Community News

Gianna Tuminello was crowned queen of the Columbus Day Parade at an intimate pageant in September at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Sponsored by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and chaired by Ron Onesti, the pageant featured in-depth conversations with each contestant. “I wanted to focus on the girls’ personalities and public presence,” Onesti said. Tuminello credited the love and guidance of her Italian-American mom with making her the young woman she is today. Tuminello will take part in the parade and other events in the community in the company of her court: Giuliana Bartucci, …

On Sept. 10, 2017 the Maywood Bataan Day Organization unveiled a new tribute in Maywood Park to those who served at Bataan in the Philippines. The date marked the 75th commemoration of the annual Remember Bataan Memorial Services. The ceremony has been taking place on the second Sunday in September every year since 1942. I had the honor of representing the Navy at the wreath-laying portion of the program.   Those in attendance included members of the Illinois Army National Guard, veterans’ organizations, representatives of the Philippine government and the families of survivors from the 33rd Tank Company, 33rd Infantry Division …

Casa Italia sponsored another standout bocce tournament this summer, fielding 14 teams that competed for honor and glory over the course of nine weeks of regular play and two weeks of playoffs. Team Columbian Club battled its way to a first-place finish with Nonno’s Team coming in second and No Stress taking third. Everyone brought food and wine to share and Italian American Executives of Transportation member Andy Tegtmeier earned a trophy for his skills at the grill. MVP honors went to 92-year-old Leno Santacaterina. The tourney was ably chaired by Casa Vice President Peter Volpe.

Cesare Battisti Lodge at Villa Cesare in Schererville spread Italian cheer across Northwest Indiana in August at its first annual Festa Italiana. Roughly 4,000 festival goers were serenaded by traditional and non-traditional Italian music as they made their way to food, craft and beer and wine vendors. They enjoyed non-stop live entertainment, played bocce at their leisure and in tournaments, watched pasta- and pizza-making demonstrations, participated in an entertaining spaghetti-eating contest, and learned from the experts at a wine-and-food pairing. For the rest of the story, visit. On the food front, there was pizza, Italian beef, Italian sausage, meatball and …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation honored Dominic Romanazzi and Wayne Bubak on Nov. 18 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Dominic Romanazzi — Man of the Year A devoted family man and fierce advocate for workers’ rights, Dominic Romanazzi is a most deserving recipient of the Italian American Executives of Transportation’s 2017 Man of the Year Award. Dominic Romanazzi first became a Teamster in 1986 when he began working for the Illinois State Tollway Authority. He subsequently became a member of Teamsters Local 330 in 1989 when he began working for the Illinois Department of Transportation. In 1998 Dominic was …

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans pulled out all the stops for its 2017 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Gala, honoring 10 local powerhouses from all walks of life. Renato Bacci (Military) U.S. Army Colonel, Retired Chair, Illinois Committee, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Retired U.S. Army Colonel Bacci received his commission in 1969 through the ROTC program at Loyola University. During his 30-year career, he served as an Infantry, Armor, and Civil Affairs Officer. His active-duty tours included Bosnia, Croatia, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. While mobilized for Operation Joint Endeavor (Bosnia 1996), Ron worked directly with the …

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce inductees and honorees for the 40th Annual Induction & Awards Gala, which took place at a dinner on Saturday, November 18th, at the Westin Chicago River North. Last year’s Sportsman of the Year award recipient, Eddie Greco of Greco and Sons, chaired the dinner. The program was emceed by 2016 Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and New York Mets Radio Announcer Wayne Randazzo. Previous inductees including Tommy Lasorda, Jerry Colangelo, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Franco Harris, Vince Ferragamo and more will be in attendance on this evening. …

The Cegliesi Italo American Association honored a groundbreaking scientist at its 43rd annual dinner dance on Oct. 15 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Dr. Guy Dimonte was born in Ceglie del Campo, Puglia, in 1948. His family immigrated to Venezuela soon afterward, subsequently moving to America and eventually settling in California. A product of the University of California system, Dr. Dimonte has spent his entire professional career in the Golden State, where he has dedicated himself to basic physics research. With the ultimate goal of harnessing thermonuclear plasmas, he spent his early career working on experiments designed to produce …

The Italian Catholic Federation Branch 392 presented Clara and Francesco Cascella with its Mother Cabrini Award on Nov. 5. The award is bestowed each year upon a couple that represents the Italian values of community, family and faith. Francesco was born in Mola di Bari and spent two years in the Italian Navy before coming to America. He worked at Illinois Gear and Mola Construction before his retirement and has been an active member of the Società Maria SS. Addolorata di Mola di Bari. He is proud to currently serve as the president of the men’s division of the society. …

The Italian Catholic Federation’s Our Lady Mother of the Church Branch #439 hosted its sixth annual dinner dance on Oct. 8 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. The event raised funds to benefit Maria Vouga and her family, and honored Rocco and Rosanna DeFrenza. Maria Vougas Maria is a loving wife to Eric Vougas and the proud mother of four children, Stefanie, Eric, Shannon and Breanna. In 2012, Maria was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis), an autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system. This causes inflammation, scar tissue and lesions in the brain and spinal column, making it difficult for …