The Manly Art of Crime

Fatti maschii, parole femine is the state motto of Maryland, the only state to have an Italian motto rather than one in English or Latin.  It translates as “Deeds [are] Masculine, Words Feminine.” Such male chauvinism is typical of Italian culture dating back to...

Happy Birthday Vatican City!

Today marks the 95th anniversary of the treaty that created Vatican City. Top story around the world At the time in 1929 this event was considered almost miraculous—to both Catholics and nonbelievers alike.  The Lateran Treaty, as it is known, settled a...

Southern California Dreamin’ 

Readers who endure harsh winters will understand why I recently (late January) used my frequent flier miles to take a quick, four-day trip to California.  Specifically, I fled to southern California, where I enjoyed blue skies and sunshine and also managed to...

Where Credit Is Due

My wife and I recently went to see A Beautiful Noise – a Neil Diamond biography – on Broadway.  We highly recommend it.  You can’t go wrong with any Broadway show based on musical legends like The Four Seasons (Jersey Boys), Cher, Carol King, Barry Manilow,...

When ethnicity enters political rhetoric

[Note: This opinion was a response to a political dust-up on Long Island between the Democratic and Republicans candidates who are running in a special election to replace expelled Congressman George Santos. It appeared as a letter to Newsday on January 27th.]...

La Dolce Vita?

Is Italy better off today than any time in its modern history?  Despite being heavily in debt—140% of its annual income—having the lowest birthrate in history, awash in illegal aliens coupled with a super-aging population, massive unemployment among its youth,...