"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

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.