Profiles

Army Sergeant Edward Malatesta

Mired for months in the battle to take the Italian town due south of Rome, Edward Malatesta fought his way through Italy and France before mortar fire took him out of the war. Edward Malatesta was born on Nov. 8, 1924, the youngest of five children and the only son of Alessandro and Gulia (Ragnetti) Malatesta. His parents immigrated to the United States from Senigallia, Italy, as a young married couple, first to Philadelphia and then to the Taylor Street Little Italy in Chicago. The family settled on the Northwest Side after Malatesta was born. He has fond memories of …

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Popera scion Matteo Bocelli

No longer merely the son of Andrea Bocelli, Matteo has emerged as a performer and star in his own right. September was a huge month for Matteo Bocelli. After three years of intensive work, the Italian pop classical crossover singer released his first solo album and then embarked on his first solo world tour, all in short order. “It is an incredible feeling to finally be able to share my first album with everyone,” Bocelli tells Fra Noi. “To be able to release it after so long is a satisfying feeling. I am excited and nervous to see what people …

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Ward an unstoppable force for veterans

If you visit Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, you have a 50/50 chance of running into veteran Tony Ward doing his “rounding,” as he calls it, three to four times a week. For years, the 72-year-old has been a patient at the hospital, where over time he’s become a fixture, walking the halls and chatting with patients and their families to see what they might need. He started by joining a cancer support group, then underwent suicide prevention training. He now serves on the hospital’s mental health commission and chairs its patient and family advocacy council. Sometimes, …

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Valentino’s magazine thrives on positive news

Neighbors magazine, published out of Melrose Park in suburban Chicago, recently celebrated its 21st year with a rare business model in the media landscape: a focus on positive news. That is largely the work of founder Tina Valentino, who juggles the roles of publisher, executive editor and contributor. She oversees all aspects of the business, including content, layout and design, printing and even circulation. “Circulation might actually be my favorite part,” Valentino says. “Walking into a drop location with a bundle of magazines and having someone ask for a copy ‘hot off the press’ is extremely gratifying.” Over the years, …

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Costa doubles down, teaching religion, Italian

After nearly three decades of teaching religion, Roberto Costa has a simple replay whenever people mention retirement. “I say, ‘What are you talking about?’” reports the 57-year-old Costa, who has master’s degrees in divinity and theology. “I am very passionate about what I do, and I want to continue doing it.” Born in Turate, in Italy’s Lombardy region, Costa moved to Chicago at age 23 to study at Catholic Theological Union. After graduation, he ended up staying permanently in the Windy City, where he met his wife, Sandra Hou, who was born in Burma (now Myanmar) and grew up in …

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Raineri goes to bat for Columbus, Balbo

A longtime government official turned political consultant, Enza Raineri helped save three cherished icons from the trash heap of history by adhering to her crisis management playbook. What’s an ethnic group to do when its icons are under assault? There’s the traditional approach, which relies heavily on anger-fueled protest marches. Then there’s the Enza Raineri way. If you were to codify the crisis management playbook of this longtime government official turned political consultant, it would read something like this: Get your facts in order: Be prepared to let them know exactly where you’re coming from and why this issue is …

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Rep. DeLuca spearheads heritage month bill

With a bill establishing Italian American Heritage Month in Illinois hanging in the balance, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca pulled out all the stops to ensure its passage. In a political landscape that’s bitterly divided, Illinois Rep. Anthony DeLuca is an increasingly rare breed of elected official. “Anthony is a bridge builder. He’s a consensus builder,” Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti says. “His fellow legislators know that if their constituents have a need, Anthony will listen to them and do everything in his power to meet that need, regardless of their party, because it’s the right thing …

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Army Sergeant Emil Garippo

Trained initially as a typist and eventually as a medic, Emil Garippo witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of World War II as the battle raged down the road. Emil Garippo passed away on Aug. 21. The following article is based on an interview conducted on Aug. 8 and is published in his memory. Born in Chicago on April 1, 1923, Emil Garippo was the middle child of Emil and Jessie Tarsitano Garippo. The family lived on Arthington Street in Chicago’s Taylor Street Little Italy. Garippo’s paternal grandparents, from the area around Naples in Italy, and the Tarsitanos, from Calabria, lived …

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Long-distance cyclist Giulia Baroncini

A longtime leisure cyclist, Giulia Baroncini took her passion to the next level this summer by biking from her hometown in Italy to the Windy City. After cycling nearly 2,500 miles in two months to repeat a feat accomplished 130 years ago, Giulia Baroncini says she learned a great deal about the people and places she visited — and about herself. The 33-year-old native of Polesine, in the region of Veneto, followed a trail blazed by Luigi Masetti, who is considered the father of cycling tourism. After having cycled across Europe, Masetti accomplished the so-called “Viaggissimo” (the Great Trip) in …

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Wittmus uses dentistry as a force for good

Jeffrey Wittmus has no doubt about his purpose: to improve other people’s lives with his gift for dentistry. “What I do is heal people, and I’ve never stopped trying to master that healing ability,” the Chicago dentist says. “I love being able to take someone and heal their mouth or their body, or their general self-esteem, or health in general, because a lot of general health comes from oral health. That’s why I am on this planet — and I’ll do it as long as I can.” Wittmus, who has a doctorate in dental surgery from Northwestern University, has run …

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