Culture

The Main Street portion of the Italian Hall contained three commercial stores including an Italian tailor’s shop, a saloon, a hardware store and later, a billiard parlor and bicycle shop. In the early 1900s, the Italian Hall’s saloon, owned by …

Government sequestration, furloughs, bailouts, and bipartisan bickering have increased the sentiment of cynicism and disillusionment among voters (young and old alike) in the United States.  While internationally, more and more of the populace has subverted oppressive governments’ (i.e. The Arab …

Dear Readers, Francis Albert Sinatra, born December 12, 1915, left us on May 14 1998, but for fans the memories and the melodies linger on, hence my Sinatra column encore.   Thanks to the tabloids, the devil side of Sinatra …

Dear Readers, May has many Italian connections.   Mother’s Day was Sunday, May 12th this year and since St. Monica, mother of the late blooming “Saint” Augustine is also the patroness of wives and mothers, I will share some info on …

Mothers are wonder people … all of them.  Of course, almost everyone thinks that their own mother is the best, which is as it should be.  Mothers are special people who nurtured us from the moment of conception.   I …

This year’s SOHO International Film Festival had its grand gala night at the “Sunshine Theatre” in the heart of Manhattan introducing the feature film “Uncomfortable Silence” by Italian producer Gabriele Altobelli and a docu-film by director Joseph Rezwin that honored …

The foot races of the Garibaldina Mutual Benefit Society, often organized for charitable purposes, commenced in front of the Italian Hall, the Society’s headquarters, on North Main Street in little Italy. This particular race, which took place circa 1917, captures …

On May 11th and 12th, Venice, the enchanting city known for its canals and gondolas, will pay homage to its illustrious past with its very own Festa della Sensa.   The oldest festival in Venice, this celebration is a spectacular, …

Calling gelatieri all around the world! The first-ever Gelato Olympics have begun. During the next year and a half, eight cities around the world will host the competition which will see selected gelato artisans fight to win the jury’s and …

“Beautiful” is one of the adjectives that perfectly match Italy, but it is also one of the words that is often used incorrectly. Generally speaking, when talking about beautiful places, one must keep an open mind: there is no such …