The Italian American Podcast

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 chapt...

When Maria Teresa Quaranta left her tax accountant ledgers for lesson plans, she wasn't just changing careers; she was answering a calling. Her heart led her to the vibrant halls of the Robert F. Kennedy School in Manhattan, where she now brings the richness of Italian American culture to life using innovative teaching strategies tailored to students with unique learning needs.   Join us as we vis...

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...

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 decad...

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 th...

How many Italian Americans out there are working hard to try to pass the Italian language, or one of Italy's countless Regional Languages, onto the next generation in their family?  What about those of us who are attempting to do it while learning one of these languages ourselves?  Raising your kids with Sicilian, Italian, Neapolitan, or Venetian might seem like an insurmountable task (especially...

What do YOU use to answer the question on race and ethnicity on the U.S. Census?   The Federal Government has recently undertaken a reexamination of the "Federal Standards on Racial and Ethnic Data Collection", and as a part of that process, they have invited communities across the nation to weigh in on how they are counted.   To some in our community, the time has come to answer the question of w...

In a world with an app for everything, and the ever-increasing presence of artificial intelligence, what happens when technology can't answer our questions or solve our problems?   Sometimes it pays to remember how to do things the old-fashioned way! From raising kids without parenting books and bedtime routines to eating carbs and fats for a healthier lifestyle, we're examining some of the forgot...

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 backgr...

Everyone knows the song about Christmas in Hawaii, but while we can appreciate a holiday with sun and sand, where's the song that celebrates a Buon Natale filled with pesce and paisans?? 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...

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...

Join us as we jump back into the incredible life story of Severino D'Angelo, a "Paesan of Interest" with a story in which determination and dedication meet some very good luck.   Leaving what he describes as a "Medieval Italy" Severino D'Angelo went on to discover his natural gifts in the American education system, have his life saved when he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and build a career as a...

Severino D'Angelo is a name you might not recognize. But, if you've stepped into a car in the United States at any point since Ronald Reagan was in the White House, you've encountered a technology patented by this unassuming "Paesan of Interest". Leaving what he describes as a "Medieval Italy" Severino D'Angelo went on to discover his natural gifts in the American education system, have his life s...

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 h...

8 years in the making, our 300th Episode is an uncut dive into the past, present, and future of our show, and the real-life friends behind it. 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 " P...

Because this is the final episode of Italian American Heritage Month, we thought we'd gather the Famiglia and share the stories of the "Italian Heritage Heroes" who inspire each of us, except… we never quite got to that! 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...

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 indef...

Happy Italian American Heritage Month Paesani!!! We're kicking off our favorite month of the year with a good old-fashioned "Power Hour" roundtable, with Rossella, Pat, and John catching up on how they've spent the first few weeks in a month filled with Italian American Pride! We're discussing the galas, gatherings, and get-togethers that we've all been a part of… from the NYC Columbus Day Parade...

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 humoro...

When you spend as much time as we do examining and analyzing the Italian American experience, sometimes you just have to laugh.  There are those little quirks that make us unique which are often at the source of so much of the "Italian American comedy" that speaks to each of us every time we encounter it.    But what makes "Italian American comedy" genuinely Italian American?  Is it the ethnicity...

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 Fe...

Summer is almost over, and many Paesani are outside soaking up the last weeks of our  "Italian American National Sport"… the beloved game of BOCCE! For many, this simple lawn game is a staple of Italian American summer life, but for an increasing number of young people seeking out ways to engage and promote their Italian American heritage, bocce has become a "gateway tradition" of sorts… an inviti...

In our final LIVE and UNCUT recording from the National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), in #Pittsburgh PA, Pat, John, and Rossella sit down with some very special Paesani from Buffalo, NY. Danette Porto and Danielle Salasavage are a Nonna and Granddaughter team representing FIVE GENERATIONS of their Italian American Famiglia who've spent decades in service of the Bu...

Come back to the table for Part 2, as we throwback to the old "Italian American Power Hour" days, with the second half of a conversation already earning rave reviews! Pat, John, and Rossella are joined by longtime friend Marianna Gatto (Executive Director and Co-FoundRESS of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles) for a freewheeling conversation about all things #ItalianAmerican! Recorded LIVE...

Get ready for a throwback to the old "Italian American Power Hour" days, as you join four friends at the kitchen table for a breakneck conversation about something we all love… being Italian American! When Rossella, Pat, and John are brought together with some of their favorite out-of-town Paesani for the 46th Biennial National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, in Pittsburgh...