by John Mancini | Aug 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
This month’s cover story in National Geographic magazine is about gladiators. It’s a great cover with plenty of photos and recreated scenes to satisfy any devotee of the ancient sport. It’s a short read that dispels many of the legendary beliefs about the...
by John Mancini | Aug 1, 2021 | Uncategorized
Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of a fickle finger of fate. On July 31, 1871, inventor Antonio Meucci was severely injured in a steam boiler explosion aboard the Staten Island ferry Westfield. The disaster left 100 people dead and Meucci convalescing at home...
by John Mancini | Jul 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
Don’t you love those PBS nostalgia specials featuring the old vocal groups? A recent one reminded me of a mega-project our Institute undertook to produce a concert of Italian American performers from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The year was 2002, we christened the...
by Bill Dal Cerro | Jul 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
Anti-Italian prejudice is found in the oddest places. A new local business opened up in my Chicago neighborhood a few summers ago: Local Goods, a simple little storefront place that specializes in knick-knacks highlighting the Windy City, both inexpensive (key chains,...
by John Mancini | Jul 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
Harry Truman loved to say that the only thing new under the sun is the history you don’t know. As the United States is making a hard left, Truman’s quote is hauntingly accurate. They may call themselves “Progressives” but I prefer the label...
by Bill Dal Cerro | Jul 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Though I found fault with actor Stanley Tucci’s recent CNN series on Italy – largely his irrelevant injection of politics into a food-based show – he is one of the few Italian American actors to publicly challenge anti-Italian movie stereotypes. One of his...
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