The Italian American Podcast

We here at the Italian American Podcast have spent eight years and 288 episodes exploring the ins and outs of what it means to be an American descendent of the Italian diaspora…  but have you ever wondered what it's like to be the offspring of Italian immigrants from a little further afield?  For two of our loyal listeners who tune in each week from the land down under, listening to us inspired th...

For years we've been searching for an idyllic Italian American village where we might find the perfect spot to recreate the Italian American neighborhood life we all long for, and this week, we've literally hit the Big Time! In this week's episode, we discuss our recent trip to Pennsylvania's Slate Belt borough of Roseto, a historically Italian American town where the annual "Big Time" Festival ha...

In an Italian American family, every dish tells a story. For two young Italian American bloggers, the stories of so many of their family dishes have become wildly popular with readers worldwide. In this week's episode, we're discussing how our Italian American foodways have helped our guests Kate Famiglietti of The Two Bananas and Maria Del Russo of Sunday Sauce to connect to past generations and...

Next time you grab a mouthwatering chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, before you take that first wonderful bite you might want to make sure you're eating exactly the type of cheese you think it is! This week's guest, Robert Campana, the founder of " Stop Italian Sounding, " has made it his mission to educate people about the deceptively labeled "Italian Sounding" products that flood our grocery stores...

Our language is a reflection of ourselves, and this week's guest has made it her mission to present both Italians and Italian Americans with a unique mirror in which to see that reflection… the fascinating and distinct Italian American language! What is the "Italian American language," you ask? To answer that question, we're joined this week by Federica La Torre, the founder of " Just a Siciliana...

Sometimes we have conversations that veer off into so many wonderful topics that they seem to make a concise introduction nearly impossible.  When this week's guest, author and "recovering lawyer," Leigh Esposito , joined us to discuss her debut novel, the conversation quickly turned into one you won't want to miss! Her new book, "The Godmother," was recently released to excellent reviews and has...

When Viviana Altieri journeyed from Rome, Italy to Pittsburgh, PA, on a dare nearly 30 years ago, she could never have imagined staying in the United States and pursuing the life of a "Professional Italian American."  But this week's guest is a natural-born adventurer, and her many incredible journeys seeking out the essence of what it means to "be Italian" have given her unparalleled experiences,...

It's one of Italy's hidden treasures. Known as "strong and kind," the stunningly beautiful region of Abruzzo might be considered off the beaten path for many travelers to the Bel Paese; however, this week's guest, Michelle DiBenedetto, is here to explain why this undiscovered region should be at the top of your "must-see" list. Michelle is the owner and founder of Majella Tours of Abruzzo , throug...

Even though we at the Italian American Podcast spend A LOT of time together, every once in a while, our adventures around Italian American life take us to distinct destinations. Like any group of best buds, we look forward to reuniting and catching up, so this time, we thought we would share that conversation with you! In this week's episode, John, Pat, and Rossella reunite to share their latest a...

When you say the word "football" to friends and famiglia in Italy, they probably conjure up images of World Cup soccer and the many greats who have worn the famed "Azzurro" of the Italian national team, or their favorite local club competing in Serie A. But, to many an Italian American, football means helmets, hard knocks, and the great American gridiron game invented in the Buckeye State of Ohio!...

In Italy, calcio (or the game we Americans call soccer) is life! And after thirty-three years in the making, the city of Napoli can finally lay claim to the title of Champions of Italy! In winning the "scudetto," with the best record in Italy's famed Serie A, S.S.C. Napoli has sent fans throughout their city, Italy, and around the world into weeks-long revelries that have even made their way into...

May is the month that begins to tease summer, and for those who can't get enough of them, it also signals the start of the Italian American Feast season! In this week's episode, our very own P.O.B. talks about the feast that he lovingly resurrected 11 years ago: The Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte in Clifton, N.J . To tell the story of this feast, he has invited on several friends: Valerie Cappel...

If you're a loyal listener to the Italian American Podcast, you'll know that technology isn't exactly an area we focus on week in and week out.  Artificial intelligence and chat-bots and whatnots might not exactly be our expertise, but for this week's guest, the rapidly unfolding revolution in artificial intelligence has become a valuable tool in his quest to bring Italian American genealogy to as...

An Italian American with Confederates in the famiglia ? The branches of our family trees often contain mysteries and secrets that are lost until future generations decide to investigate them. This is precisely the case with this week's episode as we talk with Joe Elia, one of the delegates to the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference . Joe explains that during his genealogical sleut...

Spring seems to have arrived in many parts of the country, and for countless Italian Americans, these early days of new life mean it's time to get gardening!  In many cases, those Italian American gardens will soon be bursting with fruits and vegetables that have been passed down through generations of seed saving. But for one Italian American in particular, the lessons learned watching Nonno and...

Francesca Costa's name should never have been remembered.  In fact, had it not been for her great-niece's steadfast and unwavering love, any remembrance of Francesca's life would have been lost to time -- and that's exactly how the rest of her family wanted it. Italian American author Karen Tintori joins us this week to discuss her 2007 work, "Unto the Daughters."   This chilling and sobering acco...

As we are about to embark on the solemn celebration of the Easter Triduum, for many Italian Americans, Holy Thursday means a day spent in the kitchen lovingly recreating recipes handed down from generation to generation. This week's guest, Stefano Arturi, knows a thing or two about recreating recipes. The author of the ⁠Italian Home Cooking Blog⁠ , Stefano divides his time between Italy and London...

Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State.   From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points of interest in and around the Crescent City , the President of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast never rests in his efforts to promote the immense...

As winter begins to thaw, and the start of spring arrives, a certain segment of the American population usually begins to experience a familiar type of "madness" as the second most popular sporting event of the year hits the airwaves. But did you know that college basketball might not annually grip the nation with "March Madness" had it not been for an Italian American? And chances are his is a na...

Buona festa di San Giuseppe, everyone! This week's episode takes us to New Orleans, where our guest, Sandra Scalise Juneau, introduces us to Louisiana's very special commemoration of one of Italian America's most beloved holidays… St. Joseph's Day! Sandra is the author of " Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a New Orleans Tradition ," which tells the story of...

Have you ever wondered if your family tree might include a famous name amongst its many branches?  A celebrated figure…a Duke, a King… perhaps even a Pope? This week's guest stumbled upon a "who's who" of Italian nobility when he began researching his family history nearly 20 years ago, and now he's dedicated his life to helping his fellow Italian Americans in their quest to discover their ancesto...

When it comes to Italian American heritage, each one of the fifty nifty United States that make up our union has its own unique Italian American community and culture. Despite this, only two states—Delaware and New Jersey—have official, state-wide Italian American representation, guaranteeing our history and culture will be taught to current and future generations. This week's guests, Robert DiBia...

Happy Valentine's Day, paesani !  We're celebrating the "Day of Amore" with a somewhat unusual episode we hope you enjoy… and that perhaps some of you can even relate to! You see, we here at the Italian American Podcast really are one big famiglia .  The conversations we have on air are only the icing on the cake for a group of cumpari who spend an inordinate amount of time chatting, complaining,...

We're kicking off a new project at the Italian American Podcast as we set out to collect the unique oral histories of the many fascinating Italian Americans from around the nation who we encounter daily. This new initiative, called "Paesani of Interest: Italian American Stories," kicks off this week with Warren Ciabattoni. Born in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, in a community that was decidedly not Ital...

From Rocky Balboa to Botticelli, the City of Brotherly Love is one of America's proudest Italian American locales, and this week's guest is just the person to tell us how it came to be. Andrea Canepari is an Italian diplomat currently serving at the Directorate General for Country Promotion of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Rome. He was Ambassador of Italy in the Dominican Republic fr...