The Italian American Podcast

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...

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...