The Italian American Podcast
The Italian American Podcast
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The first and finest podcast for Italian Americans... delivering history, discussion, and connection with smarts, heart, and a lot of laughs. 🇮🇹🇺🇸 Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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2 days ago
IAP 295: If You’re Not Willing to Laugh at Yourself, Don’t Worry... We’ll Laugh at You!
When you spend as much time as we do examining and analyzing the Italian American experience, sometimes you just have to laugh. There are those little quirks that make us unique which are often at the source of so much of the “Italian American comedy” that speaks to each of us every time we encounter it.
But what makes “Italian American comedy” genuinely Italian American? Is it the ethnicity of the performer or writer, the subject matter dealing with our culture and experience, or the audience that identifies as decidedly Italian American?
Perhaps, it's all of the above and more, so we’re sitting down with our friend Brandon Ficara- a comedian, actor, author, speaker, and consultant- to dig into what makes us laugh at ourselves, and whether or not it's okay for others to laugh right along with us.
We’ll discuss the evolution of Italian American comedy, from stand-up to sitcoms, and how portrayals of our community have evolved over time. And we dig into some well-worn sensitivities we often have around perceptions of Italian Americans, and whether or not we need to explore those themes that make us uncomfortable to fully grasp who we are and where we’ve come from.
It’s the first half of a 2-Part episode, Live and Uncut, that will leave you with a lot to think about, and hopefully a lot of laughs! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 21, 2023
IAP 294: Live From "The Feast of All Feasts" - The Feast of San Gennaro in NYC
Every September for the past ninety-seven years, thousands upon thousands descend on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's venerable Little Italy for “a festa 'e tutte 'e feste”—“The Feast of All Feasts”... the eleven-day celebration that is the Feast of San Gennaro!
This year, the Italian American Podcast is celebrating the Patron Saint of Napoli- and one of Italian America’s most important Italian Feasts- by sponsoring the Feast’s live entertainment, and adding a little flare of our own by hosting a special live episode of the podcast and the inaugural Feast of San Gennaro Italian American Karaoke Night in partnership with our Paesani at ‘Growing Up Italian’.
On this week’s episode, we’re sitting down in our soon-to-be-permanent studio space at the heart of Little Italy to catch up with our friend John Fratta, the great-grandson of the Feast's inaugural President, and a long-time leader of the ‘Figli di San Gennaro’ committee which organizes this incredible festival.
We’re discussing the history of the devotion to Saint Januarius from Napoli to NYC and everywhere in between, getting some unique insight into how the Feast is being tweaked to reflect its more devotional roots, and why this year’s decision to eliminate eating competitions caused so much controversy.
We’re discussing the special place Most Precious Blood Church and the National Shrine of San Gennaro hold in the life of Italian New York, and getting a P.O.B. masterclass in the story of this beloved patron Saint! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 14, 2023
IAP 293: Bocce and Other "Gateway Traditions" For Young Italian Americans
Summer is almost over, and many Paesani are outside soaking up the last weeks of our “Italian American National Sport”… the beloved game of BOCCE!
For many, this simple lawn game is a staple of Italian American summer life, but for an increasing number of young people seeking out ways to engage and promote their Italian American heritage, bocce has become a “gateway tradition” of sorts… an inviting entry point back into the rhythms and rituals of Italian American life.
In this episode, we’re joined by a collection of young Italian American activists from northern New Jersey whose collective efforts rescued a long-neglected community Bocce Court from the wrecking ball, and now that they’ve turned an eyesore into an attraction, they’re setting out to spread the joy of the game far and wide.
These young leaders, from organizations like Unico and the Coccia Institute at Montclair State University, are united in their efforts to promote Italian American culture, and they’re sharing the traditions they feel their contemporaries relate to, like another “gateway tradition”: jarring tomatoes.
And, one amongst them, a very special voice from NIAF (and an often referenced character here on the Italian American Podcast) will explore why everyone… from Congress to college campuses… seems to unite for the love of bocce! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 8, 2023
IAP 292: Five Generations of Famiglia in Buffalo, NY
In our final LIVE and UNCUT recording from the National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), in #Pittsburgh PA, Pat, John, and Rossella sit down with some very special Paesani from Buffalo, NY.
Danette Porto and Danielle Salasavage are a Nonna and Granddaughter team representing FIVE GENERATIONS of their Italian American Famiglia who’ve spent decades in service of the Buffalo-Niagra Falls Italian American Community. From leading the ISDA’s Western New York District to their work with the ‘Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo’, or their leadership at the Galbani® Italian Heritage Festival (started by Danette’s late husband) - this is a family who understands what it means to give back!
We’ll discuss what the ISDA means to this family and their sense of Italian American identity, and examine the other incredible works they’ve undertaken for decades in their community.
We’ll discover some of Buffalo’s most treasured Italian traditions (did you know the Bison City was a St Joseph’s Table hotbed?) and how their commitment to the community has grown their Famiglia.
We’ll discover how the family ended up so involved, and explore the very Italian concept of friends as family.
Danielle will join us to discuss the challenges facing young Italian American community leaders, and share some of the lessons she’s learned since she was dropped into the role of ISDA District Vice President at the ripe old age of twenty-six!
It’s an episode filled with the love, friendship, and sense of FAMIGLIA that you can only get when you dive head-first into Italian American life! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 1, 2023
IAP 291: LIVE AND UNCUT FROM PITTSBURGH, PA (PART 2)
Come back to the table for Part 2, as we throwback to the old “Italian American Power Hour” days, with the second half of a conversation already earning rave reviews!
Pat, John, and Rossella are joined by longtime friend Marianna Gatto (Executive Director and Co-FoundRESS of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles) for a freewheeling conversation about all things #ItalianAmerican!
Recorded LIVE & UNCUT at the 46th Biennial National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), in #Pittsburgh PA, it's a conversation that only gets better in this second half!
Jump back into the conversation as Marianna asks why the “New York/New Jersey image” dominates popular perceptions of Italian Americana, and whether this mass-media projection gives other Italian American communities an identity complex.
We’re also discussing the benefits and distinct cultures born of intermarriage between Italians and other American ethnic groups, and what benefits this might present for the future of the Italian American culture
We ponder why our sense of identity is so distinct from the rest of the Italian communities living throughout the global diaspora, including the unique circumstances separating the Italian experience in Anglophonic America and those encountered by communities that formed in Latin America.
As talk turns to beloved Italian traditions, we examine why the “cookie table” remains a staple of so many Italian American communities while it has nearly completely disappeared in others. And, are the cookie table and the football wedding set to make serious comebacks?
It’s an episode filled with the history, heritage, and hilarity you’ve come to love from the Italian American Podcast! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Aug 25, 2023
IAP 290: Live and Uncut From Pittsburgh, PA (Part 1)
Get ready for a throwback to the old “Italian American Power Hour” days, as you join four friends at the kitchen table for a breakneck conversation about something we all love… being Italian American!
When Rossella, Pat, and John are brought together with some of their favorite out-of-town Paesani for the 46th Biennial National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, in Pittsburgh PA, we knew the opportunity to hop on the mic and catch up was going to be a conversation you’d want to be a part of!
We’re sharing some of our newest Italian American discoveries from here in the “Steel City, looking at the feasts and festivals around the country still serving up rare Italian American delicacies, and examining our love of offal meats, and why it means something about the values we hold dear.
We somehow find our way into a debate on the differences between Sicilian and Neapolitan music, and remember the life of the late Italian pop icon Toto Cutugno, his definitive Italian American Anthem “L’Italiano” and examine what this song and Cutugno’s rise and fall from stardom can tell us about the Italy of our youths, the Italy of today, and where our vast Italian American diaspora fits between the two.
It’s an episode recorded live, left raw, and filled with the fun and friendship you expect from the Italian American Podcast! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Aug 10, 2023
IAP 289: Our Paesani Down Under: Introducing the Italian Australian Podcast
We here at the Italian American Podcast have spent eight years and 288 episodes exploring the ins and outs of what it means to be an American descendent of the Italian diaspora… but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be the offspring of Italian immigrants from a little further afield? For two of our loyal listeners who tune in each week from the land down under, listening to us inspired their own attempt to answer the question: What does it mean to be an Italian Australian?
In this week’s episode, brother and sister duo Lukas and Josie D’Aqui join us to share their vision for an exciting new project: The Italian Australian Podcast!
Inspired by our very own show, the Italian Australian Podcast seeks to teach listeners about the nuances of Italian Australian history, life, and culture.
We welcome the D’Aqui siblings onto the show to discuss how Italian Australian life compares to our own, explore the cuisine of Italians in Australia, and look at how Italian immigration to Australia was influenced, in part, by restrictive immigration quotas enacted by the United States government during the 1920s. We talk about how Italian Australian culture is still evolving, and where a project like the Italian Australian Podcast might impact its future.
Join us as we get to know new friends who are setting out to bring this conversation to the million-plus Australians of Italian descent!
This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Aug 3, 2023
IAP 288: Welcome to Roseto, PA, the Happiest Place in Italian America!
For years we’ve been searching for an idyllic Italian American village where we might find the perfect spot to recreate the Italian American neighborhood life we all long for, and this week, we’ve literally hit the Big Time!
In this week’s episode, we discuss our recent trip to Pennsylvania’s Slate Belt borough of Roseto, a historically Italian American town where the annual “Big Time” Festival has drawn generations of Rosetans back home for the past 130 years.
When we set out to film the Feast for an upcoming episode of our popular YouTube show “Greetings From Italian America," we knew this little hamlet was the famed site of the “Roseto Effect” in which medical studies concluded that the town’s incredible ties of kinship and famiglia made it one of the longest-lived communities in 20th Century America… but we couldn’t have foreseen the amazing welcome we’d receive in what might just be the Italian American Promised Land here in eastern Pennsylvania!
We’re exploring how the town’s early immigrants from Roseto Valfortore, Puglia, brought their traditional celebrations for Our Lady of Mount Carmel with them, and how the festival has become the town’s “can’t miss” annual event, bringing Rosetans near and far back home for this heartwarming celebration.
We’ll share stories of some of the people we met during our weekend in Roseto and how everyone embraces Italian pride during the Big Time, even if their roots aren’t in the boot!
Be sure to join us as we discover this hidden Italian American village that just might just be the next hotspot in Italian America!
This episode was sponsored by Mediaset Italia. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 27, 2023
IAP 287: Blogs to the Future: How Two Italian American Bloggers are Passing On Our Heritage
In an Italian American family, every dish tells a story.
For two young Italian American bloggers, the stories of so many of their family dishes have become wildly popular with readers worldwide.
In this week’s episode, we’re discussing how our Italian American foodways have helped our guests Kate Famiglietti of The Two Bananas and Maria Del Russo of Sunday Sauce to connect to past generations and inspire future ones!
Both women share stories of how their grandparents’ recipes encouraged them to begin their journeys into Italian food culture. From backgrounds photographing the human eye and writing a sex and relationship advice column, these two passionate Italians share the fascinating backgrounds and careers that brought them to these projects and explain how recreating a cherished family recipe is a trial-and-error process that takes time and patience… but the dividends pay off in more ways than one.
We also discuss how our food culture helps connect us to our ancestral towns, why recipes vary from region to region, and what recipe modifications mean to how our foods tell a greater story.
Join us for an episode that’ll leave you hungry for more!
This episode was sponsored by Mediaset Italia. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 20, 2023
IAP 286: Stop Italian Sounding with Special Guest Robert Campana
Next time you grab a mouthwatering chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, before you take that first wonderful bite you might want to make sure you’re eating exactly the type of cheese you think it is!
This week’s guest, Robert Campana, the founder of “Stop Italian Sounding,” has made it his mission to educate people about the deceptively labeled “Italian Sounding” products that flood our grocery stores and markets, and he is here to explore exactly what types of products are out there passing themselves off as authentically Italian, and why he created his unique social media initiative to educate consumers.
Robert shares tips and tricks on how to recognize authentic Italian products compared to Italian-sounding ones, and why some of our favorite food names might not accurately represent what we are buying.
We discuss the similarities and differences between Italian-made products and their American counterparts, as well as some of the American-sounding foods one might find produced in Italy. We also examine what the market confusion between these types of products can mean for consumers as well as for overall branding and whether or not some of our uniquely Italian American products and brands might not deserve their own special designation!
Find out how you can stop Italian-sounding items from sneaking their way into your pantry on an episode you won’t want to miss!
This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 14, 2023
IAP 285: Biangolin' - Bagnarol' - Bacous': Examining the Italian American Language
Our language is a reflection of ourselves, and this week’s guest has made it her mission to present both Italians and Italian Americans with a unique mirror in which to see that reflection… the fascinating and distinct Italian American language!
What is the “Italian American language,” you ask? To answer that question, we’re joined this week by Federica La Torre, the founder of “Just a Siciliana,” a Sicilian linguist with deep ties to the United States since her childhood, when she would regularly visit family and friends who had made the immigrants’ journey to become Italian Americans. During these visits, she came into contact with the Italian American community, which inspired her life’s work of studying the Italian American language.
In this week’s episode, Federica tells us about how the distinct Italian American language developed along with the growing immigration of Italians to the United States and how efforts to preserve it are a major piece of understanding our community as a whole. She also shares her experiences as a translator for the Ellis Island Museum and how her discoveries there revealed a new linguistic world to her… one that she would fight to defend amongst a very doubtful public in Italy and the United States.
She also shares the inspiration for her “Just a Siciliana” Instagram feed and how her work is encouraging others to preserve the words they inherited from family and friends.
We’ll share some of our favorite Italian American words and phrases, dissect their meanings and etymologies, and examine the back-and-forth exchange as it impacted the Italian language in America and Italy.
Join us for a lively discussion on how our language reveals so much about our history and what makes our community unique! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 6, 2023
IAP 284: The Girl With the Trinacria Tattoo: Author Leigh Esposito On Her Debut Novel, The Godmother
Sometimes we have conversations that veer off into so many wonderful topics that they seem to make a concise introduction nearly impossible.
When this week’s guest, author and “recovering lawyer,” Leigh Esposito, joined us to discuss her debut novel, the conversation quickly turned into one you won’t want to miss!
Her new book, “The Godmother," was recently released to excellent reviews and has been especially lauded for its portrayal of the experience of Sicilian womanhood.
We’ll discuss the author’s interesting take on the evolving role of women in Sicily and throughout Italy, how our community might be changing how it tells its own stories, and how the craft of the writer is ever-evolving as new voices enter the field.
We’ll also explore the light and dark of Italy’s South, where sadness and joy create a unique interplay in the Southern Italian experience, engender certain learned behaviors, and perpetuate oppressive institutions like the Mafia.
And we’ll ex…
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Jun 22, 2023
IAP 283: The Search for the Mondo Italiano with Special Guest Viviana Altieri of the Istituto Mondo Italiano
When Viviana Altieri journeyed from Rome, Italy to Pittsburgh, PA, on a dare nearly 30 years ago, she could never have imagined staying in the United States and pursuing the life of a “Professional Italian American." But this week’s guest is a natural-born adventurer, and her many incredible journeys seeking out the essence of what it means to “be Italian” have given her unparalleled experiences, which she now brings to her dual roles as the head of the Istituto Mondo Italiano and host of The Italian Radio Hour, her podcast and video series that seeks to reveal the best of Italy and Italian America!
Viviana joins us to explore the mission of the Istituto Mondo Italiano, a bastion of Italian culture right in the heart of the Steel City, and how she looks to preserve some very unique aspects of Italian, and Italian American, culture through her work.
We discuss how Italy can be many things to many people, as well as why it is dangerous to overgeneralize Italy, Italian cuisine,…
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Jun 15, 2023
IAP 282: Abruzzo: The Most Beautiful Place You've Never Seen with Special Guest Michelle DiBenedetto of Majella Tours of Abruzzo
It’s one of Italy’s hidden treasures.
Known as “strong and kind,” the stunningly beautiful region of Abruzzo might be considered off the beaten path for many travelers to the Bel Paese; however, this week’s guest, Michelle DiBenedetto, is here to explain why this undiscovered region should be at the top of your “must-see” list.
Michelle is the owner and founder of Majella Tours of Abruzzo, through which she curates and leads experience-based, small-group tours of this unspoiled Italian region.
Michelle joins us to explore Abruzzo’s sprawling national parks, pristine coastlines, and mysterious medieval villages. We’ll examine the unique cuisine and culture of Abruzzo, from mare to mountains… trabocchi to transumanza, and everything in between!
We’re all about Michelle’s mission to help people discover her family’s ancestral land, and we want YOU to be amongst the earliest adventurers in the most beautiful place in Italy you’ve never seen!
Join us as we p…
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Jun 8, 2023
IAP 281: Coming Home and Catching Up: Sharing Our Latest Italian American Adventures and What they Taught Us
Even though we at the Italian American Podcast spend A LOT of time together, every once in a while, our adventures around Italian American life take us to distinct destinations. Like any group of best buds, we look forward to reuniting and catching up, so this time, we thought we would share that conversation with you!
In this week’s episode, John, Pat, and Rossella reunite to share their latest adventures and what their experiences taught them all about their Italian American lives and identities.
Rossella talks about what it’s like being Italian in a place that’s not necessarily known for its Italian culture as she shares a recent visit to Vancouver Island in the Canadian Rockies to meet her family’s newest member, while Pat shares stories from his visit to Jessup, Pennsylvania, for La Corsa dei Ceri and what it means to get a whole town involved with celebrating Italian heritage.
John discusses his most recent trip to Italy, where he visited Campania, Abruzzo, and Rome, a…
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Jun 1, 2023
IAP 280: Who's Coming to the 2023 Italian Bowl?
When you say the word “football” to friends and famiglia in Italy, they probably conjure up images of World Cup soccer and the many greats who have worn the famed “Azzurro” of the Italian national team, or their favorite local club competing in Serie A. But, to many an Italian American, football means helmets, hard knocks, and the great American gridiron game invented in the Buckeye State of Ohio! On July 1 in the great city of Toledo, Ohio, these two worlds will collide when the Italian League of American-style Football brings their “Italian Bowl" Championship to the USA for the first time in its 42-year history!
In this week’s episode, we welcome Lou Tosi and Nick Eyde, who are responsible for bringing this game to the state that gave us the sport of football. We discuss how American football came to Italy and why this particular event is so special and unique for players and fans alike.
We also discuss the Italian football league and the amazing stories of its dedicate…
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May 18, 2023
IAP 279: From Napoli to New York: An Italian American Perspective on Napoli's Historic Championship
In Italy, calcio (or the game we Americans call soccer) is life!
And after thirty-three years in the making, the city of Napoli can finally lay claim to the title of Champions of Italy!
In winning the “scudetto," with the best record in Italy’s famed Serie A, S.S.C. Napoli has sent fans throughout their city, Italy, and around the world into weeks-long revelries that have even made their way into our Italian American community!
In this week’s episode, Louis Nicastro and Gaetano Solazzo of the Tri-State Napoli Club join us to discuss this historic event and why it is so important for fans of the sport, as well as for citizens of Naples, Southern Italy, and the vast Italian diaspora.
Louis and Gaetano will give our listeners a primer on soccer in Italy, how it works, how it differs from American spectator sports, the way in which teams are placed in the various leagues, and how they earn championships. They’ll also examine the up-and-down history of S.S.C. Napoli and explain…
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May 11, 2023
IAP 278: How to Revive Your Italian American Feast with the Notorious P.O.B. and the Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte
May is the month that begins to tease summer, and for those who can’t get enough of them, it also signals the start of the Italian American Feast season!
In this week’s episode, our very own P.O.B. talks about the feast that he lovingly resurrected 11 years ago: The Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte in Clifton, N.J. To tell the story of this feast, he has invited on several friends: Valerie Cappello, Nick Fedeli, Fran Parisi, and Anthony “Tony Mangia” Scillia, all of whom have in some way lent themselves to his mission to bring this ancient Cilentano celebration back to life.
Our guests share how reviving a feast isn’t a one-person job but the job of an entire group dedicated to preserving Italian American heritage in one of its most unique manifestations and what drew each of them into this devotion.
We talk about how Italian American feasts are being revived around the country and what our listeners can do if they, too, want to restore one of their own. We also discuss th…
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May 4, 2023
IAP 277: A.I. for I.A.: Artificial Intelligence and a New Approach to Italian American Genealogy
If you’re a loyal listener to the Italian American Podcast, you’ll know that technology isn't exactly an area we focus on week in and week out. Artificial intelligence and chat-bots and whatnots might not exactly be our expertise, but for this week’s guest, the rapidly unfolding revolution in artificial intelligence has become a valuable tool in his quest to bring Italian American genealogy to as many paesani as possible… and to bring Italian American stories to life!
Erick Lucera, a long-time Italian American Podcast devotee and part of our “New Neighborhood” membership group, took inspiration from his countless hours listening to the show when he created a whole new way to tell the story of immigrants who arrived from Biccari, Puglia, to Philadelphia, PA, and has chronicled it in his book, “The Birth of the New Biccari in Philadelphia."
In this book, Erick combines qualitative and quantitative data surrounding Biccarese immigration, utilizing the latest advancements i…
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Apr 27, 2023
IAP 276: Confederates in the Famiglia? An Italian American Family Mystery
An Italian American with Confederates in the famiglia?
The branches of our family trees often contain mysteries and secrets that are lost until future generations decide to investigate them.
This is precisely the case with this week’s episode as we talk with Joe Elia, one of the delegates to the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference. Joe explains that during his genealogical sleuthing, he discovered that one of his ancestors was a post-Unification Bourbon prisoner of war who was sent to serve with the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
Our Bourbon history expert, Lou Mendola, joins us to help Joe decipher his family’s lore, as well as explain how Bourbon soldiers came to serve in our nation’s bloodiest war. We discuss how there’s more to Italian Unification than what we’ve learned in school and why it is necessary to look at any episode in history from every angle.
We also discuss why preserving family history is important and how we can solve…
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Apr 20, 2023
IAP 275: A Delicious Revolution! John Forti on the Italian American Heirloom Garden
Spring seems to have arrived in many parts of the country, and for countless Italian Americans, these early days of new life mean it's time to get gardening! In many cases, those Italian American gardens will soon be bursting with fruits and vegetables that have been passed down through generations of seed saving.
But for one Italian American in particular, the lessons learned watching Nonno and Nonna save the seeds of their favorite tomatoes have led to an expertise that has made him into one of the world’s foremost authorities on heirloom gardening.
A nationally recognized garden historian, ethnobotanist, heirloom specialist, and author John Forti blows the dust off time-honored yet underused garden remedies, artisanal foods, and horticultural practices by enthusiastically helping to preserve and promote tried and true methods that are often lost in modern lifestyles. From touring and teaching to running his wildly popular Facebook group “The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti," he…
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Apr 13, 2023
IAP 274: Family Secrets, Family Honor: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family with Special Guest Karen Tintori
Francesca Costa’s name should never have been remembered. In fact, had it not been for her great-niece’s steadfast and unwavering love, any remembrance of Francesca’s life would have been lost to time -- and that’s exactly how the rest of her family wanted it.
Italian American author Karen Tintori joins us this week to discuss her 2007 work, “Unto the Daughters.” This chilling and sobering account of an honor killing in a turn-of-the-century Sicilian family– Karen’s very own family— is also a beautifully heartbreaking testimony of love that spans generations and how the voice of truth cannot be silenced.
Karen tells us how she first learned of Francesca’s tragic story, and how she fought to reconstruct her great-aunt’s life against overwhelming odds and determined resistance from her family by piecing together the scant information left behind after a brutal murder.
She also explains how Francesca’s story fit into the Detroit of the early 20th century, and wh…
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Apr 6, 2023
IAP 273: Personalize Your Pastiera with Special Guest Stefano Arturi
As we are about to embark on the solemn celebration of the Easter Triduum, for many Italian Americans, Holy Thursday means a day spent in the kitchen lovingly recreating recipes handed down from generation to generation.
This week’s guest, Stefano Arturi, knows a thing or two about recreating recipes. The author of the Italian Home Cooking Blog, Stefano divides his time between Italy and London. Stefano came to our attention when he featured our very own POB’s pastiera recipe on his site, so we had to have him join us on the podcast!
Stefano tells us about the various methods for making pastiera, as well as other Easter-time delicacies. We’ll explore the continuing evolution of contemporary Italian cuisine and the recent push to define Italian cuisine by rejecting what is not “traditional." We’ll discuss Stefano’s belief that Italian cuisine owes a debt to its large diasporic community and the many traditional recipes that have gone extinct in Italy which only…
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Mar 30, 2023
IAP 272: We Stand On the Shoulders: A Monument to the Sicilian Sugar Cane Harvesters of Louisiana
Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State. From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points of interest in and around the Crescent City, the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast never rests in his efforts to promote the immense Italian heritage of his home state.
His latest project is one that clearly has a special place in his big Sicilian heart because Charles is one of the many Louisianans who can claim an ancestor amongst the 60,000 Sicilian immigrants who were recruited between 1870-1920 to work as sugarcane harvesters on the plantations and farms of South Louisiana. And now, this proud descendent of those tireless laborers is returning to one of the area’s historic sugar plantations with plans to build a monument in their honor.
In this week’s episode, Charles returns to the Italian American Podcast to tell…
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Mar 23, 2023
IAP 271: The Long-Forgotten Italian American Phenom Who Gave March Its 'Madness,' the Tale of Angelo-Giuseppi "Hank" Luisetti
As winter begins to thaw, and the start of spring arrives, a certain segment of the American population usually begins to experience a familiar type of “madness” as the second most popular sporting event of the year hits the airwaves. But did you know that college basketball might not annually grip the nation with “March Madness” had it not been for an Italian American? And chances are his is a name you’ve probably never heard of!
This week’s guest, Mike DeLucia, tells us the story of Angelo-Giuseppi “Hank” Luisetti, the 1930s Stanford University superstar who pioneered many of the moves we see on the courts today, from stylized dribbling to the one-handed shot!
In his book, “Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball," Mike tells readers why Luisetti could —and perhaps should—be considered the greatest basketball player who ever lived.
Mike tells us about Luisetti’s career, as a phenom during the years of the Great Depression, explains why Luisetti’s name isn…
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Mar 16, 2023
IAP 270: Celebrating St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a New Orleans Tradition, with Special Guest Sandra Scalise Juneau
Buona festa di San Giuseppe, everyone!
This week’s episode takes us to New Orleans, where our guest, Sandra Scalise Juneau, introduces us to Louisiana’s very special commemoration of one of Italian America’s most beloved holidays… St. Joseph’s Day!
Sandra is the author of “Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a New Orleans Tradition,” which tells the story of how these altars came into being, why the New Orleans Italian community is so dedicated to honoring St. Joseph, and how this Italian American devotion continues to grow and evolve in Louisiana and throughout the United States.
We’ll examine Louisiana’s unique Sicilian American community and look at the origins of their devotion to St. Joseph as protector of the family… from medieval famines to Hurricane Katrina.
We’ll also look at the many culinary traditions that make up a Saint Joseph’s Table… from cuccidati, the fig-filled Sicilian cookies, to Pasta con le Sarde,…
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Mar 9, 2023
IAP 269: Why Genealogy Is a Noble Pursuit with Special Guest Bob Sorrentino
Have you ever wondered if your family tree might include a famous name amongst its many branches? A celebrated figure…a Duke, a King… perhaps even a Pope?
This week’s guest stumbled upon a “who’s who” of Italian nobility when he began researching his family history nearly 20 years ago, and now he’s dedicated his life to helping his fellow Italian Americans in their quest to discover their ancestors… from the famed to the famous!
Bob Sorrentino is the founder of the Italian Genealogy Blog and Podcast, as well as the author of "Farmers and Nobles," a genealogical history of two diverse branches of his Italian American Family Tree.
After retiring from his career as a banker, his growing obsession with genealogical research inspired him to create a blog, podcast, and Facebook group to promote the research of Italian ancestry and to connect other family historians seeking answers to their own genealogical mysteries.
Bob tells us about why creating connections among ot…
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Mar 2, 2023
IAP 268: State Your Case: Why Italian America Needs State Commissions
When it comes to Italian American heritage, each one of the fifty nifty United States that make up our union has its own unique Italian American community and culture.
Despite this, only two states—Delaware and New Jersey—have official, state-wide Italian American representation, guaranteeing our history and culture will be taught to current and future generations.
This week’s guests, Robert DiBiase, the chairman of the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission, and Rick DiLiberto, the chairman of the Delaware Commission on Italian Heritage and Culture, are here to tell us how their states were able to create these specially-legislated commissions and what that means for Italian Americans living in each of them.
We’ll discover the critical ways each of these commissions works to represent and promote our heritage, and how each state’s uniquely rich Italian American cultures have become part of a larger state identity. We’ll also discuss how the future of Italian America acr…
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Feb 16, 2023
IAP 267: Marriage Italian Style: The Stuff No One Says About Italian Marriage
Happy Valentine’s Day, paesani! We’re celebrating the "Day of Amore" with a somewhat unusual episode we hope you enjoy… and that perhaps some of you can even relate to!
You see, we here at the Italian American Podcast really are one big famiglia. The conversations we have on air are only the icing on the cake for a group of cumpari who spend an inordinate amount of time chatting, complaining, and dissecting life’s many vicissitudes with one another every week.
So this week, Dolores and John have simply decided to “turn on the mic” for a recurring conversation they often find themselves in, and one that far too often goes unspoken in a world of lives curated for social media… a conversation about the ins-and-outs of “Marriage Italian Style."
As they often do, they’re exploring the many pleasures and pitfalls of married life and the extra complications that come with being party to an Italian American marriage. They’ll examine what parts of their married li…
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Feb 9, 2023
IAP 266: Warren J. Ciabattoni on Paesani of Interest Italian American Stories
We’re kicking off a new project at the Italian American Podcast as we set out to collect the unique oral histories of the many fascinating Italian Americans from around the nation who we encounter daily.
This new initiative, called “Paesani of Interest: Italian American Stories,” kicks off this week with Warren Ciabattoni. Born in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, in a community that was decidedly not Italian, Warren shares how his formative experiences growing up as an outsider in pre-World War II America shaped his concept of his Italian American ethnicity through questions surrounding his given name when he joined the Pennsylvania State Police to his deep undercover work combating organized crime in the western part of the Keystone State.
He also tells about the stereotypes he and his family encountered and why he decided to focus on preserving and promoting his beloved heritage through his work with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America in his retirement.
It’s a first-hand en…
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Feb 2, 2023
IAP 265: The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia with Special Guest H.E. Ambassador Andrea Canepari
From Rocky Balboa to Botticelli, the City of Brotherly Love is one of America’s proudest Italian American locales, and this week’s guest is just the person to tell us how it came to be.
Andrea Canepari is an Italian diplomat currently serving at the Directorate General for Country Promotion of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Rome. He was Ambassador of Italy in the Dominican Republic from 2017 to 2021 and Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2017. Andrea is the co-editor of The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas, as well as the author of The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic: History, Architecture, Economy, and Society and The Italian Legacy in Washington D.C.: Architecture, Design, Art, and Culture.
Andrea’s experiences as Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia have helped him discover a side to Pennsylvania’s largest city that stretches beyond Ben Franklin and the Liberty Bell. In this week’s episode, And…
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Jan 25, 2023
IAP 264: Frankie D. is Keepin' It Real in Chicago
When it comes to celebrating our Italian American culture, sometimes you need to capture every moment as it happens.
Such is the case for this week’s guest, Frank Di Piero. Frank is the host of "Keepin’ It Real with Frankie D." at ItalianAmericanLife.com. With more than 100 “Italian American Moments” to his credit, Frank believes in making our culture accessible to all. In this week’s episode, we sit down with one of the pioneers of Italian American podcasting as he shares his take on why learning our collective culture makes us better Italian Americans and why preserving it through any means possible is key to moving it toward the future.
We'll explore how we can look to other ethnic communities for ideas on how to preserve our Italian culture and integrate it into our lives as Americans.
Frank also talks about how his involvement in Chicago’s Italian American community shaped his existence, including the creation of two children’s books, “My BIG Family” and “Te…
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Jan 19, 2023
IAP 263: 72 Hours That Changed Italian America, Recapping the Inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference
For many of us who are active in the Italian American community, there exists a common, existential fear, a constant refrain that can be heard at Lodge meetings and Sunday dinners alike… “The young people aren’t interested in being Italian!"
But we decided to challenge this terrifying assumption by providing an opportunity for Italian America’s most dedicated young leaders to meet, mingle, and consider our proud community's present -- and future -- state.
“Inspiring,” "incredible," "life-changing"... these are just some of the words used to describe the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference held this past weekend at the FLA Live Arena in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
We at the Italian American Podcast are proud to have played a role in this first-of-its-kind event that brought together more than 100 young, active Italian Americans between the ages of 21-35, the future leaders of our community from across the United States and Italy.
In this week's episode, so…
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Jan 11, 2023
IAP 262: There's No Use Crying Over Spilled Pastina, with Special Guest Michael Fava
Panic has beset the Italian American Community!! Pastina -- the ultimate Italian American comfort food -- has gone the way of the Dodo!!! Only… it hasn’t!
When an Italian American thinks of pastina, especially during these cold winter months, it brings one back to the comforts of childhood, a cozy day in bed, and Nonna’s healing touch. But this week, when Ronzoni pasta announced it was discontinuing the production of this beloved shape we affectionately call “Italian penicillin,” millions of Italian American voices joined in a terrified uproar.
But… spoiler alert… pastina isn’t going anywhere, as we sit down with Michael Fava of DeCecco Pasta USA, who helps us dissect what our community calls a “crisis” of epic proportions.
We talk about people’s emotional attachment to food, what happens when the foods we identify with are suddenly unavailable, and what that means to a person’s identity.
We also talk about brand affinity, why Ronzoni might be hurting t…
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Jan 4, 2023
IAP 261: The First Family of Torrone
Close your eyes and try to rate it. That crunchy, sticky, subtly sweet cloud of confection… The pillowy perfection known as torrone candy… Whether at the holiday table, a wedding or feast, or on the ball top at a summer feast, it’s a taste that every Italian American knows.
This week’s guests are responsible for bringing that taste to paesani near and far, thanks to their unique way of marketing that old-world taste to new-world homes. Anne Marie and Tony Andriola are the founders and owners of torronecandy.com, which was born out of the family’s feast-time concession business and developed into an online marketplace filled with treats that can’t be found anywhere else.
To kick off 2023, Anne Marie and Tony tell us the story of their family business, from its founding in the 1980s to today. They also tell us about how they got involved with selling torrone, and why the treat has lived for so long in the collective memory of Italian American families.
We’ll learn ho…
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Dec 21, 2022
IAP 260: Are You Part of the Struffoli Squad? With Special Guest Annie Petito of Cook's Illustrated
Are YOU part of the Struffoli Squad? These beloved Neapolitan confections, deep fried and coated in a sticky sweet sheen of freshly warmed honey, are often considered an essential part of an Italian American Christmas, but for this week’s guest, they’re special enough to earn the title of “show stopper."
Annie Petito is one of the incredibly talented culinarians behind Cook’s Illustrated, perhaps the most highly-respected publication amongst America’s chefs. When this proud Italian American got the chance to select the magazine’s annual “show stopper” Christmas dessert, she went back to her roots to share her family’s recipe for Christmas Struffoli. Of course, when you’re publishing in a journal as highly regarded as hers, you can’t simply pass along Nonna’s old notecards, so Annie set out to construct the most scientifically accurate recipe that’s ever been written for these humble little treats! In the process, she discovered their fascinating history goe…
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Dec 15, 2022
IAP 259: The Songs of Our Folks with Special Guest Michela Musolino Part 2
Music always plays an outsized role in getting us in the “Holiday Spirit," and this year, Christmas in Italian America will have a distinctly Sicilian sound thanks to one very devoted Sicilian American songstress.
In this conclusion of our two-part episode with special guest Michela Musolino, we learn more about her new Christmas album, “La Notti Triunfanti”… The Triumphant Night! Michela tells us how she packed up her most beloved Sicilian and Southern Italian Christmas songs and moved to Memphis, Tennessee to record this heartwarming collection with a team of talented Italian Americans in support.
From traditional Sicilian Christmas sonnets infused with Beal Street swing to Neapolitan yuletide lullabies with rockabilly edge, Michela’s latest album seeks to join traditions from Sicily and Southern Italy to the rich musical culture of Memphis.
Michela tells us about the inspirations for this album and how retelling timeless Christmas tales helps bridge cultural differen…
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Dec 7, 2022
IAP 258: The Songs of Our Folks with Special Guest Michela Musolino, Part 1
For many of us, the music of the motherland and the songs that Italian Americans have contributed to the American soundtrack serve as a way to reconnect to our heritage. But for this week’s guest, preserving and sharing that music isn’t just a passion; it’s a mission she has given her life to.
Michela Musolino grew up in a household where Sicilian was spoken so that the children wouldn’t be able to understand adult conversations. By hearing her ancestral language, Michela became determined to join the conversations, eventually becoming enamored of traditional Italian folk music.
In part one of this two-part episode, Michela tells us how her love for Sicilian folk music inspired her career as a singer, performer, educator, and advocate and how she seeks to present the music of her ancestral roots in new and dynamic ways to her contemporary audiences.
We also learn how Sicilian folk music has inspired some of Italian America’s greatest music, including a deep dive into th…
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Dec 1, 2022
IAP 257: Out of the Finance and Into the Frying Pan with Special Guest Michele Di Pietro
Deep into a successful career in the exhilarating world of auditing, Italian American serial-achiever Michele Di Pietro decided she needed more out of life. And so, at nearly double the age of most entrants, this life-long lover of the art of “feeding others” decided to head off to culinary school.
Today, Michele is an entrepreneur, classically-trained chef, culinary consultant, food writer, cookbook author, blogger, and creator of Mangia With Michele, expressing her lifelong passion for Italian ingredients, foods, recipes, culture, and traditions.
Throughout her busy professional culinary life, Michele has also always been an avid home cook with strong ties to her Italian roots, and this week she joins us to share her first cookbook, called SOUPified: Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes, a whimsical and fun collection of soup recipes that were inspired by her favorite Italian American soul food dishes like Eggplant Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala, Lasagne, Shrimp Scampi, Phill…
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Nov 17, 2022
IAP256: Inspired by Ancestral Gratitude- The Story of Dr. Rosemary Intili Ferdinand
Sometimes in life, we have occasions to pause and take stock of the good we can do in the world around us. For this week’s guest, it was two particular occasions (when she received TWO double lung transplants at University of South Florida-Tampa General Hospital) that inspired her to say “Grazie” to both the hospital that saved her life and the ancestral island that gave it its culture!
Dr. Rosemary Intili Ferdinand’s ancestors came from Cerami, Sicily, and her family’s traditions have been a part of her life from a young age. A nurse by profession, Rosemary wanted to do something to unite the heritage she loved with the career that became her passion. Through her efforts, the University of South Florida’s Health College of Nursing is now expanding its educational reach through new collaborations with two universities in Sicily: Kore University of Enna and the University of Catania. A program you too can support today!
Rosemary shares how finding the Italian American Podc…
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Nov 10, 2022
IAP 255: Plant, Harvest, Cook! Mary Ann Esposito Takes Us from Dirt to Dinner
This week’s legendary guest is no stranger to our show, and this week she’s here to celebrate the release of her latest book, “Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook!” and celebrate her 30th season as TV’s longest-running cooking show host!
Chef, author, and Italian American icon Mary Ann Esposito is the creator and host of the nationally televised PBS series Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito™ and is the author of 14 cookbooks. She has worked beside world-renowned chefs like Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, Jasper White, and countless others. When she’s not cooking, Mary Ann hosts culinary trips to Italy, where she works hands-on with her students to teach them regional dishes from up and down the peninsula.
We talk to Mary Ann about the inspiration behind her latest collection, which fuses her husband’s passion for gardening with her devotion to teaching the next generation the skills of a simpler time. Mary Ann shares her secrets of seasonal produce, seed sav…
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Nov 2, 2022
IAP 254: Food is Love with Special Guest Alessandra Aiello
Food is Love! The concept might just be one of the few things every Italian on earth can agree on.
But, for this week’s guest, it's also a mission statement!
Alessandra Aiello was born in Vico Equense near Napoli, and was minding her own business raising her three daughters, and focusing on her family when COVID quarantine inspired her to start filming herself as she cooked each day, as a way to pass on her family’s traditional recipes to her daughters so they, too, can carry on the generational delicacies that she learned from her mother and grandmother.
And as her passion for recording grew with each delectable dish she prepares, she decided to start a cooking channel, “Alessandra’s Food Is Love” so she could share her catalog, and creativity, with the world!
Alessandra tells us about how her channel came to be, and what it has meant to her to be able to share recipes with the global worldwide Italian community.
We talk about what authentic Italian cuisine truly mean…
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Oct 26, 2022
IAP 253: An Alliance for Italian America with Special Guest Sabino Curcio of Growing Up Italian
Ciao Paesani… and Greetings from the corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets, at the heart of Manhattan’s Little Italy, and the future home of the Italian American Podcast!
That’s right, we’re on location in the soon-to-be world-class headquarters for all things Italian American, and before we even break ground on building our dream home, we wanted to kick the tires on life at the heart of New York’s famed Italian Enclave!
And, to kick things off right, we are taking the opportunity to sit down with one of our new partners, Sabino Curcio, one-third of the passionate trio behind Growing Up Italian , the insanely popular platform and podcast that needs no introduction.
Sabino is joining Rossella and John in the construction site that will soon be transformed into a destination for all things Italian American to discuss our shared vision for this incredible place, what brought our two unique platforms together, and some of the things that unite us across Italian America.
We’r…
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Oct 19, 2022
IAP 252: One Very Jazzy Italian American with Special Guest Vanessa Racci
Italians have been a force in jazz almost since the music was born, and this week’s guest is no exception!
Vanessa Racci has dedicated her career to being an ambassador not only for her Italian heritage but also for the heritage of jazz music. Vanessa grew up in Westchester County, New York amid an Italian American family that steeped her in Italian song, theater music, and jazz, which allowed her to develop a vocal style drawn from all three, combining a tart, brassy, catch-in-the-throat sound with Italianate ardor, dramatic flair, and swing.
This week, Vanessa joins us to celebrate the release of her latest album, “Jazzy Italian,” which launches on October 21. Vanessa tells us about how Italian Americans have always been connected to jazz music, from the Sicilian community of New Orleans who lived and worked alongside African Americans, to its influences throughout the pantheon of great Italian American singers.
Vanessa also tells us about her plans to do three more albums,…
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Oct 12, 2022
IAP 251: Ready or Not... Here Comes Giorgia with Special Guest Umberto Mucci of We the Italians
On September 25, 2022, snap elections in Italy yielded two unprecedented results, as Giorgia Meloni is set to become Italy’s first female Prime Minister, and her "Fratelli d’Italia" (Brothers of Italy) Party, which took the highest percentage of votes, will sit at the heart of Italy’s most right-wing government since the end of World War II.
This week, after considerable audience requests, we sat down with our friend and political commentator, Umberto Mucci of We the Italians. The “official Italian correspondent” of the Italian American Podcast is back to unpack the results of these historic and polarizing election results.
With a victory for the most conservative party to reach the clear majority in Italy’s history, Umberto explains how Italy’s government has decreased in size as a result of these elections, and how this will affect legislation.
We talk about how Giorgia Meloni came to power and how her government will seek to reach a consensus, both within her cent…
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Oct 5, 2022
IAP 250: 250th Episode Celebration
This week, the Italian American Podcast marks its 250th episode, and we certainly have a lot to celebrate as we kick off another Italian American Heritage Month!
We discuss John and Dolores’s recent trip to Sicily, where they experienced the island in ways few Americans ever get the chance to experience. They share their stories, and how they came to realize just why their — and countless other — ancestors left Italy for the New World.
And, of course, the conversation makes its way to what they ate, and we take a detour into some of the regional Italian specialties we all enjoy so much, and why there are essentially two Italies to visit—the one we learn about, and the one waiting to be discovered.
We also celebrate the release of Rossella’s upcoming third book, Cooking with Nonna: Sunday Dinners with La Famiglia, to be released in November. She tells us about her upcoming launch party in Brooklyn at The Bookmark Shoppe, and how this cookbook is her best yet because of the…
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Sep 29, 2022
IAP 249: For the Love of Naples with Special Guest Arthur Schwartz
Many of us have that “one” cookbook that we reach for whenever we want to make something special for our friends and famiglia… and for one of our hosts (and perhaps for many of you out there) that special book was written by this week’s incredible guest.
Award-winning author Arthur Schwartz (LINK) is a legend in the world of Italian cuisine, thanks to his definitive work “Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania,” as well as “The Southern Italian Table: Authentic Tastes from Traditional Kitchens,” among his countless other highly praised works. (LINKS)
For 26 years, he was the food editor of Newsday and then the New York Daily News, where he was also a columnist and first-string restaurant critic, and for 13 years he was the host of the country’s only daily food radio program. The Brooklyn-born Italophile also put his passion for Southern Italy to work running a cooking school in Paestum for nearly 12 years.
Known for putting food in its cultural context, Arthur tells…
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Sep 21, 2022
IAP 248: Textiles, Tailoring, and Tradition with Special Guest Salvatore Giardina
When it comes to fashion, the phrase “MADE IN ITALY” evokes excellence in every step of the process. From the world’s most luxurious textiles to cutting-edge technologies in manufacturing, to the unparalleled sense of design that Italy has shared with the world for millennia, every aspect of the clothes we wear is defined by Italian ingenuity and taste.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with master tailor and textile expert Salvatore Giardina, as he brings his more than 30 years of experience to a look at the future of Italian style, materials, and innovation in an increasingly complex industry.
Salvatore shares the ins and outs of the Italian fashion industry, including the particularities of textiles and the often subtle differences between disposable clothing and the best thing you’ll ever hang in your closet.
We’ll also explore how and why Italian textiles like wool, cotton, silk, and denim, are considered the best in the world, and how the technologies and trai…
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Sep 14, 2022
IAP 247: Southern Italians in the American Civil War with Special Guest Peter Belmonte
For many Italian Americans, the American Civil War, a seminal chapter in the history of the United States, can often feel like a chapter detached from their own American experience. Since the massive wave of Italian Immigration to the United States between 1870 and 1920, the brilliant thread of the Italian American experience has been indelibly woven into the tapestry of American history, but even the most passionate student of Italian American history might be unaware of the Italian presence in the war that redefined the United States.
While many pages have been dedicated to the “Garibaldi Guard” and the contingent of Northern Italian soldiers who came to defend the Union, the legacy of Southern Italians on both sides of the conflict between the states has, until now, been almost completely forgotten by time.
In a return visit to our show, historian Peter L. Belmonte shares his continuing research on these Southern Italian soldiers and sailors who served in Army, Navy, and Marin…
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Aug 31, 2022
IAP 246: You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Sculpts You! Steubenville, Ohio's Quest to Honor Dean Martin
He was the “King of Cool,” an Italian American star whose casual magnetism and incomparable voice defined the Rat Pack style that influenced generations of American popular culture. Now, Dean Martin’s hometown is seeking to honor him for all time with a larger-than-life statue at the heart of this once-bustling community.
In this week’s episode, we are exploring the life and legacy of Steubenville, Ohio’s favorite son through the eyes of Gerald Ravasio, the chairman of the committee that is seeking to construct this well-deserved monument to a unique Italian American legend.
Gerald helps us uncover Dino Paul Crocetti’s humble beginnings, from his Italian-speaking childhood to the bullying that drove him away from school and into the underground nightclubs and casinos that earned Steubenville the sobriquet “Little Chicago."
We’ll also gain insight into Dean Martin, the dedicated Italian American who never forgot his hometown, and kept himself involved in philanthro…
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Aug 24, 2022
IAP 245: An Unconventional Italian and Her Unconventional Guide! With Special Guest Carla Gambescia
What does it mean to live “La Dolce Vita?” This week’s guest is here to tell us how the answer to that question is just as varied as Italy herself!
Carla Gambescia is a cultural “edu-tainer,” award-winning author, travel journalist, lecturer and avid photographer. The author of “La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z," Carla seeks to teach people about Italy’s culture and lifestyle in everything she does.
And, seeing as we’re sitting down with the author of an “A to Z” guide to Italy’s culture and history, it's no surprise that this is an episode that hits on topics ranging from the Roman roots of popular sayings, to the often-overlooked multiculturalism of the Venetian Republic.
We’ll discuss the surprising reasons behind some of the earliest Italian immigrations to the United States, Carla’s time as a restauranteur on a mission to educate through food, and how Italy and Italian Studies are often ignored by the Ame…
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Aug 17, 2022
IAP 244: The Feast of Saint Rocco with Special Guest Stephen La Rocca
“Viva San Rocco!”
It's the last weeks of summer in Italian America, and in neighborhoods across the country, paesani are celebrating the Feast of Saint Rocco, one of the most venerated saint days in the Italian American year.
For our part, we’re sitting down with Stephen La Rocca, president of the St. Rocco Society of Potenza, to discover more about this saint and the feast that has been held in his honor every August in New York City since 1889.
As one of the oldest continuous Italian American celebrations in the United States, there’s plenty of fascinating history behind this unique tradition, and we’ll follow the feast day from its origins, to its near extinction, through two relocations within the city, and into its continuing growth into what is today one of New York’s most well-attended feasts!
Stephen also shares his own family’s devotion to St. Rocco, dating back to a very special miracle performed for his grandmother that inspired him to not only dedicate him…
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Aug 10, 2022
IAP 243: Where Redneck Meets Red Sauce... A Trip to Tontitown, Arkansas's Italian Village
We spent last week filming in one of the most overlooked (and criminally underappreciated) corners of Italian America… deep in the Ozarks in a little Italian village called Tontitown, Arkansas!
In this week’s episode of The Italian American Podcast, we’re sitting down with two of the new paesani we met during our travels, Heather Ranalli Peachee and Kara Jo Engle. Both of these proud Tontitown Italians can trace their roots to the founding families of this unique Italian agricultural colony, and today they are both part of the Tontitown Winery, which is the last commercial winery in a town that once cultivated more than 14,000 acres of commercial grapes!
We’ll share the people and places we found while visiting this incredible “Little Italy in the Ozarks” for its annual Grape Festival, which began in 1898 in celebration of the colony’s first good harvest, and even predates some of Italian America’s largest Italian feasts in places like New York and Boston.
We’ll al…
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Aug 3, 2022
IAP 242: Join the My Italy Movement with Special Guest Nikki Taylor of La Dolce Vita Lifestyle Magazine
“What does Italy mean to you?”
For those of us who think about Italy and our Italianness on a daily basis, it's a question that can force the mind into an exhausting array of mental gymnastics.
To this week’s guest, Nikki Taylor of La Dolce Vita Lifestyle Magazine, it's the question she is asking the entire world to answer!
The Australian Italophile behind the uplifting #MyItaly2022 social media campaign joins us to talk about her efforts to spread love for Italy, and all things Italian, in a time when the country needs it most. Nikki and her team want to urge people to remember what Italy means to them, to remind us all that Italy is back in business, and that Italy needs our support to give the country and its people a much-needed boost.
We discuss the #MyItaly2022 campaign and why it is important for people to remember what they love about Italy in a post-pandemic world. We also examine how the country is slowly bouncing back, from new tourist “hot spots” to tried-an…
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Jul 27, 2022
IAP 241: Draghi Departed: What's Next for Italy with Special Guest Umberto Mucci
On Thursday July 21, 2022, Mario Draghi, Italy’s technocratic Prime Minister, resigned from his role as Head of Government. With Italy facing a summer of unprecedented heatwaves, fires, draught, inflation, war on the continent, gas shortages, and the lingering effects of COVID shutdowns, the departure of this highly-regarded European technocrat has sent shockwaves across Italy and the world. And now, polling across Italy suggests that one of the more likely candidates to succeed him is Giorgia Meloni, a relatively untested politician representing “Fratelli d’Italia”… Italy’s Post-Fascist party.
With such unprecedented circumstances, and much at stake, we’re calling on our good friend Umberto Mucci of “We the Italians” to explore what might lay ahead for Italy now that Draghi has begun to wind down his mandate, and what the impending elections in late September might really bring.
We will discuss Italy’s complex mechanisms for electing the office of Prime Minist…
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Jul 20, 2022
IAP 240: Italian American Lawyers Never Lose Their Appeal!: A Conversation With The National Italian American Bar Association
In modern America, countless thousands of Italian American women and men practice every imaginable discipline of the law. However, not so long ago, a vowel on the end of one’s surname was likely a barrier to entry to most of the nation’s elite law schools and most important law firms. What exactly changed to allow so many of our fellow Italian Americans to proudly bear the title of Esquire?
Perhaps, the National Italian American Bar Association (NIABA) had something to do with it?
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re joined by two of that organization's dynamic leaders, NIABA President Fran Donnarumma and Chair of the Board Cristina Carabetta, to discuss the history of Italian Americans in the legal profession, and find out how we went from “Italians Need Not Apply” to some of the most respected jurists and litigators in the nation.
We get to know these two Italian American legal leaders on a more personal level… to understand why Fran was…
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Jul 13, 2022
IAP 239: There Ain't No Feast Without the Feast Bands!
It’s easy to make the argument that the annual feast is the soul of the Italian American neighborhood, and for the true feast aficionado, it's the music that is the soul of the feast!
And no two people know this better than this week’s guests, the talented musicians at the helm of two of Italian America’s most renowned feast bands, Marty Caliendo and Joe Annecchino.
Based in Chicago, Marty is the founder of “Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana," while Joe is the conductor and manager of the New Jersey-based “Tony Neglia Band." Both men have dedicated their lives and careers to preserving Italian American feast music and bands, from the songs, to the instruments, to the attire, and more.
In this week’s episode, Marty and Joe tell us about how the music we hear at Italian American feasts tells the story of our people, and how the songs have survived and evolved for generations. We also learn about the unique anthems composed for each community’s particular saints, and which so…
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Jun 29, 2022
IAP 238: Joe Avati On Why Laughter Is the Best Medicine... Unless You've Got the Malocchio! (Part 2)
When we scored an interview with famed Italo-Australian comedian Joe Avati, we figured we would be lucky to get 45 minutes with the man many credit with creating a worldwide Italian comedy revolution. In fact, we ended up spending two hours in deep discussion with the man known around the world as the “Italian Seinfeld!"
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re bringing you Part 2 of this fascinating discussion, commercial-free, and picking up right where last week’s episode left off with an exploration of “Cancel Culture” in the comedy world, and why Italian stereotyping might be one of the last acceptable subjects of ethnic humor.
Plus, we’ll look at whether or not there is some truth to the cliches that are oftentimes associated with our community, why many of us feel so connected to our Italian roots even when we are generations removed from our immigrant ancestors, American “assimilation” versus Australian “integration," and why Italian i…
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Jun 22, 2022
IAP 237: Joe Avati On Why Laughter is the BEST Medicine... Unless You've Got the Malocchio! (Part 1)
Until recently, Joe Avati never thought of himself as a “real comic." This bout of self-deprecation probably comes as something of a surprise to the Italo-Australian's legion of devoted fans, who many years ago dubbed him the “Italian Seinfeld!"
Avati’s signature “clean style” of comedy and his laser-sharp insight into the minds of Italians around the world have made him a comedy superstar in his native Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and anywhere more than a handful of paesani have made their home!
Taking a few hour break from his current World Tour, Joe sits down with us to discuss the global Italian comedy revolution he unintentionally kicked off more than 20 years ago, and why audiences in all parts of Italy’s vast diaspora can relate to his observations, and to one another.
In this week’s episode, part 1 of 2, we’ll examine the similarities and differences between Italians around the globe, where our unique identity finds its origins,…
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Jun 15, 2022
IAP 236: A Special Priest, A Special Feast: Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello and Brooklyn's Festa del Giglio
It’s said that Heaven touches Brooklyn, New York, every July… and if you know Brooklyn like we do, then you know that celestial poke occurs at the famed Festa del Giglio at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, and you also know the passionate pastor there!
This week we sit down with the one-and-only Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello who, beyond his job as the spiritual father of one of the nation's most important Italian parishes, also serves as the vicar of development for the Diocese of Brooklyn, as well as chaplain for the New York City Fire Department. Msgr. Jamie is a familiar face to those of us in the New York City area, since in his “spare time” he hosts his long-running cooking show, “Breaking Bread," and is the author of a forthcoming cookbook of the same name!
Msgr. Jamie will share details of his 10 years of experience working in hospitality before receiving the call to the priesthood, his thoughts on why traditional Italian Sunday dinners are a cornerstone of civilizat…
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Jun 8, 2022
IAP 235: Alzheimer's, Aging, and the Italian American Family with Special Guest Dr. Benedict Albensi, Ph.D, BCMAS, CRQM
Family is the cornerstone of our life as Italian Americans, but what happens when one member of the family is diagnosed with a serious illness?
That’s just one of the topics we cover with this week’s guest, Dr. Benedict Albensi, Ph. D., BCMAS, CRQM. Dr. Albensi is a professor and chair of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Renowned for his work with factors involved in aging, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), Dr. Albensi has been ranked in the top one percent worldwide by Expertscape.com for his number of publications from 2010-2020 in seven areas, including expertise in Alzheimer’s Disease, neurocognitive disorders, tauopathies, and dementia. On this week’s episode, he’ll share the personal reasons that lead him to study the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and what his research has revealed over his several decades of experience. We discuss the hallmarks of aging and what people can do…
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May 25, 2022
IAP 234: Are You Committing Crimes Against Italian Food? Examining Italy's Culinary Commandments
Are you guilty of crimes against Italian food?
A recent YouGov survey that polled 20,000 people across 17 different countries decided that Italian cuisine was the most beloved on earth… but also established a list of alleged "Italian Food Crimes" that might trip up even the most passionate Italian American, let alone the first-time visitor to "il Bel Paese."
Some of the worst offenders list will read like a familiar set of “Culinary Commandments” for those who know Italy well… putting pasta in cold water before bringing it to boil, serving pasta as a side, cutting long pasta with a knife, adding cheese to a fish dish, or (gasp) drinking cappuccino after a meal!
Yet others might surprise even the most accepting pallette… Do we really need to reiterate that ketchup on pasta is a crime against humanity, and serving pineapple on pizza an inexcusable abuse of the world's most beloved food?
We’re going to unpack these results and provide our own take on how and why these offe…
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May 18, 2022
IAP 233: Red Sauce: A Two-Part Exploration of How Italian Food Became American with Special Guest Ian MacAllen (Part 2)
We’re back for the second half of our incredible conversation with Ian MacAllen, the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American, as we continue our quest to understand the evolution of “Red Sauce Italian,” - that unique cuisine born of the melding of Southern Italian tastes and American abundance.
This week, in Part 2, we’ll take the conversation even deeper to explore everything from the ingredients that we treasure to the Red Sauce standards that have gone the way of the Dodo. We’ll discover which beloved Italian American family dish originally contained cow utters, how to differentiate between pasta and macaroni, how those famed pastas REALLY got their shapes, and learn about the strange era when the Italian government tried to ban pasta!
We’re also digging into some of the heirloom products Italian Americans created, and made our own, here in America, looking at lost recipes from Red Sauce days gone by, and uncovering two long lost classics that were once…
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May 11, 2022
IAP 232: Red Sauce: A Two-Part Exploration of How Italian Food Became American with Special Guest Ian MacAllen
Once in a long while, a book comes along and immediately qualifies as a “must have” in the Italian American home library. In Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American, author Ian MacAllen has created one of those books!
In this rollicking two-part episode, we’re joined by this proud Italian American writer as he leads us in an exploration of the evolution of traditional Italian American cuisine, lovingly referred to as “Red Sauce Italian,” from its origins in Italy to its transformation in America into a new, distinct, and wildly popular cuisine.
This week, in Part 1, we’ll take a look at the fascinating social and culinary history exploring the integration of Red Sauce food into mainstream America alongside the blending of Italian immigrant otherness into a national American identity.
We’re looking for the “roots of red sauce” in Southern Italian cuisine, and how early Italian immigrants to America developed new recipes and modified old ones based on the new foo…
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May 4, 2022
IAP 231: Traditions in Transition: Italian Catholic Traditions for a New Generation
For countless Italian Americans, many of the best-loved hallmarks of our distinct culture are intrinsically tied to Catholic tradition. Even for those who have let their personal practice lapse, or for others who come from different religious backgrounds, recollections of a special feast day in the old neighborhood, or holiday traditions rooted in Catholic practice remain treasured touchstones of their Italian American experience. For some families, that sense of identity continues to be informed by participation in Italian language Masses, or membership in one of the remaining Italian National Parishes spread throughout the country.
And while these parishes and liturgies are available to our community at a lesser frequency than they were to older generations, there are some younger Italian Americans setting out to change that.
In this week’s episode, we’re sitting down with Eric Lavin of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Newark, NJ and Alexis Carra-Tracey, founder of the Ita…
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Apr 27, 2022
IAP 230: Saving the Songs of Southern Italy with Special Guest Alexis Zingale
Of the more than 20 million Americans with Italian roots, approximately 87 percent are of Southern Italian origin. This massive dispora from Italy’s south has made southern Italian cuisine, culture and traditions into familiar aspects of Italian American life; yet the wealth of classical music originating in the Italian south has remained a mystery, even to the millions whose ancestors left her shores.
This week’s guest, Alexis Zingale, hopes to change that with The Southern Italian Piano Project. The Southern Italian Piano Project seeks to change the narrative and ensure that the lesser-known composers from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, from both before and after the Risorgimento, attract the attention and respect given other composers in the canon of classical music.
Alexis shares how The Southern Italian Piano project got its start (spoiler alert: the Italian American Podcast might have been an early inspiration), how she worked to uncover and reintroduce composers from…
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Apr 13, 2022
IAP 229: Doing All the Good She Can with Special Guest Adriana Trigiani
With 20 titles to her credit, Adriana Trigiani is one of Italian America’s most profound and authentic voices. This week, she joins us to celebrate the launch of her latest book, “The Good Left Undone,” a generational story that will easily secure a place of honor in anyone’s Italian American book collection upon its release on April 26.
Adriana tells us about her process for writing her latest epic -- a work that she believes may just be her best yet -- and how her characters are representatives of the stories that live in each and every one of us. She also shares how the world of publishing is for Italian American authors, and issues a rallying cry to support Italian American creators that seek to tell our stories through writing, art, theater, and film.
Adriana also shares the power of networking, and how creating an “in tribe” network among Italian Americans will help us band together as a group to help share our heritage the world over.
If you're a fan of one of Ita…
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Apr 5, 2022
IAP 228: 50 Years Together: The Godfather and the Making of Italian America, Part 2
This week we’re jumping back into the second part of our two-part episode exploring the 50-year relationship between the Italian American community and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather”, with a commercial-free conclusion to this well-received conversation.
Since its premiere in March of 1972, The Godfather has been considered one of the most influential and important films of all time, but even before the cameras started rolling, the would-be epic had drawn the ire of Italian Americans frustrated by the continued portrayal of their community as a haven for organized criminality.
As we look back on this 50-year history, we examine the impact the “The Godfather” has had on the Italian American experience… not just how it has come to represent (or not represent) our community, but how it has ultimately left its own mark on our sense of self definition.
We’ll seek to understand what the film means to cinema, to audiences around the world and, most importantly, to us…
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Mar 30, 2022
IAP 227: 50 Years Together: The Godfather and the Making of Italian America, Part 1
It is considered one of the most influential films of all time, a critical and commercial success, the winner of the 1972 Academy Award for Best Picture, selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, and ranked as the second-greatest film in American cinematic history by the American Film Institute… and for 50 years it has aroused equal parts love and loathing in the Italian American community.
On March 24, 1972, Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” made its debut in theaters across the nation and, since that first showing, the epic story of the Corleone family has dominated discussions on its portrayal of Italian Americans, with its proponents celebrating it as hauntingly authentic and its detractors decrying it as stereotypical exploitation.
In this week’s episode (Part 1 of 2), we look back on five decades of the relationship between “The Godfather” and the Italian American experience, its place in the tome of American cin…
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Mar 22, 2022
IAP 226: The War in Ukraine: An Italian Perspective
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked and horrified onlookers around the world, and has brought us closer to the brink of a global conflagration than most observers ever imagined possible in an interconnected and globalized society.
This week’s guest is His Eminence Archbishop Lorenzo Casati, the archbishop of Palermo and All Italy and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Abroad, who joins us to offer his uniquely multifaceted perspective, as an Italian American, living in Italy, and serving a community of Ukrainian faithful, as we seek to understand the complicated relationship between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the relationships between these two nations and Italy.
He shares with us the history of the Orthodox faith in Ukraine and in Russia and how it has shaped the identities of these two peoples, as well as how it is being brought to bear in the current crisis. He also discusses the differences between Ukrainian and Russian culture, and how Ital…
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Mar 15, 2022
IAP 225: It Happened In Italy -- Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust with Special Guest Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi
Imagine Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi's surprise when she discovered that her grandmother’s Italian village had a secret: over a half century ago, in the southern Italian town of Campagna, countless residents defied the occupying Nazis and risked their lives to shelter and save hundreds of Jews from the Holocaust. What followed her discovery became an adventure as she uncovered fascinating untold stories of Jews in Italy during World War II and the many Italians who risked everything to save them.
In this week’s very special commercial-free episode of the Italian American Podcast, we sit down with author Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi to explore how that personal voyage of discovery evolved into her immensely popular and impactful book, "It Happened In Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust," and how her book inspired the making of a documentary, "My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes."
We’ll discuss how this proud Italian American came…
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Mar 8, 2022
IAP 224: 272 Italian Enclaves and Counting! With Special Guest Ray Guarini
Around here, we’ve become pretty adept at recognizing the symptoms of an Italian American obsession... and this week’s guest can easily be diagnosed within a few moments of first meeting him!
Ray Guarini is the founder and driving force behind Italian Enclaves, an immensely popular Italian American social media platform on which Ray has set out to identify and catalogue the countless Italian American enclaves that add so much incredible Italian culture to the American mosaic. Since his last visit to the show in its earliest days, Ray and a team of equally-obsessed volunteers have grown the Italian Enclaves brand to include its first published book, New York City's Italian Neighborhoods, in person meet-ups, and a 501(c)3 non-profit organization known as the Italian Enclaves Historical Society, a charitable network dedicated to expanding Ray’s mission and bringing his work to the next generation.
We sit down with this Italian American All-Star to discuss just how his platform has…
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Mar 1, 2022
IAP 223: Celebrating the Festa della Donna with Special Guests Vanessa Racci and Lena Prima
We’re kicking off the month of March, known as Women’s History Month, by catching up with two very talented Italian American women behind a much anticipated event happening this weekend in honor of International Women’s Day.
This week’s guests, Vanessa Racci and Lena Prima, are the producer and headliner of the fourth-annual “Festa della Donna," a variety show celebrating Italian American females in the arts. Taking place virtually this coming Sunday, March 6, at 6 p.m., EST, Festa della Donna features Lena and Vanessa, as well as comediennes Tara Cannistraci and Regina DeCicco, and medium Tessa DelZoppo.
Lena and Vanessa share their experiences as women in the performing arts field, from trying to gain a foothold in their chosen professions, to their experiences with ageism and imposter syndrome, and how their experiences have helped shape them on both the personal and professional level.
They also share their thoughts about the timelessness of music and how it truly prov…
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Feb 22, 2022
IAP 222: More than Just Antoinette's Sister: Queen Maria Carolina of the Two Sicilies with Author Diana Giovinazzo
Queen Maria Carolina of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies was one of the most fascinating, impactful and, unfortunately, forgotten women in the long story of Southern Italy. Thanks to the work of this week’s guest, Her Royal Highness is about to reclaim her rightful place in history!
Diana Giovinazzo is the author of “Antoinette’s Sister,” which tells the story of Queen Maria Carolina, the Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. This strong-willed Austrian princess took little time in making herself into the de facto ruler of her husband's kingdoms, and over her nearly 50 years as Queen left a legacy so important, that it might actually be part of what led our ancestors to the United States!
The sister of the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, Maria Carolina’s story has never quite drawn the attention of her tragic sister yet, as we will discuss, her impact can still be seen today in the glorious Reggio di Caserta and the vast array of art…
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Feb 15, 2022
IAP 221: Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Traditions with Special Guest Melissa Muller, Part 2
Sicily… for millennia, this island at the crossroads of the world has been drawing peoples from across the globe to its shores, and in the second part of this very special two-part episode, Melissa Muller, author of “Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Tradition,” published by Rizzoli, shares with us some of the history behind Sicily’s most famous dishes.
Melissa describes how Sicily’s position as the crossroads of several key civilizations has influenced some of its most famous dishes, like caponata, arancini, cannoli, and more. We also discuss the concept of cuisine as an heirloom, and how recipes can tell the story of people, whether a large community or a family, and how those recipes can change generation to generation as ingredient availability differs.
We’ll dive into the fascinating histories behind some of Italian America’s most beloved Sicilian dishes. We’ll discover how Sicilian chocolate offers a trip back in time with every bite, how the Cassata cake encapsulate…
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Feb 8, 2022
IAP 220: Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Traditions with Special Guest Melissa Muller, Part 1
Sicily… for millennia, this island at the crossroads of the world has been drawing peoples from across the globe to its shores, and in this very special two-part episode, we’re sitting down with Melissa Muller, author of “Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Tradition,” published by Rizzoli, as she shares how she too surrendered to the siren call of this unique island.
We’ll discover how this Italian American anthropologist, chef and journalist became “Sicilian by choice,” as she became ever-more drawn to the island each summer in her grandmother’s Sicilian village. She’ll share how her early experiences there led her to a career as an anthropologist and journalist studying the gastronomy of the Mediterranean regions, focusing on how Sicily is a unique crossroads of civilizations and how its history is visible and tangible in the island’s cuisine, allowing her to create a culinary time machine to discover the island’s storied past.
Eventually, the time came when her dist…
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Feb 1, 2022
IAP 219: Love is Blind with Special Guest Tony Cancelosi
“Vision” can mean different things to different people, but for this week’s guest, his life’s work has been inspired by a vision of sharing his Italian family’s inspiring love with the visually impaired.
This week, we’re sitting down with Tony Cancelosi, the chief executive officer of Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Washington, D.C. Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind has been dedicated to helping the blind or visually impaired overcome the challenges of vision loss, a mission that enables people of all ages to remain independent, active, productive, and secure.
Tony will share how vision has played a role in his life, both literally and figuratively, whether it was his late father’s eventual loss of vision that inspired him to see blindness in a more empathic way, or his steadfast faith and overwhelming desire to help as many people as he can, treating each meeting as a spiritual encounter.
We also talk about Tony’s Italian American background, includ…
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Jan 25, 2022
IAP 218: The Devil and the Dolce Vita: Catholic Attempts to Save Italy's Soul, 1948-1973, with Dr. Roy Domenico
It was called the “Economic Miracle," and Italy’s economic expansion after World War II was so rapid -- and her climb from war and poverty to wealth and prosperity so drastic -- that one might be tempted to believe that God had in fact deigned to bless Italia with La Dolce Vita… the Sweet Life!
But this “miracle” also triggered unprecedented social, cultural, and religious changes, so this week we’re unpacking those changes with Dr. Roy Domenico, the author of “The Devil and the Dolce Vita: Catholic Attempts to Save Italy's Soul, 1948-1973.”
This book tells the story of how the Catholic Church of Popes Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI, the lay Catholic Action association, and Italy’s near-monolithic Christian Democratic Party, worked in a series of culture wars to preserve a traditional way of life and to engage and tame the challenges of a rapidly modernizing society.
We discuss the April 1948 Christian Democratic electoral triumph and how their nearly thirty-year…
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Jan 18, 2022
IAP 217: Master Classes for the Masses: Danielle Oteri on Teaching Italian History for All
It’s sometimes the hidden stories that can tell us more about our history than we ever dreamed of.
In this week’s episode, Danielle Oteri of Feast on History talks to us about her latest project, a series of classes focusing exclusively on Southern Italy by Context Learning. These 90-minute courses are designed to take learners on a journey through the territory once occupied by the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies as they discover Southern Italy’s art, cuisine, culture, and history. It’s a Masterclass for the Masses!
We’re discussing not just Southern Italian history, but the idea that new history is being discovered every day in some of the most surprising places and ways. From the quest for historic records thought to be lost, to the long held “facts” of history being upended by modern science and a random circumstance, you’ll leave the conversation looking at history in a whole new light.
And of course, we will find ourselves in a fascinating discussion of I…
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Jan 11, 2022
IAP 216: Italians Swindled to New York with Special Guests Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia
For many Italian American families, the story of an immigrant's sacrifice usually begins in the years between 1880 and 1920, known as the Great Wave of Italian Immigration to the United States.
But for 2,800 unfortunate souls, immigration to the “Land of Opportunity” came earlier, and at a much greater cost.
Between late 1872 and early 1873, thousands of unsuspecting Italian laborers were victims of an international scheme in which con men descended upon “every village and hamlet in Italy promising that a great deal of money was to be made in the United States.” But the promises of jobs, housing, and the opportunity for a better life were unfounded, and the newly-arrived immigrants found themselves stranded at journey’s end with only the clothes they wore and their life’s savings stolen. Most would end up wards of the United States government.
On this week’s episode, historians Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia join us to explore this shameful chapter in early Italian…
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Jan 4, 2022
IAP 215: Our Italian American Holiday Recovery Guide
Another holiday season has come and gone here in Italian America.
The fishes have been served, the champagne has been popped, and the lentils have been eaten, so we’re kicking off the new year with the best thing we can think of to combat the post holiday blues… a collective therapy session!
We’re getting together to share our reflections on this year’s Christmas and New Year's celebrations, with a thoughtful eye on how Italian American family traditions are evolving in an ever-changing world. We’ll explore what practices and customs have changed, and how technology might just be redefining the entire concept of the holidays.
We’re discussing our attempts (or lack thereof) at some New Year's resolutions, and considering the ways in which we might find new opportunities to make 2022 a definitional year here at the Italian American Podcast.
It's a conversation with depth, heart, and some incredible questions that often bubble up when we sit down at the table, as well a…
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Dec 22, 2021
IAP 214: Christmas Special 2021
It’s almost time to say “Buon Natale,” as Christmas is right around the corner! Since this is the final episode before the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Christmas arrive in earnest, we’re sending you into the holiday in style with our annual Italian American Podcast Christmas Special!
In what has become a nice little tradition here at the Italian American Podcast, some of our Podcast famiglia are gathering together right before the holiday madness begins to reflect on our favorite traditions, share recipes, unwind Christmas mysteries, and figure out exactly which designer panettone is really worth the price!
As we explore our most beloved Christmas memories and reflect on what traditions are important to each of us, you’ll be taken back into the recesses of your own joyous Natale recollections, and learn a thing or two about what makes an Italian American Christmas so special!
Remember, you and yours can listen along with us to six-plus hours of uninterrupted, never repeat…
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Dec 14, 2021
IAP 213: What Makes A House an Italian American Home?
Picture an Italian American family... Where are they gathered? Are they around the table with a pot of coffee? Or are they in the kitchen preparing a Sunday meal? Perhaps they are in the basement pressing grapes or jarring tomatoes? For most of us, scenes of the famiglia are also scenes of the home. You've got to wonder... what is it exactly that makes a house an Italian American home, and what do these shared domestic traditions tell us about our community, our culture, and ourselves?
For Italian American Podcast co-host Dolores Alfieri-Taranto, those types of questions are at the heart of the second season of her new hit podcast “Bella Figura- The Tradition of Living Beautifully."
So in this week's episode, we're all joining in the conversation, and eschewing the fashionable concept of “Green Building Certification” in favor of a designation a little closer to home, and asking what it takes for a home to qualify as Red-White-and-Green Certified?
Just what are…
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Dec 8, 2021
IAP 212: Italian Americans in World War II
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941— a date which will live in infamy— the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
That iconic quote by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the United States’ entry into World War II after the surprise military strike on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. At the time, the United States was a neutral country, but Japan intended the attack as a preventive action to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia.
Peter L. Belmonte is a retired U.S. Air Force officer, author, and historian. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm, he has published articles, book chapters, reviews, and papers about immigration and military history, including extensive studies on Italian Americans in World War II.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Peter to learn about th…
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Nov 30, 2021
IAP 211: Red Sauce Redefined: The Italian American Husband and Wife Team with a Michelin Star and an Incredible New Cookbook
For true Italian Americans, love really can blossom over the exchanging of caponata recipes. For Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito, a shared passion for the tastes of Italian American life didn’t just lead to amore, but to marriage, a family, a Michelin-starred restaurant and their debut cookbook, Italian American, published by Clarkson Potter in October.
Scott and Angie are the husband and wife chef team behind “Don Angie” in the West Village of New York City. Named one of Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurants in America, this Michelin-starred modern Italian American restaurant is the couple’s homage to the beloved red sauce joints of their youths. Of course, Don Angie is one of the toughest reservations to get in America, so the duo have brought their unique, forward-thinking take on Italian American classics to the people, with the recently-published cookbook that has created as much buzz as their New York hotspot!
We’ll hop on the mic with this talented team to discuss t…
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Nov 23, 2021
IAP 210: Why We're Here: A Most Intimate Episode
On November 14, the new Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, decided to eliminate the state’s Director of Italian American Affairs position. It just so happens that the director was one Dolores Alfieri Taranto, co-founder of the Italian American Podcast. What began with the Governor’s intention to eliminate the position as a whole has caused an unprecedented -- and unexpected -- backlash amongst the Italian American community throughout New York State, where it is the state’s largest ethnic group, as well as around the country.
Despite our best efforts to stay out of these kinds of issues, this was one that hit about as close to home as you can get. None of us at the Italian American Podcast expected the level of backlash and, even less, the complex level of response our reaction to it would garner. When the story even made its way into main-stream comedic coverage, the tangled web got even more disheartening.
We decided to take the opportunity for co-hosts Dolores Alfieri Tarant…
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Nov 16, 2021
IAP 209: Changing Teachers, Changing Students, Changing the Future: Teach for Italy
It starts with a simple philosophy -- "Better teaching makes better students, and makes a better future." Today, a better future for Italy is the mission inspiring Nick Autiello and Andrea Pastorelli, two passionate Italians behind the early success of "Teach For Italy" (TFI).
Built on the model of the highly-effective non-governmental organization "Teach For America," the project is the brainchild of Pastorelli, a young thought leader from Tuscany who brings years of experience working on global issues back to his motherland to focus on the most important issue of all, the future of our young people!
Nick Autiello, an Italian American with roots in Campania, is a member of the board of directors of "Friends of Teach For Italy," an American nonprofit organization created to support this valuable young initiative.
On this week’s episode, they’re joining us to discuss the inner workings of this program that identifies young Italian university graduates to serve a two-year fellow…
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Nov 9, 2021
IAP 208: The Italian American Veterans Museum, A Special Veterans Day Conversation
As our nation gathers to celebrate Veterans Day this week, and all of us pause to say “grazie” to the millions of brave men and women in uniform who have served our country in war and peace, we’d like to turn our attention to remembering the Italian American legacy of our Armed Forces. There’s no better guest to guide us than Colonel Renato “Ron” Bacci (Ret.) of the Italian American Veterans Museum in Chicago.
In this week’s episode, Col. Bacci tells us the story of how this museum was founded in 2006 to encourage and promote the awareness of Italian American involvement in the defense of our nation from the Revolutionary War to the present, and how it now serves as a resource center for scholars, students, and the general public, and most importantly, as a source of comfort and assistance to all those who served, no matter what their ethnicity is!
Col. Bacci also shares stories of the unique items in the museum’s collection… from a massive World War II training bom…
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Nov 2, 2021
IAP 207: Non-Partisan Paesani with Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Mark Amodei, Italian American Congressional Delegation Co-Chairs
The United States Congress is one of our nation’s most enduring and important institutions, but with partisan politics growing more hostile every day, and Congressional approval ratings trending ever-lower, it often feels as if the Legislative Branch is terminally ill. Perhaps the Italian American Congressional Delegation has the right prescription!
For the 38 Italian American lawmakers who count themselves part of this bicameral and bipartisan fellowship, the opportunity to unite around their shared Italian heritage might just provide the perfect excuse to reach across the aisle and encourage a new, non-partisan spirit in the halls of power in Washington.
We’re joined by the Italian American Congressional Delegation’s co-chairs, Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell (NJ) and Republican Congressman Mark Amodei (NV), for conversations around not only the important legislative topics facing the Italian American community today, but also the ways in which the friendships that bloss…
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Oct 26, 2021
IAP 206: Simmo 'e Napule, Paisà! Six Volumes, Eight Scholars, 2,322 Pages... A History of Napoli
Napoli… the great urban amphitheater spreading out across its picturesque bay. Anchored by the steaming hulk of Vesuvius and pushed up to the heavens from the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, it's a city so vibrant, so full of history that the quest to tell its story inspired six volumes, eight scholars, 2,322 pages, 758 illustrations, 651 readings, and countless appendices, maps, and indexes.
And for Ron Musto, telling its story has been a 30-year labor of love. On this week’s episode, Musto, the editor of A Documentary History of Naples, published by Italica Press, joins us to discuss Naples, its history, and the passionate effort behind this unprecedented compendium of Neapolitan history.
First conceived while Musto and co-editor Eileen Gardiner were in residence at the American Academy in Rome in 1994, this series brings together leading scholars to present the first comprehensive collection of primary-source materials, in English translation, on the structures, history,…
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Oct 19, 2021
IAP 205: The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles: A Place to Tell Our Story, with Special Guest Marianna Gatto
Imagine a place where you could go and spend the day surrounded by the art and artifacts of the Italian American experience, where you can immerse yourself in our story, and learn new and surprising facts about the history of Italians in America… all free of charge!
Well, if you’re lucky enough to live near or visit Los Angeles, California, this Italian American dream has been a reality since 2015, when the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) opened its doors in the historic Italian Hall of Downtown LA.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of countless Italian Americans, and the leadership of our guest, IAMLA co-founder and executive director Marianna Gatto, the City of Angels is not just home to the nation's fifth-largest Italian American population, but also to one of its finest and foremost museums dedicated to studying and sharing the Italian American experience.
We sit down with Marianna for this special Italian American Heritage Month episode to hear the story…
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Oct 5, 2021
IAP 204: Ritornato: Michael Cavalieri's Film to Honor His Ancestors
Filmmaker Michael Cavalieri doesn’t want to make just another movie. The passionate and proud Italian American, whose career as an actor spans three decades, decided he had had enough of the stereotypical “Italian tough guy” roles that his sharp looks and New York City upbringing seemed to encourage Hollywood producers to type cast him for. With a grant from the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum, he decided to make his own film… one that might honor his Sicilian ancestors.
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’ll sit down with Michael to discuss that labor of love, his new short film “Ritornato," which is based on a true story and shot entirely on location in Limina, Sicily, the town where Cavalieri’s grandfather, Agatino, was born.
It's the story of a man who goes back to his roots to fulfill a promise made to his dying mother and, in turn, finds out a family secret that will change his life forever. In an ode to the Italian neore…
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Sep 28, 2021
IAP 203: Saving Southern Italy with Special Guest Valarie D'Elia
It’s no surprise to longtime listeners of the Italian American Podcast just how much we love our Southern Italian roots and this week’s guest, Valarie D’Elia, is seeking to bring our ancestral home to people in a tangible, living way.
Valarie is an award-winning multimedia travel journalist and content provider who specializes in both Italy and ancestral travel. In her latest project, “Saving Southern Italy,” which is part of the National Italian American Foundation’s Russo Brothers Film Forum, Valarie turns her directorial eye to the abandoned properties scattered throughout the region.
When the late stages of the pandemic brought her back to Italy in search of a home to buy and renovate, Valarie discovered other expats who were also going through a similar process of rewarding and honoring their roots. Realizing that building a home in Southern Italy is a way of building gratitude, Valarie sought out other Italian Americans seeking concrete ways of honoring their herit…
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Sep 21, 2021
IAP 202: La Sceneggiata: Neapolitan Musical Drama From Napoli to New York City
This week’s episode of The Italian American Podcast takes listeners on a journey through the Neapolitan Sceneggiata with special guest Dr. Reba Wissner, who is assistant professor of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.
Dr. Wissner’s specialty is the Neapolitan Sceneggiata, which is a form of musical drama typical of Naples. Beginning as a form of musical theater after World War I, it was also adapted for cinema; sceneggiata films became especially popular in the 1970s and contributed to the genre becoming more widely known outside Naples.
We talk about this “musical soap opera” and how the Sceneggiataplots revolve around melodramatic themes drawing from the Neapolitan culture and tradition, such as passion, jealousy, betrayal, personal deceit and treachery, honor, vengeance, and life in the world of petty crime. We also discuss the great talents of this genre, including Alfredo Bascetta, Mario Merola, and Gino Merignola.
We also disc…
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Sep 14, 2021
IAP 201: Requiem for a National Airline: Saying Arrivederci to Alitalia
If you’ve visited Italy at some point in the last 75 years, and if you arrived in ‘il Bel Paese’ by air, chances are you’ve traveled with Alitalia, which has been the official Italian national airline since 1947.
And, if you’re like co-hosts Rossella, John, and Pat, you’ve got countless memories of returning to the Motherland “Italian Style” aboard this legendary airline.
But, as of October 15, the famed carrier will be no more. After decades of financial difficulties, and numerous near misses on the executioner's block, Alitalia’s world recognized green-white-and-red livery will descend from the skies one last time, and then pass quietly into memory. Sure, it’ll be replaced by a new Italian flag carrier called ITA, but for thousands of Italian American families, Alitalia will always be remembered as the airline that brought them and their ancestors to a new life in the New wWorld, or carried them and their offspring back to the old country in its quintessentially…
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Sep 8, 2021
IAP 200: A Thousand Years' Worth of Stories: Robert Barbera and the Mentoris Project
If you were set out to tell the stories of every great Italian and Italian American to leave their mark on human history, you could probably speak for a thousand years without even scratching the surface of such an illustrious list.
And for businessman and philanthropist Robert Barbera, that’s exactly the task he has set out for himself.
At 89 years young, this proud Italian American dedicates each day, as he has since his boyhood in Depression-era Brooklyn, New York, to the promotion and promulgation of his Italian heritage.
His immigrant parents taught him the value of hard work and the importance of family. As a young man, Robert made his first stock investment when he was only four years out of high school in 1954, and he bought his first building in 1961. Through hard work, dedication, focus, and the support of his family, he now has 500 units and multiple subsidiary companies, making real estate the cornerstone of his success.
He launched The Barbera Foundation in 1994…
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Aug 24, 2021
IAP 199: Greetings from Italian California!
Ciao paesani… and Greetings From Italian CALIFORNIA!
This past July, we made our way out West to explore the Italian side of the Golden State, as we set out to film four brand-new episodes of our popular YouTube web series, “Greetings From Italian America." Joined by our amici from the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), we took a whirlwind trip throughout the West Coast, visiting four Italian American enclaves in just five days! From the “hip and historic” Little Italy in San Diego, to the America's newest Little Italy of San Pedro, across the vast geographies that make up Los Angeles, and into the heart of one of the oldest and strongest Italian communities in America at San Francisco’s North Beach, we went non-stop to see and experience as much of Italian California as we could!
Although these episodes won’t make their way to video for a little while, we were so excited by the places and paesani we met out West, we decided to get together and recap some…
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Aug 11, 2021
IAP 198: Do Italian Americans Read? Novelist Christopher Castellani on Writing the Story of the Italian American Experience
For author Christopher Castellani, the proud son of Italian immigrants, the desire to tell the Italian American story through his writing has been a constant motivation. Yet, despite his abundant talent, irrepressible passion, and keen sense of his ethnic experience in America, upon entering the literary world, Christopher encountered one deep-seated -- and often discouraging -- preconception about Italian Americans: that we are people who don’t read!
So, Christopher set out to dispel that myth with a body of work in which the Italian American experience is a driving force behind his story. The first of his five critically-acclaimed novels, "A Kiss from Maddalena," winner of the Massachusetts Book Award in 2004, was inspired by the story of his Italian immigrant mother. His newest novel, "Leading Men" (for which he received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council) tells the true-life tale of Frank Merlo, partner and so…
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Aug 3, 2021
IAP 197: In Every Song A Story with Tenor Michéal Castaldo
When sitting down with a singer of the caliber of Michéal Castaldo, one would expect the conversation to center around the long list of accomplishments he’s racked up during his celebrated career. But, in the tradition of Italy’s countless “Renaissance Men," this proud Calabrian proves himself to be much more than just a stellar voice!
In fact, his music isn’t even discussed until the halfway marker of this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, as the famed musician first shares many other facets of his incredible story with us.
From his take on Italian wedding traditions, to his experience rebuilding and commercializing his ancient family homestead in Calabria, to his career importing rare olive oils and balsamic vinegars, we are sharing the often-unseen sides of a man known the world over for his incomparable musical gifts! We’ll discuss the different traditions that took hold in the Italo-Canadian community, discover the secrets of the world’s finest o…
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Jul 28, 2021
IAP 196: The Italian American Girl in the Pink Wheelchair: Dom Sessa on Disability Awareness in Italian America
How is the Italian American experience defined for a person with disabilities? In this week’s episode, we close out the month of July by paying tribute to National Disability Awareness Month with our special guest, Dominique Sessa.
Dominique is a disability advocate and proud Italian American who created “The Girl in the Pink Wheelchair,” which is an advocacy project geared toward helping women and young girls unite, uplift, and support each other as they navigate life with disabilities.
Dominique has been a full-time wheelchair user since she was 17 due to having an unspecified neuromuscular disease-neurological disease of genetic origin. Showing her unstoppable sprit, Dominique says that because her disability is unspecified, it just means she doesn’t know what her personal superpower is yet, as there are people the world over, including babies, with undiagnosed diseases due to genes still being researched.
Determined to help as many people as possible in her own situation…
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Jul 20, 2021
IAP 195: "I Survived the Andrea Doria" with Special Guest Pierette Simpson
Nearly 65 years ago, on the night of July 25, 1956, the SS Andrea Doria, the pride of the Italian Line and a symbol of Italy’s burgeoning post-war recovery, approached the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts at the end of a foggy eighth day of a nine-day voyage to America.
Suddenly, a passage that had been called the “Sunny Southern Route” turned into a nightmare for 1,706 passengers and crew aboard the “Museum on the Waves” as the Andrea Doria collided with the MS Stockholm, claiming 46 souls in one of the worst maritime disasters to occur in the United States waters.
Amongst the survivors of that tragic night, Pierette Domenica Simpson, has made it her mission to tell the true story of the Andrea Doria. In this week’s episode, she shares riveting first-person testimony about that fateful night when she, along with many other Italian immigrants, unknowingly became part of history. Pierette will tell us about her family’s life in Italy, as well as what led her family to d…
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Jul 13, 2021
IAP 194: Joe Colombo & The Italian American Civil Rights League: Crime, Conspiracy, and Community Leadership (Part 2)
It’s Part 2 of our two-part episode exploring one of the most unique chapters in Italian American history as we sit down with author Don Capria to explore the life and times of Mafia boss and Italian American community leader Joseph Colombo, founder of the Italian American Civil Rights League.
Picking up right where we left off, Capria will take us into the personal life and private psychology of Joe Colombo, and share his thoughts on what singular event might have lead this clearly dynamic and talented man into a life of criminality.
We’ll explore the complex and sensitive relationship between organized crime and Italian American identity, and how its place in American popular consciousness still impacts our sense of self, generations after its peak of activity.
And, in light of the 50 years that have passed since Colombo’s assassination at the second-annual Italian American Unity Day in 1971, Capria will walk us through the events of that fateful afternoon, and share his own…
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Jun 29, 2021
IAP 193: Joe Colombo & The Italian American Civil Rights League -- Crime, Conspiracy, and Community Leadership (Part 1)
Exactly 50 years ago this week, on Monday, June 28, 1971, one of the more bizarre chapters in Italian American history unfolded in New York City's Columbus Circle, as tens of thousands of people gathered for the second annual Italian American Unity Day!
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re joined by Don Capria, author of “Colombo: The Unsolved Murder,” to discuss the life and legacy of the man behind this unprecedented chapter in Italian American history.
The Italian American Civil Rights League was the creation of one of history’s most infamous Italian Americans, reputed Mob Boss Joe Colombo of Brooklyn. Formed to fight discriminatory representations of Italians in American media and news, the league exploded onto the scene in the late 1960s with star-studded and sold-out benefit concerts in Madison Square Garden. On June 29, 1970, they rallied nearly 100,000 Italian Americans in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle for the inaugural “Unity Day." But,…
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Jun 22, 2021
IAP 192: Il Museo del Cognome: The Museum of Surnames -- A Resource for the Italian Diaspora
For many Italian American families, the quest to unearth family histories often appears to be a daunting task. But, in this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re joined by an Italian genealogist who wants you to set aside your anxieties at the one place on earth created solely to reconnect members of the Italian diaspora with their roots… the “Museo Del Cognome” (Museum of Surnames) in the ancient city of Padula, Italy!
The creation of Michele Cartusciello, one of Italy’s most renowned and passionate genealogists, the Museo Del Cognome -- located in one of Padula’s more beautiful buildings from the 1700s -- is one-of-a-kind-place that will guide you on your family history search.
We’re joined by Giusi Dede, one of the Museum’s dedicated team members, to discuss the varied services that this incomparable institution offers the members of the Italian diaspora hoping to better understand their family story… from preliminary research utilizing civic…
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Jun 15, 2021
IAP 191: Her Superhero Dad: How An Italian American Daughter's Love Inspired a Literary Career
When we think about the Italian American experience, our mind floods with images of parents and grandparents, traditions passed on through time with the family, and a multi-generational story that plays out over a lifetime of shared memories. But, how do we best pass on the story of a loved one who we have lost?
In this week’s episode, we meet Michele Cerullo McAvoy, whose quest to answer that exact question led her into a new career as an award-winning children’s book author.
As Father’s Day approaches, we sit down with this New Jersey native (who may or may not have known our very own P.O.B. in his high school days) to discuss Michele’s 2016 Moonbeam Award-winning book, “My Superhero Grandpa,” the story of a boy and his beloved grandpa, who watches over him with superpowers, even though grandpa is in Heaven.
Michele shares stories of her own Italian American father, whose life inspired this book, and some of her others, as she sought ways to introduce her father’s st…
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Jun 8, 2021
IAP 190: Potentially Dangerous: When It Was a Crime to Be Italian -- A Conversation on Italian Internments with Filmmaker Zach Baliva
In the United States of America, it was once a crime to be Italian.
That’s what filmmaker Zach Baliva, director of the forthcoming documentary, “Potentially Dangerous,” reveals to our listeners in this all-new episode of The Italian American Podcast!
As America crept closer to its second World War, the government grew suspicious of some citizens based not on what they had done, but on where they were from, registering more than 600,000 Italians and Italian Americans as “Enemy Aliens." Many were under curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and more than 10,000 individuals were forced from their homes and businesses. Hundreds were placed in military camps without trial.
Zach recounts how he discovered the stories he shares in this documentary, which is one of the participants in the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum, an annual event created by Hollywood directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame) in partnership with the National Italian Amer…
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May 24, 2021
IAP 189: A "Certified" Success: The Italian American CEO Leading a Wellness Revolution
For many Americans, the gradual reopening of the country means more time out of doors, the slow return to gyms, and the chance to take a good look at how we’ve been treating our bodies during the many months we’ve spent, for the most part, indoors.
But why weren’t we examining our indoor environments this way before the pandemic? This week’s guest, Paul Scialla, is the Italian American Founder and CEO of Delos Wellness Solutions, and he has made it his mission to help merge physical health with building science.
According to Paul, Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their lives indoors, which can wreak havoc on our bodies, so he has developed a variety of wellness-based products for the buildings that encase so much of our daily lives.
We’ll discuss Paul’s Italian American upbringing in suburban New Jersey, and how his family background and professional experiences on Wall Street helped lead him down the path to wellness advocacy.
In true Italian American Podc…
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May 18, 2021
IAP 188: The Past, Present, & Future of Italian Americans in Boxing with Special Guest Coach Dino Spencer
For many Italian Americans, the sport of boxing is synonymous with Italian American pride, thanks to the timeless accomplishments of legendary names like Rocky Marciano, “Boom Boom Mancini," Jake La Motta, Carmen Basilio, and the late, great Angelo Dundee.
But one very dedicated Italian American has made it his life’s mission to help preserve the sport’s legacy, while training a whole new generation of talent both in and out of the ring.
On this week’s episode, we’re joined by celebrity trainer Dino Spencer, owner of Miami Beach’s World Famous 5th Street Gym, to discuss his four decades in the squared circle… from his tutelage under Hall of Fame trainer, and fellow Italian American Angelo Dundee, to the more than 10,000 men and women he has trained over his illustrious career -- including world champions in boxing, MMA, UFC, and other martial arts.
Dino also shares how he ended up as the “Trainer to the Stars," having gotten into the ring with such high-profile c…
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May 11, 2021
IAP 187: Italian Food: Separating Memory from Myth with Special Guest Karima Moyer-Nocchi
When Italian Americans are gathered, it's usually a safe bet that the conversation will turn to the topic we seem to love most… the culinary delights that are Italian food!
In fact, many of us like to recall enjoying delectable homemade meals with the famiglia… while discussing what we plan to eat at the next sitting!
Who can blame us for this obvious obsession? Italian cuisine has captivated the world’s palates for generations… but have you ever stopped to consider the history behind what’s on your plate, or asked yourself how much we really know about the generations-old recipes we treasure?
Culinary historian Karima Moyer-Nocchi has dedicated her career to this very question and, this week, she is sharing some of her discoveries with our team!
Karima is the author of the critically-acclaimed Chewing the Fat - An Oral History of Italian Foodways from Fascism to Dolce Vita, and The Eternal Table: A Cultural History of Food in Rome. In her books, she reconstructs histor…
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May 4, 2021
IAP 186: More Amore: Exploring the Great Italian American Songbook with Special Guest Jenna Esposito
If the places we hold dear were to be set to music, then the soundtrack for New York’s Little Italy would be sung by this week’s guest, Jenna Esposito. Known as the “Voice of Little Italy,” this passionate Italian American has performed across the country and in some of the most hallowed music venues in the nation but, without fail, she always lends her talents to the annual San Gennaro Festival on Mulberry Street.
This week, Jenna joins co-host John M. Viola as she discusses her latest album, “More Amore: Songs from the Great Italian American Songbook,” which is set to be released later this month.
They’ll explore how Italian American music has evolved from its Italian origins, how it has defined our ethnic experience, and how it continues to serve as a reminder of the many ups and downs of the Italian American experience.
Jenna also shares how the wide variety of styles and influences that make up the Great Italian American songbook -- from the Canzone Napoletana, to…
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Apr 27, 2021
IAP 185: Let's See if I am Eligible to Become an Italian Dual Citizen with Help from De Sapio Dual Citizenship Services
If you’re a proud Italian American, it’s probably something you’ve thought about at least once or twice... the prospect of Italian dual citizenship!
Italian law states that citizenship is transferred “Jus sanguinis,” or by the right of blood, so the more than 20 million Americans of Italian descent MAY be eligible to become citizens of our ancestral homeland. With both Italy and the United States now consenting to the concept of dual citizenship, many of us have probably spent more than a few hours trying to decipher the exact laws around eligibility and how it is or is not passed down from our immigrant ancestors.
In this week’s episode, our moderator John M. Viola has decided it’s time for him to finally take the leap and find out for sure if he's eligible for dual citizenship with Italy! He’s consulted with Mike De Sapio, who is a longtime listener, a member of the IAP New Neighborhood, and the founder of De Sapio Dual Citizenship Services, in order to see, once an…
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Apr 20, 2021
IAP 184: The Gold Star of Italianess Listener Awards
Presepi, pomodori, produce and pane on Pasqua— what ties these alliterative phrases together you ask? Well, they are some of the ways in which three very special Italian American Podcast listeners have worked to revive and celebrate beloved hallmarks of our Italian American heritage.
During this unique, meandering episode, co-host Patrick O’Boyle is recognizing three listeners with the “Ordine della Stella d’Oro d’Italianità,” (The Order of the Gold Star of Italianess), his very own award of merit to listeners who have taken strides to connect with and preserve their heritage on a deep, personal level.
Our first guest is Christopher Francese, a listener from New Jersey who decided to construct a Neapolitan Presepe (nativity scene) this past Christmas season as a way to bring that storied tradition into his family’s annual holiday observances. Chris tells us about how he worked to incorporate the life of his family’s ancestral hometown in his scene and why it was so…
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Apr 13, 2021
IAP 183: Conversations on Columbus: An Unprecedented Response
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, Philadelphia Councilmember Mark F. Squilla, The 1492 Society, and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations all joined forces to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney’s Executive Order No. 2-21, with which he unilaterally cancelled Columbus Day as a holiday in the City of Brotherly Love and replaced it with “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
This week, host John M. Viola sits down with Atty. George Bochetto, who is representing the plaintiffs in this landmark case.
The plaintiffs contend that no notice was given to the other branches of the Philadelphia municipal government, which had a right to designate holidays, no input from the public was requested or allowed for, and no deference was given to Pennsylvania State Statue (44 P.S Section 32) declaring “Columbus Day” as an official statewide holiday, all in violation of the Philadelphia Home R…
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Mar 30, 2021
IAP 182: Stereotypes in Italian Media: Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco: A Case Study
On February 21, 2021, a new television series entitled “Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco” ("The Investigations of Lolita Lobosco") premiered on Rai, the national public broadcasting company of Italy.
Inspired by a series of novels by Gabriella Genisi, the show follows assistant superintendent Lolita Lobosco of the Bari police force. Set in the old town of Bari Vecchia, the Rai Fiction production was partially financed with contributions from the Apulia Film Commission. Since a production of this scale is seen as an economic boon for any city, actors and actresses throughout Puglia were thrilled by the news of the show’s local production. Yet, the excitement was short-lived, and when one local actress saw the premiere, she decided to take action.
Federica Antonacci, an actress born and raised in Bari Vecchia, noticed that none of the show's stars were actually Pugliese, and that their attempts to affect the Barese dialect, as well as the portrayal of the ancient city and its…
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Mar 23, 2021
IAP 181: That's Alotta Zeppole: Is St. Joseph's Day the Hottest Trend in Italian America?
For many Italian American families, St. Joseph’s Day is one of the most beloved holidays of the year. However, since our earliest immigrations to these shores, it’s also been a holiday that has seemed a bit under the radar!
The celebrations and traditions surrounding this event vary based on where our Italian ancestors came from, and the scale and scope of St. Joseph’s Day observances by Italian American communities around the country has been something of a mixed bag. And, of course, coming two days after our Irish American friends’ annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, St. Joseph’s Day may be a decidedly less national affair.
Perhaps the winds of change were blowing a little stronger this March 19th? Is it just us, or has anyone else noticed a LOT more posts about #SaintJosephsDay, #Zeppole, and #Sfingi making their way into the Italian American social media space this year?
We’re asking the question on this week’s episode, because we’ve noticed more photo…
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Mar 16, 2021
IAP 180: Memorializing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire with Special Guests Mary Anne Trasciatti and Edvige Giunta
One hundred and ten years ago, on March 25, 1911, a conflagration engulfed the top three stories of a nondescript building in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, most of whom were recent Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls. The aftermath of this event changed American labor relations and influenced the burgeoning feminist movement, yet this tragedy often goes unmentioned in the telling of American history.
In this week’s episode, we meet with Edvige Giunta and Mary Anne Trasciatti, two professors who have dedicated their careers to ensuring that Triangle is remembered, and that its impact on our community, our country and the world today will be understood by younger generations.
We’ll share the story of this incomparable tragedy, and discuss how it happened and how the events of that fateful day unfurled. We’ll also explore why the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is vitally important to the…
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Mar 9, 2021
IAP 179: Italy's Forgotten Monarch: Queen Margaret of Sicily-- With Special Guest Jacqueline Alio
We’re celebrating International Women’s Day by exploring one of Italian history’s most-neglected protagonists, Margaret of Navarre, the Norman Queen of Sicily.
We’re joined by Jacqueline Alio, an Italian American now living in Palermo, Sicily, who has written a dozen books on Sicilian history, focusing on the island’s long-overlooked queens. She’ll introduce us to the incredible figure of Queen Margaret, whose five-year reign over the Kingdom of Sicily represents a forgotten chapter from the Norman Sicilian Golden Age.
We’ll explore how this singular woman navigated the many intrigues surrounding the Sicilian Monarchy, focused her efforts on creating equality before the law and peace amongst her Kingdom’s many cultures, and rebuilt the Monarchy after serious infighting almost tore the institution to the ground.
We’ll examine how unique the idea of a female sovereign was in Margaret’s time, and how her erasure from history might not be accidental.
Join us for t…
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Mar 3, 2021
IAP 178: Buona Sera Louisiana! With Charles Marsala and Lena Prima
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re going back to the Big Easy to chat with our friends Lena Prima and Charles Marsala to get an inside look at their new web-TV series, "Buona Sera Louisiana," a weekly show about the Italian culture of the Pelican State and beyond!
These two Italian American champions are no strangers to our audience, as Lena has joined our show on two occasions, and Charles was our extraordinary tour guide through New Orleans in our YouTube series, "Greetings From Italian America."
Charles also serves as the president of American Italian Federation of the Southeast, AWE News YouTube channel, and the New Orleans Insider Tours App; while Lena is a famed singer, the president of CIAO! Celebrating Italian Americans Organization and the CIAO! Women Awards, as well as the daughter of Italian American legend Louis Prima!
Now they’ve joined forces to create Buona Sera Louisiana to help celebrate the Italian American influences in culture, mu…
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Feb 23, 2021
IAP 177: The Mysteries of Carnevale in Venezia with Special Guest Anita Sanseverino
For many visitors, the stereotypical image of Venice is, perhaps, the famed Venetian mask; but most casual observers are probably unaware of the fact that this postcard-perfect symbol has its roots in the centuries-old festivities that are the Carnevale of Venice.
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by famed photographer and lecturer Anita Sanseverino, an expert in all things Italian, with a special place in her heart for Venice and her annual pre-Lenten revelries.
Anita will take us through the history and mystery of Venice’s Carnevale, from its roots in the rigid society of ancient Venice, to its modern iteration as a global tourist event. She’ll reveal the history of the masks and costumes, explain the roots of these unique celebrations, and share her very own experiences from more than 20 years of celebrating Venice’s annual Carnevale.
And, for those who have always dreamed of joining in on this incomparable event, she’ll share her insider tips on the easiest way to…
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Feb 16, 2021
IAP 176: Italian America United! A Call to Action For All Italian Americans, with Special Guest Mr. Basil Russo
In the last United States Census, 18.25 million people self identified as Italian or Italian American. Demographers believe there are more than 21 million Americans of Italian descent spread throughout the nation. By some calculations, we are the fifth-largest ancestry group in the United States… but when it comes to making our voice heard in the halls of power, Italian Americans often seem far less influential than the numbers might suggest.
For one Italian American community leader, it's time to address that imbalance. Basil Russo, President of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations has worked with Italian American leaders from across the country to create Italian America Online… a new digital initiative seeking to identify and connect every Italian American organization in the United States, and eventually -- if this longtime community leader has his way -- all 21 million indi…
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Feb 9, 2021
IAP 175: Wine Made Easy and Everything Else Made Slightly More Complicated with Special Guest Gianluca Rottura
Wine is one of the oldest and most familiar pleasures on earth, but this potent potion still has the power to intimidate even her most ardent admirers! Fear not, there is an Italian American coming to the rescue to return the joys of understanding wine to the masses!
Gianluca Rottura, the proprietor of “In Vino Veritas," New York City’s landmark wine store, is here to discuss his book, Wine Made Easy: Learn Wine in No Time, Match Wine and Food Like a Pro, Impress Your Wine Snob Friends … the perfect guide to help you understand the mysteries of the wine world!
But, Gianluca is more than just an educated oenophile… he’s also the popular blogger behind the sites “Piazza Life” and “Pizza and Coffee," so he’s here to opine on all matter of topics important to Italian American identity! While he may help make wine easy to understand, he and the Italian American Podcast team may just complicate all other topics beyond comprehension!
If you love great wines, great foo…
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Feb 2, 2021
IAP 174: La Passione Italiana -- A Conversation with Dianne Hales
If you were to ask those of us behind the Italian American Podcast what it is that drives us or what keeps us coming back to create a new show week in and week out, it's a safe bet that you’d get a unanimous answer… Passione!
That borderline-obsessive passion that we share for what we do is a familiar feeling to Italians of all stripes, and best-selling author Dianne Hales thinks La Passione might just be the thing that unites Italians around the world!
In her latest book, La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World, the woman who brought us the New York Times bestseller La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language, and Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, now leads us on “a jubilant exploration of how Italy transformed the Western world’s most vibrant passions—from literature to art, music to movies.”
In this week’s episode, all five of our co-hosts reunite with this brilliant guide to explore the source of that passion, what it me…
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Jan 26, 2021
IAP 173: America's Last Little Italy: The Hill -- A Conversation With Filmmaker Joseph Puleo
Italian enclaves around the country pride themselves on carrying the title of “Little Italy," but one young Italian American from St. Louis, Missouri, believes his community is the last true Little Italy -- and he’s made an incredible film to prove it!
In this week’s episode, we’ll visit “The Hill," the famed St. Louis enclave that has been a thriving pocket of Italian culture in the Gateway City for more than five generations. Leading us on our journey is Joseph Puleo, the director of “America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill," the new documentary everyone in Italian America is talking about!
Joseph will back up his claim by sharing some of The Hill’s unique history and characters, from the families that have handed down their homes for a century, to the community priest whose background as a city planner helped to keep The Hill the thriving community it remains today.
We’ll dive into some of the must-visit sites in this iconic neighborhood, seek to understand how Th…
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Jan 18, 2021
IAP 172: The Creators of My Cheap Italian Home on Why It's Time to Find Your Italian Dream Home
Have you ever thought about dropping everything and moving to Italy? If you’re like us, chances are you’ve thought about it at least once this week, and probably more than most people!
Maybe you’re not ready for a full relocation... Can you picture yourself in a charming vacation home in your favorite spot in the Bel Paese?
In this week’s episode, we meet two women who might just be the friends you need to make your Italian dream a reality.
Michelle Cunniffe and Kristina Meucci of My Cheap Italian Home have set out to help people who are looking to purchase a home in Italy that meets their dreams, but doesn’t break their banks.
With decades of expertise in real estate, design, and the ins-and-outs of Italy between them, they’ve seen an explosion of interest since they founded My Cheap Italian Home just six months ago! As the “boots on the ground” for those who wish to find a path back to their ancestral home, Michelle and Kristina help house hunters find values thro…
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Jan 12, 2021
IAP 171: The King Who Would Be a Saint: Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, with Special Guest Lou Mendola
On December 11, 2020, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the outgoing Archbishop of Naples, Italy, announced that he was opening a case on the beatification of King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies. If approved, the Vatican will begin an investigation into the “heroic virtues” of the King, which is the first step towards canonization; His Majesty will then be proclaimed a Servant of God and join his mother, Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy (1812-1836), on the path to sainthood.
The last monarch of an ancient kingdom, which was for 730 years the independent nation of Southern Italy and the Island of Sicily, Francesco II is not well-known to most people, outside of a small circle.
Coming to his throne at just 23 years of age, and almost immediately faced with the invasion of his nation by Giuseppe Garibaldi and his famed “Thousand," the man who Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa described as “a seminarian dressed up as a general” is now being discovered for the first time by many histori…
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Dec 22, 2020
IAP 170: The Italian American Podcast's 2020 Christmas Musical Revue
Since this is the final episode before the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Christmas arrive in earnest, we’re sending you into the holiday in style with our Italian American Christmas Musical Revue!
As many of us will be celebrating a more sedate version of our favorite holiday this year because many families are kept apart in these unprecedented circumstances, we thought we would help fill the volume void by taking you through some favorites from our Italian American Christmas Playlist.
We’ll share the songs that define our Christmases, from traditional English-language classics interpreted by the Italian American icons of yesteryear, to the Italian hits that have made their way into our American holiday, to the unique songs written to celebrate a distinctly Italian American Christmas.
Plus, you’ll learn the history of some of these unique musical traditions on a journey from the American Heartland to the Hills of Italy.
And, in a special bonus segment, John and Pat sit down w…
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Dec 15, 2020
IAP 169: A Christmas Movie for Italian America? Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Conversation with the Brothers Behind the Film
It’s Christmas time in Italian America, and with many of us hunkered down in the house this year, there’s a good chance you’re burning through your favorite holiday movies at a faster pace than normal. What if there was a Christmas movie out there made by and for Italian Americans? Well, look no further, because in this episode we’re sitting down with Jeffery and Robert Tinnell, the Italian American brothers behind the hit film, “The Feast of the Seven Fishes,” an Italian American Christmas story available to you and yours on Amazon Prime this Christmas Season.
We’ll talk about the inspiration behind this passion project, and how our much-loved traditions can overwhelm even the most well-intentioned outsiders. We’ll also discuss how “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” became a household phrase, and how this Italian American Christmas tradition has evolved through time and place to become a quintessentially Italian American celebration.
The brothers will also intro…
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Dec 7, 2020
IAP 168: For and By Italian Americans: Getting to Know the Italian American Leadership Network with Founder Victoria Passarella
Italian American identity means different things to different people, and the “Italian American Experience” is oftentimes a very personal definition for each individual. At one point or another, it's safe to say most of us have felt a certain “otherness” setting us apart from the mainstream. If you have felt this more frequently than others, we’ve got the Paesana for you!
On this week’s episode, we’ll chat with Victoria Passarella, the founder of Metropolitan Island, Brooklyn Ivy League, and the Italian American Leadership Network.
After graduate school at Columbia University, and working for the university in career education, Victoria noticed that her Italian American upbringing led to some major cultural differences from the institutions around her. She was almost always the only Italian American in these settings, and as the daughter of an Italian immigrant father and an Italian American mother from Brooklyn, Victoria's Southern Italian culture influenced how sh…
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Dec 1, 2020
IAP 167: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame with Special Guest NIASHF President Ron Onesti
For many of us, looking ahead to the year 2021 represents a possible return to “normal”… but in the heart of one of Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhoods, a more than 40 year-old Italian American institution is gearing up to reclaim its rightful spot on the Italian American map!
This week, host John Viola is sitting down with longtime friend, and newly-appointed president of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, Ron Onesti, to share an intimate conversation about this proud Italian American landmark. They’ll share Hall history, and personal recollections of the Hall of Fame’s inimitable founder, the late George Randazzo, and examine some of the more unique items that make up this museum’s one-of-a-kind collection of Italian Americana!
And, in some exciting news, they’ll discuss the Hall of Fame’s upcoming move into a brand-new museum headquarters in Chicago’s Harlem Avenue Little Italy section, an exciting and much celebrated next chapter for an organi…
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Nov 24, 2020
IAP 166: Tips for the Italian American Small Business Owner with Special Guest Matt Rizzetta
Shop small and #SupportItalianAmerican Small Business!
With Thanksgiving arriving this week, the unofficial start of the 2020 Holiday Shopping Season has arrived, and it's sure to be one unlike anything we’ve seen before.
With another lockdown seemingly looming on the horizon, and online shopping set to claim an even greater share of holiday spending, we at the Italian American Podcast wanted to be sure to encourage our listeners to “Buy Paesan” and support Italian American Small Business!
So in this week’s episode, in celebration of Small Business Saturday, we’re featuring best-selling author Matt Rizzetta, author of “Embrace the Pace: The 100 Most Exhilarating Lesson Learned in a Decade of Entrepreneurship” and the owner of North 6 Agency… one of America’s “50 most powerful PR Firms” and an Italian American-owned small business he started in his garage! Matt is also one of the owners of the SS Campobasso soccer team!
Matt and the Podcast crew will share tips…
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Nov 17, 2020
IAP 165: Mal'Occhio -- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Evil Eye with Special Guest Agata De Santis
The Mal’Occhio… the Evil Eye… It's a concept that lives deep in the collective psychology of Italian America, but is it science or superstition?
The answer depends on what you believe, as you’ll hear in this week’s episode when we sit down with Italo-Canadian filmmaker and author Agata De Santis, whose documentary film and follow-up book “Mal’occhio: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Evil Eye” might just change they way you see this ancient Italian belief.
Reminding us all that “everyone has a mal’occhio story,” Agata recounts some of the more compelling stories she’s encountered throughout her years of research, and why most people agreed that “It’s true, but I don’t believe in it!”
Agata will also teach us about the amulets, incantations, and other means of protection people use to defend themselves against the mal’occhio… including the cornicello which, she stresses, is not a pepper!
And we will talk about how to understand belief i…
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Nov 9, 2020
IAP 164: "Live" Q&A Show with Special Guests from The New Neighborhood, Part 2
This week we're bringing you Part Two of our first ever “Live” question-and-answer episode direct from our “New Neighborhood” online membership group!
The New Neighborhood is a place for all Italian Americans… a vibrant, close-knit community centered around our private Facebook group, where our most passionate listeners and supporters gather together each day to maintain and deepen their sense of Italian American identity, culture, and traditions through interactions with hundreds of other passionate Italian Americans from across the nation, and five of the hardest-working podcast hosts in Italian America.
And in this episode, we’re picking up where we left off by bringing these incredible men and women right into the show, inviting them to ask the questions they’ve been waiting to get answered. Because this is the Italian American Podcast, we blew right past the hour-long session we had scheduled and ended up spending two hours answering thought-provoking questions, ge…
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Nov 2, 2020
IAP 163: The Italian American Almost-Presidents of the United States-- With Special Guest Thom Woodley of the Fail to the Chief Podcast
With Election Day tomorrow, it’s a star-spangled celebration on this week’s episode as we're joined by special guest Thom Woodley of the "Fail to the Chief" podcast to discuss the Italian American "Almost-Weres" of United States Presidential history. Sure, we have yet to see a Paesano or a Paesana take up residence in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but there have been more than a few who have tossed their name into the proverbial hat, and there are a few who have actually gotten pretty close to assuming the highest (or second highest) office in the land.
Join us as we explore the lives and careers of some of the men and women who've represented Italian America in the quest for the White House, from the often-unrecognized Italian American Al Smith, to the various Italian American hopefuls of more recent election cycles.
We talk about what Italian American candidates have faced in their quests for the Presidency, and whether or not our community still needs or wishes for an Italian Amer…
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Oct 26, 2020
IAP 162: "Live" Q&A Show with Special Guests from The New Neighborhood, Part 1
As Italian American Heritage Month draws to a close, we’re presenting our first ever “Live” question-and-answer episode direct from our “New Neighborhood” online membership group!
The New Neighborhood is a Place for all Italian Americans… a vibrant, close-knit community centered around our private Facebook group where our most passionate listeners and supporters gather together each day to maintain and deepen their sense of Italian American identity, culture and traditions through interactions with hundreds of other passionate Italian Americans from across the nation, and five of the hardest-working podcast hosts in Italian America.
And this week, we’re kicking off a new tradition by bringing these incredible men and women right into the show, inviting them to ask the questions they’ve been waiting to get answered. And, because this is the Italian American Podcast, we blew right past the hour-long session we had scheduled and ended up spending two hours answering th…
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Oct 19, 2020
IAP 161: The Future of Our Story: Young Italian Americans in Film and Television with Taylor Taglianetti of NOIAFT
For young Taylor Taglianetti, founder of the National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT), her many encounters with the generosity of the Italian American community have made her life's work about paying it forward. This week, we sit down with Taylor to discover how this philosophy drove her to found a new, booming organization for professional Italian Americans in the film and television industry.
Taylor tells us about how NOIAFT works to provide its members with the opportunity to network both in-person and virtually, and how her participation in the National Italian American Foundation’s Voyage of Discovery, and the scholarships and grants she has received from the Columbus Citizens Foundation and the NIAF-ISDA Russo Brothers Film Forum have led her to create this organization as a way to give back to the Italian American community at large. She also talks about how social media has helped her to develop a virtual web of Italian Americans who all sh…
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Oct 12, 2020
IAP 160: Conversations on Columbus: Conclusions?
Happy Columbus Day, everybody! That is, if you’re one of the folks who still celebrates Columbus Day because, appropriate to today’s often contentious designation, we’re presenting the sixth and final segment of our “Conversations on Columbus” series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus!
This week is our attempt to tie a nice big red-white-and-green ribbon around this complex discussion by bringing you the conclusions that host John Viola has drawn over the course of these six episodes and dozens of hours of interviews, research and contemplation around Columbus and his future in the American popular consciousness.
We’ll examine what the debate around Columbus is really about… the man, the myth or the moment in time -- the Columbian Exchange, and how each of those facets to this complicated issue warrants a unique and patient exploration.
If you’ve joined us for all five previous episodes, or if you’re finding us for the first time, we can cert…
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Oct 6, 2020
IAP 159: Conversations on Columbus: The Defense
Happy Italian American Heritage Month, Paesani! We’re kicking off our favorite month of the year by bringing you Part Five of our “Conversations on Columbus” series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus. This week we’re presenting the voices who’ve set out to defend the legacy of this complex Italian figure.
We’ll begin by running down the charges established in Part Three of our series, and then turn to a myriad of diverse voices who are calling for a reassessment of the anti-Columbus sentiment that has developed in recent decades.
And we’ll speak to some who believe the charges against Columbus are patently false, others who maintain Columbus deserves to be examined in the context of his own times, and some who see an ideologically driven witch hunt at the root of recent allegations against this once universally heralded navigator.
In our quest to discover as much historical truth as possible, we’ve already given time to the detractors, so now s…
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Sep 29, 2020
IAP 158: Conversations on Columbus: Columbus and Italian America
As October approaches, we’re returning for part four of our “Conversations on Columbus” series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus, and this week we’re examining the long and complex relationship between the Italian American community and the Genovese navigator who has become a symbol of Italian American pride.
We’ll begin with an exploration of the history of Columbus Day in the United States. We’re joined by Professor Bill Connell, co-editor of The Routledge History of Italian Americans, to explore what Columbus and the holiday bearing his name have meant to many different American communities, not the least of which is our own. We’ll attempt to untangle the complications of what Columbus Day’s designation as a federal holiday means for Italian Americans fighting to preserve it, and for those seeking to change it as well.
We’ll also speak to one of those Italian Americans seeking to move the community away from Columbus Day when we’re joined…
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Sep 22, 2020
IAP 157: It's Not an Italian Bookstore! The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of America's Favorite Italian American Bookstore
As the air begins to chill, and the days grow shorter and shorter, it’s the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a good book— and if you love to read about your Italian American heritage and culture, Nicola Orichuia of Boston’s I AM Books is the man to help you pick the perfect page-turner!
I AM Books is Boston’s first—and only—bookstore created specifically for the nation’s 25 million Italian Americans.
Nicola is here to share the story of this unique creation, from its almost accidental birth to its status as Italian American landmark. We’ll discuss his recent decision to wind down the brick-and-mortar location in the North End, and how this “strategic retreat” was only possible thanks to the growing online trade that IAM Books has begun to develop all over Italian America.
Nicola tells us about his journey from his home in Rome to Chicago as a journalist working for Italian American publications, such as Fra Noi and his creation of the Bostoniano maga…
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Sep 14, 2020
IAP 156: Understanding the 2020 Italian Constitutional Referendum with Special Guest Umberto Mucci of We the Italians
Well Podcast fans, its time once again to turn our eyes to our beloved Motherland for the continuing drama that is Italian politics, as our cousins across the Atlantic are gearing up for the latest constitutional referendum facing voters in the Italian Republic --including those living abroad like the many Italian American dual citizens here in the United States. On September 20-21, Italians will go to the polls (or vote by mail) to decide whether or not to approve a constitutional law that amends the Italian Constitution in various aspects, most notably reducing the number of Members of Parliament between the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate from a whopping 945 to just 600, cutting over 1/3 of the seats in both houses!
As the vote has drawn closer and closer, many of our listeners who hold citizenship abroad have written us seeking some insight in to just what's at stake in this latest election, so in order to help listeners navigate the confusing waters of Italian politics, we a…
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Aug 31, 2020
IAP 155: A Beginner's Guide to Tomato Jarring Italian American Style
As August begins to creep into September, families everywhere are preparing for winter by gathering together to partake in a much-loved Italian American tradition… gather the whole famiglia as we take your through the history and how-tos of the art of tomato jarring!
This New World fruit has become the staple of Italian and Italian American cuisine and now with the tomato harvest happening, our team decided to celebrate “la pummarola” by sharing our stories, strategies and science about this beloved tradition.
We explore the history of the tomato, from its origins in the Andes mountains to its arrival in Europe, why Europeans and Colonial Americans originally believed it to be a poisonous plant, and how it beat this unfortunate reputation to become the cornerstone of Italian cuisine!
We’ll then examine the various jarring traditions and methods, whether adding sugar to tomatoes is an honored tradition or a culinary sin, and how we might all be making tomato paste if Napoleon…
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Aug 25, 2020
IAP 154: Conversations on Columbus: The Charges
In this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we're presenting part three of our “Conversations on Columbus” series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus, and this week we’re examining the major accusations which Columbus’ critics charge him with.
We’ll begin with an examination of when and how Columbus’ reputation began to suffer, and just what caused a figure that was once considered essential to the American sense of identity to fall so far, so fast.
From there, co-host John M. Viola will present segments from the dozens of interviews he’s conducted on Columbus as he seeks to understand the major arguments being made by those who are seeking to remove Columbus from the national pantheon of heroes.
These various academics will address issues around the term “Discovery of America," Columbus’ performance as both a sailor and a public servant, and the most concerning allegations concerning the legacies of slavery and displacement in Ameri…
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Aug 17, 2020
IAP 153: Conversations on Columbus: Straight From the Source
In this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re picking up with Part Two of our “Conversations on Columbus” series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus and we’re starting right from the beginning!
As we set out to find truth in the current debates around the famed Genovese navigator, we’re seeking to understand just what primary historical documentation exists to provide insights into Columbus’s life, his deeds and, ultimately, his character. Like any good history quest, we're beginning with source materials.
Co-host John M. Viola will share portions of the dozens of interviews he’s already conducted on Columbus as he seeks to understand the various documents at the root of the conversation. He’s joined by various academics and one impassioned student of history as they explore exactly what exists, where the documents are, and how even the most authentic of historical sources is open for interpretation.
If you’ve decided to join…
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Aug 3, 2020
IAP 152: Conversations on Columbus: Introduction
In this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’re setting out to tackle an issue that has been at the forefront of conversations surrounding the Italian American identity in the 21st Century. This issue is one that hits at the heart of our national mythology for Americans of all ethnicities -- the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus.
Many of our listeners have called for us to weigh in on this highly-charged issue, and so we’ve set out to replace debate with dialogue and undertake a journey into the historical record of Columbus’ life, legacy, and relationship with the Italian American community.
Over the course of many upcoming episodes, we will address a number of topics around the evolving issue with experts from various fields and perspectives, both from within the Italian American community and from without.
In today’s introduction to that effort, moderator John Viola will take you through the way in which we developed our questions, some of the voices…
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Jul 27, 2020
Italian American Podcast Special Announcement
Please listen to this Special Announcement from The Italian American Podcast concerning our upcoming episodes entitled "Conversations on Columbus." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 20, 2020
IAP 151: From Spumoni to the Sprinkle Room: Italians and the History of Ice Cream with Special Guest Nick Di Bona of Bona Bona Ice Cream
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… gelato? Or is it ice cream? And what’s the difference anyway? How about we find out?
In this week’s episode, we’re celebrating “National Ice Cream Day” with a look at how Italians all over the world have influenced that frozen treat we all know and love.
From Ancient Rome to Marco Polo, from Sicily, to England, to Hoboken, New Jersey, our team gives you the “inside scoop” on how ice cream, sherbet, granitas, and more evolved over thousands of years, and we will introduce you to some of the many Italians who have their fingerprints on that evolution... like Sicily’s own Francesco Procopio Cutò, the world-recognized “Father of Gelato," to the Hoboken immigrant who claims to have invented the ice cream cone!
In the second half of our show, we’re joined by special guest, Nick Di Bona of Bona Bona Ice Cream in Port Chester, New York, to discuss how his Italian American roots inspired his own take on this special summertime t…
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Jul 13, 2020
IAP 150: Italian Americans in Baseball with Special Guest Lawrence Baldassaro
For millions of Americans, hope springs eternal every April when baseball returns! In this craziest of years, fans of the national pastime are gearing up for the first-ever July opening in baseball history. We're so excited to have baseball back that in this week's episode our entire team is taking YOU "out to the ballgame" with our special guest, Lawrence Baldassaro, author of “Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball,” and “Baseball Italian Style: Great Stories Told by Italian American Major Leaguers Crosetti to Piazza.”
Larry shares his knowledge of the sport’s Italian icons, from the playing field to the owner's box. We also share in an exploration of how baseball serves as the great metaphor for the American experience, and why the first Italian American success stories meant so much to our fast growing community, and taught many newly-arrived immigrants what “Americanism” is all about.
Sharing stories of the sport’s greats, such as Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Ber…
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Jul 6, 2020
IAP 149: Filippo Mazzei and America's Italian Founding Fathers
We have all learned about America’s Founding Fathers… but what about our “Founding Padres?”
In celebration of Independence Day, we’re taking a look at Philip Mazzei, the Italian physician, winemaker, and philosopher whose close friendship with Thomas Jefferson inspired the phrase “all men are created equal” and other doctrines he added into the Declaration of Independence.
For a contribution of such momentous meaning, Mazzei is a relatively unknown figure today, so our team decided to explore the story of this foundational Italian American figure, and the other Italians present at the founding of our nation, to introduce them to modern audiences.
But, because this is the Italian American Podcast, our conversation blossoms into a sometimes tense discussion about the deeper questions around the American Revolution, the relationship between Italian political thought and American ideals, and what it really means to be a part of something so very complex. It's a stimulat…
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Jun 29, 2020
Updates from Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Italy Reopened!
In this final installment of “Updates from Italy,” host Patrick O’Boyle tries to find out what’s next for the Bel Paese as it continues to recover from COVID-19 for the rest of 2020 and beyond. This week, Pat is joined by Antonio Amendola of Agropoli, Campania, who has lived in four countries, including the United States. Pat and Antonio talk about the differences between European Union nations as they reopen and how the “New Normal” is yet to be defined as the countries each reopen.
They also discuss what will happen in the upcoming weeks as Italy’s restrictions continue to be lifted and how the virus restrictions changed the face of Italy’s workforce. Antonio shares his take on "the “two Italies,” northern and southern, and what reopening could look like for each section of Italy.
Finally, they celebrate the Italian spirit of survival as they discuss how Italy has and will continue to come out of this crisis stronger than ever! --- Support this podcast: https:/…
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Jun 23, 2020
IAP 148: Padre Knows Best - A Father's Day Conversation with My Italian American Dad
Buona Festa del Papà, Paesani!
A Happy Father's Day to every Dad, Papà, Nonno, Father-in-Law, and any special guy out there!
There’s no blessing like having an Italian American father -- this week our moderator, John M. Viola, is turning his microphone on his very own Italian American dad, Vincent, when he sits down with him for a special Father's Day interview.
Vinnie Viola, as he’s known to those who know him best, has a pretty interesting life story to share. In this week’s episode, our faithful moderator will take the opportunity to share his father with our show's faithful listeners.
They’ll discuss his early life in an Italian enclave in Brooklyn, New York, what he experienced growing up in a house full of extended Italian famiglia, and how the sport of pigeon mumbling taught him valuable lessons that would play a role in his later success.
Father and son will discuss his life as an Italian American at the United States Military Academy at West Point, his early day…
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Jun 19, 2020
Updates from Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Sardegna Reopening
What is it like to be a resident of a popular Italian tourist destination as Italy reopens? That’s the question Pat O’Boyle asks Silvia Giagheddu, who resides in Northern Sardegna, in this week’s episode of Reopening Italy.
Pat and Silvia discuss what it’s like to witness people coming back to the island after time in quarantine and how this is affecting post-COVID-19 life. While Sardegna wasn’t as badly hit as other regions of Italy, the residents are concerned that vacationers coming in from highly-affected regions might cause a new wave of the pandemic as they are allowed to travel unchecked. Pat and Silvia discuss what this could mean for residents of Sardegna and other popular Italian tourist areas.
They also discuss Italy’s relationship with the European Union and how Italy needs the EU’s help to recover, as well as a comparison of lockdown life in Sardegna versus that of Lombardia and how the use of public transportation played a role in the virus’s spread acro…
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Jun 16, 2020
IAP 147: Sicily: A Multi-Cultural Legacy with Special Guest Lou Mendola
Almost 900 years ago, there existed a land where peoples of all cultures, creeds and colors lent their talents to the building of a nation at the forefront of science, art and civic life. It was a kingdom in the sun… an island at the center of the world. That nation was the Norman Kingdom of Sicily, and in this week’s episode, renowned historian and medievalist Lou Mendola joins us from Sicily’s ancient capital of Palermo to explore what we today can learn from the island’s unique multi-cultural legacy.
A native of Rochester, New York, and resident of Palermo for many decades, Lou is one of the world’s foremost Sicilian medievalists and one of only a handful of scholars whose works on the history of Southern Italy and Sicily have been published in English. His books have broken new ground not only as resources for scholars but also as benchmarks in outlining a Sicilian identity rooted in the Middle Ages. Over the last three decades, Lou has been consulted by the Almanach…
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Jun 12, 2020
Updates from Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Italy's Youth on Reopening
In our latest episode of “Updates from Italy,” Prof. Patrick O’Boyle sits down with Giovanni Trotta, an Italian young professional who witnessed first-hand the changing dynamics of the European workforce as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Giovanni works for Amazon’s offices in Luxembourg, but returned home to his village of Laurino, Campania, for quarantine.
Giovanni tells us how other young Italians are also returning home in the wake of Coronavirus and how this homecoming may change the dynamics of entire villages. They'll also discuss how remote work is slowly gaining popularity in Italy, and how Italians themselves are learning how to rely on modern technology as a part of the “new normal.”
Pat and Giovanni also explore how Italians feel about the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 crisis in Italy and how a post “Italexit” EU could look. Finally, they also discuss how COVID-19 has changed the overall social fabric of Italy and talk about what its afteref…
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Jun 8, 2020
IAP 146: Secrets of the Italian Garden with Special Guest Mary Menniti, Founder of the Italian Garden Project
Mary, Mary... How does your garden grow?
If you're an Italian American, Mary Menniti is the person to answer this question—and many more—in this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast.
We're sitting down with Italian America's Number 1 Green Thumb to discuss her groundbreaking Italian Garden Project. Mary will share her appreciation for the centuries-old Italian American connection to the Earth and how our ancestors instinctively knew how to work the lands and harvest their bounty.
We discuss how this connection to the land we live on helps humanity survive and how younger generations are slowly rediscovering the recipes and habits from ages past. Mary tells us how she visits Italian American gardens as a part of this project in order to help preserve the heirloom fruits and vegetables grown there and how the Smithsonian Institute is interested in this project as a true representation of Italian ethnicity in the United States.
Mary also discusses what constitutes an…
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Jun 5, 2020
Updates from Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Italian Healthcare Reopening
For many months, Italy and her healthcare system have been at the epicenter of the most significant global health crisis in modern history. But, now that the crisis is beginning to ebb, how has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of medicine in Italy?
That’s the question Prof. Patrick O’Boyle poses in this week’s episode of “Updates From Italy,” where he interviews Rome-based physician Dr. Giulia D’Arcangelo about her first-hand experiences during the crisis and how she feels it has affected Italy’s health system as a whole.
They’ll discuss the pandemic’s regional variances, including how regional differences in medical care helped the South escape the brunt of the outbreak. Dr. D’Arcangelo, a pediatrician, will also discuss how the crisis has affected how she cares for patients and how she’s had to address long term patient care as a result.
They’ll also examine how COVID-19 has affected medical practice in Italy, including the future for socialized med…
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Jun 1, 2020
IAP 145: The Feast Must Go On -- Celebrating an Italian American Staple in the Summer of Social Distancing
For many Italian Americans, the start of summer means the start of "Feast Season," but the summer of social distancing looks like it's also destined to be the “summer of no feasts”… or is it?
In this week’s episode, our team discusses how the current COVID-19 crisis has affected the most tangible representation of the Italian American community at large—our feasts. Yet, while most feasts have already been either cancelled or postponed this year, we are proudly unveiling a new project designed to celebrate these special events while they are on hiatus, and sharing them with our paesani around the world this year and for many years to come.
Our “Italian American Virtual Feasts” project is a partnership with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, in which our ultimate goal is to create a virtual museum where these feasts’ unique histories are cataloged and celebrated for all to experience across crowdsourcing of photos, videos, and other archival materials. Via an in…
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May 29, 2020
Updates from Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Italian Tourism Reopening
In this week’s episode of Updates from Italy with Patrick O’Boyle, we talk to Giuseppe Aloi of SIT Italy, the travel company he founded in 1999 that focuses in particular on the beauties and treasures that Southern Italy has to offer, focusing on art, culture, and special events.
Giuseppe tells listeners about what he thinks the future will hold for the post-COVID-19 Italian tourism industry, including what changes hotels need to make if they wish to stay competitive and stay open. He also discusses the Italian government’s plans for helping the tourism industry after this massive blow—including help for families whose livelihoods were displaced, as well as assistance for touristic agencies trying to rebuild.
Pat and Giuseppe also discuss how Southern Italy was spared the brunt of COVID-19 due to the virus’s prevalence in northern regions, and what that could mean as the entire country reopens, including this summer as Southern Italy prepares for its traditional sagre and f…
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May 26, 2020
IAP 144: 10 Easy Steps to Becoming an Even Better Italian American While You're Stuck at Home
What have you been doing doing your time in “lockdown”?
We here at the Italian American Podcast have been doing what we do best-- working on being as unabashedly Italian American as possible! Seeing as a big part of the Italian American identity is drawing from the interactions we have with friends, family and fellow paesani, more than two months in isolation have forced us to find some pretty innovative ways to be extra-Italian without leaving the house! Some of our discoveries have been so much fun that we figured we should share our proprietary strategies with our amici out there in Italian America, so in this week’s episode, we present:
“10 Easy Steps To Becoming An EVEN BETTER Italian American While You’re Stuck At Home!"
We’re exploring the various experiences we’ve had while living in quarantine and sharing how some activities that help pass the time can help strengthen the ties that bind us to our heritage— we’ll talk about how we are attempting to suppor…
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May 22, 2020
Updates From Italy with Patrick O'Boyle: Italy Reopening
As Italy reopens its doors, we at The Italian American Podcast wanted to showcase just how much our Madre Patria has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, in this new bonus segment of the Podcast, our co-host—and walking encyclopedia of Italian Americana—Professor Patrick O’Boyle is taking a deeper look into how life has changed in Italy and what that means for all of us as a result.
In this inaugural segment of “Updates From Italy,” Pat talks with Paul Pontecorvo, an Italian American (and avid Italian American Podcast listener) living in Milan. Paul was one of the first people to message Pat when COVID-19 broke out and has been keeping in touch with our team as the weeks progressed. Paul shares his thoughts and experiences with our audience, as well as his impressions of what might happen in a post-pandemic Italy. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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May 18, 2020
IAP 143: Northern Exposure: Exploring Northern Italian Contributions in the United States, Part 2
In this week’s episode, we’re wrapping up our two-part look at the Northern Italian impact on Italian American life by Italy by criss-crossing these great United States to discover Northern Italian enclaves from California to Idaho and everywhere in between!
Our special guest, and Northern Italy expert, Robert Allegrini, takes us on a tour across the country, stopping in various Northern Italian communities to explore their traditions, histories, and influence on Italian American life today. We’ll also discover some manifestations of Northern and Central Italian American pride, including La Corsa dei Ceri (“St. Ubaldo Day”) in Jessup, Pennsylvania, which is our country’s largest and most traditional Central Italian celebration.
And speaking of Saints and Feasts… we’ll take a deep dive into an exploration of the differences between Northern and Southern Italian Catholicism and why Northern feasts and festivals may not have survived the immigrant journey as well as the…
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May 11, 2020
IAP 142: Northern Exposure: Exploring Northern Italian Contributions in the United States, Part 1
We tend to focus a lot on our Southern Italian roots here at the Italian American Podcast, but today we’re asking..."What’s up North?"
This week’s episode is the first in a two-part series featuring special guest and Northern Italy expert Robert Allegrini, the honorary consul of San Marino in Chicago, where we will dig into a history of the contributions, communities and characters of the Italian Americans descended from northern and central Italy.
We dive into the history of Northern Italy, including exactly how it can be defined and how its history differs from that of Southern Italy. We’ll also talk about the how the first Italians in the New World were from the North and how they helped contribute to our nation’s founding and early formation. We also pay homage to the Italian pioneers of America’s western expansion and how the further West you go, the more Northern Italian communities you see.
We also talk about Italians who fought in the American Civil War and how…
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May 4, 2020
IAP 141: Introducing “Bella Figura—The Tradition of Living Beautifully.” An All-New Podcast with Dolores Alfieri Taranto
What are the ties that bind us together? In this week’s episode, we celebrate the launch of IAP co-host Dolores Alfieri Taranto’s new Podcast, “Bella Figura—The Tradition of Living Beautifully.”
“Bella Figura” is the tradition of presenting oneself well to the world and, as Dolores explains, this concept doesn’t just speak to Italian Americans, but to everyone of any ethnic and cultural background. Get an early look into the concept behind her all-new solo show, which celebrates how all cultures provide lessons, insights, and traditions that offer just as much in today's modern world as they have for generations of peoples, and how universal themes and foundational stories tie us all together.
Our team talks about these foundational stories and how they help a person form his or her own “emotional” history. We also discuss the advent of DNA testing and the popularity of ancestral reclamation and veneration, and how reclaiming our stories helps empower us as a soci…
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May 1, 2020
Introducing Anchor!
What listeners can expect as we move to a new podcast platform! You should not notice a difference in your experience, except there might be more ads. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Apr 27, 2020
IAP 140: Coffee and Conversation with Caffè Unimatic
In times like these, our rituals are what keep us connected to “normal” life. In this week’s episode, Elisabeth Cardiello of Caffè Unimatic and Brave Conversations Over Coffee shows us how this ubiquitous beverage can have rippling effects in our homes and in our communities.
Elisabeth shares her trade secrets on what kinds of coffee to try and the different types of brewing that will make a world of difference for your "Morning Joe," as well as discussing the difference between American and Italian brews and how Italians use coffee as a way to connect with others. And the Italian American Podcast gang will take us on a journey into the serendipitous history of some of your favorite coffee preparations—from espressos to cappuccinos, to lattes and macchiatos.
We'll discuss this young CEO's appearance in the Netflix documentary “Coffee for All,” and how the Neapolitan trend of “caffè sospeso” or “suspended coffee” has sparked a worldwide movement connecting strang…
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Apr 20, 2020
Italian American Podcast Movie Watch-Along: MOONSTRUCK
Tired of scraping the bottom of the streaming barrel for something to take your mind off of weeks stuck in the house?
Well… SNAP OUT OF IT, because the Italian American Podcast is bringing you our inaugural “Italian American Podcast Movie Watch-Along!”
We’ll be sitting down to watch the classics of Italian American film, and we’re inviting you to watch along with us! Just pop in your DVD or fire up your favorite streaming service and hit "play" on both the screen and this download, so that you and yours can re-watch your favorite Italian American movies with the incredible addition of your favorite podcast hosts giving our own running commentary throughout.
And today we’re watching one of the most beloved Italian American classics… 1987’s Oscar-winning film “Moonstruck.”
Join your friends at the Italian American Podcast as we drop in on the Castorini family of Brooklyn, NY, for a whole new look at this universally-loved masterpiece that isn’t exactly loved b…
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Apr 20, 2020
IAP139 - Introducing the Inaugural “Italian American Podcast Movie Watch-Along” with Moonstruck
Have the weeks of quarantine got you a little stir crazy? Well, it’s time to… SNAP OUT OF IT, because the Italian American Podcast is bringing you a little something extra this week!
Welcome to our inaugural Italian American Podcast Movie Watch-Along!
In this new offering, we’ll take the classics of Italian American film and present them to you with our own running commentary. To celebrate the launch of these special episodes, we’re sharing our take on a quintessentially Italian American classic, 1987’s Academy Award-winning film, “Moonstruck.”
In this episode, we’ll preview the full Watch Along by discussing what truly comprises “Italian American Cinema” and whether or not this film fits the bill. We’ll debate the merits of a universally-loved portrayal of an Italian American family, which happens to have been created by mostly non-Italians.
We also discuss whether or not Italian Americans can truly watch an “Italian American film” without the lens of e…
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Apr 13, 2020
IAP 138: Buona Pasquetta! An Exploration of Italian American Easter Traditions
Buona Pasquetta Everybody!!! Today is Easter Monday or “Little Easter"... a day that, in Italy, represents a chance to celebrate the arrival of the Easter Season with friends and family, picnics and parties, and a second go at the leftover delicacies that every Italian family makes with pride in preparation for Easter Sunday.
And speaking of those countless confections, in this week’s episode, our team celebrates our own little Pasquetta gathering by dissecting the Easter traditions that have come to define an Italian American Pascal Feast.
Join us as we dive into the fascinating histories of pizza chiena, pastiera, and other time-honored Easter treats that our families continue to include as part of their holiday tables. We’ll share our own personal traditions, and examine everything from the varieties of Easter breads to why many families have to include a marzipan lamb on the Easter Table.
And we’ll explore what constitutes “pan Italian American” traditions…
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Apr 6, 2020
IAP 137: The Italian American Podcast in the Age of Quarantine
How are all our Paesani out there holding up in quarantine? Is everyone keeping busy? Got enough to eat? What’s in your stockpile?
If you’re Italian, you’ve probably been preparing for a quarantine your whole life without even knowing it!
In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, this week’s episode will introduce the new normal here at the Italian American Podcast... a remote recording that will take a look at what we all have in our personal “quarantine stockpiles,” what we are planning for the coming weeks on the Italian American Podcast, and how this unprecedented time has affected our daily lives. We’ll dive into the idea of “quarantine cuisine,” and which comfort foods we’re all turning to during the lockdown.
We’re discussing what we’re doing to stay healthy, physically and mentally, and what the “new normal” really does look like. We’re also sharing what’s on our Netflix streams and some of the latest Italian and Italian American progra…
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Mar 30, 2020
IAP 136: Finding Your Family—Tips and Tricks for the Novice Genealogist
Discovering your past lays out a road map for your future! In this week’s episode, we'll prove that while reconstructing your family history might take effort, the rewards are priceless!
Podcast co-host Anthony Fasano asked the gang to get together to share their first-hand experiences discovering family history, and how seeking out and finding his own Italian relatives changed his life, as well as that of his children and future generations. The team shares their tips and tricks into how they dove deep into their family histories and how their hard work paid off in terms of unforgettable experiences in Italy that they might never have otherwise experienced. They'll also share the moving experiences sent in by members of the Italian American Podcast's "New Neighborhood" Membership group, revealing just how many listeners are undertaking this important research!
They'll also shares invaluable information on where and how to find important documents, and how anyone can figure out…
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Mar 23, 2020
IAP 135: Le Belle Lingue - Dialects, Regional Languages, and Italian American English, Part 2
If any language proves that there’s room at the linguistic table for everyone... it’s Italian!
This week, we continue our examination of the languages of Italy as we take a closer look at her many Regional Languages and Dialects, including the unique blend of Italian and English spoken by Italian Americans through the generations.
We’ll discus the state of Italy’s diverse Regional Languages, both before and after Italian Unification, as well as their contemporary renaissance thanks to social media. Plus we’ll explore the rich patrimonies of Sicilian poetry and Neapolitan music and how both these forms, and many others, are vehicles for linguistic survival.
We’ll focus on Italy’s constitutional commitments to protect her linguistic minorities, and even see some of the enduring aspects of “Italianness” in Italy’s former colony Eritrea.
Heading back to the United States, we talk about how the Italian American dialect changes depending on geographic location and how…
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Mar 16, 2020
IAP 134: Le Belle Lingue – Language, History, and Identity in Italy and the Italian Diaspora, Part 1
It’s often said that language is the living history of a people, and the Italian language has had a very exciting life! In this week’s episode, we dive into the history of the Italian language, from its Latin roots to its standardization straight through to its evolution into the languages of Italy's 100 million person diaspora.
Our team also discusses the complex relationship between standard “Florentine” Italian and its regional languages and dialects, showing how they all formed through the various tribes, trials and conquests that have taken place on the Italian peninsula since the days of Ancient Rome. We also explore the first written forms of Italian and Dante’s role as the “father” of the standard Italian language.
In true Italian American Podcast style, we also take a road trip on the linguistic map of Europe and the Mediterranean world, making stops in Spain, France, and Israel. And we even visit the Accademia della Cruscia, the world’s oldest linguistic gov…
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Mar 9, 2020
IAP 133: “Coronavirus, Culture, and Cannoli”-- Experiencing Sicily with Allison Scola
Welcome to Italy—we’re open for business. That’s the message Allison Scola wants to share in this episode of The Italian American Podcast.
With Coronavirus spreading throughout Italy and the world, we sit down with Scola, the founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the New York Cannoli Crawl (and 2019 New York Times Travel Show Expert) to get her thoughts on traveling to Italy in these uncertain times.
We’ll discuss the Italian government’s handling the outbreak, share tips for travelers who are experiencing trepidation as a result of the virus, and explore how the outbreak is set to affect both Italian and Italian-American tourism and business.
With a Sicily expert at the table, we look at “sustainable tourism," the art of experiencing a taste of daily life in the host country, a concept that is at the center of the renaissance of southern Italian tourism.
In true Italian American Podcast style, the conversation can’t stay focused the entire time... so w…
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Mar 2, 2020
IAP 132: “What Is America Without Pasta?” Defending Italian Food with Congressman Lou Barletta
What IS America without pasta? Without prosciutto? Or parmigiano?? In this episode, we’ll ask those very questions when we’re joined by former Congressman Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania, the new Chairman of the American Italian Food Coalition (AIFC), a consortium of over 450 Italian companies seeking to protect Italian pasta, coffee, biscuits and wafers from US’s new tariff policies.
The “Protector of Parmigiano” tells us about the coalition’s recent success in preventing the expansion of import taxes to a broad range of Italian foods. Since last year, those taxes have added 25% to the price of genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Scotch whiskey, Spanish olives and French wine as a result of retaliatory tariffs on European products in response to subsidies Airbus received from some Europe nations.
He’ll share how the tariffs would have affected Italian American mom-and-pop businesses and how these taxes would have directly contributed to an eventual demise of…
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Feb 24, 2020
IAP 131: “Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going” -- Examining the Italian American Identity Survey Results. (Part 4)
It’s all over but the counting! It’s our final episode examining the results of our ITALIAN IDENTITY 2020 SURVEY, our amateur analysis of the present and future of the 25-million-person Italian American community.
Drawing on findings from more than 1,600 respondents from throughout the nation, this final episode takes us into the traditions and trends of Italian America to understand how our culture manifests itself in our everyday lives. We will discover which Italian American customs still define our shared experience, how often we engage in the habits, happenings, and holidays that make us who we are... from basement wine making, to Easter Pie consumption, to the sacred ritual of the Sunday meal.
We explore attitudes surrounding the acquisition of Italian dual citizenship, how respondents feel about the Columbus Day controversy, and the state of Italian American assimilation in the 21st Century.
Then, we’ll move from cultural touchstones to the organs of engagement, to find…
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Feb 17, 2020
IAP 130: “Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going” -- Examining the Italian American Identity Survey Results (Part 3)
It’s Part 3 of our four-part series examining the results of our ITALIAN IDENTITY 2020 SURVEY, our exploration into the hearts and minds of Italian Americans in the 21st Century.
With results drawn from more than 1,600 respondents from around the USA, this episode takes us into the souls of Italian America, to understand what respondents felt were the most important touchstones of the modern Italian American experience, how we see the difference between Italian and Italian American food, how they felt about Italian regional differences in modern Italian American life, who still believes in the "malocchio," and whether or not we can use the term “Medeegan” without offending our Anglo-Saxon countrymen.
Then we will explore the results relating to Italian American religious affiliations and attitudes, digging deep into the historical and cultural roots of Italian Catholicism and how it has become such a distinct part of secular Italian American identity, and what impact the dual i…
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Feb 10, 2020
IAP 129: “Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going” - Examining the Italian American Identity Survey Results (Part 2)
We’re back with Part 2 of our multi-episode series examining the results of our ITALIAN IDENTITY 2020 SURVEY, our effort to ask the questions only we could ask of ourselves, and to understand what the Italian American community really looks like today, and what we will become in the future.
With more than 1,600 respondents from around the nation chiming in, we’re moving into more nuanced territory as we look into questions regarding how important our Italian heritage is to those surveyed, whether or not they prioritized marriage to a fellow Italian American, what percentage had “married out" and what that means for the future of Italian America.
We’ll examine the strength of Italian and regional languages revealed in the results, and what language means to our identity.
We share results about political affiliation, how closely respondents identified with their political party, which issues facing the nation are most important to us, and which are most impacted by our Italian…
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Feb 3, 2020
IAP 128: “Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going” - Examining the Italian American Identity Survey Results (Part 1)
At the start of Italian American Heritage Month last October, we created the ITALIAN IDENTITY 2020 SURVEY, which is our effort to ask the questions only we could ask of ourselves, and to understand what the Italian American community really looks like today, and what we will become in the future.
More than 1,600 passionate Italian Americans from around the country have made their voices heard, and we are poring over the responses with a fine-tooth comb, seeking to understand all we can learn about our Italian American culture from the results.
In this episode, the first in a multi-part series dissecting the findings, we’ll discuss the demographic data our survey revealed-- which gender, age, and geographic locations responded to our call, where in Italy their families came from, what type of education they had achieved, what professions they practice each day, and what generation of the Italian American immigrant story they come from. It’s a fascinating introduction to the voices…
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Jan 27, 2020
IAP 127: "Our Paper of Record" A Visit with the Couple Behind the Italian Tribune - Marion and Buddy Fortunato
From its humble origins in Newark, New Jersey, for nearly 90 years, the venerable ‘Italian Tribune’ has grown to become perhaps the most important English-language voice in Italian American media.
We’ll meet the inspiring couple who has made this multi-generational Italian family business into not just “the Paper of Record for the Italian American Community," but who has also bucked the trends of print media with a weekly newspaper that continues to attract a growing and ever-younger audience.
They’ll share the history of this unique periodical, and why its place as a substantial English-language source for Italian American news has always kept it at the epicenter of the Italian experience in America.
We’ll also explore the work of “Uncle” Floyd Vivino... the “Italian American Mark Twain," and how a tight-knit team of five passionate Italian Americans has continued to evolve this venerable institution for an ever-changing population.
And, in true Italian American…
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Jan 20, 2020
IAP 126: “Ciao Italia!” A Conversation with the First Couple of Italian American Cooking- Mary Ann & Gaetano Esposito
For 30 years Mary Ann Esposito has been a part of our lives on “Ciao Italia”, American television’s longest running cooking show on PBS. Undeniably, this is the First Lady of the Italian American kitchen. Yet while we all know and love this consummate educator, the Italian American Podcast is bringing you a chance to see the lady behind the lens... and to get to know the man who has been her loving partner for 53 years during this intimate and impassioned interview.
They’ll share how a boring cooking class on their first trip to Italy kicked off three decades of television success, Mary Ann’s calling as an educator, why she never thought she’d be a chef, and their shared mission to preserve not just foods and flavors, but the bond of family a meal can create.
We’ll explore how to grow 100 varietals of lettuce, why French cuisine is science but Italian food is jazz, Mary Ann’s relationship with Julia Child, what makes the perfect Sunday Sauce, and why on earth the Ital…
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Jan 12, 2020
IAP 125: “Of House & Home- Italian American Style” A Conversation with Celebrity Contractor Eric Eremita
For years, America has gotten to know Eric Eremita as the no-nonsense builder who made hundreds of families’ dream homes a reality on HGTV’s “Love It Or List It” and “Brother vs. Brother”. But now, we’re sitting down with this proud Staten Islander to get to know a little bit more of his Italian American side.
We’ll discuss how this family man ended up as an internationally recognized face, learn about his Italian upbringing, what it was like working outside of Italian America for so many years, what he thinks are the newest trends in the industry, and what he feels makes a house into a home.
He’ll share a little insight into what’s next for TV’s favorite contractor, and how a secret symbol meant for his family has evolved into his new venture into the world of fashion.
Get to know a different side of this popular builder, and enjoy an afternoon with Eric and the Podcast Gang! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/sup…
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Jan 5, 2020
IAP 124: “A Visit From La Befana & Friends” Two Ladies and a Puppet Saving the World One Cookie at a Time!
A Happy Feast of the Epiphany to all of our paesani our there!
Today is January 6th... La Festa dell’Epifania - which means if you were a good little Italian this year, you should have received a few extra treats in your stocking this morning courtesy of La Befana, the Italian Christmas Witch! This legendary lady flies on her broom all over Italy on the Eve of the Epiphany, sliding down chimneys to fill children’s socks with presents and candy if they’ve been good all year, or a lump of coal (a special confection made to look like real coal) if they were bad.
But just where does this Italian tradition come from? We’re going to find out with the help of Kate West and Dina Gregory, the Italian Americans behind “La Befana and Friends”, a movement dedicated to the history and message of this beloved old maid.
This dynamic duo will share how a mysterious family Befana cookie recipe inspired Kate’s book, “La Befana and the Star”, how fate (and La Befana) brought this unl…
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Dec 29, 2019
IAP 123: “Somm’thing Worth Drinking on New Year’s Eve” From Prosecco to Passito and the Best Italian Wines In-Between!
New Year's Eve is almost here and we at the Italian American Podcast thought we should bring in a special guest to help us point you in the direction of Italy’s best “bubblies” so that when the Ball drops, and you pop the cork you could know exactly which Italian sparkling wine should be in your glass!
But, Christian Galliani, Founder of ‘Wine for the 99’ (not to mention the co-founder of "Arthur Avenue Food Tours" and “Feast on History”) is much more than a prosecco connoisseur… he’s a brilliant sommelier with an expertise in Southern Italian wines! So, while he’ll certainly be sharing his recommendations for the best sparkling Italian whites to bring to your New Year's Eve parties tomorrow night, and we will discuss some of Italy and Italian America’s more unique New Year’s customs, this episode turned out to be a brilliant Master Class for listeners ranging from sophisticated oenophiles to those who can’t tell the difference between white and red.
And, si…
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Dec 22, 2019
IAP 122: “An Italian American Podcast Christmas Reunion”
Buon Natale Everybody! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, a time for friends, food, famiglia... and the free-flowing conversations bound to come up when Dolores and Anthony get back on the mic at the Italian American Podcast. The duo that started it all have been pretty swamped these past few months, but in the days before Christmas they reunite with John and Pat and set out to record another Christmas Episode.
But, when four great friends reunite after far too long, staying on topic might just be an issue. Catch up with Anthony and Dolores, and follow this Fab Four as they talk baby names, Hawaiian Italians, and what’s been happening since they were last together.
Sure, we’ll talk about Christmas for a bit, but if you relish the feeling of being a part of this wacky group, you’ll love this heart-felt reunion! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Dec 16, 2019
IAP 121: “Christmas at the Pastry Shop” Building on Family Traditions at Giorgio’s of Hoboken
Hoboken, NJ is considered a Mecca of Italian American Pastry, with something for everyone, from world-famous brands to the most authentic family-owned Pasticceria you could ask for!
At Giorgio’s Pasticceria Italiana, second generation pastry chef Mary Grace Castiello follows in the footsteps of her late father, the Pastry Shop’s namesake Giorgio, in making sure that no matter how long the lines get, those who pop in for a pastry or some cookies still feel like family. As she likes to say, if other places feel like a big budget Hollywood picture... Giorgio’s is an independent film. Now, after 45 years as a Hoboken institution, Mary Grace is stepping up to keep the family business, and a neighborhood’s Italian American landmark, moving forward into a new era.
In this episode, John and Pat will venture into Hoboken to sit down with Mary Grace at Giorgio’s as the Christmas Bakery Boom begins anew. They’ll discuss what it’s like for a history major to take on the reig…
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Dec 9, 2019
IAP 120: “Christmastime on Arthur Avenue” Pasta and Passion with Danielle Oteri
Why is Arthur Avenue, the Little Italy in the Bronx, NY, so unique amongst America’s Italian enclaves?
After a day of filming the newest episode of Greetings From Italian America, Rossella, Pat, and John sit down for a plate of fresh-made pasta with Danielle Oteri, the co-founder of ‘Feast on History’ and the ‘Arthur Avenue Food Tours’ to discuss just what makes this neighborhood so unique.
They’ll discuss how a call from a British department store inspired this proud daughter of the Bronx neighborhood to begin her now-booming tour company, and whether the Italian sense of competition is a limitation of a bygone era or the fuel behind this neighborhood’s resilience.
They’ll find out why Arthur Avenue is so special at Christmastime, and share some recommendations on where to visit, but, no Italian American Podcast would be complete without a tangent or two into Italian American minutia!
In this case for example, Pat finally identifies the distinct uses for two differ…
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Dec 2, 2019
IAP 119 : “Introducing Italian America Television” The Italian American Podcast on Your Screens!
This week, in a special pre-recorded announcement, John and Pat will take a break from their Thanksgiving Eve preparations to sit down for a call to discuss the newest project from the Italian American Podcast... “Greetings From Italian America” a brand new web-series produced in conjunction with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) in which your favorite Italian American podcasters will be invading your screens -live and in color- to bring you their many adventures (and misadventures) throughout the Italian American community!
They’ll discuss how this show came to be, and what they have got planned for the future of the IAP’s venture into video. And, they’ll be asking listeners to get involved as well, so make sure you listen to the episode, and then head over to the all-new IAP YouTube channel to subscribe, check out the first offering, and start working on your ideas for the next great Italian American show!
IAP YouTube Channel
Grazie Mille,
The Italian…
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Dec 1, 2019
IAP 118 : “In the Opera You Get to Sing, Act, AND Eat the Lasagna!” A Conversation with the One-and-Only Cristina Fontanelli
As we approach Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas Season, John and Pat are spending an afternoon with one of their favorite Italian American friends, the award-winning singer, actress, and opera star Cristina Fontanelli, who brings her captivating personality into the IAP studio for an episode that’s full of love and laughter from the very first moments... as Cristina tries to prevent Pat taking a cat nap before the recording begins!
These three old friends will discuss Fontanelli’s much-celebrated career as an entertainer, why her love of a good lasagna might be what turned her from actress to opera star, and how an Italian American girl from Brooklyn honed her craft in the “Borscht Belt” resorts of the Catskills.
They’ll discuss her years “singing for the saints” at Italian Feasts across America... and ponder whether a Brioschi cocktail might be the next big drink for the Italian American social scene.
And since our conversations never stay in one lane, you…
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Nov 18, 2019
IAP 117 : “Hey, I Grew Up This Freaky Way Too…Let’s Laugh About It” A Conversation with “Rocco the Comic”
Rocco Deserto isn’t blaming his mother for making him nuts... he’s just revealing the humor behind his first generation Italian American upbringing!
This week, Rossella and John are joined by the man known to the world as Rocco the Comic, and this triumvirate of Brooklyn Italians is setting out to understand why it feels so good when we Italian Americans can laugh at ourselves.
They’ll discuss the roots of Rocco’s comedy career, and how his uniquely Italian American experience evolved into one of the funniest acts in Italian America. How finding a gift for an Italian parent is a no-win situation, and why the best home goods are the ones you stole from an Alitalia flight.
It’s a conversation filled with laughs covering everything from the Italian obsession with death, funerals, and guilt to the freedom that comes with being married into a family that isn’t Italian, and why Italian American kids always secretly wanted to try SpaghettiOs
It’s an unfiltered exploration…
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Nov 11, 2019
IAP 116: “Our American Epidemic” An Italian American Perspective on the U.S. Opioid Crisis
The United States population is equivalent to 4.27% of the total world population, yet we consume 90% of the opioids on earth. Every single day we lose 150 Americans to opioid related deaths. It’s an epidemic that is ravishing our nation, and one that is little understood.
This week, moderator John M. Viola sits down with longtime friend Dr. John Rosa, the founder of 'Overdose Free America', a leading voice in integrative medicine and a surrogate to the White House Opioid Task Force, who will explain both the terrifying scale of this crisis, and his Italian American approach to tackling it.
They’ll explore the evolutionary tendencies at the heart of opioid addiction, and the long and checkered history of opioids, big pharma, and how these drugs have become the number one cause of death for Americans under the age of fifty.
With 650,000 opioid prescriptions being written a day, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on advertising and lobbying annually, ending this plague…
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Nov 4, 2019
IAP 115 : “Pizza Shop: An Italian-American Dream” An Interview With Filmmaker Antony Osso
On this episode of the Italian American Podcast, we’ll sit down with Filmmaker Antony Osso to discuss his award winning documentary PIZZA SHOP: An Italian-American Dream- an intimate portrait of his family and the pizzeria and restaurant they have run for over forty years.
Osso’s film introduces us to his father Charlie and uncle Fred, poor immigrants from post-war Calabria, whose lives have revolved around their successful New Jersey pizzeria for four decades. Their tireless pursuit of the American Dream has borne fruit for them and their families, but now- in their seventies, they’re facing a forced relocation, construction of a new restaurant, their sons’ attempts to update the management style, and encroaching old age.
They’ll discuss Osso’s inspiration for this passion project, and examine his family’s efforts to achieve the American Dream of a better life- and what the sacrifices required cost.
It’s an episode that takes on some big ideas about immigration, I…
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Oct 28, 2019
IAP 114 : “Can’t We All Just, Get Along?” Varied Voices Revisit the Legacy of Christopher Columbus
Italian American Heritage Month is drawing to a close, and for our final episode of October, we’re inviting in a few outside voices to join us as we try to untangle the often-in-the-news topic of Christopher Columbus, his legacy, the holiday that bears his name, and his meaning for the modern Italian American.
As the “Columbus Question” continues to evolve within America’s popular dialogue, many Americans- including Italian Americans- are revisiting the historical portrait of the Genovese navigator, and communities all across the nation are torn over how we memorialize the man and his impact on world history every second Monday in October. And of course (as we explored in Episode 112) we Italian Americans have become the community most closely identified with, and now often-times defending, this man and his impact.
But how deep are we really taking the conversation? This week we have invited three guests to call into the show to help us dig-deeper into the various que…
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Oct 21, 2019
IAP 113 : “Why We Are Neo-Bourbon” An IAP Lecture on the Southern Italian Roots of the Italian American Community
This week we are coming at you from Cleveland, Ohio, one of America’s most passionate Italian communities!
In celebration of Italian American Heritage Month, our favorite moderator John M. Viola has been invited to speak to the Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation (NOIA Foundation) about the history of Southern Italy and its impact on the Italian American story.
Recorded from a live presentation, join our friends in Cleveland as they explore a brief history of a united Southern Italy, from the Golden Age of the Norman Kingdom, through the Bourbon era and the end of the Kingdom’s 731 year sovereignty.
In this beginners overview of two of the most dynamic and important periods of the history of the Two Sicilies, you’ll discover some fascinating historic trivia, and as John shares the shocking statistics of what the South was really like on the eve of the Risorgimento, you’ll begin to understand the long-lost counter-history that explains why the nation that in 1860 had Eu…
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Oct 14, 2019
IAP 112 : “When Did Columbus Become an Italian American?” An Honest Exploration of the History of the Columbus Day Holiday
Happy Columbus Day everyone! Or is it “Happy Indigenous Peoples Day”? Or “Happy Italian American Heritage Day”?
In recent years, a holiday that was celebrated for centuries without controversy (save for some of the garish green-white-and-red outfits it inspired) has become a hot-button issue that hits at the heart of Italian identity in America.
As some communities opt to re-examine the legacy of the holiday’s namesake navigator, Italian Americans across the nation are finding themselves fighting to defend a figure clouded in historical mystery and a holiday that, for many, had come to represent the Italian contribution to the United States.
But just how DID Columbus Day, a celebration first observed in 1792, come to belong to a community that didn’t really arrive here in significant numbers until a century later?
In this episode we will examine the history of Columbus Day, from its roots as a day free from the fingerprints of America’s recently vanquished British…
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Oct 7, 2019
IAP 111 : “Do You Think We Italian Americans Can Agree on Anything?” Creating an ‘Italian American Identity’ Survey for the 21st Century
For over one hundred episodes, we’ve talked, complained, gossiped, and wondered about the “Italian American Way”, and now it’s time to set pen to paper and see if we can’t figure out exactly what that means in 21st Century America.
As ‘Italian American Heritage Month’ kicks into full swing, John presents Pat with a project he’s long sought to bring to fruition... an ‘Italian American Identity Audit’ survey, designed to put a finger on the pulse of the modern Italian American community. Since neither have ever seen something like this that meets their standard for ‘Italian American Excellence’ they’ve set out to create it, and this episode will bring you into the conversation around why this project is so important, how the questions have been formed, and how they intend to gather the widest variety and highest rate of response they can.
You’ll have a front row seat as they begin to craft this project, and hear some of the questions they consider, and op…
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Sep 30, 2019
IAP 110 : “Are You Surprised That YouTube’s Only Emmy Nomination is for an Italian Girl Teaching Cooking?” A Conversation with Cara Di Falco, Emmy Nominated Star of ‘Cara’s Cucina’
New Jersey native Cara Di Falco is a woman who knows that success is born of passion. In just three short years, she’s made her online series ‘Cara’s Cucina’ YouTube’s first and ONLY Emmy Nominated cooking show!
Di Falco’s distinguished career on TV and radio (at News 12 NJ, Good Day NY on Fox5, and 1010 WINS radio) set the table for her expertly produced and highly entertaining foray into the world of cooking shows, but this Italian American renaissance woman is so much more than just a TV star. She’s also an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, a professional broadcast journalist, and a tireless ambassador for Italian American cuisine and culture.
Now, this proud “graduate of Nonna’s kitchen” sits in with Rossella and John to share the secrets to her success and to dig deeper into their shared Italian American experience.
As they explore the evolution of Italian American cuisine, they’ll discuss family history, culinary anthropology, and the ups-and-…
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Sep 23, 2019
IAP 109: “Leadership, Luncheons, and the Next Hundred Years for the Italian Welfare League” A Discussion with Linda R. Carlozzi, Chair of the Italian Welfare League
Linda R. Carlozzi is known to many for her stellar legal career (she’s even included on Crain's NY's list of 100 Leading Women Lawyers in New York City). But, to those of us in the Italian American community, her ubiquitous presence amongst the leadership of countless Italian American organizations might make one wonder exactly how this “Wonder Woman” finds the time for anything but being Italian.
This week, Rossella and John catch up with this ever-present Italian American to explore some of the many institutions and initiatives she lends her talents to. From her college years as one of the founders of FIERI, the first national organization for Italian American college students, to her work with the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), the Columbus Citizens Foundation, and the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW), Linda has become one of the most prominent and active women leaders in Italian America. Yet, even with such a robust ethnic résumé,…
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Sep 16, 2019
IAP 108: “’A Festa ‘E Tutte ‘E Feste’” A Behind the Scenes Look at The Feast of San Gennaro in New York’s Little Italy
It’s mid-September in The Big Apple, and the air is filled with the smell of sausage and peppers and fresh frying zeppole, because 'a festa 'e tutte 'e feste'—'The Festival of All Festivals' has arrived!
For eleven days each September, thousands descend on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's Little Italy for the Feast of San Gennaro, and this week, Rossella and John are invited to share a unique view inside the “Greatest Feast of Them All”.
When Rossella is asked to host a private pasta making demonstration to celebrate the opening day of this year’s Feast with WABC Radio NY, she brings the Podcast into the event so John can record an on-location episode to explore the history and happenings behind this world famous Festa!
While Ro, Nonna Romana, and Zia Rosa spend the day hand crafting pounds and pounds of fresh Orecchiette, signing cookbooks and greeting fans, John will try to explain the history of San Gennaro, patron Saint of Napoli, the ancient traditions that celebrat…
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Sep 9, 2019
IAP 107: “Could the Italian American Promised Land be in Toronto? ” A Conversation with Italo-Canadian Comedy Superstar Giuseppe the MC
As the summer draws to a close, and the school year begins anew, co-hosts Rossella Rago and John Viola take their first crack at sharing hosting duties by welcoming Italo-Canadian MC, comedian, and social media superstar Giuseppe the MC to the show!
If you haven’t seen Toronto’s #1 Paesan yet, you’ll get a rundown of some of our favorite videos that made Giuseppe Meleca famous- his hilarious impersonations of his mother (complete with costume) assessing the particular hilarity of Italian motherhood. From the unique lunches they packed us, to their rules on recycling (don’t throw anything away), to how to shop for groceries at mom’s house, neophytes and long-time-fans alike will love this look into Giuseppe’s favorite topics. And, for those that have been dying for an answer, we’ll return to the much debated question where it all began- how do you know what to put in the busta envelope at a wedding?!?
You’ll get an inside look at the Italian community in Canada and…
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Sep 2, 2019
IAP 106: “Lessons on Labor Day For Italian America” A Conversation on the Historical Impact of Italian Americans on the Labor Movement Goes Off the Rails at the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker in Lodi, NJ
Labor Day is here, and with it comes not just the end of summer, but also the close of the “Italian American Feast Season”, so join co-hosts John Viola and Pat O’Boyle as they decamp for the Sicilian American enclave of Lodi, New Jersey to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and to discuss the Italian American contributions to the US Labor Movement.
What begins as a thoughtful reflection on the incredible contributions and sacrifices that Italian Americans have made in the history of US Organized Labor begins to veer off topic as the siren song of an end of summer Italian Feast sees our guides unable to resist the distracting allure of Sicilian pastries and fresh fried zeppole.
They’ll introduce often unknown chapters in the history of Italian American Labor, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts Textile Strike lead by Italian American Arturo Giovannitti, the history of the Feast of St. Jospeh the Worker, and explore the imp…
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Aug 26, 2019
IAP 105: “If There’s No Government in Italy… Who’s Running the Place?” A Brief Examination of the August 2019 Italian Parliamentary Crisis
On August 20, 2019, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned from his office, bringing to an end the strange fourteen-month experiment that was Europe’s first “Populist Government”. So, on this week’s Italian American Podcast, co-hosts John Viola and Pat O’Boyle attempt to tackle the timeless challenge of explaining Italian politics for the uninitiated.
They’ll discuss how Italy’s “Second Republic” came to be, and introduce the cast of characters behind the current Parliamentary drama that has the world casting weary eyes towards the Italian motherland.
You’ll get to know Italy’s main political parties and the men and women who make them run, a deep dive into the timeline of events that brought ‘il Bel Paese’ to this unique moment, and a concise assessment of the major issues Italy faces as her political class tries to negotiate exactly what comes next for Italia!
It’s a topic that baffles the brightest political scientist... so it surely has our…
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Aug 19, 2019
IAP 104: Ferragosto, Fredo, and the First American Saint- an Italian American Podcast emergency broadcast discussing the week that was in Italian America
ATTENTION FELLOW ITALIAN AMERICANS! This week marks the first emergency broadcast for the Italian American Podcast. Although the team was planning to take a week of rest and relaxation to celebrate the ultimate Italian vacation of Ferragosto, the wider world just wouldn't let us rest because during the week leading up to the holiday the Italian American community was in the news for a host of reasons and true to our word to be a voice for Italian America we wanted to make sure to weigh in.
From the controversy surrounding CCN anchor Chris Cuomo's reaction to being labeled "Fredo" to the all too under the radar decision by the First Lady of New York City to strike down a monument of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, there was just too much to discuss to stay off the airwaves. Of course because it's the Italian American Podcast, the episode will start with a fantastic conversation of the history of cassata cake, but we'll get to the meat of it and bring you all the ups and downs that…
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Aug 12, 2019
IAP 103: “Talk About an Underdog Story!” An Interview with Filmmaker Robert Bruzio
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, host John Viola sits down for an intimate one-on-one with filmmaker Robert Bruzio to discuss his much-talked-about new independent film “Bottom of the Ninth”- a very personal tale of an Italian American ball player taking a last shot at redemption, both on the diamond and in the old neighborhood.
Bruzio’s film- his feature-length writing debut- stars Italian American actor Joe Manganiello and “real-life” wife Sofia Vergara surrounded by a supporting cast of Italian American stars in a very personal tale of love, life, and last chances. And, it all unfolds on Arthur Avenue, the famed thoroughfare at the heart of the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx- the borough’s bustling “Little Italy”.
They’ll discuss how Bruzio’s upbringing as the son of Calabrese immigrants living on Arthur Avenue lead to his career in film, how he almost starred in “A Bronx Tale”, how he loves speaking Calabrese, the story behin…
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Aug 5, 2019
IAP 102: POWER HOUR: “Am I Allowed to Say… I Only Wanna Date Italians?!?” A Paesan’s Guide to Dating with Rachel Russo- “The Italian American Matchmaker”
Amore is in the air on this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, as our panel of co-hosts are joined by a special guest to explore the ins-and-outs of Italian American courtship!
Rachel Russo- Dating and Relationship Expert, Professional Matchmaker, Relationship Coach, and proud Italian American- is the author of The FabJob Guide to Become a Matchmaker and How to Get Over Your Ex: A Step by Step Guide to Mend a Broken Heart-Italian American Style.
She’s also known as the premier “Italian American Matchmaker”- expertly paring countless couples on the road to all-Italian love. Rachel joins the crew as they share some personal relationship stories and their counsel and caution for the listeners doing laps in the Italian American dating pool.
They’ll discuss the methods available to find other Italian singles, question the pros-and-cons of dating Italian Americans, and ultimately try to decide whether or not the “PC Police” will be called if we ask...…
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Jul 29, 2019
IAP 101: POWER HOUR: “Bringing Up Bambino” An Amateur Guide to Raising Italian American Kids in 21st Century America
On this week’s episode of the Italian American Podcast, when one of the co-hosts makes a special announcement, the rest of the gang ponder what it would take to raise a “certifiably Italian American” child in the wild world of 21st century America. Listen in on the secretly recorded telephone calls revealing the big news, then get down to the important questions, like whether or not to name a child with an Italian name, who can’t be selected as Godparents, and if you should teach them Italian or Neapolitan first!
They’ll discuss an Italian American approach to self soothing, and the importance of family time in a child’s life, among many other rambling and random topics bound to come up when this group sits around the table. But for all the fun, this episode hits on some serious issues around keeping the culture alive and evolving in a rapidly changing world.
Sure, none of them are parents yet, but by the end of this extra-length episode, you’ll be begging for a har…
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Jul 21, 2019
IAP 100 – The Italian American Podcast 100th Episode Supershow!
The one-and-only, often imitated never duplicated, original Italian American Podcast presents: the Centenario Spettacolore - 100th Episode Supershow!
The Italian American Podcast is celebrating 100 episodes of Italian Pride, as Dolores, Rossella, Pat, and John gather around the table to share a few memories, a lot of laughs, and a sneak-peek at the ALL NEW Italian American Podcast coming your way!
Spend some time getting to know just how your favorite co-hosts met, how the show has changed their lives, and what they think about the changes ahead. You’ll hear some inside stories, hilarious outtakes, and well wishes from some famous fans. You’ll also get a guided tour of the all new italianamericanpodcast.com website, and the true story of the photo shoot behind it. The team takes you inside their thoughts on listener feedback, both good and bad, and what to expect from the next hundred episodes and beyond.
It’s a celebration of the history, the culture, and the friend…
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Jul 7, 2019
IAP 99: It’s Not Arrivederci, It’s Evolution – Our 99th Episode: Looking Back as We Move Forward
In our 99th episode of The Italian American Podcast we highlight some of our favorite clips from our first 98 episodes. We also discuss some of the new and exciting developments which have been going on with The Italian American Podcast. It’s an episode full of fun, laughter, and heartwarming reflections that you should definitely check out.
We both picked a few clips from some of our favorite episodes and will reflect back on the “Strictly Dolores and Anthony Age” of the podcast. Looking back at how things were for us since inception up to now and how the themes in these clips have evolved through all of our conversations, but in reality, they remain the same with family being the core. It's a very exciting time for the podcast and that's why we would like to share our thoughts with you, our listeners, who have supported us so much throughout the years. We could not have done it without you! Mediaset Italia
Summer plus Italy equals Mediaset Italia! Experience an Italian e…
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Jun 24, 2019
IAP 98: POWER HOUR: “Could America’s Mayor Be Any More Italian?” An Intimate Afternoon with Mayor Rudy Giuliani
This week’s episode of the Italian American Power Hour is one for the ages, when most of the gang reassembles in New York City for the chance to spend an incredible day with America’s Mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Known for leading one of the most transformative eras in the history of America’s great metropolis, Mayor Giuliani sat down with us for over two and a half hours of honest, contemplative, and (in true Power Hour fashion) meandering discussion about life, faith, service, and exactly why his Italian heritage makes him the man he is today.
Find out how a day at the beach changed his life path, and how his love of the Latin Mass made him an opera lover. Learn what inspired his beliefs about homelessness and crime, and how his Italian culture made him one of American politics' great huggers. Find out where his affections fall in the debates between southern and northern Italy, and get an inside look at his infamous mission to destroy the American mafia.
While you may think y…
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Jun 17, 2019
IAP 97: POWER HOUR: “Who Cares About Education… You Can’t Eat a Book!” An Italian American Take on Education Reform
In this week's episode, Pat and John sit down with Jeanne Abate Allen, the Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform. Considered one of the nation’s most accomplished and relentless advocates for education reform, and a recognized expert, speaker and author in the field, she is also an incredibly proud and active Italian American. While the conversation eventually turns to the challenges surrounding education, and the Italian American values at the root of her work, this wouldn't be the Italian American Power Hour if the show didn't start with a heated debate on the right types of flavorings required to make the perfect pastiera, and why cheese on seafood is not really a mortal sin! It's an episode that goes from pastry to profound and everywhere in between... and one that you won't want to miss! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jun 10, 2019
IAP 96: POWER HOUR: Painting for Paisani- Steve Mairella and the art of the Italian American Experience
In this week’s episode of the Italian American Power Hour, Pat and John sit down with Italian American artist Steven Mairella, a proud paisano enjoying a second successful career as an artist. The son of a sign painter, and the grandson of Italian immigrants from the Calabria, Basilicata, and Campania regions of Italy, this New Jersey native spent 33 years as a successful attorney before trading his briefcase for brushes and setting out to capture his deeply held affection for his Italian American heritage in painting. They’ll discuss the inspiration behind his iconic Italian American images, the state of the Italian American in the 21st century, and exactly which grapes make the most authentic homemade wine. With his passion for his heritage seeping out in every brush stroke, Mairella is the perfect addition to this Power Hour discussion! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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May 29, 2019
IAP 95: POWER HOUR: Italian American Power Hour Travel Bureau presents “Secrets of the South”- an insider’s guide to a once in a lifetime trip to Southern Italy
Ciao paisani! With Memorial Day come and gone, summer vacation season is upon us and on this week’s episode our Power Hour panel of Italian travel experts share some of their top-secret destinations, deals, and detours to give you an insider’s guide to your trips to Southern Italy.
With tips in all 7 regions of the South, find out which region is best for Donkey braciole and what’s Calabria’s best museum. Identify alternatives to the over-crowded Amalfi Coast and discover “the Maldives of Italy”. We’ll introduce you to Matera, Italy’s hottest new travel destination and reveal the city where a Greek temple still stands as a modern Catholic church. Find out what town in Sicily has the best flea market and fish market and many more of our best recommendations for a chance to build your own Power Hour certified insider’s experience in Italy’s beautiful South. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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May 19, 2019
IAP 94: The Purest Form: Christopher Macchio on Art, Opera, and Using Talent to Serve Community
This is the Italian American Podcast, and in this episode, we talk to PBS-TV Star and Tenor Christopher Macchio about using your talent to serve your community. This is a fun-filled episode with a lot of stories, laughs and humor that might just make you reconsider your mission in life.
About Christopher Macchio
Christopher Macchio is a PBS-TV Star & well-known Tenor. His performances range from full operatic arias, to stirring songs from the repertoire of Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti and Mario Lanza, to timeless classics in the styles of Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé. His presentation consists of the display of a highly trained voice of beautiful tone and quality, delivered with a charisma and sincerity that never fails to produce a standing ovation! Mr. Macchio has performed in a variety of languages and cultural settings for sacred ceremonies, lively receptions, private and public events, and for numerous charities.
Episode Sponsors
Law Office of Michael A. DeSapio
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Apr 29, 2019
IAP 93: POWER HOUR: “I Like the Way You Say- NOIR” An Interview with Best-Selling Author Marina Di Guardo
In this episode of the Italian American Power Hour, John scores a one-on-one interview with Marina Di Guardo, one of Italy’s best-selling authors and the mother of the most influential influencers in il bel paese! They’ll discuss the author’s early life as a “Nordic Sicilian” and just what inspired her to become one of Italy’s most renowned writers of her best selling noir thrillers, and emotional novels. They’ll veer off into the light and dark in the Italian soul, what it’s like to begin a writing career after raising a family, and how much responsibility Italy’s most insta-famous family has in trying to maintain Italian values. In what the author described as an “in-depth interview” full of empathy, this is a conversation you are sure to enjoy!
La Memoria dei Corpi by Marina Di Guardo Episode Sponsors
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Cinema Made In Italy and Magnolia Pictures present DOGMAN, the new film from Matteo Garrone, the award winning director of GOMORRAH. Winner…
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Apr 14, 2019
IAP 92: What It Would Be like to See Your Italian American Family on Stage with Candice Guardino Italian Bred
This is the Italian American Podcast, and in this episode, we talk to Candice Guardino, star of the one-woman show "Italian Bred" about her upbringing in an Italian American family and the dream she had to become an actress. Candice shares some very interesting and funny stories, and also talks about how her acting career has brought so much fulfillment for her in life. About our Guest
Candice Guardino
Candice Guardino is being called someone who “Stuns!” & is “Re- defining Solo Performances” by The Chicago Stage, Los Angeles, New York, & New Jersey. Within this 85-minute Theatrical Comedy, Candice slips in & out of her family impersonations as she cooks up a full meal of growing up Staten Island. The stories in “Italian Bred” are derived from Candice’s real childhood experiences. She recounts her upbringing by impersonating her family’s unique personalities, singing iconic music tunes, and interacts virtual celebrity cameos that makes this Hit Show not to be missed!…
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Apr 8, 2019
IAP 91: POWER HOUR: “From the Bronx to the Big Easy” Discovering St. Joseph’s Day in New Orleans
In this week's special edition of the Italian American Power Hour host John Viola, just back from the Big Easy, presents a special travel journal sharing his multi-year relationship with one of his favorite Italian American events of the year, the Annual St. Joseph's Day Weekend in New Orleans, LA.
This year, John had the honor of serving as the events honorary Grand Marshal and through interviews with some of his friends from the Sicilian American community and some personal insights into the history of St. Joseph's Day, the Sicilian American community in New Orleans and the parade itself, he hopes to take you along with him as part of this very special weekend. Episode Sponsors
_Dogman_
Cinema Made In Italy and Magnolia Pictures present DOGMAN, the new film from Matteo Garrone, the award winning director of GOMORRAH. Winner of the Best Actor award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and the European Film Awards, DOGMAN tells a story of vengeance where only the strong will survive.…
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Mar 31, 2019
IAP 90: New Italian Migrations to the United States
In this episode we talk to scholars and researchers Laura Ruberto and Joseph Sciorra about the history of Italian migrations to the United States and their work surrounding this topic. We also discuss the two books they edited, New Italian Migrations to the United States: Vol. 1: Politics and History since 1945 and New Italian Migrations to the United States: Vol. 2: Art and Culture since 1945 About our Guests
Laura Ruberto
Laura Ruberto is professor of Humanities in the Humanities Program at Berkeley City College in the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies. She teaches film studies courses and interdisciplinary liberal arts courses that focus on cultural studies, material culture, aesthetics, and media. Her research includes work on material culture, Italian American culture, Italian film, and cultural theories of transnational migration.
Joseph Sciorra
Joseph Sciorra is the director of Academic and Cultural Programs at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, a Q…
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Mar 11, 2019
IAP 89: POWER HOUR: “The Greatest Podcast Never Made!”: Pigs Blood Pudding- You Don’t Know What You’re Missing!
What do you do when three attempts at recording a Power Hour episode fail? You’re about to find out when you listen to “The Greatest Podcast Never Made!”
This week, Pat and John set out to record an episode while making one of Pat’s signature dishes, Sanguinaccio... a Neapolitan chocolate and pig's blood pudding traditionally prepared for Carnevale – the feast day on the eve of Lent. But, when things go awry, their week full of Italian American events makes each attempt to record more confusing than the next! Of course, just sitting these two down in front of a microphone means loads of random knowledge about Italian American food culture, and an episode about the greatest episode never made is a result for all to enjoy.
From the best pots to use for your gravy/sauce, to why macaroni always comes in blue packaging, to the deep historical roots of this often-misunderstood delicacy, it’s an Italian American Power Hour you won’t want to miss! --- Support this podca…
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Feb 24, 2019
IAP 88: POWER HOUR: The Ultimate Italian American Bucket List
Do you keep a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket”? If you’re a true believer in Italian Power, you’ll want to hear this week’s episode of the Italian American Power Hour, as Rossella, Dolores, and Pat reunite to dissect John’s take on the ten must-see monuments, events, and institutions that constitute his “Italian American Bucket List”.
Of course, since this is the Power Hour, there will be plenty of debate around this catalog of Italian American experiences, and fascinating facts (and equally fascinating tangents) to walk you through these destinations! From timeless Italian feasts to some of the oldest Italian American restaurants in the USA, and from world class museums to the largest gatherings of Italians in America, by the end of this episode you’ll be booking a trip to one of these events... and working out your very own “Italian American Bucket List”. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican…
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Feb 17, 2019
IAP 87: Listeners’ Questions Answered on Topics Including Italian American Food Traditions, the Italian Culture, Little Italys and Genealogy
This is the Italian American Podcast, and in this episode, we will answer some questions from our listeners on a variety of topics including Italian American food traditions, the Italian culture, Little little Italys as well as genealogy and ancestral research. Andiamo! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Feb 10, 2019
IAP 86: POWER HOUR: Lena Prima’s Prima La Famiglia- an inside look at the artist, the inspiration, and the making of the chart-topping new album
On this week’s episode of The Italian American Power Hour, co-host John Viola heads down to the capital of Sicilian American culture- New Orleans, Louisiana- to sit down with renowned singer and proud Italian American, Lena Prima. This special episode offers a sneak peak into Lena’s new chart-topping album Prima La Famiglia- a Big Band journey into the Italian American songbook. The two share memories of Lena’s father, the Italian American icon Louis Prima, discuss her life as an Italian American woman in music, and examine why they shared so much passion for this project- and how John ended up making his singing debut on it.
You’ll learn the history behind all eleven songs from the album, and even get to hear a sample of each... but we know you’ll want to go out and buy the whole record, not just because you’ll love it, but because a portion of all proceeds go to support CIAO Women, a New Orleans based non-profit Lena founded to support Italian American Women! --- Support…
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Feb 4, 2019
IAP 85: How Traditions and Values Strengthen Character with Former New York Mets Pitcher John Franco
In this episode of the Italian American Podcast, we talk to former Mets pitcher John Franco about his childhood years and the sacrifices that his parents made for him which contributed to his success in his career. John also discusses his involvement in the Italian American Baseball Foundation. About our Guest
John Anthony Franco (born September 17, 1960) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career spanning 1984–2005, he pitched for three different National League teams, the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Houston Astros. His 1,119 career games pitched is a National League record and ranks fourth in major league history. His 424 career saves rank fifth all-time in major league history (ranking second when he retired), and remains the most by a left-hander. For 15 of his 22 seasons, he played for the New York Mets, serving as team captain in his final years with the team. Episode Sponsors
Law Office of Michael A.…
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Jan 27, 2019
IAP 84: POWER HOUR: Greetings from Italian America: Exploring the Italian Community in Buffalo, New York
Ciao paisani! Gear up for an all new episode of the Italian American Power Hour with a brand-new segment we’re calling Greetings from Italian America! Let’s face it, even though everyone in the Power Hour Team calls New York and New Jersey home, we know that in every inch of this great country of ours, from sea to shining sea, we Italian Americans have created vibrant and distinct communities and we want to experience them all.
In this episode recorded last summer, members of our Power Hour Team set off on the Great Italian American Road Trip with a visit to the City of Good Neighbors, Buffalo, New York. We sit down with the President of the Federation of Italian-American Societies of Western New York, our friend Mr. Peter LoJacono so he could guide us through the culture, history and happenings of this incredible Italian American enclave. We hope you enjoy being on the road with us! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jan 21, 2019
IAP 83: What Your Blood Tells You – Mickela Mallozzi on Using DNA Testing to Travel to Ancestral Countries
In this episode of the Italian American Podcast, we welcome back our good friend Mickela Mallozzi, four-time Emmy® Award-winning Host and Executive Producer of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, through which she travels around the world and learns the dances of different regions. In this episode, we talk about the importance of DNA testing and heritage travel and how engaging in these endeavors can change your overall perspective on life.
About our Guest
Mickela Mallozzi is the four-time Emmy® Award-winning Host and Executive Producer of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, a travel series highlighting the diversity of dance which airs on PBS stations nationwide and on Amazon Prime globally. A professional dancer and trained musician, Mickela decided to start a journey around the world, taking her camera with her to follow dance in the lives of everyday people wherever she went. From re-discovering her family’s heritage in Southern Italy to dancing tango on the main stage in B…
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Jan 13, 2019
IAP 82: POWER HOUR: A Power Hour History of the Italian American Experience, Part 4 of 4: Reading Recommendations for the Discerning Italian American
Buon Anno and Happy 2019 to all of our paisani out there! This first episode of the New Year is the fourth and final part of our four-part Power Hour series on Italian American history. John, Pat and Dolores reunite to reveal the books behind their knowledge of the Italian American experience.
We bet you can’t listen to this episode without adding at least one of these amazing works to your home library! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Dec 30, 2018
IAP 81: The Italian American Podcast 2018 Year in Review
In this final episode of 2018 for "The Italian American Podcast," we recap this past year and discuss some of our favorite episode highlights. We also talk about the launching of "The Italian American Power Hour" and some of our favorite posts in our private Facebook Group - "The New Neighborhood - A Place for Italian Americans."
In our stories segment, we once again feature Mallorie Vaudoise, a Brooklyn-based spiritualist and author of the blog, ItalinFolkMagic.com and her husband, Dr Alexander Cummins, author of “A Book of the Magi: Lore, Prayers, and Spellcraft of the Three Holy Kings.” They discuss The Epiphany, Three Kings, and La Befana.
More About Our Guest
Mallorie Vaudoise
Mallorie Vaudoise, author of the blog, ItalianFolkMagic.com, is a Brooklyn-based spiritualist of Italian descent, with her mother’s family hailing from Campania and her father’s family from Abruzzo. She studies Southern Italian music and dance with world-renowned folk artist Alessandra Belloni.…
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Dec 23, 2018
IAP 80: POWER HOUR: Italian American Power Hour Christmas Eve Spectacular Part 2
Chingedy ching, hee haw, hee haw! Christmas Eve is right around the corner and there’s no better way to kick off the holiday than joining us back at the table for Part Two of the Italian American Power Hour Christmas Eve Spectacular. As we wind down our incredible fish feast and polish off the last drops of far too much homemade vino, our conversation starts anew as we explore some of the non-culinary traditions that make Christmas Eve such a special day on the Italian American calendar.
Join us as we discuss the history of the famous presepio, the Neapolitan nativity set, the significance of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and many more facets of our Christmas traditions. And stay tuned until the bitter end to hear a rather heated debate about the surprisingly controversial Christmas carol, Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Dec 17, 2018
IAP 79: POWER HOUR: Italian American Power Hour Christmas Eve Spectacular Part 1
A great big Buon Natale to all of our paisani out there because this is Part One of the Italian American Power Hour Christmas Eve Spectacular! Join the Fab Five (and some of their spouses) as we sit down for a very special pre-Christmas Eve fish feast and dig into the ins and outs of what makes the Italian American Christmas Eve fish feast so special.
We’ll talk about our family menus, the history of the FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES, how to avoid a re-gifted Panettone and some of our favorite traditions for the most famous Italian American holiday of the year. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Dec 10, 2018
IAP 78: Dr. Christopher Fasano on the Science Behind Blood Memory
This is the Italian American Podcast, and in this episode, Dolores Alfieri Taranto talks to Dr. Christopher Fasano, who is our co-host Anthony Fasano’s brother. We talk about a subject called “blood memory”, otherwise known as “genetic memory,” and how this influences who we are today.
Today’ segment features Mallorie Vaudoise, a Brooklyn-based spiritualist and author of the blog, ItalianFolkMagic.com. She will be speaking about St. Lucy in the first of several segments on saints and their feast days. About our Guests
Christopher Fasano is a Ph.D. trained neuroscientist with a passion for promoting the positive effects of communication on brain development and mental health. After spending years researching how stressors affect brain development, Dr. Fasano has a unique perspective on the mental stress young children feel as they grow up and blends his scientific knowledge with parenting experience to have meaningful discussions on topics relevant to children, their…
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Nov 29, 2018
IAP 77: POWER HOUR: A Power Hour History of the Italian American Experience, Part 3 of 4: Americans of Italian Descent: 1941 – Present
The moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Part Three of the Power Hour’s Four-Part History of the Italian American Experience has arrived. This week, our entire team reassembles for a boisterous meal at one of our favorite Italian American restaurants to bring you ‘Americans of Italian Descent: 1941 – Present’.
We will dig into the latest chapter in the Italian American story with topics ranging from our community’s role in the Second World War to the era of Sinatra the entertainer and Sinatra the community leader, through the founding of our earliest national institutions and into the 80's and 90's and the decades of the Italian Americans. The incredible historical episodes are interspersed with our own personal anecdotes and recollections in what is definitely a must download part of our impassioned look into our history. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Nov 11, 2018
IAP 76: The Tragic and the Comic: Mike Vecchione and the Life of an Italian American Comedian
In this episode, we’re speaking with Italian American comedian Mike Vecchione, who has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central and more. We talk about how his family supported his journey to comedy and how this love and support helped him to become the man he is today. About our Guest
Mike Vecchione was born in Youngstown, Ohio and graduated High School in Boca Raton, Florida. He has appeared on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Comedy Central's Fresh Face Debates, and Russell Simmons Presents: Stand Up at the El Rey Theatre.
In 2010, Mike won the People’s Choice Award for the New York Comedy Festival, was a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and was selected to perform at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival (New Faces). Later that year, Mike went on to perform on the Tonight Show starring Jay Leno and shot his own Half Hour Special for Comedy Central.
In 2014, Mike appeared on Comedy Underground with Dave Attell on Comedy Central, was aga…
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Nov 4, 2018
IAP 75: POWER HOUR: A Power Hour History of the Italian American Experience, Part 2 of 4: Italians in America: 1890 – 1941
Hot on the heels of Part 1, Before We Were Italians: 1492 – 1890, of our four-part Power Hour series on Italian American history, join John, Pat, and Dolores as they delve into Part 2 with "Italians in America: 1890-1941."
If you enjoyed Part 1, you won't want to miss this next chapter in the Italian American story, covering the Great Migration, the New Orleans lynchings, the Italian American role in the First World War, and our community’s relationship to Fascism. All that and a wealth of random knowledge make this episode one you will want to listen to over and over again! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Oct 30, 2018
IAP 74: POWER HOUR: A Power Hour History of the Italian American Experience Part 1 of 4: Before We Were Italians: 1492 – 1890
Put on your history hats paisani, and gear up for the Power Hour’s version of Italian American history! This week, in part one of a four-part series, John, Pat, and Dolores hunker down to disseminate their take on the major moments and movements on the Italian American story.
In what is sure to be some of the most scholarly episodes the Power Hour will ever produce, we seek to dig out some lesser known episodes in the history of our community and have a few good laughs along the way. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Oct 24, 2018
IAP 73: From the Bronx to the Big Leagues: Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch New York, on Defying Stereotypes, Working Hard, and Putting Family First
In this episode, we speak with Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch New York. We talk about defying stereotypes, working hard, and putting family first, and how doing so has helped DiFebo bring so much value to her career, as well as her personal life. Val is known in the business world for her equally honest and endearing demeanor, having a reputation for straight talk with her clients and compassion with her employees. Get ready for a warm and entertaining episode! About our Guest
Val DiFebo
You never know which is bigger, Val’s brain or her heart. With Deutsch for 25 years, she’s helped build mega-big clients and mom and pop brands while simultaneously being a leader, mentor and cultural cultivator to the Deutsch family. Bronx born with the accent to prove it, Val was brought up in a tight-knit family with 3 sisters and accepts no compromise between winning and having fun doing it. Precious family time with her husband Dick and son Bryan is spent exploring the vast richness of New Yor…
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Oct 15, 2018
IAP 72: POWER HOUR: Where Can I Get Brioschi? An Exploration of our Favorite “Italian American” Products
In this fourth episode of the Italian American Power Hour, John, Pat, Stephanie and Rossella, discuss the many familiar brands and Italian American products that are intrinsically and uniquely associated with the Italian American experience. We discuss the roles they played in forming our community’s sense of identity, how their development reflected our community’s own, and the hold they still have on us today. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 29, 2018
IAP 71: Inspiring Stories About Italian Heroes Who Saved Lives
In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Mark Sullivan, author of 18 novels including Amazon's most sold book, "Beneath a Scarlet Sky," which is based on true events. Sullivan talks about what made him decide to tell this wonderful story. The book takes place in Italy during World War II and tells of how an Italian man named Pino Lella saved the lives of many Jews during the war. It's a fascinating story, and we're sure you're going to love it.
In the Story Segment, we speak with Jonathan Freedman about another Italian hero, professional cyclist Gino Bartali, and how he used his bike to pass messages and documents to others to also save many Jews during World War II. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 16, 2018
IAP 70: The Power of Hustle: Sarah Centrella on Hard Work and Big Dreams
In this episode, we're speaking with best-selling author, manifesting expert, keynote motivational speaker, and master life coach Sarah Centrella about her book, "Hustle Believe Receive," and how everyone can make their dreams reality when they're not afraid to take action. She also talks about how she was able to take an inspiring trip to Italy with her children, as a single mother, and she outlines how you can make your own dream trip come true. And of course, she talks about one of our favorite topics - the hustle as an Italian American trait.
In the Story Segment, we talk to one of our long-time listeners, author Joe Pagetta about his book, "Guinea Bastard," a collection of personal reflections and essays from his childhood growing up as an Italian American. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Sep 2, 2018
IAP 69: “Italian American Women intrinsically feel a sense of their own power” – Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey on the origins of the National Organization of Italian American Women
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey, one of the founders and the first president of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW). She discusses the role of Italian American women before, during, and after the feminist movement, as well as her own journey straying from then returning to embracing her heritage.
In the story segment, Dolores reads a segment from Dr. Sirey’s incredible research booklet, "Ethnotherapy: An exploration of Italian-American identity" About our Guest
Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey, Ph.D
Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey was elected the first President of NOIAW in 1980, when the organization began with a small group of women including Geraldine Ferraro, Matilda Raffa Cuomo and Roseanne Colletti.
Sirey maintained her position as President for 7 years. For the following 25 years she served as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the organization, which in that time span has grown into an international network with more than 1,000 members a…
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Aug 17, 2018
IAP 68: POWER HOUR: Would a Ragù by Any Other Name Taste as Good? – The Ultimate Intellectual Sauce vs. Gravy Debate
This is the second episode of the Italian American Power Hour. These episodes will air periodically and will feature Italian Americans talking about the Italian American community today and current cultural topics.
In this episode we talk about the long-debated subject around sauce vs. gravy. We discuss the different opinions around this topic and how this relates to who we are as a community, but at the end of the episode we discuss the true importance of this topic. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 30, 2018
IAP 67: The Italian American Podcast – Listeners’ Questions Answered
In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we answer a variety of listeners' questions.
We love hearing from our listeners! In fact, we had so many questions come in response to our request, we plan to do more Q&A episodes in the future. We had a great time recording this episode! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jul 17, 2018
IAP 66: POWER HOUR: Do They Still Speak Italian in Italy? An Italian American Guide to Visiting the Motherland
In this episode of "The Italian American Podcast," which is the second episode of "The Italian American Power Hour," we discuss going back to Italy as Italian Americans. We talk about traveling to Italy, the Italian culture, how Italy has changed, and whether or not people still speak Italian in Italy (hint: we talk about regional languages).
At the end of the show, we give you a few tips that you can use when visiting Italy to make your experience there even more remarkable. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/italianamerican/support
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Jun 20, 2018
IAP 65: The Southern Italian Tradition of Tarantism with Alessandra Belloni
This is the Italian American Podcast and, in this episode, we’re talking to the very talented singer, dancer, percussionist, director and author, Alessandra Belloni. We talk about really interesting topics focused around some of the Southern Italian tradition of tarantism.
"The "bite of the tarantula" was a myth applied to a condition familiar to women through the centuries who experienced abuse, repressed sexuality, powerlessness, and the feeling of being "caught in a web that binds them." Sufferers, known as "tarantate," endure "tarantismo," a lethal mixture of depression, loneliness, and oppression." - Alessandra Belloni, Facebook About our Guest
Alessandra Belloni
Alessandra Belloni is the Artistic Director, Founder and Lead Performer of "I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA", an Italian Music, Theatre and Dance Ensemble, she is also Artists-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St.John the Divine in New York City. She is also the designer of a line of signature series Italian tambourines made by…
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Jun 3, 2018
IAP 64: POWER HOUR: How Much Should You Put in the Envelope? – Dissecting the Italian American Wedding
This is the first full episode of the Italian American Power Hour. These episodes will air periodically and will feature Italian Americans talking about the Italian American community today and