LA BRAVA GENTE

Three recent news items, from the trivial to the profound, all extolling the same point: namely, the deep, grounded humanism of the Italic people.  Let’s start with the trivial.  First is an Instagram video posted by Karin Kidlow, the sister of US...

Taken for Granted

There have been 25 Medal of Honor winners with Italian roots.  The most recent one is David Bellavia of Buffalo, NY.  He’s been honored at the White House by President Trump and by the Gary Sinise Foundation, a nonprofit for veterans, launched by that...

Holidays Past & Present

Tuesday will be the 2,779th birthday of Rome.  But only a few Italic Institute members will be celebrating.  The day will be acknowledged in Rome and probably in most Latin language classes around the USA.  But it’s a pity that Italian Americans have no...

BUON COMPLEANNO, FRANK SERPICO

I was reminded that April 14th was the 90th birthday of Frank Serpico, the heroic NY cop who fought racism and corruption in the late 1960s.  (Note: If you go to the Almanac icon on our website and click on “April,” you’ll learn that on that...

Another Italic First

The two oldest man-made objects standing outdoors in our country are from Italy. Balbo Column, Chicago One is the Balbo Column in Chicago, a gift from Mussolini to commemorate the mass flight across the Atlantic by 24 Italian seaplanes in 1933.  The other,...

A NEW YORK—AND ITALIAN—STATE OF MIND

It’s been nearly a year since a papal conclave elected a new pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost—from Chicago, no less. Both of his grandfathers were Italian.  Frank and Bill for their morning brew The Italic Institute of America had its own informal conclave...