Dear readers,

October is traditionally Italian Heritage month and although the 138th annual S.F. Columbus Day Parade Permit is now issued as the Italian Heritage Parade, it sure beats the Indigenous People Parade designation, activists were pushing for a few years ago.

Even if politically motivated attempts to erase Columbus and his achievements from our school books were to succeed, we Italian American still have plenty to celebrate, for the of Italian and Italian American contributions to the enrichment of life in America and indeed the world is long and.

…..

“Grazie” to Ray Barron, longtime columnist for the Post Gazette, (formally La Gazzetta del Massachusetts which has been published by a member of the Donnaruma family since 1896, founder James 1896 to 1953, Caesar 1953 to 1971, widow of Caesar Phyllis 1971 to 1990, Pamela Donnaruma current publisher and editor and an outstanding Italian American weekly publication to which readers with friends in the “Peace Only Under Liberty” state wish to subscribe, 5 prince street, Box 130135, Boston, Massachusetts 02113, telephone (617) 227-8929)
I can share this Italian Heritage month column with you:

In October, it is a good idea for each of us make a special effort to create a greater awareness of the “abbondanza” of contribution made by an estimated 26 million Americans of Italian descent, the fifth largest ethnic group in the United States.

Italian Americans make up 15 percent of the population or number more than one million in the following states: California 1.500.000, Connecticut 650.000, Massachusetts 845.000, New Jersey 1.500.000, New York 2.900.000, Pennsylvania 1.400.000, and Rhode Island 200.000.

During the American Revolution, three Italian regiments, totaling some 1.500 men, fought for American independence. Filippo Mazzei, a Tuscan physician, fought alongside Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry during the American Revolution. He inspired the Jefferson phrase: ”All men are created equal.”

Two signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Italian descent: Maryland’s William Paca and Delaware’s Caesar Rodney.

Two Italian were with General Custer at the battle of Little Big Horn: John Martini, a trumpeter, and a lieutenant Charles C. DeRudio. Both survived the massacre.

Suburban shopping malls were developed by Edward J. DeBartolo, son of Italian immigrant, who started working construction jobs when he was 13 years old in 1922 and built the first shopping plaza mall in the 1940s.

The first Italian American to manage a major league baseball team was Phil Cavaretta, a former player who managed the Chicago Cubs from 1951 to 1954. Billy Martin, born Alfred Manuel Pesano, became the first Italian American manager to win a World Series when he led the New York Yankees to victory in 1977.

Italian Americans who developed some of America's largest industries and corporations include: the founders of Subway Sandwich and Blinpie chains, Anthony Conza and Fred DeLuca. Leonard Riggio is the founder of Barnes & Noble. Borders, the second largest bookstore chain in the U.S., was founded by Robert DiRomualdo. And Chef Boyardee, the man behind the nation's leading brand of ready-to-eat spaghetti dinners, pizza, sauce and pasta, was Ettore Boiardi, an Italian immigrant who began as a chef apprentice at age 11. During World War II, Chef Boyardee was the largest supplier of rations for the U.S. and Allied Forces.

In Boston the Prince Company, a $200 million-a-year pasta manufacturing business, was established by Joseph Pellegrino, who emigrated to the U.S. from Sicily at age 12 and only went to school through the eight grade.

In the field of education, in 1978, at the age of 38, A. Bartlett Giamatti became the youngest president of Yale University and the first president not entirely of Anglo Saxon heritage. Peter Sammartino was the founder of, president and chancellor emeritus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. And in 1998, the National Italian American Foundation identified at least 166 college presidents of Italian descent, including John DiBiaggio (Tufts University); Claire Gaudiani (Connecticut College); Jay Oliva (New York University); Joseph Polisi (The Julliard School); and Neil Rudenstine (Harvard University), whose mother was Italian American (Mae Esperito).

Italian Americans who have helped shape the U.S. entertainment industry is endless! Hollywood’s first sex symbol and the first “Latin Lover” was Rudolph Valentino, born Rodolfo Guglielmi in Catellaneta, Italy. Italian American cartoonists have created some of the world’s most popular animated characters including Donald Duck, created by Alfred Tagliafero; Woody Woodpecker, a creation of Walter Lantz, (born “Lanza”); and Casper, the Friendly Ghost, the brainchild of Joseph Oriolo.

The rest of the names should be familiar to you! Frank Sinatra, Francis Ford Coppola, Sylvester Stallone, Frank Capra, Michael Bennet (born Michael DeFiglia), and the man behind The Flintstones, Joseph Barbera. As we stated, It’s an endless list!

Italian American politicians, have been around awhile too. In 1837 John Phinizy, the son of an Italian immigrant named Ferdinando Finizzi, became the first Italian American mayor of a city: Augusta, Georgia. In 1880, Anthony Ghio was elected mayor of Texarkana, Texas, where he opened the town’s first opera house. In 1950, John Orlando Pastore of Rhode Island became the first Italian American elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1976. Frances B. Spinola was the first Italian American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives (1887-1891).

Spinola represented New York City. It was U.S. Congressman Peter Rodino, who was a key supporter of the law that made Columbus Day a national holiday ion 1973.

Alfred E. Smith, born Alfred Emanuele Ferrara, was the first Italian American governor of New York, and the first Italian American presidential candidate. He was defeated by Herbert Hoover. And of course, we have many other Italian Americans who were active in politics, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia of New York, Ella Grasso, governor of Connecticut, Geraldine Ferraro, who ran as Walter Mondale’s vice presidential candidate, and of course, we had Mario Cuomo, governor of New York, and the illustrious Rudolph Giuliani, mayor of New York City.

Italian Americans responsible for creating many familiar items we enjoy today include: Mr. Coffee, the best-selling coffee maker in the world was invented by Vince Marotta.

The convertible sofa was created by Bernard Castro. The Big Mac, McDonald’s sandwich, was invented by Jim Delligatti. Mr. Peanut, and, the planters Peanut Company were created by Amedeo Obici and Mario Peruzzi, two Italian immigrants. Domenico Ghirardelli perfected a method to make ground chocolate. Antonio Meucci invented the telephone in 1871, five years before Alexander Graham Bell, but the impoverished inventor did not have the funds (about $25.00) to file a patent.

The cough drop was created by Vince R. Ciccone, who began his career in the 1930s as a janitor at the Charms Candy Company and retired as the company’s president. And the ice cone was invented by an Italian immigrant to New Jersey named Italo Marcioni 1896.

Italian American women who led the way for women in business, politics, labor and many other fields include the first American saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, who founded 14 American colleges, 98 schools and 8 hospitals. She emigrated to the U.S in 1889 and became a U.S. citizen in 1909.

Celeste Lizio, who came to America during the 1930s, founded Mama Celeste's Pizza, a line of frozen Italian foods that she later sold to Quaker Oats.

Suzette Charles born Suzette DeGaetano, was the first Italian American to win the Miss America title. Debra DiMaio was the six-time Emmy-winning producer of the Oprah Winfrey show. At age 24, Bonni Tiburzi became the first woman pilot in commercial aviation history. She was hired by American Airlines in 1973. Rosie the Riveter, who represented millions of American women who took men’s places in factories during World War II was Rosie Bonavita of Long Island, New York. And of course since then the list has more than doubled.

And, as popular and much respected S.F. author, historian and speaker Alessandro Baccari spoke at the pre-Columbus Day luncheon of the Irish-Israeli-Italian Society of San Francisco, a conclave of city stalwarts – including politicians, uniformed officers, restaurateurs, owners of small businesses and union officials they listened to historian Alessandro Baccari hail Christopher Columbus. “Every one of you who descends from immigrants has to give thanks to his man who discovered the Western Hemisphere.”

…

In the Kitchen, in honor of Genoa’s favorite son, Columbus, boil some pasta, drain it and top with Pesto Genovese:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put all the ingredients in a blender. Blend to a creamy consistency......Enjoy!

 

10631 Vinedale Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 - Phone (818) 767-3413 - Fax: (818) 767-1410