Italian American Stories Podcast

When Kris Rini began researching his Italian family history, he had no idea it would lead him to living relatives in Calabria, the restoration of his family's original surname, and the emotional experience of becoming an Italian citizen. In this episode, Kris shares how growing up in a close-knit Italian American family on Long Island sparked a lifelong curiosity about his heritage. What start...

At just 14 years old,  Marcella Flanagan  left New York and returned with her family to post-war Bari, Italy—a journey that would shape the rest of her remarkable life. In this episode of  Italian American Stories Podcast , Marcella and her niece, Phyllis Orlowski, join me to discuss Marcella's memoir,  American Destiny . Together, we explore growing up between two cultures, life in post-war I...

One of the very first episodes of  Italian American Stories  has been revisited. Join Stephanie and Sandy as they take a fresh look at the remarkable—and heartbreaking—story of Concetto Formica, adding new research, new conversation, and Mom's perspective to one of the podcast's earliest episodes. In 1911, Sicilian immigrant  Concetto Formica  was murdered while working as a musician with...

After years of dreaming about it, Jared and I finally made our trip to Italy! In this special episode, Mom and I sit down and talk through the entire journey—from racing through the Denver airport to catch our flight, to exploring Rome, wandering the ancient streets of Matera, attending the San Gerardo Festival in Potenza, cruising the Amalfi Coast, and visiting Pompeii. Along the way, we met incr...

In August of 1969, the world became consumed by the shocking murders of actress Sharon Tate and her friends at Cielo Drive. But what many people forget is that the terror did not end there. Just one night later, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered inside their Los Angeles home by members of the Manson Family. While the media focused heavily on the Hollywood victims, the story of the...

In this episode of  Italian American Stories , we’re telling two unsettling and lesser-known stories that feel almost too strange to be real. First, we head to Denver in 1905, where Mercy Mosconi returns home to find two men in her house. What follows is a brutal attack, a ransacked home, and a fire that nearly kills her. But as investigators dig deeper, they begin to question everything—was this...

In this episode, we’re joined by actress, writer, and storyteller Christine McBurney, whose life took an unexpected turn when, in her 50s, a DNA test revealed something she never imagined… she was half Italian.  What began as a search for answers about her father quickly turned into something much deeper uncovering family secrets, long-hidden truths, and a completely new understanding of who she i...

In 1906 Denver, a young Italian immigrant named Carmelina Fiorino stood in her kitchen and made a decision that would change her life forever. After leaving Calabria at just 15 years old, Carmelina found herself in a troubled marriage with a much older man who had abandoned his family in Italy to pursue her. What followed was a relationship marked by control, jealousy, and alleged abuse—one that w...

In this episode, I sit down with Deron Benvenuti, author of  The Land of Milk and Honey An Immigrant Tale of Rags to Riches In America, to talk about the incredible life of his grandfather, Joseph Benvenuti. An Italian immigrant who built a life in America through grit, resilience, and determination. From shining shoes at just six years old… to supporting his family during the Great Depression… to...

In this episode of the  Italian American Stories Podcast , we sit down with professional strongman Nick Guardione, a first-generation Italian American with roots in Sicily and a powerful story of strength, resilience, and family. Nick recently competed in the Arnold Strongman Classic, one of the most elite competitions in the world, and shares what it’s like to step onto that stage alongside legen...

In this episode of the  Italian American Stories Podcast , Stephanie welcomes writer and historian  Brian D’Ambrosio , author of the book  Italian-Americana: Explorers, Entertainers, and Eccentrics . Brian’s book highlights more than forty fascinating individuals whose lives helped shape the Italian American experience across centuries—from early explorers and Revolutionary War patriots to enterta...

In 1919, Boston’s North End—often called Boston’s Little Italy—was home to thousands of Italian immigrants building new lives in America. Families lived close together in crowded tenements, neighbors shared meals, and children filled the narrow streets while their parents worked along the busy waterfront. Among them were people like Caesar, a delivery driver who guided his horse and wagon through...

Before there was a restaurant, there were coal mines. In the early 1900s, Italian immigrants from southern Italy and Sicily settled in southeastern Oklahoma, building a tight-knit community rooted in family, food, faith — and hard work. In the small town of Krebs, Oklahoma, one young immigrant named Pietro Piegare followed his father into the mines at just eleven years old. But a mining accident w...

At 17 years old, Rick Futia’s life changed in an instant. What began as a summer day at the lake ended in a devastating accident that left him paralyzed. But that is only the beginning of this story. In Episode 86, we sit down with Rick and his nephew, Jag Jefferson — author of  Rickicello  — to talk about survival, reinvention, and what it truly means to live boldly after everything changes. From...

In April of 1923, eight-year-old Josephine Bruno disappeared just steps from her Brooklyn home. By the next morning, she was found brutally murdered in the shared cellar of her apartment building — and despite an intense investigation, her killer was never identified. Josephine was born in Lombardi, Italy, and came to America with her family as a small child. On a rainy spring night, her mother le...

In this sixth installment of  Tales from the Archives , we uncover three unforgettable — and unsettling — stories pulled straight from old newspapers that reveal the complex, often dark realities of Italian American history . We begin with  Rosa DeCicco , an Italian immigrant whose obsession with reclaiming her children led to repeated arrests, courtroom drama, and violent confrontations that shoc...

In this fifth installment of  Tales from the Archives , we uncover three haunting, unfinished stories pulled straight from early 20th-century newspapers — stories where Italian immigrants were remembered in headlines, but forgotten in history. We begin in  1911 Southern Colorado , where an Italian rancher is found murdered on a lonely county road near Aguilar. A former business partner is arrested...

This episode is a rerelease from our archives, originally published on New Year’s Eve, and shared again as we ring in the new year. On December 31, 1915, in Douglas, Alaska, a shocking murder took place in broad daylight—one that newspapers at the time described as  “one of the most cold-blooded murders to ever occur in the North.”  The victim was Mike Defino, an Italian immigrant whose life ended...

Every Christmas, Denver’s Civic Center glows with thousands of lights — a tradition generations have grown up with. But few people know the name of the man behind it. In this special Christmas Day episode, Stephanie and Sandy tell the remarkable story of  John Malpiede , an Italian American electrician whose creativity, perseverance, and love for his city transformed Denver into a national symbol...

In this episode of  Italian American Stories , host Stephanie Detton is joined by  Dina Gregory , creator of  La Befana’s Table , for a deeply thoughtful conversation about folklore, belonging, creativity, and the power of gathering. Born from Dina’s real-life experience animating a puppet of  La Befana —Italy’s legendary gift-giver—in the streets of New York City during the isolation of the pande...

In Part 2 of our deep dive into the chilling story of Antonio Neroni — also known as “Bava” — we pick up right where we left off: three bodies discovered beneath his cabin floor, one man still missing, and Neroni locked in a battle of wills with Colorado law enforcement. This episode unravels the dramatic final chapter of one of Colorado’s most sensational crime stories. From the accidental discov...

In this chilling two-part series, Stephanie and Sandy take listeners deep into one of Colorado’s darkest and most unsettling Italian American cases—the life and crimes of  Antonio Neroni , a man who lived under many names…and left just as many tragedies behind. Born in Italy in 1877, Neroni’s violent past began shockingly early—and followed him across the ocean to the rugged company towns of south...

✨ AVAILABLE NOW — Episode 77: Christina Minutillo ✨ Our newest episode is officially LIVE — and trust me, you don’t want to miss this one. Today, I sit down with  Christina Minutillo  — podcaster, traveler, cookbook author, and a woman whose passion for Italian roots has completely transformed her life. From uncovering her family’s hidden history in tiny villages outside Naples… To filming 300-p...

In this episode of Italian American Stories Podcast , Stephanie sits down with historian and teacher Cassie Ferraiuolo , whose master’s thesis “Little Italy Colusa: The Forgotten Neighborhood” uncovers the remarkable Italian roots of a small California town. What began as a quest to document Colusa’s past became a deeply personal journey through Cassie’s own family history — one filled with resili...

This Veterans Day, we honor the life and legacy of  Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone , one of the most decorated heroes of World War II — and a proud Italian American whose courage continues to inspire generations. Join  Stephanie  and her husband  Jared , a U.S. Marine veteran, as they share the incredible story of Basilone’s bravery at  Guadalcanal  and  Iwo Jima , his deep devotion to his wife  L...