Community

Last year, Società Santa Fara di Cinisi successfully lobbied the city of Chicago to name the stretch of road outside of their clubhouse on Addison Street Honorary Via Santa Fara di Cinisi. The society was presented with an extra sign at the time, which it shipped to the mayor of Cinisi, Sicily, to display outside their town hall. The sign was installed in Sicily on July 10 during the Feast of Santa Fara. “This was done to keep the lines of communication open between the town of our birth and the Cinisensi of Chicago,” says society President Carlo Vaniglia. “It …

Members of the Associazione Regionale Campania will head west this spring, visiting President Grant’s home and the Blaum Distillery in Galena, Illinois, and the Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines in Dickeyville, Wisconsin. Erected on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Parish in Dickeyville, the expansive display of religious and patriotic art was created by Fr. Matthias Wernerus, pastor of the parish from 1918-31. The grotto contains several shrines, including ones dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the Holy Eucharist and Christ the King.  

The main conference room of Addison’s village hall has long been graced by a display celebrating the village’s sister city relationship with Triggiano, Italy. That exhibit has been enhanced thanks to a generous donation of images and documents by Angela Liberio. Angela’s late husband, Vincenzo, helped forge the relationship, which was launched in 1993. Since then, regular student exchanges have been sponsored between high schools in the two municipalities. Angela (left) bestowed the memorabilia upon Addison Clerk Lucille Zucchero (right).  

Joseph Izzo was the driving force behind RationAll Food Rescue, which salvaged food from grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses, and delivered it to food pantries and shelters. When Izzo succumbed to cancer earlier this year, the board voted to dissolve the nonprofit, making a sizeable donation to the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry in Aurora. The pantry used the funds to buy a food waste composter, naming it “The Izzo” in his honor.  

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca was recognized as a Champion of the Southland at the South Suburban Mayors and Managers’ annual gala. A longtime advocate for increased state support for local government, DeLuca spearheaded the Southland Reactivation Act, which was recently signed into law. The act creates a special designation for underutilized property in the south suburban communities located in Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton and Worth townships. Qualified properties will have their previous assessed valuations significantly reduced, encouraging development and returning the properties to the tax rolls.  

Italian immigrants who sought a better life for themselves and their families on Chicago’s Near West Side were honored on May 22 with the naming of Piazza Italia di Chicago at 1434 W. Taylor St. The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association (LICNA) spearheaded the renaming of the former Piazza Di Maggio, installing flags that represent each of Italy’s 20 regions. During the renaming ceremony, many of the flags were presented by descendants of Little Italy immigrants, while others were presented by newer neighborhood residents and longtime businesspeople. Keynote speaker Thomas Botzios, Italy’s consul general in Chicago, called the flags “a …

Cav Uff. Lyn Scolaro has been elected president of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America. Scolaro takes the helm from Pat Pierce, who briefly succeeded founder and longtime president Joe Papa. “I want to thank Pat for doing such a great job of leading SADIA,” says Papa, who stepped down as president when he moved to Florida in January. “The organization has made a great choice in electing Lyn. She’s a dynamo, and I’m sure she’ll take the organization to new heights.” SADIA began as the Order Sons of Italy Lodge 2446 in the early 1950s and became …

It seems that everywhere you turn these days, governments, businesses, organizations and individuals are donating their time, talents and funds to Ukraine as it battles valiantly against Russian invaders. Local artist Fillippo Aliperta is doing his part by creating ceramic “heart pins” that portray the American and Ukrainian flags and giving them away at his Glenview hair salon, Estetica. At press time, he had raised $500 in goodwill donations. “I feel that everyone should support the Ukrainian people in every way that they can,” Aliperta says.  

The Chicago area was blessed in April with a first-ever visit by the renowned Choir of the Cardinal Bartolucci Foundation. One of the world’s premier Catholic choruses, the ensemble undertook a whirlwind tour that included five concerts in as many days. The first stop was on April 19 at the opulent Sanfilippo estate in far north suburban Barrington. On April 20, the ensemble paid a quick visit to Casa Italia, where they were wowed by the hand-carved 1/100-scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square on the third floor of the Italian Cultural Center. Moved to song, they were recorded …

Girder by girder, Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti is strengthening ties with ethnic groups across the Chicago area. On April 20, he represented the community at an international flag presentation during the Chicago Department of Health’s HIV summit. While there, he reached out to a contingent from the Potawatomi tribe (pictured). Four days later, he took part in a rally against anti-Semitism at a Glenview middle school. “There’s strength in numbers,” Onesti says. “The more we show up when other groups need us, the more they’ll show up for us.”