Italian America Magazine - Spring 2017

A Passion for Slow Food Italy’s Movement to Make the World Eat Healthy

Castello Di Amorosa A Tuscan Castle in Napa Valley

A Walk in Matrice A Journey to Find My Roots

Mending An Industry Italian Women Needle Workers

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ITALIAN AMERICA

Award for Courage and Patriotism

National Education & Leadership Award

Honorable Jessica Garfola Wright Major General (retired)

Rear Admiral Margaret DeLuca “Peg” Klein Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Military Professionalism

Master of Ceremonies

Joe Mantegna Award-winning Actor

Humanitarian Award

In Memoriam for Meritorious Service of OSIA

Anthony J. Cancelosi President & Chief Executive Off icer

Robert A. Messa OSIA Past National President (2001 – 2003)

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind

Featuring A Silent Auction, Venetian Hour, Cocktail Reception, Dinner, Dancing, Music, and the 2017 SIF Scholarship Winners!

Auction items include a personal tour of CBS’s Criminal Minds set with Joe Mantegna, a personal tour of NBC’s This is Us! set with Milo Ventimiglia, your name as a character in Adriana Trigiani’s next novel, a weekend on Broadway in New York City, opening day with the New York Yankees, a Dan Marino autographed official NFL football, and many other extraordinary items!

With a Special Performance by Michael Amante

Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017 Time: 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner, awards, performance Location: Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008 Black Tie Preferred www.osia.org/nela-gala • nelagala@osia.org 202-547-8115 SPRING 2017

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ITALIAN AMERICA

SPRING 2017

VOL. XXII No. II

Italian America

®

T h e O ff i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e O r d e r S o n s o f I t a l y i n A m e r i c a ® dba Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America

Features

10

A PASSION FOR SLOW FOOD

Italy’s Movement to Make the World Eat Healthy

By Andrea Bufka

16

CASTELLO DI AMOROSA A Tuscan Castle in Napa Valley

By Miles Ryan Fisher

22 28

A WALK IN MATRICE A Journey to Find My Roots

By Nick Zingale

MENDING AN INDUSTRY

Italian Women Needle Workers and the First Italian Local Union

By Miles Ryan Fisher

ON THE COVER: Castello di Amorosa at night. (Castello di Amorosa/Jim Sullivan)

D e pa r t m e n t s 4 High Profile 5 National News 6 Oggi in Italia 7 Regions of Italy 8 Pagina Italiana 9 Mangia

13 Bulletin Board

14 Our Story 20 Book Reviews 21 Speakers Bureau 26 OSIA Nation 31 From the National

32 Foundation Focus 33 Fighting Stereotypes 34 Letters to the Editor 35 The Last Word 36 Piacere

Italian America® is published by The Order Sons of Italy in America® dba Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America 219 E Street, NE • Washington, DC 20002 • Phone: (202) 547-2900 • Web: www.osia.org Editor-in-Chief: Miles Ryan Fisher mfisher@osia.org Writers: Robert Fanelli Bartus, Jr.; Andrea Bufka; Miles Ryan Fisher; Laura Kelly; Paul Salsini; Kathleen Spaltro; Nick Zingale Translator: Maria Goffman Proofreaders: Peggy Daino, Marlene Palazzo Graphic Designer: Diane Vincent To advertise: ItalianAmerica@osia.org or call 202-547-2900

Italian America Magazine® is a publication of the Order Sons of Italy in America® (OSIA) dba Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, the nation’s biggest and oldest organization for people of Italian heritage.

To subscribe, see www.osia.org or call 1-800-552-6742.

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High Profile

Italian Americans making an impact

In the Spirit of Stella Dina Parise Takes Her Grandmother for a Drive

By Robert Fanelli Bartus Jr.

Dina Parise (née Saccoccio) drives with a lead foot—and that’s a good thing. In her profession as a Pro Modified class drag racer and owner of Dina Parise Racing, going as fast as you can in a quarter mile is the ultimate goal.

In 2015, at forty-eight years old, she won the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) World Championship in Memphis, Tenn., driving “Stella,” her 3,000-horsepower Cadillac, to the finish line with a speed of 240 mph and an elapsed time of 6.0 seconds.

Growing up on Long Island, Dina was athletic from the start. She was a gymnast during her early years, but she eventually merged her athleticism with her true passion, figure skating. She skated professionally for the Ice Capades from 1989-93. “I was born with glitter in my veins and a lead foot,” she says.

Dina’s road to drag racing didn’t happen overnight.

Her three brothers didn’t play sports, but they loved to watch auto racing. She also watched racing on TV and admired the driving skills of A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti, thinking the speed was “interesting,” though never wanting to sit in a car that long.

In her thirties—and married to her drag racing husband, Andrew (now her crew chief and also Italian American)—she took her first step toward a racing career.

Andrew built a 1967 Chevy, and they brought it to Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania in the late 1990s. There, she witnessed her first drag race. Standing at the starting line and watching the car accelerate down the track, she “fell in love” with racing.

Dina with her hotrod, Stella. (Killer Instinct Photos) After attending Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in 2003, Dina started her professional career in 2005, progressing and fine-tuning her driving skills. But it’s the family aspect of the sport that she cherishes. With her own family name on the wall at Ellis Island and a lineage that extends to the region of Lazio, food plays a significant role in her life, on and off the track. When she’s on the road with her husband in their RV, there’s at least one dinner at the track called “Italian night,” where she cooks everything from eggplant parmigiana to lasagna for her racing team and guests.

How does being Italian encompass her life and career?

“I love our heritage,” Dina says. “I love everything about it—the food! It’s cool to be Italian.” She credits her Italian upbringing for her strength and fortitude to face life and succeed. “Don’t give up on whatever you want to do, just try it, even if you’re no good at it.”

She’s also superstitious when it comes to her pre-race routine, which she attributes to her grandmother’s belief handed down to her. Dina puts on her racing gear the same way for every race, all the time.

And then there’s Stella, her 3,000-horsepower Cadillac, that she named in honor of her grandmother who passed away years ago. She believes her grandmother still watches over her, keeping her safe from the starting line to the finish line.

Robert Fanelli Bartus Jr. is a freelance writer based in West Virginia. Visit his website at https://rdbcreativewriting.wordpress.com/ or email him at bodoras@msn.com

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ITALIAN AMERICA

National News

Italian American issues and events

Legendary Boxing Trainer, Manager Passes Away Lou Duva, one of the most recognizable faces in the boxing world, passed away at age 94 on March 8. Though his career as a boxer was brief, Duva rose to prominence as one of the most notable trainers and managers in the sport’s history. He handled nineteen world champions, including famous boxers of all races such as Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Fernando Vargas, Andrew Golota, Mike McCallum, and Arturo Gatti.

He was also close friends with Rocky Marciano, with whom he celebrated his very first world champion when Joey Giardello became the world Middleweight champion in 1963, defeating Dick Tiger six months after upsetting Sugar Ray Robinson. “Lou’s up there with the very best there’s ever been in boxing,” said Rolando Vitale, author

of The Real Rockys: A History of the Golden Age of Italian Americans in Boxing 1900-1955.

Duva was born in New York City to Italianimmigrant parents (from Foggia, in the Puglia region) and grew up in Little Italy before the family moved to Patterson, New Jersey. Like many Italian children, he had to work various jobs at a young age to help his family survive.

In 1996, Duva was inducted into the National Italian American Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“He was our Yogi Berra,” said Lou DiBella, Former Vice President of HBO Sports. “That’s the best analogy I can make. You don’t replace Yogi Berra, and you don’t replace Lou Duva. They’re once-in-a-lifetime characters.”

Italian Immigrant Treatment During World War II Receives Attention The treatment of Italian immigrants during World War II went unacknowledged for decades. It was not until November 2000 that the U.S. Congress passed the “Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act,” which mandated the U.S. Attorney General to conduct a comprehensive review of that time period and the government’s role in it. Recently, as a result of the executive orders to prohibit immigration under the premise of homeland security, articles about Italian internment have received increased attention, appearing in newspapers such as the LA Times and New York Daily News, online news sources such as the Huffington Post, and publications such as Smithsonian Magazine.

“At the outset of World War II, immigrants from Italy were placed under restriction and sometimes interned primarily because of who they were (Italian) rather than because of what they had done—as the Constitution demands,” explained historian Lawrence DiStasi. “The government classified many such people as ‘potentially dangerous,’ a category that even the Justice Department considered ‘unreliable’ because it presumes that a person is guilty unless he can prove his innocence. The same presumption is now being used against immigrants and refugees from certain countries.”

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Individuals arriving at Fort Missoula, an internment camp in Montana where some Italian Americans were interned during the war. (Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library, University of Montana) On December 8, 1941, the U.S. Federal Government enacted Executive Order 2527, which branded Italian immigrants as “enemy aliens” and led to restrictions, internment, and mass evacuations from areas on the west coast.

To read more about this time in U.S. history, check out Lawrence DiStasi’s Una Storia Segreta: The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Internment During World War II, and Branded: How Italian Immigrants Became ‘Enemies’ During WWII. ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 5

Oggi in Italia

Italy’s news, politics and culture

Italians World’s Best Firefighters On January 27, Italy’s firefighters—the Vigili del Fuoco—were named the “International Firefighting Team of the Year 2016” and given the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award, which recognizes the courage of firefighters around the world. The award—bestowed by Magirus, a German company that has manufactured fire engines since 1866—is decided by a panel of judges and online voters in what has become known as “the firefighting Oscars.”

Italy’s firefighters received the award for their courageous relief efforts after the 2016 Central Italy earthquake struck on August 24. Approximately 40,000 people were brought to safety, Italian firefighters pulling many survivors from rubble.

“The Italian winners were a prime example for exceptional teamwork,” judges said. Italy’s fire departments arrived from twelve different regions as well as the cities of Rome, Arezzo, Bologna, Venice, and Pescara. By September 22, less than one month after the earthquake, the rescue teams carried out 26,251 relief operations.

Italy’s firefighters also led efforts to rescue victims of the deadly avalanche that struck Hotel Rigopiano in Abruzzo last January. awareness of the immense and selfless dedication of the firefighters who serve the community every day.” The winners receive an all-expense paid trip to visit “the most famous fire department in the world, the FDNY – New York Fire Department.”

The Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award is now in its fifth consecutive year and was created to “increase public

Calabria a 2017 Must-See Destination T h e N e w Yo r k Times chose Calabria, Italy’s well-preserved southern region in the toe of the boot, as one of the fifty-two places in the world to visit in 2017. While A scenic look at many are quick to visit Calabria’s beaches that meet mountainous rock. (leonori) Italy’s more popular cities and regions, the Times chose Calabria as a source for great eating and exceptional wines.

“Some of the best meals in Italy aren’t found in Rome or Tuscany, but from the southern region of Calabria,” the article stated. “Known for spicy dishes and much of the world’s supply of bergamot, Calabria is pivoting toward lighter fare, organic farming and wine made from local grapes.”

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Sicily to Host G7 Summit In May, Italy Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano will chair the 43rd G7 (Group of 7) meeting in Taormina, a town on the east coast of Sicily. The summit will heavily focus on reincorporating Russia into the group after it was forced out in 2014 when western countries accused Russia of manipulating conflict in the Ukraine.

Founded as the G6 in 1975, the G7 is composed of Canada, France, MUSICA ITALIANA Germany, Italy, Jaogni DOMENICA pan, United Kingdom, and United States. According to the InternationMusic from the Sunny Shores al Monetary Fund, of Italy SUNDAYS 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the group repreWorlwide on the Internet. sents 64% of the Google: WMUH Allentown, PA. world’s wealth—a total of $263 trilEnjoy Italian music lion—and meets with Raffaele & Jeff. annually to discuss world economies.

ITALIAN AMERICA

Regions of Italy

Italy’s Twenty Regions

Sardinia

An Emerald in the Mediterranean The second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), Sardinia is a place steeped in history and ancient civilizations. In 1979, human remains were discovered that dated back to 150,000 B.C. Between 1,900 and 703 B.C., villages were built around what are known as “nuraghe,” towers made of large stone blocks.

More than 7,000 nuraghi exist in Sardinia.

Though the coasts of Sardinia are quite rocky, in certain parts there are white sandy beaches that meet turquoise seas, making them some of the most picturesque in the world. The most famous beach, Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast), is a tourist area where many of the world’s rich and famous frequent. Full of luxurious villas and five-star hotels, Costa Smeralda is known for its marina that houses some of the world’s most glorious yachts. It was here that the famous scene of James Bond driving a Lotus out of the sea in The Spy Who Loved Me was filmed.

Although Sardinia is surrounded by sea, fish is not as large a part of their diet as one might think—though one can find their fair share of tuna, sea bass, red mullet, lobsters, and mussels. Dishes frequently revolve around suckling pig, wild boar, and lamb. They are accompanied by an array of fresh vegetables—usually served raw—followed by fruit for dessert.

Perhaps this is the reason why Sardinia is one of the seven noted “blue zones,” or areas where a large number

(matteo_parma)

of individuals live to one hundred. Some demographers cited Sardinia as “the place where people live the longest in the world” and pinpointed Nuoro province as having the highest concentration of male centenarians.

FUN FACT: The capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, got its name from the Virgin of Bonaria (or Virgin of “Good Air”) that sailors brought from Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia.

Sardinia Capital: Cagliari Population: 1.66 million (11th of the 20 regions) Size: 24,090 square miles (3rd of the 20 regions)

The nuraghe Is Paras, located on an archeological site in the town of Isili, South Sardinia. (mtcurado) SPRING 7 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

Provinces: Cagliari Carbonia-Iglesias Medio Campidano Nuoro Ogliastra Olbia-Tempio Oristano Sassari ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 7

Pagina Italiana Un Tempo Diverso “A Different Time” Written by Laura Kelly Translated by Maria Goffman

Una mattina mia figlia viene saltando giù per le scale, e la saluto con un sorriso.

“Sto facendo le zeppole oggi,” le dico. “Vuoi imparare a farle?”

Lei scuote la testa e afferra una mela dalla fruttiera.

“Oggi non posso, mamma,” dice. “Dovrei incontrare i miei amici per il softball questo pomeriggio.”

“Sai, quando avevo la tua età, non mi ero permesso di giocare fuori fino a quando non avevo finito le lezioni di cucina con mia madre.”

Lei sorride e si stringe nelle spalle. “É un tempo diverso, mamma,” dice, uscendo dalla porta.

Sorrido tra me a sentire le sue parole. E mi ricordo quando è stato anche un tempo diverso, quella sera ero di nuovo nella cucina dei miei genitori nel 1952.

Mio padre mi guardò dal tavolo della cucina, inarcando le sopracciglia con stupore, “Che cosa stai dicendo?”

“Che voglio continuare la mia istruzione dopo il mio diploma di scuola superiore, Papà. Voglio andare all’ Università.”

“Per che cosa hai bisogno di più scuola? Avrai il tuo diploma di scuola secondaria. Questo è piu di quello che mamma e io abbiamo.”

“Ho dovuto lasciare la scuola dopo il sesto grado,” ha detto mia madre mentre cucinava la cena sopra la stufa calda. “Avevo bisogno di aiutare mia madre nella cura dei miei fratelli e sorelle più giovani. Tutti e sette.”

“Mamma, è del 1952,” ho detto. “Ci sono più opzioni per le donne in questi giorni. I miei insegnanti dicono che io sono intelligente e dovrei continuare la mia istruzione.

Voglio essere un insegnante di inglese.”

“Ridicolo! Sei abbastanza intelligente per una ragazza della tua età,” ha detto Papà con una beffa. “Si può già cucinare, pulire, cucire, e gestire una famiglia. E come bonus, avrai il diploma. Una donna non ha bisogno di più istruzione al di là di questo.”

“Inoltre,” ha detto la mamma, “Sai c’era solo sufficiente denaro per mandare tuo fratello all’ università.

Per chi studia la nostra lingua Roberto aveva bisogno di una formazione, così da poter gestire il panificio per papà un giorno.”

“Non dovreste spendere molto per me,” ho detto con calma, mentre ho mostrato una lettera aperta di recente.

“Mi hanno offerto una borsa di studio.”

Ciascuno i miei genitori studiano la lettera. La passarono avanti e indietro tra di loro, leggendo attentamente.

Sapevano che non potevano discutere con il contenuto.

“Basta!,” ha detto la Mamma, mentre lei alzò le mani in aria per la frustrazione e si precipitò fuori dalla cucina verso la camera da letto. “Avremmo dovuto dare ascolto a vostra nonna e gettare i tuoi libri fuori dalla finestra!” “É un tempo diverso, Mamma,” gridai dietro.

“Ma non si può andare a questa scuola,” ha detto Papà, ancora esaminando la lettera. “É troppo lontano, è in un altro stato.”

“Sto pensando di vivere in un dormitorio della scuola. É fornito con la borsa di studio.”

“Stai dicendo che ti stai spostando fuori di casa?” urlò Papà. “Hai una casa perfetta proprio qui! Perché vuoi andare a vivere da qualche altra parte?”

“Papà, molti studenti vivono in dormitori quando vanno all’ università. Sarò in un edificio con un sacco di altre ragazze. É perfettamente sicuro.”

“Tuo fratello non si staccò mai quando andava a scuola!” gridò Papà. “Ha studiato proprio qui a casa!”

“Papà, questo ha un senso. Inoltre, è troppo affollata qui da quando la moglie di Roberto ha il bambino. Non otterò mai alcun risultato studiando qui.”

“Allora sposati! Sposa uno dei ragazzi del quartiere, e poi puoi uscire! Le belle ragazze italiane vivono a casa fino a quando non si sposano!” “É un tempo diverso, Papà.”

Mi fa ridere a sentire mia figlia dire quelle parole esatte di nuovo a me. Ma ha ragione, è stato un tempo diverso. É il suo tempo.

Laura Kelly is a Program Coordinator at the Order Sons of Italy in America.

Maria Goffman is a retired teacher and the daughter of Italian immigrants from Calabria. She enjoys traveling to Italy and spending time with her family.

To read the English version, visit www.osia.org and sign in to access the digital copy of Italian America.

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ITALIAN AMERICA

Pagina Italiana

Per chi studia la nostra lingua

A Different Time

by Laura Kelly

My daughter comes skipping down the stairs one morning, and I greet her with a smile.

Roberto needed the education so he can run the bakery for Papa one day.”

“I’m making zeppoles today,” I say to her. “Want to learn how to make them?”

“You wouldn’t have to spend much on me,” I said quietly as I produced a newly opened letter. “I’ve been offered a scholarship.”

She shakes her head and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl.

“I can’t today, Mom,” she says. “I’m supposed to meet my friends for softball this afternoon.”

“You know, when I was your age, I wasn’t allowed to play outside until I finished cooking lessons with my mother,” I tease her.

She smiles and shrugs. “It’s a different time, Mom,” she says, heading out the door.

I smile to myself at hearing her words. And I remember when it was also a different time, that evening back in my parents’ kitchen in 1952.

My father looked up at me from the kitchen table, his eyebrows raised in astonishment, “What’s that you’re saying?”

“That I want to continue my schooling after my high school graduation, Papa. I want to go to college.”

“What do you need more school for? You’ll have your secondary school diploma. That’s more than Mama and I have.”

“I had to leave school after the sixth grade,” my mother said as she cooked dinner over the hot stove. “I needed to help my mother care for my younger brothers and sisters.

All seven of them.”

My parents each studied the letter. They passed it back and forth between them, reading it carefully. They knew they couldn’t argue with the contents.

“Basta!” Mama said, as she threw her hands in the air in frustration and stormed out of the kitchen to the bedroom. “We should have listened to your nonna and thrown your books out the window!”

“It’s a different time, Mama,” I called after her.

“But you can’t go to this school,” Papa said, still reviewing the letter. “It’s too far away, it’s in another state.”

“I’m planning to live in a dormitory at the school. It’s included with my scholarship.”

“You’re saying you’re moving out of the house?” Papa bellowed. “You have a perfectly good home right here!

Why do you want to go live somewhere else?

“Papa, many students live in dorms when they go to college. I’ll be in a building with lots of other girls. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Your brother never moved away when he went to school!” Papa shouted. “He studied right here at home!”

“Papa, this makes sense. Besides, it’s too crowded here since Roberto’s wife had the baby. I’ll never get any studying done.”

“Mama, it’s 1952,” I said. “There are more options for women these days. My teachers say that I’m smart and should continue my education. I want to be an English teacher.”

“Then get married! Marry one of the neighborhood boys, and then you can move out! Nice Italian girls live at home until they get married!”

“Ridiculous! You’re smart enough for a girl your age,” Papa said with a scoff. “You can already cook, clean, sew, and manage a household. And as a bonus, you’ll have your diploma. A woman doesn’t need more education beyond that.”

It makes me laugh to hear my daughter say those exact words back to me. But she’s right, it was a different time.

It’s her time now.

“Besides,” Mama said. “You know there was only enough money to send your brother to college.

“It’s a different time, Papa.”

Mangia!

from the italian cookbook

Linguine and Clams

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients 1 pound linguine ¼ cup olive oil 1 garlic clove, smashed 24 littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed ¼ cup dry white wine One 6.5-ounce can clams, chopped, with their juice Pinch of chopped fresh oregano 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Ingredients ¼ cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, smashed 16 colossal (U-12) shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied, and tails removed ¾ cup dry white wine ¼ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed with juice 6 fresh basil leaves, torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add the linguine and cook, until al dente. Drain the pasta.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl or ramekin.

Add the fresh clams and white wine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the clams have opened. Discard any that do not open.

Using tongs, transfer the open clams to a large bowl.

Increase the heat to high, and add the canned clams and their juice, the oregano, and chopped parsley leaves. Cook for 1 minute, or until the sauce boils.

Transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated, about 1 minute.

Transfer the pasta and sauce to a large serving bowl.

Arrange the open clams on top of the pasta, garnish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, and serve.

Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 cloves of the garlic and cook until the garlic begins to simmer in the pan.

Using kitchen tongs, carefully place the shrimp into the pan and sauté for 1 minute on each side, or until the shrimp begin to turn opaque.

Transfer to the paper towel–lined plate. Cover the shrimp with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep them warm.

Pour off the oil and garlic from the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 2 garlic cloves, the white wine, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Variation Prefer a pink clam sauce? Open a small can of whole plum tomatoes and add 4 to 5 tomatoes to the sauté pan after adding the clams. For a plain clam broth, you can easily prepare the dish without the pasta and serve it as a soup or dunking sauce.

For more Italian recipes, be sure to SPRING 9 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

Add the basil and the cooked shrimp, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and discard.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter, pour the sauce over the shrimp, and serve.

Order Sons of Italy in America’s Facebook page!

ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 9

By Andrea Bufka

One evening in late September 2016, thousands of people from around the world met for a joyful processional along the streets of Turin. Drummers from Senegal in colorful dashiki shirts jostled next to groups in traditional dress from Asia and northern Europe. Some wore chef’s aprons and carried foods of their home country to share.

The Corpo Musicale Città di Settimo Torinese band, with brass and bass drum, marched with the parade. The skies had threatened rain, but held off, as if the celebratory spirit of the crowd overcame any threat of gloomy weather.

They were waving flags from their home countries and carrying printed placards saying “Vote with Your Fork,” “Save Biodiversity,” “Voler bene alla terra (Love the earth),” and many more messages in English, Italian, and other languages. The locals must have been reminded of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics hosted by the city in 2006.

Those in attendance traveled from all over the globe with a single goal: to celebrate food that is “good, clean and fair.” They are the delegates and exhibitors of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, an event of the nonprofit Slow Food International, the City of Turin, and the Region of Piedmont. They are farmers, food artisans, fisherman, chefs, members of Slow Food, and local hosts and supporters from Turin and other regions of Italy. Just before the parade, Italy’s President, Sergio Mattarella, spoke at the opening ceremony of the event in the Teatro Carignano.

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(Alessandro Vargiu/Archivio Slowfood)

Over the next four days, this extraordinary gathering brought together seven thousand delegates from 143 countries. Much of the event took place in Turin’s famous porticoed streets, providing the public with the opportunity to discover and celebrate the finest food and drink from Italy and all over the world. The conference program and presentations by Terra Madre delegates, held in the beautiful Teatro Carignano and the University, attracted more than 10,000 attendees. The whole city—its parks and squares, palazzi, museums, and theaters—became the backdrop for this event, hosting Taste Workshops and Cooking School events, film screenings, and much more.

Food stands along the Po River. (Alessandro Vargiu/Archivio Slowfood) ITALIAN AMERICA

It’s

one of those big ideas that you come

across in history sometimes…

[that]

for

decades and centuries later, changes a lot of things.

– Sarah Weiner, Director, Good

Food Foundation

Many people have heard the words “slow food” before, but not as many know that Slow Food is actually a global movement with its international headquarters in Bra, a small city south of Turin that is situated at the gateway to the famed wine country of Barolo and Barbaresco.

It’s not surprising that a region with such a rich culinary history would become the roots of a global movement celebrating food.

The Slow Food movement originated from a simple protest to preserve Italian culture. In 1986, when a McDonald’s opened near the Spanish Steps in Rome, journalist Carlo Petrini and fellow protesters carried bowls of penne instead of signs to declare the importance of ‘slow food’ and defy the arrival of fast food in the heart of Italy.

With the publication of its manifesto in 1989, the Slow Food movement was born.

Slow Food grew to include a publishing house and two flagship annual publications: Vini d’Italia, highlighting the finest wines of Italy, and Osterie d’Italia, a guide of member-selected restaurants that epitomize the Slow Food spirit in Italy. Its first major food fair, the Salone del Gusto, took place in Turin in 1996, followed by other major events such as Cheese, Slow Fish, and the first Terra Madre in 2004. Local chapters, called Convivia, sprang

Crowds attending Terra Madre Salone del Gusto filled the beautiful piazzas, parks, and porticoed streets of Turin.

(Alessandro Vargiu/Archivio Slowfood)

up around Italy and the rest of the world, organizing events like tastings, cooking classes, farm tours, and dinners. Today, there are 1,500 Convivia, and Slow Food is present in 160 countries worldwide. In 2004, Slow Food created the University of Gastronomic Sciences, with undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs that “create a new understanding of gastronomy and a new professional – capable of linking the act of eating with the act of producing, along with all phases in between.”

Paolo di Croce, General Secretary of Slow Food International, explains how Italy’s historically strong ties to food make it a natural place for a global food movement to arise. “We are a small country,” he says, “but you drive fifty kilometers and you find completely different food heritage and food traditions.” In learning how to preserve its own rich and varied food culture, this Italian organiza-

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Delegates to Terra Madre wore traditional dress and carried their home country flags to the parade. (Paolo Properzi/Archivio Slowfood) SPRING 11 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

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tion is now taking its message worldwide. “Apart from our heritage and our roots,” Paolo says, “we are really global.”

Slow Food is working hard to catalogue and support the world’s treasure of traditional foods, from Felonica Tiròt Focaccia of Mantua (Lombardy, Italy) to Navajo-Churro Sheep of New Mexico. One is a traditional onion-based focaccia made in Felonica, and the other is a breed of sheep raised for more than four hundred years in the arid regions of Southwestern United States. These projects are part of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and have grown to include more than 3,500 Ark of Taste foods and more than 500 Presidia worldwide. Slow Food’s Ark of Taste catalogues and celebrates quality foods that represent the heritage of food culture around the world, and the Presidia are projects promoting and protecting fine food production on a small scale.

While searching the online databases of the Ark and Presidia can provide ample inspiration for future fooddestination journeys, it seems that much of Slow Food’s work is about bringing people together. Terra Madre has created an international network of food communities: producers and organizations around the world that will move the needle on good, clean, and fair food for all.

Meetings happen on the national and regional level, and an Indigenous Terra Madre network started in 2011 involves thousands of individuals in over 370 communities in more than sixty countries worldwide. In July 2017, Slow Food USA will be presenting a Terra Madre-type event called Slow Food Nations, which will take place in Denver. “The weekend will provide hands-on tactile and tasty opportunities to experience both the joy and justice of food,” says Richard McCarthy, Executive Director of Slow Food USA.

The parade of delegates ended with a rally in the historic Piazza Carlo Alberto. (Paolo Properzi/Archivio Slowfood)

There are ample opportunities to bring Slow Food into your life without traveling to Italy. You can attend an event or join a local chapter, or get involved with Slow Food USA’s initiatives like the National School Garden Program that is currently supporting 1,071 school gardens in the US and twenty-one schools abroad. Paolo di Croce of Slow Food International stresses that as a consumer, you can practice the values of Terra Madre by eating locally, eating seasonally when possible, and making sustainable choices when buying food. In the words of Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini, “Millions of people, with their choices and their daily work, can build a better world.”

And following Italy’s lead can do just that.

Read more: www.slowfood.com, www.slowfoodusa.org Andrea Bufka is a Washington, DC based writer who has lived in Milan, Florence, and Bra, Italy, where she worked for Slow Food. She is fluent in Italian and has a weakness for panettone. Contact her at andreabufka@gmail.com

(as defined by Slow Food USA)

GOOD Good food is wholesome, seasonal, local, fresh, and delicious.

CLEAN Clean food preserves biodiversity, sustains the environment, and nourishes a healthy lifestyle for both humans and animals.

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FAIR Fair food honors the dignity of labor from field to fork, and the diversity of cultures and traditions in the United States.

Good, clean, fair food is accessible for everyone to enjoy.

Slow Food by the Numbers 1,000,000 Supporters 100,000 Members 3,770 Ark of Taste products 2,400 Food communities 2,500 Gardens in Africa 1,500 Convivia 500 Presidia 160 Countries

The Slow Food Chef ’s Alliance Kitchen prepared dishes inspired by ingredients from the Slow Food Presidia.

(Alessandro Vargiu/Archivio Slowfood)

ITALIAN AMERICA

Bulletin Board

What’s new: discounts, services and events

The Best of Italy Returns to the Scenic Southwest CineFesta Italia returns to one of the most captivating travel destinations in the United States: the Southwest.

Combine a carefully curated selection of Italian feature films with delicious Italian cuisine, set them in historic Santa Fe, New Mexico, and you have the perfect weekend getaway. Or plan on staying an extra few days to enjoy the world-renowned art and cuisine of Santa Fe.

CINEFESTAITALIA.ORG

CINEFESTA ITALIA

ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

2017 JUNE 1-4 Jean Cocteau Cinema

This year, the fourth annual CineFesta will be held from June 1 through June 4. Festivities will include receptions, dinners, after-parties, and a special celebration of Festa della Repubblica. The celebration will benefit Santa Fe’s neediest children, with proceeds going to Communities in Schools and Cooking with Kids.

Last year, titles included such award-winning films as Per Amor Vostro (For Your Love), Le Meraviglie (The Wonders), and Vergine Giurata (Sworn Virgin), among others. Creative Director, Luca Ceccarelli says, “If you liked the selection last year, just wait to see what we have in store this year.”

You can find out more information and purchase advance tickets at a discount by visiting: www.CineFestaItalia.org

A Cruise to Venice with Giada Valenti

Take the trip of a lifetime on the Giada Valenti Cruise—a seven-day Venice-round-trip, with gourmet food & wine, and state of the art sailing to exotic ports of call. When you climb aboard the luxury vessel MSC Musica you will notice the lavish attention to every detail.

Experience the beauty of places like Brindisi (Italy), Katakolon (Greece), Santorini (Greece), Piraeus (Greece), Corfu (Greece), and Kotor (Montenegro), and learn about their history.

There is an opportunity for an extended stay in Venice after the cruise and special excursions with Giada as your guide.A unique opportunity to dine in places where only locals eat, to get doors opened for you that are closed for others, meet the people from Giada’s home town.

Born and raised in Venice, Giada Valenti is an awardwinning singer and songwriter. She is known for her stunning television special “From Venice With Love” on PBS, which since its debut in December 2015 has been aired close to 500 times all around the United States.

Giada, who sings and speaks in five languages, takes her audience on a romantic journey performing her own interpretations of American and Italian hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, PBS Television, and NBC during a special broadcast, performing on the Red Carpet of the Columbus Day Parade in New York City. She currently resides in Los Angeles; however, the people of Italy continue their love with Giada.

For more information call Patricia Ferrari at 1-800324-4745 or visit www.giadavalenticruise.com

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ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 13

Our Story

Italian American history and culture

The Wedding Photo

By Paul Salsini

We had never met. She didn’t speak English and my knowledge of Italian was at best rudimentary. Yet when I pulled aside the beaded curtain at her door and went into her tiny kitchen she greeted me with tears in her eyes and a long, hard hug. My chin rested on her head.

“Cugino, cugino,” she whispered. “Cousin.”

Fosca had never met my father, her uncle, because he had left the little village in Tuscany for America—never to return—before she was born, and we had barely communicated over the years. No matter. She led me straight into the even smaller living room and pointed to a photograph on the wall.

“Tuo Papa! Tua Mamma!”

A clever designer had taken the wedding photographs of my parents and Fosca’s parents and merged them into one large photograph. Fosca’s parents were at the top, my parents at the bottom, and in between was my grandmother, the mother of the two grooms (my father and Fosca’s father).

My father had an unlikely pompadour and looked pained because of his starched collar. My mother’s white bridal bonnet was apparently the style in 1916.

My mother was nine years younger than my dad. They had met in Upper Michigan when my father boarded with my mother’s parents, who had come from the village of San Martino in Freddana earlier.

I couldn’t stop staring at the picture. Here, in one montage, were Fosca’s and my roots. I hugged her.

“Bella, bella,” I said, using up a tenth of the Italian I knew.

Time for a “little lunch,” I understood Fosca to say: Ravioli. Roasted chicken. Vegetables. Crusty bread. Salad.

Wine. Fruit. Then off to the church, where my father and my mother’s parents were baptized, and to the cemetery where both sides of my family rested close by one another.

My visit that first time, in 1984, was brief, but over the years there were many more, with longer times to visit and to listen. I can’t say we talked, because it was all

San Filippino’s deteriorating walls that face the street.

The Wedding Photo that needed to be rescued.

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ITALIAN AMERICA

Our Story

Italian American history and culture

one-sided as Fosca went on and on, assuming incorrectly that I understood.

“Sì, Sì,” I’d nod every once in a while.

Every time, she led me into the living room and pointed.

“Tuo Papa! Tua Mamma!”

On one occasion, though, with a distant relative there to translate, she described her experiences during World War II, when she was just a teenager. The Nazis occupied San Martino. Everyone fled to the hills. She and some neighbors stayed in an abandoned farmhouse. For three months. Not much food. They fought with each other and didn’t get along very well.

Inspired by this story, I went home and wrote a novel, “The Cielo,” about people being forced to live together while the war was going on all around them. Fosca was thinly disguised as “Rosa.” I brought the book to Fosca the next time with an inscription. “Thank you for inspiring this book.”

She held it like a piece of breakable glass. “Bella, bella,” she said and put it on the mantel. Of course she couldn’t read it.

That book inspired a sequel, and then another and another and another as I followed characters and events in the fictional village of Sant’Antonio, which was remarkably like San Martino in Freddana, through the decades until the year 2000.

Each time, tears filled her eyes as she fondled a new book and placed it on the mantel beside the others. Then she took me by the hand and we went into the living room.

“Tuo Papa! Tua Mamma!”

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First-cousins Fosca and Paul finally meet in San Martino, a Tuscan village where their fathers were raised.

By 2014, I had visited Fosca a dozen times. With increasing problems walking, I found each trip more difficult.

I didn’t tell her, but I was certain that this visit would be the last. Before I left, I went into the living room and gazed again at the picture on the wall. Then, after a glance at my books on the mantel, all unread, a teary farewell.

Last Christmas, her card included an instruction, no, a command. I was to come and get the wedding photograph. Now. I wondered why the urgency. She was ninety, and although quite healthy, perhaps she was trying to put things in order. But as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t imagine flying all that way again. And walking and walking again.

Did I have to remind her that on my last visit I fell in a restaurant and that she had to pick me up?

And how would I get that big framed photo on the plane and back home? And where would we hang it in our small apartment?

A couple of months ago, she wrote again. When was I coming?

I thought of the hundred-year-old wedding photograph on the wall. My parents had both died by now, and all my brothers and sisters. Fosca was an only child and her parents were gone. I realized that the montage photograph united Fosca and me, and it was the last tangible connection I had to the village where my father, my mother’s parents and all the generations before them were born.

It was my link between Italy and America. It needed to be rescued.

Paul Salsini is the author of the six-volume “A Tuscan Series.”

ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 15

A Tuscan Castle in Napa Valley (Jim Sullivan)

By Miles Ryan Fisher

Dario Sattui glanced at the sign— Private Property—and walked right by it, leaving his motorcycle behind.

He walked toward a Tuscan castle he’d seen in the distance, one that he wanted a better glimpse of.

Just then the owner, Kaja, came out of her house. “You are trespassing!” she said. “Were I in a bad mood, I would throw you off the property.

But,” she looked at him and smiled, “I’m in a good mood.” So instead, she invited him in for a glass of wine.

Over that glass of wine, Dario learned that Kaja and her husband, Lars, were from Denmark, but that they’d lived in the United States while he worked as a naval architect until they retired to Italy, where they lived on a small vineyard and olive orchard.

He also learned that the three small medieval buildings on their property were new, and that it was Lars who’d built them.

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Dario returned to the small vineyard to visit Lars—and explain his ambitious dream, one that seemed as outlandish as any. After an hour and a half, he asked Lars, “Would you come to the United States and help me build a castle?”

“I’ll come,” Lars replied immediately.

“But don’t you want to consult your wife first?” Dario asked.

“I said I will come!” Lars shouted.

Dario had his builder. Now, however, he needed someone who could do the brickwork, a master craftsman capable of replicating architecture that hadn’t been constructed in centuries.

So he traveled to Austria, where he met Fritz Gruber, a man who worked with old world materials and used ancient techniques to build wine cellars.

He explained his dream to Franz.

“A wine cellar I can understand,” Fritz said, “but a whole castle?”

Fritz then led Dario down to the maze of medieval vaulted cellars that sat beneath his own home. After four days and much discussion, Fritz agreed to help. He looked at Dario and said, “But you are absolutely crazy.”

Perhaps Fritz was right. Perhaps Dario Sattui was crazy to think that he could build an authentic 13th century Tuscan Castle in Napa Valley.

But pursuing ambitious dreams was in his blood. After all, his own greatgrandparents, Vittorio and Caterina, did just that … on their honeymoon.

In 1882, they set sail from Carsi—a small village near Genoa, which is the capital of the Liguria region. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean and sailed around the tip of South America (the Panama Canal was still three decades away from being built). While on the ITALIAN AMERICA

Capable of holding two hundred people, The Great Hall and the frescoes adorning its interior took two and a half years to build. (Jim Sullivan) voyage, Vittorio’s brother, Augustino, fell ill and had to disembark in Lima, Peru. Vittorio and Caterina, however, persisted, traveling up the western coast of the Americas until they reached San Francisco.

Though he was a baker by trade, Vittorio became one of California’s first winemakers when he opened V. Sattui Winery in San Francisco just three years after arriving in the United States. Its success grew until, after •

three decades of operation, Prohibition turned it dry and left the land barren.

with a dream: to resurrect his greatgrandfather’s winery.

The land would stay that way until half a century later when Vittorio’s great-grandson, Dario, was touring Europe, sleeping in an old Volkswagon van, visiting the wineries of various regions, and developing a fascination for architecture—particularly that of medieval castles. The trip ignited a passion, and when Dario returned to the United States in 1972, he did so

Without money to acquire land in Napa Valley, he leased a building, bought grapes, and rented winery equipment. V. Sattui Winery then became one of the first wineries to bypass distributors and sell wine directly to those who consume it. In its first year, it turned a small profit.

From there, the winery prospered, and Dario assumed this would take him into retirement.

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Vittorio Sattui (second from right), the founder of the original V. Sattui Winery, with his relatives in the cellar of his San Francisco winery, circa 1908. (Dario Sattui) SPRING 17 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

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Dario Sattui enjoys a glass of wine in one of his castle’s many loggias. (Jim Sullivan) What it took him into, however, was an even grander dream, one he would obsess over, one that would consume his life, when, in 1993, he purchased a 171-acre property in Napa Valley. With the vineyard came a permit to construct a large building— a permit that had taken the previous owner thirteen years to obtain.

Once he acquired the property, Dario replanted Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Merlot grapes in the vineyard, planning to sell these grapes to his V. Sattui Winery. A year later, his plans expanded when he held the design for an 8,500 square-foot building. Initially he projected that it would take three years to build. It ended up taking nearly fifteen.

Dario and his construction team (which evolved over time) began by digging an underground cave and the wine cellars. Once they started digging, they didn’t stop. They began spending so much time underground that they’d see sunlight only at lunchtime. Ten years after they’d begun the excavation, the underground portion of the castle was complete—four separate levels covering two acres and holding eighty rooms, most of which would be devoted to wine-making. Then they started building the actual castle.

“If you follow your dreams, you’re going to do a better job and be more successful. If you do things just for money, you won’t put your heart and soul into it.

”

~ Dario Sattui

They dug a moat and erected thirtyfive-foot high parapeted walls that met at five different sixty-foot towers.

Then they moved inside, laying out courtyards and building loggias. They constructed a Tuscan farmhouse and several outbuildings. Then the Great Hall (with an authentic fireplace that

predates Columbus), the stables, apartments for nobles, wine fermenting rooms, a church and chapel, and secret passageways. They even built a prison and torture chamber that includes an Iron Maiden from the late Renaissance.

Every inch of it was authentic, the construction team using the very methods and materials that would have been used nearly 1,000 years ago. They chiseled more than 8,000 tons of stone. When they could, they used materials that had survived since the 14th century. Nearly two hundred shipping containers filled with these medieval materials traveled from Europe to Castello di Amorosa.

All the while, the replanted grapes continued growing. Dario allowed the vines to age so that his winery could produce the highest quality wine. But by 2005, after more than a decade of construction and without a single bottle of wine to show for it, Dario had depleted his resources. He was out of money.

To raise more funds, he produced the Castle’s first bottles of wine and sold them below market value. He borrowed from the bank. He even

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The 12,000-square-foot Grand Barrel Room that has more than forty Roman cross vaults. (Jim Sullivan) ITALIAN AMERICA

The authentic medeival Iron Maiden—and its very fitting “Do Not Touch” sign—in Castello di Amorosa’s torture chamber. (Peter Menzel)

(Peter Menzel)

borrowed from his own V. Sattui Winery. His obsession drove him past the point of bankruptcy and toward a place where he could lose everything he’d ever worked to build. He began having nightmares, almost giving up on the project entirely. Maybe, he thought, he’d made a total fool of himself.

But Dario managed to support two more years of construction, and in April 2007, he finally opened the castle doors. What was originally supposed to be an 8,500 square-foot building had ballooned into a fortymillion-dollar 150,000 square-foot castle that contained 107 total rooms

on eight levels, four above ground and four below. As he stood at the doors of the castle on opening day, he wondered if anybody would show up.

The response was overwhelming.

Visitors came for a taste not just of high-quality wine but also of medieval Italy. They wanted to see the 13 th century Tuscan Castle entrenched in Napa Valley. It became a sight for all ages—adults stood in awe of what had been accomplished, children stared at what they’d seen only in storybooks.

Today, ten years after opening, Castello di Amorosa produces more than 80,000 gallons of wine annually and

Castello di Amorosa’s award-winning wines have received ratings as high as 94 points from renowned wine critic, Robert Parker. (Alison Cochrane) SPRING 19 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

hosts 450,000 paid visitors, making it one of the most frequented wineries in the world. And unlike most Napa Valley wineries that require reservations due to county regulations, Castello di Amorosa has the last public tour and tasting permit, meaning you can show up without a reservation.

While there may be a moat at Castello di Amorosa, there certainly is no “Private Property” sign—just an open invitation from Dario to come enjoy a glass of wine … and his 13th century Tuscan castle.

Miles Ryan Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of Italian America magazine. Contact him at mfisher@osia.org

For a full historical perspective of Dario’s journey along with incredible photos of Castello di Amorosa, check out his new book!

Find Castello di Amorosa’s award-winning wine at www.castellodiamorosa.com ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 19

The Sons of Italy®

Book Club

THE BLACK HAND: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History

By Stephan Talty

In spite of the novel’s title, the story actually traces the life (and death) of perhaps the first great Italian-American hero: Joseph Petrosino. One of the first Italians to join the New York Police Department (NYPD), Petrosino became the first Italian detective sergeant in the country. He was tasked with forming the Italian Squad, a group of six Italians whose duty it was to take down the Black Hand, a criminal society known for the extortion, kidnapping, killing, and bombing of honest Italian immigrants. (The Black Hand even pursued Sons of Italy Founder Vincenzo Sellaro).

Petrosino was their savior. Utterly fearless, he fought to eradicate the Black Hand and protect the Italian immigrants who were building this country’s infrastructure.

One of his greatest opponents, however, was the NYPD itself, which ignored the plight of Italians and wouldn’t even enter their neighborhoods.

In telling Petrosino’s story, this novel describes hardship and prejudice. From calls to ban Italian immigration (particularly from southern Italy) to KKK strikes against Italians in Alabama and Mississippi, author Stephan Talty gives an in-depth look at what Italian immigrants endured.

Petrosino lived as he died—with utmost valor. New York City declared his funeral a public holiday, and over 250,000 individuals lined the street for the procession.

The unfortunate aspect of commemorating his life is how intertwined it is with the ugly history of the Black Hand.

Some readers may find certain parts of the book unsettling. However, in order to grasp Petrosino’s courage and the faith he had in Italian immigrants, one must confront the unsavory just as he had. Otherwise, his name—the name of a great Italian-American who fought for Italian immigrants even when the NYPD wouldn’t—will be lost.

DID YOU KNOW? Joseph Petrosino uncovered the plot to assassinate President William McKinley and was disregarded.

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SPRING 2017 Selections

YOU’RE SENDING ME WHERE?: Dispatches from Summer Camp

By Eric Dregni

In preparation for the summer, take a trip into author Eric Dregni’s life as Dean of an Italian immersion camp in Northern Minnesota. Often times tongue-in-cheek, Dregni brings the exuberance of children alive. His campgoers undergo a complete immersion— from choosing Italian names to going through “customs” in which they are stripped of all outside contact. This inevitably leads to what the camp calls “il giorno della nostalgia”—Homesickness Day. All campgoers have are each other and the Italian language (No English allowed in this camp!).

Many of the camp counselors (in their late teens) arrive from Italy, and with them, comes their own cultural perspective. You’ll meet Michele from Basilicata, who insists on making a trip to see Walmart. And Sergio from Piedmont, who is in love with westerns. And Carlotta from Sicily, who adheres to the lifestyle motto “you should never let a schedule rule you.”

Of course, the neighboring German camp, which has all the bells and whistles compared with the minimalistic Italian camp, doesn’t ascribe to that saying. And when a game of capture the flag breaks out between the German camp, Swiss camp, and Italian camp, you’ll witness the alliance between the Swiss and Italians against the Germans.

Along your easy journey through the novel, you’ll learn tidbits of Italian history and culture, like the fact that casinos in Italy are black-tie only and the story behind Queen Margherita’s visit to Naples in 1889. By the end of the memoir, you’ll find yourself in the same shape as the campgoers on the last days of camp—you don’t want it to end.

DID YOU KNOW? At the bequest of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican priest who opposed the artistic and social excesses of the Renaissance, 15th century painter Sandro Botticelli and fellow artists burned their artwork in Florence. This was known as the “Bonfire of the Vanities.”

ITALIAN AMERICA

On The Bookshelf Books by and about Italian Americans

An 80-Page Collection of Grandma’s Italian Recipes and Cultural Anecdotes

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Speakers Bureau Need a speaker for your club meeting or a special event? Contact these experts directly. Some may require travel expenses and/or honorariums. For more speakers see: www.osia.org at “Culture & History.” To apply as a speaker, contact Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org • ANYWHERE USA/CANADA Author and historian Richard Mancuso speaks on Italian-American culture and history, and the story behind his novel, The Good Don. A five-time “Teacher of the Year” and former candidate for United States Congress, he focuses on teaching “the good, the bad, and the ugly of American history.” Book signings. Contact: (303) 670-0828 (Colorado) Email: RichardMancuso10@gmail. com Website: www.thegooddon.com • ANYWHERE USA Calabrian-born Singer Natalie Pinto performs Italian songs and has been recorded in both Italian and English. She has toured Europe and appeared on Italian pop’s Top 100 chart with her song “Sogno Di Primavera” (Spring Dream). Contact: (732) 606-2387 (New Jersey) Email: nataliepinto7@yahoo. com Website: www.nataliepinto.com • NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK/CONNETICUT Filmmakers Marylou & Jerome Bongiorno speak on filming Italian-American heritage and featuring film clips from their award-winning and critically acclaimed SPRING 21 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

national PBS documentaries. This includes Mother-Tongue: Italian American Sons & Mothers—which stars Director Martin Scorsese, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Actor John Turturro.

Email: email@BongiornoProductions. com Website: www.BongiornoProductions.com • SAN DIEGO/ORANGE COUNTY/LOS ANGELES Author/Publisher and Motivational Speaker Mario DeMatteo speaks on overcoming adversity and finding meaning and purpose in difficult times. Thirteen years ago, a diving accident left him confined to a wheelchair at the age of twenty. Since then, he has founded a publishing company (Beartruth Collective) and co-authored a book (Paul the Apostle: A Graphic Novel) that is based on the life of Saint Paul. Book signings. Contact: (760) 519-4873 (California) Email: Mario@beartruthcollective.com Website: www.beartruthcollective.com ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 21

By Nick Zingale

I took a stroll through Matrice, the village where three of my great-great grandparents were born.

Matrice consists of one main street, laid out on a hill, about a half a mile long, with a few short side streets jutting off in some places. Old limestone apartment buildings line the street. It was the end of May and the southern Italian primavera was rapidly turning into l’estate, but the blue sky and the green landscape filling the countryside made the heat bearable. The only businesses I saw were a barbershop, two small markets, the post office, and two bars. It was the middle of the day and the streets were quiet and mostly empty, but I could hear voices coming from some of the houses as I walked past them. Families, finishing up their mid-day meals.

I passed the town hall, snapped a few photos and continued downhill. I saw a street sign and recognized the street name immediately. “Via della Libera, 35” was the address listed on my great-great grandmother’s birth certificate. I kept walking and saw the numbers count up—26, 27, 28, 29. But after 30 there were no more buildings. I kept walking another fifty yards or so, past the edge of the town and into the beginning of the countryside. I came up to a larger, more modern house but I couldn’t tell what the house number was. I never found number 35, but I knew I was close enough.

All I could hear were the birds chirping and all I could see were trees and brush and a road going SPRING SPRING 2017 2017 22 22

Matrice, Province of Campobasso. The birthplace of three of the author’s great-great-grandparents.

ITALIAN ITALIANAMERICA AMERICA

The rolling hills of the countryside outside Matrice. into the distance. A car or two passed by while I walked.

Somewhere very close to where I stood, my great-great grandmother was born over one hundred years ago. I let that thought sink in. I guess that feeling was really what I was looking for by coming here.

My parents and my grandparents always had stories and traditions of their heritage imparted to them from their grandparents or their great-grandparents. But with each generation in America, a little of that heritage is lost. I’m part of the fourth-generation of this family to be born in the United States, and much is lost. I’m on the verge of it being lost forever. I wanted to preserve it somehow. So I went to Italy.

The area where Nick’s great-great grandmother was born on Via della Libera (“Free Street”) in Matrice.

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I grew up very aware of my Italian heritage, both sides of my family having only Italian roots. We were raised in a suburb of Cleveland that had many other Italian-American families, and we were raised to be proud of it. But as I mentioned before, with each passing year, families lose touch with traditions and history. I always wanted to know more. Most of my family members, however, have never been to Italy. I wanted to go.

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Bring that vision to life with real history.

• Discover centuries of information about your roots through our research services onsite in Italy • Obtain your Italian Dual Citizenship by working with us to manage the application process.

For more information, visit www.myitalianfamily.com, or call 1-888-472-0171 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA SPRING 23

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school. I brushed up on my Italian, saved some money, and booked a plane ticket. I lived with a wonderful host family outside of Torino for several months, and I had a blast teaching local students about American culture and helping them with their English.

Nick (front and center) with one of his English classes on a field trip to an art museum in Torino.

After I graduated college and started working, I wanted to take an extended vacation while I was still young to travel the world. I worked in Ohio for several years as an accountant, and flirted with the idea while doing some genealogical research from time to time. When, in the process of the research, I discovered which Italian towns I had roots in, I knew one day I would visit them.

Eventually the plans for my trip came together. I found a volunteer program to teach English in an Italian high

Whenever I tried to talk to the students about my Italian heritage, however, they didn’t quite get it. I wanted to prove my “Italian-ness” to them, but I learned that it just wasn’t going to happen. They saw me as American.

When we had cross-cultural discussions about food, they asked me about hamburgers and French fries and ketchup as opposed to the Italian-American food I most identified with. I started to see the difference between being “Italian” in the eyes of an American and “Italian” in the eyes of an Italian.

Those three months went by very quickly, and soon it was time to leave. Next, I travelled from Torino southward through Italy, visiting every essential tourist site. Then I went to Matrice, which reminded me of small towns I’d visited in my native Ohio. Steeped in history and filled with proud residents, it struggled to find its place in a modern economy. Although it’s only a few miles away from the region’s capital, Campobasso, it felt a world apart.

However, I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast there for several days and I started making friends.

I talked to my Bed & Breakfast hosts and to the mayor of the village. Through them, I met another family who I joined one day for the mid-day meal. We swapped stories about our hometowns and ourselves. I’ll never forget the hospitality they showed me.

Being there made me think about my ancestors and their coming to America. They had amazing amounts of courage to do what they did. During my journey, whenever I felt scared or nervous, I thought of what they did so many years ago and it brought me strength. If they could move to a foreign land one hundred years ago, then there was no reason I couldn’t live in one for a few months. And besides, I had the benefit of modern technology

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like airplanes, smartphones, and credit cards. They had over-crowded steerage, empty pockets, and snail mail.

I’ve retraced their steps. I’ve been to neighborhoods in Cleveland where they lived, I’ve been to Ellis Island where they arrived, and now I’ve been to the place from which they came. I’ve completed the journey, and along the way I’ve gained even more respect for what they did. They were people who didn’t want to settle. The situation in Italy at that time was dire, and they knew they’d never be able to get ahead. So they left everything they knew. They risked everything. They walked away from everything. They came to Cleveland and faced, at times, difficulty, humiliation, and extreme homesickness. Yet they soldiered on to build a new life for themselves and their progeny. Looking at my family today, I think they succeeded in their goal.

Remember how I said I went to Italy to preserve my heritage before it’s lost? In many ways, I have. I can speak the language, I have friends in Italy, and now I can say that I’ve lived there. I’ve been all around the country, and I’ve brought some of it back with me. I’ve learned its stories, feasted on its cuisine, and visited the towns, things that I will value and pass down.

But I’ve also come to realize that heritage evolves. I’m American, my parents are American, and my children and their children will be American. And that’s okay. Now that I’m home, my outlook has changed a bit. I’m more secure in my identity and no longer concerned with proving my “Italian-ness” to anybody, at home or abroad. No family’s culture is fixed, just like no country’s culture is fixed. People always move, always change. Sometimes they move to a new country, sometimes they move from city to city. And they change. Change, after all, is the only constant. As a result of my experiences this year, I’m more secure in the traditions that we maintain, and at the same time at peace

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The main street of Matrice. with the ones that have changed. I can simply be who I am, and that’s actually wholly in line with family tradition.

After a few days in Matrice and the Province of Campobasso, it was time to continue my journey. I boarded the train for Rome. Next I travelled to Sicily, to seek out the villages in the Nebrodi Mountains, the birthplace of my father’s ancestors. I looked out the window of the train and thought about my great-great grandparents leaving this same place for the last time. They made a decision more than a century ago, in these rolling hills of Molise, which was incredibly consequential. It changed our lives forever.

They swapped one country and one culture for another and the decision was permanent—leaving me wondering, ‘what would our lives be like if they’d stayed?’

Nick grew up in Cleveland and spent seven months in 2016 teaching and traveling in Italy and Europe. He writes about his experiences at www.nickzingale.com

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OSIA Nation

OSIA LODGES AT WORK

New York

ohio

When the Central Italy earthquake struck, Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321 of Schenectady responded. The lodge organized a Chicken Parm Dinner and a Silent Auction, rallying assistance from the surrounding Italian community. The lodge served over five hundred dinners and raised more than $10,400.

Cincinnatus Lodge #1191 member Ralph Di Fulvio received the Kroger & P&G Community Champion Award for his “Holiday Turkey Initiative,” an annual project he started nine years ago to distribute precooked and frozen turkeys to those in need. This past fall—with the help of sixty individuals, churches, businesses, and his Sons of Italy lodge—he raised $4,415 and purchased 150 pre-cooked and frozen turkeys. The turkeys were equally distributed to the Joseph House for Homeless Veterans, the OTR/Walnut Hill kitchens, and the Shelterhouse, providing for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year meals.

Even a few children and grandchildren of lodge members decided to help. They set up a lemonade stand, and in just one day, they raised over $300! The result of these efforts was a check for just over $10,800—which the lodge forwarded to the New York Grand Lodge Foundation.

Ralph was honored during the Bengals New Year’s Day game against the Baltimore Ravens. He and three guests received VIP passes with field access, and Ralph received a spotlight on the Jumbotron.

IOWA Casa Del Mar Lodge #2886 of Clive, along with Royal Flush Gaming, hosted a casino-themed night to raise funds for the families of two fallen police officers. The officers— Urbandale Officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Tony Beminio—were shot and killed while sitting in their squad cars last November.

The night consisted of music, card games, a silent auction, and dinner.

“This is our way of just giving back to the community and showing the men in blue that we’ve got their back,” said Salvatore Micelli, President of Lodge #2886. The proceeds were given to a nonprofit, which was collecting money for the families.

Ralph Di Fulvio gets honored on the Jumbotron at Paul Brown Stadium.

GOT A GOOD STORY? Have you or your lodge done something remarkable that makes a difference to your community or promotes our heritage and Italian studies? If so, send details including your lodge’s name/number, a brief write-up, and digital photos of 300 dpi to Editor Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org.

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OSIA Nation

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

connecticut In January, New Haven Lodge #37 presented a $3,000 donation to Yale New Haven Hospital’s Sister To Sister charity, a fund that offers assistance to less fortunate women who are undergoing chemotherapy.

It provides them with wigs, special bras, fare money for transportation to and from treatment, and other expenses not covered by insurance.

The charity was started by the hospital’s Dr. Andrea Silber to make sure that women continue their cancer treatments. 100% of donations go to her patients.

The lodge raised money through their annual “ladies lunch” in November. The lunch is cooked and served by the lodge’s men, who all don the color pink in honor of women.

Lodge President Sam Giglio (right) and Lodge Treasurer Richard Ramadei with Dr. Andrea Silber at Yale New Haven Hospital.

florida Last winter, the Grand Lodge of Florida presented a $10,000 check to K9 Partners for Patriots, an organization that provides service rescue dogs to military veterans with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST). The check was given by the Sons of Italy Foundation President Joseph DiTrapani and Order Sons of Italy President Daniel Longo at the request of Grand Lodge of Florida First Vice President Gus Guadagnino.

Forty-five members of OSIA and U.S. veterans convened at the Museum of Military History in Kissimmee, Florida. Three OSIA lodges were represented at the ceremony: Sons & SPRING 27 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

Daughters of Una Famiglia Lodge #2882, Osceola County Lodge #2523, and Palm Bay Lodge #2823.

Among those present to receive the donation was Sasha, an American Dingo who was, herself, a rescue.

Grand Lodge of Florida First Vice President Gus Guadagnino and President Carolyn Cianciotta (right) present the check to Mary the dog trainer and Sasha.

massachusetts Longtime G. Marconi Lodge #1620 member and Massachusetts State Representative Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. officially registered On Being Italian: A Story of Food, Family and Faith with the State Library of Massachusetts, making it a part of the historic library’s official collection.

Written and edited by Wayne E. Phanuef, Romola “Mimi” Rigali, and Joseph Carvalho, On Being Italian tells the story of Italian immigration to western Massachusetts. It recounts the families who settled there, along with the well-known athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians, and educators who grew up there. It also includes many photographs by celebrated photographer James Langone.

“This is an heirloom book that contains a treasure trove of information, history, and photographs of the Italian Heritage in western Massachusetts,” said Puppolo. “I am pleased … to make sure it received a Library Call number so people can have access to it and enjoy it for centuries to come.”

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. and Elvernoy Johnson, State Librarian of Massachusetts, introduce On Being Italian to the State Library of Massachusetts.

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The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan was the most fatal industrial disaster in New York City history.

Women in the needle trades performing work in a textile factory.

Mending an Industry Italian Women Needle Workers and the First Italian Local Union “Girls were burning to death before our very eyes. They were jammed in the windows.…one by one, the jams broke. Down came the bodies in a shower, burning, smoking—flaming bodies, with disheveled hair trailing upward.

They had fought each other to die by jumping instead of by fire….

These fire torches, suffering ones, fell inertly, only intent that death should come to them on the sidewalk instead of in the furnace behind them.”

By Miles Ryan Fisher

They died because the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory had locked the exits, an unfortunately common practice to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft. This made the building a veritable firetrap. Of the 146 victims, 123 were women and 23 were men. Many of those women were young immigrants who came from Italy in search of a better life, the oldest known victim being 43-year-old Providenza Panno and the youngest being fourteen-year-olds Kate Leone and “Sara” Rosaria Maltese.

In the early 1900s, Italian women immigrants often became needle ~ Eyewitness William G. workers because the urban garment Shepherd on the scene in industry offered quick entry into the workforce. New York City had New York City, become the center of the interna March 25, 1911 tional garment industry, and many Italian women already possessed needlework skills when they arrived

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from Italy. They had cultivated it for their dowries and also to earn wages from it if necessary. Some had even entered into factory work in Italy while their husbands worked in the United States, earning higher wages and sending money back home where prices were cheaper. New York factory owners grew wise to this and lured these women over by offering higher wages than what was possible in Italy, though the wages were still very low.

Because of the boom in the garment industry, Italian women started

Ruins from the Triangle fire.

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Immigrant women (and many times, their children) often performed needle work from their home in New York’s Upper East Side.

(Library of Congress)

New York garment workers parading on May Day (“International Workers Day” on May 1).

Purita is Italian for “purity.” (Library of Congress)

immigrating at a much higher rate in the early twentieth century. In the 1880s, they represented just 17% of Italian immigrants. By 1900, that rose to 38%, and after World War I, the number of women immigrants eclipsed that of men. And once women arrived, they tended to stay. While sixty percent of Italian men repatriated to Italy in the early 1900s, just twenty percent of women did so.

While men were given the higher skilled occupations that involved tailoring, cutting, and pressing, women were relegated to more unskilled work in spite of their ability. Still, many Italian women were tied to the garment industry, whether that meant working in factories or doing piecework from out of the home. They worked as tailoresses, dressmakers, and seamstresses. But they weren’t the only women SPRING 29 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

Women picket during a garment workers strike in 1910 known as the “Uprising of the 20,000.” (Library of Congress)

Artist Ernest Fiene’s mural that juxtaposes the Triangle fire and exploited labor with the worker protections developed by unions and New Deal legislation. Completed in 1940, the mural is in the auditorium of Manhattan’s High School of Fashion Industries (HSFI), originally known as the Central High School of Needle Trades.

immigrants in the garment trades. Up until they became the majority ethnic group in the 1920s and 1930s, the garment industry was dominated by Eastern European Jews.

The immigrants from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, or Russia were met with disdain. Noting that “the Italian or Greek or Jew … [has] a place a little higher than that of the Fiji islander, but far beneath that held by the most depraved Englishspeaking tramp that was ever kicked off a freight car,” the Boston Herald in 1919 summarized the attitude of the native-born: “The foreigner, in short, is a wop, a sheeny, or a Polack.”

This attitude reflected how the workers were treated, exploited for their labor. As one Italian immigrant sewing-machine operator reflected:

[W]orkers spent long hours in the shops in those days. They worked from eight in the morning to six o’ clock at night, all day Saturday, and sometimes even on Sundays. They had no breaks and were given three-quarters of an hour for lunch. If they went to the bathroom, the boss kept count of how long they took. If they took too long, he would go to the bathroom door and knock …

They were not allowed to talk or laugh.

In order to perpetuate these conditions, employers used the workers’ different ethnicities to their advantage, playing them against each other to prevent collective action. However, because of their similar circumstances, different ethnic groups bonded. Italians found a place with Jews because of the working conditions both groups endured in the needle trades as well as

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the way they were marginalized, even disparaged, by society at large.

The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU)—one of the first unions to have a mainly female membership—formed in 1900. They led one of the movement’s formative strikes—the 1909 “Uprising of 20,000” shirtwaist workers—which fought for improved working conditions and made the ILGWU the third largest member of the AFL just a year later. Italian women started to join the movement.

Then the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire happened. The tragedy involved the very hazards that the 1909 strike had highlighted, from locked exits and neglected fire escapes to practical fire safety. But it was the reported sight of bodies falling from the factory windows—which were located on the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building—and the sound of them hitting the cement that created a hardened resentment.

The anger that this tragedy provoked helped fuel a movement against the appalling labor conditions. Many Italian women were now convinced of the necessity to unionize. Tens of thousands joined the ranks of the ILGWU, and the ensuing decade witnessed repeated strikes. Although not all of them were successful, one important thing to arise from the collective action was the very first all Italian local union.

In 1919, Italian women formed the Italian Dressmakers’ Local 89 in Manhattan. Their foothold in the labor movement grew more substantial, and by the 1930s, Local 89 was the largest local union in one of the most powerful international unions in the country.

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As they fought for safer work conditions and fair wages in the garment industry, Italian women proved themselves to be pivotal to the labor movement. And it was through their collective action that they mended an industry that had for so long taken them for granted.

For a complete historical perspective of the struggles and accomplishments of Italian women in the needle and textile trades, read Jennifer Guglielmo’s impressive book, Living the Revolution.

Men of the Cloth Review

By Kathleen Spaltro

My maternal grandfather, Lucio Salvucci, was a custom tailor of men’s suits. Tailor’s chalk, wax chalk, a red pincushion fat with pins, a measuring tape, enormous bobbins of thread, heavy shears, green quilted padding, a button tin, a heavy-duty Singer treadle sewing machine—all of these evoke his memory to his grandchildren.

Lucio learned his trade in Lazio but plied his trade in Philadelphia. “Grandpop made my First Holy Communion suit,” my first cousin Mike remembers. “The suit was beautiful, and, of course, it fit perfectly. My father was excellent in sewing; I assume Grandpop taught him.” My Uncle Edward went to school in Philadelphia but also learned the trade; in Italy, Grandpop had learned the trade rather than go to school.

Men of the Cloth, a documentary about Italian master tailors directed

by Vicki Vasilopoulos, emphasizes how the painstaking process of learning the craft of being a master tailor consumes many years of devoted effort.

As the film stresses, custom tailoring is “not easy to learn. The craft is unbelievably difficult.” The documentary examines the careers of three master tailors in Italy and America as they kept alive a Renaissance-born craft threatened by industrialization and the dominance of ready-to-wear clothing.

This excellent film describes the process of apprenticeship as well as the steps taken in tailoring a man’s suit. Tailoring demands a passion for excellence, a sense of beauty, a respect for tradition. A good custom tailor is an artist because art adds to training in a skill both human intelligence and human intuition. A sculptor chisels marble to realize a vision of the human form; a master tailor cuts cloth to enhance the human form.

Tailors learn to “take a shapeless piece of cloth and drape it beautifully” with “heart and feeling in your fingertips.”

Men of the Cloth available on DVD Details from http://menoftheclothfilm.com/

ITALIAN AMERICA

From the National

WHAT NATIONAL DOES FOR YOU

From the President’s Desk

By Daniel J. Longo, President of the Order Sons of Italy in America® This past February we had a very successful plenary session in Dallas, Texas. Our successes keep mounting up and the future of OSIA looks bright. The detailed plans for our 29th Annual NELA Gala were presented.

Enthusiasm for this annual event is at an all time high. Many Grand Lodges, members and friends will be attending in support of the Sons of Italy Foundation’s philanthropic and education activities. I hope to see you there.

While in Dallas, we had the pleasure of having Ron Bassana, President of La Famiglia di Southwest Texas Lodge #2887, join us at our meetings. It was encouraging to see that our subordinate lodges are doing well and continuing to grow under strong leadership and commitment to OSIA.

lidifying the policies and procedures that will make our organization function more efficiently and have expanded our philosophy of service to our members and friends.

Our magazine, Italian America, is expanding its advertising. Editor-in-Chief Miles Fisher has begun a search for an individual who would contribute advertising dollars to offset the cost of the publication. If you know of anyone that is a professional Advertising Representative, please advise our Italian America editor.

As you can see from this and previous reports, OSIA is preparing for and embracing positive changes. I hope that you, too, feel that the future is promising and hold fast to the tenet that we can achieve anything when we work together.

And finally, Cent’Anni to all the lodges that turn one hundred years old this year!

Sempre Avanti,

The National Office staff continues to do a yeoman’s job coordinating all the activities of OSIA. We are well into the process of streamlining our operations and so-

Cent’Anni!

Wellsville Lodge #657 (Wellsville, OH) Columbia County Lodge #659 (Hudson, NY) Ernest M. Strollo Lodge #683 (Germantown, PA) Akron Lodge #685 (Akron, OH) Christopher Columbus Lodge #692 (Ossining, NY) Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Lodge #744 (South Norwalk, CT) Uguaglianza Lodge #754 (Bellaire, OH) Massimo D’Azeglio Lodge #760 (South Braintree, MA) Roma Intangible Lodge #806 (Warren, OH)

Akron Lodge #685 celebrates their anniversary. (Photo by James H. Murphy) SPRING 31 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

The charter for Wellsville Lodge #657 that was written in Italian one hundred years ago.

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®

The Sons of Italy Foundation

®

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Be Part of an Evening that Gives Back!

By Joseph DiTrapani, President

As you will see on this issue’s inside front cover, we will be honoring some extraordinary individuals at this year’s NELA Gala. These honorees are proud representations of our heritage and the many ways our heritage has given back to this great nation.

On that note, I would like to share with you a touching letter we received from Michael and Stephanie Trost. As you may recall, in both 2014 and 2016 we made a $20,000 donation to Help Our Military Heroes (HOMH), an organization that provides fully equipped, adaptive minivans to service men and women who sustained injuries while on active duty since the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Below is a letter we received from Michael Trost, a veteran who has personally benefitted from HOMH and the Sons of Italy Foundation donations. I hope his story makes you proud to support the work that we do. This year,

we’ve invited Michael and his wife, Stephanie—along with several other veterans—to attend our NELA Gala as guests.

The NELA Gala is one of the main ways we raise the funds for these great efforts. If you look at this year’s gala, you will see that we’re introducing a few new elements to it. Now, there will be a Silent Auction, a Venetian Hour, and music/dancing to follow the dinner. We look forward to seeing these additions make the event even more enjoyable and memorable than it already is.

We hope that you support us in this evening, knowing that the ticket you purchase or the auction item you win supports such philanthropic causes as the one that Michael Trost and his wife, Stephanie, are so appreciative of.

Your enjoyable evening is someone else’s helping hand.

January 2017 Michael served in the U.S. Army for thirty-two years. He has National Guard, Reservist, and Active Duty time. On February 20, 2012, he was serving in South Eastern Afghanistan in a small village called Spin Boldak. While on a mission that day, he was accompanied by a young woman from USAID, eight Albanian solders, and eight U.S. soldiers. They were showing the USAID representative the schools they had built that were not being used.

Upon pulling into the second school, Afghan National Police ambushed the team, shooting Mike and two Albanians with a PKM machine gun from fifty yards. Mike received five gunshot wounds, losing most of his right hand and the use of his right leg. He had wounds throughout his legs, buttocks, hand, and abdomen. The Albanian Captain was killed with a gunshot wound to the head, and an Albanian Corporal was shot four times—once in the face, buttocks, leg, and chest.

Mike was flown to a CASH unit in Kandahar, then to a hospital in Germany, and eventually to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was hospitalized in-patient for five months, having twenty-nine surgeries, and was kept outpatient for another seven months rehabbing. This was a long year of sleeping on hospital cots, eating hospital food, and recovery.

In April of 2016, after a long four-year fight to save his leg, Mike came back to Walter Reed to have his leg amputated.

They used one-third of his foot and rebuilt him a new right hand, including a new thumb, which he affectionately calls Toemas. The recovery from the amputation has been long with multiple setbacks, but we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. He will start with his first prosthetic this week, and he is ready to have some time out of the wheelchair.

This will make the end of two very long years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—one in 2012 and one in 2016—and we are very homesick and looking forward to returning to our little farm in Tennessee.

We wanted to thank you for your kind and generous gift that will enable us to have more freedom of movement and save my back from lifting the wheelchair in and out of the car. This has been a ten-month process and we are looking forward to 2017 and all the good things that will come! Thank you very much for starting our year off right!

God Bless, Michael and Stephanie Trost SPRING 2017

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®

The Commission for Social Justice

fighting defamation

The CSJ Perspective

By Kevin Caira, President

With what seems to be the neverending attack on Columbus Day, we have been pushing back. Some of our efforts have, unfortunately, had to come after a decision to replace Columbus Day was already made. That was the case with San Francisco’s Board of Education, who made the decision to replace Columbus Day without even putting it on an agenda and allowing it to be a discussion. This is the kind of resistance—one where our voices aren’t even permitted to be heard—that we are facing.

However, we have been incredibly successful in thwarting proposals to replace Columbus Day in other areas, and much of the credit for that goes to our CSJ State Chairs.

New York State Chair Lou Gallo has been very active in assembling opposition, and his state recently won a huge victory at Williamsville Central School District (outside Buffalo), where the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of preserving Columbus Day. Meanwhile, California State Chair Tony Ricevuto has been very active in trying to block Nevada’s resolution to change the holiday (when Nevada already has three days on its state calendar that celebrate Native Americans).

Again, he has rallied his constituents to join the fight and the National CSJ has supported his efforts with a letterwriting campaign to Nevada’s State and U.S. Senators.

It is this type of collective action that will preserve Columbus Day. And this is where we need your help for one final push in helping us obtain our goal of 100,000 signatures for our “Save Columbus Day” petition.

Below is the actual petition and instructions on how to complete it. We encourage you to make as many copies as necessary or contact csj@osia.org for an electronic copy.

Please encourage every OSIA member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, and your own family members to sign the petition. Get everyone to sign! We would like all petitions returned by April 30, 2017.

Please mail all completed petitions to the national office addressed as: Commission for Social Justice Petition Campaign 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002 Thank you for supporting this campaign. To make a monetary donation that can help us in our campaign to preserve Columbus Day, you can make a contribution online at www.osia.org, or send a check to the above address, or by calling (202) 547-2900.

Order Sons of Italy in America “Save Columbus Day” Petition We are petitioning for an official Capitol luncheon and White House evening reception in recognition and endorsement of Columbus Day and the contributions of the 25 million Americans of Italian descent. With our holiday consistently under attack, we are asking the White House to rededicate the Presidency to both the holiday and to our community. We also ask the President to once again host an annual signing ceremony in celebration of Columbus Day, the entire Italian American Community, and the importance of the immigrant experience in building our great nation. Columbus Day represents not only the accomplishments and contributions of Italian Americans, but also the indelible spirit of risk, sacrifice and self-reliance of a great Italian icon that defines the United States of America.

Signature Print Name

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Complete Address

ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 33

The Perfect Gift Looking for a unique present for family or friends? Give the gift of your rich Italian American heritage with a one-year subscription to Italian America™ magazine, the most widely read publication in the U.S. for people of Italian descent. We will contact your gift recipient telling him or her (or them) of your present. Fill out the form below and return to us ASAP.

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Letters to the Editor After reading how Nonna Russo came to the rescue for the crew of the Etrusco, I recalled one autumn day in Woodside, California, 1943. As a girl, I was walking home from school when I saw a convoy of army trucks parked along the country road by my home. As I got closer I saw about 50 young, good-looking soldiers sitting on the grass, in the driveway, and on the porch of my house all eating sandwiches and holding a glass of lemonade, and – oh, my God - they were all smiling at me! In my 12 year old very self conscious mind I was horrified, I thought I would die! I rushed in the house and hid in my bedroom.

Just wanted to thank you for your story about my friend, Joe Mulholland. He is the nicest and most humble person. I was fortunate to be at the dedication with him and a large group from our lodge. For sure Jane was smiling down at him that day. Thanks for taking the time to share their story.

Joseph Zanetti Ocean City Lodge #2474

I felt I had to write to thank you for the “interview” with Strega Nona in this month’s magazine. As I’ve told people for years, she’s one of my favorite literary characters. Our Later mother (Lena), explained how she went out on the grandchildren are a little young to sit and listen to a whole country road, flagged down the convoy, told all the young book, but I’ve been buying them so I’ll be ready when they’re service men to relax and she made them sandwiches and not so restless. My husband’s paternal grandmother was well lemonade as a “thank you” for their service. Today I marvel known for her ability to cure headaches. I don’t know if she at her kindness and thoughtfulness toward these young even tried matchmaking. Thank you again. men.What a moment of joy she must have brought to them.

And how in the world she managed to round up fifty or so Elizabeth Cimini sandwiches is beyond me. She was the quintessential Italian Cranston, Rhode Island mother – God bless her.

Carolyn (Membrino) Franklin Happy Valley, Oregon SPRING 2017

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Italian America® Italian America Magazine is produced by the national headquarters of the Order Sons of Italy in America®, 219 E Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002.

Tel: 202/547-2900.

Email: nationaloffice@osia.org Office Manager Andrea Beach Editor-in-Chief Miles Ryan Fisher Social Media/Communications Coordinator Carly Jerome Program Coordinator Laura Kelly Project Coordinator Katie Vivian Italian America® is the official publication of the Order Sons of Italy in America® (OSIA), the largest and longestestablished organization of American men and women of Italian heritage. Italian America provides timely information about OSIA, while reporting on individuals, institutions, issues, and events of current or historical significance in the Italian-American community nationwide.

Italian America (ISSN: 1089-5043, USPS: 015-735) is published quarterly in the winter, spring, summer and fall

by OSIA, 219 E St. NE, Washington, DC 20002. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. ©2015 Order Sons of Italy in America.

All rights reserved. Reproduction by any method without permission of the editor is prohibited. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily imply an opinion on the part of the officers, employees, or members of OSIA. Mention of a product or service in advertisements or text does not mean that it has been tested, approved or endorsed by OSIA, the Commission for Social Justice, or the Sons of Italy Foundation. Italian America accepts query letters and letters to the editor. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

Italian America assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Annual subscriptions are $20, which are included in dues for OSIA members. Single copies are $4.95 each.

OSIA MEMBERS: Please send address changes to your local lodge. Do not contact the OSIA National Office.

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SPRING 35 ITALIAN 2017 AMERICA

By Miles Ryan Fisher Editor-in-Chief, Italian America Magazine

One of the earliest memories I have is that of reading to my mom in the car while she was driving. We even still have the very books I read, the main one being The Adventures of Reddy Fox

by Thornton Burgess followed by several of the other children’s books he wrote. In his stories, Burgess brought animals to life, personifying them while conveying to readers the importance of nature. But the lesson I was learning wasn’t just what the book was teaching—it was the importance of reading itself.

I’ve come to understand—and love—that Italian America’s readers share this importance. Simply put, this magazine’s readers are readers.

Individuals who read every word of every story. Individuals who are eager to learn new things and gain new perspectives. Individuals who were taught the importance of reading at a young age.

Coming from a home where books were stacked on coffee tables, on nightstands, on shelves, where they were sitting gift-wrapped beneath the Christmas tree (many by Lisa Scottoline and David Baldacci), I grew up around books, perceiving them to be as essential as fruit in the refrigerator or winter jackets in the closet. They represented experiences, lessons, possibilities. They told the past and shaped the future. Simply having them around fostered an environment that encouraged learning.

That’s why, for my nieces’ birthdays, I’m the uncle who gives them a book. Just a book with a personal note written inside about why the book and its message are meaningful. Some books fare better than others, of course. Most recently, I hit the mark with Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newberry Prize-winning novel about a little girl and a stray dog she rescues (who then, in a different way, rescues her). It was such a hit with my niece that she had her father read it, she had me read it, and the next time we were together, we shared our thoughts about the story. We talked about what we learned and what we experienced while reading it.

But the beautiful part about the whole experience was realizing that this is what will become normal for her. It will be normal to read a book.

It will be normal to discuss it with others. And the work it takes to read a book, to think about and learn from its messages, will be normal—and won’t seem like work at all.

ITALIAN AMERICA SPRING 2017 35

Piacere!

PLEASED TO MEET YOU, Rosanne Cash! particular dress: a sleeveless party dress with a gold lame top and white chiffon skirt that was like a petticoat, but softer.

Rosanne Cash Interview by Adriana Trigiani

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash has released thirteen studio albums. She scored eleven #1 country hit singles, twenty-one Top 40 singles, and two gold records.

That success has earned her four grammys, one in 1985 and three in 2015 for Best Americana Album (The River & the Thread), Best American Roots Song with John Leventhal (her husband), and Best American Roots Performance (A Feather’s Not A Bird). (Sam Esty Rayner) On October 11, 2015, Rosanne was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The daughter of Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto, she was born in Memphis, Tennessee, while her father was recording his very first tracks.

Let’s begin by telling us where your mother’s family was from in Sicily and when they emigrated to the United States.

The Libertos were from Cefalu (northern coast of Sicily). They came to the United States in the late 1800s.

I went to the New York Public Library once to look up the ship manifests, and it was a thrill to see their names— Angelina and Frank Liberto were the first. They were my mother’s grandparents. Waves of Libertos came in the late 1800s. Some went to Baltimore, and some to Texas.

The Libertos in your direct line settled in Texas.Why did they choose to go south? What was their trade?

My great-grandparents opened a store in New Orleans.

They sold Italian specialties. That continues today with my second cousins in Texas, who sell Rico’s peanuts and other products. The next generation moved to San Antonio because it was dryer and better for their health.

Your mother was a great beauty. Can you describe her, what you miss about her, and what you yearn to recreate from her life in your own?

She WAS a great beauty— very exotic looking, with a sweet face. She was small—5’4” and about 100 pounds.

She had great taste. I remember running my hands over her clothes in her long closet when I was a pre-teen: the capri pants and chic blouses and the dresses. I remember a

You have a beautiful home.The kitchen table is the center of Italian life. Your kitchen is my favorite room in your home, and it’s the one you renovated first. Is there an Italian dish you like to make?

My son loves my pasta Bolognese and I’ve made it probably eight hundred times in his life! Carmelized onions in the sauce are my secret weapon. I also make a good roast chicken with a ‘mash’ that includes white potatoes, yams and onion. My mother made a great lasagna, and I make a pretty good one with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. I love my kitchen. I do most of my writing in my kitchen because it feels like the heart of the house, and I like being in the heart.

If you could choose one Italian artist, from any time in history, to have lunch with, who would it be and why?

Caravaggio. I feel I can go INSIDE his paintings. His use of light is otherworldly. Miraculous. I would want to get inside the mind of someone with that genius. Of course, I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to talk with Leonardo or Michelangelo either!

If you could have any work of Italian art, painting, or sculpture in your home, what would you choose and why?

OH, what a terrible question! How does one choose?

I’m drawn to da Vinci’s painting of the Annunciation, because the angel brings both good and difficult news, and it always seems to be that way in life. The good and the hard at the same time. Some things don’t change. But I also love da Vinci’s notebooks because you can see his mind at work, his process, his imagination, and his curiosity. That’s very inspiring.

I’m putting together a dream concert on the stage of Carnegie Hall with you, Mr. Leventhal and Tony Bennett. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima, and Enrico Caruso come down from heaven to join you. What song would you sing with them?

“Ave Maria.” And perhaps, as a warm up to that, “Tu Lo Sai” and “Nessun Dorma.”

For the entire interview, visit OSIA’s blog at https://osia.wordpress.com/ SPRING 2017

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ITALIAN AMERICA

FRANK J. PENNISI About the Author Born in 1942 in Red Hook Brooklyn, Frank J. Pennisi is the only child of Sicilian immigrants. He grew up among the stories of Italians and Sicilians and was touched by their plight to overcome the prejudices against them in America. He graduated Long Island University with a B.A. in History in 1964 and started teaching in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Promoted to Dean after his second year, he drove a taxicab to pay for his Masters in Education. In 1992, his last year, he was coordinator of Crisis Intervention for Special Education on Staten Island. His first book, The Prince of Sacket Street (1989), was an immigrant story about his father’s life in Sicily and America.

His second book, Nothing Sacred on The Mount (1992), was about the struggles of six Special Education Teachers in New York City dealing with an educational system that was broken.

His third book, Sciatu Mio: I breathe for you (2011), is a romantic, historical novel with stories about the wars for control of the sulfur mines in Sicily and the wars between the Irish and Italians for control of the New York City docks.

Frank and his wife, Carolyn, live in the small town of Briarcliffe Acres in South Carolina, where he was elected Mayor as a write-in candidate. They love to cook and entertain with friends and family and share their wonderful stories of their travels to Europe and, especially, Sicily.

They take pride in their Italian garden and have absolutely gone head over heels over their new member of their family, a Havanese pup they rescued named BJ. SPRING 2017

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Available on Amazon.com

ITALIAN AMERICA

from

Adriana Trigiani

Beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife

Adriana is coming to a city near you!

Brooklyn, NY Chicago, IL East Lansing, MI Gurnee, IL Kingsport, TN Madison, CT Milwaukee, WI Parma, OH Philadelphia, PA Providence, RI Raleigh, NC Roseto, PA South Bend, IN Southern Pines, NC Spring Lake, NJ St. Louis, MO Tenafly, NJ Woodstock, GA Youngstown, OH *Partial list - check AdrianaTrigiani.com for updates!* SPRING 2017

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Follow Adriana Trigiani For tour questions, contact: adrianamailings@gmail.com

Available June 20 wherever books are sold.

ITALIAN AMERICA