BUON NATALE E BUON ANNO A TUTTI!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, PRAYERFUL COMMENORATION OF HANUKKAH, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

WORTH REPEATING

“There are all kinds of myths going on in the Italian culture, and the way they celebrate is through their food. It's the tradition of the table where the Italians celebrate most of their triumphs and successes.”          ~ Mario Batali

IN THE NEWS

December 11, 2005 – Miami Herald (Genoa, Italy) - Wolfson Helps Recast Port City as Culture Capital

When Miami art collector and part-time Genoa resident Micky Wolfson first went to Christopher Columbus’ hometown in the 1960s, he didn’t like Italy’s biggest port city at all. “Most of its identity had been lost due to disinterest in the past,”' he says. The Genovese “'were so self-satisfied in a way, so fatalistic, that this city had a terrible aura.” In time, he realized, “the town was simply fascinating and only needed to be woken a bit.” And so it has been. In the past decade, Genoa has dusted off its industrial grime, making a comeback that earned it the 2004 designation of Cultural Capital of Europe. The city opened Europe’s largest aquarium and a maritime museum, reflecting its heritage. Buildings and fountains were refreshed; the primary corridor between the historic center and the port were closed to cars. In the seaside suburb of Nervi, a gemlike collection of small public galleries has been enhanced with the reopening of the Gallery of Modern Art; later this month, it will be joined by The Wolfsoniana, a permanent exhibition space for Wolfson’s European collection of 20,000 objects.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/travel/13356418.htm

December 11, 2005 - Taiwan News (Taiwan, China) - An Ancient City Offers a Sense of Everyday Life on the Outskirts of Rome

The ruins of Ostia Antica, on the outskirts of Rome, remain as captivating as I remembered from decades ago. As a teenager growing up in the Italian capital, I would join classmates to perform school plays in Ostia Antica’s ancient open-air theater. Costumed in togas made of bed sheets, we’d cheerfully mangle Aristophanes’ classical plays then scamper off to roam the ruins, poking into ivy-draped passageways and secluded rooms and clambering over fallen columns. Ostia Antica, once the ancient port of Rome, has hundreds of 2,000-year-old buildings spread over hundreds of acres. But it’s always eclipsed by its Italian neighbor Pompeii, a city frozen in time by the volcanic ash blast of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. that has become one of the world’s best-known archaeological sites.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/showPage.php?setupFile=showcontent.xml&menu_item_id=MI-1123666889&did=d_1134271619_7592_4031E0C4DB7B3385A53C3787D82BD5A864C43854_36&area=taiwan&area_code=00000

December 12, 2005 – Reuters (Rome, Italy) – Nero’s Palace in Rome Closes for Safety Reasons

The palace of Nero, one of Rome’s most popular sites, risks falling apart and must close for emergency repairs, Italy’s culture minister said. Rocco Buttiglione, who is fighting to stave off planned cuts to his ministry’s 2006 budget, said leaking water meant bits of the palace’s frescoed walls could collapse. The palace would close for at least two years. “We cannot guarantee the safety of both staff and visitors,” Buttiglione told reporters. “Rome is a huge, open-air museum and we are managing it with reduced personnel and budget constraints. This is not a technical problem, it’s a political one. Italy must decide if it wants to preserve its immense cultural heritage.” The Domus Aurea (House of Gold) was Nero’s monument to himself, built with no expense spared following the great fire of AD 64 which destroyed half of the city.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2005-12-12T161609Z_01_ROB258381_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARTS-ITALY-NERO.xml&archived=False

December 12, 2005 – All About Jazz - Enrico Rava: Consummate Fan, Consummate

Artist Listen to Enrico Rava play the trumpet. It’s direct and assured. Controlled and cool, yet capable of flights of fancy. His sound on the horn is mature and fat and full. It’s capable of bold and brazen statements, and can be fragile as an eggshell. With it, he has become one of the finer players around the globe, and an icon in his native Italy. Rava is also an admitted fanatic about the music. “I consider my first job is to be a jazz fan. Then I play. I’m a jazz fan that decided to play,” he says. A good decision. But as a young kid in Torino, in northern Italy, Rava appeared content to be a fan. That is, until a fortunate encounter with his trumpet heroes performing in his town.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19855

December 13, 2005 – Herald Mail (San Gimignano, Italy) - European Vacation

For several years, my family and I had been saving our change in a pasta canister we christened the “Italy Jar,” hoping we would eventually have enough to fly to the country my mom’s grandparents came from. When we finally did go to Europe, the cash from the Italy Jar was divvied up between the five of us - mom, dad, my 19-year-old sister, 16-year-old brother and me - for spending money. We scheduled our trip for mid-November, although we knew the days would be cool and nights would begin early. But there would also be fewer tourists and my sister could get out of college more easily. This was my first time flying overseas, so everything from getting on the plane to seeing cities from up in the air was new. Not to mention coming into a foreign country.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=126632&format=html

December 13, 2005 – Business Wire (Southlake, TX) - Travelocity Adds MSC Cruises

Travelocity recently lauded in an independent third party study for its leadership position in the online cruise booking experience, has added three additional lines to its current cruise offering - Orient Lines, Oceania Cruises and MSC Cruises. The study, conducted by Keynote, the leading provider of customer experience research services, also noted that “one of the biggest advances over the past year was improvement in Travelocity’s online booking process.” The redesigned site offers enhanced one-stop cruise shopping with comprehensive destination information, smart search technology and innovative shopping tools. The three new cruise lines each offer unique, enticing itineraries and provide a broad selection of additional offerings for Travelocity’s cruise customers. MSC Cruises is known for bringing a touch of the Mediterranean to passengers on its two classic ships. From the warm Italian staff to Italian language lessons and delicious Italian cuisine, MSC Cruises offers a unique onboard experience during its European and Caribbean cruises and Transatlantic crossings.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn/texas/3521110.html

December 14, 2005 – Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA) - The Best Gift to Share: a Story

“Tell me a story” ranks as one of the oldest, most primal requests, filled with hope and eager anticipation. Stories serve as connectors. Whether profound or trivial, poignant or silly, they draw listeners together, uniting them, however briefly. And few stories bring people together like those told during Christmas. Of course, the most wondrous of all narratives, central to the holiday, is the biblical account of a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. Then there are the secular stories that express the seasonal spirit of generosity and charity. A third kind of holiday story remains invisible to the outside world, but central to family life. It features homespun tales recalling previous Christmases. Passed from grandparents and parents to children, these stories involve everything from traditions to feasts to gifts and acts of kindness, given or received. Vincent Giandurco, a publicist in White Plains, NY, grew up hearing stories his father, the son of Italian immigrants, told about Depression-era Christmases. One year his father’s only gift was a pair of darned socks. Yet he never expressed sadness at the deprivation. Instead, the son says, his father looks back on those times with “a golden haze,” remembering the devotion of his parents. Now it is Mr. Giandurco’s turn to pass stories along to the next generation. “These memories are crucial,” he says. “They link my daughter with our familial past, and with real American history - of the Depression, of immigration, of the American can-do positive attitude. They are invaluable.”

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1214/p16s01-cogn.html

December 14, 2005 – AGI (Rome, Italy) – Tourism: Christmas, Italians Choose to Stay in Italy

Life is expensive and renunciation around the corner. Fewer Italians are going on holiday this festive period and those who do are tending to stay in Italy. This is the Federalberghi prediction: 10.5 million traveling as opposed to 11.5 million last year: 4.8 million will go away at Christmas and 5.3 million at New Year. They will spend at total of 5.8 billion euro.    Federalberghi-Confturismo chairman, Bernabo Bocca, commented that the holidays will be marked by people taking their breaks in Italy due to the economic crisis. http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200512141927-1190-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

December 14, 2005 - Associated Press - Yankees Manager Torre Carries Turin Torch

Joe Torre carried the torch for the Turin Olympics on Wednesday - after he cleared the matter with his 10-year-old daughter. “The first person I had to ask was my daughter, because today is actually her 10^th birthday,” said the New York Yankees manager, who ran 400 meters (yards) with the flame. Torre received the torch from Iowa native Brandon Routh, star of the upcoming “Superman Returns” movie, as part of an American day in the two-month relay. “I’m just glad he came down to my level for the handoff. There was no way I was going to get up to him,” Torre said of the much taller Routh. Torre’s segment ended at the foot of the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. He was cheered on by a mix of Italians and Americans, some of them yelling, “We love you Joe.” “It was dynamite,” Torre said. “I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but it was really great.”
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2005/12/14/ap2392323.html

December 14, 2005 – AuburnPub (Auburn, NY) - Do’s and Don’ts for Cooking Best Pasta
Paul Tripicano called me soon after my article on meatballs and we reminisced for more than half an hour, first about a variation his mother used in her braciole. She would use sliced Genoa salami and then a hard boiled egg on top before rolling it up — I tried it and not only does it look great when you slice into one — it tasted even better. Then we talked like old friends, even though we have never met and I know nothing about him except, as with most Italians, we share a fascination and a passion for good food. He said my articles, especially the first one, took him back to his childhood growing up with immigrant parents of modest means and the wonderful foods his mother cooked on a daily basis. They particularly enjoyed visiting the homes of their Italian friends because of the cuisine prepared. Call me prejudiced, but in my mind there is no better food in the world than Italian. I have a running mock battle with my French-born sister-in-law about which country has the best food. I know it’s Italy. She thinks it’s France. I’m only half kidding when we discuss the issues. Well, it is not really a discussion. It is more like a friendly verbal dagger-throwing competition.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2005/12/14/news/lake_life/feat04.txt

December 15, 2005 – Press & Sun Bulletin (Endicott, NY) - Bocce Court 1 of 5 Ideas for Former Fire Station

One of five private groups that are interested in buying the vacant North Side fire station wants to turn the building into a bocce court and restaurant. But if the bocce-oriented business moved into the facility, it would serve as another attraction to Endicott’s “Little Italy.” Putrino, who is working with one of the private groups, said the business could form leagues and hold bocce tournaments. “It’s just a fancier bowling,” said Putrino, calling the game a popular Italian sport. “I think it’s a great idea, and I think it would work best in Little Italy.” Although Putrino said the bocce court would fit well with the other Italian shops on Endicott’s North Side, the improvement group would also back someone who wants to put in another business, such as a bakery or deli. Her organization seeks to market a section of the village and entice business. The group also owns a heritage center and plans to hold cooking and language classes, artifacts and oral histories. “When people come to Little Italy, they may not know where they are going, but they go,” she said. “That’s what we want. It’s a destination.”

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/NEWS01/512150318/1006

December 16, 2005 – Newsday (Providence, RI) - Italian Families Anticipate Christmas with a Feast of Fish

While others spend Christmas Eve wrapping gifts or preparing eggnog, Jack Chiaro will be frying smelts, eel and squid. Like many Italian families in New England and elsewhere, Chiaro and his family gather the night before Christmas for La Vigilia - the Feast of Seven Fishes. Celebrated by Italian Catholics, the dinner traditionally includes seven fish dishes, with salt cod, smelts, eel and squid or calamari, among the most common. For Italian-Americans, the meal offers a chance to connect with family, remember their heritage and honor their faith. The vigil has its roots in the Middle Ages when meat was a luxury from which people abstained on holy days, said Chiaro, 51, a chef and sociologist who teaches at Johnson & Wales University. On Christmas Eve, they fasted or ate a simple meal of fish and vegetables.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--sevenfishes1216dec16,0,1812172.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut

December 16, 2005 – The Times (Rome, Italy) - Travelers Pin Hopes on Tree for New Departure
Italians praying for a change in fortune are pinning their hopes on a Christmas tree in the middle of Rome’s busiest railway station. The 20ft tree in the concourse at Termini has been covered in notes from commuters, many of whom hope that Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) will help to resolve some very personal problems. The tree has become the focus of a spontaneous out- pouring of honesty. Some notes are a plea for material gifts and others for nothing more than a date with Angelina Jolie; but many reveal deep unhappiness with the state of the writers’ lives and a desire to break free from the routine of daily life. Love affairs, family feuds, brave battles against disease — all are put on display for fellow commuters to read and reflect upon as they pause for a few moments before returning to their hectic schedule. Many are poignant. One tells Father Christmas that the writer has been battling leukemia for 11 years, and wants to tell the world that “this terrible disease can be beaten”.

For the complete story visit the following link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1934019,00.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

For a listing of many Italian and Italian American programs, updated regularly, visit the John D Calandra Italian American Institute’s Community Events Calendar at the following link:

http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/calandra/community/commoct.html

THE GIFT OF ITAIAN HERITAGE

I am Italian American and proud of it. Yes, I’m American, but I still feel quite Italian. Call it culture, call it tradition, call it roots. However, we can’t get away from the fact that our cultural legacy is the richest in the world. When we consider that our heritage and culture are unsurpassed by any other ethnic group, we are indeed a gifted people. Let me site the following:

• The independent concept of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” ushered in the renaissance and the Italian language.
• Boccaccio’s “Decameron” initiated the short story and the novel.
• Machiavelli’s “The Prince” gave us our modern political science.
• Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions and paintings made him the most knowledgeable and versatile man in history.
• Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and statue of David stamped him a genius in painting and sculpture.
• Galileo’s invention of the telescope proved that the earth revolves around the sun.
• Torricelli’s barometer made it possible to foretell weather conditions.
• Marco Polo’s travels started trade with the Far East resulting in influencing Columbus, 200 hundred years later, to travel west by sea to get to India, all of which brought about the discovery of America.
• Toscanini’s musical skill made him the greatest of all symphonic conductors.
• Caruso’s ‘golden voice’ has never been excelled.
• Amerigo Vespucci's explorations in North America resulted in naming the land ‘America’ after his first name.

Need I mention more to prove Italy’s contributions to civilization? Indeed I must. I would be remiss if I didn’t include the following:

            The radio, the telescope, the compass, the microscope, the clock, the thermometer, the piano,  the barometer, the organ, the violin, the pendulum, the mandolin, the opera, Puccini, La Boheme, Rossini, Rogoletto, Raffaela, Ghiberti, Donatello, Eye glasses, spaghetti, the battery, confetti, The Medici, Martinelli, Volta, Bottecelli, Malpighi, Meucci, Cornaro, Paolucci, Fermi, Bellini, The Last Supper, Cellini, Galvani, Goldoni, the Mona Lisa, Marconi, Verdi, Giotto, Petrarca, Boito.

What a glorious heritage! Is it any wonder Italy has been called “La Maestra della Gente!’ (The teacher of Mankind!) How can anyone doubt the importance of being Italian? We are the proudest people in this topsy turvy world.                                                                                             ~ Author Unknown

CHRISTMAS INVOCATION & MEAL BLESSING

Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. We are grateful for our time with family and friends this evening. Bless the meal we are to enjoy and the labor of those who have made this evening possible. Benedicta!

DI INTERESSA

Acknowledged as the father of radio, Guglielmo Marconi successfully transmitted the first transatlantic radio signal on December 12, 1901. The signal was a letter S sent in Morse code using a spark transmitter located at Poldhu in Cornwall England and was received by Marconi himself at Signal Hill, St. John’s in Newfoundland. The achievement lead to the wide use of the technology for ship to shore communications and opened the airwaves for long distance communications.

BOOK REVIEW

One-Hundred and One Beautiful Small Towns of Italy - ISBN: 0847826376

By Paolo Lazzarin

Who hasn’t dreamt of being whisked away to a sweet little Italian town buried deep in the countryside-towns with names that roll off the tongue like Vercelli, Portofino, and Tuscania? The small towns sprinkled throughout this expansive book are not only rich with beauty, but are also saturated with as much historical and cultural importance as their sister cities. The fact that they are “off the beaten path”-though sometimes extraordinarily famous for their art, food, and wine, or simply their setting-makes them rare gems even more desirable to see. This book is the perfect guide for those who can’t resist succumbing to Italy’s charms again and again. Originally written by and for Italians, this is a fantastic source of inside information. The 101 towns featured represent the 20 diverse regions of Italy and their varied landscapes, architecture, and local specialties. Practical sidebars introduce the reader to traditional artisans-Tuscan saddlers, custom cobblers, tapestry weavers, ceramicists, and crafters of papier-mâché-as well as to the best place to buy Parmigiano Reggiano or the greatest terrace to have tea while taking in a Tuscan sunset. And if that weren’t enough to keep you busy-or you have a hard time deciding where to go first-art and architecture are also amply covered, from the history of L’Aquila’s 99 fountains to the most elaborate of Baroque churches and the most charming of piazzas. You will be amazed to see how much Italy has to offer beyond the well-trod paths of Venice, Florence, and Rome. From Asolo to Vicenza, flea markets to fish markets, horse races to open air concerts, this book promises 101 great reasons to go back to Italy over and over.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• January 27, 2006 — 13th Annual Winter Charity Ball, honoring OSIA National President Vincent Sarno, Dr. Lois Pontillo Mignone and Dr. Mario Mignone at the Chateau Briand, Carle Place. 7:30 PM. Contact: Annette Lankewish at (516) 933-9373 or Madeline Matteucci at (631) 654-2578.
• January 28, 2006 — Winter Plenary Session – Hosted by the John Michael Marino Lodge #1389, Port Washington. More information to follow.
• February 26, 2006 — CSJ 26^th Annual Dinner Dance honoring CSJ Past President Santina Haemmerle and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi at Russo’s on the Bay, Howard Beach. 12:30 PM. Contact: Josephine Morici Cohen at (631) 345-6586.
• March 4, 2006 — Garibaldi Meucci Museum Carnevale Masquerade Party at Villa Russo’s, Ozone Park. 7 PM. Masks and/or costumes required. Contact: John Dabbene at (718) 984-5404.
• April 3, 2006 — Cooley’s Anemia Annual Culinary Classico Dine Around at Leonard’s of Great Neck. Contact: Janice Sibilia at (631) 361-9157.
• April 29, 2006 — Spring Plenary Session – Hosted by Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321, Schenectady. More information to follow.
• May 4, 2006 — 24^th Annual Golden Lion Awards Dinner at the Garden City Hotel. More information to follow.
• May 6, 2006 — Tentative date for the Annual Grand Lodge Foundation Walk-A-Thon. More information to follow. Contact: Dan Colantone at (516) 799-6804.
• May 7, 2006 — CSJ/B’rith Solidarity Breakfast, LI Marriott, Uniondale. 9:30 PM. Contact: Marge Moschella at (516) 249-2879.
• June 8-11, 2006 — 100^th Annual NYOSIA State Convention at the Nevele Grande Resort & Country Club. More information to follow. Contact: Rae Lanzilotta at (516) 334-0930.

Nota del Redattore:

• In deference to the ‘feste’ of Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year and Epiphany, the next edition of the Italian Heritage & Culture report will be issued on Monday, January 9, 2006.

Respectfully submitted:
Robert Necci, Chair
Italian Heritage & Culture Committee
2101 Bellmore Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710-5605
HeritageandCultureReport@nysosia.org