The Italian American Podcast

For many Americans, the gradual reopening of the country means more time out of doors, the slow return to gyms, and the chance to take a good look at how we've been treating our bodies during the many months we've spent, for the most part, indoors. But why weren't we examining our indoor environments this way before the pandemic?  This week's guest, Paul Scialla, is the Italian American Founder an...

For many Italian Americans, the sport of boxing is synonymous with Italian American pride, thanks to the timeless accomplishments of legendary names like Rocky Marciano, "Boom Boom Mancini,"  Jake La Motta, Carmen Basilio, and the late, great Angelo Dundee. But one very dedicated Italian American has made it his life's mission to help preserve the sport's legacy, while training a whole new generat...

When Italian Americans are gathered, it's usually a safe bet that the conversation will turn to the topic we seem to love most… the culinary delights that are Italian food! In fact, many of us like to recall enjoying delectable homemade meals with the famiglia … while discussing what we plan to eat at the next sitting! Who can blame us for this obvious obsession?  Italian cuisine has captivated th...

If the places we hold dear were to be set to music, then the soundtrack for New York's Little Italy would be sung by this week's guest, Jenna Esposito. Known as the "Voice of Little Italy," this passionate Italian American has performed across the country and in some of the most hallowed music venues in the nation but, without fail, she always lends her talents to the annual San Gennaro Festival o...

If you're a proud Italian American, it's probably something you've thought about at least once or twice... the prospect of Italian dual citizenship! Italian law states that citizenship is transferred "Jus sanguinis," or by the right of blood, so the more than 20 million Americans of Italian descent MAY be eligible to become citizens of our ancestral homeland. With both Italy and the United States...

Presepi, pomodori, produce and pane on Pasqua— what ties these alliterative phrases together you ask?  Well, they are some of the ways in which three very special Italian American Podcast listeners have worked to revive and celebrate beloved hallmarks of our Italian American heritage. During this unique, meandering episode, co-host Patrick O'Boyle is recognizing three listeners with the "Ordine de...

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, Philadelphia Councilmember Mark F. Squilla, The 1492 Society, and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations all joined forces to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney's Executive Order No. 2-21, with which he unilaterally cancelled Columbus Day as a holiday i...

On February 21, 2021, a new television series entitled "Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco" ("The Investigations of Lolita Lobosco") premiered on Rai, the national public broadcasting company of Italy. Inspired by a series of novels by Gabriella Genisi, the show follows assistant superintendent Lolita Lobosco of the Bari police force.  Set in the old town of Bari Vecchia, the Rai Fiction production was...

For many Italian American families, St. Joseph's Day is one of the most beloved holidays of the year.  However, since our earliest immigrations to these shores, it's also been a holiday that has seemed a bit under the radar! The celebrations and traditions surrounding this event vary based on where our Italian ancestors came from, and the scale and scope of St. Joseph's Day observances by Italian...

One hundred and ten years ago, on March 25, 1911, a conflagration engulfed the top three stories of a nondescript building in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.  The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, most of whom were recent Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls. The aftermath of this event changed American labor relations and influenced the burgeoning f...

We're celebrating International Women's Day by exploring one of Italian history's most-neglected protagonists, Margaret of Navarre, the Norman Queen of Sicily. We're joined by Jacqueline Alio, an Italian American now living in Palermo, Sicily, who has written a dozen books on Sicilian history, focusing on the island's long-overlooked queens.  She'll introduce us to the incredible figure of Queen M...

On this week's episode of the Italian American Podcast, we're going back to the Big Easy to chat with our friends Lena Prima and Charles Marsala to get an inside look at their new web-TV series, "Buona Sera Louisiana," a weekly show about the Italian culture of the Pelican State and beyond! These two Italian American champions are no strangers to our audience, as Lena has joined our show on two oc...

For many visitors, the stereotypical image of Venice is, perhaps, the famed Venetian mask; but most casual observers are probably unaware of the fact that this postcard-perfect symbol has its roots in the centuries-old festivities that are the Carnevale of Venice. In this week's episode, we're joined by famed photographer and lecturer Anita Sanseverino, an expert in all things Italian, with a spec...

In the last United States Census, 18.25 million people self identified as Italian or Italian American. Demographers believe there are more than 21 million Americans of Italian descent spread throughout the nation.  By some calculations, we are the fifth-largest ancestry group in the United States… but when it comes to making our voice heard in the halls of power, Italian Americans often seem far l...

Wine is one of the oldest and most familiar pleasures on earth, but this potent potion still has the power to intimidate even her most ardent admirers!  Fear not, there is an Italian American coming to the rescue to return the joys of understanding wine to the masses! Gianluca Rottura, the proprietor of "In Vino Veritas," New York City's landmark wine store, is here to discuss his book, Wine Made...

If you were to ask those of us behind the Italian American Podcast what it is that drives us or what keeps us coming back to create a new show week in and week out, it's a safe bet that you'd get a unanimous answer… Passione!   That borderline-obsessive passion that we share for what we do is a familiar feeling to Italians of all stripes, and best-selling author Dianne Hales thinks La Passione mig...

Italian enclaves around the country pride themselves on carrying the title of "Little Italy," but one young Italian American from St. Louis, Missouri, believes his community is the last true Little Italy -- and he's made an incredible film to prove it! In this week's episode, we'll visit "The Hill," the famed St. Louis enclave that has been a thriving pocket of Italian culture in the Gateway City...

Have you ever thought about dropping everything and moving to Italy? If you're like us, chances are you've thought about it at least once this week, and probably more than most people! Maybe you're not ready for a full relocation... Can you picture yourself in a charming vacation home in your favorite spot in the Bel Paese? In this week's episode, we meet two women who might just be the friends yo...

On December 11, 2020, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the outgoing Archbishop of Naples, Italy, announced that he was opening a case on the beatification of King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies.  If approved, the Vatican will begin an investigation into the "heroic virtues" of the King, which is the first step towards canonization;  His Majesty will then be proclaimed a Servant of God and join his moth...

Since this is the final episode before the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Christmas arrive in earnest, we're sending you into the holiday in style with our Italian American Christmas Musical Revue! As many of us will be celebrating a more sedate version of our favorite holiday this year because many families are kept apart in these unprecedented circumstances, we thought we would help fill the volu...

It's Christmas time in Italian America, and with many of us hunkered down in the house this year, there's a good chance you're burning through your favorite holiday movies at a faster pace than normal. What if there was a Christmas movie out there made by and for Italian Americans?  Well, look no further, because in this episode we're sitting down with Jeffery and Robert Tinnell, the Italian Ameri...

Italian American identity means different things to different people, and the "Italian American Experience" is oftentimes a very personal definition for each individual.  At one point or another, it's safe to say most of us have felt a certain "otherness" setting us apart from the mainstream.  If you have felt this more frequently than others, we've got the Paesana for you! On this week's episode,...

For many of us, looking ahead to the year 2021 represents a possible return to "normal"… but in the heart of one of Chicago's Little Italy neighborhoods, a more than 40 year-old Italian American institution is gearing up to reclaim its rightful spot on the Italian American map! This week, host John Viola is sitting down with longtime friend, and newly-appointed president of the National Italian Am...

Shop small and #SupportItalianAmerican Small Business! With Thanksgiving arriving this week, the unofficial start of the 2020 Holiday Shopping Season has arrived, and it's sure to be one unlike anything we've seen before. With another lockdown seemingly looming on the horizon, and online shopping set to claim an even greater share of holiday spending, we at the Italian American Podcast wanted to b...

The Mal'Occhio… the Evil Eye… It's a concept that lives deep in the collective psychology of Italian America, but is it science or superstition? The answer depends on what you believe, as you'll hear in this week's episode when we sit down with Italo-Canadian filmmaker and author Agata De Santis, whose documentary film and follow-up book "Mal'occhio: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Ev...