Culture

The recent debate in New York City regarding stop-and-frisk has once again put the spotlight back on the city’s Police Department.  The controversial policy endorsed and supported by the lame duck Mayor Michael Bloomberg is being used as a campaign …

Anno 2013. Gli italiani speravano nella pace in Europa, ma dopo tante discussioni, questa agognata fine delle disastrose battaglie non si realizzava. Anzi, nonostante le “trattative di pace” in corso, la situazione andava peggiorando di giorno in giorno.    Per …

It was a Tuesday, June 6, 1944 when thousands of Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. Among the many young men who fought bravely was a nineteen-year-old kid named Lawrence Peter Berra from Saint Louis, Missouri. He was …

How many times we sing a song without knowing its meaning? It happens that when a song becomes part of the collective heritage of a country, we just take the lyrics for granted. All Italians can intone at least the …

There was something about Yogi Berra that simply did not attract attention.  Even his military buddies doubted his ability to play baseball, a judgment which was based solely on his appearance.  Not long after being discharged from the military, Yogi …

Dear Readers, A September selection of Italian Connections for you: United States Postage Stamps with an Italian connection, are the focus of Gerardo Perrotta’s newly published book Phila-Italy Americana, Italian Themes on United States Postage Stamps, in hardcover, softcover, E-book …

October in Rome is its own season. During this fleeting Indian summer, morning mist begins to rise from the Tiber, moss traces veins in ancient marble, and the pines on the Janiculum become more fragrant. But the most miraculous thing …

Political correctness aside, Christopher Columbus is arguably the greatest and most important explorer of all times, changing the world and the very course of history.  Vespucci, Verrazano, and the Cabots are just some of the other Italians who lead the …

Dear Readers, October, the month we traditionally celebrate our Italian Heritage, has unfortunately become the month when mean-spirited slings, arrows and Columbus bashers come out in full force. But be vigilant, those who wish to discredit us are busy throughout …

Se l’Europa allargata punta a diventare unita nella diversità, il Friuli Venezia Giulia è già così.  In una regione incastonata tra le cime delle Alpi, le onde del mar Adriatico, le Dolomiti e le colline del Collio, si incontrano la …