The Italian Connection

Dear Readers, American History is being rewritten. Positive contributions made by our forefathers will soon disappear from our US.History Books. Before every shred of positive print is wiped out, I thought I would refresh your memory and mine by reprinting “I …

Francis Albert Sinatra was the only child of two Italian immigrants. His father was Anthony Sinatra, a New York fireman of Sicilian origin, and his mother was Natalie Garavanta, called by her middle name, Dolly and was well known for …

Dear Readers, “A man does not have to be an angel to be a saint,” said Albert Schweitzer.  The same holds true for Fr. Angelo D’Agostino, founder of Nyubani (Swahili for “home”) and the subject of a new book, DAG …

October, the month Italo-American organizations throughout the United States celebrated Columbus Day with parades and public festas, is becoming a thing of the past. Since the 1992 Columbus Quincentennial commemorations, political activists have been watering down Columbus Day Discovery celebrations, to …

Dear Readers, 1. June – Giugno usually is a happy month with weddings, birthdays, graduations and Father’s Day (June 21), but due to the corona virus, it may NOT be so happy this year. Let’s not forget the feast days of …

Dear Readers, Merry Christmas or Buon Natale is fine but Season’s Greetings sounds too one size fits all seasons. It seems that with merchants putting up their Christmas decorations (now holiday decorations) a nanosecond after clearing shelves of candy corn …

Dear Readers, February is named after Februs, Roman god of purification.  February was his sacred month and the Latin Februa means “feast of purification”.  February is the shortest month of the year, only 28 days this year, but Febbraio is …

Dear Readers,  As theLabor Day weekend approaches let us all pause and give belated thanks to our immigrant parents, grandparents or great grandparents for making the decision to leave home and family behind in search of a better life and, …

Dear Readers,  Grazie to those of you who responded to my “support your L’Italo-Americano press now!” message by putting pen to check-pad and ordering a new subscription for yourself, friends, or relatives. Thanks for understanding the importance of supporting our Italian American press, …

Dear Readers, Some extra Summer jottings with more Italian connections: Admiral Christopher Columbus statuary continues to be defaced throughout the USA but in 2020 it seems to be okay and with no “defacing public property” consequences. In Boston’s Italian North End, a beheaded Columbus statue …