The Italian American Podcast

In this episode of  The Italian American Podcast , we talk with Anthony Julian Tamburri, Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute (Queens College, CUNY) and Distinguished Professor of European Languages and Literatures.  Tamburri dives into his career and what inspired him to pursue Italian and Italian American studies, and why he feels that we as Italian Americans need to read abou...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast , we air a conversation recorded this past summer in Sicily with Laura Lee, founder of Digging Up Roots in the Boot , which specializes in heritage tourism and genealogical research throughout Italy for Americans, Canadians, and Australians of Italian descent. The conversation covers attaining your dual citizenship, discovering and reconnecting with...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast , we speak with proud first generation Italian-American Rossella Rago from "Cooking with Nonna" about her cooking experiences throughout her life, and the true meaning behind them. During this lively interview, Rossella tells the story of how her family relocated to New Jersey from her beloved Italian neighborhood in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, when she w...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Cassandra Santoro, who decided to take a big risk in the face of tragedy and, by doing so, changed her life for the better. Santoro tells the story of how the deaths of both her father and grandfather inspired her to take a risk and move to Italy at the age of nineteen to learn about her heritage.  She talks about how rewarding her jou...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Emmy-Award winning directors Anthony and Joe Russo. We also speak to Michele Cerullo McAvoy for our Story Segment, author of My Superhero Grandpa . Anthony and Joe Russo tell the story of how they went from being two young Italian American boys in Cleveland to top directors working on the latest Marvel films. The brothers, fiercely pro...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast , we visit Arthur Avenue, the Little Italy in the Bronx, NY.  While many "Little Italy" neighborhoods throughout the United States have waned, Arthur Avenue remains alive and vibrant, and in this episode you will hear sounds from the main indoor marketplace on Arthur Avenue. A little bit about Arthur Avenue, largely from the official Arthur Avenue we...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with world champion accordionist Cory Pesaturo.  We also interview Mary and Elise from the Italian Garden Project who are trying to preserve the wonderful gardening traditions of Italian-Americans via The Italian Garden Project. Cory Pesaturo ("C Pez") is one of only four accordionists to win World Championships on both the acoustic and dig...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast , we speak with Anita Bevacqua McBride.  McBride served as assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush from 2005 to 2009, directing the staff's work on the wide variety of domestic and global initiatives in which Mrs. Bush was involved.  She had primary responsibility for the First Lady's efforts to support U.S....

In this episode we feature listener stories that have been submitted by listeners of The Italian American Podcast. In the first story, Dina Horwedel explains how an Indian College President inspired her to learn Italian and travel to Italy to re-connect with her family.  Since she made her first trip, she has been back seven times. In the second story, Amadeo Lauria explains how his teacher refuse...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with four-time Super Bowl champion Franco Harris. Harris began his professional football career when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round of the 1972 National Football League Draft—the 13th player chosen overall.  In his first NFL season, he became only the fourth rookie in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards or more.  Bu...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Carole "DiFalco" Radziwill, an Emmy Award winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author, as well as a cast member of the hit Bravo-TV series "The Real Housewives of New York City." Her first book, What Remains , is a memoir that traces her life from a child growing up in a boisterous working class family in upstate New York...

In this episode, we interview filmmaker John Maggio, who has spent a decade making documentaries hailed for their social impact and exceptional craft.  His work includes several films for "FRONTLINE" and "American Experience."  Maggio's films have been honored with the National Emmy Award, Writers Guild Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and NAACP Image Award nomination, as well as multiple News...

In this episode, our own co-host Anthony Fasano breaks down his recent trip to Italy during which he visited the ancestral villages of seven of his eight great-grandparents.  Anthony did what many Italian Americans hope to do at one point in their lives - connect with their relatives who never left the homeland.  During this episode, he not only shares some stories of connecting with his family in...

In this episode, Dolores interviews Mickela Mallozzi, an Emmy Award winning host and producer of the popular travel dance TV and web series "Bare Feet®." Born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut of Italian immigrant parents, she grew up with well-preserved traditions of the Southern-Italian culture, and her appreciation for folk tradition started at a very young age.  She began dancing when she wa...

This is a special bonus episode we produced to celebrate Mike Piazza's induction into the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame, which is happening today, July 24, 2016.  Most of the content in this episode was recorded at The National Italian American Foundation's (NIAF) New York City Gala this past April, including our interview with Mike Piazza, as well as his moving honoree acceptance speec...

In this episode, we interview Domenica Marchetti on one of the oldest Italian traditions, preserving food. Many Italians and early Italian Americans needed to preserve food to survive, and in this episode Domenica discusses both the importance of preserving food and flavors and the mechanics of how to do it the right way. Our Italian-American Story Segment features a conversation between Dolores a...

In this episode we talk with Pat Harrison on the Italian-American values she received from her family, the unique leadership of Italian-American women, and Italian-American stereotypes.  The Honorable Patricia de Stacy Harrison is the president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the leading funder of public radio and public television programming for the...

This episode features the second part of our two-part interview with Tony Reali of ESPN's "Around the Horn" ( you can listen to part 1 here ). In this episode, Reali talks about his faith, including wearing ashes on his show, his diet that has caused some stress for him with his family, and also his thoughts on fatherhood. We also celebrate fathers on this Father's Day in our Italian American Stor...

In this episode, we visit the "Good Morning America" Studios in Times Square where spent the day with Toni Reali, host of ESPN's "Around the Horn."  This is part one of a two-part interview, where Reali talks about his Italian upbringing and how it contributed to his work ethic and successful career. We also feature a beautiful story from a listener, Stephanie Piccone, about her grandmother, who s...

This episode features the second part of our two-part interview with literary and journalistic legend Gay Talese ( click here for part 1 ). Additionally, in our Italian American Story Segment, we have an interview with Italian-American actress, producer, and television host, Lucia Grillo. Talese is a bestselling author who has written eleven books. He was a reporter for the  New York Times  from 1...

In this episode, we interview literary and journalistic icon Gay Talese. Talese is a bestselling author who has written eleven books. He was a reporter for the  New York Times  from 1956 to 1965, and since then he has written for the  Times ,  Esquire ,  The New Yorker ,  Harper's Magazine , and other national publications. In this first part of a two-part interview, Talese gives a perspective of...

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) recently became a partnering sponsor of our podcast. In this episode we visit The National Italian American Foundation headquarters in Washington, D.C. and learn about how it protects, preserves and celebrates Italian-American heritage and culture. This episode contains some really in-depth discussion on Italian-American pride and respect. Enjoy it.....

This isn't a typical how to make sopressata instructional episode, but it may be the funniest episode of The Italian American Podcast yet. We love talking to famous Italian Americans in our community, but what we love even more is being able to capture La Famiglia - the traditions, the love, the bonds, the laughter, the stories we share between us as family and friends who are family.  In this epi...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Lidia Bastianich, otherwise knows simply as Lidia, Emmy award-winning public television host of "Lidia's Kitchen," bestselling cookbook author, restauranteur, co-owner of the Italian marketplace Eataly, and purveyor of the best-selling artisanal Lidia's pasta and sauce line. Her new book, Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine ,...

In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak with Rick Zullo, an American writer, teacher, and relentless Italophile. He was born in Chicago, raised in Florida, but always dreamt of Italy. In 2010, he left his career in the United States to live in Rome, where he met his wife. When he's not writing for his blog, he enjoys exploring the hidden areas of Italy and studying the Italian la...