The Italian American Podcast

That’s because, in this week’s episode, we’re joined by the delightful Marisa Fusaro, Italian teacher and creator of Stellina Travel, who shares her insights on the crucial role of education in preserving Italian-American language culture.

As she regales us with tales from her vibrant classroom, we get a sense of the passion and dedication it takes to teach the Italian language to students from all ethnic backgrounds. But it's not just about language; it's about connecting with our history, our ancestors, and the sense of community that these traditions foster. Marissa's insights serve as a reminder of the invaluable role education plays in the tapestry of Italian-American heritage.

Wrapping up with a heart-to-heart on the value of educational travel, we put the spotlight on the unforgettable impact of experiencing Italy firsthand. There's something magical about watching students come into their own as cultural ambassadors amidst the unfolding wonders of Bel Italia, and we’re discussing the necessity for investing in these opportunities, especially for those who might not otherwise have the chance to experience Italy on their own. From supporting Italian teachers and engaging with cultural organizations to sponsoring a student's voyage, we explore how each of us can contribute to this beautiful endeavor, ensuring the flame of Italian culture burns bright for generations to come. Join us for an episode that's as much about the joy of learning as it is about the love of Italian cookies and culture.

Turn up the volume for an exclusive sneak peek into the inaugural “PaisanCon”, where Hollywood meets heritage in a festival of film, food, and famous faces from across the Italian American entertainment scene!

We’ll meet Nicky Petito, the young Italian American comedian, writer, producer, impressionist, and crooner behind this first-of-its-kind weekend celebrating the influence of our community in pop culture.  He’s rolling out the red carpet in support of Italian American narratives that uplift and inspire, and looking to Explore the Italian American experience beyond the tired tropes of mob tales and reality TV. 

Envision an event where Italian American stars of stage, screen, and sports rub elbows with up-and-comers, where your “Paisan status” isn't defined by your bloodline but by your love for the culture. We spotlight the Paisan Film Festival, the Paisan Awards, and PaisanCon’s heartfelt motto, "You don't have to be Italian to be a Paisan,” an inclusive embrace of anyone who shares our passion for Italian Life.

As our conversation veers towards the portrayal of Italian-Americans in the spotlight, we scrutinize Hollywood's casting quirks and yearn for genuine representation. We dissect the complex dance of being typecast yet excluded, and underscore the importance of backing projects that honor our heritage authentically. Wrapping up, we touch on the power of unity in celebrating the cultural pride that makes us who we are. We leave you with an invitation to be a part of something special, to support Paisan Con in Fairfield, NJ on April 13-14, 2024 as Nicky and his team strive to create not just an event, but an experience that resonates with joy, pride, and the enduring spirit of our Italian American journey.

As we enter into the Easter Season, join us for a poignant reflection on an extraordinary figure in the Italian American community… Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint. Listen in as we share how personal experiences intertwine with Mother Cabrini's remarkable legacy of compassion and service. With the recent spotlight on the long-awaited film "Cabrini," our special guests Monsignor Paul Bocchicchio and Gilda Bello, pivotal early supporters in bringing the story to the screen, offer a behind-the-scenes look at the nearly 15-year journey to honor Mother Cabrini's life on screen, and the challenges they overcame along the way.

Discover the incredible narrative of Mother Cabrini's life and her impact that spans from New York City to New Orleans, marking her as a beacon of hope and dedication. We reminisce about the prayers at the Cabrini Shrine that sparked the creation of the film and recount fascinating encounters with cinematic icons. 

Our conversation sheds light on the film's funding journey, revealing the blend of humor, faith, and determination that characterizes Mother Cabrini's mission and the powerful support from individuals like Eustace Wolfington and H.E. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. Their personal connections to Mother Cabrini's work paint a picture of a legacy that continues to resonate in communities and parishes today.

As we reflect on Easter, our discussion embraces the unique blend of Italian-American culture and faith, highlighting the enduring relevance of Mother Cabrini's story. We address the historical prejudices faced by Italian Americans, underscoring the muted recognition of Mother Cabrini's canonization and the significance of preserving our cultural and religious heritage. And as we send out our warmest Easter wishes, we celebrate the traditions that bind us, from the delectable Easter pies to the shared laughter with loved ones, and invite you to find inspiration in the power of saints like Mother Cabrini. So, come celebrate with us, and let's honor the spirit of community and faith that she embodied so profoundly.

Explore the deep roots of the Italian community in New Haven, CT with our esteemed guests, Frank Stellato and “Uncle Frank” Carano as we explore the cultural and culinary importance of the St. Andrew of Amalfi Society and the indelible mark of Italian migration on New Haven’s history.  Savor the stories of reconnecting with family history and traditional recipes, including a prize-winning family meatball that you can try for yourself next time you are in New Haven’s Italian Enclave!  Listen in as “Uncle Frank” Carano shares his experiences capturing the history of the Wooster Square Neighborhood as a columnist at the New Haven Register, creating a culinary archive in his 35,000+ member “Wooster Square Cooks” Facebook cooking group, and his efforts to preserve the history of Italian immigrants through the Worcester Square Italian Immigrant History Association.

The episode culminates with a focus on the significance of preserving Italian American traditions and oral histories. We unveil some plans for our upcoming store in Manhattan’s Little Italy including an innovative oral history booth, aiming to capture and safeguard our community's narratives. As we share anecdotes about local food legends and family recipes, we celebrate Uncle Frank's literary and culinary contributions, inviting listeners to partake in a communal feast that honors our Italian American roots. Tune in and be inspired to keep the flame of cultural heritage burning for generations to come.

Join co-host John M. Viola, as he broadcasts directly from the vibrant heart of New Orleans, where the Italian American St. Joseph's Society's parade and feast ignite the city with cultural pride. Listen in as he sits down with dear friends and prominent figures in the Italian American community—Brendan Young, Tony Mangia, and Chef David Greco of Mike's Deli on Arthur Avenue— to share a lively discussion about the rich traditions of St. Joseph's Day, including the massive undertaking of preparing nearly a thousand pounds of Pasta con Sarde and the deep-seated importance of food in our heritage celebrations.

We dive into the kitchen camaraderie that makes monumental cooking endeavors like this possible and illuminate the secrets behind the mouthwatering feasts that have come to symbolize our collective identity. We reminisced about the family-run businesses that form the backbone of our community, the resilience that has seen us through the toughest of times, and the cultural champions who've ensured that our legacy endures.

Plus, we’ll explore the broader implications of our heritage celebrations, and how the significance of these gatherings extends beyond the feasting tables, shaping our perspectives on historical narratives and the ways we honor our forebears. Through the power of story and social media, we're not just preserving customs; we're inviting the world to join our pilgrimage, one that celebrates the grandeur of Italian-American culture and the spirited communities that keep it alive. So, tune in, enjoy the stories, and perhaps find a spark of inspiration to kindle your own cultural flames by joining the dozens of listeners already making the pilgrimage at next year’s St. Joseph’s Day Weekend!

Join us as we unwrap the colorful tapestry of Italian culture with guests, Trisha Volpe and Saverio Nestico from Filitalia International. This forward-thinking organization, born in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian American enclave stretches across the globe, with membership from Havana, Cuba to the Heartland of America! 

Discover the origins and mission of Filitalia, its expansion to 27 chapters worldwide, and how it fosters values of humility, justice, and honesty in promoting the Italian language and culture. From historical migrations to the touching story of one Italian American woman finding love in a Pastry Shop, our conversation traverses the rich tapestry of Italian heritage and its enduring influence.

Listen in as we reflect on the dynamic changes within Italian American communities, and discuss the complexities younger generations face when integrating into organizations steeped in tradition, and explore why Filitalia has become the go-to organization for younger Italians around the world seeking their role in uniting Italian-Americans and fostering cultural pride while combining heritage with professional pursuits.  It's a celebration of culture, connection, and the global reach of organizations like Filitalia that bind us all.

And, if you or someone you love is an educator,  visit piccolofuturo.com to bring Maria Theresa’s Italian Heritage curriculum into your classroom! 

Join us for a heartfelt journey through the intricate landscape of cultural identity and generational heritage as we sit down with the esteemed Italian American Poet, Artist, and Professor Maria Mazzotti-Gillan. Listen in as Professor Gillan shares her evocative poetry and personal stories at the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College, painting a vivid picture of the Italian immigrant's struggle to assimilate into American society. Together, we unpack the complex emotions tied to our ancestors' sacrifices, the shame and pride of our immigrant roots, and the delicate balance of preserving tradition while embracing a new national identity.

Reflect on the meaning of the American Dream from an Italian American perspective as we embark on an exploration of the powerful influence that family, culture, and art have on our sense of self.  We uncover the strength found in balancing one's heritage with the pressures to assimilate, and how these dynamics shape our self-identification. 

This episode is an invitation to become part of an ongoing conversation, ensuring that the rich cultural contributions of Italians are remembered, respected, and cherished for generations to come.

For just over 100 years, Unico National has been dedicated to the ideal of “Service Above Self”.  And, the nation’s largest Italian American service organization also happens to be the place where our very own Pat O’Boyle got his start in the Italian American community! That’s right… before he was the “Italian American Wikipedia” he was the Unico National Youth Chairman, and even after three decades the Notorious P.O.B. is still immensely proud of his Unican Roots! 

So in this week’s episode, we’re joined by Cav. Ralph A. Contini, Unico’s National President, to discuss the organization’s proud history and bright future.  From its founding in Waterbury, CT in 1922 (when its founders were denied membership in the local Rotary Club because they were Italian) to its recent growth in many parts of the country, we’re exploring what makes the organization so “unique”, and why recent trends indicate a bright future for this and other Italian American groups!

In January of 2023, more than 100 young, active Italian Americans between the ages of 21 and 35, gathered together in Sunrise, Florida for our inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference.  This year, we set out to live up to the incredible success that was the first IAFL, and the reviews are in and it looks like we exceeded all expectations!

In this week’s episode, you’ll meet some of the over 200 passionate Italian American activists who made up our IAFL2 Class.  From every corner of the country and every walk of life, we met some amazing Italian American future leaders, and we want them to share their stories and their experiences with you!

If you’ve ever been concerned about the future of our Italian American community, you won’t be after listening to this week’s episode. And, if you’re interested in learning more about this life-changing weekend, visit the IAFL Website to learn how you or someone you love could be part of next year’s event!

Nick Panzanella of the ‘Cademia Siciliana Foundation is a proud Sicilian American from Houston, TX who has made it his mission to not only learn Italian and Sicilian but to pass both languages along to his children!  

Through his work with Sicilian institutions and his highly popular "Sicilian with Nick YouTube channel", this trailblazing Italo-Texan presented his incredible work to a standing ovation at our Second Annual Italian American Future Leaders Conference in South Florida, so we knew we had to give him the chance to speak to our audience around the world!  

Learn the best tricks and tactics to impart your linguistic heritage to the future generations of your Italian American family, and give them the greatest gift of all!

From raising kids without parenting books and bedtime routines to eating carbs and fats for a healthier lifestyle, we’re examining some of the forgotten strategies that were common just a generation ago.  And, because studies show raising children who know their genealogy makes for happier and healthier kids, we’re sitting down with genealogist Maria Carparelli of the Italian Genealogy Society of New Jersey to explore some long-lost methods of genealogical research to help the home genealogist breakthrough when technology can only take you so far!

From accessing government records in person to understanding Italian naming traditions in the hunt for your ancestors, Maria is bringing us back to the pre-internet days to share strategies and secrets you won’t want to miss!

What is it about the Italian experience around the world that makes our story so relatable?  Sure, it's one thing for us Italian Americans to connect with our Paesani across the seas in Australia, but why is it that the trio of Italian Australian comedians known as Sooshi Mango have built a devoted audience as far afield as Russia and Lithuania?  And if this humor is speaking to fans of all backgrounds, why is it that these Paesani who are selling out arenas around the world are being labeled as “ethnic humor” in their own country?

We’re visiting the Growing Up Italian Studios to hang out with brothers Joe and Carlo Salanitri, and their best friend, Andrew Manfre - the Italian Australian sketch comedy troupe taking the world by storm.  We’re exploring the inspiration behind Sooshi Mango, and looking at how their work is influenced by everything from vaudeville to the Neapolitan Sceneggiata.

It’s a laugh-a-minute hour and a half in which we discuss everything from the feelings of divided loyalties to where not to eat tripe!  And, thanks to the generosity of our new Australian amici, we’re trying some typical Australian delicacies live on the air.

If you’re a long-time Sooshi Mango fanatic, or hearing them for the first time, we’re thrilled to sit down with these three wonderful new friends on the cusp of their upcoming World Tour.  And we guarantee that after listening to this episode, you’ll be lining up to see these guys live when they come back to the US next month!

Plus, thanks to our pals at Growing Up Italian, you can also take a look at a pilot video version of this episode on our YouTube channel!

Well, we at the Italian American Podcast set out to create a song for those who celebrate Christmas the Italian American way, and our first call was to our friends at the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra, one of the best-kept secrets in Italian America.  

We’re all gathering together hot off the heels of recording our new song “We All Say Buon Natale”, and having a hilarious day putting together a music video for it.  So, we’re sharing how this project came to pass, some insight into the wonderful work of the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra, some of our favorite Italian American Christmas traditions and tales, and a sneak peek of our brand-new song.   So join us for our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EVE SPECTACULAR, wishing you Buon Natale from the Italian American Podcast and the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra!

Join us as we visit the Columbus Citizens Foundation to sit down with this fascinating Argentine-American storyteller to learn more about his passion project documentary examining this incredible Italian American family and the incomparable body of work that flowed out of their studio in the Bronx.  

From the Lincoln Memorial to the New York Stock Exchange, from Brooklyn to San Diego, their impact on public art in America can never be matched… yet their contribution is almost completely overlooked today, and Eduardo has set out to discover why!

We’ll discuss artificial intelligence and its role in history and discovery, examine the ever-evolving role of documentaries and podcasts in the sphere of education, and ask why it is that we Italians seem destined to create art no matter where we go!

Gianluca Rottura, the proprietor of “In Vino Veritas,” New York City’s landmark wine store, returns to the Italian American Podcast to bring us his take on the famed Italian Amari… But, we go completely off the rails and end up getting some of his best recommendations for the drinks and delicacies you’re going to want to try this Holiday Season!

From Gianluca’s top two fresh mozzarellas in the NYC area to some amazing new wines (and yes, amari) recommendations, you’re going to get tons of tips on how to heighten your holiday this year.

We’ll introduce you to the elevation that is colatura -the hottest new “secret ingredient” in the culinary world- which just so happens to be one of ancient Rome’s most common condiments. And, we’ll explore why you might love anchovies if you’ve tried the right ones!

Plus we are discussing Gianluca’s new book: Ma, What Are You Cooking?: The In Vino Veritas Cookbook and Food Guide… an Italian American book so thoroughly encyclopedia that P.O.B. sleeps with it on his nightstand!

And, with the Christmas Season upon us, we're going to taste a listener-made panettone so good, that it will redefine how you look at this Christmas-time regifting staple!  

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a shopping list worth of goodies to track down, so if you love great wines, great food, great friends, and a good old-fashioned Italian American rant don’t miss this very lively (and instructive) episode!

Alessandro Crocco is an energetic and personable thirty-something from Calabria, on a mission to change the way Italy and Italian America interact.  And, as the newly elected President of the Committees of Italian Abroad (Com.it.es) for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (and Bermuda!) Alessandro is in the perfect position to do so.  But, Alessandro has a secret… after all these years, he may have become an Italian American himself!

We’re sitting down with this engaging young community leader to discuss the connections and contrasts between “Italians living in America” and Italian Americans, the opportunities and challenges ahead for both, and what it means to think of oneself as an “Expat” vs. an “Immigrant”.

We’ll delve into the inner workings of the Committees of Italian Abroad (Com.it.es), and look at how these representative bodies of the Italian community (directly elected by Italian nationals living abroad around the world) can be a force for dynamic exchange in the 21st century.  

It's a frank and funny conversation that will ask some fundamental questions about the future of Italian American identity!

We're catching up and sharing stories from our times together beyond the podcast, giving you a glimpse "behind the green-white-and-red", and letting the tangents do the talking as we discuss everything from Rossella's upcoming celebration- the Inaugural "PaesanPalooza"- to some of the more pronounced differences between our hosts! There'll be laughing, shouting, gossiping, and guidance...but most of all a whole lotta love.

If after 299 episodes, you feel like you're one of the pals at the table too, then 300 is one you won't want to miss!

When Dolores, Rossella, John, and Pat reunite in person and around the table for the first time in a long time, and 3/4 of the group decides to bring foodstuffs, it’s no surprise that our co-hosts get lost in the joy of homemade delicacies.  So when Dolores begins to explain the process behind her mother’s hand-foraged mushrooms under oil, the conversation quickly evolves into Dolores and P.O.B. chewing the fat about their favorite ways to “Homestead Italian American Style”.  

While the butter-churning, home wheat-milling love fest leaves little for Ro and John to add, Dolores and Pat share how they have worked to blend traditions and technology in everything from bread making to homemade wine production, and their annual tomato jarring rituals.  

And of course, this wouldn’t be the Italian American Podcast without a tangent or two, so get ready to hear all about Pat’s secret collection of vintage cigarette carousels, how his months-long project to reverse engineer the original taste of Italian America’s favorite espresso brand led to him almost burning down his garage, why a certain sect of Pugliese Americans were curing olives in Drano, and how Dolores doles out chicken coop duties when she and her family are out of town!

Get ready to learn some techniques and tips on a laugh-filled trip to Red, White, and Green Acres, as we take you to the farm as only the Italian American Podcast can!

We’re keeping the Italian American Heritage Month party going with a visit to one of our favorite Italian American hangouts, a place that lives up to its cozy name, Staten Island, NY’s stunning Italian Cultural Center at Casa Belvedere.

The “House with the Beautiful View” was the brainchild of our friend Gina Biancardi, an Italian American with an incomparable passion for our culture and an indefatigable drive to bring the best of Italian American life to as many people as possible.  We’re visiting with Gina and Jimmy Paone (the calming ballast in Gina’s journey through the uncharted waters of bringing this monumental project to life) as they celebrate Casa’s annual Fall Festa & “Motori D'Italia” Luxury Car show.  

As we join the thousands of visitors descending on Casa Belvedere on this beautiful October weekend, we’re exploring the incredible family stories of this tireless couple, the story of Gina’s vision for this unique institution, and the varied events and programs that Casa Belvedere brings to Italian Americans on Staten Island and beyond.

It’s an episode that brings you everything from luxury Italian vehicles, to the finer points of tomato jarring, and from the coolest member’s only experience on Staten Island to a personal blessing by Padre Pio himself!

Join in the incredible passion and Italian American pride, being shared amongst the four paesani catching up with a beautiful view in front of them and a lot of shared love behind their gathering.  

It’s the spirit of Italian American Heritage Month, “Live and Uncut”, with laughs and love from the starting gate till the finish line!

Brandon Ficara thinks we Italian Americans have a special relationship with humor.

Born in Philadelphia, and raised in Ocean City, NJ, this proud Italian American used humor to combat the tribulations of life at an early age. Born with Sprangles Deformity, a condition that required major back surgery when he was three years old, Brandon turned to humor to combat pain and ostracism. With his humorous approach and strong Italian Famiglia, Brandon would turn his "unique look" into the cornerstone of his career in stand-up comedy, television, writing, and public speaking. 

We’re jumping back into Part 2 of this 2-Part exploration of Italian American humor and the varied portrayals that have shared our sense of humor with the world

We share how “Dominick the Donkey” brought Brandon into the Italian American Podcast Famiglia, and why looking at the “serious vs silly” approach to telling our story could change the way we look at how we are portrayed by ourselves and others.

And speaking of portrayals, we are discussing some of the most famous Italian American characters to grace the small screen in the past 40 years, on shows like “All in the Family”, Who’s the Boss” and “The Golden Girls”.  And, we are soliciting YOUR help in seeking out a hidden gem of Italian American TV history, a long-lost 1972 sitcom called “The Super”.

Are we genuinely funny people? And does our Southern Italian history make us more comfortable with comedy and tragedy than other communities?  

We’ll discuss all this and more in this final half of a 2-Part “Live and Uncut” episode, that we hope leaves you with lots of laughs!

Perhaps, it's all of the above and more, so we’re sitting down with our friend Brandon Ficara- a comedian, actor, author, speaker, and consultant- to dig into what makes us laugh at ourselves, and whether or not it's okay for others to laugh right along with us.  

We’ll discuss the evolution of Italian American comedy, from stand-up to sitcoms, and how portrayals of our community have evolved over time.  And we dig into some well-worn sensitivities we often have around perceptions of Italian Americans, and whether or not we need to explore those themes that make us uncomfortable to fully grasp who we are and where we’ve come from.  

It’s the first half of a 2-Part episode, Live and Uncut, that will leave you with a lot to think about, and hopefully a lot of laughs!

Every September for the past ninety-seven years, thousands upon thousands descend on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's venerable Little Italy for “a festa 'e tutte 'e feste”—“The Feast of All Feasts”... the eleven-day celebration that is the Feast of San Gennaro! 

This year, the Italian American Podcast is celebrating the Patron Saint of Napoli- and one of Italian America’s most important Italian Feasts- by sponsoring the Feast’s live entertainment, and adding a little flare of our own by hosting a special live episode of the podcast and the inaugural Feast of San Gennaro Italian American Karaoke Night in partnership with our Paesani at ‘Growing Up Italian’.

On this week’s episode, we’re sitting down in our soon-to-be-permanent studio space at the heart of Little Italy to catch up with our friend John Fratta, the great-grandson of the Feast's inaugural President, and a long-time leader of the ‘Figli di San Gennaro’ committee which organizes this incredible festival.

We’re discussing the history of the devotion to Saint Januarius from Napoli to NYC and everywhere in between, getting some unique insight into how the Feast is being tweaked to reflect its more devotional roots, and why this year’s decision to eliminate eating competitions caused so much controversy.

We’re discussing the special place Most Precious Blood Church and the National Shrine of San Gennaro hold in the life of Italian New York, and getting a P.O.B. masterclass in the story of this beloved patron Saint! 

In this week’s episode, brother and sister duo Lukas and Josie D’Aqui join us to share their vision for an exciting new project: The Italian Australian Podcast! 

Inspired by our very own show, the Italian Australian Podcast seeks to teach listeners about the nuances of Italian Australian history, life, and culture.

We welcome the D’Aqui siblings onto the show to discuss how Italian Australian life compares to our own, explore the cuisine of Italians in Australia, and look at how Italian immigration to Australia was influenced, in part, by restrictive immigration quotas enacted by the United States government during the 1920s. We talk about how Italian Australian culture is still evolving, and where a project like the Italian Australian Podcast might impact its future.

Join us as we get to know new friends who are setting out to bring this conversation to the million-plus Australians of Italian descent!

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

When we set out to film the Feast for an upcoming episode of our popular YouTube show “Greetings From Italian America," we knew this little hamlet was the famed site of the “Roseto Effect” in which medical studies concluded that the town’s incredible ties of kinship and famiglia made it one of the longest-lived communities in 20th Century America… but we couldn’t have foreseen the amazing welcome we’d receive in what might just be the Italian American Promised Land here in eastern Pennsylvania!

We’re exploring how the town’s early immigrants from Roseto Valfortore, Puglia, brought their traditional celebrations for Our Lady of Mount Carmel with them, and how the festival has become the town’s “can’t miss” annual event, bringing Rosetans near and far back home for this heartwarming celebration.

We’ll share stories of some of the people we met during our weekend in Roseto and how everyone embraces Italian pride during the Big Time, even if their roots aren’t in the boot!

Be sure to join us as we discover this hidden Italian American village that just might just be the next hotspot in Italian America!

This episode was sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

In this week’s episode, we’re discussing how our Italian American foodways have helped our guests Kate Famiglietti of The Two Bananas and Maria Del Russo of Sunday Sauce to connect to past generations and inspire future ones!

Both women share stories of how their grandparents’ recipes encouraged them to begin their journeys into Italian food culture. From backgrounds photographing the human eye and writing a sex and relationship advice column, these two passionate Italians share the fascinating backgrounds and careers that brought them to these projects and explain how recreating a cherished family recipe is a trial-and-error process that takes time and patience… but the dividends pay off in more ways than one.

We also discuss how our food culture helps connect us to our ancestral towns, why recipes vary from region to region, and what recipe modifications mean to how our foods tell a greater story.

Join us for an episode that’ll leave you hungry for more!

This episode was sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

This week’s guest, Robert Campana, the founder of “Stop Italian Sounding,” has made it his mission to educate people about the deceptively labeled “Italian Sounding” products that flood our grocery stores and markets, and he is here to explore exactly what types of products are out there passing themselves off as authentically Italian, and why he created his unique social media initiative to educate consumers.

Robert shares tips and tricks on how to recognize authentic Italian products compared to Italian-sounding ones, and why some of our favorite food names might not accurately represent what we are buying.

We discuss the similarities and differences between Italian-made products and their American counterparts, as well as some of the American-sounding foods one might find produced in Italy. We also examine what the market confusion between these types of products can mean for consumers as well as for overall branding and whether or not some of our uniquely Italian American products and brands might not deserve their own special designation!

Find out how you can stop Italian-sounding items from sneaking their way into your pantry on an episode you won’t want to miss!

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

What is the “Italian American language,” you ask? To answer that question, we’re joined this week by Federica La Torre, the founder of “Just a Siciliana,”  a Sicilian linguist with deep ties to the United States since her childhood, when she would regularly visit family and friends who had made the immigrants’ journey to become Italian Americans. During these visits, she came into contact with the Italian American community, which inspired her life’s work of studying the Italian American language.

In this week’s episode, Federica tells us about how the distinct Italian American language developed along with the growing immigration of Italians to the United States and how efforts to preserve it are a major piece of understanding our community as a whole. She also shares her experiences as a translator for the Ellis Island Museum and how her discoveries there revealed a new linguistic world to her… one that she would fight to defend amongst a very doubtful public in Italy and the United States.

She also shares the inspiration for her “Just a Siciliana” Instagram feed and how her work is encouraging others to preserve the words they inherited from family and friends.  

We’ll share some of our favorite Italian American words and phrases, dissect their meanings and etymologies, and examine the back-and-forth exchange as it impacted the Italian language in America and Italy.

Join us for a lively discussion on how our language reveals so much about our history and what makes our community unique!

When this week’s guest, author and “recovering lawyer,” Leigh Esposito, joined us to discuss her debut novel, the conversation quickly turned into one you won’t want to miss!

Her new book, “The Godmother," was recently released to excellent reviews and has been especially lauded for its portrayal of the experience of Sicilian womanhood.

We’ll discuss the author’s interesting take on the evolving role of women in Sicily and throughout Italy, how our community might be changing how it tells its own stories, and how the craft of the writer is ever-evolving as new voices enter the field. 

We’ll also explore the light and dark of Italy’s South, where sadness and joy create a unique interplay in the Southern Italian experience, engender certain learned behaviors, and perpetuate oppressive institutions like the Mafia.

And we’ll examine Sicily’s place as the melting pot of the Mediterranean, where so many distinct cultures meet and merge to form a distinct and wondrous civilization.

Join us as we discover one of our community’s brightest new literary voices!

This week's episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

When Viviana Altieri journeyed from Rome, Italy to Pittsburgh, PA, on a dare nearly 30 years ago, she could never have imagined staying in the United States and pursuing the life of a “Professional Italian American."  But this week’s guest is a natural-born adventurer, and her many incredible journeys seeking out the essence of what it means to “be Italian” have given her unparalleled experiences, which she now brings to her dual roles as the head of the Istituto Mondo Italiano and host of The Italian Radio Hour, her podcast and video series that seeks to reveal the best of Italy and Italian America!

Viviana joins us to explore the mission of the Istituto Mondo Italiano,  a bastion of Italian culture right in the heart of the Steel City,  and how she looks to preserve some very unique aspects of Italian, and Italian American, culture through her work.

We discuss how Italy can be many things to many people, as well as why it is dangerous to overgeneralize Italy, Italian cuisine, and Italian American culture. We also discuss why learning Italian is a key to unlocking a door filled with countless new ways to discover our ancestral homeland.

And, as an added bonus, John and Pat will be guests on Viviana’s show in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to find out the air date!

Join us for an episode of kindred spirits, kindred missions, and immeasurable love for all things Italian!

This episode was sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

Michelle is the owner and founder of Majella Tours of Abruzzo, through which she curates and leads experience-based, small-group tours of this unspoiled Italian region.

Michelle joins us to explore Abruzzo’s sprawling national parks, pristine coastlines, and mysterious medieval villages. We’ll examine the unique cuisine and culture of Abruzzo, from mare to mountains… trabocchi to transumanza, and everything in between!

We’re all about Michelle’s mission to help people discover her family’s ancestral land, and we want YOU to be amongst the earliest adventurers in the most beautiful place in Italy you’ve never seen!

Join us as we prepare you to explore spectacular Abruzzo in this week’s episode!

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

When you say the word “football” to friends and famiglia in Italy, they probably conjure up images of World Cup soccer and the many greats who have worn the famed “Azzurro” of the Italian national team, or their favorite local club competing in Serie A. But, to many an Italian American, football means helmets, hard knocks, and the great American gridiron game invented in the Buckeye State of Ohio! On July 1 in the great city of Toledo, Ohio, these two worlds will collide when the Italian League of American-style Football brings their “Italian Bowl" Championship to the USA for the first time in its 42-year history!

In this week’s episode, we welcome Lou Tosi and Nick Eyde, who are responsible for bringing this game to the state that gave us the sport of football. We discuss how American football came to Italy and why this particular event is so special and unique for players and fans alike.

We also discuss the Italian football league and the amazing stories of its dedicated players… most of whom are playing unpaid for a chance to play their beloved game. 

We’ll examine why sports can help to strengthen the ties that unite Italy and the United States, and how YOU can join us in person to take part in this historic and uniquely Italian American event!

Join us for an episode that’s sure to be a touchdown!

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

In this week’s episode, our very own P.O.B. talks about the feast that he lovingly resurrected 11 years ago: The Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte in Clifton, N.J. To tell the story of this feast, he has invited on several friends: Valerie Cappello, Nick Fedeli, Fran Parisi, and Anthony “Tony Mangia” Scillia, all of whom have in some way lent themselves to his mission to bring this ancient Cilentano celebration back to life.

Our guests share how reviving a feast isn’t a one-person job but the job of an entire group dedicated to preserving Italian American heritage in one of its most unique manifestations and what drew each of them into this devotion. 

We talk about how Italian American feasts are being revived around the country and what our listeners can do if they, too, want to restore one of their own. We also discuss the fine line organizers must walk between recreation and modernization and what roles others in our community can play in making the feast a reborn reality.

Join us as we kick off feast season and share the immense passion of this devoted group in this week’s inspiring episode!

If you would like to donate to the Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte, donations are greatly appreciated and accepted at this website. 

Erick Lucera, a long-time Italian American Podcast devotee and part of our “New Neighborhood” membership group, took inspiration from his countless hours listening to the show when he created a whole new way to tell the story of immigrants who arrived from Biccari, Puglia, to Philadelphia, PA, and has chronicled it in his book, “The Birth of the New Biccari in Philadelphia."

In this book, Erick combines qualitative and quantitative data surrounding Biccarese immigration, utilizing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence to connect statistical data to the oral histories passed on by generations of Biccari’s diaspora around the world… revealing incredible truths behind the popular tales of his ancestral village.

We discuss what led him to use statistics in researching Italian American history and how big data genealogy can help us learn more about our heritage than ever before. 

Erick discusses how anecdotal evidence can be backed up by numbers and how microstories that are unique to each Italian town can help illuminate the reasonings behind our ancestors’ decisions to leave their ancient homelands. 

We’ll also discuss how urban renewal in the United States impacted places like Eric's beloved “New Biccari” in Philadelphia and what drives the continuing and oftentimes diverse, evolutions of Italian enclaves in the United States.

Join us as we discover new ways to look at an old science in this week’s fascinating episode!

This is precisely the case with this week’s episode as we talk with Joe Elia, one of the delegates to the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference. Joe explains that during his genealogical sleuthing, he discovered that one of his ancestors was a post-Unification Bourbon prisoner of war who was sent to serve with the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

Our Bourbon history expert, Lou Mendola, joins us to help Joe decipher his family’s lore, as well as explain how Bourbon soldiers came to serve in our nation’s bloodiest war. We discuss how there’s more to Italian Unification than what we’ve learned in school and why it is necessary to look at any episode in history from every angle.

We also discuss why preserving family history is important and how we can solve the mysteries hidden in our own family trees that are waiting to be discovered.

Join us as we uncover a mystery that will hopefully inspire you to do some sleuthing in your own family history!

A nationally recognized garden historian, ethnobotanist, heirloom specialist, and author John Forti blows the dust off time-honored yet underused garden remedies, artisanal foods, and horticultural practices by enthusiastically helping to preserve and promote tried and true methods that are often lost in modern lifestyles.  From touring and teaching to running his wildly popular Facebook group “The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti," he’s passing down generations of Italian wisdom and taking part in a “Delicious Revolution!”

John joins us this week to share strategies and stories at just the right time, as our co-hosts are setting out to plant their own home gardens in the coming weeks, and we’re getting a lesson that will make your home garden better than ever.

We’ll discuss what heirloom plants mean to our body, mind, soul and health, and how reviving these traditional varietals and methods impacts not only our lives but our lived environment as well.

It's the perfect conversation to inspire you to get out of the house after a long winter and get your hands, and some family heirloom seeds, into the dirt so that you and your famiglia can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of a labor of love!

Italian American author Karen Tintori joins us this week to discuss her 2007 work, “Unto the Daughters.”  This chilling and sobering account of an honor killing in a turn-of-the-century Sicilian family– Karen’s very own family— is also a beautifully heartbreaking testimony of love that spans generations and how the voice of truth cannot be silenced.

Karen tells us how she first learned of Francesca’s tragic story, and how she fought to reconstruct her great-aunt’s life against overwhelming odds and determined resistance from her family by piecing together the scant information left behind after a brutal murder. 

She also explains how Francesca’s story fit into the Detroit of the early 20th century, and what life could have been like for Italian immigrants to the Motor City in those days.

We also examine the life of Italian immigrant women to the United States, and why Francesca’s story reveals eerie parallels to some of the overlooked aspects of modern Italian American womanhood.

Join us as we uncover a story, and a conversation that is sure to remain with you long after you listen!

This week’s guest, Stefano Arturi, knows a thing or two about recreating recipes. The author of the ⁠Italian Home Cooking Blog⁠, Stefano divides his time between Italy and London. ⁠Stefano came to our attention when he featured our very own POB’s pastiera recipe on his site⁠, so we had to have him join us on the podcast!

Stefano tells us about the various methods for making pastiera, as well as other Easter-time delicacies. We’ll explore the continuing evolution of  contemporary Italian cuisine and the recent push to define Italian cuisine by rejecting what is not “traditional." We’ll discuss Stefano’s belief that Italian cuisine owes a debt to its large diasporic community and the many traditional recipes that have gone extinct in Italy which only survive in Italian immigrant communities.

Stressing that Italy is not the country of chefs but of grandmothers, Stefano likes to remind us that food itself is a living thing, and perhaps no single item better represents this content evolution than the humble Pastiera Easter Pie!

So gather the famiglia and turn the volume up as you make your own Easter food traditions come to life once again this week!

This episode was sponsored by ⁠Mediaset Italia⁠.

Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State.  From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points of interest in and around the Crescent City, the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast never rests in his efforts to promote the immense Italian heritage of his home state.

His latest project is one that clearly has a special place in his big Sicilian heart because Charles is one of the many Louisianans who can claim an ancestor amongst the 60,000 Sicilian immigrants who were recruited between 1870-1920 to work as sugarcane harvesters on the plantations and farms of South Louisiana. And now, this proud descendent of those tireless laborers is returning to one of the area’s historic sugar plantations with plans to build a monument in their honor.

In this week’s episode, Charles returns to the Italian American Podcast to tell us the story of the proposed monument to the Sicilian Sugarcane Harvester. Designed by Franco Alessandrini (creator of New Orleans’ beloved Monument to the Immigrant), this stunning piece of public art will forever memorialize the Sicilian experience on the grounds of a former sugarcane plantation.

Charles explains how this monument will be located in the heart of the “river parishes” in Louisiana and why sugarcane, the cash crop of the post-Civil War south, attracted so many Sicilian immigrants to a life of back-breaking toil.

We’re discussing remembrances of our ancestors and why each generation stands on the work-weary shoulders of those who came before.

If you are interested in contributing to fundraising efforts for this monument, visit www.sugarcaneharvester.org.

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

This week’s guest, Mike DeLucia, tells us the story of Angelo-Giuseppi “Hank” Luisetti, the 1930s Stanford University superstar who pioneered many of the moves we see on the courts today, from stylized dribbling to the one-handed shot!

In his book, “Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball," Mike tells readers why Luisetti could —and perhaps should—be considered the greatest basketball player who ever lived.

Mike tells us about Luisetti’s career, as a phenom during the years of the Great Depression, explains why Luisetti’s name isn’t as well-known today as it should be, and shares his own author's journey to reconstruct this lost icon’s story.

We’ll also look at the role of sports in the Italian American experience and find out why so many stories of pioneering Italian American athletes are lost to time and what we can do about bringing them to light.

If you’re ready for some March Madness, Italian American style, you won’t want to miss this episode!

This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.