In my second interview with Frank Di Piero, host of “Keeping it Real with Frankie D”, we discuss his two great children’s books “My Big Family” and “Teddy Bianco Goes to Italy”. We also talk about his series called “The Italian American Moment” where he tells the stories of our unsung heroes.
Frank Di Piero was born in Chicago and is 100% Italian origin. He has traveled to Italy many times and attended two study abroad programs in Italy, one in Roma and one in Firenze. He is the former President of The Harlem Avenue Italian & American Business Association and was on the committee to start an Italian American Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago. He is a Director of Casa Italia, and LITTLE ITALY Cenetta. He is on the committee of the Festa della Repubblica celebrated at Pompeii Church. He is a Chicago area representative of C.T.I.M., Comitato Tricolore per gli Italiani nel Mondo. He is a volunteer at Casa Italia Library and the Italian Cultural Center. He is a member of the Italian Catholic Federation, Chicago Branch 392. He is the former Sergeant at Arms of the J.C.C.I.A. He also has been a proud and active supporter of The Balbo Monument and the Columbus holiday and statue. He is a former director of Italidea-Midwest. He has performed with (IATC), the Italian American Theatre of Chicago. He is a former committee member of the Columbus Queen Contest in Chicago. He has organized and sponsored a seminar on Italian aviation and a cultural dance for young Italian Americans as well as Italian language classes for the youth and an Italian Community Mass at OLMC. He attended the 54th annual Italian American Studies Association (IASA) conference in Pittsburgh, PA in October 2022. He has lived his entire life around the North Harlem Avenue area. He has been married for more than 31 years to his wife Ivana (who was born in Calabria, Italy) and together they have 2 children.
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“Voices From The Past” Anthony V. Riccio
I had the honor and privilege to meet Anthony V. Riccio in 2021. I cold called him to do an interview for my podcast and he was gracious enough to accept. After that we became good friends and worked on publishing some of his taped interviews from the 1970’s and 1980’s. A few months ago he began mentoring me on the book that I am writing about my family. If you do not know about
Custer’s Last Stand – Italian Soldiers
Click here to join Italian Genealogy Group on Facebook Italian Troopers at the Little Big Horn By Vincent A. Transano SHORTLY BEFORE NOON Chicago time on Sunday, June 25, 1876, approximately 600 officers and men of the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, scouts, mule drivers, and other associated civilians were in the saddle advancing toward destiny on the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. The soldiers’ appearance was much at odds with popular portrayals of the
Why I Moved To Italy
The featured photo above is the medieval aqueduct at the bottom of my street. So cool. The Lungomare ten minutes from my apartment. So pretty to power walk in the early morning. Why I moved to Italy My new friends and neighbors in Salerno, Italy frequently have a perplexed look on their collective faces when I tell them, “yes, I actually chose to move to Salerno from Los Angeles” (Why on earth would I
Researching Limina Sicily
Visit Our Shop Actor/Write/Director Michael Cavalieri talks about finding his roots in Limina Sicily and the production of his award winning film “Ritornato The Movie“. Michael Cavalieri is an Actor and first time Writer/Director originally from New York. His Directorial Debut “Ritornato” which he also stars in was awarded a special grant by the Russo Brothers, the Directors of Avengers: Endgame (the highest grossing film of all time), the National Italian American Foundation and the
Keepin’ It Real With Frankie D. Sicily and Chicago
Visit Our Shop Bob and Frank talk about his family from Sicily, Chicago roots and his website and podcast. www.italianamericanlife.org Frank Di Piero was born in Chicago and is 100% Italian origin. He has traveled to Italy many times and attended two study abroad programs in Italy, one in Roma and one in Firenze. He is the former President of The Harlem Avenue Italian & American Business Association and was on the committee to start
Finding Frank Sinatra
Laura Lee Watson Join Bob and Laura Lee Watson as she discusses how she found that Frank Sinatra is her 3rd cousin from the same town in Sicily. Laura Lee also talks about her company located in Calabria “Digging Up Roots In The Boot” Laura Lee Watson is a proud third-generation Italian American who ventured abroad to Italy in 2005 with the intention of digging a little deeper into her Italian roots. She visited her
