The Italian American Podcast

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked and horrified onlookers around the world, and has brought us closer to the brink of a global conflagration than most observers ever imagined possible in an interconnected and globalized society. This week's guest is His Eminence Archbishop Lorenzo Casati, the archbishop of Palermo and All Italy and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Chu...

Imagine Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi's surprise when she discovered that her grandmother's Italian village had a secret: over a half century ago, in the southern Italian town of Campagna, countless residents defied the occupying Nazis and risked their lives to shelter and save hundreds of Jews from the Holocaust. What followed her discovery became an adventure as she uncovered fascinating untold sto...

Around here, we've become pretty adept at recognizing the symptoms of an Italian American obsession... and this week's guest can easily be diagnosed within a few moments of first meeting him! Ray Guarini is the founder and driving force behind Italian Enclaves , an immensely popular Italian American social media platform on which Ray has set out to identify and catalogue the countless Italian Amer...

We're kicking off the month of March, known as Women's History Month, by catching up with two very talented Italian American women behind a much anticipated event happening this weekend in honor of International Women's Day. This week's guests, Vanessa Racci and Lena Prima, are the producer and headliner of the fourth-annual "Festa della Donna," a variety show celebrating Italian American females...

Queen Maria Carolina of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies was one of the most fascinating, impactful and, unfortunately, forgotten women in the long story of Southern Italy. Thanks to the work of this week's guest, Her Royal Highness is about to reclaim her rightful place in history! Diana Giovinazzo is the author of "Antoinette's Sister," which tells the story of Queen Maria Carolina, the Queen Consort...

Sicily… for millennia, this island at the crossroads of the world has been drawing peoples from across the globe to its shores, and in the second part of this very special two-part episode, Melissa Muller, author of "Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Tradition," published by Rizzoli, shares with us some of the history behind Sicily's most famous dishes. Melissa describes how Sicily's position as the cross...

Sicily… for millennia, this island at the crossroads of the world has been drawing peoples from across the globe to its shores, and in this very special two-part episode, we're sitting down with Melissa Muller, author of " Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Tradition ," published by Rizzoli, as she shares how she too surrendered to the siren call of this unique island. We'll discover how this Italian Ameri...

"Vision" can mean different things to different people, but for this week's guest, his life's work has been inspired by a vision of sharing his Italian family's inspiring love with the visually impaired. This week, we're sitting down with Tony Cancelosi, the chief executive officer of Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Washington, D.C. Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind has been dedic...

It was called the "Economic Miracle," and Italy's economic expansion after World War II was so rapid -- and her climb from war and poverty to wealth and prosperity so drastic -- that one might be tempted to believe that God had in fact deigned to bless Italia with La Dolce Vita… the Sweet Life! But this "miracle" also triggered unprecedented social, cultural, and religious changes, so this week we...

It's sometimes the hidden stories that can tell us more about our history than we ever dreamed of. In this week's episode, Danielle Oteri of Feast on History talks to us about her latest project, a series of classes focusing exclusively on Southern Italy by Context Learning . These 90-minute courses are designed to take learners on a journey through the territory once occupied by the former Kingdo...

For many Italian American families, the story of an immigrant's sacrifice usually begins in the years between 1880 and 1920, known as the Great Wave of Italian Immigration to the United States. But for 2,800 unfortunate souls, immigration to the "Land of Opportunity" came earlier, and at a much greater cost. Between late 1872 and early 1873, thousands of unsuspecting Italian laborers were victims...

Another holiday season has come and gone here in Italian America. The fishes have been served, the champagne has been popped, and the lentils have been eaten, so we're kicking off the new year with the best thing we can think of to combat the post holiday blues… a collective therapy session! We're getting together to share our reflections on this year's Christmas and New Year's celebrations, with...

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...