The Italian Times by Italian Community Center

ITALIAN TIMES THE

Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com JANUARY 2019 • VOL. 40, NO. 7

Become a member of the Italian Community Center and you will receive home delivery of this publication. Your address label will be placed here.

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Cosa c’è dentro? What’s inside?

Student Culture Day planned for February 2019 Carnevale XL

Festa 2019 Planning Committees

The latest from the Membership Committee

Lots of new members to welcome

ICC cultural booth wins ‘People’s Choice’ Award at Holiday Folk Fair

Italian participation in the Folk Fair

Under The Tuscan Sun showing on Jan. 11 ‘Movie Night’ Members’ Christmas party pictorial

The day the late President Bush visited Festa UNICO Ladies, Pompeii Women celebrate

Pompeii Men’s Club report Digging up your family roots

page 2

NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID MILWAUKEE, WI Permit No. 5716

Italian Consul General visits ICC, Italian Immersion School

page 6 page 7 page 7 page 8 pages 8-10 page 11 pages 12-13 page 14 page 15 page 16 page 16

Philip D’Amore’s art on cover of Dick Vitale book page 17

Anna Pitzo joins Folk Fair Wall of Fame

For her contributions to the preservation of Italian culture, Italian Community Center member Anna Pitzo was inducted as a member of the Holiday Folk Fair International Wall of Fame.

Her induction, along with four other individuals, occurred during the 75th annual event, which was held Nov. 16-18 at the State Fair Park Exposition Center in West Allis.

Pitzo, a volunteer through the ICC and the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO for 33 years, worked and served as chair at one time or another for each area of participation by the Italian group at the Holiday Folk Fair. These included culture exhibit and sales and food booths. She had done cooking demonstrations during the event and particularly enjoyed working with children.

As an ambassador of Italian culture, Pitzo has traveled across southeastern Wisconsin sharing the story of La Befana, the Epiphany Eve witch of Italian folklore. She has also played a prominent role in Festa Italiana and the ICC since the inception of both.

“Thank you, Anna, for all your work and dedication to the people of Milwaukee, for all the children’s lives you have touched, and for being a mentor to me,” said Gina Jorgensen, chairperson of the ICC Culture Committee and the ICC’s Folk Fair activities. Please turn to page 10

The Hon. Giuseppe Finocchiaro, the Italian Consul General of Italy in Chicago, was the special guest of Italian Community Center President Joseph Emanuele for a Dec. 10 luncheon. Emanuele invited the Consul General to come to the ICC after he completed a visit to Victory K-8, Milwaukee’s Italian Immersion School. A group of ICC Board members and representatives of local Italian societies also attended the lunch. Emanuele and Vice President Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie escorted Finocchiaro and Dr. Sandro

Corsi, Director of Educational Programs for the Consulate General of Italy, on the tour of the ICC after lunch. This picture was taken toward the end of the tour. From the left: Nick DeQuardo, President of the Filippo Mazzei Lodge/Order Sons of Italy in America, ICC President Emanuele, Consul General Finocchiaro, ICC Director Pietro Tarantino; ICC Vice President Fritchie and Dr. Corsi. More photos and a story on the Consul General visit can be found on pages 3 and 4. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

A message from Joseph T. Emanuele, Italian Community Center President

Dear ICC Members, We are about to enter into a new year. Time certainly moves quickly. I hope your holidays have been enjoyable and blessed with the company of family and friends. As we move into 2019, it’s time to get started again with planning many of our events and working toward a successful Festa Italiana. For those of you who are unaware, we will be opening more of the Festa grounds in 2019. The U.S. Cellular Stage will be open and engaged in entertainment. The food and beverage committee is working on adding more food vendors to the north end of the grounds along with additional beer and wine booths. The carnival will remain this year moving slightly north of the U.S. Cellular Stage. The religious/cultural exhibits will be expanded and placed on the north end as well. Discussions are continuing to take place on adding additional attractions to the festival. Keep in mind that along with these changes and additions, expanding our footprint will require more volunteers. Festa’s success is dependent on you, the members, and your families stepping forward and getting involved. The real heroes are the members that participate and volunteer to make our magnificent festival a victory.

There are several areas that are in need of your help. Please review the lists of committees published in this issue and choose the one that you feel is a good fit for you. Many of you have suggested to me that it is time to change course. In order to succeed, we must have everyone working together as a family to make both the ICC and Festa bigger and better than ever. It’s your loyalty and commitment that can only make this possible.

I ask everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to serve our Center in memory of your parents and grandparents in bringing back the Festa of yesteryears.

Resolving issues Talks are continuing with the Terracon Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding the contamination of the land on the south end of our property. Soil Please turn to page 6

2019 will be a great year to be an ICC member

by Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto Membership Committee Chair As we begin the New Year, the Membership Committee is starting out stronger than ever. We are overwhelmed by the response to the members’ events we’ve had so far (i.e, Movie Night, Happy Hour get-togethers and Family Bocce Night). We’re planning to continue to have these as well as offering new activities in 2019. Movie Nights As a result of your great response, we are definitely continuing our free

“Movie Night” series on the second Friday of the month (except in July due to Festa Italiana). Look for the listing of the movies on the ICC website (iccmilwaukee.com), on the ICC’s Facebook page and, of course, in The Italian Times. We will be showing the romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun on Friday, Jan. 11. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the film starting at 7:15 p.m. Be sure to join us on Friday, Feb. 8 for a Grease “Sing-A-Long.” We are encouraging everyone to dress up ‘50’s style (like the characters in Grease) and join in the sing-along to the popular Please turn to page 7

Student Culture Day planned for February 2019

To celebrate Italian heritage, the Italian Community Center and the Culture Committee are planning to put on Student Culture Day in February. The official date of the event will be announced

in the next issue of The Italian Times. The Culture Committee is seeking donors to help fund this event. Approximately $1,000 in donations are needed to offset the expenses. Details on making a

Il Grande Carnevale XL – 23 Febbraio 2019 40th annual Carnevale – February 23, 2019

Mark your calendars for the Italian Community Center’s social event of the year: Il Grande Carnevale. The ICC and Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, are thrilled to co-host this pre-Lenten costume and mask ball on Saturday, Feb. 23, starting at its customary time of 5:11 p.m. The theme for Carnevale 2019 is “Dall’Inverno alla Primavera” (From Winter to Spring). This remarkable evening features pageantry, costumes and masks, celebrating an Italian tradition dating back to the 15th century, not to mention dinner, dancing, sweets table and fireworks – a full, spectacular evening for

the price of $50 per member and $60 per non-members. The reservation deadline is Friday, Feb. 15. A reservation form can be found at the end of this article The 2019 Carnevale Royalty will be announced in the next issue. The position include: il Re e la Regina (the King and the Queen), il Principe e la Principessa (the Prince and the Princess), il Nonno e la Nonna (the Grandfather and the Grandmother), il Piccolo Principe e la Piccola Principessa (the Little Prince and the Little Princess) and il Gran Maresciallo or la Grande Marescialla (the Grand Marshal). Follow The Italian Times and/or Please turn to page 5

donation appear later in this article. The event includes a variety of educational, cultural and recreational activities and lunch. The learning activities include:

• Bocce: A history of the game, lessons on how to play, and a game for students to play as teams. • Homemade pasta making. Students are taught how to make pasta from scratch using the equipment that Italian cooks have used for generations. • History class on the Italian immigrant experience with emphasis on Milwaukee’s Italian immigrant community. • Italian language class. • The Italian immigrant experience at Ellis Island. Students get to play the roles of the arriving immigrants.

A spaghetti and meatballs lunch is served at the end of the event. There is no cost for the participating school students, teachers and chaperones. This program is part of the community outreach program of the ICC.

Persons interested in making a donation to this educational and cultural experience for grade school children, please contact Culture Committee Chair Gina Jorgensen at gina.jorgensen@yahoo.com or at 414-380-0808. Donations can be made by mail to the ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI

53202 with “Student Culture Day” identified on the memo line. They also can be dropped off at the ICC reception desk during regular business hours. “Donations in any amount are appreciated,” Jorgensen said. Persons interested in volunteering for the event should also contact Jorgensen

ICC Culture Committee sets tentative 2019 schedule of activities

Gina Jorgensen, chairperson of the Italian Community Center’s Culture Committee, announced that her committee has established a tentative calendar of events between February and November 2019.

No official date or starting time has been set yet for most of these events. Tentative dates have been set for events in February and March but have not yet been confirmed. The dates of Festa Italiana and the Holiday Folk Fair are official.

Here is the schedule: • February – Student Culture Day. (Tentatively set for Monday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. • March – Performance by the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. (Tentatively set for Friday, Mar. 15 at 7 p.m.) • April – Family genealogy event. • May – To be announced (TBA). (Possibly the making of a wine bottle mosaic class). • June – TBA. • July – Festa Italiana. The weekend of July 19-21. • August – TBA. • September – TBA. • October – Celebration of Dance and Italian Heritage Month activity. • November – Holiday Folk Fair. The weekend of Nov. 22-24.

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

Publisher . . . . . . . . Italian Community Center ICC President . . . . , . .. . . Joseph T. Emanuele Newspaper Committee Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To Be Announced Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler Editorial Contributors, Reporters and Columnists . . . . . . . . . Blaise Di Pronio, Barbara Collignon, Laura Duronio and Donato Di Pronio

PAGE 2 – JANUARY 2019

All advertisements must be in accordance with the rules and requirements as determined by editorial policy. Paid advertisements are not to be interpreted as an endorsement by the Italian Community Center or its newspaper, The Italian Times. In addition, the Newspaper Committee reserves the right to reject ads based on editorial policy approved by the Board of Directors of the Italian Community Center. The Italian Community Center is a member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Visit Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward Association.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro visits Italian Immersion School and Italian Community Center

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor Italian Consul General Giusep-pe Finocchiaro and Dr. Sandro Corso, Director of Educational Programs for the Consulate General of Italy – Chicago, toured Victory K-8, Milwaukee’s Italian Immersion School (MIIS), and the Italian Community Center (ICC) on Monday, Dec. 10. During visit to Victory K-8, a grant of $18,000 was presented to school officials, recognizing the hard work and commitment of the MIIS staff.

Finocchiaro and Corsi also conducted a meeting with Victory K-8 Principal Janine Graber and Milwaukee Public School officials to gather information on the Italian government reguirements for securing a potential designation of MIIS as an Italian Section.

As an Italian Section, the school would be eligible for financial support and professional development, and students would have access to options to attend a university in Italy or the European Union. The designation would strengthen the authenticity and quality of the Italian immersion program. The Italian government has a strong interest in programs that promote the Italian language throughout the world. They consider MIIS to be a valuable public entity that deserves their backing. Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley and other MPS officials attended the event at the school.

A grant of $18,000 was presented by Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro to the Milwaukee Italian Immersion School staff in recognition of the hard work and commitment of MIIS staff to promoting Italian language. The grant was the result of an application written by MIIS Italian Implementer Elizabeth Zizzo in coordination with

Dr. Sandro Corsi, Director of Educational Programs for the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago. From the left: Dr. Corsi, MIIS-Victory K-8 Principal Janine Graber, Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley and Al Rolandi, WisItalia President.

This photo was taken in the K-4 class of MIIS teacher Angela Bonzano. the first stop on the tour of the Italian Immersion School. Bozano (first on left) is next to Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro. Next to him is Dr. Sandro Corsi, Director of Educational Programs for the

Consulate General of Italy in Chicago. Farther to the right is Al Rolandi, President of WisItalia, the statewide organization promoting the teaching of Italian language and culture in Wisconsin, ICC President Joseph Emanuele, MPS Superintendent Keith Posley and other MPS district offi-

The ICC has been a longtime supporter of MIIS. ICC President Joseph T. Emanuele was among the Wisconsin represenatives from Italian organizations to attend the activites at Victory K-8.

Emanuele invited Finocchiaro and Corso to lunch at the ICC after their visit to the school. After lunch, Emanuele and Vice President Rose Anne Ceraso Fritcie escorted the Italian dignitaries on a tour of the ICC. Finocchiaro said that he was impressed with the building and with what the organization was doing to promote Italian culture, heritage and language.

In attendance at the luncheon on behalf of the ICC were also: Vice President Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie, Sergeant-AtArms Joanne Czubek and Directors Joe Jannazzo and Pietro Tarantino. Representing the Order Sons of Italy in America were Nick DeQuardo, President of the OSIA’s Filippo Mazzei Lodge and Attorney Frank Schiro, of the OSIA Illinois/Wisconsin Grand Lodge and past president of the Mazzei Lodge. WisItalia President Al Rolandi and Joseph Bartolotta, President and Co-Owner of Bartolotta Restaurants Group, were also present.

Emanuele said he welcomed the opportunity to meet the new Consul General and the chance to acquaint him with the ICC and what it is doing to promote Italian culture and heritage. He also invited him to attend Festa Italiana in July 2019.

Times photos by Tom Hemman More photos on page 4.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

MIIS teacher Carrie Brunelli is shown here leading her K-5 class.

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 3

Italian Consul General Finocchiaro visits Victory K-8 and ICC

È ora di venire insieme per cibo e vino. Time to come to together for food and wine. Everyone gathered in the ICC Board Room for a light lunch and some wine. From the left going around the table: Nick DeQuardo, OSIA Filippo Mazzei Lodge President; Joseph Emanuele, ICC President; the Hon. Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Italian Consul General; Dr. Sandro Corsi, Director of Educational Programs for the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago; Joanne Czubek, ICC

Director; Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie, ICC Vice President; Pietro Tarantino, ICC Director; Consul General’s office representative; OSIA Illinois/Wisconsin Representative, Attorney Frank Schiro; Joe Jannazzo, ICC Director; Al Rolandi, WisItalia President; and Joe Bartolotta, President and Co-Owner of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group.

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ICC President Joseph Emanuele (far right) is seen here standing next to Italian Consul General Giuseppe Finocchiaro.

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Individuals who are interested in helping out should contact Editor Tom Hemman at (414) 223-2189 or email him at themman@iccmilwaukee.com. PAGE 4 – JANUARY 2019

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THE ITALIAN TIMES

Calendar of Events January 1 – January 30, 2019

Tuesday, Jan. 1 • Felice Anno Nuovo! Happy New Year! The Italian Community Center will be closed.

Wednesday, Jan. 2 • Italian Community Center Membership Committee meeting, 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5 • Italian Community Center Children’s Epiphany Eve Party with La Befana, noon. Monday, Jan. 7 • Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 8 • Abruzzese Society meeting and spuntino, 2 p.m. • Italian Community Culture Committee meeting, 5 p.m. • Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9 • Pompeii Women’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 10 • Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 11 • Italian Community Center Movie Night, doors open at 6 p.m. Film, romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), shown at 7:15 p.m. Details in this issue.

Saturday, Jan. 12 • Italian Family History Club meeting, 10 a.m. Article in this issue.

Tuesday, Jan. 15 • Santa Rosalia Society meeting, 7 p.m.

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

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Wednesday, Jan. 16 • Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America/Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Area Lodge General Membership meeting, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 17 • Italian Community Center Membership buffet dinner, 5:30 p.m. Reservations necessary by Monday, Jan. 14. Call 414-223-2180. • Italian Community Center General Membership meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 30 • Pompeii Women’s Club General Membership dinner and meeting, 6 p.m. New members pinning ceremony.

Daily and weekly classes and activities • Bocce leagues. The winter bocce season will get underway the week of Jan. 7 with leagues on Monday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday night and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The championship playoffs will take place on Monday, Mar. 11, 2019. • ICC Italian classes. Look for an announcement on the spring semester of classes in the next issue.

• I Bei Bambini, The Children’s Italian Dance Group. This children’s folk dance group practices weekly on most Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the ICC. New dancers are welcome. For details, visit: www.tradizionevivente.com. Breaks are taken during the holidays and after Festa Italiana through Labor Day.

• Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. This folk dance group practices weekly on most Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the ICC. Visit: www.tradizionevivente.com for details. Breaks are taken during the holidays and after Festa Italiana through Labor Day. Ballate con noi! Dance with us!

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

Celebrate Carnevale

from page 2 www.iccmilwaukee.com for the latest details.

Ci vediamo!

– Submitted by the Carnevale Committee

Carnevale 2019 Reservation Form

Name(s) ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________________________________ Phone: _________________ Email: _____________________________ Please list the names of persons in your party on a separate sheet of paper. Tables of 10 are available. Number of ICC members attending: ______ x $50.00 = $

Number of non-members attending: ______ x $60.00 = $ Total amount of your check or money order: $

Please make your check or money order payable to: Italian Community Center. Send payment and this form with the list of those in your party to: Carnevale, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Reservation deadline: Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.

If you cannot attend Carnevale 2019, please consider making a donation to support this event. My/Our donation is : $_________________.

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 5

Festa Italiana 2019 Planning Committees

These are the planning committees for the 42nd annual Festa Italiana as announced by Festa General Chairman Joseph T. Emanuele. Festa will take place the weekend of July 19-21, 2019 on the Summerfest Grounds (Henry W. Maier Festival Park).

General Chair – President Joseph Emanuele Co-Chair – Joe Vella Rose Anne Fritchie Dean Cannestra Gina Spang Mike Palmisano Closed………… Food Committee Chair – Rich Busalacchi Bill Jennaro Tony Machi Ann Romano Closed………….

Alcohol/Beer/Wine Chair – Michael Maida Co-Chair – Mary Anne Alioto Rich Busalacchi Gina Spang John Alioto Closed……… Sponsorship Committee Chair – Christine Catalano Rose Spang Joanne Bischmann Christine Hojnacki Diane Kostal

Kim Palmer Denise Salamone Sandy Wysocki Closed………….

Advance Ticket Sales Chair – Gina Spang Open…………

We should know soon what their requirements will be to correct the problem. We have encountered a slight setback with the replacement of the fence along

Volunteer Food Tent Chair – Tony Lupo Open…….

Entertainment Committee Chair – Tim Kezman Kathy Lanzer John Calarco Closed ……..

Culture Chair – Valerie Schleicher Christina Zino Gina Jorgensen Open……..

Market Place Chair – Maria Salvo Open…….

Heritage/Religious Chair – Christine Conley Co-Chair – Susie Christiansen Open……..

Grounds Decorations Committee Chair – Jessica Emanuele Kaydn Ulickey Brianna Clark Angilice Battige Open….

Grounds Operations and Set-Up

President Emanuele message to ICC members

from page 1 Festa of yesteryears.

Chair – Tony Piacantini Chris Bartolone Ted Catalano Paulie Iannelli Open…………

Jackson Street, however, I am confident that a solution will be worked out, permitting us to move forward early this spring.

I will continue to work for you and will do my best to bring back our Center’s luster.

As always I welcome your opinions, suggestions or concerns. Feel free to contact me anytime through the ICC office or by email at: president@iccmilwaukee.com. – Joseph T. Emanuele ICC President

Mass Committee Co-Chair – Sal Lo Coco Co-Chair – Sister Mary Louise Balistreri Manager of Ushers – Ted Catalano Vivian & Vince Balistreri Denise & Joe Ciofani Joe Dentice Judge John DiMotto Antonette Lo Coco Barbara & Tony Lupo Anna Marie Vicini-Daney Lena & Tony Zingale Open……… Cucina – Italian Idol Chair – Marie Lieber Chair – Sandy Winard Open….

Front Gate Entry and Ticket Sales Carlo Besasie – Chair Open.....

Thanks for your donations to the ICC

The officers and directors of the Italian Community Center wish to thank and acknowledge all those who pledged, fulfilled a pledge, or made a contribution to the nonprofit organization.

To obtain information on how to make a pledge or a donation, please call 414-223-2808. Please note: When the ICC is informed of the death of a member, an email blast is being sent out to all members who have signed up to receive these email blasts as part of their membership. The following donations were re-

ceived between Nov. 12 and Dec. 11, 2018. In memory of Peter Frank Sorce Peter T. and Kathy M. Sorce Christina Sorce In memory of R ose A. Stonehouse Anthony T. Machi

In memory of Ben Tralonga George and Aggie Collura In memory of Bill Jennero Grace Butzinski

Deadline announced for February 2019 issue

All advertising copy, news stories and photos for publication in the February 2019 issue of The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later than Thursday, Jan. 10. All materials can be emailed to editor Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.com or sent to The Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For further information, call 414-2232189.

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THE ITALIAN TIMES

Membership Committee planning eventful 2019

from page 1 songs from this 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. In March (Mar. 8), we will be showing Il Postino.

In the near future, we will announce the rest of 2019 so you will be able to plan accordingly. Right now we’re showing the movies in the Bocce Court room, but we can’t wait to move them outdoors and enjoy the great weather of warmer Wisconsin months. Cafe La Scala is open for those who wish to dine, but of course, snacks, water and soft drinks are available to buy during the movie at the stand operated by the Membership Committee. We need to give a shout out to Studio Gear for its donation of all the audio/visual equipment for the Movie Nights. Thanks so much.

Happy Hour We’re having our quarterly “Happy Hour” at Cafe La Scala on Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Come and have a drink and dinner (if you like). Meet other members and potential new members. This is a great time for anyone who has friends or relatives thinking about joining the ICC to come and see what we have available and what a great time a person can have when becoming a member.

Moonlight Bocce Tourney On Friday, March 29, we are going to do our first Moonlight Bocce Tournament. We are going to be looking for eight teams to sign up and compete. The courts will be lit up and the bocce balls will be glowing. Bartolotta’s is going to have a wait staff person available to take orders. It should be fun to see which team becomes our first Moonlight Champion! Maybe it will be your team. Look for more information on this event on the website, Facebook and the next Italian Times.

Membership on the move I also want to give a quick update on the “Buy-One-Get-One-Membership” promotion which we ran during October and November 2018. We started out in September with 1,014 members. We are now at 1,172 members strong! From the start of the year until now, we have seen an increase of 299 members in 2018. Our committee believes this was a great success. We did find some big hurdles that need to be addressed on our website and membership software as a result of the promotion. We will be addressing both of those issues in 2019. We are going to be upgrading our membership application to include things like committee interests and talents so

more members can get involved in the Italian Community Center’s “community of talent.” The more you get involved, the more we grow. In closing, I want to again thank everyone on the Membership Committee for their ideas, their networking and their

commitment to making all the membership events successful. In addition, we love getting to know all our members and prospective members that have attended the events. Keep it up and let us know if there are other member events we might be able to do that would interest you.

Winter bocce season to start week of Jan. 7

After a break for the holidays, bocce leagues will start up again at the Italian Community Center in January. Get your team together now. The winter bocce season gets underway the week of Jan. 7. Teams in the senior citizen leagues play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Teams in the mixed couples’ leagues compete on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The regular season lasts eight weeks. The winter season championship playoffs will take place Monday, Mar. 11 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 lower 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 by calling the ICC office at 414Please turn to page 20

Welcome new Italian Community Center members!

The following persons became members of the Italian Community Center between Nov. 12 and Dec. 11, 2018. Benvenuti (Welcome!) Correction from new members’ listing in last month’s issue: Alec and Olivia Gatti-Taylor Kopitzke and children Valentina and Maebel of South Milwaukee

Colleen Dorman of Grafton, WI Rose Enea of Bayside, WI

Kim Brier of Fox Point, WI

Aggie Purcell of St. Francis, WI

Diane Jazdezewski of Glendale, WI

Rena M. Glorioso of Milwaukee, WI

Josh Johnson of Milwaukee, WI

Karen Mueller of Milwaukee, WI

Mary Felder of Hartland, WI

David Bird of Greenfield, WI

Paula Pellmann of Milwaukee, WI

Prudence Kitterman of Franklin, WI Jen Schumann Hense of Germantown, WI Joseph Sorrenti of Oak Creek, WI

Bud & Rosie Nichols of Cudahy, WI Angela Klann of Milwaukee, WI

Reinhard Meihsner of Mequon, WI

Mary E. Kelling of New Berlin, WI

James & Diane Balk of Cudahy, WI Andrew Vila of Fox Point, WI

Patti Bennetts of New Berlin, WI

R. Justin & Stacy Tolomeo and children Gemma and Tessa of Cedarburg, WI Salvatore A. Sturdevant of Shorewood, WI Valentina N. Sturdevant Shorewood, WI

Charles & Gina Thompson and son Alexander of Neenah, WI Scott Cannistra of New Berlin, WI

Elizabeth Hildebrandt-Tesch of Milwaukee, WI

Debbie Crivello of Cudahy, WI Maria Prunty of Chandler, AZ

Kyle & Christina Anderson and children Benjamin and Avery of Mequon, WI Steven Guttuso of Mukwonago, WI Scott Guttuso of Mukwonago, WI

Eirik S. Songstad of Mukwonago, WI Scott & Linda Bielski of Sussex, WI

Jacki Marino Davis of Milwaukee, WI

Grace Gazzana of Menomonee Falls, WI Carlo Besasie of Shorewood, WI

Mary Joyce Hotelling of Milwaukee, WI Yolanda Deppoleto of Pewaukee, WI Brenda Carr of Delafield, WI

Mary Roth of Prarie du Sac, WI

Amy Courville of Waterford, WI

Laura Burgardt of Wauwatosa, WI

Abby Burgardt (Junior Membership) of Wauwatosa, WI

Joanne O’Hare of Waukesha, WI

Jacob Burgardt (Junior Membership) of Wauwatosa, WI

Daniel Schuyler of Milwaukee, WI

Jackie Bussert of Sheboygan, WI

Sandra Abatemarco of Bloomfield Hills, MI David & Laurie Glazer of Wauwatosa, WI

Lynn Okopinski of Milwaukee, WI Pat Krahn of Winthrop Harbor, IL

Mr. & Mrs. Terry Blessing of Big Bend, WI

Susan Ghigileri Babcock of Waukesha, WI

Paula Pellmann of Brookfield, WI

Tina Kreitlow of Shorewood, WI

Nick Italiano of Waukesha, WI Joshua Johnson of Butler, WI

Michael Kubik (Junior Membership) of Greenfield, WI John Michael Mario Townsend of Shorewood, WI

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Caroline Kreitlow of Shorewood, WI

Barbara Buttitta Job of Brown Deer, WI

Sue Buttitta Schmidt of Brown Deer, WI Mark Camp of Pewaukee, WI

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 7

ICC cultural booth wins ‘People’s Choice Award’ at Holiday Folk Fair

by Gina Jorgensen ICC Culture Committee Chair What a huge honor it was for the Italian Community Center to have received the “People’s Choice Award” at the 2018 Holiday Folk Fair the weekend of Nov. 16-18.

The booth was very interactive. Fairgoers could sit on the float (the same float used to carry children in the Festa Grand Parade), touch and feel pasta from 14 different regions in Italy, and share their family migration from Italy.

On Education Day (Nov. 16), students from all over Wisconsin really enjoyed climbing onto and sitting on the Pinocchio Mobile. They enjoyed it so much they voted our exhibit the best! Over the weekend, families of all ages climbed aboard to sit with Pinocchio. Many photos were taken of children and some adults, wearing gondolier

hats and other costumes and props. The story of Pinocchio was read to several children over the weekend as well.

Also on display was a map of Italy on which fairgoers stick a pin on the area from their ancestors departed to come to America. As you might have guessed, many families departed from Sicily, especially Palermo and towns around it, to come to the United States. Using a map like this led to many conversations and sharing of family stories. I can say we (the volunteers) enjoyed this kind of interaction very much. The map will be on display for Festa Italiana 2019. I want to extend special thanks to Rose Anne Fritchie for providing the wonderful map.

The culture exhibit’s table display was loaded with 14 regional pastas that people could touch and examine. We dis-

cussed how many pastas fairgoers have tried and what they knew about each. Our thanks to Michael Glorioso of Glorioso’s Italian Market who generously donated all the pasta on display.

Careful research was done prior to the fair to find the most prominent pasta from all regions. We were very fortunate that Glorioso’s carried most of them.

On display was a cloth map of the pasta provided by Sabrina Lupoli, an Italian teacher from Milwaukee Italian Immersion School, that that served as inspiration for this area of the exhibit.

If you missed Folk Fair, don’t worry! All the pastas will be on display at Festa Italiana 2019!

The Folk Fair theme for the exhibit area this year was diversity. We displayed diversity of pasta and boards highlighting the diversity of people in

Louise Au (left) and Diane Otzelberger are seen here volunteering at the Italian cultural exhibit. (Photos provided by Gina Jorgensen, ICC Culture Committee Chair)

Children had an opportunity to pinpoint the hometowns of their Italian immigrant ancestors on a map of Italy that was provided by ICC Vice President Rose Anne Fritchie.

PAGE 8 – JANUARY 2019

Italy as well as languages spoken. Thank you to the volunteers who shared our culture, stamped passports and passed out 1,500 little Italian flags over the weekend: Arlene and John Jorgensen, Mary Anne Ceraso-Alioto and John Alioto, Louise Au, Diane Otzelberger, Sophia Michalovitz, Andrae Jones, McKenna Frahm, Ella Elena LaSpisa, Maria Gosetti, Luna, Brittany Smith and Natalija Gotovnik.

It is absolutely vital to sustain the rich and beautiful Italian culture by educating through events, the arts, and by just merely having conversation.

Fairgoers were really engaged and hopefully now are interested in becoming members of our Italian Community Center. We handed many membership applications to fair goers over the weekend.

The Italian cultural display won the “People’s Choice Award” voted upon during the Education Day program on the opening day of the 75th annual Holiday Folk Fair International. Editor’s note: Credit for creating the display goes to Gina Jorgensen, chairperson of the Italian Community Center Culture Committee.

Folk Fair attendees could see and touch a variety of pasta from Italy.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Youngsters were given an opportunity to put on costumes from the story of Pinocchio.

Here is Lisa DeSanctis chopping up the broccoli for her Italian wedding soup (minestra maritata), which she prepared during cooking demonstrations at the Folk Fair.

Children boarded the Pinocchio mobile that was on display at the Holiday Folk Fair. The mobile was designed and built by ICC member Cosmo Carini. The panel going around the mobile tells Carlo Collodi’s original Story of Pinocchio.

Giana Songstad (left) assisted her mother, Lisa DeSanctis dishing out samples of minestra maritata, an Italian wedding soup, during a cooking demonstration Lisa put on during Student Education Day at the Holiday Folk Fair.

Photos provided by Gina Jorgensen More photos and stories relating to the Holiday Folk Fair on page 10.

Charlotte and Emma Desjarlais, members of I Bei Bambini, the Children’s Italian Dance Group, helped to set up the food booth

THE ITALIAN TIMES

early on the opening day of the 75th annual Holiday Folk Fair.

Get your message across to readers of The Italian Times. Place an ad in our next issue. For details, call (414) 223-2189 or email themman@ iccmilwaukee.com.

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 9

Anna Pitzo recognized with induction to Holiday Folk Fair Wall of Fame

from page 1 The other Wall of Fame inductees were:

• Maryann Brahm, who through the Federated Slovak Societies, has participated in the Folk Fair since 1955.

• Karen Schmeider, a lifetime member of the United Donauschwaben of Milwaukee, who has been a performer, dance director and volunteer for the organization.

• Virginia Topitzes, who participated in her 65th consecutive Holiday Folk Fair in 2018. She danced at her first Folk Fair with the KavKas Russian Dancers. Her love of dance led her to establish the Iberian Spanish Dancers in 1958 and Dorian Greek Dancers in 1968. She has been active and held offices in numerous national folklore, culture and dance organization.

• Anita Zeidler, who died this past Sept. 3. She was a member of the United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee, who worked for many years in a variety of capacities with the International Institute of Wisconsin, producers of the Holiday Folk Fair International.

Special thanks to Papa Luigi and Sciortino Bakery

The members of Tradizione Vivente, the Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, wish to extend a very special thanks to Sal Purpora of Papa Luigi’s and Giuseppe Vella, his family and Sciortino Bakery crew for their commitment to the Italian food operations at the Holiday Folk Fair. Thank you, Sal Purpora, for generously providing, delivering and setting up equipment for Tradizione Vivente to use over the weekend of Folk Fair. Having a pizza oven conveyor for them to

Anna Pitzo (third from left) is seen here with the other Wall of Fame inductees. (Photo provided by Gina Jorgensen)

use was a dream come true. Thank you, Joe Vella, for continuing to provide delicious Italian dishes for Holiday Folk Fair goers to enjoy. Thank you as well for always bringing equipment for us to use. You are vital to our success. You both have made our 2019 group trip to Sicily more attainable! Grazie Mille! – Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee

Michael Glorioso and Glorioso’s Italian Market provided numerous varieties of pasta from the regions of Italy for the display at the Folk Fair.

This is a display of the diversity of pasta of Italy and the region of Sicily which helped to capture the 2018 Folk theme. This photo shows the appliances and equipment loaned to Tradizione Vivente by Sciortino Bakery (Joe Vella and family) and Sal Purpora of Papa Luigi’s Pizza and S&P Equipment.

PAGE 10 – JANUARY 2019

Photos provided by Gina Jorgensen

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun will be shown for free on ICC Movie Night, Friday night, Jan. 11

The Italian Community Center’s free monthly movie series continues on Friday, Jan. 11 with the showing of Under the Tuscan Sun, a romantic comedy drama from 2003 starring Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan and Raoul Bova.

The Membership Committee will open the doors to the screening room to members and friends of the ICC starting at 6 p.m. The film will be shown at 7:15 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. For those interested in having dinner before the show, Cafe La Scala is open at 5 p.m.

Based on Frances Mayes’ 1996 memoir of the same title, the film is about a recently divorced writer who buys a villa in the Italian region of Tuscany on a whim, hoping it will lead to a change in her life.

The film was nominated for the Art Directors’ Guild “Excellence in Production Design Award” and Diane Lane received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance.

The plot Mayes (played by Lane) is a San Francisco writer whose seemingly perfect life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that her husband has been

Upcoming ICC events

cheating on her. The divorce – and loss of her house to her ex-husband and his much-younger, pregnant new partner – leaves her depressed and unable to write. Her best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh), a lesbian, who is expecting a child, is beginning to think Frances might never recover. She urges Frances to take an Italian vacation to Tuscany using the ticket she purchased before she became pregnant. At first Frances refuses, but after another depressing day in her gloomy apartment, she decides that it is a good idea to get away for awhile.

In Tuscany, her tour group stops in the small town of Cortona. After wandering through the charming streets, she notices a for sale posting for a villa in Cortona. She rejoins her tour group on the bus, and just outside town, the bus stops to allow a flock of sheep to cross the road. While they wait, Frances realizes that they’ve stopped directly in front of the very villa that she had seen for sale, something that she believes is a sign of good fortune. She asks the driver to stop and she gets off the bus. Through a

wants to get married. Frances persuades the girl’s family to support their love by proclaiming that she is Pawel’s family, and the young lovers are soon married at the villa.

Frances begins her new life with the help of a variety of interesting and unusual characters with gentle souls. She hires a crew of Polish immigrants to renovate the house.

During the wedding celebration, Frances meets an American writer who is traveling in Tuscany, and their attraction for each other points to a romantic future.

Over time, Frances also befriends her Italian neighbors and develops relationships with her Polish workers, the realtor who sold her the villa, and Katherine (Lindsay Duncan), an eccentric aging British actress who evokes the mystery and beauty of an Italian film star. Later, she is visited by the now very pregnant Patti, whose partner, Grace, has left her.

Upcoming in February The Membership Committee has announced that the 1978 musical Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John will be shown for February’s Movie Night, Friday, Feb. 8.

Attendees will be able to “singalong” to the many popular songs from the film as the lyrics will appear on the screen.

Frances has a brief romantic affair with Marcello (Raoul Bova). She is about to give up on happiness when one of her Polish workers, a teenager named Pawel (Pawel Szajda) and a neighbor’s young daughter come to her for help. Her father doesn’t approve of him because he is not Italian and and doesn’t have a family. Yet, the couple is very much in love and

Attendees are also welcome to dress up in the costumes associated with the film.

“We’re looking to make this a really fun night,” said Mary Anne CerasoAlioto, Membership Committee Chair.

ICC Membership Dues u u u Benefits of Italian Community Center Membership u u u

All of these events take place at the Italian Community Center unless otherwise indicated. ICC Winter Bocce Leagues Season begins the week of Jan. 7 and concludes Monday, Mar. 11 with the championship playoffs

ICC Movie Night Friday, Jan. 11 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Under The Tuscan Sun Free admission ICC Movie Night Friday, Feb. 8 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Grease (Sing-A-Long) Free admission Student Culture Day Monday, Feb. 18 (Tentative) 9 a.m. – 12:30 p,m.

ICC 39th annual Il Grande Carnevale Saturday, Feb. 23 5:11 p.m., reception 6:11 p.m., dinner, program and dancing.

ICC Movie Night Friday, Mar. 8 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Movie to be announced. Free admission Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra Performance Friday, Mar. 15 at 7 p.m. (Tentative)

ICC Spring Bocce Leagues Season begins the week of Mar. 18 and concludes Monday, May 20 with the championship playoffs Please turn to page 13

series of serendipitous events, she becomes the owner of the lovely yet dilapidated villa in beautiful Tuscany.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

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

Age 20 and under

Annual Dues

Ages 21 – 65

Annual Dues

Individual

Gratis – $0.00

Individual

$50 per year

Ages 66 – 84

Annual Dues

Ages 85 & Older

Annual Dues

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

Individual

$50 per year

Couple/Family

$75 per year

Couple/Family

$100 per year

Individual

Couple/Family

$30 per year $50 per year

All memberships are effective for a full year period. MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM Names & Birthdates of Each Adult: _______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________________________________

Address, City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________

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

Card No. :______________________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________

___________________________________ Signature – Adult Member

____________________________________ Signature – Adult Member

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

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 11

ICC brings holiday cheer to attendees of Members’ Christmas party on Dec. 13

The Italian Community Center hosted its annual Members’ Christmas dinner and dance on Thursday, Dec. 13. About 150 people attended. The Bartolotta Catering staff prepared and served the dinner.

Secretary Susie DeSanctis Christiansen served as event chairperson. Sergeant-At-Arms Joanne Sanfilippo Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis were in charge of a bake sale. A committee of volunteers operated a raffle in which attendees had an opportunity to win a variety of prizes. Christiansen conducted a trivia contest with prizes awarded to the guests at the tables with the most correct answers.

The event included dancing to music for all generations to enjoy. The music was played by ICC member Sam Alioto.

There was a photo booth at which people could pose in front of a large poster showing the Leaning Tower of Pisa and areas around this Italian landmark.

People could put on various props (i.e., hats, sunglasses and Santa’s cap). A sheet with three color prints was given to each participant or group of participants as they departed from the photo booth. The operation was run by Yasser Han of Events Photobooth.

Attendees were able to get their picture taken at a photo booth operated by Yasser Han of Events Photobooth.

Santa and his elves dished out candy canes and other sweets to guests.

Here’s Santa Claus and his elves. Word is that their appearances were courtesy of John Alioto, Giana Songstad and Andrea Crivello.

PAGE 12 – JANUARY 2019

Times photos by Tom Hemman

Guests danced to music played by deejay Sam Alioto.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Two of the ICC’s senior members Mary Winard (left) and Pauline Cannestra purchased raffle tickets from Sam Alioto.

San Sebastiano feast day celebrated in Sicily and Abruzzo on Jan. 20

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

singing of hymns. The coastal Abruzzo town of Ortono (Chieti province) 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.

Buone Feste! Seasons’ Greetings!

Rita and Bill Jennaro posed with Santa and his elf, Giana. Bill Jennaro is a past president of the Italian Community Center.

from page 11

ICC Movie Night Friday, Apr. 12 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Movie to be announced. Free admission

Movie to be announced. Free admission

ICC Movie Night Friday, July 12 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Movie to be announced. Free admission

24th annual “A Taste of Italy” Sunday, Apr. 28 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Free admission

42nd annual Festa Italiana Friday, July 19 – Sunday, July 21 Summerfest Grounds

ICC Movie Night Friday, June 14 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie

ICC Fall Bocce Leagues Season begins the week of Sept. 9 and concludes Monday, Nov. 11 with the championship playoffs

ICC Movie Night Friday, May 10 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Movie to be announced. Free admission

ICC Movie Night Friday, Aug. 9 6 p.m., doors open, 7:15 p.m., showing of movie Movie to be announced. Free admission

ICC Members: Planning to attend the dinner before the General Meeting on Thursday, January 17?

If so, you are cordially asked to make a reservation no later than Monday, Jan. 14. Call 414-223-2180. Your reservation will help the culinary staff of Bartolotta Catering prepare sufficient food for the buffet. Thank you for your cooperation!

Joanne Czubek volunteered once again to decorate the Christmas tree gracing the galleria at the Italian Community Center. The tree is part of the limited amount of holiday decorations on display at the Center.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Catering JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 13

The day the late President (then Vice President) George H.W. Bush visited Festa Italiana

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor How many of you remember the day the late George H.W. Bush visited our Festa Italiana? At the time, he was not yet President of the United States, but rather Vice President under the late President Ronald Reagan. With Bush’s death this past Nov. 30, past Italian Community Center President Jimmy Spataro called to remind this writer about the visit. It occurred on Friday, July 22, 1988 on the Summerfest Grounds (Henry Maier Festival Park) where Festa Italiana has been held annually since 1978. Bush arrived at 9 a.m., well before the opening of Festa to the general public. He was greeted by a select group of about 50 Festa volunteers, all of whom were carefully screened by the Secret Service.

The late ICC President Phillip Purpero was the General Chairman of Festa 1988. Vice President Bush was, at the time, a candidate for the U.S. Presidency. He was officially nominated as the Republican nominee in August 1988 and went on to win the presidency in the November election.

After arriving at Festa, Bush first conducted a brief press conference before being escorted by Purpero, his predecessor to the ICC Presidency and Festa Chairmanship, Henry Piano, Spataro and other ICC officials to the tent of the Pompeii Sacred Art Exhibit. Inside the tent, Piano presented Bush with a Festa Italiana cap and a jacket, which was embroidered by the late Mary Hoffman, ICC Executive Secretary. Both Piano and Hoffman helped Bush put on the jacket.

Always a great photo opportunity for a candidate running for U.S. President, George H.W. Bush is seen here chatting with some of

Piano declared the Vice President an honorary Italian and dubbed him, “George Bushimo.”

Bush then paused inside the tent to view the ornate statues and other religious artifacts that filled the exhibit. Piano directed Bush to a collection of the historic photographs of the early Italian immigrants in Milwaukee.

the youngest Festa Italiana volunteers. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)

“Seeing this makes me a better person,” Bush said. Before departing the tent, Purpero invited the Vice President to an Italianstyle breakfast of scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, toasted buns, fresh melon and coffee. The meal was prepared and served buffet-style by Jim and Joe Alioto, who managed the Miller Sausage booth, along with their volunteers.

Many of the volunteers had an opportunity to shake hands with the candidate while he attempted to eat his breakfast. The Vice President’s visit lasted just over an hour. Before departing, Bush said, “Let me say I am extremely touched by the ethnic pride I’ve seen today and your volunteer spirit. It shows the great-

ness of America.” Accompanying Bush on the visit to Festa were then Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, Senator Robert Kasten, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, Bush campaign staffers, Secret Service agents and a herd of national and local news media representatives.

A Bush campaign official from Wisconsin indicated that the Vice President was interested in coming to Festa Italiana because it almost entirely staffed by volunteers. “It represents that new breed of volunteerism,” said John MacIver, a Milwaukee attorney and state chairman of the Bush campaign. MacIver coordinated the Bush visit with Festa officials, Spataro said.

Reserve the date: Sunday, April 28, 2019 for the 24th annual

“A Taste of Italy” at the

Italian Community Center

Here’s longtime Festa Italiana volunteer Aggie( Collura with then Vice President George H.W. Bush. (Photo provided by Aggie Collura)

PAGE 14 – JANUARY 2019

Follow The Italian Times or visit the ICC website, ICCMilwaukee.com for details.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

UNICO Ladies and Pompeii Women celebrate jointly

by Mary Winard Pompeii Women’s Club Public Relations Chair For the third consecutive year, the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO and the Pompeii Women’s Club held their Christmas party in tandem. Nearly 90 members and guests attended the event on Dec. 4 at the Italian Community Center.

The event was kicked off with a social at which pizza appetizers were served by the Bartolotta Catering staff.

Before the serving of dinner, Sophia Michalovitz, Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Vice President, welcomed the attendees as did Suzanne Wypijewski, Pompeii Women’s Club President. Suzanne also acknowledged the presence of newly installed ICC President Joseph Emanuele and Vice President Rose Anne Ceraso Fritchie. The Very Rev. Tim Kitzke was also in attendance.

Fr. Mike Hammer, co-chaplain of the Pompeii Women’s Club, took the podium and blessed the guests and led them in prayer.

Following a delicious dinner, prepared and served by the Bartolotta Catering staff, attendees were entertained by the Wisconsin Lutheran High School Show Choir. They are a very talented and well-trained group of young people who, at their Christmas shows, end their performances with different versions of Jingle Bells. Throughout the evening, Sophia announced names pulled from a basket for door prizes consisting of poinsettia plants and various other prizes.

Lastly, Fr. Mike said a closing prayer. In the spirit of Christmas, members of both organizations brought with them items such as toiletries, hats, scarves, gloves and socks to be donated to St. John’s Cathedral for distribution to the community’s needy.

The Wisconsin Lutheran Show Choir performed for guests who attended the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO and Pompeii Women’s Club joint Christmas party on Dec. 4. This marked the third consecutive year that the two Italian civic organizations got together

to celebrate the holidays. (Photo above and below provided by Suzanne Wypijewski, Pompeii Women’s Club President)

Thank you to Carla Pellin, President of the Ladies of UNICO, Sophia and Suzanne for their combined efforts in the project for all of our enjoyment.

Who’s your saint?

by Blaise Di Pronio We’re all familiar with patron saints as most of our older members were probably named after one. A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, family or person. Your author’s namesake, Saint Blaise, is invoked for protection against injuries and illnesses of the throat since he saved a child who was choking on a fishbone. But I had no idea that he is also the patron saint of wool combers and the wool trade since he was tortured and martyred with steel combs that were similar to wool combs (used to de-tangle wool). In thinking back to all the different stories and legends we were told regarding saints, you also might be interested in some of the more strange, curious and macabre ones: • St. Agatha of Sicily is the patron saint of breast cancer patients, wet nurses and bellmakers (due to the shape of her severed breasts which were displayed on a platter). • St. Expeditus is the patron saint against procrastination and thus the paPlease turn to page 16

THE ITALIAN TIMES

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 15

New members welcome

Pompeii Men’s Club, a long history of service in the Italian community

by Paul Lamarre This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Pompeii Men’s Club. The club was founded in 1968 by a small group of Holy Name Men from the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church, better known as “The Little Pink Church.”‘ The Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church is the key to understanding who the Pompeii Men are and where they came from. The Little Pink Church was dedicated on May 14, 1905, in the heart of Milwaukee’s Little Italy on 419 N. Jackson St. The church served as a community center in a physical as well as a spiritual capacity. In time, a number of men became involved in doing church-

related work. Some worked with the Catholic welfare agencies in identifying those Italian families who needed assistance. Another group of men took an active part in fundraising efforts for the other Italian parishes: St. Rita of Cascia, located about a mile north of the Third Ward and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, built by the Italians who settled in West Allis. The good works performed by the Holy Name Men would continue after an unexpected detour for the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church. On July 30, 1967, the final sermon was held at The Little Pink Church. The church was demolished on Oct. 9, 1967, to make way for expressway construc-

By George Koleas I was asked by Ellie Ettinger, the Education Director at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, if someone would be available to speak at the Museum. She described, ”We have a monthly program for people with memory loss and dementia called SPARK. This program is a low-key gathering with a focused program on some theme and then an opportunity to do some sort of hands-on activity. Several of our regular participants are Italian so we wanted to do a program on Milwaukee’s Italian history.”

Pompeii Church records The Our Lady of Pompeii records are also available at familysearch.org. One of our members, Sue Alioto, provided these instructions. Click on the “SEARCH” tab at the drop down click on “CATALOG” in the “PLACE” box start typing United States, Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Choose the highlighted United States, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee. Click on the blue “SEARCH” box. Next click on the “AUTHOR.” then type in Catholic Church and hit enter. That will give you a list of the churches. Select Catholic Church. Blessed Virgin of Pompeii (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). Select Church Records, 1900-1920. Click on the icon that looks like a camera.

tion. But the spirit of the Holy Name Men carried on.

After the destruction of The Little Pink Church, members of the Holy Name Society began meeting at St. Rita’s Parish to carry on their work. The men of the Holy Name Society would evolve into the Pompeii Men’s Club as a non-profit social club. The club is one of the three original sponsors of Festa Italiana and was a major sponsor to the building fund for the Italian Community Center at its current location. The Pompeii Men’s Club donated the chapel at the ICC in 1991.

“Spaghetti with the Sisters” for St. Joan Antida High School, the fundraising activities on Candy Cane Lane for the MACC Fund, a 5K Run for Special Olympics, and for various other organizations in need. It offers scholarships to local Catholic schools. The Pompeii Men’s Club is a social club and holds general meetings monthly at various restaurants in Milwaukee. New members are always welcome. To learn more about the Pompeii Men’s Club, visit our website at www.pompeiimensclub.com, contact Club President Chuck Lazzaro at 414421-7359 or send him an email at caleldoarw@gmail.com.

Italian Family History Club news

I gave a presentation on Friday, Nov. 3. My presentation described:

• The organization of Italy from the middle ages through the Unification of Italy • The reason behind Italian migration to Milwaukee • How my nonna and her sister came to America • Their detention at Ellis Island • Their appearance before the Board of Special Inquiry • A brief history of Milwaukee’s old Third Ward from its Irish beginnings through the Third Ward Fire • The destruction of Our Lady of Pompeii.

One of the participants had a Greek heritage, so I also explained how my grandfather, on my father’s side, came to America. I showed them the heavy hand made wool blanket he brought from his village that kept him warm as his ship made its across the North Atlantic on its way to New York.

Saint Antonio Abate feasts in January

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. 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.

PAGE 16 – JANUARY 2019

You will then see all the scanned pages of the records. When I did this I saw that the image starts at image 55 of 671. Cemeteries.org records Another site that is very useful to Milwaukee area Italians is where you can search for the burials of your family and

The club also supports and volunteers for regular events such as

see who is buried near to them. Go to: http://www.cemeteries.org/Cemeteries.ht m, click on “BURIAL RECORDS” and fill in the name you are looking for. According to the site, “The eight Archdiocesan Catholic Cemeteries are searched from 1857 to present. Some of the 130 parish-operated Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will also appear within the results.”

Thanks to a collaboration between the Italian Archives and Familysearch.org, Italian records are becoming available online at familysearch.org. This is a free site. This is an ongoing project. New records are always being added. To use the site, you can register for free, search the records and even create your own family tree. Facebook page We have a Facebook page. If you are on Facebook, search “Pursuing Our Italian Names Together, Chapter 22.”

This is a closed group. To join, please answer the brief questions to verify that you have an Italian family or families and

where they are from. I do this to make sure that people are actually interested in Italian genealogy and not just trying to collect Facebook friends. I post meeting reminders and articles I find that would be of interest to the people who follow the page. Your family gatherings may have inspired you to research your family’s history. We have some members who have just started and some who have been researching for years. I encourage you to come to our next meeting that will be on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at noon. Please feel free to bring guests. We welcome anyone with an interest in Italian Family History. If you cannot attend the January meeting you are welcome at any of our other meetings on Saturdays, Apr. 27, Aug. 24 and Nov. 2. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com or by calling 262-251-7216 after 7 p.m.

Who’s your saint?

from page 15 tron saint of speedy cases. When he was about to convert to Christianity, the devil came to him in the form of a crow telling him, “Why the rush? You can still convert tomorrow!.” upon which he crushed the crow beneath his feet, exclaiming, “I’ll be a Christian today!”

• St. Honoratus is the patron of bakers and pastry makers since when he was proclaimed bishop, his nursemaid, who was baking bread for the family, refused to believe that he had been elevated to such a position. She remarked that she would believe the news only if her baking peel (paddle) put down roots and turned itself into a tree. When the peel was placed into the ground, it was transformed into a mulberry tree that gave flowers and fruit. • St. Barbara is the patron saint of artillery units and anyone else who works with cannon and explosives. She was locked in a tower by her father while he fought against the Crusaders. In his abscence, she converted to Christianity but when the father returned, he put his daughter on the block and demanded she renounce the Faith. She refused and so he beheaded her but then a bolt of lightning came out of a blue sky and killed the father in flames. In the artillery trade this is called, “a first-round hit with no bracketing.” Hence, she became a patron of artillery units. • The Bible never gives us the names

of the two thieves who were crucified along with Jesus but tradition has given the repentant thief the name Dismas. St. Dismas is, not surprisingly, the patron saint of prisoners and of those condemned to be executed.

• St. Joseph is the patron of happy deaths since, having died in the “arms of Jesus and Mary” according to Catholic tradition, he is considered the model of the believer who receives grace at the moment of death, thus the patron of a happy death.

• Saint Michael the Archangel is a patron of paratroops, in that he could fly and, in many depictions, he is represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword and shield as he led God’s army against Lucifer’s uprising,.

• St. Genesius is the patron saint of comedians and clowns since he was once a comedian and actor who had performed in plays that mocked Christianity. According to legend, while performing in a play that made fun of baptism, he saw angels and asked to be baptized in real life . • Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems since she underwent torture which included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered.

• St. Christopher is the patron saint of bachelors even though he is more com-

monly know as the patron saint of of travelers. (Christopher actually means ‘Christ-bearer’ as he helped a small child cross a river. The child turned out to be Christ.) His connection with bachelors was because a king sent him two beautiful women to try and tempt him away from Christianity. Instead of giving in, he managed to convert them to his religion, an act that led to his beheading.

• St. Ambrosisus is the patron saint of beekeepers since, as an infant, a swarm of bees settled on his face as he lay in his cradle, leaving behind a drop of honey. His father took it as a sign of his future “honeyed tongue” and ability to communicate.

• St. Drogo is the patron saint of unattractive people. During a pilgrimage, he was stricken with an unsightly bodily affliction. He became so terribly deformed that he frightened the townspeople. As a result, a cell was built for him to protect the local citizens of the village from his appearance. • St. Vitus is considered the patron saint of dancers since people in Germany and countries such as Latvia celebrated the feast of St. Vitus by dancing before his statue. This dancing became popular and the name, “Saint Vitus Dance,” was given to the neurological disorder ‘chorea’ which is characterized by rapid, uncoordinated jerking movements primarily affecting the face, hands and feet.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Cover painting for new Dick Vitale book is by artist Philip D’Amore

Legendary ESPN College Basketball Analyst and member of the Italian American Hall of Fame Dick Vitale has just released his new book, Dick Vitale’s Mount Rushmores of College Basketball: Solid Gold Prime Time Performers From My Four Decades at ESPN. The book was co-written with Hall of Fame sportswriter Dick “Hoops” Weiss and stats guru Howie Schwab, with a foreword by Hall of Fame, award-winning sportswriter, Bob Ryan. The cover painting of Mount Rushmores of College Basketball is an original work by artist Philip D’Amore, son and drummer for Italian Community Center member and longtime Festa Italiana act Rick D’Amore. The book presents a variety of college basketball categories, such as Vitale’s top four players, coaches, announcers and referees whom he has covered during his career at ESPN since 1979. The book

was released in November to coincide with the start of Vitale’s 40th year at the sports network.

The book’s original acrylic cover artwork and more information on Philip’s

work can be found at www.damoreartistry.com.

Dick Vitale’s Mount Rushmores of College Basketball is published by Nico 11 Publishing & Design of Mukwonago, WI and is available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/194590736 3.

All proceeds from the book’s sales will be donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, an organization near and dear to Vitale’s heart.

Philip D’Amore Philip D’Amore was born and raised in Milwaukee. After graduating from Marquette University,

Philip relocated to Los Angeles, where he runs D’Amore Artistry as lead illustrator, line artist, painter, traveling muralist and live event painter.

Hey, baccalà Philip D’Amore

by Blaise Di Pronio Wisconsin fish fry connoisseurs are very familiar with a ubiquitous variety of fish. Cod is the one with a mild flavor and a dense, flaky, white meat and is the most common fish associated with the Friday fish fry. Cod is no ordinary fish. It has the distinction of being a fish that trade wars and naval battles were fought over since it was first fished by the Vikings in the cold North Atlantic seas almost 3,000 years ago.

This fish is known by many names that refer to the particular methods of conservation. When it’s known as “cod” (or merluzzo in Italian), it is fresh or frozen. When it is air cured, it’s referred to as “stockfish” or stoccafisso. Finally, if it is salt cured, it’s known as baccalà.

Word Search: Happy New Year! Buon Capodanno! by Blaise Di Pronio

The Italian word for salted cod – “baccalà” – is a term which comes from the Low German bakkel-jau, meaning “salted fish,” a transposition of bakeljau, meaning “as stiff as rope.” It could also derive from the Flemish kabeljaw, which is a stick of fish. Drying food is the world’s oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. Traditionally, cod was dried only by the wind and the sun, hanging on wooden scaffolding or lying on clean cliffs or rocks near the seaside. Drying preserves many nutrients and the process of salting

makes it tastier. Salting became economically feasible during the 17th century when cheap salt from southern Europe became available to the maritime nations of northern Europe. The method was cheap and the salting work could be done by the fisherman or his family. The resulting product was easily transported to market, and salted cod became a staple item in the diet of the populations of Catholic countries on “meatless” Fridays during Lent and on Christmas Eve. Eventually, salted cod became a vital international commerce between the New World and the Europe.

Anyway, whether you use stoccafisso or salt-preserved baccalà, it’s important in both cases to be sure you’re buying a good quality, well-preserved product. Baccalà needs to be soaked in clean fresh water for at least 48 hours, changing the water every eight hours or so. Stoccafisso usually must first be pounded with a wooden mallet to break the fibers, and then soaked like baccalà, but for longer period, 72 hours at minimum.

The Campania region, which includes the city of Naples, boasts the highest consumption of both stockfish and dried salted cod in Italy. (Legend has it that there are 365 different ways to eat baccalà in Naples). In Veneto, baccalà is considered a Please turn to page 19

Words in an Italian word by Blaise Di Pronio

How many words can you make with the letters in the Italian word "CAPODANNO"? (New Year. Literal meaning: head of year).

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

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To find Word Search solved, turn to page 19

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Answers on page 19

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 17

La Pagina Italiana Festività di Capodanno

Secondo il calendario gregori-ano, il 1º gennaio segna l’inizio di un nuovo periodo, che solitamente incomincia una settimana dopo Natale, dedicato al riepilogo dell’anno appena trascorso, specialmente nelle radio, nelle televisioni, e nei quotidiani. I mass-media spesso, infatti, pubblicano articoli o trasmettono notizie

su quanto è avvenuto durante l’ultimo anno, gli elenchi delle persone più in vista decedute durante l’anno appena terminato, i cambiamenti annunci-ati, previsti o prevedibili nel nuovo anno, come la descrizione delle leggi che entreranno in vigore il 1º gennaio e l’oroscopo per l’anno che verrà.

Capodanno in Sicilia

La Sicilia è un’isola magica che racchiude storia, arte e mistero. Il periodo a ridosso di Capodanno è l’ideale per visitare l’isola, grazie alla temperatura mite e ad alla minore affluenza turistica che caratterizza invece i mesi estivi. Trascorrere la notte del 31 dicembre a Palermo vuol dire avere la possibilità di partecipare ad una gran varietà di eventi, da quelli in piazza a quelli nei principali teatri della città, come il Teatro Massimo ed il Politeama. Cliccate qui per conoscere tutti gli eventi in programma a Palermo.

Se vi capita di trovarvi nella zona orientale dell’isola, vi interesserà invece sapere come viene festeggiato il Capodanno da quelle parti. A Catania, città dalle piazze eleganti e dai palazzi in pietra lavica, si festeggia in genere tra Piazza Duomo e Piazza Università. Se vi trovate a Messina avrete la fortuna di ammirare, a nostro parere, lo spettacolo di fuochi d’artificio più incredibile d’Italia. Il motivo è semplice: da qui si ve-

di Donato Di Pronio Grosso centro abruzzese di oltre 40.000 abitanti sorto sull’antica ANXANUM, municipio romano, sorto, a sua volta, su un precedente centro dei Frentani, popolazione originaria di una vasta zona dell’Italia centro-meridionale. Secondo alcuni storici, Lanciàno sarebbe stata fondata da Solimo, uno dei compagni dell’eroe troiano Enea, chiamandola ANXA, nome di un suo compagno caduto. C’è tanto da dire su Lanciano: è ricca di storia antica e moderna (per meriti acquisiti durante l’ultima Grande Guerra mondiale è stata decorata di medaglia d’oro), è Patria di famose Personalità (musicisti, pittori, ecc.), fu ed è celebre per le fiere che vi si tengono e per importanti industrie (famosa la storica fabbrica di AGHI!). Ma qui vogliamo ricordare alcune curiosità che caratterizzano questa splendida cittadina. Secondo una diffusa tradizione, Longino, il soldato romano che avrebbe trafisse il costato di Gesù sulla Croce, discendeva da una ricca e nobile famiglia lancianese. Faceva parte di una legione militare costituita in maggioranza da soldati abruzzesi agli ordini del Procuratore romano PONZIO PILATO, anche lui di origini abruzzesi (della zona di Sulmona?). Quando apparve il Messia, Longino seguì tutta la vicenda della sua predicazione, dei suoi miracoli, dei suoi Apostoli e della sua morte, riferendo tutto a Pilato, del quale era stretto collaboratore e fidato confidente. Dopo la morte di Gesù si dimise dalle armi, unendosi agli Apostoli. Le pesanti minacce che gli facevano i Farisei lo indussero a tornarsene a Lanciano, dove continuò a predicare il Vangelo, dedicandosi anche alla coltivazione di una vigna. Qualche tempo dopo, fu raggiunto da

PAGE 18 – GENNAIO 2019

dono i fuochi sparati sia dalla costa siciliana che da quella calabra. Se prenotate un cenone o una camera d’albergo in città, assicuratevi di avere una buona vista sullo Stretto. Preferite rimanere alla larga dalla confusione cittadina? L’Etna vi aspetta. Le temperature dicembrine sul vulcano sono in genere sufficientemente basse da permettere di sciare sulle piste più meridionali d’Italia. Dopo una giornata all’aria aperta potrete poi riscaldarvi in uno dei tanti rifugi e prepararvi a salutare il nuovo anno in compagnia, bevendo magari un bel bicchiere di vino locale. Se cercate invece una soluzione intermedia tra il Capodanno in città e quello a stretto contatto con la natura, vi consigliamo Taormina. Soggior-narvi sarà forse un po’ costoso ma, ammirando il panorama di cui godrete dal teatro greco, vi troverete a pensare a voce alta: “Ma sì, chi se ne frega”. In fondo si vive una volta sola.

E’ una occasione per celebrare la notte di passaggio tra il 31 dicembre e il 1º gennaio, che si festeggia con il veglione di Capo-danno. In occasione di questa celebrazione, in quasi tutte le città del mondo si sparano i tradizionali fuochi artificiali, solitamente accompagnati (nei paesi anglo-sassoni) dalla canzone Auld Lang Syne. Molti la considerano anche un’occasione per fare dei buoni propositi per il nuovo anno.

La tradizione italiana prevede una serie di rituali scaramantici per il primo dell’anno che possono essere rispettati più o meno strettamente come quello di vestire biancheria intima di colore rosso o di gettare dalla finestra oggetti vecchi o inutilizzati (quest’ultima usanza è stata quasi completa-mente abbandonata). Le lenticchie vengono mangiate a cena il 31 dicembre come auspicio di ricchezza per l’anno nuovo e un’altra tra-dizione prevede il baciarsi sotto il vischio in segno di buon auspicio. La scelta di considerare il 1º gennaio quale primo giorno dell’anno consegue all’introduzione del calendario giuliano promulgato da Giulio Cesare nell’anno 46 a.C. (precedentemente veniva consider-ato quale primo giorno dell’anno il 1º marzo). La festa di Capodanno trae origine dai festeggiamenti in onore del dio romano Giano da cui trae origine il nome del mese di gennaio. Nel VII secolo i pagani delle Fiandre, seguaci dei druidi, avevano il costume di festeggiare il passaggio al nuovo anno; tale culto pagano venne deplorato da Sant’Eligio (morto nel 659 o nel 660), che redarguì il popolo delle Fiandre dicendo loro:

Lanciàno Courtesy of eventicapodanno.com

emissari di Pilato, il quale era stato informato che non era stato lui, trasgredendo il suo ordine, a trafiggere personalmente il costato di Gesù, limitandosi ad appoggiarvi appena la lancia. Proditoriamente fu da essi ucciso e decapitato: la sua testa fu portata a Gerusalemme per dimostrarne la morte. (Per accertarsi della loro morte, ai condannati crocifissi venivano rotte le ginocchia e trafitto il costato). Lanciano è annualmente meta di 2-3 milioni di turisti, richiamati da un avvenimento straordinario accadutovi nell’VIII secolo: il primo e più importante miracolo eucaristico riconosciuto dalla Chiesa Cattolica. Un sacerdote, durante la celebrazione di una Messa, tormentato dal dubbio circa la presenza di Gesù nel Sacramento, vide trasformarsi l’Ostia in vera carne umana e il Vino in vero sangue che si raggruppò in cinque piccoli globuli irregolari appartenente allo stesso gruppo sanguigno AB della carne (lo stesso anche della Sindone di Torino). Le reliquie di questo prodigio, custodite nella Chiesa di San Francesco, nel corso dei secoli sono state oggetto di varie ricognizioni scientifiche: l’ultima fu eseguita nel 1970 da professori dell’Università di Siena. Nel 1982 furono eseguiti altri esami che confermarono i risultati del 1971. Sempre a Lanciano, secondo una diffusa tradizione, accadde nel 1273 un altro miracolo eucaristico. Una donna per riportare la pace in famiglia, su suggerimento di una fattucchiera, mise a friggere un’Ostia consacrata: la particola si trasformò in carne e sangue. Pentita del suo insano gesto, nascose tutto nella stalla. Quando a sera il marito, tornato dal lavoro, portò il mulo nella stalla, la bestia oppose resistenza; costrettovi con la

Le diversità locali (che, specialmente nel Sacro Romano Impero variavano spesso da città a città), continuarono

forza, l’animale entrò e si inginocchiò. Poiché la cosa si ripeteva, la donna confessò il suo misfatto. Un frate informato dell’accaduto, raccolse il resti del miracolo e li portò in una chiesa di Offida, un ridente paese della Marche, dove sono tuttora custoditi. Nei pressi di Lanciano è stato aperto un cimitero, noto come Cimitero inglese, dove sono seppelliti 2617 militari del Commonweath britannico, di cui 2542 identificati e 75 ignoti, caduti nell’autunno del 1943 durante combattimenti della Seconda Grande Guerra Mondiale. Sulle lapidi sono riportati i nomi e l’età dei soldati (alcuni di soli 17 anni ! ) e il reggimento di appartenenza. Sulle lapidi senza nome c’è scritto l’invito a non dimenticare! C’è anche un memoriale a ricordo di 517 soldati di nazionalità indiana, i cui corpi furono c*remati come vuole la loro fede religiosa.

* * *

E fatt’na risata

Un bambino chiede alla madre: “mamma mamma, il limone ha il becco?” e lei: “ no figlio mio” ed il bambino: “peccato, allora ho spremuto il canarino!”. * * * Un bambino dice alla mamma: “mamma che cos’è un travestito?” e la mamma: “ma che domande fai..io sono papà!!” * * * - “Mamma che cosa faresti se prendessi 10 nel compito in classe?” - “Ti darei una bella torta!” - “Allora dammene metà, perchè ho preso 5!” * * *

anche dopo l’adozione del calendario gregoriano. Solo nel 1691 papa Innocenzo XII emendò il calendario del suo predecessore stabilendo che l’anno dovesse cominciare il 1º gennaio, cioè secondo lo stile moderno o della Circoncisione. L’adozione universale del calen-dario gregoriano fece sì che anche la data del 1º gennaio come inizio dell’anno divenne infine comune.

Svariati regimi politici hanno istituito riforme del calendario di più o meno lunga durata. Una delle più intrusive, che cercava di riformare il calendario su basi astronomiche e razionali, fu quella adottata in Francia durante la Prima Repubblica, il cosiddetto Calendario Repubblicano, col 21 settembre, abbandonato poi duran-te il Primo Impero. Anche durante il periodo fascista in Italia il regime istituì il 28 ottobre, anniversario della marcia su Roma, come proprio capodanno, associato a una numer-azione degli anni parallela a quella tradizionale contando come “Anno I dell’Era Fascista” il periodo tra il 28 ottobre 1922 e il 27 ottobre 1923, e gli altri a seguire. Questa modalità, utilizzata nel Regno d’Italia durante tutto il ventennio fascista, fu continuata dalla Repubblica Sociale Italiana, e abbandonata con la caduta di quest’ultima il 25 aprile 1945.

Anno Nuovo Anno nuovo anno nuovo, qui alla porta già ti trovo rechi forse nel cestello un impulso buono e bello? Porti agli uomini l’amore, che riscaldi a tutti il cuore? Anno nuovo non scordare la salute nel tuo andare e la pace porta teco che nel mondo abbia un’eco veglia sempre sui miei cari, serba loro doni rari ed a me concedi, senti, di poter farli contenti Se benigno il volto avrai, benedetto tu sarai. * * *

Arriva La Befana

Zitti, zitti bimbi buoni, presto, presto giù a dormire: la Befana è per venire col suo sacco pien di doni. La Befana è una vecchina che discende dalla luna sulla scopa di saggina non appena il ciclo imbruna. E si accosta pian pianino alle calze e alle scarpette messe in fila sul camino e, ridendo, mette e mette… Fuori soffia tramontana e vien giù la neve bianca, ma pei bimbi la Befana non ha freddo e non si stanca. * * *

I Re Magi

Nei paesi lontani di Uno Due e Tre vivevano tre re chiamati da una stella si misero in cammino per andare a trovare Gesù bambino. “Stella, siamo lontani?” “Stella, siamo arrivati?” dicevano i re magi affaticati. “Il nostro viaggio sarà lungo ancora?” La stella rispondeva: “Ancora… ancora…” E finalmente la stella si fermò e sopra una capanna si posò e svanì la fatica del cammino in un sorriso di Gesù bambino.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Italian everyday expressions and idioms

Vittima di un pesce d’aprile. Literally: Victim of a fish in April. Equivalent: April Fool. * * * Buco nel acqua. Literally: Hole in the water. EquivalentL Fool’s gold. Total delusion. * * * Fuori come un balcone. Literally: Outside like a balcony. Equivalent: Out of one’s mind or off one’s rocker. * * * Tutto sale e pepe. Literally: All salt and pepper. Equivalent: They’re fun to be around and are happy.

* * * Vivere alla giornata. Literally: To live during the day. Equivalent: It actually means “to live hand to mouth,” as in being poor. And not “to take it one day at a time”. * * * Il treno non passa due volte. Literally: The train does not pass by twice. Equivalent: An opportunity doesn’t come by twice. * * * Ho la testa nel pallone. Literally: I have my head inside a ball. Equivalent: To be in panic mode. * * *

Dialect-Puglia: Se vuoi conoscere le persone, ci sono tre modi: la sfortuna, il vino e i soldi. Literally: If you want to know a person, it’s through bad luck, wine and money. Equivalent: If you want to know what a person is really like, check out how he handles bad luck, his wine and his money. * * * Dialect-Puglia: Addu u a caddina crida e lu caddu tace nun c’e pace. Literally: Where the hen sings and the rooster remains quiet, there is no peace. Meaning: In a marriage where the woman “wears the pants” and the man “wears the skirt” there can be no bliss, as the role reversals inevitably lead to marital strife and social discord. * * * Dialect-Puglia: L’omu e comu l’alburu: bruttu nudusu stortu ma tie nu te na futtire basta cva e fruttifuru. Literally: A man is like an olive tree – he can be knobbly and ugly but it does not matter as long as he is fruitful. Meaning: The worth of a man does not come from his looks, but rather from how productive he is. * * * Dialect-Sardinia: Sa pezza cocta non tornat mai crua. Literally: If a piece of meat is cooked, it can’t be raw again. Meaning: Something done can’t be undone. * * * Dialect-Sicily: Voi stari di saluti sempri chinu? Mancia sempri ova e trinca bonu vinu. Meaning: Do you want to be always

in good health? Always eat eggs and drink good wine! * * * Dialect-Sicily: Puta a la luna di jinnaru so vo jinchiri li virtu. Literally: Prune during the moon in January, if you want to fill the casks. Meaning: Prune the trees day and night if you want to get a good harvest of grapes and make good wine in the autumn. * * * Dialect-Sicily: L’amuri e com’o citrolu — ancumincia aruci e appuoi finisci amaru. Meaning: Love is like a cucumber — it begins sweet and then ends bitter.

Word Search: Happy New Year! Buon Capodanno! SOLVED from page 17

Detti Popolari e proverbi: Popular sayings and proverbs

And now a word from Italy

– Courtesy of italyrevisited.org.

by Blaise Di Pronio Camera: A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs. Derived from the Italian word camera which means room or chamber. It was combined with camera oscura/obscura which was a ‘darkened room” used in early painting techniques involving the projecting of images of external objects into a darkened room where it could then be copied and painted. This became the “black box” with a lens that could project images of external objects onto a light sensitive film, i.e., our film camera.

Words in an Italian word from page 17

The answer: 93 words in “CAPODANNO” 1. nandoo 2. poonac 3. ancon 4. canna 5. canon 6. capon 7. codon 8. condo 9. donna 10. doona 11. napoo 12. panda 13. anan 14. anna 15. anno 16. anoa 17. anon 18. apod 19. cann 20. capa 21. capo 22. coda 23. cond 24. conn 25. coon 26. coop 27. doco 28. dona 29. doon 30. dopa 31. naan 32. nada 33. nana 34. napa 35. nona 36. noon 37. noop 38. paan 39. paca 40. paco 41. pand 42. poco 43. pond 44. pood 45. poon 46. ado 47. ana 48. and 49. ann 50. apo 51. caa 52. cad 53. can 54. cap 55. cod 56. con 57. coo 58. cop 59. dan 60. dap 61. doc 62. don 63. doo 64. dop 65. nan 66. nap 67. nod 68. non 69. noo 70. oca 71. oda 72. ono 73. oon 74. oop 75. pac 76. pad 77. pan 78. poa 79. pod 80. poo 81. aa 82. ad 83. an 84. da 85. do 86. na 87. no 88. od 89. on 90. oo 91. op 92. pa 93. po.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Hey, baccalà

from page 17 real delicacy: Baccalà alla Vicentina – slowly braised with onions, anchovies and milk– and Baccalà Mantecato – an elaborate preparation with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and parsley – are always served with polenta and are beloved regional recipes. Some other popular baccalà dishes are Baccalà alla Livornese – with tomatoes, garlic, parsley and basil – which is served in Tuscany; Baccalà Fritta – usually fried in a simple egg and flour batter, but sometimes whipped egg whites and flour are used – which is prepared in Rome; and Baccalà alla Napoletana in Naples – fried baccalà placed in a simmering tomato sauce, with olives, capers and pine nuts. Often the fish is combined with different vegetables from tomatoes or peppers to eggplants or potatoes as in Baccalà con le Patate. The flaky texture of the fish and its unusually intense flavor, which is never fishy, makes this dish an unforgettable delight. Lastly, the word baccalà has many connotations in Italy so be careful when you use it. One such use is in the idiom “che baccalà!” which means “what a fool!” So if someone should shout baccalà at you, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re being called for dinner. Now go and cook some baccalà. * * * Recipe: Baccalà alla napoletana (Neapolitan Baccala) from: memoriediangelina.com. Serves 4-6 For the baccalà: • 1 kilos (2 lbs.) baccalà (dried salt cod). • Flour. • Olive oil. For the sauce: • 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped. • A few sprigs of fresh parsley, stems removed and finely chopped. • Olive oil. • 500g (1 lb.) fresh tomatoes, peeled and seed, or canned. • A handful each of capers and olives, preferably of the Gaeta or Niçoise variety. To finish the dish: • A few sprigs of fresh parsley, stems removed and finely chopped.

Directions: You begin, as usual, by soaking the salt cod for up to 24 hours in several changes of water. Drain the cod, pat it dry, and cut it into serving pieces. Now make your sauce, in a skillet or flame-proof baking pan, by very lightly sautéing a soffritto of chopped garlic and parsley in olive oil until it just begins to give off it fragrance. Immediately add roughly chopped very ripe tomatoes (or, the in winter, canned tomatoes) and simmer gently. When the tomatoes start to melt into a sauce, toss in a handful each of capers—preferably the salt-packed kind, rinsed and dried—and olives— preferably the small black Gaeta or Niçoise variety. While the sauce is simmering, lightly flour and fry your baccalà pieces in olive oil until they are lightly browned. As they brown, transfer them to the pan or skillet with the sauce. When all the baccalà has been added to the sauce, take a spoon and pour a bit of the simmering sauce over the fish pieces. Now you have a choice: you can continue simmering the dish on the stove, or you can place the dish in a hot oven (200°C, 400°F) for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to a nice consistency. I like the oven method, as serving the baccalà direct from its baking dish makes for an attractive presentation at table. Remove your baccalà alla napoletana from the oven, sprinkle with a bit more chopped parsley for color, and serve with some nice, crusty bread. * * *

Saint Biagio Day celebrated in Italy

Saint Biagio Day, on Feb. 3, is a minor celebration all over Italy. Saint Biagio is the saint of the throat. It is tradition to eat leftover panettone with a glass of wine to bless your throat. In some places, Saint Biagio Day is celebrated with parades, music, a special mass or bonfires. In Mugnano di Napoli (Campania region), there is a huge fireworks display as it is the home of one of the biggest pyrotechnics companies in Italy. Biagio translates to Blaise in English.

GENNAIO 2019 – PAGE 19

by Barbara Collignon The Florentine Opera is celebrating its 85th season at a special Anniversary Concert on May 17 and 18th. It is the sixth oldest opera company in the United States. The name, The Florentine Opera Company of Milwaukee, was adopted during the war years in honor of the Italian city of Firenze where opera, as we know it, began. The French called it Florens, meaning flourishing.

The name stuck and Milwaukee’s first grand opera company used the Pabst Theater as its home base in Milwaukee, the “Athens of the West.”

The story of its creation and its creator, John-David Anello, Sr. (1909-1995), is a moving story of courage and perseverance. It is also surprisingly ironic. Anello’s father so loved music and was so overjoyed at his son’s birth that he hired an orchestra to play at his baptism. His mother was a devoted opera fan and filled the house with opera music. She sang him to sleep not with lullabies but arias.

Consider then that these music-loving parents didn’t approve of the fact that he desired to forge a career in music. In fact, they were so embarrassed by his chosen path that they asked him to abandon the field or leave home. And so, enamored as he was with music, John-David did leave home and went to live with his maternal nonna. His nonno wasn’t enthralled with Anello’s choice either but he didn’t want to be heartless.

Anello fell in love with Josephine Doria, a girl he met while in school. When he went to her father’s barbershop for a haircut and to ask permission for her hand, Doria replied, “I hear you want to be a musician. You’ll never amount to much. …I don’t want you to see my daughter ever again.” Ironically, the fact is that the Dorias were also a musical family. They played guitar, mandolin and other instruments.

One wonders what they thought of Anello once he proved to be a respected musician and founder of The Florentine Opera Company.

Opera insights

newly constructed Lincoln High School Auditorium until they were ready to offer a professional performance of a complete opera, Verdi’s La Traviata. Using local talent and engaging only one imported artist, soprano Ann Ayars, the Florentine Chorus’ performance was a success and set the foundation for the future Florentine Opera Company.

Studio artist Nathaniel Hill With this bit of Anello’s history in mind, see what Nathaniel Hill of the Baumgarten Studio Artists of the Florentine Opera Center has to say about his musical career. Hill recently won the $600 Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions – Wisconsin District.

Barbara Collignon: Do you come from a musical family? Nathaniel Hill: I don’t come from a particularly musical family. I have seven older sisters and most of them were in choir when they were in high school, but I’m the only professional musician.

BC: What roles are you singing in the Florentine’s opera presentations? NH: I sang the role of “Hyde” in Prince of Players and will be singing the roles of Liberto/Console/Soldato on our upcoming production of Poppea.

BC: How did you decide you wanted to become a professional opera singer? NH: I decided I wanted to be an opera singer when I was pretty young. I saw a production of Tosca when I was 14 and knew I had to find my way onto the stage.

BC: What sparked your interest in opera? NH: I had some really wonderful voice teachers along the way, but really a background in theater and playing a few instruments led me to opera.

BC: Do you have a favorite opera or two? Do you have a favorite baritone, a favorite singer in another register?

Winter bocce leagues to start week of Jan.7 from page 7

223-2180 or by picking one up at the ICC. The form can also be emailed to you. League coordinators are: John Alioto (Monday night), Craig Lieber (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night), Jeannie Prindiville (Thursday afternoon) and Chris (Kit) Nelson (Thursday night). People can contact Bocce Coordinator John Alioto at pasta31@aol.com.

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Heggie’s Moby Dick, but from the standard repertoire, my favorite opera is probably La Boheme. As far as singers go, I’ve always loved Sir Thomas Allen. His technique is flawless. BC: What are your favorite arias to sing? NH: I love singing Pierrot’s “Tanzlied” from Die Tote Stadt. It just has such a gorgeous melody and poetry.

BC: How are you benefiting from the residency program? NH: The residency program has been amazing. I’ve gotten to work with incredible coaches, conductors and directors. I get to sing with a company that values my growth in an incredibly supportive environment.

Up-

coming events Don’t forget that Feb. 8-10, The Flo rentine Opera will present Con Amore, a concert of love songs with the Jamie

Breiwick Quartet at Vogel Hall. Opera fans are also looking forward to the Florentine Opera’s presentation of The Coronation of Poppea in March at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Note: The information about Anello was gleaned from “Musical Memories. The Universe has Music for Those Who Listen.”, the Memoirs of John-David Anello, Sr. Copyright 1994 by JohnDavid Anello, Sr.

What’s your Roman number?

NH: I love a lot of modern operas, such as Cipullo’s Glory Denied and

Anello worked as a music teacher Roman numerals were invented by and, in order to make ends meet, had a the Romans as a counting system and second job in a shoe factory. In 1932, they used seven different letters to rephe auditioned to sing on the radio for resent seven numbers. WTMJ. He also showcased his own show, “The Gondolier,” that aired three I=1 nights a week. He directed two church V=5 choirs gratis. At age 24, he took the X = 10 helm of The Italian Opera Chorus, six L = 50 months after it had been formed by DiC = 100 rector Di Leo. They performed several times at the

Baumgarten Studio artist Nathaniel Hill

D = 500 M = 1,000

These letters are then combined to

make other numbers. For example, the number 18 is made accordingly: X (10) + V (5) + III (3). or XVIII. Easy, right? Here’s an easy to use chart.

Fair of Saint Orso, Italy, is Jan. 30-31

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 2019 fair are Wednesday, Jan. 30 and Thursday, Jan. 31.

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.

THE ITALIAN TIMES

Four great National Football League running backs of Italian descent

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor In our third and final installment this season on outstanding National Football League players of Italian descent, we look back at the careers of four gifted running backs. Three of them have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the other scored the winning touchdown in the NFL championship game that, at the time, was labeled “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” One of these Italian Americans played his entire professional career with the Green Bay Packers. Another was nicknamed the “Scintillating Sicilian” and led the Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals to the first and only NFL championship in 1947. The third Italian American hailed from Kenosha, WI and played college football at the University of Wisconsin. The final running back was on the receiving end of what became known as the “Immaculate Reception.” Do you know who these players are? They are the “Gray Ghost,” former Packer Tony Canadeo, the Chicago Cardinals’ “Scintillating Sicilian” Charley Trippi, the Kenosha Bradford, Wisconsin Badger and Baltimore Colt star Alan Ameche and former Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris, who caught that deflected pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw which Harris turned into six points.

Tony Canadeo Let’s start with Anthony Robert Canadeo, who was born on May 5, 1919 and raised in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago with thousands of other Italian Americans. He was one of five children born to Anthony and Katherine (Marinello) Canadeo. His father was a streetcar motorman. Canadeo played college football and boxed at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, where he first became known as the “Gray Ghost” due to his permanently graying hair. In 1939, he was among the honorees recognized by the National Italian American Civic League as an “Outstanding Italian American Athlete.” The other honorees were baseball’s Joe DiMaggio and golfer Gene Sarazen. Two years later, Canadeo was the 77th pick in the NFL draft, taken by the

Packers in the ninth round. He had the distinction of becoming the last professional football player to hail from Gonzaga as the university dropped the sport after his senior year. Canadeo, at 5 foot, 11 inches and 190-pounds, was considered too small and not particularly fast by many NFL teams, but Packers coach Curly Lambeau saw him as a tenacious and determined back who could perform at multiple positions on offense, defense and special teams. Lambeau first looked at Canadeo to bolster a backfield that included aging stars Clarke Hinkle and Arnie Herber and, in the 1941 exhibition season, he employed Canadeo to compete against Cecil Isbell for the starting quarterback job. By the 1943 season, Canadeo became a starter in the backfield. Canadeo played only three games in 1944 (including missing the Packers’ championship victory over the New York Giants, 14-7) and missed all of the 1945 season due to his military service in World War II. He initially served in the U.S. Navy then served in the U.S. Army. After the war, Canadeo returned to the Packers and was a key player in the team’s “T formation” backfield. In 1949, he became the first 1,000-yard rusher in Packers history and only the third in the history of the NFL. Over the course of his Packers career, which lasted through the 1952 season, Canadeo rushed for 4,197 yards in 1,025 attempts, an average of 4.1 yards per carry. He scored 26 rushing touchdowns. As a passer, he completed 105 of 268 passes with 16 going for touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 69 passes for 579 yards and five touchdowns. He had nine career interceptions. Canadeo’s jersey number “3” was retired by the Packers after the 1952 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in the same year. In 1979, he was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

People who watched Green Bay Packers on TV in the 1960s might recall Canadeo as the color commentator alongside Ray Scott in the broadcast booth. After his playing career, Canadeo was a member of the Packers Executive

Committee and was one of the directors emeritus at the time of his death on Nov. 29, 2003.

Charley Trippi Charles Louis Trippi was born Dec. 14, 1921 in Pittston, PA. Seeking to avoid the dangers of a life of mining coal like his Italian-immigrant father, Trippi turned to sports. He played football and semi-professional baseball while in high school. His entrée into college football came with a scholarship to the University of Georgia, which he took after requesting an extra year at prep school to improve his game as a halfback. It was a prime example of Trippi’s keen instincts. The extra time brought him greater skill, confidence and size. Trippi moved to tailback halfway through his sophomore year (1942) at Georgia and gained 1,239 yards in total offense. In 1942, six different polls touted the Georgia Bulldogs as National Champions. Trippi gained greater notoriety when he ran for 130 yards and completed six passes for 96 yards in a 9-0 win over UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl. He then served three years in the U.S. Air Force in World War II. In 1945, while in the service, he was drafted first overall by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals as a future pick. He returned to Georgia for the last six games of 1945. In 1946, his senior year as team captain, Trippi went out in style in the season-ending game against Georgia Tech, setting a Southeastern Conference record with 323 passing yards, most in a single game at that time. With 84 points scored on 14 touchdowns, Trippi lead the SEC in scoring. He also rushed for 744 yards on 115 carries. He was named the SEC Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American choice, and Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy runner-up. When it came time to pro, Trippi was a key figure in the inter-league battling between the new All-American Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League. The AAFC’s New York Yankees were so sure they had signed Trippi to a contract that they called a press conference in New York to announce the happy news. But while New York news crews gathered, Chicago Cardinals owner Charles W. Bidwill, Sr. announced in Chicago that he had signed Trippi to a four-year contract worth $100,000. For those days, the size of the contract was stunning news and a big breakthrough in the interleague war. Trippi’s acquisition completed Bidwill’s quest for a “Dream Backfield.” Although Bidwill didn’t live to see it, Trippi became the game breaker in a talented corps that included Paul Christman, Pat Harder, Marshall Goldberg and, later, Elmer Angsman. Never was Trippi more magnificent than in the 1947 NFL Championship Game when the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. Playing on an icy field in Chicago, Trippi wore basketball shoes for better traction and totaled 206 yards, including 102 yards on two punt returns. He scored touchdowns on a 44-yard run and a 75-yard punt return.

Trippi could and would do anything on a football field. He played as a left halfback for four seasons before switching to quarterback for two years. He then moved back to halfback for one season before changing almost exclusively to a defensive back in 1954 and 1955. He was also the Cardinals punter and he excelled on the punt and kickoff return teams.

Tony Canadeo

THE ITALIAN TIMES

He was selected All-Pro in 1947 and 1948 and played in four all-star games during his nine years with the Cardinals.

Over the course of his career, which ended with his retirement after the 1955 season, Trippi rushed for 3,506 yards on 687 carries and scored 23 touchdowns. As a receiver, he registered 130 receptions for 1,321 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a passer, he completed 205 on 434 attempts and threw for 16 touchdowns. As a punter, he averaged 40.3 yards on 196 punts in his pro career. As for punt returns, he averaged 13.7 yards on his 63 returns. On his kick-off returns, he averaged 22.1 yards on a career total of 66 returns. As a defender, he intercepted four passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. He forced 30 fumbles and recovered 13. Trippi was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968, and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. Trippi, who is now 98, was also a skilled baseball player in his early years and was sought after by the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Playing for Georgia in 1946, his batting average was .475 with 11 home runs in 30 games. He played one season of minor league baseball with the Southern Association’s Atlanta Crackers. He batted .334 in 106 games.

Alan Ameche He was born in Montemonaco (Marche), Italy on June 1, 1933 to Augusto and Elizabeth Ameche. His given name was Lino Dante Ameche. The Ameche family immigrated to the United States when “Lino” was an infant, but returned to Italy in 1938. Deciding that living under Mussolini’s Fascist regime wasn’t for them, the Ameches returned to the U.S. a year later, settling down in Kenosha, WI where Augusto got a factory job. At the age of 16, Lino decided his name wasn’t tough enough. The newly christened Alan Ameche began his football career at Kenosha Bradford High School. Led by Ameche, the team became a state powerhouse. In 1950, they went undefeated, racking up more touchdowns than their opponents scored points. Ameche alone scored 108 points that season. Ameche’s talent wasn’t limited to the gridiron; he placed at state finals and set city records for running track (the 100 and relays) and throwing shot put. All told, he earned six letters between the two sports. His strength was legendary, at least in southeastern Wisconsin. In 1949, he entered a light heavyweight Golden Gloves novice championship. When his potential opponents heard that he had entered, they all withdrew and he won the title by default. Ameche started his stellar college football career at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1951. In his first start as a freshman fullback on the varsity Please turn to page 23

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 21

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THE ITALIAN TIMES

Tony Canadeo, Charley Trippi, Alan Ameche and Franco Harris ran to football fame

from page 21 team, he rushed for 148 yards against Purdue, and never looked back. It was during his collegiate career that he earned the nickname “The Horse.” Ameche earned All-American honors at Wisconsin, where he played linebacker as well as fullback in single-platoon days, and sometimes played 55 of the 60minute game. In his four years as a Badger, he gained 3,212 yards, then the NCAA record, scored 25 touchdowns, and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. He played in the program’s first bowl game, the 1953 Rose Bowl, as a sophomore, rushing for 133 yards on 28 carries. Ameche won the Heisman Trophy in 1954, the first player to do so in program history. Ameche is one of six Wisconsin football players to have his number retired by the program (35) and enshrined on the Camp Randall Stadium facade. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1967, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975 and (posthumously) the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1952, Ameche married his high school sweetheart, Yvonne Molinaro, on Thanksgiving Day. They had their first two children while Ameche was playing for Wisconsin. Ameche was the third overall selection of the 1955 NFL draft and played fullback for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 until 1960. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1955 and was a four-time Pro Bowl pick (1955-1959). He was the only rookie named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team in 1955. “The Horse” averaged 4.2 yards per carry over his career and held the record for rushing yards in his first three NFL games until Carnell “Cadillac” Williams passed it in 2006. Ameche may be best remembered for his role in the 1958 NFL Championship Game at Yankee Stadium. He scored the winning touchdown for the Colts on a one-yard run with 6:45 left in overtime as Baltimore beat the Giants, 23-17. It was Ameche’s second TD of the day, as he also scored one on a two-yard run in the second quarter. His overtime touchdown was the last in championship history until Super Bowl LI, when another Wisconsin alum James White scored at 3:58 of overtime as the New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28. An Achilles tendon injury sidelined Ameche’s pro career in December 1960. He finished a relatively short career (six seasons) with 4,045 rushing yards, 101 receptions for 733 yards and 44 touchdowns. He is one of only four players named to the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team not elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ameche had a very successful postfootball career, beginning with a joint venture with his Colts teammates Gino Marchetti, Joseph Campanella and Louis Fischer. The partners quickly parlayed the success in hamburger restaurants and drive-ins into a chain that numbered over 300 locations at its peak. It was eventually sold to the Marriott Corporation, making Ameche a multi-millionaire. Ameche was active in numerous charitable and philanthropic ventures in his post-football career. He was elected to the National Italian American Sports Interested in advertising in our next issue? Get all of the details by calling 414-223-2189 or sending an email to Tom Hemman at themman@iccmilwaukee.com

ning back Jim Brown. Harris played for the Steelers through the 1983 season and joined the Seattle Seahawks for his final season in 1984. He retired with 12,120 rushing yards, 2,287 receiving yards and 100 touchdowns. At the time of his retirement Harris was only 192 yards short of Jim Brown’s all-time NFL record for rushing yards of 12,312, a mark that has since been surpassed by 10 other running backs.

Harris was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. The Sporting News ranked Harris number 83 on its 100 Greatest Football Players in 1999. * * * Hall of Fame in 1982. Ameche had triple bypass surgery in 1979. Following a heart attack on Aug. 8, 1988, he died at the age of 55. In 1991, Ameche was one of 35 charter members inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame. It should be noted that Ameche was the cousin of actors of noted actors Don Ameche and Jim Ameche.

Franco Harris One of the best players on the great Pittsburgh Steelers teams of the 1970s was Franco Harris. Born Mar. 7, 1950 in Fort Dix, NJ, Franco is the son of Cadillac and Gina (Parenti) Harris, both of whom are now deceased. Franco was one of the couples’ four children (three sons and a daughter).

Cadillac met Gina in the leaning tower city of Pisa, Italy, while he was serving in the U.S. Army toward the end of World War II. Cadillac, an African American, was born in 1920 in rural Mississippi. Gina was born in 1927 in the town of Pietrasanta in the Italian region of Tuscany. Her parents’ names were Nelio and Virginia. After the war, Gina joined Cadillac in Fort Dix and they were married in 1948.

completing a 60-yard pass play in the final seconds of the Steelers’ 13-7 victory. Pittsburgh went on to lose the AFC championship game to the Miami Dolphins.

Harris was popular in Pittsburgh’s large Italian American population. His fans, including “Brigadier General” Frank Sinatra, dubbed themselves “Franco’s Italian Army” and wore army helmets with his number etched on them.

The running tandem of Harris and Rocky Bleier combined with a strong defense led the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories following the 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 seasons. Harris won MVP honors in Super Bowl IX when he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries in the Steelers’ 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first African American and first Italian American to be named Super Bowl MVP.

Harris was selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls, from 1972 to 1980. By rushing for more than 1,000 yards in eight seasons, he broke a record previously held by Cleveland Browns’ run-

January weather across Italy

Traveling in Italy in January is often a mixed bag. The weather can be dreary, cold, wet and gray. Parts of Italy do get covered in blankets of fluffy, white snow while other parts get inundated with fog and rain. The mountains that line the border of northern Italy tend to be the coldest areas of Italy, but the January snowfalls produce some of Europe’s best skiing and snowboarding conditions. In all of Italy’s mountainous areas (and there are many beyond the northern regions), the weather is generally colder and snowier than the rest of the country. Since the Italian peninsula is so narrow, the coastal climate extends quite a ways inland on both sides; meaning even if you’re as far inland as Rome, for instance, you’re more likely to get rain during the winter than snow. During January, there is quite a range of temperatures across Italy. As a general rule of thumb, these are the temperature ranges: • Northern Italy: 25º-45º Fahrenheit. • Central Italy: 40º-55º Fahrenheit. • Southern Italy (including Sicily):

Cadillac and Gina’s son, Franco, starred in football at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly Township, NJ. He attended Penn State University on a scholarship and played football for the Nittany Lions. Harris served primarily as the fullback blocking for the All-American halfback Lydell Mitchell, though he amassed 2,002 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns and averaged 5.6 yards per carry, while catching 28 passes for 352 yards. He led the team in scoring in 1970.

When he was 19, he and the Harris family traveled to Italy where they met Gina’s extended family. Franco once described his mother as “very traditional Italian. She kept the house spotless and had a plastic cover over the couch.” He said she never quite understood the game of football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers recognized Harris’ talent and made him the organization’s first round pick in 1972. He quickly made his mark, rushing for 1,055 yards on just 188 carries (5.6 yard average) in his first season and winning Rookie of the Year honors.

In an AFC divisional playoff game that season, Harris was on the receiving end of the “Immaculate Reception,” one of the most remarkable plays in sports history. When a pass from Terry Bradshaw to John “Frenchy” Fuqua took a wild bounce off an Oakland Raider defender, Harris plunked it out of the air and rumbled 42 yards to the end zone,

THE ITALIAN TIMES

JANUARY 2019 – PAGE 23

Did you know?

The start of New Year’s Day celebrations

By Blaise di Pronio Like all things of value and importance in life, the Romans started our New Year’s Day customs and traditions. Our modern celebration of New Year’s Day stems from an ancient Roman custom: the feast of the Roman god Janus – god of doorways and beginnings. The name for the month of January also comes from Janus, who was depicted in paintings and carvings as having two faces. One face looked back into the past and the other looked forward to the future. To celebrate the new year, the Romans made promises to Janus. From this ancient practice comes our tradition of making New Year’s Day resolutions. Babylonians also made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they

would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of each Christmas season to reaffirm their commitment to chivalry. At watch night serv-

ices (e.g., Christmas and New Year Eve late night services), many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.

People didn’t always celebrate the new year on January 1. The earliest

Since then, people around the world have gathered en masse on January 1 to celebrate the precise arrival of the New Year. May this new year bring you all joy and happiness!

And now a word from Italy

My Befana story

By Liliana Robinson When I was in kindergarten, I went to school on a January day, expecting everyone to be talking about the gifts they received from La Befana. As it turns out, I was wrong. I asked around, but not one person knew who she was. So I told them the story my Nonna Maria told me.

recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, circa 2000 B.C. That celebration – and many other ancient festivities of the new year following it – were celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox (around March 20). But by the Middle Ages, around the 16th century, a movement developed to restore January 1 as New Year’s Day in the New Style or Gregorian calendar which was implemented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.

by Blaise Di Pronio Calorie: An amount of food having an energy-producing value.

Roman god Janus – god of doorways and beginnings.

Derived from the Italian word calore which means heat or warmth. Now you know why we say that you need to “burn up” some calories after eating too many cannoli.

As the three Magi traveled with gifts for Jesus Christ, people from all villages came out from their houses to accompany them. One old woman, however, claimed she was too busy with housework and would join them when she had time. Once she had realized her mistake, she ran after the Magi with her broom still in her hand and gifts in the other. She was too late. Ever since then, she gives the gifts she never gave Jesus to good boys and girls. The bad children, however, receive coal.

My sister and I are very blessed that we were born into an Italian family and have been brought up with an Italian heritage. We plan on keeping this tradition (and the stories) alive and sharing it with our friends. Also. here is our holiday thanks giving prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for everything you do for us all day long. Thank you for the roof above our heads, for the clothes on our bodies, for our wonderful education, for our loving families and friends who support us. Thank you for forgiving us when we sin. We give thanks for all the blessings you’ve provided us with, and I wanted to let you know how thankful I am. Amen. * * * Editor’s note: Lillian is a 6th Grader at Saint Francis Borgia School in Cedarburg. She is the daughter and granddaughter, respectively, of ICC members Felicia Robinson and Maria Milbeck.

And now a word from Italy

by Blaise Di Pronio Cadaver: A dead body, especially the corpse of a human to be dissected. Derived from the Italian word cadere which means to fall down, fall over or tumble down at times precursing a dead person.

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THE ITALIAN TIMES