Italian News

Sigonella bids farewell to Carabinieri Company Commander Menta

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Last week, Sigonella Carabinieri and NAS Sigonella base leadership bid farewell to Carabinieri Company Commander Salvatore Menta, who has been transferred to Reggio Calabria.

Lieutenant Colonel Menta served at the helm of the Sigonella Carabinieri Company for five years with the rank of major. His job was to protect the American and Italian military and civilian communities and assets in Sigonella by preventing crime on base and in the housing complexes. Throughout his tenure, he demonstrated professionalism and dedication to his staff and the local community.

During his time in Sigonella, his achievements included apprehending a criminal gang specializing in stealing jet fuel from the Sigonella NATO pipeline running from Augusta Bay to the base in eastern Sicily (an operation code-named “Black Gold”). These arrests followed a joint investigation with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service which provided Carabinieri with high-technology equipment. On that occasion, Menta and his staff displayed exceptional traditional investigative talent.

Menta also launched multiple investigations to protect local national female employees who have been victims of sexual harassment and assault. He combated the mafia syndicates that have been trying to win American and Italian public works contracts in Sigonella and investigated illegal employment in the American side of the base as well.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he successfully cooperated with Italian and American military agencies to enforce the Italian government’s safety measures aimed at preventing the spreading of the virus in the installation.

“I am very honored to have had the opportunity to work and cooperate with my American counterparts,” said Menta.

Lt. Col. Menta will now oversee the Judicial Police Division supporting the Reggio Calabria Courthouse. In his new post, Menta will manage a Carabinieri unit which protects at-risk people who bear witness to Mafia operations, mob defectors and magistrates.

Fall is “Caldarroste” Time in Italy!

Fall has arrived in Italy, which means you will soon see smoke wafting from street corners around town. This smoke emanates from the vendor’s smoker pans filled with chestnuts called “caldarroste.”

Although the song about "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is a Christmas carol, autumn is actually the time of the year when chestnuts are ripe and ready to appear on our tables.

The best way to eat chestnuts in Sicily is to buy them from street vendors--warm, roasted and tasty, they are perfect for the crisp fall evenings! After being cut on the flat side in order to prevent an explosion, they are cooked with salt on special pans with holes and roasted until the shell has become dark.

Chestnuts are an ancient tradition on Sicilian and Mediterranean tables. In the ancient Roman world, they were considered food for nobles. A famous imperial cook used to prepare them with a pepper sauce and other spices including mint, vinegar, honey, and “garum” (sauce made up of fermented fish guts).

In the Middle Ages and the following centuries, chestnuts became a staple food of peasants in large parts of Italy. They were easy to find in the woods and rich in carbohydrates, aiding in their survival during years of famine. During times of war, Medieval and Renaissance European armies would store chestnut flour because of its ability to be preserved for a long time and was used to bake a bread substitute.

In the 18th century an Italian company called “Marengo” created the “Marron glaces” by layering the best quality chestnuts, called “marroni,” with frosting.

Nowadays, chestnuts can be cooked in a thousand ways and represent the symbol of the upcoming Christmas. A French chef suggests to eat them roasted while sitting around a fire with friends sipping a light wine such as “Vino Novello” or “Beaujolais Nouveau (its French equivalent).”

The chestnut and wine pairing is a delight which characterizes the most important fall’s attractions in Italy, the “Estate di San Martino” or “Summer of St. Martin,” a festivity, which occurs during a period of unusually warm weather celebrated in late autumn.

Legend states that on a cold day in November during the 4th century, the Roman officer Martino, who later became a bishop then saint, rescued a beggar by giving him half of his cloak. As Martino was on his way back home, there was a sudden weather change; and the weather became beautifully warm!

The Summer of St. Martin is named after St. Martin of Tours and celebrates the wine-racking (separation of wine from its sediment) period, when farmers used to visit each other to compare the products of the winemaking process and dine together with fresh bread, salami, cheese and obviously, “caldarroste.”

NAS Sigonella Delegation Attends WW2 Cassibile Armistice Memorial

Service members assigned to NAS Sigonella attended an annual memorial ceremony in Cassibile, a district in Siracusa, to commemorate the armistice signed on September 3, 1943 by Walter Bedell Smith and Giuseppe Castellano.

The armistice, stipulating the surrender of the Kingdom of Italy to the Allies during World War II, took effect several days later on September 8 of the same year.

This year’s delegation consisted of NAS Sigonella Hospital and VP- 47 Squadron service members who participated in the wreath-laying ceremony held on September 3 at the monument remembering the armistice. The event was a smaller-scale one due to the Italian government’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Also in attendance were Hon. Rossana Cannata, a member of the Sicilian Parliament and Fabio Granata, a delegate of the mayor of Siracusa, as well as veterans and members of the local police force.

The memorial ceremony is organized by the Cassibile-based Associazione Kakiparis and Lamba Doria from Siracusa, and is designed to educate future generations about the dramatic history of WW2 and the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

After five years of service in Sigonella, Carabinieri Company Commander Salvatore Menta has been promoted and transferred to the Reggio Calabria Court House to be in charge of a Carabinieri police unity which protects endangered Mafia witnesses and magistrates. (Photo by Janine Scianna)