The Italian American Podcast

It's almost time to say "Buon Natale," as Christmas is right around the corner! 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 annual Italian American Podcast Christmas Special! In what has become a nice little tradition here at the Italian American Podcast, some of our Podcast famiglia are...

Picture an Italian American family... Where are they gathered?  Are they around the table with a pot of coffee?  Or are they in the kitchen preparing a Sunday meal?  Perhaps they are in the basement pressing grapes or jarring tomatoes?  For most of us, scenes of the  famiglia  are also scenes of the home.  You've got to wonder... what is it exactly that makes a house an Italian American home, and...

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941— a date which will live in infamy— the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." That iconic quote by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the United States' entry into World War II after the surprise military strike on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Imperial Japanes...

For true Italian Americans, love really can blossom over the exchanging of caponata recipes. For Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito, a shared passion for the tastes of Italian American life didn't just lead to amore , but to marriage, a family, a Michelin-starred restaurant and their debut cookbook, Italian American , published by Clarkson Potter in October. Scott and Angie are the husband and wife ch...

On November 14, the new Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, decided to eliminate the state's Director of Italian American Affairs position. It just so happens that the director was one Dolores Alfieri Taranto, co-founder of the Italian American Podcast. What began with the Governor's intention to eliminate the position as a whole has caused an unprecedented -- and unexpected -- backlash amongst the...

It starts with a simple philosophy -- "Better teaching makes better students, and makes a better future."  Today, a better future for Italy is the mission inspiring Nick Autiello and Andrea Pastorelli, two passionate Italians behind the early success of "Teach For Italy" (TFI). Built on the model of the highly-effective non-governmental organization "Teach For America," the project is the brainchi...

As our nation gathers to celebrate Veterans Day this week, and all of us pause to say "grazie" to the millions of brave men and women in uniform who have served our country in war and peace, we'd like to turn our attention to remembering the Italian American legacy of our Armed Forces. There's no better guest to guide us than Colonel Renato "Ron" Bacci (Ret.) of the Italian American Veterans Museu...

The United States Congress is one of our nation's most enduring and important institutions, but with partisan politics growing more hostile every day, and Congressional approval ratings trending ever-lower, it often feels as if the Legislative Branch is terminally ill. Perhaps the Italian American Congressional Delegation has the right prescription! For the 38 Italian American lawmakers who count...

Napoli… the great urban amphitheater spreading out across its picturesque bay.  Anchored by the steaming hulk of Vesuvius and pushed up to the heavens from the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, it's a city so vibrant, so full of history that the quest to tell its story inspired six volumes, eight scholars, 2,322 pages, 758 illustrations, 651 readings, and countless appendices, maps, and indexes. And f...

Imagine a place where you could go and spend the day surrounded by the art and artifacts of the Italian American experience, where you can immerse yourself in our story, and learn new and surprising facts about the history of Italians in America… all free of charge! Well, if you're lucky enough to live near or visit Los Angeles, California, this Italian American dream has been a reality since 2015...

Filmmaker Michael Cavalieri doesn't want to make just another movie.  The passionate and proud Italian American, whose career as an actor spans three decades, decided he had had enough of the stereotypical "Italian tough guy" roles that his sharp looks and New York City upbringing seemed to encourage Hollywood producers to type cast him for.  With a grant from the Russo Brothers Italian American F...

It's no surprise to longtime listeners of the Italian American Podcast just how much we love our Southern Italian roots and this week's guest, Valarie D'Elia, is seeking to bring our ancestral home to people in a tangible, living way. Valarie is an award-winning multimedia travel journalist and content provider who specializes in both Italy and ancestral travel. In her latest project, "Saving Sout...

This week's episode of The Italian American Podcast takes listeners on a journey through the Neapolitan Sceneggiata with special guest Dr. Reba Wissner, who is assistant professor of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. Dr. Wissner's specialty is the Neapolitan Sceneggiata , which is a form of musical drama typical of Naples. Beginning as a form of musical...

If you've visited Italy at some point in the last 75 years, and if you arrived in 'il Bel Paese' by air, chances are you've traveled with Alitalia, which has been the official Italian national airline since 1947. And, if you're like co-hosts Rossella, John, and Pat, you've got countless memories of returning to the Motherland "Italian Style" aboard this legendary airline. But, as of October 15, th...

If you were set out to tell the stories of every great Italian and Italian American to leave their mark on human history, you could probably speak for a thousand years without even scratching the surface of such an illustrious list. And for businessman and philanthropist Robert Barbera, that's exactly the task he has set out for himself. At 89 years young, this proud Italian American dedicates eac...

Ciao paesani… and Greetings From Italian CALIFORNIA! This past July, we made our way out West to explore the Italian side of the Golden State, as we set out to film four brand-new episodes of our popular YouTube web series, "Greetings From Italian America."  Joined by our amici from the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), we took a whirlwind trip throughout the West Coast, visiting four...

For author Christopher Castellani, the proud son of Italian immigrants, the desire to tell the Italian American story through his writing has been a constant motivation. Yet, despite his abundant talent, irrepressible passion, and keen sense of his ethnic experience in America, upon entering the literary world, Christopher encountered one deep-seated -- and often discouraging -- preconception abou...

When sitting down with a singer of the caliber of Michéal Castaldo, one would expect the conversation to center around the long list of accomplishments he's racked up during his celebrated career.  But, in the tradition of Italy's countless "Renaissance Men," this proud Calabrian proves himself to be much more than just a stellar voice! In fact, his music isn't even discussed until the halfway mar...

How is the Italian American experience defined for a person with disabilities? In this week's episode, we close out the month of July by paying tribute to National Disability Awareness Month with our special guest, Dominique Sessa. Dominique is a disability advocate and proud Italian American who created "The Girl in the Pink Wheelchair," which is an advocacy project geared toward helping women an...

Nearly 65 years ago, on the night of July 25, 1956, the SS Andrea Doria, the pride of the Italian Line and a symbol of Italy's burgeoning post-war recovery, approached the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts at the end of a foggy eighth day of a nine-day voyage to America. Suddenly, a passage that had been called the "Sunny Southern Route" turned into a nightmare for 1,706 passengers and crew aboard...

It's Part 2 of our two-part episode exploring one of the most unique chapters in Italian American history as we sit down with author Don Capria to explore the life and times of Mafia boss and Italian American community leader Joseph Colombo, founder of the Italian American Civil Rights League. Picking up right where we left off, Capria will take us into the personal life and private psychology of...

Exactly 50 years ago this week, on Monday, June 28, 1971, one of the more bizarre chapters in Italian American history unfolded in New York City's Columbus Circle, as tens of thousands of people gathered for the second annual Italian American Unity Day! On this week's episode of the Italian American Podcast, we're joined by Don Capria, author of "Colombo: The Unsolved Murder," to discuss the life...

For many Italian American families, the quest to unearth family histories often appears to be a daunting task.  But, in this week's episode of the Italian American Podcast, we're joined by an Italian genealogist who wants you to set aside your anxieties at the one place on earth created solely to reconnect members of the Italian diaspora with their roots… the "Museo Del Cognome" (Museum of Surname...

When we think about the Italian American experience, our mind floods with images of parents and grandparents, traditions passed on through time with the family, and a multi-generational story that plays out over a lifetime of shared memories. But, how do we best pass on the story of a loved one who we have lost? In this week's episode, we meet Michele Cerullo McAvoy, whose quest to answer that exa...

In the United States of America, it was once a crime to be Italian. That's what filmmaker Zach Baliva, director of the forthcoming documentary, "Potentially Dangerous," reveals to our listeners in this all-new episode of The Italian American Podcast! As America crept closer to its second World War, the government grew suspicious of some citizens based not on what they had done, but on where they w...