Made of Sterner Stuff

History is a blur to most people, but 3,000 years of Italian history is near impossible to believe. Our Institute Almanac notes that Sicily was reconquered by the Romans on December 31st, AD 535.  Barbarians had been running wild over the “western” Roman Empire...

A Reason to Travel

Since childhood it was explained to us at Christmas Mass: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…while Quirinius was governor of Syria…all went to their own towns to be registered.” (Luke 2.1-3)....

Anarchists Among Us

The cowardly assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson can be convincingly classified as the work of an anarchist.  The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was found to have writings and documents evidencing that nihilistic philosophy.  Mangione allegedly...

‘Tis the Seasons

Thanksgiving is gone and Christmas is on its way.  But before I get to the main theme of my blog—Italian Christmas traditions—let’s not forget that another season is also upon us: Movie season. Hollywood rolls out its “big movies” for potential...

Master of the Ether

As Columbus unified the globe, Marconi connected it. I’ve written about Guglielmo Marconi a number of times.  He was truly the father of Wi-Fi (wireless-fidelity) which made possible radio, television, cellphones, and radar.  This year is the 150th...

The Mafia Movie Business

This Irish Catholic family is an arbiter of the Italian American image. We often note how Mafia movies like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino seem to run on cable television in a continuous loop.  At times, you can watch any of these movies any day of the...