March 2014

THE
ITALIAN TIMES
Published by the Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202
www.ICCMilwaukee.com
VOL. 35, NO. 8
MARCH 2014
NON-PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
MILWAUKEE, WI
Permit No. 5716
PASTE ADDRESS LABEL HERE.
– CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED –
Come celebrate the tradition of Il
Grande Carnevale, the ICC’s ‘social
event of the year’ on Saturday, Mar. 1
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
General Chairpersons Joanne
Czubek and Rosemary DeRubertis
want to make sure you are in attendance for the celebration of Il
Grande Carnevale, the Italian
Community Center’s social event of
the year, on Saturday, Mar. 1. It’s
going to be a night to remember.
The 35th annual Carnevale will
get underway at 5:11 p.m. (traditional Carnevale starting time)
with a social hour (cash bar and
free hot and cold hors d’oeuvres) in
the galleria. At 6:11 p.m., attendees
will be called into the Pompeii
Grand Ballroom where all the
ingredients that make Carnevale so
special will be brought forth. These
include great food, royal pageantry,
costumes and masks, dancing and
general merrymaking.
Another trademark of the event
is fabulous Bartolotta Fireworks!
The acclaimed Genesee Depotbased company is graciously
returning to present an Italianstyle pyrotechnics show.
Something new this year: free
valet parking will be available for
guests. The drop off point is in the
parking lot south of the building
under the canopy, which makes it a
short walk to the registration table,
the coat check room and the galleria where the festivities begin. The
Please turn to page 5
Whether it’s breakfast,
lunch buffet or dinner,
Cafe La Scala’s new menu
earning high marks
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
Even this miserable Wisconsin
winter couldn’t stop people from
trying the new menu at Cafe La
Scala, the Italian Community
Center’s public restaurant, which is
now open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, Monday through Saturday.
The extremely affordable prices
and generous portions have earned
high marks from the breakfast
crowd.
The new lunch buffet – which
offers something different each
weekday for just $8.50 – is attracting many first-time diners and is
generating positive comments.
The new lunch and dinner
menu, along with La Scala’s
already famous pizza, is making
the restaurant a dining destination
for families, businesspeople, ICC
members and non-members, young
adults and seniors.
“We’re excited about how well
the new menu and extended hours
Please turn to page 8
General Chairpersons Rosemary DeRubertis (left) and Joanne Czubek and
their committee are striving to make the 2014 Il Grande Carnevale one of
the most exciting and enjoyable in the 35th year history of the pre-Lenten
mask and costume ball. After all, Carnevale is the Italian Community
Center’s “Social Event of the Year.” Your attendance is requested. (Times
photo by Tom Hemman)
‘Cure for Cabin Fever Music
Series’ ready to go Mar. 4
No cover, no drink minimum, food
and beverages can be ordered
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
The third season of the Italian
Community Center’s “Cure for
Cabin Fever Music Series” will
begin on Tuesday, Mar. 4, according to Joe Campagna, Jr., series
coordinator, and Tom Sorce, music
director.
The series will feature jazz or
blues acts on Tuesday nights and
good-time rock-and-roll bands on
Thursday nights. These shows will
again be offered with no cover
charge or drink minimum. They
will take place in the Festa
Ballroom, starting at 6:30 p.m.
The staff of Cafe La Scala, the
ICC’s public restaurant, will be on
hand to take food and drink orders
from 5 p.m. in both the restaurant
and the ballroom.
Who’s performing?
Campagna and Sorce announced
the the lineup.
• Tuesday, Mar. 4 – Rev.
Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar
Boys. One of the most popular
blues acts to play at the ICC the
last few years is Reverend Raven &
The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys
(www.reverendraven.com).
Please turn to page 6
‘A Taste of Italy’ is Sunday,
Apr. 6; ready to indulge?
Italian Community Center members Aggie and George Collura enjoyed
lunch at Cafe La Scala on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Aggie was having a bowl of
chicken pastina soup and George was having the Tuesday “Pasta
Abbondanza” lunch buffet when this picture was taken. General Manager
Patrick Morgan is hoping more members will be like George and Aggie
and stop in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cafe La Scala is
open Monday through Saturday. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
Make sure you, your family and
friends are in attendance for the
Italian Community Center’s 19th
annual “A Taste of Italy” on
Sunday, Apr. 6. It’s an Italian food
spectacular that you don’t want to
miss.
As always, there will be free
admission and free parking for the
event, which runs from 11:30 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m.
Count on a magnificent variety
of delicious Italian food being available throughout the building for
truly low prices. Food and beverage
tickets will be sold for $1.50 each or
– better yet – as a set of seven for
$10. “What that means is that
you’ll be able to get almost every
entree, sandwich, salad, soup,
Italian specialty item, dessert and
beverage for just one ticket! The
only exception will be calamari
(deep-friend squid). “Calamari will
be available for two tickets.
Because of the cost of calamari, and
even the oil to make it, we really
don’t have a choice,” said Taste of
Italy Chair Ann Romano.
Please turn to page 10
A message from Gina Spang,
Italian Community Center President
Dear members, regardless of
what the ground hog reports, the
days are getting longer and spring
is on its way! Maybe it is the anticipation of spring that is responsible
for the energy and excitement at
the Italian Community Center or
maybe it is all the wonderful things
going on at the ICC.
The restaurant is now serving
breakfast and has a daily lunch
buffet. I love the breakfast menu
and I have decided that I am going
to eat my way through the menu
the same way that I eat my way
through the food at Festa. The
lunch buffet is a great option for
those on the go. Each day offers a
wide selection of great food and I
like that the buffet lets you eat
more of your favorite items. The
free parking and buffet options
make the ICC a good choice when
you want to have good food, but
have limited time.
The ICC Board and the mem-
bers who attended the recent general membership meeting voted to
bring back the buffet-style dinner
before all general membership
meetings. The dinner cost for
members will be $8 per person.
Non-members will be charged $10.
The general membership meetings
are a good opportunity to catch up
with your friends or people who you
have not seen in a while. Enjoying
a cup of coffee or glass of wine after
dinner creates a nice atmosphere
for our business meeting. This
action – to return to dinner on a
regular basis – takes effect immediately.
The Newspaper Committee is
always working hard. However,
more recently, the committee
worked REALLY hard to find a way
to return The Italian Times to its
former printed publication schedule
for our members. While the newspaper regularly appears online on
our
website
–
www.iccmilwaukee.com – it is now
returning on a monthly basis as a
printed publication with home
delivery of the edition to our members. The committee presented its
proposal to the ICC Board outlining
where costs could be reduced which
would offset the expense of the
monthly printing and delivery. The
proposal
was
unanimously
approved and takes effect immediately.
The Carnevale Committee is
putting the final touches on our
grand event, I can’t wait to see how
the room will be transformed and
what surprises the committee has
planned for the evening.
Thank you to our committee
chairs, volunteers and members at
large. Our organization gets its
strength and vibrancy from our
members and volunteers. We – and
by we I mean YOU – are doing
great things for the Community
Center. The assortment of activities keeps our members engaged
and provides opportunities to have
fun. Enjoy your Community
Center and have fun along the way.
I look forward to seeing you at
Carnevale.
– Gina M. Spang
ICC President
Correcting an oversight in
the Iannelli Agnello story
in last issue’s month
In an article that appeared in
our February 2014 issue on
Valerierose Agnello and her basketball prowess at Wichita State
University, we failed to mention
that her grandfather Paul Iannelli
was the longtime executive director of Festa Italiana and is recognized for his role in the founding
of Festa Italiana on the
Summerfest Grounds in 1978. He
is also a past president of the
Italian Community Center.
Paul served as Festa’s executive director for 32 years and as
president of the ICC for three
terms (1980-81, 1981-82 and
1990-91).
Festa della Donna celebrated in Italy on Mar. 8
On Mar. 8, Italians will honor the
women in their lives by celebrating the
national holiday known as “La Festa
della donna” (“Women’s Festival”). The
day is usually marked by the presentation of yellow mimosa flowers to wives,
mothers, sisters and daughters.
As innocent as the sentiment of the
holiday sounds, its roots are actually in
early 20th century women’s movements. On Mar. 8, 1917, there was a
large woman-led protest calling for the
end of World War I.
The mimosa flower blooms in early
March. Their association with La
Festa della Donna began in post-World
BREAKFAST IS SERVED!
Cafe La Scala is now serving breakfast.
Monday – Saturday, 6 a.m.-11 a.m.
Friata (Italian-style omelee) • Breakfast Sandwiches • French Toast
Three Egg Omelee • Two Eggs, any style • Much More!
Cafe La Scala at the Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee
FREE PARKING • (414) 223-2185
www.LaScalaMilwaukee.com
PAGE 2 – MARCH 2014
War II Rome, when it is believed that
men began to present the women in
their lives with the delicate flower as a
token of respect and appreciation.
Festa della Donna is a big day for
restaurants across Italy like Mother’s
Day is in the United States.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
631 E. Chicago St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916
(414) 223-2180
Published 11 times annually
Publisher . . . Italian Community Center
ICC President . . . . . . . . . . . Gina Spang
Newspaper Committee
Chairman . . . . . . . Rosemary DeRubertis
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman
Italian Page
Editor . . . . . . . Enrica Tarantino-Woytal
Advertising Sales
Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Hemman
Advertising Sales
Representative . . . . . . Faye Ann Kessler
Editorial Contributors and Staff
Writers/Reporters . . . . , .Mario A. Carini
Angelo Castronovo, Barbara Collignon
and Susan Christiansen
Staff Photographers. . . . . . .Joe Spasiano,
Tim Townsend and Tom Hemman
For advertising information, please call
(414) 223-2180 or send an e-mail to:
[email protected].
Copyright 2013
The Italian Community Center, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
All advertisements must be in accordance
with the rules and requirements as determined by editorial policy. Paid advertisements are not to be interpreted as an
endorsement by the Italian Community
Center or its newspaper, The Italian Times.
In addition, the Newspaper Committee
reserves the right to reject ads based on editorial policy approved by the Board of
Directors of the Italian Community Center.
The Italian Community Center is a member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee
Association of Commerce, Visit Milwaukee
and the Historic Third Ward Association.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
22nd annual St. Joseph’s Day
luncheon set for Mar. 19 at the ICC
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
Chairperson Mary (Mineo)
Winard encourages all to attend
the Italian Community Center’s
22nd annual St. Joseph’s Day
luncheon. This year, the celebration
will be held on Wednesday, Mar.
19, the actual day set aside by the
Catholic Church to honor the foster
father of Jesus Christ. The event
begins at noon.
A pre-paid reservation policy is
in effect. The cost is $17 for an ICC
member and $25 for a non-member.
The reservation deadline is
Wednesday, Mar. 12. Reservations
can be made by completing the
form accompanying this article and
mailing it with your payment to the
ICC, 631 E. Chicago St.,
Milwaukee, WI 53202, or by calling
the Center at 414/223-2180 and
paying with a credit card.
The St. Joseph’s Day tradition
includes a meatless meal. Winard
and vice chairperson Ann (D’Amico)
Skoczynski report that the ICC
menu for the observance will
include pasta con sarde e finocchio
(pasta with sardines and fennel),
eggplant artichokes, tossed salad
with grapefruit, Italian bread and
coffee, tea or milk. There will be a
special dessert.
Another part of the tradition is
the setting up of a St. Joseph’s
table. The table will be presided
over by a statue of St. Joseph and
will be blessed by the Very
Reverend Timothy Kitzke, who will
also deliver the invocation at the
beginning of the luncheon. Fr. Tim,
as many know him, is also the ICC
Chaplain.
At the conclusion of the luncheon, attendees will be given gift
bags containing apples, oranges
and a small loaf of blessed bread to
take home.
Winard said that ICC President
Gina Spang will welcome guests to
the lunch and ICC member/pianist
John Puchner will perform music
appropriate for the event.
St. Joseph’s Day tradition
St. Joseph’s Day is marked with
celebrations across Italy. ICC
Historian Mario A. Carini said
Sicilian immigrants, who followed
the observance in their hometowns,
brought the tradition with them
when they settled in Milwaukee
starting in the late 1880s.
The subject has also been written about by Professor/Cavaliere
Philip J. DiNovo, president of the
The ICC presents the St. Josephʼs Day Luncheon
Wednesday, Mar. 19 • Reservation Form
Name(s): ___________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
City: _________________________________ State: ________________
Zip: ____________________ Phone: ____________________________
Number of ICC members attending: ___ @ $17.00 per person = $
Number of non-members attending: ___ @ $25.00 per person = $
American
Italian
Heritage
Association of Albany, N.Y. In an
article on the organization’s website (www.aiha-albany.org), DiNovo
wrote: “In the Middle Ages, according to tradition, there was a severe
drought that destroyed most vegetation and left many people in
western Sicily dying of starvation.
People began to pray to St. Joseph
asking him to ask the Lord for rain.
They promised if the rains came
that they would honor St. Joseph
for his intercession and perpetually
honor him on March 19.
“At the stroke of midnight, the
Lord sent the rain; it was on this
day the prayers were heard. The
people had water, the vegetation
turned green, and there were fish
for the fishermen. The St. Joseph
altars are based on this traditional
legend, which has been handed
down from one generation to the
next.”
Today in Italy, St. Joseph’s Day
is also known as Father’s Day. The
Pre-paid reservations must be received by Wednesday, Mar. 12th.
Tables of 10 available. Please list the people at your table:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Weʼre attending and wish to make an additional donation to the event.
contribution.
Besides my payment for reservations, Iʼm sending a $
We are unable to attend, but wish to contribute $
tradition in the high standard of the past.
Checks payable to: St. Josephʼs Luncheon. (One check preferable for
all at same table.) MAIL TO: Italian Community Center, Attn.: St.
Josephʼs Day Luncheon, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.
day, which used to be a national
holiday, is traditionally celebrated
with bonfires and sometimes pageants with scenes from the life of
St. Joseph. Children give gifts to
their fathers on San Giuseppe Day.
Zeppole (or zeppoli in southern
Italian dialects) are traditionally
eaten on St. Joseph’s Day. Zeppole
Now available a different lunch buffet Monday through
Friday, 11am - 2pm for just $8.50 per person!
Monday – Tex Mex: Black bean salad, soft flour torillas, crispy
corn torillas, ground beef, grilled chicken, shredded lettuce,
chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, chicken
enchiladas, rice and beans.
Tuesday – Pasta Abbondanza: Caesar salad, Italian pasta salad,
lasagna, eggplant parmesan, penna pasta, meatballs, tomato
basil sauce, Alfredo sauce.
Wednesday – Southern BBQ: Cobb salad, cole slaw, pulled
pork shoulder, Mississippi roast beef, mac and cheese,
fried potato wedges, corn bread.
Thursday – Italian: Antipasto, rice balls, pasta alla eggplant,
chicken Florentine, minestrone soup, sautèed cauliflower.
All advertising copy, news
stories and photos for publication in the April 2014 issue of
The Italian Times must be submitted to the editor no later
than Thursday, Mar. 6..
All materials can be emailed
to editor Tom Hemman at [email protected], sent to The
Italian Times, 631 E. Chicago
St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Friday – Fish Fry: Tossed salad, tuna pasta salad, baked cod,
fried cod, French fries, parsley boiled potatoes, potato
pancakes.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
are deep-fried dough balls that are
usually topped with powdered
sugar and may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry
cream or a butter and honey mixture. In Rome, Naples and the
region of Sicily, these little pastries
are sold on many streets and are
sometimes given as gifts.
Cafe La Scala wants to make lunch
your favorite meal of the day!
Deadline set for
our March issue
Interested in avertising? For
information, call Faye Ann
Kessler (414) 223-2801 or send
an email to Editor Tom Hemman
at [email protected].
to continue this
Also try Cafe La Scala’s new lunch and dinner menu,
including our famous pizza, with your favorite beverage!
Cafe La Scala is open Monday through Saturday for Breakfast:
6am - 11am; for Lunch, 11am - 2pm; and for Dinner: 5pm - 9pm,
Monday-Thursday, 4:30 pm, Friday and 5pm-10pm, Saturday.
Closed Sunday.
Cafe La Scala at the Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee • Free Parking
(414) 223-2189 •www.LaScalaMilwaukee.com
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 3
Calendar of Events
February 25 – April 30, 2014
Tuesday, Feb. 25
• Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
• Pompeii Women’s Club general meeting, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 1
• Il Grande Carnevale, 6:11 p.m. Details in this issue.
Monday, Mar. 3
• Italian Community Center Culture Committee meeting, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Mar. 4
• Spring semester of ICC’s Beginneer’s Italian class begins, 5:30 p.m.
Details in this issue.
• Pompeii Men’s Club Board meeting, 6 p.m.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series opener. Blues with Reverend Raven & The
Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, 6:30 p.m. Details on the entire series in this issue.
• Spring semester of ICC’s Italian II class begins, 7:30 p.m. Details in this issue.
Thursday, Mar. 6
• Italian Community Center membership dinner, 5:30 p.m. Details in this issue.
• Italian Community Center general membership meeting, 6:30 p.m. Cake & coffee.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock & Roll with The Ricochettes, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 8
• Spring semester of ICC’s free Children’s Italian class begins, 2 p.m. Details in
this issue.
Monday, Mar. 10
• Pompeii Women’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
• Italian Commmunity Center Winter Bocce Championship Play-offs, 7 p.m.
Details in this issue.
Tuesday, Mar. 11
• Pompeii Men’s Club general meeting, 6 p.m.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Jazz featuring Pete Sorce with Jeff Labarge
and Swing Explosion, 6:30 p.m.
• Abruzzese Society meeting and spuntino, 7 p.m.
• Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 13
• No Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series show. Private party.
• Società Maschile M.S.S. Del Lume meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Mar. 17
• Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Mar. 18
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Blues with Leroy Airmaster and David
Wake, 6:30 p.m.
• Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO general meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 20
• Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6 p.m.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock and Roll with Tom Anthony Group,
6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 22
• Santa Rosalia Society Spring Dinner and Dance, 6 p.m. Details in this issue.
Week of Mar. 24
• Italian Community Center’s Spring Bocce League Season begins.
Seniors’ leagues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Mixed couples leagues on
Monday and Wednesday nights. Details in this issue.
Tuesday, Mar. 25
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Jazz with Vivo featuring Pam Duronio, Tim
Stemper and Warren Wiegratz, 6:30 p.m.
• Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Mar. 26
• Pompeii Women’s Club general meeting, 6 p.m. Tentative.
Thursday, Mar. 27
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock and Roll with Bob Hirschi & Groove
Therapy, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 1
• Pompeii Men’s Club Board meeting, 6 p.m.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Blues with Altered Five, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 3
• Italian Community Center membership buffet dinner, 5:30 p.m.
• Italian Community Center general meeting, 6:30 p.m.
•Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock and roll with Rick D’Amore’s Rockin’
Dance Party, 6:30 p.m.
Order your copy today of
“Recipes My Nonna Taught Me”
by Francena
“Recipes My Nonna Taught Me” is in its 12th
printing with more stories, pictures and recipes.
Over 10,000 copies sold! Author Francena says,
“My cookbook is dedicated to my nonna who
inspired me to cook. It has several meatless
dishes for Lent including lentil soup, a delicious
warming soup. I love spreading the word of my
Italian heritage of which I’m so proud.”
Send $12.50 (check or money order) to FRANCENA, 125 Boyce Road, Centerville, OH 45458.
937-433-7313 or [email protected].
PAGE 4 – MARCH 2014
Sunday, Apr. 6
• Italian Community Center presents the 19th annual “A Taste of Italy,” 11:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m. Details in this issue.
Monday, Apr. 7
• Solomon Juneau Club meeting, 11:30 a.m.
• Italian Community Center Culture Committee meeting, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 8
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Jazz with the Frank DeMiles Combo, 6:30 p.m.
• Abruzzese Society meeting, 7 p.m.
• Milwaukee Chapter UNICO National meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 10
• No Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series show. Private party.
• Società Maschile M.S.S. Del Lume meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 12
• Italian Community Center’s Children’s Easter party, noon. Details in our next issue.
Sunday, Apr. 13
• Pompeii Women’s Club Palm Sunday Breakfast, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Details in this
issue.
Monday, Apr. 14
• Italian Community Center Finance Committee meeting, 6 p.m.
• Pompeii Women’s Club Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 15
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Blues with Jim Liban’s Third Coast Blues
Collective with Joel Patterson, 6:30 p.m.
• Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO general meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 16
• Filippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Area Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy in
America general meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 17
• Italian Community Center Board meeting, 6 p.m.
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock and roll with the Larry Lynne Band,
6:30 p.m.
Friday, Apr. 18
• Pompeii Men’s Club Good Friday Fish Fry, 4-7:30 p.m. Details in this issue.
• Abruzzese Society Social, 6 p.m.
• Italian Community Center participates in Gallery Night, 6:30-10 p.m. Details in
our next issue.
Saturday, Apr. 19
• Italian Community Center participates in Gallery Day, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday, Apr. 20
• Italian Community Center Easter Brunch. Details in our next issue.
Tuesday, Apr. 22
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Jazz with the Chris Hanson Band, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 24
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Rock and roll with Tom Anthony Group,
6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 26
• Italian Family History Club meeting, 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 29
• Cure for Cabin Fever Music Series. Blues with The Jimmys, 6:30 p.m. Season finale.
• Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 30
• Pompeii Women’s Club general meeting, 6:30 p.m. (Tentative)
Daily and weekly classes and activities
• Bocce leagues. The winter bocce league season continues through the week of
Mar. 4 with the championship play-offs on Monday, Mar. 10. The spring season
starts the week of Mar. 24. Details in this issue.
• Free Children’s Italian class. Begins on Saturday, Mar. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. Meets
for eight consecutive Saturdays. Details in this issue.
• Italian classes for teens and adults. Both Beginneer’s Italian and Italian II are
being offered. The spring semester begins on Tuesday, Mar. 4. Beginneer’s Italian
at 5:30 p.m. Italian II at 7:30 p.m. Each class meets for 10 consecutive Tuesday
nights. Details in this issue.
• Tradizione Vivente, The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee. This folk dance
group practices weekly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the ICC. Visit
www.tradizionevivente.com for details. Ballate con noi! Dance with us!
• Members Room. Open to Italian Community Center members and their guests, 8
a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Scarvaci Florists & Gift Shoppe
2663 N. Holton St., Milwaukee
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414/562-3214
If no answer, please leave message.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Make your reservations, get your costume
or mask and celebrate a truly fun evening,
the 35th annual Il Grande Carnevale
from page 1
free valet parking is being sponsored by Phil and Gerry (Accetta)
Purpero.
Czubek and DeRubertis report
that they intentionally have not
selected a specific theme for this
year’s event. “People who know the
long history of the Italian
Carnevale, particularly the
Carnival of Venice, are aware that
it is a free-style, fun-filled event,
where participants, decked out in
colorful costumes and decorative
masks of their own design or selection, celebrate without pretenses or
set guidelines. Essentially, participants can be whatever they want to
be,” they said.
“We’re hoping that many of our
attendees come adorned in their
own costume and mask creations.
Groups of attendees might want to
select their own theme for costume
or mask wear,” they added. Prizes
will be awarded for the best.
Costs to attend Carnevale have
been set at $60 per person, with a
discounted price of $50 for ICC
members. A reservation form
accompanies
this
article.
Reservations may also be made by
calling the ICC office at 414/2232180 and making payment with a
credit card. Regardless of the
method you choose, reservations
are due Monday, Feb. 24. Please
note: There will be no payments
accepted at the door the night of
the event.
What’s in store
The Carnevale Committee has
asked the Italian Conference
Center culinary staff to prepare a
sumptuous dinner. The menu features an Italian salad, petite filet
mignon and chicken piccata, double
baked potato, chef’s choice of veg-
etables, Italian bread and butter,
coffee, tea or milk and dessert.
There will be wine at each table
during dinner.
The table wine is courtesy of
Carnevale’s Principe (Prince)
Frank Purpora and Principessa
(Princess) Benedetta Cannestra.
Dance music, appropriate for all
ages, will be performed throughout
the evening by the Bill Sargent Big
Band. Drummer and bandleader
Bill Sargent will bring his very best
musicians and vocalists for this
performance. The band has long
been recognized as one of the premier dance bands in southeastern
Wisconsin.
There will also be performances
by Tradizione Vivente: The Italian
Dance Group of Milwaukee, I Bei
Bambini: The Children’s Italian
Dance Group and the Children of
Carnevale.
The pageantry kicks into high
gear with the Royal Procession and
Coronation. The following individuals have been selected as members
of the ICC’s 2014 Royalty:
• Re and Regina (King and
Queen) – Dan and Chris Conley.
• Nonno and Nonna (Royal
Grandparents) – Charles and Doris
Evans.
• Principe (Prince) and
Principessa (Prince and Princess) –
Frank Purpora and Benedetta
Cannestra.
• Piccolo Principe and Piccola
Principessa (Junior Prince and
Princess) – Jack Elliott and Maria
Vella.
Traditionally someone is selected to be Il Gran Maresciallo (The
Grand Marshal) to keep the
evening’s activities on schedule.
The role this year will be shared by
the duo of Dean Cannestra and
Carnevale 2014 Reservation Form
Name(s) ____________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _______________________________________________
Phone: _________________ Email: ______________________________
Please list the names of persons in your party
on a separate sheet of paper. Tables of 10 are available.
Number of ICC members attending: ______ x $50.00 = $
Number of non-members attending: ______ x $60.00 = $
Total amount of your check or money order: $
Please make your check or money order payable to: Italian Community
Center. Send payment and this form with the list of those in your party to:
Carnevale, c/o ICC, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
Reservation deadline: Feb. 24, 2014.
Marie Lieber. Both have assumed
the roles in the past.
Returning to perform the
evening’s duties of Il Vescovo (The
Bishop) will be Frank D’Amato.
I Grandi Marescialli Cannestra
and Lieber will lead a parade of all
the costumed and masked attendees later in the evening (at about
10:11 p.m.). This will be followed by
Bartolotta’s fireworks show. A spectacular sweet table will be available afterward. The sweet table is
coming to Carnevale courtesy of
Piccolo Principessa Maria Vella,
her family and Sciortino’s Bakery.
“So you know it will be outstanding,” Czubek and DeRubertis said.
During the parade, an esteemed
panel of judges will make their
final selections of the winners in
costume and masks.
Raffle and program book
The committee announced that a
cash raffle will be part of the
Free children’s Italian class
starting Saturday, Mar. 8 at ICC
The spring semester of a free
weekly series of Italian classes for
children between the ages of 6 and
12 will begin Saturday, Mar. 8, at
the Italian Community Center. The
class, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m.,
will continue for eight weeks, with
the final session on Apr. 26.
The course is intended to provide children with an introduction
to the Italian language and the culture of Italy. Besides learning some
basic words and the Italian alphabet, the children also make drawings for holiday and special occasions and receive a snack during
each Saturday session.
The instructor is Enrica
Tarantino Woytal, who also leads
the ICC’s Italian classes for teens
and adults. She was honored by
WisItalia as Wisconsin’s 2009
“Italian Teacher of the Year.”
Tarantino Woytal has been leading
the children’s class at ICC since the
early 1980s. Over the years, several
hundred youngsters have participated in the free class.
To register for the spring semester, please complete the form
accompanying this article and mail
it to: Children’s Italian Course, c/o
ICC, 631 E. Chicago St.,
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Since
there is no enrollment fee, parents
can also register their children in
person any time during the semester.
For further information, contact
the ICC office at 414/223-2180, or
Enrica Tarantino Woytal or Pietro
Tarantino at 414/481-0170, or via
email at [email protected].
Carnevale activities. Tickets, priced
at $2 each or seven for $10, will be
on sale soon and have been mailed
to all ICC members. They will be
sold the night of the event.
Prizes are as follows: 1st prize –
$500; 2nd prize – $300, 3rd prize –
$100.
Attendees will receive a program
book for commemorate the evening.
The Carnevale Committee wishes
to thank all those who placed
advertising in the book.
Carnevale serves as a fund-raiser for the ICC.
Winter bocce
season drawing to
close; spring
season starts soon
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
The winter season for indoor
bocce leagues at the Italian
Community Center concludes
with the championship playoffs
on Monday, Mar. 10. Teams in
each of the five leagues were
jockeying for positions in the
tourney as this story was written.
The first place teams from
each of the five winter leaguse
plus three teams with the best
overall runner-up record will
compete in the playoffs.
The spring bocce season will
get under way two weeks later,
during the week of Mar. 24.
There will definitely be teams
Please turn to page 13
Free Children's Italian Course Registration Form
Parent(s) Name ________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________
City _______________________ State _______ Zip ___________
Phone No.: ______________ Email_________________________
Children's Names & Ages: _______________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Send this form to: Children's Italian Course, c/o ICC,
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 5
ICC’s ‘Cure for Cabin Fever Music
Series’ opens Mar. 4
Free series features jazz or blues groups on Tuesdays, good-time rock
and roll bands on Thursdays with great food and beverages available
from page 1
Specializing in classic Chicago
blues, Reverend Raven and company won the Wisconsin Area Music
Industry Award for best blues band
in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008 and
2010.
• Thursday, Mar. 6 – The
Ricochettes. Formed initially in
1963, The Ricochettes were dubbed
“Milwaukee’s Beatles” in 1964 and
released a number of singles
including “Come in My Love,”
which sold over 10,000 copies in the
area. The British beat continues to
be one of the ingredients to The
Ricochettes’ success and longevity.
• Tuesday, Mar. 11 – Pete
Sorce with Jeff Labarge Swing
Explosion. Featuring the smooth
vocals of Pete Sorce and the classic
arrangements of Jeff Labarge with
the finest musicians from southeast
Wisconsin, the 18-piece ensemble of
Swing Explosion brings excitement,
prestige and sophistication to any
stage – and they don’t just do big
band music. Their unique and
eclectic style is guaranteed to have
you tapping your toes.
• Tuesday, Mar. 18 –Leroy
Airmaster with David Wake. Since
the 1980s, Leroy Airmaster has
been one of the dominant blues
bands in southeastern Wisconsin.
With Steve Cohen (harmonica and
vocals), Bill Stone (guitar and
vocals), Dave Kasik (basss) and
Vodie Rhinehart (drums), the group
relies heavily on a jazz approach
but never loses the gutsy blues
framework that made the band so
popular. Joining them for this show
will be keyboardist Dave Wake.
• Thursday, Mar. 20 – Tom
Anthony Group. Whether it’s the
summer Courtyard Music Series or
the winter Cabin Fever Series, the
Tom
Anthony
Group
(www.tomanthony.com) performs
before a packed house. Vocalist
Tom Anthony has long been a fixture on the Milwaukee area music
scene. With his group – Tom Sorce
(guitar), Joel Freisinger (keyboards) and Brian Ford (drums),
Anthony presents the best of the
rock, pop and rhythm and blues era
with a bit of today’s country.
• Tuesday, Mar. 25 – Vivo.
Warren Wiegratz, Pam Duronio
and Tim Stemper are the creative
forces behind this contemporary
jazz, pop bossa and samba music
ensemble. Saxophonist Wiegratz is
one of themost recognized and
awarded musicians in Wisconsin.
Vocalist Duronio and guitarist
Stemper have been performing and
recording together for over two
decades.
• Thursday, Mar. 27 – Bob
Hirschi & Groove Therapy. This
group is one of southeast
Wisconsin’s hottest horn bands.
The band covers the best in rock,
soul, R&B, pop, and more in the
style of the classic horn bands.
Hirschi ws one of the original vocalists with the Oldies But Goodies
Spectacular.
• Tuesday, Apr. 1 – Altered
Five. A rockin’ rhythm and blues
band from Milwaukee that has
been performing around the
Midwest to high acclaim since
2002. The group is fronted by Jeff
Taylor, whose vocals have been
described as “gloriously gritty.”
• Thursday, Apr. 3 – Rick
PAGE 6 – MARCH 2014
Music Director Tom Sorce
D’Amore’s Rockin’ Dance Party.
Joining D’Amore will be Rob
Chalifaux on bass; Tim Sardina on
drums; and Pete D’Amore on lead
guitar. Expect to hear the best of
Elvis Presley, Dion Meucci, Dion &
The Belmonts, Roy Orbison and
many of the other hitmakers of the
rock and roll era.
• Tuesday, Apr. 8 – Frank
DeMiles Combo. Jazz legend Frank
DeMiles, who was the vocal music
instructor for the Greenfield School
District for 35 years and winner of
the 2010 Civic Music Association
“Lifetime Achievement in Music”
award, will perform with his
combo.
• Tuesday, Apr. 15 – Jim
Liban’s Third Coast Blues
Collective with Joel Patterson. This
band, formerly known as the Jim
Liban Band, features legendary
Milwaukee-based blues artists Jim
and Matt Liban, Greg Koch and
Kurt Koenig. They will be joined by
Chicago blues and jazz guitarist
Joel Patterson for this show.
• Thursday, Apr. 17 – Larry
Lynne
Band.
Milwaukee’s
“Godfather of Rock and Roll,” Larry
Lynne and his band present a
unique variety show that consists
of rock, country-rock, blues and
classic favorites from the ‘50s, ‘60s
and ‘70s to today’s hits and novelty
music with a touch of comedy.
• Tuesday, Apr. 22 – Chris
Hanson Band. This group features
perennial Wisconsin Area Music
Industry award winner Robin Pleur
on vocals, 30-year veteran violinist
of the Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra Glenn Asch, bassist
Mike Britz and John Parrott and
Chris Hanson on guitar and vocals.
The band performs regularly
around the Milwaukee area.
• Thursday, Apr. 24 – Tom
Anthony Group. See above.
• Tuesday, Apr. 29 – The
Jimmys. Named the “2012 Best
Swing/Big Band Ensemble“ by the
Wisconsin Area Music Industry,
the band continued wracking up
honors in 2013, winning five
Madison Area Music Awards
including 2013 Artist of the Year
and Blues Performer of the Year.
The group consists of Jimmy
Voegeli (keyboardist), Darren
Sterud (brass intrumentalist) and
Peterson Ross (woodwind intrumentalist) who have been honored
individually.
Please note: There will be no
shows Mar. 13 and Apr. 10 as the
Tom Anthony
Rick D’Amore
Steve Cohen of Leroy Airmaster
Frank DeMiles
Italian Conference Center has large
events booked that will prevent the
presentation of the series.
Thinking summer?
For the large group of our readers who enjoy the summertime
Courtyard Music Series at the ICC,
you can mark down Monday, June
2 as the starting date. This freeadmission series will run continuously Monday through Thursday
nights through Aug. 28 with the
exception of June 25-July 6, when
Summerfest is held at nearby
Maier Festival Park. In September,
the series cuts back to Tuesday and
Thursday nights only. The lineup
for that series will be announce
soon.
Vivo – Warren Wiegratz, Pam Duronio and Tim Stemper
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Italian classes being offered for adults
and teens starting Mar. 4 at ICC
This spring, the Italian
Community Center will offer an
introductory class (Italian I) as well
as an Italian II class, both starting
Tuesday, Mar. 4.
Both courses will be held on 10
consecutive Tuesday nights, with
the final classes on May 6.
Instructor Enrica Tarantino
Woytal described Italian I as being
for those who want an introduction
to the language and the culture of
Italy. The introductory course will
run from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m.
The Italian II course will begin
at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, and end
at 9:15 p.m. “Italian II is ideal for
those who have completed our
introductory course and are ready
to learn more about the language
and culture of Italy,” Tarantino
Woytal said.
Enrollment is open to ICC mem-
bers and the general public. There
is a limit of 25 students per class.
The fee for each course is $100 for
an ICC member and $110 for a nonmember. The fee does not include
the course textbook.
The Italian III course, which
was available this past fall, is not
being offered in the spring semester.
To register, complete the form
accompanying this article. Checks
or money orders are payable to the
Italian Community Center.
Registration will be accepted up to
the start of the Mar. 4 classes if the
enrollment limit has not been
reached.
Tarantino Woytal began teaching children’s Italian classes at the
ICC more than 30 years ago. She
has been offering classes for adults
and teens for more than 25 years.
She is also the editor of La Pagina
Il Grande Carnevale
Hosted by: Italian Community Center
Saturday, March 1, 2014 – 6:11 p.m.
Cabin Fever Music Series
Hosted by: Italian Conference Center
Tuesday and Thursdays night, March 4 – April 29,
except March 13 and April 10
St. Joseph’s Day Luncheon
Hosted by Italian Community Center
Wednesday, March 19 – Noon
Santa Rosalia Society Spring Dinner and Dance
Annual Fund-Raiser
Saturday, March 22, 2014 – 6 p.m.
A Taste of Italy
Hosted by: Italian Community Center
Sunday, April 6, 2014 – 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Children’s Easter Party
Hosted by: Avanti Committee
Saturday, April 12, 2014 – Noon
Pompeii Women’s Club Palm Sunday Breakfast Buffet
Annual Fund-Raising Event
Sunday, April 13, 2014 – 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Italiana, a regular Italian language
news feature of The Italian Times.
WisItalia, the statewide organization promoting the instruction of
Italian in schools, colleges and universities, honored Tarantino
Woytal as its 2009 “Italian Teacher
of the Year.”
Registration form for
Italian I course & Italian II course
Name(s) ___________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________
Phone No. ___________________Email _________________________________
I am (we are) enrolling in:
Italian I course Number of persons enrolling.
Italian II course Number of persons enrolling.
Course fee: ICC Member - $100.00; Non-Member - $110.00
Make payment to: Italian Community Center, and send to: ICC, c/o Italian Class,
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916. Enrollment in each class is limited to the first 25 students who send in this registration form with full payment.
Membership buffet dinner
is returning before every
general meeting at ICC
A membership buffet dinner will
now be available before every one
of the Italian Community Center’s
general meetings (except when the
organization holds its Christmas
party in December).
The cost will be $8 per member.
A non-member who wants to attend
will be charged $10.
The proposal to return the buf-
fet dinner at $8 for members and
$10 for non-members on a regular
basis was presented by ICC
President Gina Spang to the members who attended the Feb. 6 general meeting. The members, in
unanimity, approved it.
The buffet will be available for
one hour, starting at 5:30 p.m.,
with the meeting starting at its
usual time – 6:30 p.m.
The Perfect
Ending
Bring your wedding day to
a successful close. Gather
your families and friends
where the ambiance is special, the food is exceptional
and the staff is attentive to
your every need.
Pompeii Men’s Club Good Friday Fish Fry Buffet
Annual Fund-Raising Event
Friday, April 18, 2014 – 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
ICC’s Easter Brunch
Hosted by: Italian Conference Center
Sunday, April 20, 2014
ICC’s Mother’s Day Brunch
Hosted by: Italian Conference Center
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Courtyard Music Series
Hosted by: Italian Conference Center
Monday through Thursday nights,
June 2 – September 30, 2014
except during Summerfest June 25 – July 6
Festa Italiana
Hosted by: Italian Community Center
July 18 –20, 2014 at Maier Festival Park
Summerfest Grounds
THE ITALIAN TIMES
631 E. Chicago St.
Milwaukee, WI
Call David or Michelle
414/223-2800
or visit
ItalianConference.com
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 7
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch buffet or
dinner, Cafe La Scala’s new menu,
extended hours earning high marks
from page 1
have been received and the new
business the restaurant is bringing
in,” said Patrick Morgan, ICC
General Manager. “We’re off to a
good start, in spite of the weather.
If you haven’t stopped in yet, I
want to invite you to give Cafe La
Scala a try soon.”
The restaurant is serving breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m., Monday
through Saturday. The menu
includes a frittata (an Italian-style
omelette), a variety of breakfast
sandwiches and traditional breakfast fare. For those who like a
lighter breakfast, there’s Greek
yogurt with granola and hot oatmeal with berries.
There’s always piping hot coffee,
espresso, cappuccino and hot tea. If
you’re in the mood, order a mimosa
or a margarita.
As mentioned above, Cafe La
Scala is offering a lunch buffet with
a different theme Monday through
Friday.
On Monday, it’s a Tex Mex buffet featuring black bean salad, soft
flour tortillas, crispy corn tortillas,
ground beef, grilled chicken, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes,
shredded cheese, sour cream, chicken enchiladas, rice and beans.
“Pasta Abbondanza” is the
theme for Tuesday’s lunch buffet. It
includes Caesar salad, Italian
pasta salad, lasagna, eggplant
parmesan, penne pasta, meatballs,
tomato basil sauce and Alfredo
sauce.
There’s a “Southern Barbeque”
on Wednesday afternoon with Cobb
salad, cole slaw, pulled pork shoulder, Mississippi roast beef, macaroni and cheese, fried potato
wedges and corn bread.
Italian food lovers, Thursday’s
lunch buffet is for you. The Italian
buffet features antipasto, arancini
(rice balls), pasta alla eggplant (a
light eggplant and pasta casserole),
chicken Florentine, minestrone
soup and sautéed cauliflower.
On Friday, it’s a traditional
style fish fry buffet with tossed
salad, tuna pasta salad, baked cod,
fried cod, French fries, potato pancakes and parsley boiled potatoes.
The regular lunch and dinner
menu features many new items
such as an Italian sub, chicken
bacon Harvarti melt, Caprese panini, meatball torpedo, a chicken
Marsala dinner, ribeye Delmonico,
a grilled salmon dinner, eggplant
parmesan and much more. The
restaurant has added beer-battered
cod to its Friday offerings.
Rest assured, Cafe La Scala still
has its famous pizza, made fresh
daily and very reasonably priced.
You can still enjoy the food with
your favorite wine, beer or cocktail.
Diners comment
Diners have been encouraged by
the wait staff to fill out comment
cards in order to get a feel for what
the guests are thinking about the
food, the new menu and the service.
Here are several of their comments. (Please note: We are intentionally not using a diner’s full
names here.)
Kathy wrote: “Best chicken
sandwich ever. Great server.” To
the question: How was your meal,
she checked the “excellent” box.
Nancy stated: “Yum. Over the
top.” On a scale of 1 to 10, she gave
PAGE 8 – MARCH 2014
Cafe La Scala an “11.”
Both Kathy and Nancy checked
the “reasonable” box for the question on the cost of their food and
drink.
Jon, from Milwaukee, wrote:
“We really enjoyed the buffet. All of
the food was hot. The fries were
crisp and everything tasted great.
Incredible deal for a lunch buffet
with good food.”
Mary, from Shorewood, stated:
“Best fish fry in town! And best
deal. Good choices.”
Michael, from Milwaukee,
checked the “excellent” box for
three questions: How was your
meal? How was our service? What
about the cost of your food and
drink?
Ken, from Milwaukee, also
checked the “excellent box” for
those three questions and wrote in
capital letters: “BEER BATTERED
FISH!”
John, another Milwaukee resident, wrote: “Beer battered fish,
pleasant change, very good!”
Sandy, an ICC member, checked
the “excellent” boxes for the questions asking about the meal and
service.
Diners have indicated that they
heard about the new menu and
breakfast service at Cafe La Scala
through various media outlets
including OnMilwaukee.com,
JSOnline, Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, The Italian Times, and
620 WTMJ radio and from ICC
members.
Some diners have ordered their
breakfast, lunch or dinner “to go.”
Most of the menu is available for carry
out. The entire menu can be viewed at
www.LaScalaMilwaukee.com. Carry
out orders can be made by calling
414-223-2185.
Attention: ICC members
“Our only regret so far is that
more ICC members haven’t stopped
in yet,” Morgan said. “Some of it is
probably due to the terrible weather we’ve been having this winter.
Once the weather improves, we
hope to see many more members
supporting the restaurant. We
want you to be proud of what we
have here.”
A members-only discount is
being offered on Saturday nights:
Buy one entrée, get the second for
50% off. The offer is valid every
Saturday night except when there
is a concert in the building or a
show in the courtyard. Please
note: Members must present their
ICC membership card to receive the
discount.
Other member specials or discounts are being worked on,
Morgan said.
New hours
Cafe La Scala is open Monday
through Saturday from 6 to 11 a.m.
for breakfast; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for
lunch; 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through
Thursday night, 4:30 to 10 p.m. on
Friday night; and from 5 to 10 p.m.
on Saturday night.
Reservations are always welcome. Call 414/223-2185.
Free parking is available in the
lot south of the building.
This is the restaurant’s frittata, an
Italian omelette with asparagus,
Romano cheese and smoked ham.
Here’s Cafe La Scala’s breakfast
wrap. Scrambled eggs, cheddar
cheese, sautéed onions, mushrooms and peppers in a tomato
basil wrap.
Times photos by
Tom Hemman)
Yes, the size of that delicious rice ball stands out in this photo from the
Thursday’s Italian lunch buffet. On the plate also, this guest has chicken
Florentine, pasta alla eggplant, sautéed cauliflower and some antipasto.
On the side is a bowl of minestrone soup. Mangia!
A few days before Cafe La Scala officially opened for
breakfast, the staff conducted a test exercise to make
sure the food was cooked right, tasted delicious and
was the right portion and that each staff member had
sufficient knowledge of every item on the menu. Many
of the breakfast items prepared that morning are seen
on the table on the left. Standing alongside the table
are Torrie Hermann, who cooks, Roberto Oquendo,
who buses tables, and Amy Schafer, who waits on
tables and tends bar. (Times photo by Tom Hemman)
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Thanks for your donations
to the Italian Community
Center building fund
The officers and directors of the
Italian Community Center wish to
thank and acknowledge all those
who pledged, fulfilled a pledge or
contributed to the building fund.
To obtain information on how to
make a donation, please call
414/223-2808
or
visit
www.ICCMilwaukee.com.
The following donations were
received between Nov. 6, 2013 and
Jan. 8, 2014.
Here’s the plate that one guest filled from the Wednesday’s Southern BBQ
lunch buffet. This one has Mississippi roast beef, fried potato wedges,
macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and corn bread.
In memory of Sadie Machi
Carmen Schlotthauer
In memory of Rose Corrao
Carmen Schlotthauer
Nancy Castrovinci Oberleitner
Mary Castrovinci
James and Linda Spataro
In memory of Frank Greiczek
Ann J. Dacquisto
Phil and Gerry Purpero
Sam and Lucille Purpero
Sonny and Melody Gensler
In memory of Anthony J.
Purpero of San Bernardino, CA
Phil and Gerry Purpero
Sam and Lucille Purpero
Times photos by
Tom Hemman
Here’s a look at part of the Tex Mex buffet, available at lunch on Mondays.
In memory of Theresa
Panzarella
Phil and Gerry Purpero
Ray and Caroline Besasie
Sam and Lucille Purpero
Tom and Rose Zingale
Tony Machi
Francis (Gallo) Murphy
In memory of Joseph Caminiti
Salvatore Mussomeli and Sally
Mullins
Sam and Lucille Purpero
James and Linda Spataro
Pompeii Men’s Club
Tony Machi
Rosalie Glorioso
Francis (Gallo) Murphy
Margaret M. Carini
Mario A. Carini
George and Judy Menos
Gino A. Dentice
Paul and Rose Iannelli
In memory of Joseph Rosso
Sam and Lucille Purpero
Salvatore Mussomeli and Sally
Mullins
Sonny and Melody Gensler
George and Judy Menos
In memory of Dr. Nicholas J.
Contorno, Jr.
Tony Machi
Paul and Rose Iannelli
In memory of Mary Balistreri of
Madison
Tony Machi
In memory of Connie Balistreri
George and Judy Menos
In memory of members of the
Pompeii Men’s Club who
passed away in 2013.
Pompeii Men’s Club
Oldies But Goodies Spectacular performs
before full house at ICC
The greatest hits of the rock-androll era were passionately brought
back to life by the Oldies But
Goodies Spectacular and their special guests in a concert presented
before a full house in the Italian
Community Center’s Festa Ballroom on Saturday, Feb. 2. The
entire Oldies But Goodies band is
seen in the top photo. The annual
concert, put together by Kim
Marie, the Oldies But Goodies
founder, brings together singers
and musicians who performed in
many of Milwaukee’s most famous
rock-and-roll bands in the 1950s
and 1960s. The show is always a
sell-out. The staff of Cafe La Scala
was on hand to take the attendees’
food and beverage orders. The
THE ITALIAN TIMES
restaurant also offered a lowpriced Italian buffet. Below is a
crowd shot. on the right are vocalists Tony Clementi and Kim Marie
of the Oldies But Goodies
Spectacular. (Times photos by Joe
Spasiano)
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 9
ICC’s 19th annual ‘A Taste of Italy’ is
Sunday, Apr. 6; are you ready to indulge?
from page 1
The full menu includes pasta
with red sauce, meatballs, Italian
sausage, arancini (rice balls), manicotti, calamari, breaded pork tenderloin, olive salad, Italian lettuce
salad, sfingi (sweetened fried bread
dough), sub sandwiches, pizza, sfinciuni (Sicilian style pizza), Italian
wedding soup, lentil soup, chicken
pastina soup and desserts such as
cannoli, Italian cookies, éclairs,
spumoni, gelato and pizzelle
(Italian wafer cookies). To wash it
down, there will be coffee, beer,
wine, soda and water. A more
descriptive menu will appear in the
April issue of The Italian Times,
published on Mar. 20.
All hot and cold entrée items
plus pizza, salads and sandwiches
will be available in the Pompeii
Grand Ballroom. Desserts will be
sold in the Festa Ballroom. Look for
beverages on sale in both rooms.
There will be plenty of seating
available throughout the building
and in the Courtyard, providing
that the weather cooperates.
While you eat, enjoy live performances. Romano said the entertainment lineup for the Festa
Ballroom includes Tradizione
Vivente: The Italian Dance Group
of Milwaukee and vocalists Charles
Evans and Jayne Taylor, each
doing their own shows. The Sicilian
Serenaders will be playing in the
galleria.
There will be a raffle held in
conjunction with the event. The six
prizes include: a 55-inch LED-HD
television, $500 cash, an Apple
iPad, a 42-inch LED-HD television,
a Cafe La Scala lunch buffet certificate good for up to eight people,
and a Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt/Ice
Cream/Gelato/Sorbet
Maker.
Tickets will be $2 each or seven for
$10.
The ICC is planning to have the
raffle tickets available well before
the event. They will also be on sale
during your visit to “A Taste of
Italy.” The drawing will be held at
the conclusion of the day’s activities.
“Please get the word out to your
relatives, friends and neighbors
that the ‘Taste of Italy’ is Sunday,
Apr. 6,” said Ann Romano, chairperson. “We look forward to sharing
the foods of Italy and Sicily and our
culture with a full house.”
Since the beginning, “A Taste of
Italy” has successfully served as a
major fund-raising activity for the
nonprofit Italian Community
Center. It has succeeded because of
outstanding volunteer support,
generous donations of food and supplies, monetary donations and large
public turnout.
Romano, who has chaired all but
one of the events, reported that
Ann (D’Amico) Skoczynski is
returning as vice chair and volunteer food ticket chair and Marie
and Jim Schwindt are back at the
helm as chairs of the raffle.
The Sicilian Serenaders – Ted and Tom Pappalardo and Peter Balistrieri
Top photo: Vocalist Charles Evans is returning to perform with his accompanist Galina Gerakosov. Photo on right: Vocalist Jayne Taylor is seen
here from a front cover of her latest CD. Below: Tradizione Vivente is
returning to perform for “A Taste of Italy.”
PAGE 10 – MARCH 2014
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Nick Contorno, former director of music at
Marquette University and for Festa Italiana,
completes distinguished career at age 75
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
Nick Contorno, who received
three separate honors in late 2013
recognizing his distinguished
career in music, died Sunday, Feb.
2 at the age of 75. He served as the
director of music at Marquette
University for 24 years and as
music coordinator for the Italian
Community Center-hosted Festa
Italiana during its first decade.
As reported in the February
issue of The Italian Times, Nick
was given the 2013 Lifetime
Achievement in Music Award by
the Civic Music Association in
October, the Distinguished Alumni
Achievement from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a special
recognition award by the St. Paul
School Band, an ensemble he cofounded and volunteered for after
he retired in 2007 as Marquette
University’s Director of Music
Programs. Both of the latter honors
were presented in November.
A Bay View, Wis. native, he was
the only child of Nicholas and Mary
Contorno, who both were very
active in the ICC and Festa for
more than two decades. His parents
were honored as the organization’s
“Nonno
e
Nonna”
(Royal
Grandparents) of Il Grande
Carnevale, a pre-Lenten costume
and mask ball, in 1986. Nick directed bands that performed at the
annual Carnevale on at least a few
occasions.
Nick’s father bought him his
first saxophone when he was about
four years old. He would not only
learn to play the sax but added the
cornet and flute. He played in the
band at Bay View High School.
After graduating, he went on to
study at UW-Milwaukee, earning
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees
in music. He achieved his doctorate
in composition from UW-Madison.
His musical presence in
Wisconsin ran wide and deep.
Besides the previous positions, he
served as conductor of the
Milwaukee Concert Band and
musical director and conductor of
the 1st Brigade Civil War Band in
Wisconsin. His bands performed
every year in Milwaukee’s Great
Circus Parade. He performed with
numerous bands and orchestras,
including
the
Milwaukee
Symphony Orchestra. He played
alongside such artrists as Linda
Ronstadt, Natalie Cole, Johnny
Mathis, Manhattan Transfer, Mel
Torme, Johnny Desmond, Vic
Damone, Sergio Franchi and Sonny
and Cher.
His work as a composer included
the official march for the City of
Festivals Parade, “A Grand Suite
for Band” for Wauwatosa East
High School, and “Sketches of the
Earth” for the Cedar GroveBelgium School District.
In 1961, he began teaching
instrumental music in the Glendale
Public Schools and directing the
bands at Dominican High School in
Whitefish Bay.
Seven years later, Nick was
hired by Kettle Moraine High
School in Wales (western
Waukesha County), where he built
the band, which grew dramatically
in numbers and garnered recognition through appearances in major
national events across the nation
including the Indianapolis 500
parade and the Orange Bowl
parade. In 1978, he founded the
high school’s orchestra.
Nick was appointed to the
Marquette position in 1983.
As news of his death spread,
Facebook pages and Twitter
accounts
for
Marquette
University’s band alumni, former
Having up to 300 dinner guests?
Kettle Moraine high school students and the music community
were filled with condolences and
remembrances of a man whom they
knew not only for his talent but his
open door and open heart.
After retiring from Marquette,
he co-founded the band at St. Paul
School in Genesee Depot, near his
longtime residence in Dousman. He
established a men’s chorus at an
Arizona retirement community
where he and his wife, Lucille,
spent the winter.
In 2010, a small charity called
Musical Haiti, founded by a former
Kettle Moraine High School band
student after an earthquake in the
poverty-ridden country, allowed for
the opening of the Nick Contorno
School of Music in Gonaives, Haiti.
Nick used his international music
connections to secure donations
including instruments and sheet
music in French for the school.
Besides his wife, Lucille, Nick is
survived by daughters Gina Marie
Shanks and Camille Anne
Nick Contorno
Contorno. Services were held Feb.
14 at St. Paul Catholic Church in
Dousman.
Nina Best, granddaughter of
past ICC President Joe
Panella, advances to national
civic education competition
representing Wisconsin
Nina Best will be among a select
group of Wauwatosa West juniors
who will represent the State of
Wisconsin in The Center for Civic
Education’s “We The People: The
Citizen and the Constitution”
national
competition
in
Washington, D.C., Apr. 25-28.
Nina, 16, is the daughter of
Italian Community Center members Mary Ann Panella-Best and
Scott Best and the granddaughter
of Joe Panella, a past president of
the ICC. She is considering a
career in the legal profession.
Five area high schools competed
in the state competition on Jan. 11
at Marquette University’s Law
School. This marked the seventh
consecutive year that Wauwatosa
West juniors have earned the right
to represent Wisconsin in the
national competition.
Nina and her classmates have
been engaged in an instructional
program that, according to The
Center for Civic Education,
Please turn to page 12
Entertain them at the Italian
Conference Center’s
FESTA BALLROOM.
A gorgeous setting in which to enjoy great food!
The Italian Conference Center
in the Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St. (a block west of Summerfest)
Call David or Michelle at 414/ 223-2800 to
reserve your party or meeting space at the ICC.
Visit: www.ItalianConference.com
Here is Nina Best with her instructor Chad Mateske.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 11
Italian Society and Club News
Milwaukee UNICO organizations will
award scholarships to students of Italian
descent for the 78th consecutive year
Continuing a program started
78 years ago, the Milwaukee
Chapter UNICO National and the
Ladies of UNICO will award several scholarships this spring to high
school seniors of Italian descent.
The exact number of scholarships
to be presented had not been determined as of press time.
To be eligible, applicants must
attend a public or private school in
Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee,
Washington, Racine, Kenosha, or
Walworth counties. Additionally,
the student must hold an academic
standing in the top 20% of the
graduating class and/or a relative
standing in the upper 20% on a college aptitude test (ACT or SAT).
The spirit of this scholarship is
to help help Italian American seniors with financial needs.
Applications will be reviewed by a
committee comprised of non-Italian
dignitaries from the Milwaukee
area. Financial need, scholarship,
community/school involvement and
personal character are the criteria
by which the applicants will be
judged.
Obtaining a scholarship
application
Applications will be available
UNICO National offers scholarships for
undergraduate and post-graduate
studies to students with Italian ancestry
Students from across the nation
with an Italian ancestry and an
interest in pursuing either an
undergraduate or post-graduate
education may apply for UNICO
National scholarships. Literary and
travel abroad scholarships are also
available. Please visit the UNICO
National website – www.unico.org
– for complete details.
The application deadline is
Tuesday, April 1.
The criteria that UNICO
National uses in selecting its recipients are quite similar to those used
by the Milwaukee Chapter in
choosing local awardees.
The four National undergraduate scholarships are designated as
the Theodore Mazza Scholarship,
the Major Don S. Gentile
Scholarship, the William C. Davini
Scholarship, and the Alphonse A.
Miele Scholarship. These awards
do not require the applicant to
specify a collegiate major. The
Mazza scholarship was established
to commemorate the contributions
of the late Theodore Mazza of
Milwaukee to both the national
organization and the Milwaukee
Chapter.
Application forms for all
National scholarships must be
acquired from and submitted
through the Milwaukee Chapter.
Please contact Roseanne Fritchie at
[email protected].
on the Milwaukee UNICO website,
www.unicomilwaukee.com. Click on
the documents link found on the
sidebar.
Application deadline
Candidates must submit their
applications by Tuesday, Apr. 1 to:
Scholarship Director of UNICO
Milwaukee, 10625 W. North Ave.
Suite 300, Wauwatosa, WI 53226.
Applicants may be contacted to
attend a personal interview at the
Italian Community Center during
school hours on Friday, Apr. 11.
Awards banquet
The scholarships will be presented at a scholarship and awards
banquet on the evening of Tuesday,
May 20. The recipient or a representative must be present to accept
the scholarship award.
The Milwaukee UNICO scholarship program has awarded over one
million dollars in scholarships over
the past 77 years.
The Milwaukee Chapter UNICO
National is celebrating 83 years in
existence in 2014. The Ladies of
UNICO celebrated their 50th
anniversary as an independent
civic and service organization in
2013.
OSIA Mazzei Lodge to present
‘Tribute to Sinatra’ at ICC on Mar. 22
The Filippo Mazzei Lodge of the
Order Sons of Italy in America
(OSIA) will present “A Tribute to
Frank Sinatra” with Chicagoland
crooner Jim Bulanda on Saturday,
Mar. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the
Italian Community Center, 631 E.
Chicago St., Milwaukee.
This event, which will be held in
the Festa Ballroom, is a fund-raiser
for the organization.
The staff of Cafe La Scala, the
ICC’s public restaurant, will be on
hand to take food and beverage
orders throughout the evening,
beginning at 5 p.m.
Tickets are $10 per person. They
are available at the ICC during regular business hours or by contacting either Ralph Busalacchi at
414/483-1562, Joe Emanuele at
414/705-4295 or Joe Palmisano at
414/281-5556. Busalacchi is serving
as chairman of the event.
Nina Best advances to
national civic education
competition representing
Wisconsin
from page 11
“enhances students understanding
of the institution of American constitution democracy. At the same
time, students discover the contemporary
relevance
of
the
Constitution and Bill of Rights. The
culminating activity is a simulated
congressional hearing in which students ‘testify’ before a panel of
judges. Students demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding of
constitutional principles and have
opportunities to evaluate, take and
defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.”
Best said she and her fellow said
began studying in June and will
continue to work before and after
school, evenings and weekends as
they prepare for the national level
PAGE 12 – MARCH 2014
competition.
According to Nina’s instructor,
Chad Mateske, “The fact that this
team won the state event is proof of
their hard work and determination.
Future outcomes due to participation in this program remain to be
measured. These students will likely become key leaders in their communities as they mature in part
because of their participation in
this program.”
To help cover the costs of sending the Wauwatosa West juniors to
Washington, D.C., fundraising
activities are underway. The students are making presentations to
the Rotary Club and Lions Club,
conducting a Facebook activity and
are engaged in other fundraising
ventures.
About Bulanda
Bulanda can easily step into the
shoes of any major Las Vegas
entertainer. He is a vocalist who is
most appreciated and famous for
his impressions of Dean Martin
and. of course, the “Chairman of
the Board,” Frank Sinatra.
He started singing at the age of
seven to entertain his large Italian
family. Throughout his 20s, he regularly sang in church as a cantor. Parishioners soon took notice of
Jim’s beautiful, velvety smooth
voice, and he was often asked to
sing at weddings.
In the early 1990s, Bulanda ventured into the nightlife. He could
frequently be seen singing and dabbling in comedy at Chicago’s local
comedy clubs. Patrons at these
clubs
soon
remarked
on
his remarkable singing voice and
encouraged him to develop his
vocal talent. For the next three
years,
Jim
polished
his
Sinatra classic songs and developed
a nightclub act that includes a
repertoire of 70 classic songs. He
began his professional singing
career in 1994, performing in
numerous nightclubs in Chicago
and northwest Indiana. He has
performed in places such as
Chicago’s East Bank Club, The
Merchandise Mart, Salvatore’s and
Chicago’s
famous
Omni
Ambassador East and The Pump
Room. He has entertained audiences as large as 3,000 and has
traveled as far as Nevada and
Arizona to perform. In the spring
of 2001, Bulanda was sent to Las
Vegas by Chicago’s WXRT radio
station to perform in the Fremont
Jim Bulanda
Street
Experience
Talent
Showcase.
Bulanda has entertained audiences at numerous casinos, and at
other events such as outdoor festivals including the American Heart
Association’s “Taste of Northwest
Indiana,” Merrillville’s 2001 Town
Ball, USA Fest in Crete, the annual
“Main Streets Night” in Park
Forest, WBBM Channel 2 Chicago
on Ed Curran’s Morning Show and
the Star Plaza Theatre with the
Northwest Indiana Symphony
Orchestra.
For more information or for
bookings, Jim can be reached at
219-718-7503 or visit his website,
www.tributetofrank.com
Find out how inexpensive and
effective newspaper advertising
can be. Contact The Italian Times
for details.
Phone: (414) 223-2180
Email: [email protected]
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Public invited to Santa Rosalia Society
Spring Dinner Dance on Mar. 22
La Società Santa Rosalia
invites the general public to its
annual Spring Dinner Dance on
Saturday, Mar. 22 at the Italian
Community Center. The event, an
annual fundraiser for charitable
organizations and activities,
begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail
reception (cash bar). Dinner is at 6
p.m.
This year, the society has designated Independence First, a nonprofit agency directed to, and for
the benefit of, people with disabilities, and the ICC, a nonprofit ethnic and cultural organization, as
its beneficiaries. A percentage of
the evening’s proceeds will be
donated to both organizations.
The Enzo Scarano and Stella
Raimondo Band will be performing
at the dinner dance.
The cost has been set at $60 per
adult and $15 per child (12 and
under). Reservations are required
by Monday, Mar. 10. Checks,
payable to La Società Santa
Rosalia, should be sent to Joann
Stern, 4224 N. Olsen Ave.,
Shorewood, WI 53211.
Adult guests will have a choice
of four entries: beef tenderloin,
Pompeii Men’s Club
invites all to its Good
Friday Fish Fry Buffet
The Pompeii Men’s Club will
hold their annual Good Friday Fish
Fry Buffet at the Italian
Community Center, 631 E. Chicago
St., on Apr. 18. The buffet is the
group’s biggest fundraiser and proceeds will benefit their extensive
charity work.
The meal is all-you-can-eat and
will be served from 4 to 8 pm. The
cost will be $13 for adults, $7 for
children ages 4-10 and free for children age 3 and under.
Fourth – $100; Fifth – $75; Sixth –
$50; Seventh – $50 and Eighth
through Tenth – $25 each.
Raffle tickets are available for
$2 each or seven for $5 and can be
purchased at the ICC office or by
contacting the club’s president
Chuck Lazzaro at 414/421-7359,
John A. Sanfilippo at 414/282-2667,
Tony Zingale at 414/444-4689 or
Joe Palmisano at 414/281-5556.
Tickets will also be sold at the
Good Friday event.
The menu for the buffet will consist of breaded and baked cod,
coleslaw, potato pancakes, baked
potatoes, French fries, popcorn
shrimp, mostaccioli with red sauce,
cole slaw, tossed salad, Italian
bread, watermelon wedges, a beverage of coffee, tea, or milk and
dessert. A full range of condiments
will be available to accompany the
meal. Free parking will be offered
in the south lot of the ICC (N.
Jackson St. entrance).
The event also features a money
raffle. The cash prizes are: First –
$300; Second – $200; Third – $150;
Club’s charitable giving
The Pompeii Men’s Club charitable outreach has benefited the
Italian Community Center along
with several other local organizations, among them the Sojourner
Truth House, Children’s Hospital
of Wisconsin, the Ronald McDonald
House and Special Olympics of
Southeastern Wisconsin. The club
also has strong ties to Three Holy
Women Parish. It was founded by
members of Blessed Virgin of
Pompeii Church, the predecessor to
St. Rita of Cascia Church on Cass
Street.
Welcome new Italian
Community
Center members!
The following people became members of the Italian Community
Center between January 8 and February 6, 2014. Benvenuti! (Welcome!)
Michele Pena of Milwaukee
.
Jeannie Prindville of Whitefish Bay
Jason Fricke of Milwaukee
Wanetta Chartier-Fricke of Milwaukee
Kenneth Wiske of Waukesha
Nicholas Acri (Children: Joey, Mcclain, Timonthy) of Milan, IL
Barbara Lanza Jonas (Children: Jane, Pete, Sam) of Milwaukee
Anthony Defranco of Mequon
Jennifer Heinzel (Children: Anthony, Annalese) of Milwaukee
Elizabeth Burke of Milwaukee
Bill Richards of Milwaukee
Patricia Guttuso of Milwaukee
Judith (Judy) Hooker of Franklin
Dottie Borek of Milwaukee
THE ITALIAN TIMES
chicken scallopine, orange roughy
or vegetarian and must designate
their choice when making reservations. The children’s meal will
include chicken fingers and French
fries.
For more information, contact
Filippo R. Reina at 414-736-9087
or [email protected] or Joann
Stern at 414-526-4388 or
[email protected].
Joining Reina and Stern on the
planning committee are Goffredo
Alferi, Maria Alferi, Riccardo
Cossentino, Samatha Konopski,
Angela (Militello) Lundell, Joe
Militello, Rosalie (Cardinale)
O’Meara, Melinda Reina, Gina
(Zambito) Santagati, Erv Stern,
Ann Zambito and Joe Zambito.
La Società Santa Rosalia di
Santo Stefano Quisquina (Santa
Rosalia Society) is a nonprofit,
charitable organization that promotes preservation of cultural traditions, family and giving back to
the community. The society was
founded in March 2005 in
Milwaukee by direct descendents
of Santo Stefano Quisquina, a
town in the province of Agrigento
in Sicily, Italy.
Everyone is welcome to
come toPompeii Women’s
Club Palm Sunday
Breakfast Buffet
For the 16th year in a row, the
Pompeii Women’s Club is hosting a
Palm Sunday Breakfast Buffet to
which the public is invited. Palm
Sunday is Apr. 13. The fund-raising event will be held in the Italian
Community Center’s Pompeii
Grand Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.
Visitors to the buffet will find
plenty of dining choices. The allyou-can-eat menu includes eggs,
ham, pancakes, sausage, hashed
brown potatoes, fresh fruit, Danish
pastry, juice, milk, coffee and tea.
Prices are $10 for adults and
$5.50 for children ages 4 to 12.
There is no charge for children age
3 and younger. Guests will be seated upon arrival.
Advance reservations are not
being accepted. Parking is free in
the lot south of the building.
Besides the breakfast buffet,
there will be a bake sale, several
raffles, free face painting, a coloring contest for the children in
attendance and an appearance by
the Easter Bunny.
Club’s charitable giving
The breakfast buffet is the only
fundraising activity for the nonprofit Pompeii Women’s Club.
The organization provides support for various charitable organizations and projects. The ICC is
one of the organizations that has
benefited significantly from the
club’s charitable giving.
“We’re hoping for another large
turnout,” said Pat Consolazione,
Pompeii Women’s Club President.
“Your participation and support
will be greatly appreciated.”
The Pompeii Women’s Club represents women of Italian heritage
and/or association who make an
active contribution to the community by providing funds and services
to worthy charitable organizations.
Winter bocce season
drawing to close; spring
season starts soon
from page 5
competing in senior citizens’
leagues on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons and in mixed couples’
leagues on Monday and Wednesday nights. If sufficient interest is
expressed, there will be Thursday
night mixed couples’ league in the
spring. (In the past, there has
not.)
Teams in each league play once
a week over an eight-week period.
If you’re interested in registering a team to play in a spring
league, here are a few things you
need to know. There are two sets
of registration fees – one for those
who are not members of the ICC
and one for those who are ICC
members. The non-member registration fee is $40 per person per
league season. A discounted registration fee of $30 per person per
league season is offered to an ICC
member. Each team must consist
of at least four players, with one
player designated as team captain. Each league is interested in
having eight teams, which allows
every team to compete each week
of the season.
Team registrations are available from the league coordinators:
Dan Conley (Monday night),
Anthony Gazzana (Tuesday afternoon), Tony Tarantino (Wednesday night) and Joe Torcivia
(Thursday afternoon). The forms
can also be obtained by contacting
Salina Castro at 414/223-2180.
The forms must be submitted
with full payment for all players
by Wednesday, Mar. 19.
Have something to sell? Why not tell our readers about it
in an ad in our next issue. Get information about ad sizes
and costs by calling (414) 223-2801 or sending an email to
[email protected].
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 13
Spotlight on Cultural Arts
Opera Topics by Angelo Castronovo
Some years ago, I had the pleasure and privilege of working with a
very talented violinist as part of the
Italian Community Center’s
Courtyard Music Series, which I
was hosting at the time for opera
and classical music on Wednesday
nights.
Edward Paloucek was that man.
He had a fascinating story to tell,
because he is an opera and classical
music lover, but with a slightly
unusual twist. Eddie, as I like to
call him, has been playing the violin since he was seven years old.
The twist is that he and his wife,
Ann Marie, a music lover as well,
are passing along their musical
interests to their six children,
working diligently at keeping television at a distance, and in the
process, initiating family “opera
nights.”
After some early coaching about
opera plots, the kids caught on to
storylines pretty quickly, according
to Eddie. Mozart’s The Magic
Flute, with its humble tunes and
unusual characters, was one of
their favorites, and in time,
Rossini’s Cinderella and Barber of
Seville were added to the list for
their special nights.
Donizetti’s The Daughter of the
Regiment and Puccini’s The Girl of
the Golden West, and even
Wagner’s Die Meistersinger became
a popular listening choice.
The couple’s 10 and 12-year-old
boys developed a special interest in
Wagner operas, including surprisingly, The Ring of the Nibelung.
They said the boys became completely captivated by the battles
between the dragons and all of the
diverse elements that are integral
to the work.
Eddie said the family also listens to opera on their frequent car
rides, and even the younger children are recognizing musical
motifs. Recently, he said, the family has begun listening to Act Three
of Wagner’s Die Gotterdammerung.
The older children have attended
live performances, including La
Cenerentola, The Magic Flute and
Wagner’s Lohengrin (a 4-1/2 hour
work), which his oldest son sat
through more patiently than many
adults around him.
Eddie recalls a German lady
close by, in a very thick accent, said
she didn’t think Wagner was a very
Singer Moreno Fruzzetti appearing at
some Italian festivals before coming to
Milwaukee’s Festa, July 18-20
Singer Moreno Fruzzetti has
become a star on the Italian ethnic
festival circuit since he first performed at Festa Italiana in
Milwaukee in the mid 1980s.
This weekend (Feb. 22-23),
Fruzetti is scheduled to perform at
Festival Italiano in the marina in
Fort Pierce, Fla. On Sunday, June
1, he will be at the Italian
American Heritage Festival at Rose
Tree Park in Media, Pa. Over the
weekend of June 13-15, he will
appear at Festa Italiana in
Newport, Ky.
The Italian Community Center
of Milwaukee has already booked
Fruzzetti for shows during its 37th
annual Festa Italiana, Friday, July
18 through Sunday, July 20 at
Henry Maier Festival Park
(Summerfest grounds).
Fruzzetti was recognized several
years ago as the “Ambassador of
Italian Music in America.” He is a
native of Pisa (Tuscany), Italy.
Moreno Fruzzetti
New cookbook puts Sicilian
grandmother’s secret
recipes into printed form
A Centerville, Ohio woman, who
simply calls herself Francena, has
written a book based on the secret
recipes she learned from her grandmother,
Frances
Amari
Giallombardo. The book is titled
Recipes My Nonna Taught Me.
Francena told The Italian Times
that when she was a young girl,
she would visit her Sicilian grandmother, knowing her nonna was
always cooking and that the house
gave her a warm feeling.
Since her grandmother never
followed a recipe, Francena said
she would watch her cook and
write down all the ingredients – a
pinch of this, a handful of that –
knowing that someday she might
PAGE 14 – MARCH 2014
put together a book of recipes for
her own family.
The popularity of the recipes
that Francena gathered for her
family soon drew the attention of
many others, resulting in the book,
which is now in its 12th printing.
Some of her recipes are more
than 50 years old. A few are variations of others she has gathered
over the years and several are originals.
To order a copy of Recipes My
Nonna Taught Me, send $12.50
(check or money order) to FRANCENA, 125 Boyce Rd., Centerville,
OH 45458. You may also call 937433-7313 or email [email protected].
good choice for children.
Some might describe the
Paloucek children as “precocious,”
but the couple basically cultivated
an interest that was clearly latent.
Eddie said he made it a mission
to introduce his children to live
opera and, in recent years, took
them and an entire high school
class on a trip to Chicago’s Lyric
Opera to see a performance of The
Girl of the Golden West.
He’s a 12-year teacher of music
history, and he grew up in a family
of music lovers. He was “hooked,”
he said, after attending his first
opera, Mozart’s Abduction from the
Seraglio, when he was age 14.
Currently, he teaches at St.
Jerome’s Catholic School in
Oconomowoc. He also plays the
mandolin and plays a regular “gig”
on Thursday nights at The Pub in
Oconomowoc. His musical tastes
are broad and include a wide variety of composers.
Quotable Quote: Singing is less
threatening than talking. You can
get away with a lot more singing. –
The late Pete Seeger.
L’Angolo del Poeta
Prepared by Barbara Collignon
and Roberto Ciampi
With spring approaching, two poignant stories from mythology come
to mind – the myth regarding Proserpina and Pluto and that of another
famous couple, Orpheus and Eurydice.
Both Proserpina and Eurydice descend into the underworld. Pluto,
struck by one of Cupid’s arrows, is smitten with Proserpina as she was
playing with her nymphs and collecting flowers at the shores of Pergusa
Lake near Enna in Sicily. He, Ruler of the Underworld, abducted her in
order to marry her and live with her there. Her mother Ceres, also
known as Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, sought her everywhere in
vain but only found her small belt floating upon a little lake. In her desperation, Ceres stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables, cursed Sicily
and refused to return to Mount Olympus. Her every step on Earth left
behind a desert. Jupiter ordered his brother Pluto to free her. He
obeyed but because those who have eaten the food of the dead cannot
return to the world of the living, he made her eat six pomegranate seeds
before releasing her. He thus assured that Proserpina would have to live
six months of the year with him and six months with her mother.
This story was obviously intended to explain the changing of the seasons. When Proserpina returns, Earth blossoms but when she descends
again to the underworld to be with her husband Pluto, it withers.
According to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus, a musician,
sought his departed beloved in the underworld. He convinced Hades to
let Eurydice leave with him, but her release comes with a catch. She
must walk behind him as they ascend to the upper world, and Orpheus is
forbidden to look at her. Unfortunately, just as they reach the exit, he
turns to look at Eurydice to make sure she is following and she is immediately sent back to the Underworld – forever. The story of Orpheus and
Eurydice has been perpetuated through opera (Orfeo ed Euridici by
Gluck), cinema (Orphée Noir by Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais in 1950
and Orfeo negro directed by Marcel Camus in 1959) and poetry (Sonnets
to Orpheus by Rilke) and in numerous other creative venues.
Italian poet Alda Merini was greatly influenced by Rilke and identified with Proserpina and Eurydice. She wrote The Presence of Orpheus,
Fear of God, Roman Wedding, Diary of an Other, and Love Lessons
(2009). She was institutionalized for mental illness for nearly two
decades in a mental home that was a hell of sorts, an underworld of indescribable suffering. Thus Merini’s poems are meditations on illness,
nature, and myth.
On Mar. 17, 2013, Alda Merini wrote:
Sono nata il ventuno a primavera
ma non sapevo che nascere folle,
aprire le zolle
potesse scatenar tempesta.
Così Proserpina lieve
vede piovere sulle erbe,
sui grossi frumenti gentili
e piange sempre la sera.
Forse è la sua preghiera.
I was born on the twenty-first in spring
but I didn’t know that being born insane,
opening up the earth
could unchain storms.
Thus slight Proserpina
watches it rain on the grasses,
on the big gentle grains
and always weeps at night.
Perhaps it is her prayer.
– Translated by Barbara J. Collignon
Continued on page 15
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Request from ICC for cell phone
numbers and e-mail addresses
By Susie Christiansen
Social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as email and cell phone texting, are currently the most common methods of
communicating for people. Using those avenues, we want to develop a way
to reach out to our membership to inform you about upcoming events
organized by the Italian Community Center, such as Il Grande Carnevale,
A Taste of Italy and Festa Italiana.
We can even email you a copy of The Italian Times.
When the ICC hosts wine tastings, musical events and cooking classes,
it would be helpful to everyone involved to be able to send an e-mail blast
or a cell phone text blast to ICC members and as many non-members as
possible. Right now, committee chairs and event planners here don’t
always know what advertising options are available to them and how to
reach out to you. Without spending a ton of money, we just aren’t sure how
to let the people out there know about upcoming events at the ICC.
ICC members can be placed on an e-mail list and a cell phone list when
they sign up for or renew their membership. Our application includes a
place for your e-mail address and cell phone number.
Our membership contact list is extremely private, and we will continue
to keep it that way. We do not distribute our address, phone or e-mail lists
to anyone. Rest assured your contact information will be retained by the
ICC and only the ICC, and you will only be sent messages on a limited
basis.
We simply want to inform you. We want to tell you about the fantastic
events, activities and ethnic experiences that the Italian Community
L’Angolo del Poeta
from page 14
Merini was twice nominated for a Nobel Prize during her lifetime, by
both the French Academy and Italian PEN. One of her masterpieces is
L’altra verità. Diario di una diversa, Scheiwiller, 1986. She received the
prize of the Italian Republic for poetry.
The day of her death in 2009, the President of the Italian Republic,
Giorgio Napolitano, called her an “inspired and limpid poetic voice.”
This brief poem was inspired by the myth of Orpheus following
Eurydice.
The Visit
You came last night to visit me.
You didn’t call ahead.
You just appeared beside me
as I slept in my bed.
You kissed me on the forehead.
You kissed me on the cheek.
You gently kissed my eyelids.
There was no need to speak.
I loved you in another life
and then you disappeared.
I’ll follow you some day, you know.
Just wait and I’ll appear.
Just wait and I’ll appear.
– By Barbara J. Collignon
La visita
La scorsa notte sei venuto a farmi visita
senza avvisarmi prima.
Mi sei comparso accanto
mentre dormivo nel mio letto.
Mi hai baciato in fronte.
Mi hai baciato sulla guancia.
Con dolcezza mi hai baciato le palpebre
e non c’era bisogno di dire nulla.
Ti ho amato in un’altra vita
ma poi sei scomparso.
Ti seguirò un giorno, lo sai?
Aspetta e comparirò.
Aspetta e comparirò.
– Translation by Roberto Ciampi
Center has to offer.
These are the other options available for submitting your cell phone
number and e-mail address:
1. Our website: www.iccmilwaukee.com – use the Contact Us Form (the
last tab on the site).
2. By e-mail: [email protected].
3. Call Constance Palmer at the ICC – 414-223-2808.
Members: Please notify ICC
of a change of address; noncompliance is costly for ICC
Any member of the Italian
Community Center who has a
change of address is asked to notify
the ICC promptly so that mailings
from the Center are sent to the correct address.
Since the ICC uses nonprofit
bulk rates to mail The Italian
Times, the United States Postal
Service is entitled to charge a fee
(50¢) for each newspaper that is
returned to the ICC and deemed
undeliverable due to an incorrect
address. Since June 2009 when the
fees were first assessed, the ICC
has been forced to pay more than
$415 to the Postal Service because
members did not supply the ICC
with their change of address information.
Even if you are temporarily
away from your permanent residence and are not receiving mail at
that address, you need to notify the
ICC of your temporary address so
that your newspaper can be delivered to that address and so that the
ICC is not charged 50¢ for each
failed attempt to deliver the publication to your permanent residence.
“We’ve had a number of members who have gone to Florida or
another warm weather location for
the winter and these people did not
supply us with their temporary
change of address; hence their
newspaper was returned to the ICC
with the 50¢ service fee due for
each newspaper,” Editor Tom
Hemman said.
Nonprofit bulk rate mail is not
forwarded to a new address, which
means those members who neglect
to inform the ICC of their change of
address will not receive the newspaper.
Please send change of address
information to: Italian Community
Center, 631 E. Chicago St.,
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 or
email Constance Palmer at
[email protected] or call
her at 414/223-2808.
ICC Historian Carini wants
your high school yearbooks
and other memorabilia
Don’t throw away your old high
school yearbooks or other memorabilia. If you attended a high school
in Milwaukee County or surrounding counties, Italian Community
Center Historian Mario A. Carini is
interested in using the yearbooks
and other high school memorabilia
for furthering his research on local
Italian Americans.
Carini will deposit the yearbooks and memorabilia at the
Milwaukee County Historical
Society after he completes his
research.
“These can be yearbooks and
memorabilia from public, Catholic
or private high schools,” Carini
said.
Yearbooks and memorabilia can
be dropped off at the reception desk
in the main office of the ICC.
Please include a note with your
name and phone number so Carini
knows who made the donation.
Pietro Tarantino offers
help to Italian citizens
Pietro Tarantino, a longtime
member and past board member of
the Italian Community Center, is
offering free assistance to members
of Wisconsin’s Italian community
on matters involving the Italian
government. Tarantino will be at
the ICC on the first Saturday of the
month from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Tarantino is a member of
Comites (Comitato degli Italiani
all’estero) and a liaison to the
Italian General Consulate of
Chicago.
Among the matters for which
Tarantino can provide assistance
are visas and passports, power of
attorney, verification of signatures,
documents relating to death certificates and declarations dealing with
citizenship, civil status and pensions.
Copies of vintage photos displayed at ICC or Festa
available through Milwaukee County Historical Society
Persons interested in acquiring
a copy of any of the vintage Italian
American photographs that are displayed throughout the year at the
Italian Community Center or during the four days of Festa Italiana
must contact the Milwaukee
County Historical Society (MCHS)
to obtain the photo, ICC Historian
Mario A. Carini announced.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
“The Historical Society is the
keeper of all of the negatives,”
Carini said, who donated a massive
collection of artifacts, photos and
other memorabilia to the society on
behalf of the ICC and the early
Italian immigrants in 2010.
Please call either 414/273-7487
or 414/273-8288 for more information.
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 15
LA PAGINA ITALIANA
a cura di Enrica Tarantino-Woytal
Sicilia Mondo – Giuseppe Portogallo
siciliano eccellente in Cina
Stupefacente
ma
anche
emblematico l’impegno per la
promozione della cultura siciliana
da parte di tanti siciliani eccellenti
o in posti di responsabilità nelle
varie parti del mondo, come
supplenza alle disattenzioni del
Governo regionale, ignaro che la
Sicilia non finisce con il mare.
E tuttavia non si contano i
siciliani doc che fanno onore alla
Sicilia e si impegnano a farla
conoscere, radicare e diffondere
nelle società di insediamento, in
tutta la ricchezza del suo
patrimonio culturale, storico e
paesaggistico.
Una
risorsa
ingessata.
Tra i molti, citiamo Giuseppe
Portogallo, siciliano di Piazza
Armerina, da oltre 30 anni
residente a Pechino, attualmente
prestigioso imprenditore, General
Manager della “Agorà Service”,
titolare di aziende di servizi
relativamente ad aeroporti e
controlli di sicurezza. Instancabile
portatore di tecnologie italiane in
Cina.
Giuseppe Portogallo, che tiene la
Sicilia nel cuore, ha costituito nel
2007 la Fondazione Prospero
Intorcetta cultura aperta per
ricordare la figura storica del
gesuita Prospero Intorcetta, nato a
Piazza Armerina nel 1625,
missionario in Cina dal 1659. Fu il
primo a tradurre in latino le opere
di Confucio.
La Fondazione, oltre a
Sicilia Mondo scrive ai Capigruppo dei Partiti
al Senato a sostegno della mozione del
Senatore Claudio Micheloni sulle chiusure
degli Istituti Italiani di Cultura e delle
Rappresentanze diplomatiche consolari
“Caro Senatore,
Sicilia Mondo, espressione viva delle comunità siciliane che vivono
fuori dall’Isola, con la presente si rivolge alla Sua sensibilità di
Capogruppo del Partito, per appoggiare la seguente mozione che il
Senatore Claudio Micheloni presenterà al Senato Martedì 11 febbraio
corr. sul “riordino delle sedi consolari”, allo scopo di bloccare la
decisione del MAE riguardante le chiusure di sedi e agenzie consolari e
degli Istituti Italiani di Cultura nel mondo.
Questa Associazione, infatti, condivide e fa proprio il contenuto della
mozione che considera essenziale nel sistema-immagine dell’Italia e
nella tutela dei diritti delle nostre comunità all’estero.
Sicilia Mondo si sente perfettamente legittimata a rappresentare dal
basso una esigenza fortemente vissuta e considera la presente un
contributo che arricchisce, certamente, l’esercizio democratico delle
Istituzioni del nostro Paese.
L’associazionismo di emigrazione ne ha tutti i titoli.
Nel ringraziarLa fin da ora, La prego gradire le più vive cordialità.
Il Presidente
Avv. Domenico Azzia
Consigliere del C.G.I.E.”
* * *
Sicilia Mondo – Accolta con soddisfazione
l’abrogazione del reato di clandestinità da
parte del Senato
Viva soddisfazione ha suscitato, anche presso la numerosissima
comunità siciliana all’estero vicina a Sicilia Mondo, il sì del Senato al
disegno di legge sulle pene alternative al carcere e sulla messa in prova
riguardante gli immigrati clandestini.
Il ddl approvato al Senato con 195 voti a favore, 15 contrari e 36
astenuti e che dovrà ora passare anche dalla Camera dei Deputati,
contiene l’emendamento riguardante il reato di immigrazione
clandestina.
“Se da un lato il reato viene abrogato, dice il sottosegretario alla
Giustizia Cosimo Ferri, dall’altro viene applicato in illecito
amministrativo”. Ciò significa che chi entra per la prima volta In Italia
clandestinamente, non verrà sottoposto ad un procedimento penale ma
verrà immediatamente espluso. Nel caso in cui rientrasse una seconda
volta, commetterebbe reato.
La notizia del via libera a questo emendamento è stato certamente un
segnale politico importante del Paese Italia che oggi per uscire dalla
crisi, ha bisogno di credere e di valorizzare anche la risorsa del mondo
immigratorio.
Non si può rimanere inerti di fronte alla tragedia di persone come noi
che lasciano la propria terra per povertà o per persecuzioni, alla ricerca
disperata di sopravvivenza e di migliori condizioni di vita per sé e le
proprie famiglie.
Si volta pagina: l’immigrato non più visto come uomo da scartare, da
cui avere paura, un nemico da cui difendersi, legato alla criminalità, alla
sfruttamento, alla irregolarità.
Lo stesso Papa Francesco dice, in occasione della Giornata del Migrante
e del Rifugiato: “Bisogna passare da una cultura dello scarto alla cultura
dell’incontro”.
L’attesa della trasformazione in legge da parte della Camera dei
Deputati, sottolinea Azzia, è molto diffusa anche tra la gente comune
perché rappresenta un modo diverso di vivere e di civiltà per il Paese
Italia.
PAGINA 16 – MARZO 2014
valorizzare Piazza Armerina e la
sua storica realtà territoriale ed
archeologica, ha conseguito, negli
ultimi anni, straordinari successi
nella progettazione di eventi,
manifestazioni, scambi, promozione
di cultura aperta e di dialogo tra
popoli sull’asse portante SiciliaCina.
Su questa linea culturale, ha
recentemente siglato un protocollo
d’intesa
triennale
con
la
Fondazione Federico II di Palermo,
istituita nel 1996 dalla Regione
Sicilia, con il compito di
valorizzare il patrimonio culturale
dell’Isola.
Il protocollo si ripromette di
favorire la conoscenza e lo studio
dell’opera dei gesuiti siciliani in
Cina ma soprattutto vuole essere
una piattaforma di scambi tra
Italia e Cina, puntando alle attività
scientifiche, alle innovazioni, al
rilancio culturale della Sicilia
attraverso collaborazioni, studi,
ricerche, scambi professionali,
attività editoriali, partecipazioni a
bandi e gare nel comune interesse.
Giuseppe Portogallo, punto di
riferimento della Sicilia in Cina,
ove risiede un folto gruppo di
siciliani, è stretto collaboratore di
Sicilia Mondo e socio del Network
www.siciliamondo.net per i siciliani
eccellenti e nei posti di
responsabilità. E’ stato scelto
insieme ad altri dieci siciliani
eccellenti ed ha partecipato
all’Incontro-laboratorio che si è
tenuto a Catania, nel 2011, sul
tema “Per restare nel moto di un
mondo sempre più globalizzato ed
esigente”.
Tra i siciliani che vivono in tutte
le parti del mondo, più numerosi
dei residenti nell’Isola, sono
tantissimi quelli che esaltano
l’immagine della Sicilia, al centro
dell’economia, della cultura, della
politica e della comunicazione nelle
società di insediamento.
Ma il Governo regionale li ha
cancellati tutti. Anche nella
Finanziaria della Regione. Una
eliminazione totale.
Sicilia Mondo: XV
edizione del Premio
Letterario Giovanile
Sicilia Mondo 2014
La globalizzazione ha sdoganato
la comunicazione consentendo ai
giovani di tutto il mondo, via skype,
facebook ed altro, di navigare,
conoscersi e confrontarsi sulla
quotidianità ma anche su progetti
riguardanti il futuro.
Spesso, l’argomento dell’incontro
è quello di confrontarsi sui modelli
comportamentali ma anche sulle
possibilità di accedere a diverse
specializzazioni negli studi, nella
innovazione e nella ricerca di
lavoro.
“In questo confronto, quanto ti
aiuta la identità italiana, la
formazione scolastica ed educativa
e quali le riflessioni ed i punti di
incontro sulla società di oggi e sul
suo futuro?”
Questo il tema del XV Premio
Letterario Giovanile Sicilia Mondo
per il 2014.
E’ stato prescelto questo
argomento perché i problemi del
mondo giovanile sono stati sempre,
ed oggi più che mai, al centro
dell’impegno di Sicilia Mondo.
Requisiti del Concorso
Il concorso è riservato ai giovani
siciliani (tra i 18 ed i 35 anni)
residenti all’estero, figli e nipoti di
siciliani.
TESTO – Il testo deve essere in
lingua italiana, della lunghezza
minima di 2 cartelle a quella
massima di 15, di 30 righe e per un
massimo
di
60
battute
dattiloscritte.
NUMERO COPIE - I concorrenti
devono inviare due copie in busta
chiusa, di cui una contenente nome,
cognome, data e luogo di nascita,
indirizzo, numero di telefono, email, la dichiarazione di essere
figlio o nipote di siciliani
accompagnata da una foto. Il
concorso non prevede alcuna quota
di partecipazione.
SPEDIZIONE – Gli elaborati
devono pervenire entro il 31
maggio 2014 a “Sicilia Mondo”, Via
Renato Imbriani, 253 – 95128
Catania. I lavori inviati non
saranno restituiti.
Premi
Al 1° classificato: Viaggio e
ospitalità di 5 gg. in Sicilia e targa
ricordo;
Al 2° classificato: Una collana di
libri e targa ricordo.
GIURIA - La giuria, composta da
personalità del mondo culturale,
verrà resa nota al momento della
premiazione.
PREMIAZIONE - Avverrà a
Catania a data da destinarsi.
RISULTATI – I risultati
saranno resi noti tramite
corrispondenza e-mail e attraverso
la stampa.
Marzo
Date da
ricordare
8 marzo - Giornata della
donna. Auguri a tutte le donne.
19 marzo - San Giuseppe
21 marzo - San Benedetto
ogni rondine sotto il tetto.
Inizio della primavera la
natura si risveglia dal suo lungo
periodo invernale.
E’ primavera!
Se nel mese di marzo
festeggiate
onomastico,
compleanno
anniversario
fervidissimi auguri!
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Sicilia Mondo scrive ai sindaci
della Sicilia per l’applicazione
delle detrazioni fiscali
previste dalla legge di
stabilità per le abitazioni dei
siciliani che vivono
fuori dell’Isola
“Caro sindaco,
questa Associazione, espressione viva delle comunità siciliane che
vivono fuori dall’Isola, chiede, alla Sua sensibilità, di volere applicare la
legge di stabilità che consente ai Comuni la facoltà di adottare, per il
2014, esenzioni, agevolazioni e riduzioni fiscali per le imposte comunali
relative a Imu, Tari e Tasi, per le abitazioni dei cittadini italiani
residenti all’estero, proprietari di immobili in Italia.
Per ciò che riguarda l’Imu, la stessa legge prevede che i Comuni
possano considerare direttamente adibita ad abitazione principale
l’unità immobiliare posseduta dai cittadini italiani non residenti, aventi
il titolo di proprietari o di usufruttuari, a condizione che non risulti
locata.
Peraltro, è previsto, per il 2014, un contributo di 500 milioni di euro ai
Comuni, finalizzato a finanziare le eventuali detrazioni dalla Tasi, in
favore dei cittadini italiani iscritti all’AIRE.
Come è noto, la tassazione della casa in Sicilia è stata sempre il
cruccio dei siciliani che vivono fuori. Vi ritornano sempre per le ferie o
per la festa del patrono.
I siciliani che negli anni 60-70 e 80 andarono all’estero in cerca di
lavoro ed in particolare quelli verso i paesi europei, partirono tutti con il
progetto di raggranellare un po’ di denaro ma poi di rientrare
definitivamente in Sicilia.
In questa logica, investirono tutti i loro risparmi per costruire la casa
nel comune di partenza. Sorsero, così, nei comuni di forte emigrazione,
interi quartieri di nuove abitazioni che vennero pure arredate.
Ma nella realtà, per il 90% di loro, il rientro definitivo nel paese di
origine rimase un sogno.
La stabilizzazione nelle società di insediamento ma soprattutto la
integrazione dei loro figli e nipoti ai parametri culturali locali, fece
tramontare l’idea di un ritorno al Paese di origine, che nel frattempo si
era anch’esso trasformato.
Ma mai hanno rinunziato di ritornarvi per le ferie né di vendere
quella casa che era frutto di tanti sacrifici ma anche di tanti sogni
mancati. Oggi un simbolo.
Per questo rientro temporaneo, su case di proprietà mai locate, i
siciliani hanno pagato dal 1993 al 2011, per ben 18 anni, la tassazione
prevista dalla legge italiana come abitazione principale, anche se hanno
usufruito limitatamente dei servizi indivisibili.
Ove il Comune non dovesse applicare i benefici previsti dalla legge di
stabilità per il 2014, i corregionali proprietari di abitazioni in Sicilia,
dovranno pagare sia l’Imu, con le aliquote più elevate per la “seconda
casa”, sia la Tari per rifiuti che non producono che la Tasi, per servizi
che non fruiscono.
La tragedia della emigrazione appartiene alla storia della Sicilia. La
conosciamo tutti. Ci coinvolge. La sua memoria ci sensibilizza.
Non si può dire di no a chi ha tanto sofferto ma che ha anche tanto
dato, con le rimesse, nei tempi bui.
Il loro rientro che assume proporzioni impressionanti nei periodi
estivi, significa ritorno di ricchezza ma contiene anche le ragioni etiche
di un ritorno di rapporti umani che prolungano la vita dei valori
identitari.
Questa Associazione, pertanto, confida sulla sensibilità della S.V. per
una scelta che può essere inserita benissimo tra i fattori di sviluppo del
Comune.
Ovviamente, la legge di stabilità per il 2014, riguarda tutti gli italiani
che vivono all’estero.
Molto opportunamente i parlamentari eletti nella Circoscrizione Estero,
Porta, Farina, La Marca, Garavini e Fedi, hanno chiesto a Piero Fassino,
Presidente dell’Anci, in occasione della prossima audizione del Comitato
permanente degli Italiani nel mondo e per la promozione del sistema
Paese della Camera dei Deputati, una direttiva ai Comuni per le
detrazioni fiscali, per il 2014, previste dalla legge di stabilità.
Contando su un provvedimento di attenzione che vuole avere il
significato di rinnovata vicinanza nei confronti dei concittadini emigrati
che stanno fuori, La ringrazio pregandoLa di gradire le più vive
cordialità.
Il Presidente
Avv. Domenico Azzia”
20° Annuale Maratona
di Roma
20° Annuale Maratona di Roma
(noto come la "Maratona di Roma")
si terrà il Domenica, Marzo 17 a
Roma, Italia.
Il 42-km marathon - in cui più di
12.000 atleti sono tenuti a partecipare - avrà inizio alle ore 9 di
fronte al Colosseo.
Il percorso continua attravers o
le strette e tortuose strade della
Città Eterna. Guide, passando
THE ITALIAN TIMES
dalla Basilica di San Pietro, Piazza
di Spagna, Piazza Navona, e innumerevoli altri punti di riferimento.
A fianco del più grave e più intensa
Maratona di Roma, un evento parallelo per quelli meno atleticamente inclinato. "La Stracittadina",
questo "Roma Fun Run" è orientato
verso le famiglie e gli anziani e i
vantaggi decine di Romano charities.
Mozione Senatore Claudio
Micheloni Atto n. 1-00187,
pubblicato il 5 dicembre
2013, nella seduta n. 147
La cultura è in assoluto il
patrimonio più prezioso che l’Italia
possiede. Gli Istituti Italiani di
Cultura sono uno strumento
fondamentale per diffondere la
cultura italiana e per mantenere
vive le radici culturali degli italiani
all’estero. “Chiudere gli istituti di
cultura è un errore gravissimo che
pagheremo per decenni”, è il succo
del commento di alcuni intelettuali
italiani, tra cui Dacia Maraini,
Stefano Benni, Serena Dandini,
Beppe Severgini, Claudio Magris.
Le chiusure vengono giustificate
dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri
con la Spending review. Ma
vogliamo guardare da vicino questi
“risparmi”?
Poiché tutti gli impiegati
verranno ricollocati, il risparmio
totale a seguito della chiusura,
costituito dall’eliminazione della
dotazione, per esempio, dei tre
Istituti Italiani di Cultura in
Germania (Stoccarda, Francoforte e
Wolfsburg) è di: 291.000,00.
Pari alla indennità annuale di
un Console Generale di Consolato
di I Categoria.
La perdita di introiti diretti
(corsi di lingua, certificazioni e
sponsorizzazioni), che non ci
sarebbero se questi Istituti fossero
chiusi, è di: 190.000,00.
La differenza tra il risparmio e
la perdita è di ca. 100.000,00.
Ed è per questa cifra che vengono
chiusi 3 Istituti apprezzatissimi da
tedeschi e italiani che tengono alta
e viva l’immagine della nostra
cultura?
L’altra
motivazione
a
giustificazione delle chiusure è la
riorganizzazione della rete degli
Istituti con soppressioni di
strutture in Europa ed aperture nei
Paesi emergenti.
Ma mentre il progetto di
chiusure degli Istituti è stato deciso
con un’accelerazione impressionante, non è stato prospettato dal
Ministero degli Affari Esteri un
corrispettivo piano per l’apertura di
nuovi Istituti.
Se le chiusure degli Istituti non
verranno
bloccate
saranno
cancellati, con un forte danno
economico e di immagine per
l’Italia, tutta una serie di validi
contatti a benificio del nostro Paese
costruiti in decenni di solido lavoro.
Il Ministero degli Affari Esteri
intende privilegiare l’azione
diplomatica in nuove aree
emergenti e chiudere in Europa.
Eppure, nell’ultima pubblicazione redatta dal MAE dal titolo
“Farnesina 2015 – La politica
estera al servizio del Paese:
dall’austerità alla crescità” viene
più volte attestato che l’Europa ha
un peso preponderante riguardo
alla destinazione dei nostri
investimenti ed esportazioni poiché
i primi cinque Paesi sono:
Germania, Francia, Spagna,
Olanda e Lussemburgo.
È razionale chiudere in Europa
tre Istituti in Germania, dove gli
investimenti italiani in uscita sono
pari a 35 milioni di Euro, oppure in
Lussemburgo e Francia con
investimenti pari a 26 milioni di
Euro a Paese. Dove l’export è pari a
49 miliardi con la Germania e 43
miliardi con la Francia? (Dati
verificabili su www.ice.gov.it)
Tutto questo non contando
l’indotto dato sia dalla presenza di
una radicata comunità italiana già
presente sia dalla nuova presenza
dei flussi migratori in arrivo e con
un forte trend di crescita.
Lo stesso ragionamento vale
anche per la chiusura di strutture
diplomatiche.
Nonostante le riduzioni di
bilancio e le difficoltà del contesto
globale, tanto in materia di
promozione dell’economia italiana
nel mondo quanto nella tutela dei
diritti e degli interessi dei nostri
concittadini all’estero, la rete
diplomatica e consolare italiana ha
svolto negli ultimi anni un ottimo
lavoro.
I tagli operati sul bilancio
complessivo, fatti salvi capitoli di
spesa quasi intoccabili, come ad
esempio quelli relativi al
trattamento
economico
del
personale diplomatico e soprattutto
alle indennità di sede all’estero,
producono lo smantellamento e la
chiusura delle sedi consolari
all’estero, strumenti essenziali ai
fini della proiezione internazionale
del nostro Paese e della tutela
dovuta ai nostri concittadini
all’estero.
Perchè chiudere strutture agili
come Sportelli e Agenzie consolari
che sarebbero un’ottima e accertata
alternativa alla chiusura definitiva
di strutture consolari?
La “revisione della spesa con
invarianza dei servizi ai cittadini”,
così come recita la legge della
spending review (di cui al decretolegge n. 95 del 2012, convertito, con
modificazioni, dalla legge n. 135 del
2012), significa ridurre i costi di
funzionamento della rete, non le
prestazioni di servizio ai cittadini,
ma quanto proposto dal Ministero
con il “riorientamento della rete
consolare” va nella direzione
opposta a questo principio.
Zeppole
In molte parti d'Italia, zeppole
o zeppoli nel sud i dialetti italiani)
sono tradizionalmente mangiato
La Festa di San Giuseppe (St.
Giuseppe), Mar. 19.
Le Zeppole fritte sono le palline
che sono di solito conditi con zucchero a velo e possono essere
riempiti con crema, gelatina, cannoli-style crema pasticciera o
burro e miele. A Roma, Napoli e la
regione Sicilia, questi piccoli pas-
ticcini sono venduti in molte
strade e, talvolta, sono dati come
doni.
L'usanza di preparare le zeppole di San Giuseppe è stato diffuso agli inizi del 19° secolo da un
napoletano baker denominato
Pasquale Pintauro.
Le Zeppole sono state servite
come dessert al centro della comunità Italiana del giorno di San
Giuseppe pranzo dal 2010.
MARZO 2014 – PAGINA 17
Italians married in Milwaukee: 1897-1925
Addendum – Part 3
Compiled by Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian
Introductory Notes
The Milwaukee Marriage Index: 1897-1925 includes the name of the individual married and the month and year the marriage took place. Information contained in the Milwaukee Marriage Index:1926-1940 was compiled by this researcher in January
of 1993 and is being featured in The Italian Times. The Milwaukee Marriage Index: 1941-1955 was previously published in The
Italian Times.
Reporting of the volume Milwaukee Marriage Index was obtained from the Milwaukee County Historical Society and copies
at the City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau. These works are all copyrighted and an original copy is at the Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C. for all time.
Please keep in mind that these marriages were actualized only in the City of Milwaukee. Accordingly, if you were married
outside the city limits (e.g., Shorewood, West Allis, Cudahy), your name won’t appear in this listing. Names appearing here are
listed and spelled exactly as found in the marriage volumes. If you know of a relative who was married in Milwaukee during the
time period 1897-1925 and that relative’s name does not appear in these listings, please contact the Milwaukee County Historical
Society.
Surname of bridegrooms appears in parenthesis after bride’s name.
This addendum relates to Italians listed in the Milwaukee Marriage Index: 1897 – 1925, but were not included
in the main corpus of this particular research project.
NOTE:
Surname of bridegroom appears in parenthesis after bride’s name.
Name
Married
Sparacino, Nunzio
Nov-1913
Sparacino, Paul
Nov-1923
Sparacino, Peter
Aug-1920
Sparacino, Vincenzo
Jun-1918
Spella, Joseph
Aug-1921
Spella, Josephine (?)
Apr-1920
Straganola, Josie (Sparacino) Jun-1918
Tales, Vincenzo
Sep-1914
Tantillo, Joe
Jan-1919
Taromina, Camelia (Schiro)
Mar-1920
Taraborri, Jennie (Antonelli) Feb-1924
Temburini, Selumena (Eufemy) Mar-1917
Traina, Frank
May-1920
Tralango, Jack
Mar-1920
Triscari, Joseph
Feb-1922
Troccola, Joseph
Nov-1925
Trupiano, Phillipa (Leto)
Aug-1924
Trupiano, Sebastian
Dec-1919
Name
Truppo, Christina (Barletta)
Tulibana, Guiseppo
Tufo, Silvio
Valdini, Gieranna (Raghianti)
Valente, Tony
Valenti, John
Valenti, Maria (Mollica)
Valenti, Mike
Valentini, Steven
Valentino, Caroline (Manfre)
Valesano, Joseph
Vallero, Victoria (Guerra)
Valverde, Josephine (Laurie)
Vardanega, Giovanni
Viglione, Antonio
Vinci, Joseph
Zaldamo, Petrina (Famularo)
Zanchetti, Philomena (Santi)
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
MILWAUKEE’S ITALIANS:
THE EARLY YEARS
by Mario A. Carini, Italian Community Center Historian
Cover Price: $12.95
ON SALE NOW FOR $9.95
ALL PROCEEDS FROM BOOK SALES
GO TO THE ICC BUILDING FUND.
ICC Historian Mario A. Carini’s labor of love traces the history of Milwaukee’s
Italian community from the mid 1800s to 1925. Resulting from a lifetime of
research by Carini, Milwaukee’s Italians: The Early Years is a 143-page illustrated
paperbook book. The Italian Community Center is the publisher.
Married
Dec-1910
Nov-1919
Sep-1924
Jun-1902
May-1917
Jul-1913
Dec-1908
Oct-1922
Jul-1911
Jun-1911
Jun-1919
Apr-1923
Jan-1914
Jan-1920
Jan-1915
Jun-1919
Aug-1920
Jun-1921
Name
Married
Zancaria, Gracia (Manchia)
Sep-1899
Zanotelli, Victor
Dec-1924
Zaffiro, Biagio
Sep-1924
Zaffiro, Josephine (Geraci)
Oct-1913
Zaffiro, Liboria (Franco)
Oct-1916
Zaffiro, Michael
Dec-1916
Zacconi, Mary (Scaffidi)
Jan-1924
Zanella, George
Jun-1924
Zarcone, Frances (Saulig)
Jan-1922
Zarcone, Frank
Jun-1919
Zarcone, Ignazio
May-1912
Zarcone, Providenza (Casamento) Feb-1908
Zarconi, Anthony
Oct-1919
Zappala, Theresa (Amato)
Apr-1909
Zappaterreno, Joseph
Jul-1924
Zeperelli, Joseph
Jun-1919
Zingasi, Razia (Corse)
Sep-1907
End of listing
ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE
ITALIAN COMMUNITY CENTERʼS
COOKBOOK, “LIBRO DELLE RICETTE,”
VOLUME 2.
Looking for some delicious, home-tested recipes? Youʼll find
them in this cookbook. Use this form to order the book. The
cost is $12. Volume 1 is now out of print.
ITALIAN COMMUNITY CENTER COOKBOOK
ORDER FORM
Your Name _________________________________________________
MILWAUKEE’S ITALIANS: THE EARLY YEARS ORDER FORM
Address ____________________________________________________
Your Name: ________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _______________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
Phone ____________________ E-mail ___________________________
City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________________
Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________________
Number of copies of book ordered: ___________________________________
x $
Subtotal A:
$9.95 per book
$
$
Sales tax (Wisconsin residents only, 5.6%): x $
Subtotal C (enter sales tax figure):
= $___________
Shipping & Handling* ($3.00 for one book;
$2.00 each additional book)
$ ___________
Grand Total
$___________
*You can save the shipping and handling cost by picking up your
order at the Italian Community Center, Monday through Friday from
8 a.m to 5 p.m.
Shipping & Handling*
($3.00 for one book, $2.00 each additional book): $
*You can save the shipping and handling cost by
picking up your order at the Italian Community Center.
Subtotal B:
Number of copies of Volume 2 ____ @ $12 each
(Note: Price includes sales tax)
0.056
$
If youʼre paying by check: Make your check payable to the Italian
Community Center. If you are paying with a charge card, please complete
the following.
Type of Charge Card: _________________________________________
Enter Subtotal B figure & add with sales tax figure: + $
Charge Card No.: ____________________________________________
Grand total:
Expiration Date: ______________________________________________
$
If you’re paying by check: Make your check payable to the Italian Community
Center.
Send this form to: Italian Community Center, c/o Cookbook, 631 E.
Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
If this purchase is being made with a charge card, please complete the following:
Type of Charge Card: _______________________________________________
Charge Card No.: ___________________________________________________
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________________
Send this form to: Italian Community Center, c/o Milwaukee’s Italians book, 631
E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916.
PAGE 18 – MARCH 2014
Spring is right around the corner (we hope)! If you’re have an estate
sale or rummage sale, consider placing an ad in The Italian Times.
Call (414) 223-2801 for details or send an email to
[email protected] to get all the details.
THE ITALIAN TIMES
Victory School’s Italian Immersion
Program report
In Mrs. Jana Horntvedt’s K4
Italian partial-immersion room the
students are working on counting
to “cento” because the 100th day of
school is in a couple of weeks. They
have been learning about colors
and just completed a book about
the colors in their world. They took
a trip to the zoo a few weeks ago
and are about to begin a unit on
animals, focusing on the ones they
saw on their zoological field trip.
Mr. Tom Bruno’s K5 is learning
a wonderful song, “Ci Vuole Un
Fiore” by Sergio Endrigo. Some
fifth grade Italian students are
helping to teach the words and gestures for the song. The older students remember the words and gestures from their experiences five
years ago, when they first learned
the famous and sweetly melodic
song.
Ms. Elizabeth Zizzo and Mrs.
Justine Schwanz’s 33 first grade
students are studying shapes in
math. The students have been
building structures with colored
cylinders, cubes, spheres, rectangular prisms, pyramids and other
shapes. Perhaps one of the first
graders will be inspired to become a
famous architect some day.
Ms. Annette Robertson’s second
graders are currently studying
“Riciclati” and sustainable and ecological practices. The students are
learning many ways of recycling
glass, plastic, wood, paper, water
and food. They will build a compost
bin for red worms to live and break
down food into soil. It will become
their science fair project.
Mr. Steven Falsetti’s third grade
class is exploring the City of
Milwaukee and how it differs from
the rural areas or the countryside:
la cita e la campagna. They are creating a Venn diagram to illustrate
THE ITALIAN TIMES
the differences and the similarities.
They have been on several field
trips to become more familiar with
the City of Milwaukee, going to performances at the Marcus Center,
Milwaukee Public Museum,
Milwaukee Symphony, First Stage
Children’s Theater and a Native
American Pow Wow at Indian
Summer Fest.
Ms. Cathy Laurenzi’s fourth
grade class has been studying the
respiratory system and the effects
of asthma. Thanks to the American
Lung Association and its school
program, ALVI, the children had a
chance to learn with a “hands on”
approach and are able to share this
knowledge with their peers.
Mrs. Diane Wilcox’s fifth grade
Italian students are learning about
verbs in Italian, for example:
essere, avere, and dovere. The students are also learning about the
different conjugations in Italian
which include: -ure, -ere and –ire
verb endings.
Mrs. Janine Graber, Victory
Principal, reported that the school
is hoping to hire several Italian
speaking lower and upper elementary licensed teachers starting Fall
2014. If you have a friend or relative in Milwaukee or Italy who
might be interested in a full time
teaching position please call Mrs.
Janine Graber at 304-6705.
Interviews will begin in March.
MARCH 2014 – PAGE 19
Besides Milwaukee, where did Italian
immigrants settle in Wisconsin?
By Thomas Hemman
Times Editor
While the city of Milwaukee
experienced the largest influx of
Italian immigrants to Wisconsin in
the late 1800s and early 1900s, several other cities in the state during
the same period saw their populations increased by those who
departed from Italy for a new life in
America.
Like other ethnic groups, most
What’s the
weather like in
Italy in March?
The Italians have a saying:
“Marzo è pazzarello,” which literally means “March is crazy!” It
is a month of meteorological
transition, with winter and
spring sharing custody, and
Italians never know quite what
to expect in terms of precipitation and temperature.
The temperature can vary
slightly from the north to the
south, but the general trend is
for colder days in the beginning
of the month, with the last days
of March warming up.
Precipitation is also slightly
high during this month, peaking
in the northeastern regions
(Vicenza in Veneto sees about
three inches of precipitation)
and in some Mediterranean
islands (Messina also sees about
three inches). In between, precipitation can vary with central
Italy averages between 2 to 2.5
inches.
In the north, near the
Austrian border, temperatures
can range from around 30º to
55º, with about a 10º increase
over the course of the month.
In central Italy, including
Rome, temperatures hover
between 45º and 60º.
In Sicily and the southern
part of Italy, temperatures seldom drop below 50º and can
climb into the 60s and 70s.
Looking for the
ideal gift?
How about
Cafe La Scala
gift
certificates?
Available in any
denomination.
Stop in today or call
(414) 223-2185.
Cafe La Scala
at the
Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St.
A block west of Summerfest
in Milwaukee’s
Historic Third Ward.
PAGE 20 – MARCH 2014
Italians left their homeland for
Wisconsin due to poor agricultural
conditions in their country. The
earliest Italian immigrants took
jobs in foundries, tanneries and
coal yards. Most of the Italian
immigration to Wisconsin was indirect; the majority lived in Chicago
before migrating to Wisconsin.
Kenosha, Racine and Madison’s
Greenbush neighborhood became
the home to a sizable number of
immigrant Italians in the early
1900s. Milwaukee, Kenosha and
Racine offered industrial job opportunities. Madison’s Greenbush
neighborhood began as a settlement of Italian stonecutters who
worked on the State Capitol and
the State Historical Society
Building.
One group from the Piedmont
region of Italy settled in Genoa
(southwestern Wisconsin) and
helped to construct buildings representative of those in Genoa, Italy.
Other areas where Italians set-
tled
in
Wisconsin
were
Campbellsport, Fond du Lac and
Plymouth and Marinette County.
These places were becoming important cheese manufacturing centers
and the immigrants helped to make
Italian cheeses that became popular across the United States.
It was reported in a Milwaukee
newspaper in January 1924, “the
largest pastoral colony of Italians
in America, is located adjacent to
the little city of Cumberland.”
Cumberland is in Barron County in
northwestern Wisconsin.
The story, appearing in the
Milwaukee Sentinel, goes on to
state: “In this colony, there are
about 160 families, numbering
about 2,000 people, living on farms,
and all in close proximity and on
the very edge of the city of
Cumberland. Most of those people
are from a province in Italy about
80 miles east of Rome, where farming is the chief occupation, and it is
carried on in a most intensive manner. A few are from southern Italy,
one from Naples and one from
Sicily.
“It is interesting, too, to know
how so many of these people came
to choose this place as their home
and what first induced them to
come here. James McNaughton,
who had charge of the railroad construction work, was confronted
with a strike, so he journeyed to St.
Paul and returned with a crew of
Italian laborers. Among the crew
were several who had been brought
up on farms in Italy and they were
attracted to the fine stretch of land
just south of town and began to
summon their friends from the far
off country to join them.”
Among the first Italian families
to farm in the Cumberland area
were those of George Alfonse, Nick
Campione and James St. Angelo.
By 1920, there were more than
11,000 Italians living in Wisconsin,
with about 75% of them residing in
Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine,
Waukesha, Rock and Dane counties.
Your
Special
Occasion
Deserves
Our
Special
Attention.
Whether you're planning significant family functions -- reunions, christenings,
quinceañera, bridal or baby showers, or you're faced with organizing a last-minute event,
such as a funeral luncheon . . .
Or you want the perfect setting for a wedding reception or engagement or wedding
rehearsal dinner, or your company is looking for an ideal location for a business or social
gathering . . .
the Italian Conference Center is your answer.
Our Catering Director will work closely with you to make sure that every detail that goes
into a successful event is planned. And the food at the ICC! Ah, the food. Your guests will
shower you with compliments after they've eaten the delicious meals prepared by our outstanding chefs and served by our friendly and efficient wait staff.
Everything you need for a successful event is ready and waiting at the Italian Conference
Center. For assistance in scheduling and planning your event, call David or Michelle at . . .
414-223-2800 or visit: www.ItalianConference.com
In the Italian Community Center
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee
Free parking • Handicapped accessible
Minutes from downtown and freeway access
in the Historic Third Ward
THE ITALIAN TIMES