New Series: October is “Italian Heritage Month”

The month of October has been officially designated “Italian Heritage Month.”

And since ButtonGuys most often delves into all things about “Italian” organized crime with stories about Cosa Nostra, Mafia, N’drangheta and Camorra, we thought it might be nice, and refreshing, to also take a look at the flip side of the coin, the so-called ying-yang of the Italians as a people.

So, with that in mind, during the month of October we will explore the rich culture and some of the positive contributions Italians have made to the world. From their storied history to their culture such as cutting-edge Italian fashion, art, movie stars and world renowned gastronomical expertise.

Most importantly, we will also explore the close “family” unit that they are so famous for the world over. No, not that one! Lol. But the actual blood family that has always been at the very core of who they are as a people…and their unique mindset.

For the Italians, everything centers around their family. It is a source of both strength and pride for them. It "IS" who they are!

This family-centric mindset, of course, is what also eventually gave birth to what is widely considered throughout the world to be the most successful and pervasive organized crime network to ever exist. (It is also the very reason why this forum, and others like it, even exist in the first place.)

This new series will explore how this unique mindset developed through the millennia, and, subsequently, how it shapes nearly everything they do and how it affects Italy and the world to this very day.

With that in mind, ButtonGuys will present interesting stories we think best describes and explains my people…the Italians.

We think their storied history and rich culture will make for some interesting reading and open up a whole new viewpoint for our members. And since it is “Italian Heritage Month,” we could think of no better time to launch this series.

ButtonGuys feels this is important to temper our normal journalistic leanings to “level the playing field” so to speak. To show, not only their influence on organized crime, but also the countless positive contributions the Italian people have contributed to the world as well.

So, with that said, over the next few weeks ButtonGuys invites everyone to hop aboard as we delve into all things Italian and Sicilian. We hope you like it!

Good idea and I think that I already have few stories.

Thats great TD. I look forward to reading those stories you mentioned. I also encourage others to post up as well. I think it will be nice...and the right thing to do.

I also think it'll be refreshing instead of the same redundant, tired-old threads all the time.

Did you know that the United States is Italy's largest non-EU export market?

NIAF is proud to showcase the enduring bond between our two nations this Italian Heritage Month. Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the cultural, culinary, and economic ties that unite us!

Great idea! Look forward to reading stories from fellow paisan’s!

Glad you agree Jimmy. And I think you're really gonna enjoy some of the posts we'll be adding to this thread in the coming days. It will make you proud to be Italian. And don't be bashful either! If you have something you'd like to add, by all means, do so!
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Please Take Note: Whether or not you happen to come from an Italian bloodline, as far as ButtonGuys is concerned, ALL our fellow forum members are "honorary" Italians during the month of October.

So we encourage everyone to participate in this thread. In fact, the more the merrier! We really think it'll add to everyone's fun and enjoyment.

Talk about your favorite Italian food, family memory while growing up, street festa, Italian actor or sports figure, etc. Let's make this fun!

One of the most famous popular Italian songs the world over is "Volare"

It has certainly been one of my all-time favorites since I was a young boy. I'm sure that most of you are also familiar with this iconic song. Here are the lyrics in both Italian and English....


Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
Let's fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like bird of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find
Volare, oh oh
E contare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu
Mi dipingi con le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal veneto rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, oh oh
E contare, oh oh oh oh
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
E ci dice di stare lassu
E volavo, volavo felice piu in alto del sole con coro piu su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiu
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me

Volare, oh oh
E cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Fenite di stare lassu

The niaf is a bunch of nit wits. They won't do much for you even if you are a member and have some black lady answer the phone and bs you. Wish we did have a month and if you do a story do one on Garibaldi and how he turned Lincoln down to lead the union because Lincoln wouldn't declare that slavery should be abolished. Facts. Also a John brown Garibaldi connection would be interesting

Awesome NYM… this makes me smile… brings me back to bein a kid in short pants!

I grew up with this guy playing in our house…


https://youtu.be/vnaGKtBtGe4?feature=shared

Lol. I hope you like it.

Me too! Lol. Louis Prima was a big hit in our house and at all the old NY bars and nightclubs we hung out years back.

For that matter, Dean Martin, Jimmy Roselli, Sinatra and a host of others as well. All great entertainers.

I hear ya Andragathia. Not that I'm a big follower of NIAF, I only pulled that particular article off their site for us. Truth be told, I really don't know that much about them.

But as far as Garibaldi and Lincoln goes, it sounds like you're familiar with that particular storyline. So please, by all means, write something about it for us or post the particular story that speaks of that incident. It sounds very interesting to me and I'm sure there are many others here that would enjoy reading about it as well.

I encourage you to participate with us.

MICHELANGELO

Although he died over 450 years ago, Michelangelo remains one of the most famous artists of all time. As one of the masters of the Italian Renaissance, his paintings and sculptures are still used today as examples of this fruitful time in history.

While his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are certainly a large part of his legacy, Michelangelo always considered himself a sculptor rather than a painter. Over a long and rich career that spanned nearly seven decades, he produced stunning marble sculptures that have inspired artists for centuries.

https://lifeinitaly.com/garibaldi-american-civil-war/

Excellent post! Very interesting.

Thank you.

Connie Francis, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons....2 more great entertainers. Great posts Hollander. Good man! Thank you!

Wonderful contributions everyone! Good stuff guys.

Thanks my friend. Also Bobby one of my dad's favorites.

Heres my own project regarding the history of Italian cuisine in the U.S. and around the world and btw, this info is taken from one of my old mob articles. Enjoy.

The Italian cuisine is one of the oldest in the world, with roots which are stretching to antiquity, and through those many centuries of social and political changes, it has developed into something so simple, but yet quite so magnificent. According to some history books, the Italian food which we know of today, allegedly started to form after the fall of the Roman Empire, when different cities began to separate and form their own traditional meals, which in fact were quite similar. Quite different types of styles and variations in cooking techniques and preparations were used like for example, the north of Italy is known for its “risottos”, or the central part of the country is known for its “tortellini” and the southern part is famous for its “pizzas” and “spaghettis”, but generally all over the territory you can find good sea food. The whole thing even became more popular when many Italians began migrating to the so-called “New World” during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and managed to heavily influence many of the local cuisines.

For example, in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico we can easily spot the Italian influence in their traditional meals and according to many historical reports, these were the main places where this cuisine was and still is mostly appreciated. But the interesting thing is that in the U.S.A., much of the Italian cuisine is based on that which can be found around the southern part of Italy, including Sicily. Obviously by now the original Italian cuisine is heavily "Americanized", mainly because of the local ingredients and different styles of preparing the meals around the U.S.

Many historians say that the trend toward Italian food actually started at the beginning of the 20th century as the Italian immigrants settled themselves in the U.S. and began offering their main specialities. For example, one of the earliest Italian dishes, allegedly created in the U.S., is Chicken Tetrazzini, which in fact was made in honour of Luisa Tetrazzini, the operatic soprano known as The Florentine Nightingale. Or the famous Muffuletta Sandwich, named after the Sicilian muffuliette baked rolls, and Chicago’s Italian Beef Sandwich which was invented by Italian immigrants who worked at Chicago's old Union Stock Yards during the early 1900’s.

Legend goes that the workers would often bring home some of the tougher, less desirable cuts of beef sold by the company. To make the meat more palatable, it was slow-roasted to make it more tender, and then slow-simmered in a spicy broth for flavour. The meat was then thinly sliced across the grain and stuffed into fresh Italian bread and there it was. The thing is that most of these were cheap meals made for the everyday people, who did not have the money to sit in a restaurant on daily basis. But for the people with deep pockets, there were the finest Italian cooks, in the finest Italian restaurants.

Back home, or should I say in Italy the milk production mainly consists of sheep, goats and cows, but in reality most of the cheese is produced from cow's milk rather than from goat's milk, even though there are more goats than cows in the country. Certain Italian cheese products which were made in ancient times were still made during the 20th century and even today. Story goes that some of the better-known ones are made from cow's milk, including Ragusano, which is a product with mild flavour and the recipe comes from the province of Ragusa located in southeastern Sicily, or Provola, which comes from various Sicilian regions such as Nebrodi or Madonie, and is usually served in tasty smoked form, or even Caciocavallo which is also made from cow's milk but it has quite funny, confusing and at the same time cryptic name that literally means "horse cheese".

Many of the more successful Italians began opening their own grocery shops, bars and restaurants, with food, ingredients and all types of products imported from back home, which were able to endure the long transportation. You see, some of the more thoughtful Italians also quickly realized or they already knew that with the help of their tasty cuisine, they can easily attract individuals from the highest levels of America’s society and make their own dreams come true.

Salut'

This is a very interesting article TD, and an excellent contribution to this thread. Thank you pal.

Im glad you liked it and you're welcome bud.

Happy Italian Heritage Month!


Established in 1989 through a joint proclamation by the U.S. Congress and President George H. W. Bush, Italian Heritage Month is a dedicated celebration that honors the substantial contributions made by Italian Americans to both the United States and the global stage throughout our rich history.

Today, it is estimated that there are over 26 million Americans of Italian descent residing in the country, solidifying Italian Americans as the fifth largest ethnic group in the United States.

Throughout the month of October, stay engaged as NAIF guides you on a journey of Italian and Italian American history and culture! Each day, we will shine our spotlight on a new reason to celebrate Italian heritage and culture in America!

What is your favorite thing about Italian culture? Let us know.
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ThesonsanddaughtersofItaly

The Italian physicist, inventor, and academic naturalized American Enrico Fermi!

Born in Rome, Italy in 1901, Fermi is best known for his work in nuclear physics. Fermi was the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1 while he was working on the Manhattan Project during WWII. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and the "architect of the atomic bomb."
In 1938, he received the Nobel Prize for physics, for "the identification of new elements of radioactivity and the discovery of nuclear reactions by slow neutrons." In fact, to honor Fermi's research, an element on the periodic table was named after him: fermio (symbol Fm)!

We proudly recognize the technological advancements that stem from this global Italian diaspora.

Ah the old days my friend!!!

Awesome TD!!!

I couldn’t resist… Monte was a staple on holidays for the kids..

https://youtu.be/V57hP7Ipjw4?si=fo7ugU-di0zEgQfK

"Topo Gigio - The Little Italian Mouse"


When Topo Gigio gingerly descended onto The Ed Sullivan Show stage on December 9, 1962, no one could have predicted that the little Italian mouse puppet would go on to become one of the show’s most memorable acts. In time, Topo would go on to star in a feature film, an Italian TV show and Japanese and Latin American animated series.

One of the most famous puppets in history, Topo was just ten inches tall, with Bambi eyes and a precocious personality. Viewers wondered how he could walk, talk, roll his eyes, wiggle his ears and toes – all without visible strings. The little mouse was as complicated as he was cute. His creator, Maria Perego of Milan, Italy, controlled his legs with her fingers and opened and closed his mouth with her other hand using rods. Actor Giuseppe Mazullo voiced Topo while two other puppeteers moved his arms. They all were dressed in black velour against a black curtain to stay invisible. An impressed Sullivan stated, “When he’s on my arm, I actually feel that he’s a living thing, and that I’m talking to somebody. I’ve never had that feeling before with any puppet or dummy.”

Topo was originally brought onto the show in an effort to make Ed more engaging to his audience – especially kids. The producers thought that a more interactive host would allow The Ed Sullivan Show to better compete with The Wonderful World of Disney, which had switched to Sunday nights in 1961. With writers such as Ed Sullivan Show guest Joan Rivers scripting his act, Topo quickly became a hit, exposing a side of Sullivan that audiences had never seen.

The man who critics described as “stiff” or “dull,” seemed to transform whenever the adorable mouse came onto his stage. Topo’s presence turned Ed into a much softer figure, and brought out his playful side. The two talked to each other like old friends and their humorous and playful exchanges remain a signature of The Ed Sullivan Show.

Topo’s appearances covered many subjects. He often spoke of his Mama and family back home, his girlfriend Rosie, and rock and roll. He also sang classical music, discussed income taxes, Renaissance art and even played the violin.

“Eddie, Kiss Me Goodnight”

Nearly every Topo appearance on the show ended with these four words, sung in the mouse’s signature squeaky voice. Topo had a magical 11 year run on The Ed Sullivan Show. And on June 6, 1971, millions of loyal viewers sat in front of their television sets to watch The Ed Sullivan Show for the very last time. As the episode came to a close, Topo made his final appearance, begging Ed to once more kiss him goodnight. Topo’s farewell was also Ed’s.
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Here is a classic video of a typical skit between the iconic TV host Ed Sullivan and his little Italian buddy.


https://youtu.be/aJZQjGq5VHg

Lol. Lou Monte was another classic.

Another great post up.

Good stuff guys...very nice.

Why is food important in Italian culture? “Italian People always say “In Italy it is all about food”, well, this is very true! In fact, food represents the biggest expression of our culture as a way to enjoy and socialize around a nice meal, a festival, a family celebration, or an event.

Most definitely! Food brings people to the table. It’s a great common denominator.

Scientist,painter,draftsman,engineer,sculptor, and creator of the most famous painting in history (Mona Lisa),the most reproduced religious painting in history (Last Supper),and a legendary anatomical drawing (Vitruvian Man)
Additionally,he made sketches of a prototype helicopter,and an armored fighting vehicle. A true genius,and possibly the greatest all around mind in history, Signor Leonardo Da Vinci.

Some history about Italian wine (vino) in the Chicago area...

During the 1900’s in Chicago, many Italians from different regions managed to arrive in the Windy City and as I already stated in my previous post, they also brought their traditions, cuisine and also their local types of drinks, including wine. By operating their own legitimate businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores, other ethnic groups such as the French also served their own traditional wines. But when many Neapolitan and Sicilian immigrants began opening their joints around the North, West and South sides of the city, the whole situation literally changed.

By that time, almost three million Italians left Italy for the United States, and four-fifths of them were from Italy's southern regions such as Abruzzo, Campania, Molise, Calabria and Sicily. Many Italian ships began carrying mainly wheat flour and olive oil, but later they also transported wine and all kinds of fruit, including lemons and grapes.

The Italians opened up shops around the Near North Side, especially along Rush Street and Cambridge Avenue, and from there they sold imported Italian wine around the local saloons, restaurants and other liquor shops. In those days, many Italian wine merchants mainly imported Sicilian type of red wine with fruity smell and strong scent of blackberries and usually with dry and slightly sour taste. This type of wine is still mainly produced in southern part of Sicily, mostly because the grapes and wine like hot and relatively dry climates. But even though they imported already made product which was placed in a bottle and sent on a ship, still the interesting thing was that most of the time the Italians imported only the special type of grape and produced the wine in the basement of their shops.

The Sicilian types of grape which I’m talking about which are used for making wine, according to the newest research, are used for over 3000 years and later at the beginning of the 20th century the winemakers still used the ancient method of winemaking. For example one of the most popular types of grapes which were and are still used today, is known as Grillo, which is a traditional Sicilian grape and besides making wine, it also can be used for making aperitifs and also for refreshing the plate with variety of Italian cuisines. Story goes that when the Grillo grapes are gently pressed then the juice, which later ferment at cold temperatures, provides a wonderful smell like fresh-cut grass mixed with grapefruit.

The next type of grapes which are also used since those days are known as Nero d’Avola which in fact is used for the making of the Mediterranean’s most regal red wines, and also Catarratto, which same as Grillo, is a type of grape often used for making white wines with a delicate bouquet of white flowers, aromas of ripe citrus, melon and other herbal flavours. In addition, these types of grapes or wine were also not widely known outside of Italy for a very long time until it reached the U.S.

The Neapolitan restaurant owners were often known for serving one quite famous and tasty type of red wine known as Ciro, named after the same region in southern Italy, and on the side, there was usually one slice of Neapolitan pasteria or Pitta, which is a traditional flatbread with a crunchy crust and soft inside, usually stuffed with peppers, tomatoes and herbs, or maybe with sausage and cheese.

In the wine business, the Italians had only one competition around the U.S. and that was the quite expensive French wine which was already placed on the market before the Italian wine, but obviously had a tough time in getting sold around the Italian parts of the city. This means that the wine produced in the southern part of Italy such as the Campania area and the Sicilian type, were easily reachable for all ethnic groups.

In no time, many Italian wine makers relocated all the way to California mostly because of the moderately hot days and clear nights, a similar climate to southern Italy, which is perfect for growing the needed types of grapes and for producing their wine. The Italians with deep pockets also began buying thousand hectares on the west coast. From this point on many Chicago businessmen also began investing in the importation of California products in their own city and even on the east coast.

Salut'




Grillo grapes



Nero d’Avola grapes



Catarratto grapes

Another great contribution. Thanks Lou.

Outstanding post.

Thanks again bud. Few more articles are also coming your way. Cheers

https://youtu.be/O8VBehdpOpI?feature=shared

LOL. Mayor Frank Rizzo didn't take any bullshit. He was legendary for conducting himself like a half-a-wiseguy.

To celebrating Italian Heritage Month, we highlight Italy's remarkable achievements on the global stage.

Italy has long held its position as a world leader in exports, with an impressive array of products that leave a lasting mark on international markets.
From cutting-edge machinery that drives innovation, to life-saving pharmaceuticals that improve health worldwide, to finely crafted vehicles that embody Italian style and precision, Italy consistently delivers excellence.
Join us in honoring Italy's enduring legacy of quality, ingenuity, and craftsmanship as we salute Italy's top three exports.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ZGDJdS

Italy’s Top 10 Exports

Formally the Italian Republic, Italy shipped US$657 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount reflects a 19.5% increase compared to $549.9 billion during 2018.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Italy rose 6.7% from $615.9 billion in 2021.

The 5 most valuable exports from Italy are medication mixes in dosage, processed petroleum oils, cars, automobile parts or accessories, then blood fractions including antisera. Combined, that quintet of leading Italian exports represents 15.5% of overall exports from Italy in 2022. Such a low percentage implies Italy’s diversified range of exported products.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, Italy’s official currency the euro depreciated by -12.1% against the US dollar since 2018 and fell by -12.3% from 2021 to 2022. The weaker European Union currency in 2022 made Italy’s exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers.
Major Buyer Countries Importing from Italy

The latest available country-specific data shows that 64.2% of products exported from Italy were bought by importers in: Germany (12.4% of the Italian total), United States of America (10.4%), France (10%), Spain (5.1%), Switzerland (5%), United Kingdom (4.4%), Belgium (3.7%), Poland (3.1%), Netherlands (3%), mainland China (2.6%), Austria (2.3%) and Türkiye (2.1%).

From a continental perspective, 64.6% of Italy’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 15% was sold to importers in Asia. Italy shipped another 12.3% worth of goods to North America.

Smaller percentages went to Africa (3.4%), Latin America (2.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.

Given Italy’s population of 59.2 million people, its total $657 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $11,100 for every resident in the south European nation. That dollar metric exceeds the average $10,300 per capita in 2021.

Italy’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Italian global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Italy.

Ezoic
Machinery including computers: US$106.2 billion (16.2% of total exports)
Pharmaceuticals: $47.4 billion (7.2%)
Vehicles: $45.5 billion (6.9%)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $40.8 billion (6.2%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $33.7 billion (5.1%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $27.1 billion (4.1%)
Articles of iron or steel: $22.9 billion (3.5%)
Iron, steel: $21.2 billion (3.2%)
Gems, precious metals: $20.4 billion (3.1%)
Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $16.1 billion (2.5%)
Italy’s top 10 exports accounted for 58% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Mineral fuels including oil was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 83.7% from 2021 to 2022. That product category was propelled by Italy’s greater international sales of refined petroleum oils.

In second place for improving export sales were pharmaceuticals via a 29.1% gain.

Italy’s shipments of the metals iron and steel posted the third-fastest gain in value, increasing by 10.3%.

The leading decliner among Italy’s top 10 export categories was machinery including computers. That product category dropped -2.3% drop year over year.

Julius Caesar ...


Gaius Julius Caesar (/?si?z?r/, SEE-z?r; Latin: [??a?i?s ?ju?li?s ?kae?sar]; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and subsequently became dictator from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed the First Triumvirate, an informal political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass political power were opposed by many in the senate, among them Cato the Younger with the private support of Cicero. Caesar rose to become one of the most powerful politicians in the Roman Republic through a string of military victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, which greatly extended Roman territory. During this time he both invaded Britain and built a bridge across the Rhine river. These achievements and the support of his veteran army threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. In 49 BC, Caesar openly defied the Senate's authority by crossing the Rubicon and marching towards Rome at the head of an army.[3] This began Caesar's civil war, which he won, leaving him in a position of near-unchallenged power and influence in 45 BC.
After assuming control of government, Caesar began a program of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. He gave citizenship to many residents of far regions of the Roman Republic. He initiated land reform and support for veterans. He centralized the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator for life" (dictator perpetuo). His populist and authoritarian reforms angered the elites, who began to conspire against him. On the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Brutus and Cassius, who stabbed him to death.[4] A new series of civil wars broke out and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. Caesar's great-nephew and adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in the last civil war of the Roman Republic. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began.
Caesar was an accomplished author and historian as well as a statesman; much of his life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns. Other contemporary sources include the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. Later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also important sources. Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history.[5] His cognomen was subsequently adopted as a synonym for "Emperor"; the title "Caesar" was used throughout the Roman Empire, giving rise to modern descendants such as Kaiser and Tsar. He has frequently appeared in literary and artistic works, and his political philosophy, known as Caesarism, has inspired politicians into the modern era.

Good pick NYM !

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a post-Republican period of ancient Rome that lasted from 27 BC to 476 AD. It was characterized by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The Roman legal system and Latin language have had a lasting impact on the Western world. At its height, the empire was one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in the world.
Easily the greatest empire of all time. The Romans were the first and only empire to conquer the entire culturally diverse Mediterranean Sea. There society left such a profound impact on human history that we still sea their influence today in architecture, art, music, theatre, language, technology, science, medicine, and so much more.

It is the first state that comes to mind when it comes to empire. They brought civilization to the people it ruled. The war tactics were good. It cannot be compared with other colonial and invading states.The empire lasted for many years.

The Romans were truly superior to any of the other civilizations listed here. Out of all of the civilizations listed here, the Romans spread their dominance the most, lasting 2000 something years without an major outside empire taking them out.
For their time, they were extremely advanced. This is something that most people here fail to remember. Why the people of the Germanic tribes and Brits were living in huts, and the Chinese and Japanese in Asia were living in houses made out of wood and partly of paper, and tile-roofed, the glorious Romans were living in architectural marvels.
All of the empires that succeeded the Roman Empire wouldn't have been possible if the Roman Empire hadn't fallen.

By far the most influential empire of all time. Also, the Roman Empire, for the most part, was very tolerant of other religions, customs, and traditions. No other empire in history has been studied, and emulated as much as Rome. Every empire since has followed in its footprints, taking lessons from its spectacular rise to its turbulent downfall. No other empire built up its provinces the way Rome did. At its peak, Rome was probably the most stable empire of all time. And it's the only empire whose fall came about, at least partly, by peoples who, instead of wanting to bring about the fall of the empire, wanted to join in its success.

Napoleon Bonaparte !

Top 25 Italian-American Singers of All Time.

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From Bon Jovi to Sinatra, many of today’s millennials are unaware of the talent Italian Americans brought to the music industry. With a culture like no other, it’s no wonder why Italian Americans have made such an impact in the music scene through the years. Some of these artists almost gave up on their dreams, fought in the war, fought on the streets, fought in the ring, and all risked everything they had to become the people they came to be.
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25. MORGANA KING
You may know her as Carmela Corleone from “The Godfather”, but Morgana King , born as Maria Grazia Morgana Messina in Pleasantville , NY had one of the nicest voices you could listen to in the late 50’s, and early 60’s. Her debut album “For You, For Me, For Everyone” was released in 1956. In 1964 she received a Grammy award nomination for best new artist. Her classic songs include “Corcovado”, “Taste of Honey”,  “A Song For You”, “Walk On By”, and many others.
24. LOU CHRISTIE
The MGM recording artist was Born as Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glenwillard, PA. The single “Lightnin’ Strikes” reached number one in the country in 1966. Later in the spring, Christie released his beloved classic “Rapsody in the Rain”. He was soon dropped by MGM and signed with a smaller label named Buddah Records, recording a hit that reached number ten in the country titled “I’m Gonna Make You Mine”. Other Hits include “Two Faces Have I” , ” The Gypsy Cried”, “Outside the Gates of Heaven”, and “How Many Teardrops”.
23. JULIUS LA ROSA
Brooklyn boy and proud Italian-American, Julius La Rosa served our country in the Navy when he enlisted at age 17 and sang in his Navy choir. If you don’t know his famous Italian-American hit song that reached number two in the country “Ehh Cumpari”, then I’m surprised you are even reading this article.
His first two big hits came in 1953 with “This is Heaven”, which reached number 21 in the country, and “Anywhere I Wander”, which reached number 4.  One of my personal favorites of his, “Domani (Tomorrow)”, reached number 13 on the billboards and has been rereleased on many Italian American compilation albums including the classic “Mob Hits”. Other hits include “Lipstick and Candy and Rubbersole Shoes”, “Suddenly There’s a Valley”, “Mobile”, “My Lady Loves to Dance”, “Torero”, and “Three Coins in the Fountain”.
22. JIMMY DURANTE
“Thumpidy, Thump Thump, Thumpidy, Thump Thump”  may be how most people remember the humble and happy New York City born James Francis Durante for his classic rendition of “Frosty the Snowman”. Jimmy dropped out of school in only the seventh grade and started out as a television and radio personality.  His biggest hits include “Young at Heart”, “Umbriago”, “September Song”, “One of Those Songs”, and “Make Someone Happy”.
21. FRANKIE AVALON
Yeah millennials, we all know it’s the guy from “Grease” who sings “Beauty School Dropout”, but the Philly born Francis Thomas Avallone, was much more than a singing angel in the clouds. Frankie started out with “RCA Victor” in 1954 and in 1959, his songs “Venus” and “Why” became number one hits. “Why” was the last number one hit of the 1950s. Avalon had more than thirty top 100 hits from 1958 to late 1962, including “Don’t Throw Away All Those Teardrops”, “Ginger Bread” , “A Boy Without a Girl”, “I’ll Wait for You”, “Just Ask Your Heart”,  and many others.
20. NANCY SINATRA
With that last name you know you’re going to break in easily if you want a career in the music world. The beautiful talented Nancy Sinatra born in Jersey City, NJ proved that her last name wasn’t all she was offering very quickly with her. Although her first single by her father’s label “Reprise Records” titled “Cuff Links and a Tie Clip” in 1961 went unnoticed,  it wasn’t long until her big hit came in 1966 with “These Boots Are Made for Walking”.
One of her most well known songs is a duet with her father called “Something Stupid”, if you haven’t heard the song that’s something really stupid, and you should listen to it because it’se a beautiful song. Other hits include “Sugar Town”, “Jackson”, “How Does That Grab You Darling”, et cetera.
19. VIC DAMONE
Frank Sinatra once said, “Damone had the best pipes in the business”, and he was certainly right. The Brooklyn singer, born Vito Rocco Farinola, released his first two hits, which reached number 7 in the country, in 1947, “I Have But One Heart” and ” You Do”.
In 1949, he reached number one with “You’re Breaking My Heart”,  number six with “Again”,  and number ten with “My Bolero”. Other top ten hits include “Tzena Tzena Tzena”, “My Heart Cries For You”, “My Truly Truly Fair”, “Here In My Heart”, “April in Portugal”, “Ebb Tide” (That doesn’t mean eat tide when listening to the song), and “On The Street Where You Live”. Damone has recorded so many classics throughout his career that he eventually earned a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
18. LOUIS PRIMA
Louis Leo Prima was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and formed a small jazz group in the 1920’s. Prima loved his heritage and would reference it in a lot of his music, making him so unique and fun to listen to! Prima soon started recording in 1934, and his hit song “In a Little Gypsy Tea Room” reached number four in the country. In 1944, he recorded the classic Italian American favorites “Angelina”, and “Oh Marie”.
In 1945, his song “Bell Bottom Trousers” would reach number six on the billboards. Along with his classic hit “Bouna Sera”, some of his other hits include, “Wonderland” ,”When You’re Smiling”, “Robin Hood”, “I’ll Walk Alone”, “The Lady in Red”, and “Oh Babe”.
17. LADY GAGA
This fashion crazy, but incredibly talented singer adores her Italian-American heritage.  From an album with Tony Bennett to a dedicated performance for Frank Sinatra, this woman is one of the best artists in today’s music scene. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born in Manhattan, NY.
Her first two hits include “Poker Face”, and “Just Dance”. Shortly after, she released hits “Alejandro”, “Telephone”, and “Bad Romance”. In 2011 she released her album “Born This Way” which has sold millions all around the world. She has won six Grammys and continues to dominate the music scene till this day. Other hits include “Judas”, “Million Reasons”, “You and I”, and “The Cure”.
16. MADONNA
Marone! I really don’t feel like typing about Madonna Ciccone but I have to put her on the list, right? Oh how time will go by so slowly while I write this just like her hit song “Hung Up”. With a resume of over 600 award nominations and almost 300 wins, including seven Grammys, one cannot doubt her status as pop star legend.
Her biggest songs include “Crazy For You”, “Beautiful Stranger”, “Oh Father”, “Papa Don’t Preach”, “Who’s That Girl”, “I’ll Remember”, “Ray of Light” and “Get Together”. Okay, thats it. I have officially had enough of Madonna for the day.
15. FRANKIE LAINE
The Chicago born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio, known as “America’s number one song stylist”, was constantly on the top 100 billboard from 1947-1969. In 1949, he had his first two number one hits with “Mule Train” and “That Lucky Old Sun”. In 1950, he recorded another number one hit called “The Cry of the Wild Goose”.
In 1951, his song “Jezebel” reached number two on the charts, along with ‘Rose, Rose I Love You” and “Jealously” both reaching number three.  His other top ten hits include “Shine”, (No its not a song by Billy Batts about Tommy DeVito’s shine box), “Hambone”, “Hey Good Lookin”, “Sugar Bush”, “High Noon”, “I Believe”,  “Tell Me a Story”, “Hey Joe”, and “Moonlight Gambler”. Frankie Laine is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
14. JON BON JOVI
Jersey boy John Francis Bongiovi has always been a fan favorite who filled up Giant’s stadium over the years, along with his contemporary Bruce Springsteen who’s somehow Italian, but not enough for me to put on this list (sorry Bruce fans). Most famous for his songs  “Living on a Prayer” and “Bed of Roses”, Jon has been one of the most popular touring artists for the past 30 years. He has won a Grammy, along with countless other accolades . Other hits of Bon Jovi’s include, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “Wild in the Streets”, “This Ain’t a Love Song”, and “It’s My Life”.
13. JERRY VALE
Most known for his songs and appearances in Martin Scorsese movies such as “Goodfellas” and ‘Casino”, Jerry Vale was born as Genaro Louis Vitaliano in the Bronx, New York. A singing legend heard in Italian American kitchens across the country, you might recall your mother reciting one or more of his most famous hits, such as, “Al Di La”, “Pretend You Don’t See Her”, “Old Cape Cod”, “Inamorata”, Mama”, “I Have But One Hear”, “and “Love Me The Way I Love You”. Vale will always be an Italian-American favorite.
12. JIMMY ROSELLI
The Neopolitan singer Michael John Roselli was born in Hoboken, NJ.  He grew up with a tough life; his mother died two days after he was born and his dad abandoned him. His aunts and grandfather took care of him who spoke no English. He grew up down the street from Frank Sinatra and joined the army in 1944. He got his first break in 1954 when he appeared with Jimmy Durante. His first song, probably his most famous, “Male Femmena” put him on the map, and his first album “Showcase: Jimmy Roselli”, sold over three million copies. His only song to reach the top 100, however, was “There Must be a Way”. He will always be a legend in the Italian American community. Other favorites include “My Heart Cries For You”,’ “O Surdato ‘Nnammurato”,”Anema E Core”,”Just Say I Love Her”, “All the Time”, and more.
11. BOBBY DARIN
Walden Robert Cassotto was born in East Harlem, NY.  The legend began his career writing for Connie Francis and started dating the pop singer until her strict Italian American father held Darin at gun point to stay away from his daughter. His hit single came in 1958 with, “Splish Splash”, which sold over one millions times. In 1960 he won a Grammy for best new artist and for his song “Mack the Knife”. In 1990 he solidified his legacy when he entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of Darin’s other hits include “Dream Lover”, “Things”, “You’re the Reason I’m Living”, “Yellow Roses”, and my personal favorite, “Beyond the Sea”.
10. PERRY COMO
Pierino Ronald Como was born in Canonsburg, PA and noticed his singing talent while working as a barber. “Mr. C “, as some called him, had one of the most peaceful and relaxing voices you could listen too. If you can’t fall asleep at night, just listen to one of my favorite songs of his, “It’s Impossible”, because its impossible to stay awake to it, (not because it’s bad, but because it’s just too peaceful).
In 1958 he won a Grammy for “Catch a Falling Star”. Some of his fun hit songs include my favorites, “Round and Round”, “Papa Loves Mambo”, and “Magic Moments”. Other amazing hits include, “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes”, “Tie the End of Time”, “Long ago”, “If I Loved You”, “I’m Gonna Love that Girl”, “Dig You Later”, “Prisoner of Love”, “Surrender”, “Chi-Baba Chi-Baba”, “Some Enchanted Everything”, “A You’re Adorable”, “If”, “No Other Love, “Wanted”, “Hot Diggity”, and way too many more to name.
9. LOU MONTE

We all know Lou Monte as the funny Italian guy who sings “Dominic the Donkey” during Christmas time and the “Lazy Mary” at the New York Met games. Louis Scaglione was born in the city of Manhattan, served in the army, and grew up in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, which he referenced in his first big hit from 1954, “Darktown Strutters’ Ball”. In 1962, his Italian American classic, “Pepino the Italian Mouse” sold over one million copies and was awarded a Gold disc. Lou Monte will always have a place in ever true Italian Americans’ hearts. Other classics by the Calabrese singer include “Pepino’s Friend Pasquale”, “Please Mr. Columbus”, “What Did Washington Say”, “Calypso Italiano”, Shaddup Your Face”, “Roman Guitar”, “Bella Notte”, “Remember this Gumba”, and “Tici Ti-Tica To-Tici Ta”.
8. DION 
This wanderer was born in the Bronx, NY as Dion Francis DiMucci. He started out with a single called “The Chosen Few”, which he pre recorded seperate with a group named “The Timberlanes” who he had never met. Dion said the sound of the group was “Too wonder bread”, so he went back to the Bronx and found some neighborhood guys to form Dion and the Belmonts.
Their first hit came in 1958 with “I Wonder Why”, the classic song we all know from the opening of  “A Bronx Tale”. They would soon release the hits “No One Knows”, “A Teenager in Love”, and “Where or When”.  The famous song “The Wanderer” reached number two on the charts in the U.S. and “Runaround Sue” reached number one. Other top ten hits include “Lonely Teenager”, ” Lovers Who Wander”, “Ruby Baby”, “Little Diane”, “Donna the Prima Donna”, “Drip Drop”,”The Majestic” and “Abrahman, Martin, and John”.
7. AL MARTINO
You may know him as Johnny Fontane in “The Godfather”, but Jasper Cini was born in Philadelphia, PA to parents from Abruzzo, Italy. He grew up admiring family friend and singer Mario Lanza. After serving and getting injured in the Navy during the Iwo Jima invasion , he began his singing career and took the stage name Al Martino. His first number one hit came immediately in 1954 with the masterpiece, “Here in My Heart”. The song is full of beautiful emotion and high range vocals that could not have been handled better than by any other singer but Al Martino.
Through the years, dozens and dozens of artists have rerecorded the song and no one has come close to touching Al’s version . One of Al’s most famous songs that would have women around the world going nuts for him came in 1966 with the beautiful love song, “Spanish Eyes”. In 1976, he released his disco version of the Italian American classic, “Volare”,which became an instant hit at the disco, (too bad we didn’t get to see John Travolta dance to that in “Saturday Night Fever”). Other hits by Al include “To Each His Own”, “I Have But One Heart”, “Take My Heart”, “Come Share The Wine”, “When You’re Mine”, “I Love You Because”, “I Love You More and More Every Day”. “Mary in the Morning”, “Speak Softly Love, “To the Door of the Sun”, “Once Upon A Time”, “Tears and Roses”, and “Painted Tainted Rose”.
6. FRANKIE VALLI
The Jersey boy himself Francesco Stephen Castelluccio was born in Newark, NJ and raised in Belleville, NJ. Growing up and working as a hair dresser, Frankie was always getting into trouble with Belleville buddy and founder of his group, “The Four Seasons”, Tommy DeVito. He released his first single “My Mother’s Eyes” in 1953 under the name Frankie Valley, until one of his girlfriends did the right thing and told him off for hiding his Italian pride and not using a vowel at the end of his last name.
He soon switched to Valli and formed “The Four Lovers”, after being introduced to writer/talent Bob Gaudio by neighborhood legend Joe Pesci. The group started performing at night clubs and signed a deal to perform backup vocals for Newark native Bob Crewe. They soon changed their name to “The Four Seasons” and released their first hit “Sherry” in 1962, with number one hits “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and “Walk Like A Man” to follow. Other hits include “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, “My Eyes Adored You”, “Oh What a Night.”, “Swearing to God” “Fallen Angel”, “Grease”, “Dawn”, “Rag Doll”, “Who Loves You”, “Let’s Hang On”, “Bye Bye Baby”, and “Beggin”.
5. MARIO LANZA
There was no one who could belt a note like Mario Lanza! The legendary opera singer Alfredo Arnold Cocozzo was born, in Phillidelphia, PA.  He made his opera debut at the Berkshire Music Festival in 1942. He soon adopted the stage name Mario Lanza, which was similar to his mothers maiden name Maria Lanza.
Lanza soon signed with RCA Victor Read Seal, and became their first artist ever to sell over two and half million records. His beautiful song “Be My Love”, has been known as one the greatest American opera songs of all time. If you haven’t heard it you should give it a listen. Lanza was going to be MGM’s singing Clark Gable until he started having heart problems and eventually passed on October 7th, 1959. Sadly some of the greatest leave us to soon, although Hollywood would never forget Lanza, as he received not one, but two stars on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Other beautiful songs by Lanza include “Granada”, “Ave Maria”, “Because You’re Mine” “Nessun Dorma”, “O Sole Mio”, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, “Danny Boy”, “I’ll Walk with God”, “Santa Lucia”, “Drink Drink Drink”, and a lot more. Lanza is amazing to listen to on Vinyl for the record.
4. CONNIE FRANCIS
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero was born in Newark, New Jersey and graduated from Belleville High School. Connie was the top female vocalist of the 50’s and 60’s. However her first several singles with MGM did not go well. Connie was about to give up and accept a four year scholarship to New York University to study medicine, until her father pushed her to do her own cover of the classic song “Who’s Sorry Now”, Connie originally hated the idea to use such an old song, but her version reached number four in the country and number one in the United Kingdom.  Connie soon became the pride of the MGM label. Her number one hits include “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, “My Heart has a Mind of it’s Own”, and  “Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You”. She was the world’s first female pop star and recorded in nine different languages.  Some of Connie’s fan favorites include “Vacation”, “Stupid Cupid”, “My Happiness”, “Frankie”, “Among My Souvenirs”, “Mama”, “Many Tears Ago”, “Where the Boys Are”, “Together”, “Granada”, “Forget Domani”, “Wishing it Was You”, “Baby’s First Christmas”, “Second Hand Love”, and more.
3. TONY BENNETT
You know you are going to be a legend when Frank Sinatra tell’s you, that you’re his favorite singer, and that’s exactly what he said to Tony Bennett. The man with the golden voice, Anthony Dominick Benedetto born and raised in Astoria, Queens to Calabrese parents.
Tony was drafted by the Army in november 1944 towards the end of World War II. In 1950 Tony cut a demo of one of his biggest hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, and soon signed with Columbia Records.  In 1951 he reached number one on the charts with his classic beautiful love song “Because of You.  Within the next two years he had two more number ones with “Cold Cold Heart”, and “Rags to Riches”. He soon was requested by the producers of the broadway show “Kismet” to record “Stranger in Paradise”, (My favorite Tony Bennett song) , which reached number two in the country.
Recently Tony has toured and released an album with fellow Italian American pop star Lady Gaga. Other favorites include “I Wanna be Around”, “It’s Magic”, “I left My Heart in San Fransisco”, “Smile”, “Blue Velvet”, “I Won’t Cry Anymore”, “There’ll Be No Tear Drops Tonight”, “Just in Time”, “The Good Life”, “For Once in My Life”, and others.
 2. DEAN MARTIN
“Everybody Loves Somebody” especially the “King of Cool”, Dean Martin. Dino Paul Crocetti was born in, Steubenville, Ohio.  At age fifteen he started out as a boxer with the name “Kid Crochet”. He soon stopped boxing after breaking his nose and started singing at clubs until he was drafted into the Army in 1944. By 1946 he started performing comedy at night clubs with comic legend Jerry Lewis.
He soon released his first single “Which Way Did My Heart Go” with Diamond Records and was getting recognized all around for his unique and warm voice. Later Dean signed on with Capital Records and in 1953 he released one of his biggest hits of all time “That’s Amore”. If you don’t know this song, I’m surprised you’re reading this list. Like many artists at the time Dean was not happy at Capitol Records and so he left. Frank Sinatra left Capitol as well and started his own label “Reprise”.
Frank quickly signed his Rat Pack pal Dino, to a deal with Reprise. Dean’s only  two songs to ever reach number one came in 1955 with “Memories are Made of This” , and in 1963 with “Everybody Loves Somebody”. Other Dino hits include “Sway”, “Houston”, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”,”Standing on a Corner”, “Return to Me”, “Innamorata”, “You’re Nobody Til’ Somebody Loves You”,”If”, “You Belong to Me”, “Mambo Italiano”, “On an Evening In Roma”, and how can I almost forget “Volare” among many others.
1.  FRANK SINATRA
The Chairman of the Board lived life his way, even though he hated his hit song written by buddy Paul Anka entitled “My Way”. The Jersey boy, Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. Frank started out in the swing music era, and was performing at night clubs until he signed with Columbia Records in 1943.  His first big song “You’ll Never Know” reached number two in the country. Frank was always  floating around in the top ten hits for a couple years, until 1946  when he had two number ones with his songs “Oh! What It Seemed to Be” and, “Five Minutes More”. While with Columbia, Frank recorded one more number one titled “Mam’selle”, before he signed with Capitol Records.
His first and only number one with Capitol came in 1955 for his song “Learnin’ The Blues”. Though he had some amazing songs with Capitol, Frank was not happy with his freedom of music choice. Frank then took the matter into his own hands and decided to start his own label “Reprise Records”. His next and last number one came in 1966 with a song he absolutely hated and didn’t even want to record called “Strangers in the Night”, in which he won, one of his nine Grammy Awards.
There is no argument that the boy from Hoboken is one of the greatest singers and role models of all time. Some of his must listen to songs include “It Was a Very Good Year”, “Send in the Clowns”, “I Get a kick Out of You”, “New York, New York”, “Summer Wind”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Witchcraft”, “Something Stupid”, “Night and Day”, “Saturday Night”, “Luck Be A Lady”, “Dream”, “Young At Heart”, “Nice & Easy”, “This is the Night”, “Three Coins in the Fountain”, “Love and Marriage”, “Hey Jealous Lover”, “All the Way”, “Ive Got the World on a String”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Chicago”, “High Hopes”, “The Coffee Song”, “Somewhere in Your Heart”, “Forget Domani”, “That’s Life”, “The World We Knew”, and about another couple hundred more.

And dont forget this guy....

According to an interview with Chicago Alderman Donald Parrillo, in 1962 Outfit crime boss Paul Ricca was playing cards with Parrillo and some other friends of his, including his son Paul Jr. This happened in Ricca's basement recreation room at his home in River Forest. Also at a separate table Ricca was playing another round of poker with five other people because the old man loved playing the cards. Suddenly they heard music and applause coming from the upper floors of the house and that was because Ricca's wife Nancy was entertaining some ladies' group. After a while, she came down to the recreation room with a handsome young man from Italy who had a guitar strapped around his neck. She referred to her husband “Oh, Papa, I just love this young man, he's got such a beautiful voice. Can you help him?” Ricca replied "Well, what does he want?” and then he turned to the young boy and asked him “What do you want, young man?”, and out of nowhere the boy replied “I'd like to be on the Ed Sullivan Show!” “When would you like to go on it?” Ricca asked, and the boy again replied, “As soon as possible.” So Ricca allegedly said to some guy who was seated next to him “Call the Jew in California and tell him to put this guy on the Ed Sullivan Show next Sunday.” As expected, after few days there was this young Italian singer on TV, known as Sergio Franchi.

"We Discovered It, We Named It, We Built It"

Nine words are all it takes to capture Italians' indelible contributions to America.


By: Basil M. Russo

This catchy slogan we’ve seen printed on t-shirts sold at Italian American church festivals says an awful lot about our Italian American history in 9 simple words. Let’s take a closer look at the Italians and Italian Americans who discovered it, named it, and built it.

"We Discovered It"...
Although some question whether Columbus actually discovered America, no one can dispute the fact that his epic voyage forever changed the course of world history. By connecting the Old World with the New World, Columbus began the process of over 525 years of worldwide immigration to America by people seeking a better life for their families.
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"We Named It"...
The New World was named America to honor the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. He explored the mainland of the new contents shortly after Columbus’s voyage, and was the first explorer to educate the Europeans to the fact that they had not found Asia, as they thought, but in fact a new land. Hence, it was given his name.
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"We Built It"...
Although it only took the exploits of two great Italians to discover and name America, it has taken the ingenuity, talent and hard work of millions of Italians and Italian Americans to help build America.
From the early Italian explorers such as Verrazzano and Cabot, to Philip Mazzei — from whom Jefferson paraphrased the words “all men are created equal” for the Declaration of Independence — to William Paca, a signer of the Declaration, and to those Italians who fought in the Revolutionary War, Italians played an important role in the founding of the United States of America.
But once the U.S. was born, it was the Italian immigrants and their offspring who worked tirelessly to help build America.

They worked to build its roadways and railroads, its sewers and dams, and its buildings and homes. They worked in factories, coal mines and steel mills. They helped feed the country by catching its fish and providing new foods and vegetables for its tables. They heroically fought in disproportionate numbers in WWI, WWII and subsequent wars to defend the country. And they made major contributions in politics, law, education, military, sports, business, food, and in movies, television and entertainment.
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In this article, we shine a light on those Italian Americans who have made significant contributions to the growth and success of America.

Politics
William Paca – signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Continental Congress, the Governor of Maryland, and a Federal District Judge.
Fiorello La Guardia – charismatic three-term mayor of New York City (1934-45) who gained national prominence for his fight against political corruption and his embrace of new minority groups.
Ella T. Grasso – the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state without succeeding her husband when she was elected Governor of Connecticut (1975-80).
Mario Cuomo – three-term Governor of New York (1983-94) who was considered a likely presidential candidate in 1988 and 1992 after delivering a brilliant keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention.
Nancy Pelosi – the first woman to become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007. She was returned to the position in 2019 and is the second person in line to succeed to the presidency behind the Vice President. Her father, Thomas D’Alesandro, was the former Mayor of Baltimore.
Other Prominent Italian American Politicians include:
Geraldine Ferraro – first woman nominated as a major party’s vice presidential candidate.
John A. Volpe – former Governor of Massachusetts (1961-63, 65-69)
John Pastore – former Governor of Rhode Island (1945-50)
Andrew Cuomo – Governor of New York (2010-present)
This article first appeared in La Nostra Voce, ISDA’s monthly newspaper. Join ISDA today for $25/year and receive a 12-month subscription of the newspaper that features stories chronicling Italian traditions, travel, culture, food and much more.

Law
Antonin Scalia – the first Italian American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. He was selected to serve by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed in 1986, and served 30 years before his death in 2016. He was known for his sharp intellect and is considered one of the most important Supreme Court Justices in the history of the Court.
Samuel Alito – the second Italian American to be appointed to the Supreme Court. He was selected to serve by President George H.W. Bush in 2006. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he was the only justice to argue that a woman should be required to inform her husband prior to receiving an abortion.
John J. Scirica – Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court from the District of Columbia who rose to national prominence during the Watergate scandal. He presided over the trials of those charged with the burglary, ordered President Nixon to release the White House tapes, and is credited with uncovering the truth about Watergate.

Military
Louis Zamperini – a high school and Olympian track star who spent 47 days in a raft in the Pacific Ocean after his plane was shot down in WWII. He thereafter survived two years of brutal torture as a POW. His life story was depicted in a book and movie titled, Unbroken, A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption.
John Basilone – the only U.S. Marine in WWII to be awarded both the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Battle of Henderson Field, and the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima, our nation’s two highest military awards. Gen. Douglas MacArthur praised Basilone as “a one man Army.”
Don Gentile – WWII Air Force pilot who holds the record for the most downed enemy aircraft.
Peter Pace – U.S. Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Military.

Other Prominent Italian Americans in the U.S. Military include:
Raymond Odierno – general who served as the Army’s Chief of Staff
Anthony Zinni – general who served as Commander in Chief of the Central Command

Food/Chefs
Lidia Bastianich – born Lidia Giuliana Matticchio a celebrity chef, television host, restaurant owner and author who specializes in Italian American cuisine. She credits the Catholic Relief Agency with relocating her family to America after WWII.
Hector Boyardee – born Ettore Boiardi, an Italian American chef who established the famous food brands named after him. At its peak in 1985, the Chef Boy-Ar-Dee canned spaghetti line was grossing $500 million per year.
Rachel Ray – Emmy Award-winning television personality, celebrity chef and author who credits her grandfather Emanuel Scuderi with having a strong influence on her cooking. She has coined and popularized many catchy cooking terms including EVOO (short for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.)
Giada De Laurentis – born in Rome, Italy and the granddaughter of famed film producer Dino De Laurentis, she is an Emmy Award-winning television host for Outstanding Lifestyles, as well as a co-host on NBC’s Today.
Mario Batali – well-known TV personality for his appearances on Molto Mario and Iron Chef America, his career imploded in December 2017 when multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were made public.
Buddy Valastro – star of the reality TV series Cake Boss, he has become the prominent authority on Italian American pastry.

Singers
Frank Sinatra – the most popular and influential American singer of the 20th century. He more than any other artist literally defined the Great American Songbook. Perhaps the most prominent Italian American of all time.
Tony Bennett – born Anthony Benedetto, the last living great Italian American crooner of the post-WWII era. His signature song is I Left My Heart in San Francisco.
Frankie Valli – born Francesco Castelluccio, he is best known for his distinctive falsetto voice as lead singer of the Four Seasons. The group had over 25 top 40 hits, including Sherry, Walk Like a Man, and I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Madonna – born Madonna Louise Ciccone, the “Queen of Pop” who achieved international fame by pushing the boundaries of main stream music in her performances and videos with such hits as Like A Virgin and Material Girl.
Lady Gaga – born Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta, this international pop icon has performed the half time show at the Super Bowl, recently appeared with Bradley Cooper (another Italian American) in the acclaimed movie, A Star is Born, and often sings with Tony Bennett.
Other Prominent Italian American Singers include:
Dean Martin, Perry Como, Connie Francis, Jon Bon Jovi, Bobby Darrin, Louie Prima, Dion DeMucci, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Sonny Bono, Jerry Vale, Mario Lanza

Movie Actors
Rudolph Valentino – born Rodolfo Pietro Filberto Raffaello Gugliemi, silent film icon who became the U.S.’s first major sex symbol before his untimely death at the age of 31. Known as the “Latin Lover,” he starred in The Sheik, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and Blood and Sand.
Ann Bancroft – born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano, Academy Award-, Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Tony Award-winning actress who appeared in 68 films and plays.
Al Pacino – winner of Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards, his roles in The Godfather and Scarface are among the most memorable in film history. His father was born in San Fratello, Sicily, and his mother’s parents were born in Corleone, Sicily.
Sylvester Stallone – writer and actor who created the legendary role of Rocky Balboa in the movie Rocky, which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1976 and spawned seven follow-up films in the series.
John Travolta – began his career in television playing Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter. Went on to film stardom with such classics as Saturday Night Fever, Grease and Pulp Fiction. He is a Scientologist, who also owns and pilots his own airplane.
Robert De Niro – acclaimed actor who frequently portrayed Italian American characters in his roles in The Godfather Part II, (as a young Vito Corleone), Raging Bull (as boxer Jake LaMotta), and A Bronx Tale, (as Lorenzo Anello). As a 2-year-old, his grandparents had him secretly baptized into the Catholic Church over his parents objections.  

Other Prominent Italian American Actors include:
Yvonne DeCarlo, Susan Sarandon, Marisa Tomei, Michael Imperioli, Nicholas Cage, Paul Giammati, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brooke Shields, John Turturro, Joe Pesci, Amy Adams, Paul Sorvino, Jackie Cooper, Maria Bello, Richard Conte, Ernest Borgnine, Don Ameche, Tony Lo Bianco.

Television Actors
Susan Lucci – television actress best known for her portraying Erica Kane on the ABC soap opera All My Children for an incredible 41 years, from 1970-2011. The New York Times reported that she was the highest paid actor in daytime television.
Alan Alda – born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo, a multiple Emmy Award-winning actor for his portrayal of “Hawkeye,” the wise cracking surgeon on the acclaimed television show M*A*S*H. He and his wife Arlene have been married for 61 years – a rare feat by Hollywood standards.
Tony Danza – starred in two very successful television sitcoms portraying Italian American characters – Tony Banta in Taxi, and Tony Micelli in Who’s the Boss? After graduating from college, he became a professional boxer and was discovered by a television producer while training in the gym.
Lorraine Bracco – best known as Dr. Melfi in the television series, The Sopranos, and as Angela Rizzoli in Rizzoli and Isles. She also won critical acclaim for her role as Karen Hill in Goodfellas. At age 20 she began her first job as a fashion model in France.
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Other Prominent Italian American Television Actors include:
Edie Falco, Dennis Farina, James Gandolfini, Ralph Macchio, Jay Leno, Ray Romano, Penny Marsall, Kay Ballard, Vince Edwards and Tea Leoni.

Movie Directors
Frank Capra – born in Sicily, this three time Academy Award winner directed some of the most popular and iconic American films including, It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Capra, who was raised in a Sicilian ghetto in Los Angeles, once stated “All I had was cockiness – and let me tell you that gets you a long way.”
Francis Ford Coppola – Academy Award-winning director for what are considered to be two of America’s greatest film classics, The Godfather, and The Godfather, Part II.  He now owns a winery and several vacation resorts, one of which is located in his paternal grandparents’ hometown of Bermalda, Italy.
Martin Scorsese – regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history, his films’ themes explore his Siclian American and Roman Catholic identity. His films include Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Casino and Raging Bull. His mother Catherine has appeared in several of his films.
Anthony & Joe Russo – for two of the last three years the brothers have directed the highest grossing box office films in the world – Captain America: Civil War (2016), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Their 2019 release, Avengers: Endgame, should allow them to set the record for the third time.
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Other Prominent Italian American Film Directors include:
Brian DePalma, Quentin Tarantino, Penny Marshall and Michael Cimino.

Sports
Joe DiMaggio – New York Yankee baseball legend who holds the game’s most coveted record with his 56-game hitting streak.  An icon off the field as well as on the field, he dated Marilyn Monroe.
Joe Montana – considered by many experts to be the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, having won all four Super Bowls he played in, and having been named Super Bowl MVP in three of those games. His nickname – “Joe Cool.”
Eddie Arcaro – horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who is the only jockey in history to win The Triple Crown twice. Standing 5’2” tall and weighing 114 lbs., he is widely regarded as the greatest jockey in horse racing history.
Mario Andretti – race car driving legend who was only the second American to win the Formula One World Championship, as well as winning four Indy Car Championships. Mario has a twin brother named Aldo.
Jake LaMotta – Middleweight Boxing Champion whose life was depicted in Martin Scorsese’s award winning film Raging Bull.  His father forced him to fight other boys to entertain neighborhood adults who would throw change in the ring which the father used to pay his rent.
Julia Mancuso – Olympic skier who won gold, silver and bronze medals in the giant slalom in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Olympics. She has also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity.
Other Prominent Italian American Sports Figures include:
Rocky Marciano, Hulk Hogan, Dan Marino, Yogi Berra, Brian Boitano, Mary Lou Retton.
Coaches
Tommy LaSorda – 20 year manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers who won 1,600 games and two World Series Championships.  At age 91, he is the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Vince Lombardi – led the Green Bay Packers to three consecutive NFL Championships in 1965, 66 and 67, as well as the first two Super Bowl championships. The Super Bowl Trophy is named after him.
Geno Auriemma – as the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball coach, he has led his team to 11 NCAA Division I National Championships – the most in college basketball history. He has also coached the U.S. Women Olympic Team to gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

Other Prominent Italian American Coaches include:
Joe Torre, Joe Paterno, John Calipari, Rick Pitino, John Gagliardi and Jim Valvano.

Scientists
Enrico Fermi – known as the “architect of the nuclear age,” he won the Nobel Prize in 1938 for creating the world’s first nuclear reactor; he led the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb which effectively ended WWII.
Mario R. Capecchi – won the 2007 Nobel Prize innovations concerning targeted gene modification.
Other Prominent Italian American Scientists include:
John Cioffi, Andrew V. Granato, Joe Landolina, Mariangela Lisanti, L.M. Narducci, Daniel Tomasulo and Salvatore Torquato.
Educators
A. Bartlett Giamatti – American professor of English Renaissance Literature who became President of Yale University and the 7th Commissioner of Major League Baseball. He said “A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching

Journalists 
Maria Bartiromo – television news anchor at CNBC and The Fox Business Network; first report to appear live at the New York Stock Exchange.
Chris Cuomo – television news anchor featured on CNN, 20/20 and Good Morning America. He is the son of former N.Y. Governor Mario Cuomo and brother of current N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Kellyanne Conway – a political news commentator who served as Donald Trump’s campaign manager, she is the first woman to successfully run a presidential campaign.
Megyn Kelly – former news anchor at Fox News and former host of NBC morning television show, Megyn Kelly Today.

Business
Lee Iacocca – automobile executive who served as president of two of American’s three major car companies, Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Corporation, which he saved from bankruptcy. He also served as chairman of the committee to restore Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
A.P. Gianinni – founder of the Bank of American which became the world’s largest commercial bank in part due to his ingenuity of establishing branch banking. History Deserves to Be Remembered: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and A.P. Giannini
Richard Grasso – former chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, the pre-eminent U.S. stock market. Grasso started out working as a lowly clerk at the Exchange two weeks after being discharged from the Army.
Robert Louis Nardelli – former chairman and CEO of Chrysler Corporation and Home Depot.
Samuel J. Palmisano – former president and CEO of IBM. In 2016 President Obama appointed him vice chairman of the White House Cyber Security Commission to defend the U.S. against cyber attacks.

Other Prominent Italian American Business Leaders include:
Steve Biscotti – owner of the Baltimore Ravens NFL Football Team.
Fred De Luca – founder of Subway fast food chain.
Tom Gulisano – founder of Paychex.
Kenneth Langone – founder of Home Depot.
Leonard Riggio – owner of Barnes & Noble.
Bob Guccione – founder of Penthouse Magazine.

“11 SIGNS YOU KNOW YOU GREW UP IN AN ITALIAN FAMILY”


1. When you speak, there are two volumes: loud and louder.
2. It’s nonna and nonno, not grandma and grandpa.
3. There’s at least one Holy Cross hanging in your house, a statue of Jesus or the Madonna on your front lawn, and a religious medal hanging from the rearview mirror of your car.
4. You probably have a cousin or uncle named Vinny, Tony, Frankie, Sal or Joey.
5. The mere sight of a wooden spoon still sends shivers down your spine.
6. After any meal, mom still asks if anyone at the table is still hungry, at least four more times.
7. Any occasion, whether large or small, is an excuse to serve food and eat together…mangia.
8. Sunday afternoons are reserved for family dinners and get togethers — and nothing else!
9. You automatically talk with your hands.
10. You’ll always be proud of your Italian heritage.
11. You are fiercely loyal to your family, will protect them with your life, and kill for them — literally!

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/p...t-conflit-linguistique-quebec-julie-noel

The Saint-Léonard crisis, or the beginning of the linguistic conflict in Quebec

On September 10, 1969, a demonstration turned into a riot in the Saint-Léonard district of Montreal. Francophones and Italian-Montrealers clash over the question of the language of instruction. The cause: a new directive requiring families to educate their children in French. Julie Noël, historian, explains to Jacques Beauchamp that this crisis raised the problems of free choice for cultural communities, but also that of the anglicization of minorities.

At this time, Quebec school boards were still denominational. Catholic school boards are mainly attended by French-speakers, and Protestant ones, mainly by English-speakers.

During the first major wave of immigration, at the end of the 19th century, the Protestant network was more welcoming towards Yiddish-speaking Jews. For Italians, the Catholic network is a more appropriate choice, and the Montreal Catholic School Board agrees to teach them in languages ??other than French. In some parishes, there are even trilingual schools.

French disadvantaged?

As early as the 1940s, concern was felt about the Anglicization of Quebecers with immigrant backgrounds when it was noted that 70% of them chose to send their children to English school.

The Committee of New Canadians was created to find solutions. Offer French classes in the evening or on weekends? Establish a network of trilingual schools? As the English-speaking network does not want to lose its clientele and religion is still considered the anchor point of the school boards, negotiations fail. In the meantime, the Italian community in Montreal grew to reach 100,000 people in 1970.

Unilingualism wins

In 1969, pressure from French-speaking residents of Saint-Léonard and the victory of supporters of unilingualism in school elections settled the debate: from the start of the school year, first-year students from the Commission des écoles catholiques de Montréal (CECM) will have to go to French school.

In the Italian-Montreal community, the decision does not pass.

“ [The Italians] see clearly that in Montreal, the language of the bosses is English. They also see clearly that those who work with them in the factories are French speakers. Francophones are still, in many ways, second-class citizens. [The Italians] want to be on the right side of the fence. Anglicizing their children is consistent with their choice of immigration. »

— A quote from Julie Noel
As altercations took place in Saint-Léonard in the wake of the decree, demonstrations were prohibited in the neighborhood. The rise of Quebec nationalism and the anger of Italian-Quebecers create palpable tension.

The bursting

On September 10, members of the Movement for School Integration, a group of parents in favor of monolingualism, defied the ban and took to the streets. Supporters of the Saint-Leonard English Catholic Association of Parents, a group that campaigns for free choice, followed to confront them. There are thousands of them in the street. Businesses are attacked, 500 police officers are dispatched to the scene, and violence breaks out.

Impossible reconciliation

The measures of successive governments only fuel tensions. In 1969, the National Union of Jean-Jacques Bertrand reinstated free choice with the Law to promote the French language in Quebec, but attracted the wrath of nationalists.

In 1975, Robert Bourassa's Liberal Party adopted the Official Language Act. It requires families seeking access to the English network to undergo an examination, and establishes a distinction between families of British origin and other new arrivals. For nationalists, this is too weak a coercive measure. For allophones, this is unfair targeting.

In the Italian community, clandestine schools are opened to offer English lessons, and thus prepare students for the new English exam required by law.

The PQ solution

According to Julie Noël, this prolonged crisis contributed to the victory of the Parti Québécois in 1976. René Lévesque had promised to intervene quickly, which was done with the adoption of the Charter of the French language in 1977. Unilingualism in the School becomes necessary again for the children of newcomers, forcing the Protestant network to open French-speaking classes, and the Catholic network to become multi-ethnic.

We had to wait for the relaxation of the Charter of the French Language, in 1986, to regularize the status of more than 1000 schoolchildren who were still illegally attending the English-speaking network.

https://youtu.be/qoPOwss3ig0?si=L-ihbKzAwuOr68ta

(12 Sep 1969) Canadian students and French language demonstrators take to the streets of St Leonard, Montreal. The protest was over Italian opposition to the use of French as the sole medium of teaching in local schools.

This is very interesting BM. Good post.

Amerigo Vespucci - Italian navigator, explorer, discoverer...the man who the United States of "America" is named after.


https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amerigo-Vespucci

David Chase, the creator and producer of the megahit HBO series, "The Sopranos."

Born David DeCesare (both of his parents were Italian), David Chase originally dreamed of becoming a rock-n-roll drummer and even spent many years trying to become a star drummer in the 1960s as part of an East Coast rock band. But after that dream faded, he decided to pick up a movie camera and create his own movies. He studied film at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and was also in the graduate film program at Stanford University. After his schooling, he began writing for network TV series, including NBC's "The Rockford Files" starring James Garner, eventually moving through Hollywood as a writer on numerous other shows until he wrote and pitched the pilot for what would become "The Sopranos." The rest is history.

Source: imdb.com

Machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, political philosopher, military strategist, historian, poet, playwright and humanist based in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. He is considered the founder of modern political science.

Phil Anselmo, leading vocal for the world famous metal band Pantera, is a half Sicilian born in the US...

My brother is a massive panterra fan. Good group

Megadeth is up there

DONATELLO

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c.?1386 – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello, was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he studied classical sculpture and used his knowledge to develop an Early Renaissance style of sculpture. He spent time in other cities, where he worked on commissions and taught others; his periods in Rome, Padua, and Siena introduced to other parts of Italy the techniques he had developed in the course of a long and productive career. His David was the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity; like much of his work it was commissioned by the Medici family.

THE ICONIC CROONER "BOBBY DARIN"


Now we're honoring the life of Bobby Darin for Italian Heritage Month. Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in 1936. Like Al Pacino, his family moved to the South Bronx when he was a toddler. Darin knew his time on earth was limited due to being born with a heart condition, which is why he crammed everything he had in life.

His mother, Nina Cassotto, was the daughter of an Italian father and English mother. Nina had Bobby out of wedlock and never told him who his real father was while he was alive. But facts eventually proved that she had a relationship with a mafioso named Tony Grillo before he was born, and that the man was his biological padre.

Knowing his time was limited, young Bobby decided to drop out of college to pursue a music career. He wrote songs for pop singers in 1955 and 1956. One of those singers was Connie Francis, who hooked him up with the right people to help launch his professional singing career, instead of being known as only a songwriter with an occasional singing gig at a bar, coffee place or restaurant. In 1958, he signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.

He started out singing rockabilly songs, as he honored the rockabilly icons Elvis, Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins. Rockabilly is a mixture of country and rhythm and blues, that helped set modern rock and roll in motion. After signing the contract, he wrote “Splish Splash," which became his first hit song. His next hit that year was with "Queen of the Hop." In 1959, he had another big hit with "Dream Lover."

Later that year, he left Atlantic and signed a contract with Capital Records. While changing labels, he also changed the style of music he was doing, and started to be noticed as a crooner with great songs like “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond the Sea.” But he began recording some folk songs that his fans felt wasn't really for him in the late 1960s.

Sadly, the life of this talented singer was cut short due to his heart issues, and he died after an unsuccessful surgery in 1973. He was only 37. And yet, during his life he had major accomplishments. He had eleven top 10 singles, had his own TV show, acted in a few films, was hugely popular as a headliner in Las Vegas, and was responsible for discovering the crooner Wayne Newton.
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Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino !!

"La Famiglia"

Family is one of the most important aspects of Italian and Italian-American life. Everything Italians do centers around La Famiglia (the family) from meals to work to free time. A common phrase Italians often use is "La Famiglia è Tutto," which translates to "Family is Everything."

Marco Polo !

Marco Polo ( Venice or Kor?ula , 1254 – Venice, January 8 , 1324 ) was a Venetian merchant and explorer . With his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo Polo he traveled to areas largely unknown to Europe such as Persia , China and the Indies between 1271 and 1295 . He managed to collect unique information about Asia in the service of the Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan . After returning to Venice, together with the novelist Rustichello of Pisa , he described the countries he visited in Il Milione.. This book had a major influence on the European image of the East in the late Middle Ages . Marco Polo described the splendor of China and the Mongolian Empire and mentioned many things unknown in Europe such as the use of paper money, coal, the existence of Japan, etc. The geographical knowledge acquired by Marco Polo was used by renowned cartographers and encouraged , on the eve of the age of great discoveries , explorers like Christopher Columbus .

Although popular legend claims Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century, pasta can be traced back as far as the 4th century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.

The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C.

Italo Disco was big in Europe when I grew up.

Classic !

Good posts Hollander.

Thanks when it comes to music few can beat the Italians LOL.

VENICE, ITALY

On the surface, Venice is beautiful – but, thanks to the fact that the city is filled with signs and symbols, there’s way more to it than meets the eye! From gondolas to flags, almost everything in Venice has a hidden story to tell. Here are three of our favorite Venetian symbols that you can find scattered across the city.

It’s a truism to say that the Venetian gondola is a symbol of Venice. But there’s way more to it, because the gondola itself is loaded with symbols and meanings, too! First of all, there’s the size of the gondola. Every one is exactly 35? 6? long and 4? 6? wide, but each has one side 10 inches longer than the other.

MASS MURDER LED TO WHY THE VERY FIRST "COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION" CAME TO BE.

The First Columbus Day Arose From Bloodshed and Political Calculation
ISDA StaffOctober 4, 2023

War was on the table between the U.S. & Italy after 11 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans in 1891. The diplomatic crisis cooled thanks to the first Columbus Day, and what followed was a cultural celebration built on inclusion & assimilation.

The Columbus Circle statue was unveiled on Oct. 13, 1892, at the foot of Central Park in New York City. It was built to appease the Italian American community during a period of unflinching discrimination. NYC council members now want to tear it down.

On March 14, 1891, prominent New Orleans citizens — including future mayors and governors — led the largest lynch mob ever to assemble on U.S. soil.
Numbering in the tens of thousands and wielding torches, rifles and rope, the mob of vigilantes stormed into Parish Prison and murdered 11 Italian immigrants, all of whom had either just been acquitted or were falsely implicated in the 1890 murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy.
–Antonio Bagnetto, fruit peddler: tried and acquitted
–James Caruso, stevedore: not tried
–Loreto Comitis, tinsmith: not tried
–Rocco Geraci, stevedore: not tried
–Joseph Macheca, fruit importer and Democratic Party political boss: tried and acquitted
–Antonio Marchesi, fruit peddler: tried and acquitted
–Pietro Monasterio, cobbler: mistrial
–Emmanuele Polizzi, street vendor: mistrial
–Frank Romero, ward politician: not tried
–Antonio Scaffidi, fruit peddler: mistrial
–Charles Traina, rice plantation laborer: not tried

Mob conspirators claimed that mafia influence swayed jurors, despite no evidence; and according to History.com, the court proceedings surrounding Chief Hennessy’s murder marked the genesis of Italian American mafia tropes that persist today (from boorish Saturday Night Live sketches, to Hollywood’s repetitive stereotypes).

A lynch mob broke into Parish Prison on March 14, 1891 and abducted and kill 11 Italian immigrants who were wrongfully accused in the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy. (Credit: E. Benjamin Andrews)

Italian Americans and leaders of the Kingdom of Italy were outraged by the mass lynching. Italy broke off diplomatic relations and recalled its ambassador from Washington, D.C. Then-President Benjamin Harrison, in turn, removed the U.S. legation from Rome. The lynchings even touched off talk of war between the U.S. and Italy, according to The Washington Post.
Prominent U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times, praised the lynchings. Theodore Roosevelt, in a letter to his sister, sided with the mob, writing: “Personally, I think it a rather good thing.”

From the site WAI - We Are Italians

Singer - Genaro (Jerry Vale) Vitaliano

Did you know that Italian-American crooner Jerry Vale sustained the crooning tradition well into the rock 'n' roll era.

He was born Genaro Vitaliano in the Wakefield section of the Bronx in 1930, to Italian parents. At age 13, Vale started singing for tips as a shoeshine boy at a barber shop in the Bronx. His boss, Vito Veneziano, liked his sound so well that he paid for music lessons for young Genaro.

While in high school, he sang in some musicals. After graduating from high school, Vale started performing at nightclubs in New York in the early 1950s, including one lasting for three years at the Enchanted Room, a club in Yonkers. The famous singer Guy Mitchell saw Vale at the Enchanted Room and soon introduced Vale to Mitch Miller, then head of A&R at Columbia Records. Vale signed a recording contract with the record company and soon recorded "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart." The song became a fairly big hit. He went on to have other tremendous hits throughout the 1950s, including "Two Purple Shadows," "You Don't Know Me" and "Pretend You Don't See Her."

Frank Sinatra soon recruited him to play in the lounge of the Sands Hotel in Vegas while Sinatra performed in the showroom in the early 1960s. He then went on to have hits such as "Have You Looked Into Your Heart" and "For Mama." He and Sinatra remained friends until Sinatra's death in 1998. He made cameo appearances as himself in the 1990 film Goodfellas and the 1995 film Casino, both directed by Martin Scorsese. Sadly and unfortunately, Vale died of natural causes in his sleep on May 18, 2014, at his home in Palm Desert, California.

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY 2023!

Button Guys wishes everyone who celebrates a very Happy & Healthy Columbus Day!

“ITALY STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL”

Meloni calls Netanyahu, to declare that Italy stands alongside Israel.

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 8 - Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated the Italian government's full solidarity following the attacks by Hamas and its closeness to the families of the victims, the hostages and the wounded, a statement said. The government will work with international partners to coordinate support. Italy stands by the Israeli people at this difficult time, the statement added. (ANSA).

DISCOVERING COLUMBUS


The New York Times Archives
August 11, 1991


FEW STORIES IN HISTORY are more familiar than the one of Christopher Columbus sailing west for the Indies and finding instead the New World. Indelibly imprinted in our memory is the verse from childhood: "In fourteen hundred and ninety-two/Columbus sailed the ocean blue." The names of his ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, roll fluently from our lips. We know how Columbus, a seaman of humble and obscure origins, pursued a dream that became his obsession. How he found not the riches of Cathay but a sprinkling of small islands inhabited by gentle people. How he called these people Indians, thinking that surely the mainland of Asia lay just over the horizon.

Yet the history of Columbus is frustratingly incomplete. When and how in the mists of his rootless life did he conceive of his audacious plan? He supposedly wanted to sail west across the Ocean Sea to reach Cipangu, the name then for Japan, and the region known generally as the Indies. But was he really seeking the Indies? How are we to navigate the poorly charted waters of ambiguous and conflicting documentation everywhere Columbus went and in everything he did? We are not certain how he was finally able to win royal backing for the enterprise. We know little about his ships and the men who sailed them. We don't know exactly where he made his first landfall. We don't know for sure what he looked like or where he lies buried. We do know he was an inept governor of the Spanish settlements in the Caribbean and had a bloodied hand in the brutalization of the native people and in the start of a slave trade. But we are left wondering if he is to be admired and praised, condemned -- or perhaps pitied as a tragic figure.

Walt Whitman imagined Columbus on his deathbed, in the throes of self-doubt, seeming to anticipate the vicissitudes that lay ahead in his passage through history: What do I know of life? what of myself? I know not even my own work past or present; Dim ever-shifting guesses of it spread before me, Of newer better worlds, their mighty parturition, Mocking, perplexing me.

The man who wrote to his patron, Luis de Santangel, on the voyage back to Europe in 1493, proclaiming discovery and assuring that he would not be forgotten, probably had no such thoughts. He could not foresee posterity's "ever-shifting guesses" concerning his deeds and himself any more than he could assimilate in his inflexible mind what he had done and seen. But it was his fate to be the accidental agent of a transcendental discovery and, as a result, to be tossed into the tempestuous sea of history, drifting half-forgotten at first, then swept by swift currents to a towering crest of honor and legend, only to be caught in recent years in a riptide of conflicting views of his life and of his responsibility for almost everything that has happened since.

COLUMBUS'S REPUTATION in history has followed a curious course. His obsession, obstinacy and navigational skill carried Europe across the ocean. "The Admiral was the first to open the gates of that ocean which had been closed for so many thousands of years before," wrote Bartolome de las Casas a half century later in a comprehensive account of the voyages, which remains to this day a major source of knowledge about Columbus. "He it was who gave the light by which all others might see how to discover." But he was then anything but the stellar figure in history he was to become. His immediate reputation was diminished by his failures as a colonial administrator and by a protracted lawsuit between the crown and the heirs of Columbus, casting doubt on the singularity of his plan for sailing west to the Indies. (Testimony by some seamen who had sailed with Columbus suggested that one of his captains was actually responsible for much of the idea.) In time, Las Casas forced his contemporaries to question the morality of the brutal treatment of Indians at the hands of Columbus and his successors.

By the early years of the 16th century, Amerigo Vespucci, a more perceptive interpreter of the New World and a more engaging writer, had already robbed Columbus of prominence on the map. His star was also eclipsed by explorers like Cortes and Pizarro, who obtained gold and glory for Spain and had the good fortune to conquer not an assortment of islands but splendid empires like those of the Aztecs of Mexico and Incas of Peru, and by mariners like Vasco da Gama, who actually reached the Indies, and Magellan, whose expedition of circumnavigation was the first to confirm by experience the world's sphericity -- and also left no doubt about the magnitude of Columbus's error in thinking he had reached Asia.
Many books of general history in the first decades of the 16th century either scarcely mentioned Columbus or ignored him altogether. Writers of the time "showed little interest in his personality and career, and some of them could not even get his Christian name right," according to J. H. Elliott, a British historian. Responsibility for the neglect has been attributed in part to Peter Martyr, an Italian cleric in the court at Barcelona, whose correspondence, beginning in the months after Columbus's return, was widely read. It made much of the years of discovery but gave only passing notice to Columbus himself, though acknowledging his fortitude and courage.

With the poverty of available documentation about the man, there were few alternative sources of information. Yet to come were the works of the contemporary observers Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo (who would write an encyclopedic history of the early discoveries), Bartolome de las Casas and Columbus's son Ferdinand, who would write the first definitive biography of Columbus. Nearly all of Columbus's own letters and journals had long since disappeared.

By the middle of the 16th century, Columbus began to emerge from the shadows, reincarnated not so much as a man and historical figure but as a myth and symbol. In 1552, in a ringing assessment that would be repeated time and again, the historian Francisco Lopez de Gomara wrote, "The greatest event since the creation of the world (excluding the incarnation and death of Him who created it) is the discovery of the Indies." Columbus came to epitomize the explorer and discoverer, the man of vision and audacity, the hero who overcame opposition and adversity to change history.

By the end of the 16th century, English explorers and writers acknowledged his primacy and inspiration. "Had they not Columbus to stirre them up," Richard Hakluyt, the historian of exploration, wrote in 1598. He was celebrated in poetry and plays, especially by the Italians. Even Spain was coming around. In 1614, a popular play, "El Nuevo Mundo descubierto por Cristobal Colon," portrayed Columbus as a dreamer up against the stolid forces of entrenched tradition, a man of singular purpose who triumphed, the embodiment of that spirit driving humans to explore and discover.

The association between Columbus and America prospered in the 18th century, as the population became increasingly American-born, with less reason to identify with the "mother country." No one in Boston or New York is recorded to have celebrated Columbus on the bicentennial, in 1692. But within a very short time, the colonists began thinking of themselves as a people distinct from the English. By virtue of their isolation and common experience in a new land, they were becoming Americans, and they looked to define themselves on their own terms and through their own symbols. Samuel Sewall of Boston was one of the first to suggest their land should rightfully be named for Columbus, "the magnanimous heroe . . . who was manifestly appointed of God to be the Finder out of these lands." The Columbus who thought of himself as God's messenger -- "As the Lord told of it through the mouth of Isaiah, He made me the messenger, and he showed me the way," Columbus wrote on his third voyage -- would have been pleased at this turn in his posthumous reputation. But Sewall was also indulging in a practice that would become rampant: enlisting the symbolic Columbus for his own purposes -- in spirited defense of the colonies, which were being described by theologians at Oxford and Cambridge as the Biblical "infernal region," or in plain English, "hell."

By the time of the Revolution, Columbus had been transmuted into a national icon, a hero second only to Washington. The new Republic's celebration of Columbus reached a climax in October 1792, the 300th anniversary of the landfall. By then, King's College in New York had been renamed Columbia and the national capital being planned was given the name the District of Columbia, perhaps to appease those who demanded that the entire country be designated Columbia.
It is not hard to understand the appeal of Columbus as a totem for the former subjects of George III. Columbus had found the way of escape from Old World tyranny. He was the solitary individual who challenged the unknown sea, as triumphant Americans contemplated the dangers and promise of their own wilderness frontier. He had been opposed by kings and (in his mind) betrayed by royal perfidy. But as a consequence of his vision and audacity, there was now a land free from kings, a vast continent for new beginnings.

In Columbus, the new nation found a hero seemingly free of any taint from association with the European colonial powers. The Columbus symbolism gave Americans an instant mythology and a unique place in history, and their adoption of Columbus magnified his own place.

In "The Whig Interpretation of History," Herbert Butterfield, a British historian of this century, properly deplored "the tendency of many historians . . . to produce a story which is the ratification if not the glorification of the present." But historians cannot control the popularizers, the myth makers and propagandists, and in post-Revolutionary America the few who studied Columbus were probably not disposed to try. Even if they had been, there was little information available on which to assess the real Columbus and distinguish the man from the myth.

By the 19th century new materials had emerged -- some of Columbus's own writings and a lengthy abridgment of his lost journal of the first voyage -- that might have been used to assess the real man. Instead, these manuscripts provided more ammunition for those who would embellish the symbolic Columbus. Washington Irving mined the new documents to create a hero in the romantic mold favored in the century's literature. His Columbus was "a man of great and inventive genius" and his "ambition was lofty and noble, inspiring him with high thoughts, and an anxiety to distinguish himself by great achievements."

Perhaps. But an effusive Irving got carried away. Columbus's "conduct was characterized by the grandeur of his views and the magnanimity of his spirit," he wrote. "Instead of ravaging the newly found countries . . . he sought to colonize and cultivate them, to civilize the natives." Columbus may have had some faults, Irving acknowledged, such as his part in enslaving and killing people, but these were "errors of the times."

The historian Daniel J. Boorstin observes that people "once felt themselves made by their heroes" and cites James Russell Lowell: "The idol is the measure of the worshiper." Accordingly, writers and orators of the 19th century ascribed to Columbus all the human virtues that were most prized in that time of geographic and industrial expansion, heady optimism and an unquestioning belief in progress as the dynamic of history.

This image of Columbus accorded with the popular rags-to-riches, log-cabin-to-the-White-House scenario of human advancement. This was the ideal Columbus that schoolchildren learned about in their McGuffey readers. The orator Edward Everett reminded his audience in 1853 that Columbus had once been forced to beg for bread at the convent doors of Spain. "We find encouragement in every page of our country's history," Everett declared. "Nowhere do we meet with examples more numerous and more brilliant of men who have risen above poverty and obscurity. . . . One whole vast continent was added to the geography of the world by the persevering efforts of a humble Genoese mariner, the great Columbus; who, by the steady pursuit of the enlightened conception he had formed of the figure of the earth, before any navigator had acted upon the belief that it was round, discovered the American continent."

With the influx of millions of immigrants after the American Civil War, Columbus assumed a new role, that of ethnic hero. Irish Catholic immigrants organized the Knights of Columbus in New Haven in 1882. The fraternity's literature described Columbus as "a prophet and a seer, an instrument of Divine Providence" and an inspiration to each knight to become "a better Catholic and a better citizen." The knights grew in number and influence, promoting academic studies in American history, lobbying for the Columbus memorial erected in front of Union Station in Washington and seeking the canonization of their hero.

At the same time, French Catholics were mounting a campaign to elevate Columbus to sainthood, on the grounds that he had "brought the Christian faith to half the world." But, despite encouragement from Pope Pius IX, the proponents got nowhere with the Vatican. Columbus's rejection was based largely on his relationship with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, his mistress and the mother of his son Ferdinand, and the lack of proof that he had performed a miracle, as defined by the church.

The 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage was marked by a yearlong commemoration throughout the United States. To the beat of brass bands and a chorus of self-congratulation, Americans hailed the man who had crossed uncharted seas as they had now leaped a wide and wild continent. As part of the celebration, Antonin Dvorak composed "From the New World," a symphony evoking the sweep and promise of the beckoning American landscape. President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed, "Columbus stood in his age as the pioneer of progress and enlightenment." In New York, Italian immigrants, who had joined the Irish in search of an identity with the larger American community, raised money for a statue atop a column of Italian marble, placed at the southwest corner of Central Park, which was renamed Columbus Circle.

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The grandest of all the celebrations, the World's Columbian Exposition, in Chicago, was billed as "the jubilee of mankind." President Grover Cleveland threw the switch on that new invention, electricity, to set in motion the many machines and architectural marvels by which the United States advertised itself as an emerging giant among the nations. Columbus was now the symbol of American success. The invocation was a prayer of thanksgiving for "that most momentous of all voyages by which Columbus lifted the veil that hid the New World from the Old and opened the gateway of the future of mankind." Clearly, the exposition was more than a commemoration of the past; it was also the exclamation of a future that self-confident Americans were eager to shape and enjoy.

A few historians, seeking the man behind the myth, struck chords of a refreshing counterpoint to the adulatory hymns. Henry Harrisse's diligent examination of all known Columbus materials left scholars no excuse for continuing to treat the man as a demigod, though he, too, rendered a largely favorable judgment. "Columbus removed out of the range of mere speculation the idea that beyond the Atlantic Ocean lands existed and could be reached by sea," he wrote in "Christopher Columbus and the Bank of Saint George." He "made of the notion a fixed fact, and linked forever the two worlds. That event, which is unquestionably the greatest of modern time, secures to Columbus a place in the pantheon dedicated to the worthies whose courageous deeds mankind will always admire."

It was the biographer Justin Winsor, more than any other respected historian of the day, who cast a cold light on the dark side of Columbus's character. He had objected strongly to Columbus's proposed canonization. ("He had nothing of the generous and noble spirit of a conjoint lover of man and of God," he wrote at the time.) In his view, Columbus forfeited any claim to sympathy when he robbed of proper credit the lookout who had cried " Tierra! " and thus took for himself the lifetime pension promised to the first person to see land.

"No child of any age ever did less to improve his contemporaries, and few ever did more to prepare the way for such improvements," Winsor wrote in his 1891 biography. "The age created him and the age left him. There is no more conspicuous example in history of a man showing the path and losing it. . . ." Columbus left his new world "a legacy of devastation and crime. He might have been an unselfish promoter of geographical science; he proved a rabid seeker for gold and a viceroyalty. He might have won converts to the fold of Christ by the kindness of his spirit; he gained the execrations of the good angels. He might, like Las Casas, have rebuked the fiendishness of his contemporaries; he set them an example of perverted belief."

Winsor's withering assault on the Columbus of legend was the exception in the late 19th century, and not taken kindly by those who held to the prevailing image. They had created the Columbus they wanted to believe in, and were quite satisfied with their creation.

But by the early 20th century, historians were beginning to expose contradictions, lacunas and suspected fictions in the familiar story. No one could be sure when and how Columbus arrived at his idea, what his real objective was or what manner of man he was -- an inspired but rational genius, a lucky adventurer clouded by mysticism, a man of the Renaissance or of the Middle Ages. It wasn't until 1942 that Columbus was rescued from mythology and portrayed as what he had been first and foremost: an inspired mariner.

In his biography, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea," Samuel Eliot Morison, drawing on the accumulating documents and his own seafaring expertise, chose to stress the one aspect of Columbus that has been beyond serious dispute. Morison's Columbus was no saint, but he could sail a ship and possessed the will and courage to go where no one had presumably gone before.

THE WORLD AND America are changing, of course, and Columbus's reputation is changing, too. Modern life has made disbelievers of many who once worshiped at the altar of progress. In the years after World War II, nearly all the colonies of the major empires won their independence and, like the United States in its early days, began to view world history from their own anticolonial perspective. The idol had been the measure of the worshipers, but now there were atheists all around. To them, the Age of Discovery was not the bright dawning of a glorious epoch, but an invasion. Columbus became the avatar of oppression. Another Columbus for another age.

"A funny thing happened on the way to the quincentennial observation of America's 'discovery,' " Garry Wills wrote in The New York Review of Books in 1990. "Columbus got mugged. This time the Indians were waiting for him. He comes now with an apologetic air -- but not, for some, sufficiently apologetic. . . . He comes to be dishonored."

Today, historians are addressing consequences as well as actions -- increasingly approaching the European incursion in America from the standpoint of the native Americans. They speak not of the "discovery" but of the "encounter" or the "contact." Alfred W. Crosby, at the University of Texas at Austin, has examined the biological consequences of Columbus's arrival. While some -- the exchange of plants and animals between continents, the eventual globalization of biology -- were generally beneficial, he found others, like the spread of devastating disease, to be catastrophic.

In public forums, Columbus is tarred as the precursor of exploitation and conquest. Kirkpatrick Sale, in "The Conquest of Paradise," argues that Columbus was a grasping fortune hunter whose legacy was the destruction of the native population and rape of the land that continues to this day.

Descendants of American Indians and the African slaves brought to the New World, as well as those who sympathize with their causes, are understandably reluctant to celebrate the anniversary of Columbus's landfall. Leaders of American Indian organizations condemn Columbus as a pirate or worse; Russell Means of the American Indian Movement says that Columbus "makes Hitler look like a juvenile delinquent." In a 1987 newspaper story, the Indian activist Vernon Bellecourt was quoted as calling for "militant demonstrations" against celebrants in 1992 "to blow out the candles on their birthday cake."

The governing board of the National Council of Churches, a predominantly Protestant organization, resolved that, in consideration of the "genocide, slavery, 'ecocide' and exploitation" that followed Columbus, the quincentenary should be a time of penitence rather than jubilation. In 1986, after four years of impassioned debate, the United Nations abandoned its attempt to plan a celebration.

Once again, Columbus has become a symbol, this time of exploitation and imperialism. It is time that the encounter be viewed not only from the European standpoint, but from that of the indigenous Americans. It is time that the sanitized storybook version of Europeans bringing civilization and Christianity to America be replaced with a more clear-eyed recognition of the evils and atrocities committed in wresting a land from its original inhabitants.

But are we burdening him with more guilt than any one man should have to shoulder? Should not the guilt be more broadly shared?

Columbus should be judged by the evidence of his actions and words, not by the legend that has been embedded in our imaginations. What do we know of Columbus the person, who really was, and of the times, as they really were?

Columbus, as far as we can tell, was born in 1451 in Genoa, apparently the eldest of five surviving children in a family of wool weavers. (One child was a girl, rarely mentioned in historical accounts.) They were tradespeople of modest means. But of them, as of most aspects of his early life, Columbus said nothing. Some of his ancestors may have been Jewish, though this has never been established and, in any event, it seems to have had no direct bearing on his life and exploits. His family was Christian, and so was Columbus -- demonstrably so. His surviving journals and letters are replete with invocations of the names of Christ, Mary and the saints, and he often sought the advice and hospitality of Franciscans.
Even more crucial than his ancestry may have been the time into which he was born. Columbus grew up hearing of the scourge of Islam, the blockage of trade routes to the spices of the East and the parlous times for Christendom. All this could have nourished dreams in an ambitious young man with nautical experience. Columbus did write that at a "tender age" he cast his lot with those who go to sea, shipping out on several voyages in the Mediterranean. In 1476, he found his way by chance to Portugal, where exploration of the sea was a dynamic of the age and the search for a new route to the Indies was an economic and religious imperative.

He gained a knowledge of the Atlantic in voyages to England and Ireland (perhaps as far as Iceland) and at least once down the African coast. His marriage to Felipa Perestrello e Moniz took him to the Madeiras, where he would study Atlantic sailing charts and hear the many tales of westering voyages, and gave him access to Portuguese nobility. In these years he presumably conceived of his bold plan, but it was rejected by John II of Portugal.

So after his wife died, Columbus took their young son, Diego, and went to Spain in 1484, again seeking royal backing. He managed to make friends with influential Franciscan friars and members of the royal court. "Columbus's ability to thrust himself into the circles of the great was one of the most remarkable things about him," writes John H. Parry, an American historian. But he would spend the next eight years entreating the court and defending his plan before royal commissions.
During this time, he fell in love with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana of Cordoba; they never married, but she bore their son, Ferdinand, who became his father's devoted biographer. Ferdinand described his father as a "well-built man of more than average stature" who had a complexion tending to bright red, an aquiline nose and blond hair that, after the age of 30, had all turned white.

Only after the fall of Granada in January 1492, which ended the Moorish presence in Spain, did Ferdinand and Isabella finally relent, apparently on the advice of Santangel, the king's financial adviser. Contrary to legend, Isabella did not have to hock her jewels, and Columbus did not have to prove the world was round. Educated Europeans were already convinced, but he seems to have been the first to stake his life on it.

Columbus was a consummate mariner, everyone seemed to agree. As Michele de Cuneo, who sailed with him, said: "By a simple look at the night sky, he would know what route to follow or what weather to expect; he took the helm, and once the storm was over, he would hoist the sails, while the others were asleep." And he found a new world. If there had not been an America there, he would probably have sailed to his death and certainly to oblivion. He could never have made the Indies, which lay far beyond where his miscalculations had placed them. He was wrong, but lucky. No explorer succeeds without some luck.

He made three more voyages, but his skill and luck deserted him on land. He was an inept administrator of the colony he established at La Isabela, on the north shore of what is now the Dominican Republic. Ruling by the gibbet for three years, he antagonized his own men to insurrection (some lieutenants tried to seize ships and get away with a load of gold) and goaded the native Tainos into bloody rebellion. Thousands of Tainos were raped, killed and tortured and their villages burned. At the first opportunity, Columbus captured Tainos and shipped them to Spain as slaves, a practice not without precedent in Europe or even among the people of pre-Columbian America. Las Casas sadly lamented the practices of his countrymen: "If we Christians had acted as we should."

The geographic interpretations of Columbus were muddled by preconceptions. He tended to see what he wanted to see and took native words to be mispronunciations of places in Cathay. He forced his crew to swear that one of his landfalls, Cuba, was the Asian mainland. His was not an open mind. He sought confirmation of received wisdom, usually church teachings, rather than new knowledge. Enthralled by the proximity of what he believed was the earthly paradise, he failed to appreciate that he had reached the South American continent on his third voyage. The waters of the Orinoco, he wrote, must flow from the fountain in Paradise, "whither no one can go but by God's permission."

Still, Columbus persevered, often racked with the pain of arthritis, which worsened with each voyage, and also tropical fevers. His four voyages, between 1492 and 1504, showed the way to countless others. As he approached death in 1506, his mind was consumed with self-pity, mysticism and a desperate desire to seize Jerusalem in preparation for Judgment Day. He wrote in a letter to the court: "All that was left to me and to my brothers has been taken away and sold, even to the cloak that I wore, to my great dishonor. . . . I am ruined as I have said. Hitherto I have wept for others; now have pity upon me, Heaven, and weep for me, earth!" Columbus did not die a pauper, legend notwithstanding. But his death, in Valladolid, Spain, went unheralded.

How are we to judge the historical Columbus, the man and not the legend? Was he a great man?

No, if greatness is measured by one's stature among contemporaries. We will never know if the course of history might have been any different if Columbus had been a kinder, more generous man. To argue that Columbus was acting in the accepted manner of his time is to concede that he was not superior to his age. To contend (with ample supporting evidence) that even if Columbus had set a better example, others who followed would have eventually corrupted his efforts, is to beg the question. Moreover, the only example Columbus set was one of pettiness, self-aggrandizement and a lack of magnanimity. He could not find in himself the generosity to share any credit for his accomplishments. Whatever his original objective, his lust for gold drove him from island to island and, it seems, to the verge of paranoia. And the only future he could anticipate was wealth for himself and his heirs and, probably more than most people of his time, the chimera of the imminent end of the world.

Yes, if greatness derives from the audacity of his undertaking, its surprising revelation and the magnitude of its impact on subsequent history. Columbus did cross the uncharted Atlantic, no mean feat. He did find new lands and people, and he returned to tell of it so that others could follow, opening the way to intercontinental travel and expansion. True, if he had never sailed, other mariners would eventually have raised the American coast, as the Portuguese did in reaching Brazil by accident in 1500. But it was Columbus who had the idea, ill conceived though it was in many respects, and pursued it with uncommon persistence, undeterred by the doubters and scoffers. As it was put in the apocryphal story, Columbus showed the world how to stand an egg on its end.

Whether he was a great man or merely an agent of a great accomplishment, the issue really is his standing in history. And that depends on posterity's changing evaluation -- Whitman's "evershifting guesses" -- of him and the consequence of Europe's discovery of America. His reputation is inextricably linked to America. Ultimately, Columbus's place in history can be judged only in relation to the place accorded America in history. Surely we have not finally established that place.
It would be interesting to know how Columbus will be characterized in 2092. For it seems that his destiny is to serve as a barometer of our self-confidence and complacency, our hopes and aspirations, our faith in progress and the capacity of humans to create a more just society.

. Happy Columbus Day!

Happy Columbus Day! Love these contributions fellas.

And a very heartfelt Happy Columbus Day to you and your family too, JC.

For those forum members interested...

The 79th Annual Columbus Day Parade is currently being televised on NYC Channel 7 as I write this. Its runs from 12-3pm.

They put on a great show.

Happy Columbus Day to you and your family too, Jimmy.

And I totally agree with you, I love all these contributions by our fellow forum members too! Its great stuff.

I fully recognize and really appreciate the solidarity between all of us. So thank you for that.

Viva Italia!...And regardless of whether our fellow forum members are "technically" Italian or not, today, no matter what particular heritage you may be, we're ALL Italians! lol

Happy Columbus Day folks!

The First Columbus Day Arose From Bloodshed and Political Calculation
ISDA StaffOctober 4, 2023


THIS INCIDENT WAS THE WORST MASS LYNCHING IN U.S. HISTORY!

War was on the table between the U.S. & Italy after 11 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans in 1891.

The diplomatic crisis cooled thanks to the first Columbus Day, and what followed was a cultural celebration built on inclusion & assimilation.

The Columbus Circle statue was unveiled on Oct. 13, 1892, at the foot of Central Park in New York City. It was built to appease the Italian American community during a period of unflinching discrimination. NYC council members now want to tear it down.

On March 14, 1891, prominent New Orleans citizens — including future mayors and governors — led the largest lynch mob ever to assemble on U.S. soil.

Numbering in the tens of thousands and wielding torches, rifles and rope, the mob of vigilantes stormed into Parish Prison and murdered 11 Italian immigrants, all of whom had either just been acquitted or were falsely implicated in the 1890 murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy.

The lynching victims were identified as follows;

–Antonio Bagnetto, fruit peddler: tried and acquitted
–James Caruso, stevedore: not tried
–Loreto Comitis, tinsmith: not tried
–Rocco Geraci, stevedore: not tried
–Joseph Macheca, fruit importer and Democratic Party political boss: tried and acquitted
–Antonio Marchesi, fruit peddler: tried and acquitted
–Pietro Monasterio, cobbler: mistrial
–Emmanuele Polizzi, street vendor: mistrial
–Frank Romero, ward politician: not tried
–Antonio Scaffidi, fruit peddler: mistrial
–Charles Traina, rice plantation laborer: not tried

Mob conspirators claimed that mafia influence swayed jurors, despite no evidence; and according to History.com, the court proceedings surrounding Chief Hennessy’s murder marked the genesis of Italian American mafia tropes that persist today (from boorish Saturday Night Live sketches, to Hollywood’s repetitive stereotypes).

A lynch mob breaks into Parish Prison on March 14, 1891, to abduct and kill 11 Italian immigrants who were wrongfully accused in the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy. (Credit: E. Benjamin Andrews)

Italian Americans and leaders of the Kingdom of Italy were outraged by the mass lynching. Italy broke off diplomatic relations and recalled its ambassador from Washington, D.C. Then-President Benjamin Harrison, in turn, removed the U.S. legation from Rome. The lynchings even touched off talk of war between the U.S. and Italy, according to The Washington Post.

Prominent U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times, praised the lynchings. Theodore Roosevelt, in a letter to his sister, sided with the mob, writing: “Personally, I think it a rather good thing.”

During the 1980’s and 90's one of the most famous Italian chain of restaurants in Chicago was The Rosebud chain which started back in 1975. Originally located on Taylor St. and known as “Boccia della Rosa”, which means bud of the rose, the owner Alex Dana began serving few of the best Italian meals and their own signature dishes such as Chicken Vesuvio and Pappardelle which in fact means square noodles, and so their food became quite popular and attracted celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett or Robert DeNiro. During the early 1990’s, the owner decided to spread his business from Taylor St. to the Rush St. area, and in 2012 Dana stepped down as the general manager and owner of the Rosebud chain and was replaced by his son and a team of his best employees and three years later or in 2015 the successful businessman celebrated 40 years anniversary of his legit business.



The Rosebud on Rush St



Chicken Vesio



Pappardelle

An Italian Minute…

Ever Wonder Who Brought Fireworks Shows to the United States?

Hint: You can thank the Italians!

The vibrant aerial displays that impress crowds today date all the way back to the 1830s, when Italians combined metals with explosives to develop colored fireworks.

Did you know Italy invented the first commercial microchip?

Federico Faggin designed the first commercial microprocessor - the Intel 4004. Faggin was born in Vicenza, Italy, and received his degree in physics from the University of Padua.

Innovation has been the hallmark of Italy since ancient times. From the Roman Empire when advancements such as the aqueduct revolutionized the world to the present-day masterminds behind its precision engineering, Italy is a world leader in innovation.

Generation after generation, Italian scientists have continued to build upon this legacy. Today, Italy continues to be at the forefront of innovation, with more than 105,000 high-tech companies. Federico Faggin’s invention of the first microprocessor is just one of the countless examples of Italian innovation.
--
The National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF)

That looks delicious TP. I bet you're not a thin guy lol

Nice TD now I'm hungry lol !

ORIGIN OF THE PIZZA MARGARITA
The pizza is one of the most famous meals in the world and comes in many variations. The most famous pizza, the margarita, was named after Queen Margeritha of Italy, the wife of King Umberto I.

Pizza, an old meal
The history of pizza is thousands of years old. Archaeologists have found traces of baking in central Italy that were probably the predecessor of today's pizza. From the pizza base to be exact. Such flat bread-like baked goods were not unique, by the way. Traces of similar baking have been found in many areas around the Mediterranean, and similar meals are still eaten in many places.

Meals that resemble the modern pizza, a flat bread-like baking topped with other foods, have been around throughout history. From Roman times to the Middle Ages. Historians therefore do not entirely agree on what the most direct 'predecessor' of the pizza is. For example, there is a theory that the pizza descends from the Jewish matzah, which was topped with cheese and olive oil by Roman soldiers. Another precursor could be the focaccia. They are still eaten in many places along the Mediterranean Sea and - just like the pizza - can also be found in our supermarkets.

A more direct predecessor is probably the galette as it was eaten in sixteenth-century Naples. Those flat breads were mainly eaten by the poor and were sometimes referred to as pizza. The most famous story about the origin of the pizza, however, is that of the pizza margeritha, the pizza that more or less symbolizes all modern pizzas.

Poor bread for the queen.
Margeritha of Savoy was the only daughter of the Count of Genoa and his wife. She was born on November 20, 1851. Her grandfather was the King of Sardinia, which made Margeretha an attractive marriage partner. In 1868 she married the crown prince of Italy, Umberto.

In 1889 she left for Naples with her husband, because Rome was struck by a cholera plague. In Naples, they were advised to sample dishes by local master chef Raffaele Esposito. The royal couple summoned him to court, where he hurriedly baked them a pizza. Esposito mimicked the colors of the Italian flag with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil to appease the couple. Margeritha was so delighted with the taste of the pizza that she wrote a personal letter of thanks to the chef. Esposito decided to name the pizza after her.

The Italian pizza bakers have used this story to also name their pizzas after princesses and queens. In 2012, Princess Beatrix - then Queen of the Netherlands - also had a pizza named after her.

Queen Margarita...

A little know fact...

Why is Italy the richest country in the world?

Italy owns the world's third-largest gold reserve, and is the third-largest net contributor to the budget of the European Union. Furthermore, the advanced country private wealth is one of the largest in the world. In terms of private wealth, Italy ranks second, after Hong Kong, in private wealth to GDP ratio.

With an untold wealth of Italian inventions, nonetheless, the following 10 stand out for their global impact:
* Battery (by Alessandro Volta)
* Eyeglasses.
* Bank (by the Medici family)
* Barometer (by Evangelista Torricelli)
* Thermometer (by Galileo Galilei)
* Newspaper.
* Piano (by Bartolomeo Cristofori)
* Moka Pot (by Alfonso Bialetti)

(NIAF) Celebrating Italian Heritage Month!

The Bank of America, the largest bank in the country, was established by Amadeo Pietro “A.P.” Giannini in San Francisco. Born in San Jose, California, in 1870, Giannini was the son of Italian immigrants, Luigi and Virginia Giannini from Genoa, Italy. In 1904, Giannini founded the “Banca d’Italia” (Bank of Italy) in San Francisco, offering hardworking immigrants savings accounts and loans, when other banks would refuse, judging them not by their wealth, but by their character.

Also known as “America’s Banker,” Giannini would even keep his banks open until 9 or 10 at night for the workers.

When the 1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred, Giannini saw the need to assist and set up a temporary bank, collecting deposits and making loans, via horse and wagon. The wagon was disguised to protect against theft and Giannini made loans to those interested in rebuilding, with a handshake. Every loan Giannini gave out was paid back in full. In 1916, Giannini had opened several other locations of his bank, revolutionizing the idea of branch banking. Soon, Giannini had more than 500 branches throughout the state and in 1928, Bank of Italy merged with Bank of America, Los Angeles, and Bank of America was agreed to be the institution’s name, as it stood for the broader mission of the bank.

Giannini also financed the Golden Gate Bridge, and the fledgling film industry, including Cecil B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments,” and Disney’s “Snow White,” as well as California’s aerospace and agricultural industry.

Celebrating Italian Heritage Month! NIAF proudly highlights Italy's remarkable achievements on the global stage.

Italy has long held its position as a world leader in exports, with an impressive array of products that leave a lasting mark on international markets.

From cutting-edge machinery that drives innovation, to life-saving pharmaceuticals that improve health worldwide, to finely crafted vehicles that embody Italian style and precision, Italy consistently delivers excellence.

Join us in honoring Italy's enduring legacy of quality, ingenuity, and craftsmanship as we salute Italy's top three exports.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ZGDJdS

ITALIAN SONS & DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA

"Big Italy," Cleveland's bygone Italian enclave, was located downtown where the Guardians ballclub now plays. By 1900, the population was 93% Sicilian and the streets were filled with paesani and famiglia, who were all endeavering toward newfound dreams.

#ItalianAmericanHeritageMonth (Credit: Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland)

The Left Hates Christopher Columbus. Here are Five Reasons Why We Should Still Celebrate Columbus Day
Zachary MettlerOct 14, 2019

Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. 

According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous People’s Day. Ironically, the District of Columbia is named after, you guessed it, Christopher Columbus. The Left’s hatred of Columbus is predicated on the idea that he represents the tyrannical, western force that colonized the Americas at the expense of those already living here.

But in reality, Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. 

1. Columbus Personified the American Spirit
Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a “master navigator and admiral.” He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. “Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to Elmina, Ghana.” After all of this, he made four transatlantic voyages to the ‘new world’ beginning with his first famed voyage in 1492.
Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. From early colonial exploration, to our push westward with manifest destiny, to our more modern quest to outer space and landing on the moon, Americans seem to have an innate desire to push the boundaries and discover new places. This began with the spirit of Christopher Columbus.

2. Columbus Undertook Adventure for God and Country
After Columbus returned to Spain from his first voyage to the Americas in 1493, he wrote this in his letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella: “They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.” 
Columbus usually treated the Native Americans kindly and brought them gifts in order to win their favor. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. The king wrote, “We in his name will receive you with love and charity, respecting your freedom and that of your wives and sons and your rights of possession and we shall not compel you to baptism unless you, informed of the truth, wish to convert to our holy Catholic faith.” 
Columbus’s drive for exploration was religious. Jarrett Stepman writes at The Daily Signal, “While Columbus, and certainly his Spanish benefactors, had an interest in the goods and gold he could return from what they thought would be Asia, the explorer’s primary motivation was religious.”

3. If Columbus is Off Limits to Celebrate, so are Indigenous Peoples
The main reason some Leftists don’t want to celebrate Christopher Columbus is because his actions supposedly led to the genocide of Native American peoples. Yet, what is rarely discussed is the barbaric genocide perpetrated by Native American tribes from Mexico to Peru against other Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans.
Jarrett Stepman also writes in his book The War on History, “What is never explained is why so-called indigenous peoples are worthy of celebration if Columbus is not. Pre-Columbian civilizations from Mexico to Peru were nearly all responsible for brutal violence on a large scale long before Columbus arrived on the shores of the New World – including human sacrifices, even of children, sometimes by tearing out the victim’s still-beating heart.” 
Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Yet, despite all the gruesome sacrifice and slavery, some still wish to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. Not if we can’t celebrate Christopher Columbus.

4. Columbus Is Innocent of Most of the Charges Against Him
Christopher Columbus was not perfect, but he is innocent of most of his alleged crimes. Indeed, “Columbus was mostly benign in his interaction with native populations. While deprivations did occur, Columbus was quick to punish those under his command who committed unjust acts against local populations… Columbus did not engage in the savage acts that have been pinned on him.”
In addition, “Columbus strictly told the crew not to do things like maraud, or rape, and instead to treat the native people with respect. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasn’t even there. There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he can’t be blamed for that.” 

5. Historical Figures Should Be Viewed in Light of Their Greatest Achievements, Not Their Worst Mistakes
Lastly, I would contend that historical figures should be honored by their great achievements, and not their mistakes or weaknesses. We should honor George Washington, the ‘Indispensable man’, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. Likewise, Thomas Jefferson, also a slave owner, should be remembered for writing one of the most brilliant documents in the history of mankind, the Declaration of Independence, which contributed greatly to the ending of slavery and segregation in the United States.
If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. Though flawed, Columbus was a great man with an adventurous spirit, sailing the seas to prepare to establish a ‘new world.’ In short, today is Christopher Columbus Day, and we should all celebrate that.

Heres one small list of Chicago's famous restaurants, clubs and taverns from the 1950s and 60s which were allegedly owned by Italians....

Chez Paree Night Club, 610 North Fairbanks Street

Ciros Restaurant and Bar 800 North Wabash

Mardi Gras 939 North Rush Street

Valentinos Restaurant at Berkshire Hotel 15 East Ohio Street

Radio Club 433 North Wells

The Spa 917 North Rush Street

The Windup Club 669 North State Street

Trade Winds Clubs at 35th District

Silver Frolics Night Club 400 North Wabash Avenue

Marble Stairway 624 South Michigan Avenue

Caucho Club 10027 Skokie Road

Toy Tap Tavern, Clark Street

The Diamond Lounge 660 North Clark Street

The Walton Club,Walton And State Streets

The Peek A Boo Inn 666 North Clark Street

Larve 32 Rush Street

Front Page Lounge and Headline Room 530 North Rush Street

La Rue 32 Club North Rush Street

Cafe Continental 44 East Walton Corporation

Torch Club 900 North State Street

Dream Bar 1312 South Cicero Avenue

Talk Of The Town Club 1159 North Clark Street

Cabana Club 517 South Wabash Avenue

L & L Cafe 1316 West Madison Street

Warren Inn 5713 West Roosvelt Road Cicero

The Vine Gardens 616 West North Avenue

The Prow Tavern Rush Street

Club Continental Rush Street

Celebrating Italian Heritage Month!

Antonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci was born in Florence in 1808. By the age of 13 he was the youngest student at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts to take up mechanical and chemical engineering. When he started a part-time job as a stage technician at the Teatro della Pergola, Meucci designed an acoustic telephone to be able to communicate between the control room and the stage.

By 1835, Meucci immigrated to the Americas, stopping first in Cuba, then a Spanish province. In Havana, he constructed a system for water purification and reconstructed the Gran Teatro. In 1850, he finally arrived in Staten Island where he would live for the rest of life.

Just four years later, he invented the telephone apparatus, communicating between the different floors of his apartment building.

Although Alexander Graham Bell was first credited as the inventor of the telephone, in 2002, Resolution 269 by the United States Congress officially recognized Meucci as the "first inventor" of the telephone.

The Greatest Italian of all time !

Leonardo da Vinci ( Anchiano ( Vinci ), April 15 , 1452 – Amboise , May 2, 1519 ) was an architect , inventor , engineer , philosopher , physicist , chemist , anatomist , sculptor , writer and painter from the Florentine Republic , during the Italian Renaissance . He is seen as the textbook example of the Renaissance ideal of homo universalis and as a genius .

Italian Americans have founded successful companies, including Bank of America (originally the Bank of Italy), started by Amadeo Giannini, and Chrysler Corporation, founded by Walter Chrysler who was of Italian and German descent.

Italian American architects, such as Pietro Belluschi and artists like Constantino Brumidi (who painted the U.S. Capitol dome), have left their mark on American art and architecture.

source: changeengine.com

Also dont forget the old "Banco Siciliano" which was linked to the original Banco Siciliana back in Sicily

Here's two more interesting Italian figures from Italy's rich history...
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The renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri's died in 1321.

Often revered as the Father of the Italian Language, Dante Alighieri is celebrated for his monumental work, "The Divine Comedy."
Did you know you can visit Dante's final resting place ? Located amongst the enchanting streets of Ravenna, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, visitors can find the tomb of Dante. After his exile from Florence in the 14th Century, Dante found refuge in Ravenna. Not only is Ravenna his final resting place, but it is also the location where Dante completed "The Divine Comedy".
Have you ever visited Ravenna and seen the tomb of Dante?
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Have you ever visited the statue of David at the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze?

On September 13th 1501, the famous Tuscan artist Michelangelo Buonarroti began work on his statue of David. Michelangelo was just 26 years old at the time, and sculpted the David out of a single block of marble from the quarries in Carrara in Tuscany. The statue took Michelangelo almost four years, and was completely in June of 1504.

How many Italian/Americans can actually speak Italian?

LOL. I've seen that one before, but it still makes me laugh.

Brilliant

Here is a quote of Alessandro Bianchi

Listening to the trials broadcast on television and the wiretaps, I have never heard even an Italian mobster, who was born and raised in Italy, speak Italian. They always speak in their local dialects. Imagine if the Italian-American mobsters can speak standard Italian correctly! They probably grew up knowing a few words of their dialect drenched in American English.

THE LEGENDARY "BOBBY DARIN"

We honor the life of Bobby Darin for Italian Heritage Month. Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in 1936. Like Al Pacino, his family moved to the South Bronx when he was a toddler. Darin knew his time on earth was limited due to being born with a heart condition, which is why he crammed everything he had in life.
His mother, Nina Cassotto, was the daughter of an Italian father and English mother. Nina had Bobby out of wedlock and never told him who his real father was while he was alive. But facts eventually proved that she had a relationship with a mafioso named Tony Grillo before he was born, and that the man was his biological padre.
Knowing his time was limited, young Bobby decided to drop out of college to pursue a music career. He wrote songs for pop singers in 1955 and 1956. One of those singers was Connie Francis, who hooked him up with the right people to help launch his professional singing career, instead of being known as only a songwriter with an occasional singing gig at a bar, coffee place or restaurant. In 1958, he signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
He started out singing rockabilly songs, as he honored the rockabilly icons Elvis, Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins. Rockabilly is a mixture of country and rhythm and blues, that helped set modern rock and roll in motion. After signing the contract, he wrote “Splish Splash," which became his first hit song. His next hit that year was with "Queen of the Hop." In 1959, he had another big hit with "Dream Lover."
Later that year, he left Atlantic and signed a contract with Capital Records. While changing labels, he also changed the style of music he was doing, and started to be noticed as a crooner with great songs like “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond the Sea.” But he began recording some folk songs that his fans felt wasn't really for him in the late 1960s.
Sadly, the life of this talented singer was cut short due to his heart issues, and he died after an unsuccessful surgery in 1973. He was only 37. And yet, during his life he had major accomplishments. He had eleven top 10 singles, had his own TV show, acted in a few films, was hugely popular as a headliner in Las Vegas, and was responsible for discovering the crooner Wayne Newton.
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From "We the Italians"

Chicago's Mobster-Laden Mount Carmel Cemetery

One of the most well-known residents of Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, is the notorious Chicago mobster Al Capone. While the cemetery is mostly populated with dead gangsters, there is another significant figure buried at the cemetery who did not become famous for organized crime.

That individual is none other than Julia Buccola Petta, otherwise known as the “Italian bride.” Her resting place is easy to find as it’s marked by a detailed life-sized statue built in her likeness. The statue is of Julia wearing a wedding dress, resembling the photo attached to her gravestone depicting her on her wedding day.

https://wetheitalians.com/

Boston's Famous "Little Italy" Neighborhood - "The North End"

An interesting bit of trivia...

Boston’s North End has remained a lively district for decades — especially with the car and foot traffic that seems to only rise in extremity as time passes. But at the crossroads between international culture and American history, this eclectic neighborhood provides visitors with a more immersive experience. And it starts with love at first bite: the cannoli.

This fried, tube-shaped pastry is filled with ricotta for a sweet ending to a traditional Italian dinner. However, situated under this innocent dessert is some friendly competition. Now here’s the famous question: Which bakery do I choose? Mike’s, Modern, or Bova’s? This cannoli dilemma has been heated since the 1950s and social media has launched this conundrum from local fame to national frenzy and I’m here to review each of my experiences.

Another wonderful song, was the children's Christmastime classic, "Dominick the Donkey" ("Domenico l'Scecco" or "Dominick the Jackass" in Sicilian) made famous by singer Lou Monte. Here are the lyrics and song..

DOMINICK THE DONKEY

Lyrics

Hey, chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
It's Dominick, the donkey
Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
The Italian Christmas donkey
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, ladioda
Santa's got a little friend, his name is Dominick
The cutest little donkey, you never see him kick
When Santa visits his Paesans with Dominick he'll be
Because the reindeer cannot climb the hills of Italy
Hey, chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
It's Dominick, the donkey
Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
The Italian Christmas donkey
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, ladioda
Jingle bells around his feet and presents on the sled
Hey, look at the mayor's derby on top of Dominick's head
A pair of shoes for Louie and a dress for Josephine
The label on the inside says they're made in Brooklyn
Hey, Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
It's Dominick, the donkey
Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
The Italian Christmas donkey
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, ladioda
Children sing and clap their hands and Dominick starts ta dance
They talk Italian to him and he even understands
Cummares' and Cumpare's do the dance a tarentell
When Santa Nicola comes to town and brings il ciucciariello
Hey, chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
It's Dominick, the donkey
Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw
The Italian Christmas donkey
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, ladioda
Hey Dominick, Bouna Natale
Hee haw, hee haw, hee haw, hee haw, hee haw

Brings back a lot of warm memories for me. As a kid, I always enjoyed this Lou Monte song, "Dominick the Donkey."

It played all over the radio at Xmas-time.

A cute song, it reminds me of another one by Lou Monte, a rather funny one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V57hP7Ipjw4

Yes Dwalin, I agree. This is another Lou Monte classic I remember very well as a kid.

Valentino, Versace, Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Marni, Iceberg, Missoni, Trussardi, Moschino, Dirk Bikkembergs, Etro, and Zegna.

Stone Island, Australian, Diadora, FILA, Kappa, Lotto, Ellesse, Tacchini etc..

From: "We The Italians"

The Little Falls Township Council has officially proclaimed the month of October as Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month in the Township. Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, recognized since 1989, is an opportunity to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Italian Americans in the United States.

From the early explorers to the 5.5 million working-class immigrants who arrived in the United States around the beginning of the 20th century, Italian Americans have played a vital role in shaping and developing the nation.

Italian-Americans have made substantial contributions in various fields, including government, science and technology, arts and entertainment, literature, product design, and cuisine.

Franco Micalizzi.....Italian composer and conductor, best known for his scores in Poliziotteschi films.

From WAI - We Are Italians


Jimmy Durante was a famous Italian American jazz singer, comedian and actor, who became one of the most admired entertainers of the Twentieth Century.

Frank Sinatra definitely paved the way for Italians to finally be accepted in the U.S. and to be able to fully assimilate into American culture, though Durante was the first famous paisan to get the ball rolling for our people in this country.

He was born in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan in 1893, to Bartolomeo Durante and Rosa Lentino, both immigrants from the Italian city of Salerno. He began his music career playing piano at some restaurants in Manhattan in 1911. He eventually started playing piano with a band on Coney Island once a week.

In the late 1920s, Durante got roles in plays and became a local star all over NYC. In the early 1930s, he started to get small roles in movies, then his own radio show in 1933. He was also given the opportunity to sign a recording contract in 1934. Later that year, he recorded "Inka Dinka Doo." The song became his signature tune. He often joked about his nose as a comedian, referring to it as the schnozzola, which he got from the Jewish slang word schnoz, meaning a big nose.

Other famous songs by Durante include "September Song," "The Glory of Love," "Make Someone Happy" and the famous Christmas song "Frosty the Snowman." Unfortunately, only "September Song" and "The Glory of Love" were hits. Despite only having a few hit songs, the other songs remained favorites for his fans and "The Glory of Love" is quite popular on Pandora.

Although he passed away in 1980, he will never be forgotten.

The National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF)

DID YOU KNOW? — ITALY IS THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF WINE IN THE WORLD!

Raise you glass to Italy: the world's top wine exporter!
With centuries of winemaking tradition, Italy's vineyards produce some of the most delicious and diverse wines globally, showcasing the country's rich land and dedication to craftsmanship. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the sun-soaked vineyards of Sicily, Italy's winemakers have truly mastered the art of winemaking.

What is your favorite Italian wine?

Read more about the world leaders in wine exportation in this Forbes article: https://bit.ly/3thbDKk

The red wine that they produce in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

What did you want to say about it? Abruzzi wine?

I am fond of the Montepulciano grapes.

Well RS, I definitely would agree with you on that. You obviously have good taste in wines. Lol.

Several decades ago Montepulciano grapes started to show up in NYC restaurants and liquor stores, and they became an instant hit. They happen to be similar to the Sangiovese grape variety which I also love. In fact, these are both among my favorites.

We The Italians
Based in Italy

Synonymous with the Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, ‘Nessun dorma’ is one of the world’s most famous operatic hits. While ‘Nessun dorma’ began its life in the opera house, the aria has since found its place in popular culture after Pavarotti performed it as the anthem for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Today you’ll hear the soaring solo on talent shows, in films, and even sung by pop stars such as Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin, and Queen frontman, Adam Lambert. But which opera was the aria originally written for, and what do the lyrics mean?

Furio, I have a question for you. If you don’t mind me asking, I know you reside in Italy, but are you of Italian heritage?

The reason I ask is because you come from Italy, yet, you haven’t made one single comment or contribution to our “Italian Heritage Month” thread. I was surprised at that. Truthfully, I found it a bit odd that an acknowledged Italian would not feel compelled out of sheer ethnic pride to contribute some positive content to our thread. At least once?

Especially that so many forum members, Italian or not, have been so thoughtful and engaged on our Italian thread and have contributed such great stuff…Yet, from you, only crickets. Why is that Furio? Lol.

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. A year later the legendary explorer wrote an astounding letter announcing his discovery of America. Now a rare Latin translation of that letter will be offered for auction by Christies, 530 years later, in a sale expected to fetch up to $1.5 million.
In the original letter, written after his return to Europe, Columbus told Spanish royal treasurer Luis de Santángel: “I know you will be rejoiced at the glorious success that our Lord has given me in my voyage.” He added: “I write this to tell you how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people."
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Gianni Versace

Giovanni (Gianni) Maria Versace ( Reggio Calabria , December 2, 1946 – Miami , July 15 , 1997 ) was an Italian fashion designer .

Gianni Versace, his older brother Santo and younger sister Donatella , grew up with his father and mother Francesca, who were tailors . An older sister, Tina, died at the age of twelve from a tetanus infection . [1]

Career in fashion
As a child, Gianni helped his mother select gemstones and gold braid for embroidery and at one point his mother also sold Gianni's designs in her couture house.

In 1972, Versace was given the opportunity to design a knitwear collection at Fiori Fiorentini in Lucca , attracting the attention of Donatella Girombelli , who decided to hire him as in-house designer of the fashion house Genny and Callaghan . As a freelancer , Gianni then worked for various labels: De Parisi , Genny , Callaghan , Alma and Complice where he created leather and suede collections in 1974.

In 1978, Versace created his first collection and opened a boutique with his brother Santo on Via della Spiga in Milan , where other fashion labels were also sold. This marked the establishment of the fashion house Versace .

In 1979, his first loose but elegant men's fashion line attracted some well-known customers, such as Woody Allen , Bruce Springsteen and Andy Warhol , but his women's line with jungle prints also received great attention that same year. Notable pieces from his 1982 collection were the leather trousers and the riding breeches that combined leather and silk. In 1984 he processed knitted metal and octagonal steel rings into mermaid dresses .

From 1982 onwards, in addition to the regular collections, Versace also produced ballet , theater and other performances. After a famous costuming of the ballet "Josephlegende" by Richard Strauss for the Scala of Milan , he designed for, among others, Maurice Béjart , William Forsythe , Elton John , the New York City Ballet and the San Francisco Opera . In 1985, Versace took over Instante , with the aim of appealing to a younger and less wealthy audience. Gianni launched the Versus subsidiary line in 1989, which was produced by his sister Donatella.

In 1994, the group had about forty stores worldwide, but the conquest of North America through Versus would only be achieved after the label started to profile itself at various New York designer shows and the group spent 8% of direct sales on promotion . This share would be drastically reduced again from 1997 onwards.

Recognition
In 1986, Versace was decorated as Commander of the Order of Merit by Italian President Francesco Cossiga . He received the Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la ville de Paris from the mayor of Paris , Jacques Chirac .

Death
On July 15, 1997, Versace was murdered outside his home Casa Casuarina in Florida . He left behind his partner Antonio D'Amico , with whom he had been in a relationship since 1982. Versace was the fifth fatal victim of serial killer Andrew Cunanan , who subsequently committed suicide .

Many famous people and pop stars appeared at the funeral, including Princess Diana and Elton John , who dedicated his album The Big Picture (1997) to the murdered couturier. [2] Gianni Versace is buried at his estate on Lake Como .

Dolce & Gabbana also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetics and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear.

Products Clothing, footwear, handbags, sunglasses, watches, jewellery, perfumes and cosmetics.

One of, if not the most amazing Columbus themed locations in the U.S. is located in Boalsburg,PA,a small town about 3 hrs east of Pittsburgh.

Boalsburg is home to the Boal mansion and the Columbus Chapel.
The Boals have owned the house for about the last 200 years.

The Mansion tour is fascinating,and showcases numerous historical artifacts,and personal items from historical figures from all over the world.

The showcase of the tour is the Columbus Chapel, which once stood on the family grounds in Genoa.
In the early 1900's the Chapel was disassembled by a member of the Colon family,and sent to Thomas Boal,her husband,and re-assembled on the grounds of the estate. (Christopher Columbus was born Cristobal Colon in Genoa).
Among other artifacts,the Chapel includes Columbus's Admiral desk,15th century priestly vestments,Renaissance era paintings,and 2 pieces of the True Cross along with a letter from the Bishop of Leon attesting to their veracity.

Trivia: Boalsburg bills itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day,so that's the time you want to visit.

While at Boalsburg,you can check out the PA Military Museum which is right across the highway, and also visit Penn's Cave,about 15-20 miles east,which is an underground boat tour of a cavern.

Do yourself a favor and Google the Mansion,Chapel,Military Museum,and the Cavern tour. There is so much more info available than I could fit here.

I live in Pittsburgh,and every Memorial day for about 6 years,my girlfriend and I made a "pilgrimage"to this beautiful town.

We would eat fried chicken made by the local Fire Department at their fundraiser,go to a small carnival,(where you could actually win at the games),and watch the judging for both homemade pies,and garden grown roses.

The feature of the holiday is a very low-key,respectful procession,to the graves of the people who gave their lives during their Military Service.

Some re-enactors set up a mini bivouac with period tents,and wear replica Civil War uniforms,but nothing tacky or commercial.

If you're in the area,definitely stop by.

A thread about all things Italian would be incomplete without mentioning the Serie A and the legendary European soccer teams it spawned such as SSC Napoli, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus FC, AS Roma or SS Lazio.

The best song after Volare.

Let me sing
With the guitar in hand
Let me sing
I am Italian

Good morning Italy with the spaghetti
And a partisan as president
With the car radio button always in your right hand
A canary above the window

Good morning Italy with your artists
With too much America on the posters
With songs with heart
With more women and fewer nuns

Good morning Italy, good morning Mary
With eyes full of melancholy
Good morning God
You know that I am here too

Let me sing
With the guitar in hand
Let me slowly sing a song

Let me sing
Because I'm proud of it
I am Italian
A real Italian

Good morning Italy that is not afraid
With mint shaving cream
With a blue pinstripe suit
And slow motion on Sundays on TV

Good morning Italy with an espresso
The new socks in the first drawer
With the flag at the dry cleaners
And a broken car down the house

Good morning Italy, good morning Mary
With eyes full of melancholy
Good morning God
You know that I am here too

Let me sing
With the guitar in hand
Let me slowly sing a song

Let me sing
Because I'm proud of it
I am Italian
A real Italian

Let me sing
With the guitar in hand
Let me slowly sing a song

Let me sing
Because I'm proud of
I am Italian
A real Italian

Italian Americans have made numerous contributions to the heavy metal genre. For instance one of the most iconic heavy metal/hard rock voices of all time;

+1 and thanks for the remind since I totally forgot about Dio.

There are parts of Croatia where Italian is taught in school as well due to a huge Italian influence in those regions (Istria mainly).

I found Croatians and Italians to be very similar in a lot of "everyday things" and similar mentality. For example, Croatians and Italians love spending time in cafes, and 2-3 hour long coffee chats with friends are not unusual. Whereas in Slovenia, they don't understand how we can just sit around and drink coffee for such a long time

Pa dze si ti brate Hrvat?!

Pozdrav! Nisam znao da si i ti iz našeg podru?ja, uvijek sam mislio (po tvojim komentarima) da si Talijan iz Chicaga!

Nema problem brate. Pozdrav iz Makedonije

To everyone who has posted here so far.

I wanna thank all of you who have contributed to our “Italian Heritage” thread for all your wonderful contributions…Toodoped, Hollander, Dwalin2011, JCrusher, Jimmy_Two_Times, Rushstreet, Lou_Para, Andragathia, BlackMobs, TheKillingJoke, CleanBandit, British, MafiaStudent, and furio_from_naples, (and to anyone else I might have missed.)

I’ve read and listened to every one of your posts and thoroughly enjoyed each and every one!

Keep it up team! We've still got more days left in October...So let's bang it out!

And I encourage everybody else to join in...what the heck, let's make it a GBB team effort. ;-)

I grew up with this Lol...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Linea_(TV_series)

Glen Danzig aka Allen Anzalone is another worldwide known American-Italian rock singer. Previously Danzig was a leading vocal for the infamous band "The Misfits"...



Speaking about The Misfits, their famous guitar player is also another Italian-American who goes by the name Paul Caiafa aka Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein...

"Letter Written by Christopher Columbus Announcing Discovery of New World Heading for Auction Block"

The letter is expected to sell for as much as $1.5 million

"In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

A year later the legendary explorer wrote an astounding letter announcing his discovery of America. Now a rare Latin translation of that letter will be offered for auction by Christies, 530 years later, in a sale expected to fetch up to $1.5 million.

Portrait of great explorer Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer and navigatorGetty Images
In the original letter, written after his return to Europe, Columbus told Spanish royal treasurer Luis de Santángel: “I know you will be rejoiced at the glorious success that our Lord has given me in my voyage.”
He added: “I write this to tell you how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people."
And "of all I have taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the Royal Standard without opposition."

Old engraved illustration of Reception of Christopher Columbus by King Ferdinand and Isabella I of Castile - April 1493Getty Images
The 1493 Latin translation of the letter was reportedly produced on an early printing press to share news of the explorer's discovery with elite Europeans. The document has been sitting in a private Swiss collection for almost a century, and is described by Christie’s as “the earliest obtainable edition of Columbus’s letter.”

Christopher Columbus is depicted in an artwork in 1492 standing with his crew on the Santa Maria with the distant view of an island on the horizon. Columbus called this North American island (what is now the Bahamas) San Salvador. The natives called it Guanahani.Getty Images
Originally written in Spanish, the Latin translation is the text which spread the news of Columbus’s transatlantic voyage across Europe, containing the first descriptions by a modern European of the Americas,” Christie’s says of the letter.

The letter’s international publication led to one of the world’s first “media frenzies” for the printed word, according to the auction house.
Professor Geoffrey Symcox of the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Guardian that the Spanish crown sent copies of the letter to other European courtsto stake their claim to the discovery.
“The significance of the letter is its wide diffusion, thanks to the printing press,” Symcox told the newspaper. “The news circulated rapidly — not just through diplomatic channels but mercantile channels as well.”
Columbus famously believed that the land he discovered was part of the far east, instead of the significant discovery of a whole new set of continents.
His 1493 letter highlights this, as Columbus repeatedly refers to natives he encountered as “Indians.”

Both Misfits and Danzig solo are classic!

Here's my favorite Misfits track;




Another classic group from the heavier rock realm that's almost all Italian American (with the exception of rhythm guitar player Scott Ian, who's Jewish) is Anthrax;

Same thoughts here! Thats also my number one Misfits track, although I think it might share the same place with Hollywood Babylon....and also thanks for the additional info on Anthrax...

Over the last decade, Italian wine companies have conquered new market spaces, particularly in North America and Asia: while the European Union remains the primary destination market for Italian exports (40% in 2022), the weight of the United States and Canada has increased over time (from 27% in 2012 to 29% in 2022), as has the weight of Asian markets (from 5% to 7%).

Parallel to this, there has been a redevelopment of exports, with a decrease in the weight of bulk wines (currently 19% in volume) in favour of sparkling and bottled wines, which account for 24% and 57% of Italian wine exports, respectively. This is revealed by the findings of the study “Italian wine around the world”.

One of my favorite singers !

The Piccirilli Brothers

Fifth Avenue,Statues - New York Public Library - Lions, Digital ID 1558545, New York Public LibraryThe Piccirilli Brothers were renowned carvers of many of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

In 1888 Giuseppe Piccirilli (1844-1910), a well-known stone carver, brought his family to New York from Massa, Italy. The entire family, father and six sons – Attilio, Feirrucio, Furio, Getulio (Giulio), Masaniello, and Orazio – were trained as marble cutters and carvers. They lived in a brownstone on 142nd Street in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and set up a stone-carving atelier next to their home that would eventually occupy an entire city block.

In addition to carving the lions for The New York Public Library, the Piccirilli Brothers carved the six allegorical figures representing History, Romance, Religion, Poetry, Drama, and Philosophy that adorn the Library’s Fifth Avenue facade.

A selection of their other commissions in New York includes: The Four Continents by Daniel Chester French and 12 allegorical statues on the cornice of the U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green; the New York Stock Exchange pediment by J.Q.A. Ward; 30 large allegorical figures for the cornice of the Brooklyn Museum; the Maine Monument in Central Park and the Firemen’s Monument in Riverside Park, both sculpted by Attilio; and an innovative glass relief at Rockefeller Center, also by Attilio.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA...

South Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market is America's oldest daily open-air Market and the epitome of eclectic culture and culinary heritage. It's a place where visitors and locals can explore a vast assortment of stores, including butcher shops, bakeries, fruit stands, and kitchen stores - it's an experience not to be missed!

One of Philadelphia's iconic attractions, the Italian Market stretches along approximately ten city blocks of Ninth Street in South Philadelphia. This sprawling outdoor curb market is famed for its vast selection of specialty foods and spices; local chefs frequently shop here early each morning to stock their restaurants; it is not unusual to see one or more chefs wearing white coats making their rounds through this bustling outdoor curb market.

https://www.wetheitalians.com/.../exploring-philadelphia...

Dont forget Steve Buscemi and Quentin Tarantino.

Ennio Morricone - Sergio Leone

According to tradition, Rome was founded in 753 BC. This Iron Age hamlet of shepherds became the capital of the Roman Empire, later of the Roman Catholic Church, and since 1870, the capital of modern Italy. No other city can claim to have been the “caput mundi” or head of the world, for so many centuries.

Rome holds another unusual world record; its home to more ancient Egyptian obelisks than anywhere else in the world including Egypt, which counts only a handful. In Rome today there are 13, although apparently there were 48 at the height of the Empire.

Spaghetti western is a nickname for western films made by Italians ( spaghetti is an Italian pasta). These films were popular with large audiences in the second half of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.

The genre owes its name to the fact that these were produced by Italian studios. At first it was a pejorative term, caused by the perceived poor quality of some of these films. Although most spaghetti westerns were made quickly and cheaply and were not always original, there are still quality films. Since the 1980s, the spaghetti western has risen in popularity.

Many spaghetti westerns have become cult films .

I love Buscemi underrated actor.

DEF!

Tomorrow will be one years after Giorgia Meloni become the Dux ehm the premier of Italy and fascism 2.0 come to Italy. I left to you a song on her best speech.

Italian American of the Day: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese, the iconic filmmaker, has given us cinematic masterpieces that delve into the heart of Italian American culture. His Italian heritage influences his storytelling, creating movies that resonate deeply with audiences and stand the test of time.

Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio.

Buona Festa di San Gennaro!

The famed "San Gennaro" feast day is when the Catholic saint from Benevento, Italy is honored. Did you know that it is considered a public holiday in Naples, Italy and many businesses and public offices are closed?

When its on, be sure to wish "Buon Onomastico" to anyone you know with the name "Gennaro"

Read a brief history of San Gennaro: https://bit.ly/3BvmmRB

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocco_Petrone

Rocco Petrone an italian that as the director of Apollo Program let to send 3 men on the moon.

Nice post Furio. This was info I definitely wasn't aware of. Bravo!

"THE NORTH END"

Boston’s North End has remained a lively district for decades — especially with the car and foot traffic that seems to only rise in extremity as time passes. But at the crossroads between international culture and American history, this eclectic neighborhood provides visitors with a more immersive experience. And it starts with love at first bite: the cannoli.

This fried, tube-shaped pastry is filled with ricotta for a sweet ending to a traditional Italian dinner. However, situated under this innocent dessert is some friendly competition. Now here’s the famous question: Which bakery do I choose? Mike’s, Modern, or Bova’s? This cannoli dilemma has been heated since the 1950s and social media has launched this conundrum from local fame to national frenzy.

UTICA, NEW YORK

There was a flag-raising ceremony in the City of Utica in honor of Italian American Heritage Month. Every October, Italian American Heritage Month is celebrated. According to the Census's website, “Although Italy as a unified nation did not exist until 1861, the Italian peninsula has sent millions of its people to the shores of North America. These new arrivals thought of themselves as Neopolitans, Sicilians, Calabrians or Syracuseans.
They might not have understood each other’s dialects, but on arrival in the United States, they became Italian Americans. By the turn of the 20th century, they would be ready to change the continent once more.” This is the second flag raising by members of the Italian Heritage Club of the Mohawk Valley, which took place during the morning of Oct. 2 at Utica City Hall.

Even the Itsy-bitzy tiny-weeny yellow polka-dot bikini?...Where does it end? Lol

It is believed that the bikini was a 20th century invention. But an ancient mosaic reveals women in Rome wore it while playing sports. The Villa Romana del Casale, located in Sicily, dates back to the early fourth century AD. Among the ruins, archeologists have discovered one of the largest collections of ancient Roman mosaics. All of them are surprisingly well preserved.

One of the rooms of the villa is called Sala delle Dieci Ragazze, which can be translated as “Room of the Ten Girls” – based on the number of those depicted in the floor mosaic. Eight of them wear what in the modern world would be called a two-piece bikini, another woman wears a yellow translucent dress, while the image of the only one figure has not survived to this day.

https://wetheitalians.com/.../ancient-roman-mosaic..

Who knew, right?

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Bruschetta...

A word that has traveled the globe, gracing menus from New York and Tokyo, all the way to Sydney and Buenos Aires. This simple Italian dish has become an international icon, thanks to the universal appeal of its varied, but simple ingredients. Yet, as widespread as its culinary fame might be, the word “bruschetta” often presents a delightful puzzle for many.

As an Italian who has journeyed across continents, I’ve always been amused by the myriad interpretations of this seemingly straightforward term. From “bruscetta” to “brushetta,” “brusceta” to “brusketta,” the variations are as diverse as the cultures that embrace the dish.

And when it comes to pronouncing it? Ah, that’s where the real adventure begins.

THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF SARDINIA...

What does Sardinia remind you of? You're probably thinking about white sandy beaches, emerald sea, and majestic yachts from which, who knows, your next conquest might peep out! The postcard-perfect panoramas of the coast are the most recognizable calling card of this part of the island. Nevertheless, in the words of D.H. Lawrence, “This land resembles no other place." Here you will find a region as mysterious and ancient as its history and traditions, extremely varied landscapes, flavors, and scents that you will hardly forget.

Reprinted from 'We the Italians"

From "We the Italians"


Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, better known simply as Caravaggio, in Naples lived for only eighteen months between October 1606 and June 1607 and subsequently in the autumn of 1609 until his death occurred in 1610 in Porto Ercole on the return journey from Naples to Rome.

Despite the brevity, it was an intense and fundamental period for his artistic production and for his life. Caravaggio in Naples created several masterpieces.

Meloni is one of the true leaders of Europe ! She is not extreme fascist she is moderate smart and atractive woman !

THE FAMOUS “FRANK PEPE’S PIZZERIA” - New Haven, CT.

From the Italian Enclaves...and please don't turn this post into a "who has the better pizza competition." Here at Italian Enclaves we are documenting our STORY as told thru the historical and current lens. "Frank Pepe's" Italian Enclave history is a living relic of that past, present and the future.

This pizzeria is famous for its signature pie with "white clams."

Still in it's old location on Wooster St in one of New Haven Ct.'s, historical Italian Enclaves, certainly there are other amazing and important A'Pizz Pizzerias in the area, pastry Shops, the Italian Church of St. Michael, and many Societa' Patronale dei Paesi still alive and well.

From the original coal fired ovens (a treat to see if you've never seen one), opening in 1925, Pepe's has expanded to various locations. Bringing their version of the Italian-American "Napoletana" styled pizza to many and still making their signature pies (napoletana, tomato, clam) with their odd way of slicing them, thin fire-blistered crusts. Frank Pepe was the founder comes.

A beautiful moment in Italian Enclaves preserved for us.

Happy Pasta Day.

Italian American of the Day: Hector Boiardi

Chef Boyardee, also known as Hector Boiardi, shared Italian cuisine in America.

From his roots at the Plaza Hotel in NYC, he ventured to Cleveland, Ohio, opening Il Giardino d’Italia in 1924. His journey led to milk bottles filled with spaghetti sauce, a factory in Pennsylvania, and an “Anglicized” name, Boy-Ar-Dee. He introduced the “ready-to-heat spaghetti kit” in 1928.

During WWII, his company served the U.S. military, producing rations around the clock. Post-war, he faced a tough choice, selling to American Home Foods for $6 million in 1946. He continued as a brand spokesperson until 1978.

Today, ConAgra Foods carries on his legacy with Chef Boyardee canned pastas.

#ItalianAmericanHeritageMonth

The National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF)

DID YOU KNOW? — ITALY IS THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF WINE IN THE WORLD!

Raise you glass to Italy: the world's top wine exporter!
With centuries of winemaking tradition, Italy's vineyards produce some of the most delicious and diverse wines globally, showcasing the country's rich land and dedication to craftsmanship. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the sun-soaked vineyards of Sicily, Italy's winemakers have truly mastered the art of winemaking.

What is your favorite Italian wine?

Read more about the world leaders in wine exportation in this Forbes article: https://bit.ly/3thbDKk

Good posts Hollander

"Columbus reports on his first voyage - 1493"......in his own words!

A Spotlight on a Primary Source by Christopher Columbus

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives called it Guanahani.
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Christopher Columbus’s letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, 1493. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC01427)
For nearly five months, Columbus explored the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Juana (Cuba) and Hispaniola (Santo Domingo), before returning to Spain. He left thirty-nine men to build a settlement called La Navidad in present-day Haiti. He also kidnapped several Native Americans (between ten and twenty-five) to take back to Spain—only eight survived. Columbus brought back small amounts of gold as well as native birds and plants to show the richness of the continent he believed to be Asia.

When Columbus arrived back in Spain on March 15, 1493, he immediately wrote a letter announcing his discoveries to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had helped finance his trip. The letter was written in Spanish and sent to Rome, where it was printed in Latin by Stephan Plannck. Plannck mistakenly left Queen Isabella’s name out of the pamphlet’s introduction but quickly realized his error and reprinted the pamphlet a few days later. The copy shown here is the second, corrected edition of the pamphlet.

The Latin printing of this letter announced the existence of the American continent throughout Europe. “I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance,” Columbus wrote.

In addition to announcing his momentous discovery, Columbus’s letter also provides observations of the native people’s culture and lack of weapons, noting that “they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror.” Writing that the natives are “fearful and timid . . . guileless and honest,” Columbus declares that the land could easily be conquered by Spain, and the natives “might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.”

An English translation of this document is available.
Excerpt

I have determined to write you this letter to inform you of everything that has been done and discovered in this voyage of mine.

On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance. The island called Juana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile. It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen. Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers; and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains. All these island are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes; easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars. . . .

In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana, there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields, most fertile both for cultivation and for pasturage, and well adapted for constructing buildings. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the excellence of the rivers, in volume and salubrity, surpass human belief, unless on should see them. In it the trees, pasture-lands and fruits different much from those of Juana. Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals. The inhabitants . . . are all, as I said before, unprovided with any sort of iron, and they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror. . . . But when they see that they are safe, and all fear is banished, they are very guileless and honest, and very liberal of all they have. No one refuses the asker anything that he possesses; on the contrary they themselves invite us to ask for it. They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain; and that they might be eager to search for and gather and give to us what they abound in and we greatly need.

Questions for Discussion
Read the document introduction and transcript in order to answer these questions.
1. Columbus described the Natives he first encountered as “timid and full of fear.” Why did he then capture some Natives and bring them aboard his ships?
2. Imagine the thoughts of the Europeans as they first saw land in the “New World.” What do you think would have been their most immediate impression? Explain your answer.
3. Which of the items Columbus described would have been of most interest to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Why?
4. Why did Columbus describe the islands and their inhabitants in great detail?
5. It is said that this voyage opened the period of the “Columbian Exchange.” Why do you think that term has been attached to this period of time?
A printer-friendly version is available here.

"THE MASS LYNCHING OF ITALIANS IN 1891"

Titled; "Who Killa da Chiefa?"

A documentary by Charles Geno Marsala

Related story: New Orleans Mayor Apologizes for 1891 Mass Lynching of Italians

With a looming presidential election and a deepening diplomatic crisis, President Harrison urged communities across the nation to celebrate Columbus and show their patriotism. It was a major success, as more than one million people gathered in New York City on Oct. 12, 1892, to honor Columbus Day and cheer on the 40,000-strong parade (the larger-than-life NYC celebration took place exactly 400 years after the navigator first landed in what was deemed the New World; the national parade also jumpstarted the mass dissemination of the freshly scripted Pledge of Allegiance).

The next day, on Oct. 13, 1892, the towering Columbus Circle statue was unveiled in front of thousands of people. And just like that, the deep cultural connection between Columbus and Italian Americans was cemented. Harrison had successfully quelled the boiling diplomatic tensions, but he would ultimately lose the presidency to Grover Cleveland.

Despite the outpouring of support, Italian Americans would go on to experience crushing suppression across the U.S. At least 40 more lynchings of Italians took place on U.S. soil, and during WWII, 600,000 Italian immigrants and Italian Americans were deemed enemy aliens by order of the U.S. government — despite the fact that more than one million Italian American soldiers were fighting and dying in Europe and the South Pacific to protect America’s freedoms.
Related story: Italian PM Visits NYC Columbus Statue as Its Fate Hangs in the Balance
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Notice from the Department of Justice declaring that all enemy aliens must register at their nearest post offices for a certificate of identification. (Credit: National Archives)

Many of these “enemy aliens” were surveilled, stripped of their livelihoods and native language, and were forced to leave their homes; and some were even sent to internment camps. Infamously, Joe DiMaggio’s father, a fisherman in California, was forced to hand over his boat to the U.S. government.

Columbus statues and monuments were installed in Italian communities across the U.S. to fuel assimilation and combat discrimination during this decades-long period of widespread racism and sedition. They were paid for, in large part, by poor Italian Americans who spent years rounding up funds to pay for the statues.

Columbus Day became a permanent national holiday in 1934 when Congress, after lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, authorized President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare Oct. 12 as the designated date. In 1971, Columbus Day was made a federal holiday on the second Monday in October.

Despite this history, Columbus statues have been reinterpreted as symbols of hate, enslavement and colonialism by reformists who simply don’t know the full story.

This is why Italian Americans are fighting to preserve Columbus statues, holidays and parades.

The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations — led by Italian Sons and Daughters of America President Basil M. Russo — worked directly with the White House in crafting the 2022 federal Columbus Day proclamation, which examines and clarifies this grossly overlooked history.
A similar proclamation is expected this year.

The Conference of Presidents is also working closely with theNew Jersey Italian Heritage Commission (NJIHC) on the national rollout of an equitable, diverse and inclusive curriculum model that uses heritage as a guide to better educate U.S. students in both public and private schools on all sides of this issue. It is titled: An Italian’s Dream.
Please share this story; it needs to be told.

Here are Five Reasons Why We Should Still Celebrate Columbus Day

By Zachary Mettler

Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. 

According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous People’s Day. Ironically, the District of Columbia is named after, you guessed it, Christopher Columbus. The Left’s hatred of Columbus is predicated on the idea that he represents the tyrannical, western force that colonized the Americas at the expense of those already living here.

But in reality, Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. 

1. Columbus Personified the American Spirit
Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a “master navigator and admiral.” He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. “Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to Elmina, Ghana.” After all of this, he made four transatlantic voyages to the ‘new world’ beginning with his first famed voyage in 1492.

Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. From early colonial exploration, to our push westward with manifest destiny, to our more modern quest to outer space and landing on the moon, Americans seem to have an innate desire to push the boundaries and discover new places. This began with the spirit of Christopher Columbus.

2. Columbus Undertook Adventure for God and Country
After Columbus returned to Spain from his first voyage to the Americas in 1493, he wrote this in his letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella: “They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.” 

Columbus usually treated the Native Americans kindly and brought them gifts in order to win their favor. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. The king wrote, “We in his name will receive you with love and charity, respecting your freedom and that of your wives and sons and your rights of possession and we shall not compel you to baptism unless you, informed of the truth, wish to convert to our holy Catholic faith.” 

Columbus’s drive for exploration was religious. Jarrett Stepman writes at The Daily Signal, “While Columbus, and certainly his Spanish benefactors, had an interest in the goods and gold he could return from what they thought would be Asia, the explorer’s primary motivation was religious.”

3. If Columbus is Off Limits to Celebrate, so are Indigenous Peoples
The main reason some Leftists don’t want to celebrate Christopher Columbus is because his actions supposedly led to the genocide of Native American peoples. Yet, what is rarely discussed is the barbaric genocide perpetrated by Native American tribes from Mexico to Peru against other Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans.

Jarrett Stepman also writes in his book The War on History, “What is never explained is why so-called indigenous peoples are worthy of celebration if Columbus is not. Pre-Columbian civilizations from Mexico to Peru were nearly all responsible for brutal violence on a large scale long before Columbus arrived on the shores of the New World – including human sacrifices, even of children, sometimes by tearing out the victim’s still-beating heart.” 

Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Yet, despite all the gruesome sacrifice and slavery, some still wish to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day.

Not if we can’t celebrate Christopher Columbus!

4. Columbus Is Innocent of Most of the Charges Against Him
Christopher Columbus was not perfect, but he is innocent of most of his alleged crimes. Indeed, “Columbus was mostly benign in his interaction with native populations. While deprivations did occur, Columbus was quick to punish those under his command who committed unjust acts against local populations… Columbus did not engage in the savage acts that have been pinned on him.”

In addition, “Columbus strictly told the crew not to do things like maraud, or rape, and instead to treat the native people with respect. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasn’t even there. There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he can’t be blamed for that?”

5. Historical Figures Should Be Viewed in Light of Their Greatest Achievements, Not Their Worst Mistakes
Lastly, I would contend that historical figures should be honored by their great achievements, and not their mistakes or weaknesses. We should honor George Washington, the ‘Indispensable man’, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. Likewise, Thomas Jefferson, also a slave owner, should be remembered for writing one of the most brilliant documents in the history of mankind, the Declaration of Independence, which contributed greatly to the ending of slavery and segregation in the United States.

If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. Though flawed, Columbus was a great man with an adventurous spirit, sailing the seas to prepare to establish a ‘new world.’ In short, today is Christopher Columbus Day, and we should all celebrate that.

22 Famous Italian Inventions That Changed the World
ByMassimo UpdatedOctober 5, 2023 Traditions & Heritage

Today, we’re going to delve into the world of famous Italian inventions, showcasing the brilliant minds of Italy, a country renowned not only for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and delicious cuisine but also for its remarkable contributions to global innovation.
Italian culture has had a profound impact on enhancing our quality of life with ingenious inventions that have, in many cases, altered the trajectory of history.
Join us as we explore the fascinating realm of famous Italian inventions and uncover how they have molded the world we live in today.
22 Iconic Italian Inventions That Revolutionized Our World

1. Radio
The radio, which revolutionized communication and entertainment, enabled us to listen to news, music, and stories from around the globe. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is credited with the invention of the radio in the late 19th century.
He transmitted the first transatlantic radio signal on December 12, 1901, marking a pivotal moment in history and laying the foundation for modern radio broadcasting.
Marconi, who was born in the northern Italy town of Bologna, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909. He shared the prize with Karl Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, “in recognition of their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy.”
Think you know Italy’s greatest innovations? Test your knowledge with our Italian Inventions Quiz. Are you up for the challenge?

2. Bank
The modern banking system traces its origins to Italy, where Giovanni Bicci de’ Medici of the Medici family founded the first bank in the 14th century.
This innovative concept transformed trade and finance, enabling merchants and individuals to obtain loans, invest, and securely preserve their assets.
In 1472, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena was established, and despite recent challenges, it has continued to operate, making it the oldest bank in the world. Italy’s banking invention has since become the foundation of economic growth and worldwide financial systems.

3. Newspaper
The newspaper has been instrumental in spreading information, forming public opinion, and holding power accountable. Italy’s role in this arena dates back to the publication of the Gazette of Venice in 1566, often considered the first newspaper published regularly.
This 16th century Venetian innovation allowed news to be shared widely and efficiently, paving the way for modern journalism and the free press we know today.

4. Telephone
The telephone, a device that has transformed global communication, was also invented by an Italian. Antonio Meucci developed the first working prototype of the telephone in the 19th century. Still, he faced a patent controversy with Alexander Graham Bell.
Despite the dispute, Meucci’s invention laid the groundwork for today’s telecommunication networks, connecting people across the globe and facilitating business, personal, and emergency communications.

5. Battery (Voltaic Pile)
Italian physicist Alessandro Volta created the first chemical battery, the Voltaic Pile, in the early 19th century, marking a significant milestone in Italian history.
This life-changing invention was the first battery and practical source of continuous electric current, igniting modern electronics’ evolution.
In today’s world, batteries are indispensable components of numerous devices, from smartphones to electric vehicles, fueling our progressively digital and interconnected lives.

6. Moka Pot
If you’re a coffee lover, you have Italy to thank for the Moka Pot. The Moka Pot was invented by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933 and brought the first Italian espresso machine to households worldwide.
The distinctive octagonal design and stovetop brewing method have made it a favorite among coffee enthusiasts and a symbol of Italian coffee culture. The Moka Pot has forever changed how we brew and enjoy coffee at home.
Craving for a perfect cup of espresso? Read our guide about the best Italian espresso machines including the top 20 brands.

....Throughout the day ButtonGuys will be posting up the other 16 fabulous inventions on this list that Italians have contributed to the world.

Next up? The "Breadstick"...

22 Famous Italian Inventions That Changed the World....7 thru 9.


7. "The Breadstick"...
Regarding snacking, Italy gave us a humble yet delicious breadstick. These crunchy, slender pieces of baked dough have a long history in Italian cuisine, dating back to the 17th century.
Breadsticks have become a popular appetizer in Italian restaurants worldwide and a staple snack in many households, showcasing Italy’s enduring culinary influence.
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8. Eyeglasses
The invention of the first eyeglasses in Italy during the 13th century was a game-changer for people with vision problems. This simple yet ingenious invention allowed individuals to see more clearly and efficiently carry out everyday tasks.
Eyeglasses have also become a fashion statement, with countless styles and designs available to suit different tastes. This Italian innovation, considered one of the most life-changing inventions, has significantly improved the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.

9. Jeans
While blue jeans are typically associated with American fashion and culture, their origins can be traced back to the Italian city of Genoa.
Sailors in the 17th century began donning these durable garments, and the term “jeans” is believed to have evolved from the French word for Genoa, “Genes.”
It is speculated that the city of Genoa was where the cotton corduroy fabric, known as “jeane” or something similar, was initially produced.

22 Famous Italian Inventions That Changed the World....10 through 13

10. Barometer
The barometer, an essential instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, was invented by Italian scientist Evangelista Torricelli in the 17th century.
Torricelli’s invention revolutionized meteorology, allowing for more accurate weather predictions and contributing to our understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Today, the mercury barometer remains a vital tool for scientists, pilots, and mariners, helping to keep us informed and safe.

11. Thermometer
Another vital instrument in science and everyday life, the thermometer, was first invented by Italian polymath Galileo Galilei.
This temperature-measuring device has become indispensable in medicine, industry, and households, allowing us to monitor and control our environments precisely. The thermometer’s Italian origins remind us of the country’s long-standing tradition of scientific innovation.

12. Typewriter
The typewriter, a game-changing invention that revolutionized how we communicate in written form, can be traced back to Italy. Italian inventor Giuseppe Ravizza dedicated much of his life to perfecting this groundbreaking device.
His innovations in typewriter technology throughout the 19th century helped pave the way for modern keyboards and word-processing tools. The typewriter transformed the world of business, journalism, and literature, allowing for faster and more efficient written communication.

13. Pianoforte
Italian musical instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the first piano in the early 18th century.
This innovative instrument, by many considered the king of all musical instruments, allowed musicians to play soft and loud notes, giving rise to a new world of expressive possibilities in music.
The piano’s impact on classical music and its enduring presence in modern compositions and performances attest to Italy’s lasting contributions to the arts.

22 Famous Italian Inventions That Changed the World....14 through 19
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14. Jacuzzi
Italian immigrant Candido Jacuzzi, who moved to the US in pursuit of his American Dream, invented the Jacuzzi in the mid-20th century.
This symbol of relaxation and luxury was initially designed as a hydrotherapy treatment for Candido’s child suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a condition causing daily pain.
The Jacuzzi has since become an integral part of American culture and a sought-after addition to homes, spas, and resorts worldwide. This great Italian invention has provided comfort and therapeutic benefits to countless people, promoting well-being and self-care.

15. Programmable Calculator
Programma 101, one of the earliest desktop electronic programmable calculators, was the brainchild of a small team led by Pier Giorgio Perotto at Olivetti.
Developed between 1962 and 1964 and introduced in 1965, this groundbreaking device paved the way for the advancement of computing and mathematical tools, showcasing Italy’s innovative spirit in the field of technology.

16. Balletto
Italy is also the birthplace of ballet, a highly stylized form of dance that originated during the Renaissance. Known as balletto in Italian, this elegant and expressive art form has captivated audiences for centuries, inspiring countless choreographers, dancers, and composers.
The global influence of ballet is yet another testament to Italy’s rich cultural heritage and its ability to enchant the world.

17. Gelato
Modern gelato is attributed to Procopio Cutò (Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli), who brought this delightful frozen treat to life. In 1903, Italo Marchioni patented a machine for crafting the iconic gelato cone.
This delicious and creamy Italian dessert has since become a worldwide sensation, offering a wide range of flavors and textures that delight taste buds everywhere.

18. Parachute
Leonardo da Vinci, one of history’s most renowned inventors, conceived the idea of the parachute several centuries before Sebastien Lenormand built the first practical one in 1783.
Da Vinci sketched the concept and described a tent-like structure made of linen that would allow a person to descend from a great height without harm.
While never built or tested by da Vinci himself, his design was successfully executed by daredevil Adrian Nichols in 2000, proving the ingenuity of the Renaissance master.

19. Shopping Center
The shopping center concept has its roots in Ancient Rome, where Apollodorus of Damascus constructed Trajan’s Market around 100-110 AD.
As the first public shopping mall, this architectural marvel set the stage for the development of retail spaces, allowing people to shop, socialize, and conduct business in a centralized location.
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20, 21 and 22 we will leave for domani...

Legendary Italian singer Adriano Celentano...

And last, but certainly not least, numbers 20 through 22 on..... "22 Famous Italian Inventions That Changed the World"....Viva Italia!


20. University
The term “university” originates from the Latin “universus,” signifying an assembly of masters and scholars dedicated to the pursuit of higher learning, encompassing both secular and religious knowledge.
European academics were expected to have mastered the seven liberal arts, from grammar to music and astronomy.
The University of Bologna, founded around 1088 AD, is considered the world’s first university and, true to its motto, the “Nourishing Mother of the Studies.” This Italian institution exemplifies the nation’s commitment to education and intellectual advancement.

21. Microchip
The microchip, an essential component of modern technology, was invented by Italian engineer Federico Faggin in the late 20th century. Faggin’s invention has revolutionized computing, enabling the miniaturization and increased processing power of electronic devices.
Today, microchips are found in nearly every digital gadget, from computers and smartphones to appliances and automobiles, demonstrating Italy’s prowess in technological innovation.

22. Liposuction
Finally, Italy has made significant strides in cosmetic surgery with the invention of liposuction. The contemporary liposuction method is credited to a father-son duo of cosmetic surgeons from Rome, Arpad, and Giorgio Fischer.
In 1975, they pioneered the blunt tunneling approach, which laid the foundation for developing present-day liposuction procedures. This technique involved oscillating surgical blades to dislodge fat, which was subsequently removed through a suction tube.
Liposuction’s widespread adoption in cosmetic surgery has helped millions worldwide achieve their desired appearance, reflecting Italy’s impact on beauty and wellness.
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Impact of Italy’s Famous Inventions on Our Lives

As we’ve seen, Italy’s innovative spirit has touched nearly every aspect of our lives, from communication and technology to food and the arts. These 22 Italian inventions are a testament to this remarkable country’s creativity, ingenuity, and passion.

As we celebrate Italy’s contributions to the world, we can’t help but be inspired by the incredible legacy of its inventors and the lasting impact of their work.

Grazie, Italia, for making our world a better, more connected, and more beautiful place.

BOXER PRIMO CARNERA

Primo Carnera was born #OnThisDay in 1906 in Sequals, a village in northeast Italy.
Never had a world heavyweight champion been manipulated or controlled like he was by criminal elements.
The surface story most commonly recited about Carnera is that he was a freakishly big and unbelievably naive Italian circus performer discovered and exploited by New York mobsters who fixed fights for him and protected him into the heavyweight championship.
He proved to be a thrilling curiosity for the public who set attendance records just to see him.
His huge 6 foot 6 frame and massive fists punched their way through Jack Sharkey for the title and earned the Ambling Alp more than a million dollars in prize money.
Barely a year after he won the championship, he was not only an ex-champion but he was a broke one. “I don’t pay attention to money and those things,” he famously and naively would say.

Good pick NYM !

GREATEST ITALIAN-AMERICAN BOXERS
Fighters Network
BY THE RING |
A weekly boxing list compiled by Michael Rosenthal. This week: In honor of Paulie Malignaggi, the 10 greatest Italian-American boxers of all time. Note: The list is based on author Bert Sugar’s book “100 Greatest Boxers of All Time,” which has been published in numerous editions.

1. Willie Pep
2. Tony Canzoneri
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Jake La Motta
5. Johnny Dundee
6. Billy Petrolle
7. Carmen Basilio
8. Rocky Graziano
9. Lou Ambers
10. Joey Maxim

Five more: Sammy Angott, Young Corbett III, Joey Giardello, Fidel LaBarba and Sammy Mandell.

Another very good post. Bravo Hollander!

Today starts a new month...so Italian Heritage Month is over. But I wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this thread by putting up interesting posts. It made for an enjoyable experience.