Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Today we celebrate Italian food and excellence in art. Please welcome to our show Evelyne Joan, owner of the infamous Mauro Cafe on Melrose, whose restaurant is as well known for its Italian cuisine as it is for supporting artists, which brings us to Lynne Deutch, also featured on our program. Lynne's photography of her travels throughout the island of Capri will be featured at Mauro's cafe beginn...

I'm thrilled to welcome our friend, Maestro #CarloPonti, joining us to discuss the opening of his Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra 2023/2024 Season this month. I'm passionate about music education, and Maestro Ponti has dedicated his time to raise money and awareness to bring music education to young people in schools through the work of his LAV Orchestra. All proceeds from the Los Angeles Virtuoso...

Kicking off Italian American Heritage Month with ABC's 20/20 Correspondent and friend, Pat Lalama, who joins our #LittleItalyPodcast to talk about growing up Italian, and how one talk from her dad, Nunzio, convinced her that she could do anything she set her sights on. Pat's family is from both northern and southern Italy, which she says was always complicated growing up. Life wasn't always easy,...

Taste of Italy is back! Join us in DTLA on Sept. 23 for THE premiere Italian Food and Wine event in Los Angeles, featuring award-winning restaurants & wineries, fantastic LIVE entertainment, and some celeb guests, too! This is on of my favorite events in LA all year! Today, we speak with Taste of Italy creator and founder of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Marianna Gatto, telling us al...

Please give a warm welcome to Robert Allegrini, the distinguished president of the National Italian American Foundation, which does tremendous work preserving and highlighting the image and legacy of Italian Americans (for which I am one). Robert joins our #LittleItalyPodcast and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast to discuss NIAF's mission for the Italian-American Community throughout the U.S. and beyond, an...

Lorenza Calamandrei is known around the world as one of the most creative DJ's, music producers, and songwriters of our time, and it's so exciting to welcome her to our shows today. Born in Florence to a family of trapeze artists, artists, and even a priest, Lorenza recalls her dad reading philosophy to her at a young age. And she always recalls loving music. She started in Italy as the first fema...

Please welcome Annalisa Giolo, aka Inanna, who joins our show today to talk about how her singing and songwriting is completely inspired by what's happening here on earth. Inanna was born and raised in Italy, decided to make LA her home after she did a house swap and fell in love with Southern California, which inspired her songwriting and performing. As a nature and animal rights advocate, and fo...

Please welcome to our show famed pizza maker, entrepreneur, restauranteur, and author, Joe Farruggio, whose pizzas in the Georgetown section of DC are a favorite with some very famous residents in the White House to movie stars like Harrison Ford (who also played a U.S. President in one of his films). Joe's journey from Sicily is a story to be told, and he did just that in his book, "My Name Is Jo...

On our #LittleItalyPodcast today, we speak with the longtime play-by-play voice of The Galaxy, Joe Tutino . Joe grew up in San Diego, the son of Italian immigrant parents. He played soccer as a kid, and realized the way to stay in the sport was to become an announcer. And that's just what he did, taking a number of radio and writing jobs along the way. But in this business, that's what you do. Job...

Love MEAT? Well, Stuart Waldner joins our show today to talk about moving away from eating meat products not just for health, but for wealth. Keep reading, I'll explain. Stuart wrote "Escape The Meatrix" a well-researched account on how reducing meat in our diets can make our bodies and minds healthier, in addition to the earth, atmosphere, and health of other animals, too, which benefits the enti...

Filmmaker Michel Shane didn't envision himself as an activist, but circumstances in life brought him to a different place. The producer of "Catch Me If You Can" this time produced something even closer to his heart, "21 Miles In Malibu," and Michel joins us today to talk about it. The Pacific Coast Highway is a long, twisty, narrow stretch of road, it's beautiful but it's also dangerous. Michel kn...

Michele Palermo was always a creative kid, dating back to her early years in Rome, and she joins us today to talk about her award-winning series, "Middlehood," which celebrates the comedy and drama of being in the MIDDLE of everything, especially mid-life. Michele has had an incredible life and career, working with so many industry giants from Martha Stewart, Peter Horton, and she currently teache...

Meet Dannie De Novo, lawyer, author, and "happiness" coach, but I assure you, her road to happiness wasn't paved with gold. Dannie wrote "Get In A Good Mood & Stay There," and "It's All Gravy, Recipes for Happiness," in addition to creating a successful coaching business on how to find your happy, which led to appearances on major TV Networks and shows. But life didn't start out this way. Growing...

Ever wonder how #Madonna, #MichaelJackson, and so many iconic performers got their moves? Remember the crotch-grab? You can thank famed choreographer and now author Vincent Paterson for that, and he joins us today to talk about his incredible book, "Icons & Instincts." >>> >>> This is one of those "I can't put this down" kind of reads, believe me. Vincent and I will discuss so many of his brillian...

Author Joseph Orazi has always been interested in stories about the struggles of Italian immigrants, and he joins our show to discuss his latest book, "L'AMERICA," which chronicles three immigrants from different regions in Southern Italy, exploring their stories of hope and resilience. Joseph has been a student of the Italian America journey for as far back as he can remember, and in 2005, he wro...

When celebrating #ItalianHeritageMonth, I enjoy highlighting the rich cultural heritage and history of the Italian and Italian American people, particularly art, music, literature, architecture, and of course the stories surrounding them. Today we interview Mariana Gatto, creator of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, located near Olivera St. in DTLA, housed inside the oldest remaining str...

Please welcome Maestro #CarloPonti, joining us to discuss the opening of his Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra 2022/23 Season this week.  When Maestro phoned me yesterday, I was so honored to be able to discuss with our audience the critical work he does to bring music education to young people through his LAV Orchestra. Our interview with Mr. Ponti airs on all #DeborahKobyltLIVE and #LittleItalyPodc...

Growing up in NJ, stories about the mob often led the news. It was terrifying, but peaked one's curiosity at the same time. And being of Italian decent, it was the topic of many conversations Today on my #LittleItalyPodcast and #DeborahKobyltLIVE, I speak with James Pierre, author, "GAMBINO: The Rise," and also Ken Atchity, film producer and literary manager who's turned many best sellers into suc...

"This isn't a job. Hospitality is a vocation," says #NickRimedio, GM of the trendy #LaPeerHotel in #BeverlyHills, and soon, Nick will join the #WHollywood. We spoke with Nick on #DeborahKobyltLIVE and our #LittleItalyPodcast, and he told what what's helped him become a success: his NONNA (and of course hard work!) Nick credits his #Italian #grandma with giving him the discipline and confidence to...

Meet Vanessa Racci, a 38-year-old jazz and cabaret singer, influenced at a young age by legendary performers Dean Martin, Connie Francis, and Frank Sinatra when her grandfather played their music around the house. And that's when she got the bug to perform. But Vanessa almost didn't pursue her dreams, because her traditional family influenced to pursue a more "stable career." And that's where her...

Meet John Di Domenico, or should I say, Austin Powers, Jay Leno, Donald Trump, Dr. Phil, and so many other impressions John does of some of the most famous people on the planet. John is an actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and he's crazy good. So good in fact, and he's in such demand around the globe, that we're lucky we got him for our podcast. And did you see him on the cover of Los Angeles...

Have you ever wondered how A-listers always have such amazing hair? Then tune in to our show with celeb hairstylist Marco Pelusi, who is behind some of the best-known heads in Hollywood.   Marco is a globally-recognized hair color authority and owner of Marco Pelusi Studio West Hollywood. He was born in Pittsburg, and comes from a long line of hairstylists from his dad to his uncle, and when Marco...

Please give a warm welcome to Golden-Globe nominated film composer Carlo Siliotto, who has written music for over 100 films, documentaries, and TV series.     Born in Rome, Carlo shares stories of his early days in Italy, when his mom gave him a choice for his birthday - a bike or a guitar. He chose the guitar, and he's never composing ever since.  Carlo has worked with some of the most recognized...

Please welcome to our show Silvia Chiave, Italy's Consul General in Los Angeles, where we'll be talking about her role to develop economic and cultural relations between Italy and the U.S. And there's so much more. Silvia is a married mother of two children, she loves theater, reading, and snowboarding. She's also a paragliding pilot and a sommelier. And that's just for starters. Silvia studied bu...

LOVE the LA Lakers? TThen you must join our interview with #GaryVitti, longtime athletic trainer at the # LALakers for 32 years, talking about ALL he's learned not just about being a trainer, but about life, relationships, hardships, winning, and losing. Did you know Gary started his career at the Univ of Portland where he set up a sports medicine program before he got THE call from the #Lakers to...