the good Italian food and going

on the sky glider are her favorite things at Festa. Having fun is her middle name!

Il Gran Maresciallo John Alioto

from page 9 John is employed at C&D Technologies of Milwaukee.

Over the years, he has continued to show his support for the ICC by managing several of the stages at Festa, and this past year, man-

aging the Festa wine booths. He also has assisted at both the ICC’s children’s Easter and La Befana parties and has had been a special participant in the Center’s members’ Christmas party for years with his son, Sam.

Italian Community Center and Pompeii Men’s Club receive recognitions from U.S. Department of Navy for role in commissioning USS Milwaukee

Isabella Vella

Il Piccolo Principe Charlie Bartolone

Charles (Charlie) Salvatore Bartolone is eight years old. He is the son of Christopher and Lisa Bartolone, longtime ICC members.

He has three siblings, Isabella, 13, Dominic, 11, and Sofia, 7.

Charlie’s grandparents are Nettie and Charlie Natoli and Kathleen and the late Dominic Bartolone.

Royalty runs in the Bartolone family. Charlie’s older brother, Dominic, was Il Piccolo Principe in 2013. Their father, Christopher, was Il Principe in 2000.

Charlie is a third grade student at Richards Elementary School in Whitefish Bay. He enjoys playing baseball, basketball, soccer and chess.

Charlie Bartolone

Il Vescovo Frank D’Amato

The role of Il Vescovo (The Bishop) will be filled for the sixth consecutive year by Frank D’Amato. Frank is no stranger to the Carnevale court – he and his late wife, Catherine, were selected as the Re and Regina in 1997.

Frank, a retired lithographer, resides in Brown Deer. He is the proud father of six children (three boys, three girls), the grandfather of 12 and great-grandfather of 3.

His wife of 52 years Catherine (nee Dentice) passed away in 2008. He is the brother-in-law of ICC member Joe Dentice. His grandson, Jack Elliott, was Piccolo Principe in 2014.

Frank can remember being involved in the ICC when it was located on Hackett Avenue. Since then he has served on several committees. Most notably, he has been a member of the Festa Mass and Procession Committee since its inception and has served both as the chairman and co-chairman. He has long worked as a volunteer in Festa’s Pompeii sacred art exhibit

PAGE 10 – JANUARY 2016

and has been on the Carnevale Committee for the past several years.

Frank D’Amato

In recognition of the roles the Italian Community Center and the Pompeii Men’s Club played in the commissioning of the USS Milwaukee on Nov. 21, the United States Department of Navy presented several commemorative items to both organizations. Pompeii Vice President Domenic Foti (left) presented the commemorative items to ICC President Giuseppe Vella at the Dec. 17 general meeting/Christmas party. The commemorative items included: framed owner’s plank certificate (shown here), a scroll commemorating the commissioning, a plaque, a paper weight and a cap. The ICC, working with the Pompeii Men’s Club, provided free parking and transportation to Veteran’s Park where the ceremonies were held. The vessel was built in Marinette, Wis. by an Italian ship building company. The commemorative items will be displayed in an appropriate place at the ICC. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Pompeii Women present $500 donation to ICC

Each year at the Italian Community Center’s December general meeting, the members of the Pompeii Women’s Club step forth with a donation to the ICC. This year, Pompeii President Pat Consolazione (left), on behalf of her organization, presented a $500 donation. The presentation was made to ICC President Giuseppe Vella at the general meeting/Christmas party on Dec. 17. Over the years, the Pompeii Women’s Club has been one of the biggest supporters of the ICC. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

THE ITALIAN TIMES

In the spirit of Christmas

Photo of the left: The Italian Community Center held its annual members’ Christmas dinner and dance on Thursday, Dec. 17. Chairperson Susie Christiansen and her volunteers decided to roll out the red carpet for a Hollywood-inspired celebration. It included a Sicilian steak dinner, dancing, a bake sale, door prizes, a red carpet photo area where everyone could have a free photo taken and a visit by Santa Claus and his favorite elf. Here’s Santa with Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto and Santa’s elf. We understand that John Alioto and his son, Sam, made the arrangements for the appearance of Santa and his elf. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Members: Please notify ICC of a change of address; noncompliance is costly

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 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 the same fee 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 cjones@italianconference.com or call her at 414/223-2808.

Charter ICC member Rose Emanuele helped to get her longtime luncheon and card club members in the spirit of Christmas by making decorative holiday headpieces for them to wear for their gathering on Friday, Dec. 4 at the ICC. From the left: Kathy Kriss, Maria Vitrano, Angie Kienzle, Rose Emanuele, Anita Emanuele and Fran Reardon. Some of the ladies in this group have known each other since their grade school days. They regularly meet at the ICC. Their name, “The Hens”, was jokingly given to them by Rose Emanuele’s late husband, Vince. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

Word Search No. 4 : Last Names Milwaukee’s Italians

By Blaise Di Pronio

Stop in for Cafe La Scala’s “Happy Hour” Monday – Friday 4:00 p.m . – 6:00 p.m.

Half Price on All Bottled Beers and Rail Drinks!!!

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Look for completed Word Search on page 15 JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 11

News from ‘Trova i Tuoi Antenati’ (Find Your Ancestors)

By George Koleas On Nov. 7, the Italian Family History Club, also known as Pursuing Our Italian Names Together, Chapter 22, collaborated with the Culture Committee of the Italian Community Center and the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society to present “Trova i Tuoi Antenati” (Find Your Ancestors).

We are also the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society’s Italian Area Interest Group.

Pictures from the event were printed in the December 2015 issue of The Italian Times.

We brought our private database of 45,123 names and 14,052 families from the area in or around Palermo, Sicily. We also used the site at www.bellanti.org. This is the website created by the late Peter Bellanti, with whom we collaborated for many years until his passing.

The site has continued to operate.

This site has information about many Italian families in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee County Genealogical Society brought their computers, handed out materials and had access to Ancestry and Fold3.

Both of our teams also used familysearch.org and other sites that we have had success with in the past.

We had a total of 22 visitors. We helped many people find connections or put them on the right path to discover more about their families. Some of us even met new cousins.

One of the newest resources we used that Saturday was www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it.

This site is in Italian but can be translated by clicking the English flag in the upper right corner of the site. All of the records on the site are in Italian. Our member, Fran Colboth, provided the following translation of the site and advice: “The Portale Antenati (Ancestors Portal) – promoted and sponsored by the Direzione Generale per gli Archivi (Italian National Archives) – was born out of the necessity to make available the huge treasure of documents that are stored in the State Archives, not only for the purposes of genealogical research, and of recreating the history of families and individuals, but also to contribute to the understanding of the social history of communities.”

The website continues to explain: “Through Il Portale (The Portal), it is actually possible to browse through millions and millions of historical images of records in possession of the State, and to find the names of people in these documents and obtain information on the documentation as well.

(October 2015), Currently 41,892,295 images from 43 state archives are present in the Portal.

The major headings include: II territorio e le fonti (Regions & Sources), Archivi di Stato (State Archives), selezionare una regione (Select a country; i.e. Sicily), Click Region (i.e. Messina), Sfoglia I reg-

Taking place in the historic center of Aosta (Valle D’Aosta region of Italy), the Fair of Saint Orso is a 1,000-year-old event that showcases the creativity of the Aosta Valley residents. It attracts thousands of exhibitors, craftsmen and visitors every year.

The dates for the 2016 fair are Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30.

The objects on display range from sculptures and ornaments to clothing and toys, manufactured with a variety of primary materials like wood, stone, wrought iron, lace and wool.

Concerts, folklore events and stands packed with mouth-watering specialties keep visitors entertained on the days before, during and after the Fair of Saint Orso.

Fair of Saint Orso is Jan. 30-31

Having up to 300 dinner guests?

istri (Browse civil state records), Stato civile della restaurazione (Status of Civil Restoration), Select city in the Province.

Navigate: scroll forward successivo (successive page) or ultimo (last page). To go back, choose precedente (previous) or primo (beginning). Inventorio (Inventory, we suggest that you really don’t need this, just go right to documents you want to browse.)

Indice (Index, only contains a few years. You can skip this too.).

Choose the record you want to research: Matrimoni (Marriages), Morti (Deaths), Nati (Births).

• Choose the Year.

• Click on the year you want to browse.

• Individual images appear for that year.

• Choose Ultimo and then go back until you find the first page of the Index.

• Find the name you want to research.

• Make a note of the page number for the record associated with your name.

• Go back to an Image Number close to the page number and scroll forward or backward as needed.”

The holidays are nearly over.

Memories of your family gatherings are fresh in your mind. Those holiday family gatherings you attended and stories you heard may have

inspired you to learn more about your ancestors. At our meetings, we discuss new developments in researching your family history.

Members report on progress they are making in their research. They describe their brick walls and other members offer suggestions on how to overcome those brick walls to find the information they need, and we help new members and interested visitors to get started. If you or your family are from the Milwaukee area, you may even find a family connection to one of our members. You may even meet a new cousin.

Our next meeting will be Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at noon. Please mark you calendars for our other meetings in 2016 as well: All Saturdays Apr. 23, Sept. 24 and Nov. 12.

Please feel free to bring guests.

Whether you are just starting or have been researching your family for many years, anyone with an interest in Italian family history is welcome.

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

The Pompeii Women’s Club held its annual Christmas dinner party at the Italian Community Center on Nov. 18. It afforded a good time for all who attended.

After a delicious dinner, those attending were entertained by a barbershop quartet called Vintage Mix. They presented a wonderful program of standards and a couple of Christmas songs. What is truly remarkable about this group is that they are quadruplets – three girls and a boy named Kelsey, Anika, Julia and Ian Shoppacit. They are

only 14 years old and attend Waukesha West High School.

Everyone said they were delightful.

The affair ended with door prizes of poinsettia plants.

The Pompeii Women’s Club wishes all of the officers, directors and members of the ICC and all of the other societies and clubs that meet at the ICC a very blessed and happy Christmas and a safe and healthy new year.

– Mary G. (Mineo) Winard Publicity Person Pompeii Women’s Club

Pompeii Women celebrate holiday with dinner and music

Gimbelites join social media

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

PAGE 12 – JANUARY 2016

If we were to survey the older Italian Community Center membership, there would be quite a few that, at some point in their lives, worked for the now defunct Milwaukee and statewide retailer, Gimbels-Schusters. (It closed its doors in 1987).

It is safe to say that in the 1960s and ‘70s, the majority, if not all, of their tailors and seamstresses were Italian immigrants.

In fact, in 1990 this small Italian connection was expanded upon as Festa Italiana was the site for a reunion of all former GimbelsSchusters employees. It featured their street parade to the Festa grounds from their former store site at Wisconsin and Plankinton Avenues. The turn out was great

back then but, like all else with the passage of time, the numbers today have gotten smaller but those former so-called Gimbelites in the Milwaukee area still gather for monthly lunches and an annual dinner.

In order to revive participation, recruit future members and have a means of easy worldwide communication, the group has created a Facebook Group page aptly named Gimbels-Schusters Milwaukee Alumni.

It is hoped that more such alumni come forward and participate with the group by joining and sharing their memories, stories and pictures. Participation is free and all are welcome as it is a public group.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Crossword Puzzle No. 7 – Solved

By Blaise Di Pronio

Crossword puzzle No. 7: Answers with explanations and comments

Across 3. Donkey – Of ‘pin a tail on’ fame.

10. Marciano – The real pre Stallone Rocky.

12. Valentine – Beer and Love Day. 13. Coliseum – Of Packers vs.

Lions vs. Christians fame.

14. Canal – From oil tankers on one to gondolas on the others.

17. Spanish – So called due to Spanish Embassy at bottom.

18. Volunteers – Without themniente Festa.

19. Pieta – One of 3 bronze replicas in the world at the ICC. 21. Eagles – MU’s basketball warriors.

22. Pavarotti – Tenor who doesn’t get shot when he sings.

23. Baker – You thought Sciortino, right?

26. Aperitivo – Imbibed before eating to enhance appetite.

28. Row – The old fruit distributors’ district.

30. Cretin – With apologies to all you real Cretans.

Down 1. Aaron – He made up for the Prodigal Brett.

2. Vespucci – The map maker who inadvertently named U.S. 4. Dimottos – Judges and ICC members Jean and John.

5. Practices – Until they get it right, even if wrong.

6. Flags – The Renaissance looking guys do it at Festa.

7. Usinger – We race them at Miller Park.

8. Grazie – ‘Thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ in Italy.

9. Pope – Purity is a virtue to be displayed year round.

11. Ciao – Yes, it means hello and goodbye.

15. Alitalia – Italian airline. Ali means wings.

16. Procession – When the saints go marching out.

20. Centurion – Usually leading the wrong way in Italy.

24. Calamari – It means ‘inkwell’ and rightfully so.

25. Pesto – Drop the ‘o’ if you don’t get it.

27. Idiot – Of ‘every village has one’ fame.

29. High – It’s that holy incense smoke again

San Sebastiano feast day celebrated in Sicily and Abruzzo

THE ITALIAN TIMES

The feast day of San Sebastiano is celebrated in many places in Sicily on Jan. 20. In Mistretta, a huge statue of the saint is paraded through the town on a litter borne by 60 men. In Acireale, there is a colorful parade with a silver carriage and singing of hymns.

The Abruzzo city of Ortono celebrates by lighting the Vaporetto, a brightly colored papier maché model of a boat, which is decorated and loaded with fireworks, in front of the cathedral named in honor of San Sebastiano.

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 13

Nabucco: Verdi’s Biblical epic

By Blaise Di Pronio As the title indicates, Hollywood does not have a monopoly on biblical epics. Italy’s Giuseppe Verdi was catapulted to fame with his 1841 opera on the oppression of the Israelites at the hands of the Babylonians and their King Nabucco and his scheming adopted daughter Abigaille. It tells the story of the Hebrew priest Zaccaria, who wants to lead his people out of slavery and that of Fenena, Nabucco’s daughter, held captive by the Israelites and in love with her Hebrew jailer Ismaele and, of course, Abigaille who not only

wants her adoptive father’s throne, but also Fenena’s lover Ismaele.

Nabucco is truly of blockbuster dimensions- to continue with the Hollywood analogy. It is filled with politics, religion, a love triangle, intrigue, deception, war and exile and all that goes with it. It is probably most famous for the greatest choral music of all time including the thrilling and inspiring “Va Pensiero”.

The following synopsis is a very thumbnail version of the opera and, thus, missing a lot of the intricate details which are not really necessary in order to enjoy the glorious

singing and choruses.

The opera begins with Nabucco on the verge of entering Jerusalem while, inside the gates, Zaccaria is praying for a miracle rescue by God which doesn’t come. Also inside are Fenena, who is being held hostage and watched over by her jailer/lover Ismaele. Their relationship goes back to when it was Ismaele who was held hostage and Fenena saved him. The two are planning an escape, but Abigaille has found out and she threatens to reveal all unless Ismaele becomes her lover.

Nabucco now enters the scene, and Zaccaria threatens to kill

ITALIAN TIMES PUZZLE NO. 8

By Blaise Di Pronio

Fenena, but Ismaele saves her from his knife and brings her to her father. Nabucco goes ahead with destruction of the temple. The Israelites go into exile.

Before going off to other wars, Nabucco appoints Fenena as regent over the captured Hebrews, while Abigaille finds out she is not Nabucco’s daughter but a child of slaves and not royalty. Hence, she swears revenge on Nabucco and Fenena and plots for the throne. In the interim, Fenena converts to Judaism and frees the Hebrew slaves. At this point, Abigaille proclaims herself ruler, but Nabucco appears on the scene and snatches the crown and declares himself not only king but also a god. He is suddenly struck down by a thunderbolt, and Abigaille crowns herself.

The Babylonians now hail Abigaille as their ruler, and her high priest wants her to proceed in killing the Israelites. However, she wants Nabucco to sign off on such a decree so she tricks him into signing their death warrant. He then finds out that the warrant will include the execution of the converted Fenena, for whose life he now pleads Abigaille but in vain.

The opera now switches to its most famous scene: that of the Hebrew slaves resting from their forced labor along the river and their thoughts (pensieri) turning to their beloved homeland and the powerful choral Va Pensiero* engulfs the stage.

The jailed Nabucco now watches from a window as the Israelites and Fenena are being led to their executions. His sanity returns, and he immediately self converts to Judaism and prays for forgiveness.

He breaks out of his room and summons his soldiers and goes to the rescue of his daughter and the Israelites and then takes over the reign. Subsequently, Abigaille finds remorse, prays to the God of Israel, takes poison and dies. Nabucco frees all and tells the Israelites to return to their native land where he promises to build them a new temple. The Israelite and Babylonians unite in prayer to God. The Lyric Opera of Chicago will perform Nabucco in early 2016. It will run from January 23 to February 12. For information and tickets call 312-827-5600. *Please note and refer to accompanying article on “Va Pensiero.”

DVDs of MPTV documentary on Milwaukee’s Italians available at ICC

PAGE 14 – JANUARY 2016

A limited number of DVDs of the Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV) documentary “Storia Italiana Milwaukee” are available for purchase at the Italian Community Center. The cost is $15.

The DVD must be purchased in person at the office reception desk.

Since only a limited number of DVDs have been made available to the ICC, orders cannot be accepted.

The one-hour documentary “Storia Italiana Milwaukee” was broadcast in late February on Channel 10 as part of the national Public Broadcasting System’s series special “Italian Americans.”

The premiere screening of “Storia Italiana Milwaukee” was shown at the ICC on Feb. 4 before a capacity audience.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Va Pensiero: Flying on wings of gold

By Blaise Di Pronio It is known in English as the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves”. Pensiero is Italian for thought or reflection. In Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Nabucco, the powerful choral Va Pensiero embodies the thoughts or memories of the Hebrew slaves turning or going (va) to their homeland from which they have been exiled and placed in captivity. It is sung along the banks of the Euphrates River as they rest from their forced labor.

At the time of Nabucco’s nascent performances, many thought that Va Pensiero was intended to be an anthem to Italian nationalism. At the time (1840s to 1850s), Italy was in the midst of trying to unify and free (like the Israelites) itself from foreign controllers, especially the Austrians. People in Italy found parallels between the opera’s story and their own plight.

The lines “ O mia patria, si bella e perduta” (Oh my country, so lovely and so lost) rang true and hit home for many Italians.

At times, proposals have been made or pursued to have the song become Italy’s national anthem; most recently in 2009 by Senatore Umberto Bossi. In effect, it has become Italy’s unofficial national anthem. It is often heard at

both official and non-official events.

Verdi died in Milan in 1901. Approximately 300,000 people gathered in the streets to pay respect to his funeral cortege and lament not only his loss but, like Hebrews, the loss of their Italian homeland to outsiders. Spontaneous choruses of Va Pensiero resonated along the way.

The Italians also yearned for their homeland “where the gentle breezes are warm, fragrant and soft” (Ove olezzano tepide e molli l’aure dolci) and the “memories of our hearts are rekindled and speak of the times gone by” (Le memorie nel petto raccendi, ci favella del tempo che fu).

By the early 1860s, Italian unification had come about while Va Pensiero’s homage to national sentiments continued to ring true to this day. Let’s see what you think. The lyrics and their translation are provided below. * * * Va’, pensiero, sull’ali dorate; Va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli, ove olezzano tepide e molli l’aure dolci del suolo natal!

Del Giordano le rive saluta, di Sionne le torri atterrate…

Word Search No. 4 : Last Names Milwaukee’s Italians (Solved)

By Blaise Di Pronio

Oh mia Patria sì bella e perduta!

O membranza sì cara e fatal!

Arpa d’or dei fatidici vati, perché muta dal salice pendi?

Le memorie nel petto raccendi, ci favella del tempo che fu!

O simile di Solima ai fati, traggi un suono di crudo lamento; o t’ispiri il Signore un concento che ne infonda al patire virtù!

Go, thought, on golden wings; Go, settle upon the slopes and hills, where warm and soft and fragrant are the breezes of our sweet native land!

Greet the banks of the Jordan, the towers of Zion ...

Oh my country so beautiful and lost!

Or so dear yet unhappy!

Or harp of the prophetic seers, why do you hang silent from the willows?

Rekindle the memories within our hearts, tell us about the time that has gone by Or similar to the fate of Solomon, give a sound of lament; or let the Lord inspire a concert That may give to endure our suffering.

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.

The Perfect Ending

Bring your wedding day to a successful close. Gather your families and friends where the ambiance is special, the food is exceptional and the staff is attentive to your every need.

Christmas is the time of year for cooking and giving. My cookbook makes a great hostess gift for the person who has everything. I have several easy holiday recipes.

Dedicated to my nonna who inspired me to cook – Mangia, Mangia!!

BUON NATALE!!

Sale price - $12.00 Send check or money order to: FRANCENA, 125 Boyce Road, Centerville, OH 45458 Call: 937-433-7313 or email: fslyd@aol.com

Love spreading word of my Italian heritage of which I am so proud.

Get your message out to the readers of The Italian Times with an ad in our next issue.

For details, call 414-223-2189 or email themman@italiancc.org.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI Call David or Kim Marie 414/223-2800 or visit ItalianConference.com

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 15

La Pagina Italiana Carnevale 2016

Preparate le maschere. Andate in cerca per un costume. Segnate il tuo calendario. A Sabato, Febbraio 6, si festeggia il Carnevale di 2016.

Buttate via I tuoi carichi per una notte e fai finto che sei un altro- un personaggio di film, di letteratura o di fantascienza.

Sará una sera di pranzo, ballo, dolci e di esibizione. Dopo una cena a due-piatti(Pollo Roma e Filetto di Carne con vino a ogni tavola), ci sará la coronazione tradizionale dei reali seguito dalla loro sfilata con quegli in costume e maschere e poi saranno celebrati con fuochi d’artificio dopo la scelta dei migliori travestiti in parecchi categori. Il tema della sera sará: Viva il Carnevale- salutando le tradizioni del passato e la speranza del futuro. I co-presidenti del Carnevale sono Joanne Czubek e Rosemary DeRubertis.

Il divertimento comincia alle

La musica sará fornita da Bill Sargent’s Big Band. La notte concluderá con una riffa per premi in denaro(si puó partecipare nella riffa senza esserci). L’affare é

di Donato Di Pronio Nome derivato da Epifania: la festività religiosa ricadente il 6 Gennaio, giorno in cui i Cristiani ricordano la manifestazione al mondo della Divinità di Gesù Cristo.

Dal Vangelo di Matteo (2, 1-12): Gesù nacque a Betlemme di Giudea, al tempo di re Erode.

Alcuni Magi giunsero dal’ Oriente a Gerusalemme e domandavano: “Dov’è il re dei Giudei che è nato?

Abbiano visto sorgere la sua stella, e siamo venuti per adorarlo.”

Entrati nella casa, videro il Bambino con Maria sua madre, e prostratisi, lo adorarono. Poi aprirono i loro scrigni e gli offrorono in dono oro, incenso e

mirra.

Forse ad imitazione dei Tre Re Magi che portarono dei doni a Gesù Bambino, invalse l’usanza tra le famiglie Cristiane di fare doni ai piccoli nella ricorrenza della festività. Nel corso degli anni, portatrice dei doni venne e viene identificata in una vecchietta molto anziana, che volando su una scopa, la notte tra il 5 e il 6 Gennaio, entra nelle case attraverso il camino e mette nelle scarpe e nelle calze, che i bambini mettono e appendono sotto la cappa: dolciumi e regalini in quelle dei buoni e bravi e carbone in quelle dei monelli. Ricordate la filastrocca: “ La Befana vien di notte / con le scarpe tutte rotte / con le toppe alla

5:11 con cocktails e antipasti nella Galleria e alle 6:11 inizia il programma e cena nella grande Sala Pompeii. I ballerini della Tradizione Vivente e I Bei Bambini forniranno balli folcloristichi.

I reali quest’anno saranno: • Re Regina: Sal e Maria Purpora.

• Nonno e Nonna: Ray e Carol Martinez.

• Principe e Principessa: Thomas Blaubach e Claire Elliott.

• Piccolo Principe e Piccola Principessa: Charlie Bartolone e Isabella Vella.

• Il Grande Maresciallo: John Alioto.

• Il Vescovo: Frank D’Amato.

aperto a tutti. I biglietti costeranno $60 per il pubblico e $55 per I membri dell‘ICC. Prenotazioni sono necessario e devono essere stati fatti prima del 31 di Gennaio e si possono fare in persona, per posta o

Indovinelli

1. Qual è l’ultima cosa che togli quando vai a letto?

2. Quale segno aritmetico devi mettere tra 4, 5 e 6 affinché il risultato dell’operazione sia 27?

3. Se durante una corsa superi il secondo, in che posizione arrivi?

4. Sapresti dire perché la notte di Natale la polizia ha arrestato Babbo Natale?

5. Ho sposato molte persone, ma nessuna ha mai sposato me. Chi sono?

6. Ho la lingua ma sono senza bocca. Chi sono?

7. In un acquario ci sono 5 pesci, se 3 di loro annegano, quanti ne restano?

Risposte – pagina 17

La leggenda di La Befana

La Befana

Viene viene la Befana, vien dai monti a notte fonda.

Come è stanca! La circonda neve, gelo e tramontana.

Viene viene la Befana.

Ha le mani al petto in croce, e la neve è il suo mantello ed il gelo il suo pannello ed il vento la sua voce.

Ha le mani al petto in croce.

E s’accosta piano piano alla villa, al casolare, a guardare, ad ascoltare or più presso or più lontano.

Piano piano, piano piano.

Che c’è dentro questa villa?

Uno stropiccìo leggero.

Tutto è cheto, tutto è nero.

Un lumino passa e brilla.

Che c’è dentro questa villa?

Guarda e guarda...tre lettini con tre bimbi a nanna, buoni. guarda e guarda...ai capitoni c’è tre calze lunghe e fini.

Oh! tre calze e tre lettini.

Il lumino brilla e scende,

e ne scricchiolan le scale; il lumino brilla e sale, e ne palpitan le tende.

Chi mai sale? Chi mai scende?

Co’ suoi doni mamma è scesa, sale con il suo sorriso.

Il lumino le arde in viso

PAGINA 16 – GENNAIO 2016

come lampada di chiesa.

Co’ suoi doni mamma è scesa.

La Befana alla finestra sente e vede, e s’allontana.

Passa con la tramontana, passa per la via maestra, trema ogni uscio, ogni finestra.

E che c’è nel casolare?

Un sospiro lungo e fioco.

Qualche lucciola di fuoco brilla ancor nel focolare.

Ma che c’è nel casolare?

Guarda e guarda... tre strapunti con tre bimbi a nanna, buoni.

Tra la cenere e i carboni c’è tre zoccoli consunti.

Oh! tre scarpe e tre strapunti...

E la mamma veglia e fila sospirando e singhiozzando, e rimira a quando a quando oh! quei tre zoccoli in fila...

Veglia e piange, piange e fila.

La Befana vede e sente; fugge al monte, ch’è l’aurora.

Quella mamma piange ancora su quei bimbi senza niente.

La Befana vede e sente.

La Befana sta sul monte.

Ciò che vede è ciò che vide: c’è chi piange e c’è chi ride; essa ha nuvoli alla fronte, mentre sta sull’aspro monte.

– Giovanni Pascoli (1855-1912)

per telefono a 414-223-2180.

Allora, spezzate la monotonia del freddo, neve e malinconia dell’inverno col nostro grande Carnevale. Buon appetito e divertimento a tutti!

sottana / Viva, viva la Befana.”

Quando la recito ai nipotini, mi sembra di ritornare piccolo e sogno come … allora!

Ecco una delle tante leggende nate sulla Befana: i Re Magi non riuscendo a trovare la strada per andare nella grotta dove era nato il Gesù, chiesero Bambino informazione ad una vecchia signora che si rifiutò di accompagnarli. La donna, poi, pentitasi del suo rifiuto, preparò dei dolci e si mise in giro a cercarli, senza riuscirci. Cammin facendo, si fermava in ogni casa e donava ai bambini che incontrava sperando che uno di essi fosse il Bambino Gesù.

Agli inizi del 1900 invalse in Italia tra alcune categorie commerciali e professionali la consuetudine di raccogliere denaro, indumenti, generi alimentari, ecc. da distribuire il 6 Gennaio tra famiglie bisognose. Il Regime Fascista nel 1928 istituì con lo stesso scopo la Befana Fascista (o Befana del Duce). L’iniziativa ebbe gran successo: per esempio, nel 1932 furono distribuiti circa 1.250.000 pacchi dono.

E allora: Viva, viva la Befana!

Italian idioms and expressions

1. Affare fatto!

It’s a deal!

2. Fare un buon affare.

To get a good deal.

3. Come no!

An emphatic way of saying yes, of course, definitely and why not.

4. Farla finita!

Cut it out. Put an end to it.

5. Tutto a posto!

Everything is A.O.K.!

6. Sfogarsi.

To get something off one’s chest.

7. Ma guarda un po’!

Well, would you look at that!

8. Dare un’occhiata.

To have a look at.

9. Darsi da fare.

To get busy.

10. In verità.

As a matter of fact.

Proverbi Italiani

1. (Dialect) Nun c’e femmena senza amore, nun c’e viecchio senza dulore.

One isn’t a woman without (experiencing) love, one isn’t an old person without (experiencing) pain.

2. (Dialect) La vecchia chiu steva e chiu se ‘imparava.

The old woman: the more she stuck around, the more she learned.

(Meaning) The more you live, the more you learn.

3. (Dialect): A paser j ani, pasa al morben.

With the passage of years, the madness passes.

(Meaning) With age comes wisdom.

4. (Dialect): Mari vecch e’ mei che gnient.

An old husband is better than nothing.

(Meaning) Being married to an old man is better than being single.

5. (Dialect): Lu ven e’ la tatta di vecch.

Wine is the milk of the old.

(Meaning) Wine is to the old as milk is to the young.

6. (Dialect) Dopo i quaranta, nun se fischia e nun se canta.

After one hits forty, one doesn’t whistle or sing.

(Meaning) Enjoy your youth. * * * Courtesy of italyrevisited.org

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Febbraio 3: Festività di San Biagio

di Donato Di Pronio San Biagio (nome derivato dal latino Blasius) per sfuggire alla persecuzione in Oriente del 314 scatenata dall’imperatore Licinio, si era rifugiato in una grotta, dove veniva visitato da fedeli e da devoti, attratti dalla sua fama di santità ed anche da una folla di animali selvatici, compresi degli uccelli, che gli portavano del cibo.

Un giorno fu scovato da cacciatori che andavano alla ricerca di fiere occorrenti per le manifestazioni che si dovevano tenere nell’anfiteatro per festeggiare il quinto anno di regno dell’imperatore.

Questi cacciatori assistettero ad uno spettacolo inconsueto: quelle bestie invece di azzuffarsi stavano pacificamente insieme e se ne andarono dopo essere state benedette dal Santo. Raccontarono l’episodio al prefetto Agricolao e gli dissero che Biase era Cristiano. Il prefetto ordinò ai pretoriani di andare al prelevarlo: cosa che fecero il giorno seguente e lo condussero a Sebaste, Armenia, dove era nato. Strada facendo si avvicinò al Santo una donna che gli mostrò un proprio figlioletto che stava morendo soffocato da una lisca conficcata in gola: il Santo stese le mani sul bimbo che si calmò e tornò a sorridere. Quando il corteo passò davanti al Foro, Biase, viste le statue degli idoli, le fulminò con lo sguardo facendole crollare.

Poiché seguitava a rifiutarsi di sacrificare alle divinità pagane, il prefetto ordinò che fosse gettato in uno stagno con un sasso legato al collo ma il Santo tornò a riva camminando sull’acqua gridando ai presenti: “Se volete dimostrarmi

che i vostri dèi sono potenti, entrate in questo stagno e camminate pure voi come me sopra onde.”

Ottanta uomini le accettarono la prova ordalica e annegarono, ma Biagio fu decapitato il giorno seguente, 3 febbraio 316.

Santo, ritenuto Questo particolare protettore dalle malattie della gola, è considerato anche patrono dei contadini: il patronato, che non ha alcun rapporto con la sua storia, deriva probabilmente da riti precristiani connessi al periodo del passaggio tra l’inverno e la primavera (erano cerimonie di lustrazione dei campi Continua a pagina 18

Commitment Membership Payment Options

Presently, there are two payment options available to you should you choose a 2-year membership or a 3-year membership.

1. You may pay each January for the duration of your 3-year or 2year membership. As an show of good faith, you must sign the statement at the bottom of the new application (that appears on the next page).

2. You may pay for your full 3-year or 2-year membership by the end of the first year – in 4 quarterly payments.** ** If a member pre-pays for a 2-year or 3-year membership, and passes away or moves out of state, the remainder of their membership dues will be donated to the Italian Community Center in the member’s name.

Pro Rated Amount You may have received a bill for a smaller amount of money. This dues payment doesn’t relate to the new dues program, but rather, is a transitional amount that is intended to return everyone to a Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 Membership. You are not being charged an additional amount.

Barzellette

1. La pera alla mela:“Vai a prendere le pesche”.

“No, manda..rino”.

2. Sapete qual’è il ballo della scimmia? L’orango tango.

3. Pietro porta in passeggio una lumaca al guinzaglio. “Ciao Pietro!” - lo saluto un amico “Hai una bellissima lumaca.”

“Avevo una ancora più bella ma mi è scappata.”

4. “Zia, perche’ non hai figli?”.

“Perche’ la cicogna non me li ha portati”.

“E perche’ non hai cambiato uccello?”.

5. La miglior soluzione per non perdere i capelli?

Raccoglierli quando cadono!

6. Cosa fa uno schiavo in iscoteca? Si scatena...

7. Ho preso tante medicine che ogni volta che tossisco guarisco qualcuno.

Risposte

1. I piedi dal pavimento!

2. La x della moltiplicazione perché 4, 5x6=27.

3. Secondo.

4. Perché lo ha preso con le mani nel sacco!

5. Il prete.

6. La scarpa.

7.Sempre 5, perché i pesci non possono annegare!

THE ITALIAN TIMES

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 17

Report from Milwaukee’s Victory K8 Italian Immersion for December 2015

Students in Ms. Annette Robertson’s K4 class are learning simple vocabulary words and phrases in Italian such as, “Come ti chiami?”, “Mi chiamo…….”, “Come stai?”, “Sto bene, grazie”, “Che tempo fa oggi?”, “Fa freddo”.

Students put on puppet plays and dialogue the new words and phrases that they have learned. Most students know the Italian alphabet and can count to 20 in Italian. We had a wonderful “Festa di Halloween” at the end of October.

Students in first grade did a close read on Minutka, a story about a dog who is proud of being bilingual in English and Italian.

Students are beginning to use strategies like: using context clues, illustrations, and gestures.

These strategies will continue to help them be successful in an immersion setting. In addition to learning Italian, the first graders at Victory were exposed to Spanish when they learned about “El dia de los Muertos” The class read the story The Dead Family Diaz by P.J. Bracegirdle. A local artist, Robin Dickson, delivered some handcrafted calaveras so students could see the decorative skulls first hand.

Mrs. Janine Graber, principal, brought in some “pan de los muertos” for the students to snack on. At Victory we strive to create a multicultural and multilingual learning enviornment.

Mr. Steven Falsetti’s fourth and fifth graders have been teaming up with Ms. Elizabeth Zizzo and Ms. Rita Szopinski’s first grade students. The “Reading Buddies” pair up to read both English and Italian books to one another.

The fourth and fifth graders are able to guide the younger students and model fluent reading strategies.

Fourth and fifth grade class have also been working on acrylic art projects and written fiction and

nonfiction pieces related to the Great Lakes.

Mrs. Sylvia Peine, an art educator, visited Victory many times to work on the project with the students. She explored contemporary and classic artwork that has a connection to water and taught the students acrylic painting techniques. The project culminated in a trip to the Haggerty Museum of Art on the Marquette University campus, where the students were able to view prints from Kevin J. Miyzaki’s “Perimeter” project, featuring portraits of people who live

Febbraio 3: Festività di San Biagio

continua da pagina 17 e del bestiame) quando, ormai, il sole si è già leggermente alzato sull’orizzonte e le giornate si sono allungate allentando la morsa del gelo: pe’ la festa de’ sande Biase, lu sole pe’ ogne buše (buco) trase.

Nella ricorrenza della festa di San Biagio in molti paesi si usa portare in Chiesa dei tipici dolci, i tarallucci e i piccillate (buccellati, sorta di ciambelle) per farli benedire durante la Messa celebrata in suo onore (un tempo il compito era affidato ai ragazzini, i quali più che seguire il sacro rito, vegliavano attentamente il proprio pacchetto poggiato davanti all’altare). Al termine delle funzioni

religiose il sacerdote unge la gola dei fedeli con una piuma bagnata nell’olio benedetto il giorno prima due febbraio, festività della Candelora o vi poggia leggermente due candele incrociate.

La Candelora è il nome dato alla festività della Purificazione di Maria Vergine, ma che propriamente spetta alla benedizione delle candele. Il noto proverbio sulla previsione del tempo tra l’inverno e la primavera che si usa fare in questa ricorrenza, suona così: “il due febbraio, la Candelora e il tre la Blasiòla (San Biagio) se nevica o se c’è un solarello, stiamo a mezzo invernarello. Ma se c’è un bel sole, dall’inverno stiamo fuori.”

from page 7 Martini & Rossi. They go so well together that a lot of imbibers actually dip the bread in the wine before eating it. Now that’s a treat.

Who can dispute a supper of bread

and wine, right? So let’s all start the year right. Forget the soon to be broken resolutions and promises and start the year in the only way, the Italian way, the sweet life way.

Buon Capodanno 2016!

Give us this day our panettone

PAGE 18 – JANUARY 2016

around and are connected to Lake Michigan. It was a phenomenal and engaging project.

The Italian Team at Victory wish the Italian Community Center and all the members “Buon Natale e Felice Anno, 2016”. Thank you for

all of your support over the years.

We look forward to your continued support and collaboration together in the new year.

– Submitted by Annette Robertson K4 Teacher

While Italian is the official language of Italy, there is one province of northern Italy where the majority of people speak German and associate themselves with AustroBavarian customs. The province is South Tyrol (which is also known by its alternative Italian name Alto Adige).

It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige (a.k.a Südtirol).

It is estimated that 64% of the South Tyrolean population is Austro-Bavarian or Tyrolean and speaks German. Around 25% speak Italian as their first language and live primarily in and around the two largest cities, Bolzano and Merano. Another 4-5% speak Ladin, a Romance language consisting of regional dialects. If you’re adding up the percentages, it comes to about 95% of the total population of South Tyrol, which, in a 2011 census, was 511,750. The remaining 5% cannot be identified as to first language preference since they are likely recent immigrants.

Italy allows South Tyrol a considerable level of self-government, consisting of a large range of exclusive legislative and executive powers and a fiscal regime that allows the province to retain a large part of the most levied taxes.

Nevertheless, South Tyrol remains

a net contributor to the Italian national budget. It is also among the wealthiest provinces in Italy and the European Union.

South Tyrol as an administrative entity originated during World War I. The Allies promised the area to Italy in the Treaty of London of 1915 as an incentive to enter the war on their side. Until 1918, it was part of the AustroHungarian County of Tyrol, but this German-speaking territory was occupied by Italy at the end of the war in November 1918 and was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1919.

The province, as it exists today, was created in 1926 after an administrative reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy and was incorporated together with the province of Trento into a newly created region of Venezia Tridentina.

At one point, the speaking of German was prohibited by law.

Upon the rise of Fascism through World War II, the province became a territory of Germany.

After the war, the Allies decided that the province would remain a part of Italy, under the condition that the German-speaking population be granted a significant level of self-government.

Italy and Austria negotiated an agreement in 1946, recognizing the Please turn to page 20

German is spoken in this part of Italy

THE ITALIAN TIMES

L’Angolo del Poeta

Prepared by Barbara Collignon and Roberto Ciampi

If you are of Italian heritage, you probably grew up looking forward to a visit from La Befana. She was the inspiration for this poem

by Giovanni Pascoli featured this Epiphany.

There’s a lot of speculation on the origins of La Befana, including older origins related to people from the north like the Celts. La Befana is closely related to a rural world and, thus, she appears in winter, in moments of greatest difficulty for the farmers. The gifts, varied in our day, have been for a long time the fruits of the seasons: oranges, mandarin oranges and nuts.

And the same story is valid for the coal.

Pascoli’s poem is particularly poignant because it emphasizes the difficult and tiring journey La Befana makes on her way down the mountain in snow and cold wind. From the mountain top, she envisions the poor cottage and its inhabitants. Pascoli takes us inside the cottage where three poor little children are asleep while their mother stays up late and continues to labor at her spinning wheel, weeping because she doesn’t have much for her children. There’s no mention of her broom although her apron is made of frost. La Befana quietly steals through the cottage to complete her gift-giving mission and, in the end, the mother’s tears change to cries of joy and laughter. In my effort to preserve form, I couldn’t do justice to the original where Pascoli’s words emphasize poverty: for example, strapunti are old, worn-out mattresses and zoccoli are worn-out clogs; capitoni are the andirons of the hearth.

In this poem, La Befana truly seems to be an almost supernatural goddess-like character, an invisible, mysterious, benevolent spirit who leaves her perch on the mountain to bestow gifts on the poor and then return to her observation point on high. It’s difficult to distinguish her from the snow and wind blowing around her.

La Befana Translation by Barbara Collignon and Roberto Ciampi She comes, she comes, la Befana, she comes from the mountains late at night.

How tired she is! Snow, frost and the north wind blow around her.

She’s coming, she’s coming, la Befana.

Her hands are folded on her chest and her cloak is snow and her apron is frost and her voice the wind.

Her hands are folded on her chest.

And she comes quietly, quietly to the villa, to the cottages to watch, to listen now closer or further away.

Quietly, quietly, quietly.

What is there inside this house?

A light shuffling.

Everything is quiet; everything is dark.

A light passes and shines.

What’s inside this house?

Look and look…three little beds with three good little children tucked in.

Look and look…at the fireplace.

There are three fine long stockings.

Oh! Three stockings and three little beds.

The light shines and lowers, and the stairs creak; the light shines and goes away, and curtains flutter.

Who’s that going up? Who’s that coming down?

With her gifts, mama came down, goes up with her smile.

The light shines in her face like a church lamp.

With her gifts, mama came down.

La Befana at the window hears and sees, and goes far away.

She passes with the north wind, passes through the main street, Every door, every window shakes.

And what’s there in the cottage?

A long faint sigh.

Some little glow of the fire shines still in the hearth.

And what’s there in the cottage?

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Look and look…three poor little beds with three good little children in bed.

Among the ashes and embers there are three worn out shoes.

Oh! Three worn shoes and three poor little beds.

c’è chi piange e c’è chi ride; essa ha nuvoli alla fronte, mentre sta sull’aspro monte.

And the mama stays up awake and spins sighing and sobbing, and looks up from time to time, Oh! Those three worn shoes in a row…

She stays awake and cries, cries and spins.

La Befana sees and hears; fleas to the mountain, that is dawn.

That mama still cries over those children without anything.

La Befana sees and hears.

La Befana stays on the mountain.

What she sees is what she saw; That the one who cries is the one who is laughing; The other one has clouds on her forehead while she stays on the rugged mountain.

La Befana di Giovanni Pascoli

Viene viene la Befana, viene dai monti a notte fonda.

Come è stanca! La circonda neve, gelo e tramontana.

Viene viene la Befana.

Ha le mani al petto in croce, e la neve è il suo mantello ed il gelo il suo pannello ed il vento la sua voce.

Ha le mani al petto in croce.

E s’accosta piano piano alla villa, al casolare, a guardare, ad ascoltare o più presso o più lontano.

Piano piano, piano piano.

Che c’è dentro questa villa?

Uno stropiccìo leggero.

Tutto è cheto, tutto è nero.

Un lumino passa e brilla.

Che c’è dentro questa villa?

Guarda e guarda...tre lettini con tre bimbi a nanna, buoni. guarda e guarda...ai capitoni c’è tre calze lunghe e fini.

Oh! tre calze e tre lettini.

Il lumino brilla e scende, e ne scricchiolan le scale; il lumino brilla e sale, e ne palpitan le tende.

Chi mai sale? Chi mai scende?

Co’ suoi doni mamma è scesa, sale con il suo sorriso.

Il lumino le arde in viso come lampada di chiesa.

Co’ suoi doni mamma è scesa.

La Befana alla finestra sente e vede, e s’allontana.

Passa con la tramontana, passa per la via maestra, trema ogni uscio, ogni finestra.

E che c’è nel casolare?

Un sospiro lungo e fioco.

Qualche lucciola di fuoco brilla ancor nel focolare.

Ma che c’è nel casolare?

Guarda e guarda... tre strapunti con tre bimbi a nanna, buoni.

Tra la cenere e i carboni c’è tre zoccoli consunti.

Oh! tre scarpe e tre strapunti...

E la mamma veglia e fila sospirando e singhiozzando, e rimira a quando a quando oh! quei tre zoccoli in fila...

Veglia e piange, piange e fila.

La Befana vede e sente; fugge al monte, ch’è l’aurora.

Quella mamma piange ancora su quei bimbi senza niente.

La Befana vede e sente.

La Befana sta sul monte.

Ciò che vede è ciò che vide:

Request from ICC for cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses

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. Our 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.

JANUARY 2016 – PAGE 19

Andrea Bargnani begins 10th NBA season with Brooklyn Nets

By Thomas Hemman Times Editor Italian-born Andrea Bargnani is hoping to rebound his National Basketball Association career with a new team, the Brooklyn Nets.

After two injury-riddled seasons with the New York Knicks, the 7foot power forward/center signed a free agent contract with Brooklyn in July.

The top pick in the 2006 NBA draft, Bargnani began his American pro career with the Toronto Raptors. He became the first European player, sixth nonAmerican player, and second player with no U.S. college or high school experience to be drafted first overall, after Yao Ming, the Chinese player.

Bargnani had several successful seasons with the Raptors, including moving into the team’s starting lineup during his rookie season, being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (2007), leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots in 2009-10 and in scoring in 2010-

2011. He averaged 15.4 points per game (ppg) in 2008-09, 17.2 ppg in 2009-10 and a career high of 21.4 ppg in 2010-11 and helped lead the Raptors to the NBA playoffs in each of those seasons.

Injuries began to take their toll on Bargnani during the 2011-12 season with Toronto when he played in just 31 of the 81-regular season games, but averaged 19.5 points per game. After the season, he was traded to the Knicks, in exchange for former Marquette University star Steve Novak, Marcus Camby and Quentin Richardson along with a future first round draft pick (2016) and two future second round draft picks (2014 and 2017). During his seven seasons with Toronto, Bargnani played in 433 games, started 316, averaged 15.2 points and nearly 5 rebounds per game.

After missing nearly half of the regular season games during the last two seasons with the Knicks due to injuries, Bargnani still managed to average 13.9 points and 4.9

German is spoken in this part of northern Italy

from page 18 rights of the German minority.

Disputes, sometimes violent in nature, remained for the next 25 years.

A new autonomous status was granted in 1972, which resulted in a considerable level of self-government. In 1992, Italy and Austria officially ended their dispute over the autonomy issues based on the 1972 agreement.

South Tyrol is located at the

northernmost point in Italy. The province is bordered by Austria to the east and north, specifically by the Austrian federal states Tyrol and Salzburg; by the Swiss canton of Graubünden to the west; and the Italian provinces of Belluno, Trentino and Sondrio to the southeast, south and southwest. South Tyrol is situated entirely in the Alps.

– Researched and written by Tom Hemman, Times Editor

South Tyrol (Alto-Adige) in red

rebounds per game.

Bargnani was born in Rome, Italy, on October 26, 1985. His par-

ents, Roberto, a former art insurance agent in Milan, and his mother, Louisella Balducci, a retired English teacher in a secondary school in Rome, divorced when Andrea was a young child. Andrea’s first mentor was his uncle, Massimo Balducci, who also played professionally in Italy.

Bergnani’s basketball prowess was discovered at the age of 13 by Maurizio Gherardini, a famous player, coach and general manager in Italian basketball. At the age of 16, Bergnani left home to play professionally for Benetton Treviso. In 2006, he led Benetton to an Italian league championship. The same year, he was named the Euroleague Rising Star and the Italian League Best Player under 22.

During his year playing professionally in Italy, Bargnani, a lanky, fluid athlete, obtained the nickname “Il Mago,” the magician, for his sleight of hand on the court.

With the Brooklyn Nets, Bargnani is the top backup to Brook Lopez at center.

Several towns across Italy celebrate the Festa di Sant’Antonio Abate (Feast of Saint Anthony Abbot) on Jan. 16 and 17. His feast day is highlighted by processions, music and bonfires.

Although San Antonio Abate is often overshadowed by the similarly named Saint Anthony of Padua, this Egyptian saint is particularly important throughout southern Italy and is the patron saint of butchers, domestic animals, basket weavers and gravediggers. Many believe he is the protector against skin diseases, especially shingles, known in Italy as “Fuoco di Sant’Antonio” (Fire of Saint Anthony).

San Antonio Abate was a hermit

who renounced his worldly possessions to follow Jesus and performed miracles throughout his life. He is considered the first to live a truly monastic lifestyle and was repeatedly tempted by the devil, persevering through prayer.

In villages in the Abruzzo region and Sardinia, there are festivities that include lighting of huge bonfires that burn all night and include music and dancing.

In the Sicilian town of Nicolosi near Mount Etna, San Antonio Abate is celebrated on Jan. 17.

Ceremonies begin before dawn when the monks repeat their vows of dedication to God and to the saint. The day is filled with parades and solemn ceremonies.

Andrea Bargnani

San Antonio Abate celebrations in Italy

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 Kim Marie 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

PAGE 20 – JANUARY 2016

THE ITALIAN TIMES