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Ambassador National Italian American Foundation Vol . 31, No.1 n Fall 2019 n www.niaf.org Heritage Travel in Molise Is This Leonardo’s Lost Angel? Hiking the True Cinque Terre Saving NYC’s Historic Erben Organ A Festival of Sculpted Wheat NIAF Anniversary Gala Preview! Ambassador The Publication of the National Italian American Foundation Vol . 31, No.1 n Fall 2019 n www.niaf.org CONTENTS 34 Features 26 Heritage Travel in Molise 34 Hiking the True Cinque Terre Connecting Molisani Family Ties Beyond the Beaches and Tourists By Susan Van Allen By Rachel Bicha 5141 30 Leonardo’s Lost Angel? 38 Driving the Via Emilia Some Experts Believe da Vinci On the Mother Road of Made the Statue Found in Emilia-Romagna Patricia de Stacy Harrison San Gennaro Church By Silvia Donati Gabriel A. Battista Chairs By Paul Spadoni Don Oldenburg Director of Publications 41 Festival of the Great Grain Mother and Editor Molise’s Worldwide Gift of Natalie Wulderk Sculpted Wheat Communications Manager and Assistant Editor By Kirsten Keppel Gabriella Mileti Bottega NIAF Editor 44 No Pipe Dream AMBASSADOR Magazine The Master Organist Saving 44 is published by the National Italian American Foundation New York’s Historic On the Cover: (NIAF) 34 19th-Century Erben Organ 1860 19th Street NW A quaint street in Washington DC 20009 By Maria Garcia Oratino, a town in the POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Sections Province of Campobasso NIAF, 1860 19th Street NW Lettere 6 that becomes a Washington DC 20009 The North End Foundation Focus 10 48 destination in our ©2019 The National Italian NIAF On Location 15 Visiting Boston’s Little Italy cover story Heritage American Foundation (NIAF). No portion of this magazine Bottega NIAF 16 By Francesca Montillo Travel in Molise. may be reproduced without Paesani 18 written permission from NIAF. Ciao Italia 22 Photo by Giambattista Single issue price: $15 Mangia Qui 54 51 The Wines of Molise Lazazzera/shutterstock ISSN 1000-9999 Easier to Drink than to Find Cinema 56 NIAF Between The Pages 60 By Dick Rosano 1860 19th Street NW Washington, DC 20009 Room with a View 67 Tel. 202-387-0600 On Sports 69 www.niaf.org Pensieri 70 Design: Barbieri & Green, Inc. NIAF Anniversary Gala Preview 72 Printing: Mosaic NIAF Insider 76 Crossword 80 Chairpersons Gabriel A. Battista Hon. Patricia de Stacy Harrison Vice Chairs Kenneth J. Aspromonte Message from the John F. Calvelli Robert E. Carlucci Hon. Anita Bevacqua FROM THE CHAIRMAN McBride BETWEEN THE PAGES FROM CHAIRS NIAF Chairs Executive Vice Presidents Robert V. Allegrini Hon. Frank Giordano Gerard S. LaRocca The weather is cooling, and kids shared how their Italian American heritage Secretary Linda R. Carlozzi are back in school, which means Fall is has positively influenced their lives. General Counsel here and the National Italian American As we head into the Fall season, we Joseph D. Lonardo Foundation is gearing up for our 44th hope you can become more involved Founding Chairman Anniversary Gala Weekend, November with NIAF, whether that means joining, Jeno F. Paulucci Chairmen Emeriti 1-3, in Washington, D.C.! We are looking renewing or upgrading your NIAF Dr. A. Kenneth Ciongoli forward to celebrating NIAF’s 2019 Region membership or attending our Anniversary Jerry Colangelo Joseph V. Del Raso of Honor, Molise, and featuring honorees Gala. The Foundation provides incredible Hon. Frank J. Guarini Frank D. Stella who are distinguished leaders in our Italian opportunities, grants, scholarships and Board Emeriti American community. Go to the Gala experiences for Italian Americans and Matthew J. DiDomenico Sr. Mario J. Gabelli Preview section in this issue for details of Italophiles of all ages. Please help make Richard A. Grasso Francesco Nicotra the exciting Gala Weekend Events. these educational and cultural opportunities Aileen Riotto-Sirey Salvatore M. Salibello Since the Summer issue, NIAF has available to even more individuals in the Salvatore J. Zizza been actively carrying out its mission to Italian American community. Board of Director promote Italian heritage. In June, 19 Italian Your financial support and thoughtful Peter J. Arduini Maria Bartiromo American college students traveled for their engagement help the Foundation preserve Chris Berardini Nicholas R. Caiazzo, Esq. first-ever trip to Italy on the Ambassador and promote the heritage and culture of 20 Paolo Catalfamo Hon. Capri S. Cafaro Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery million Americans of Italian descent. On Joseph M. Della Ratta Antonio De Matteis program. The NIAF Board of Directors met behalf of the NIAF Board of Directors, we Anthony S. DiSandro Jr., Esq. Hon. Mike Ferguson the students there while on their Mission thank you for supporting of our mission. Dr. Antonio Giordano Vincent J. Lumia to Italy. They also met with business leaders Joseph H. Moglia Dr. John P. Rosa and government dignitaries in Molise. Philip L. Rinaldi On July 25 on Capitol Hill, the Alfonso Ruffo Hon. Basil M. Russo, Esq. Foundation hosted a VinOff where Italian George Simeone Patricia de Stacy Harrison Louis E. Tosi American Congressional Members and NIAF Chair staffers mingled while tasting wines from the United States and Italy, the countries we love unequivocally. The event was also Lauren Amendolara McDermott’s debut as Gabriel A. Battista the Italian American Congressional Staff NIAF Chair Association’s new president. NIAF was also honored to host a dinner for public servants from the Italian American White House Staff Association a few days later, where guests WWW.NIAF.ORG 4 Ambassador The Da Vinci Council is NIAF’s way of saying thank you to its members donating $2,500 each and every year. EXCLUSIVE OFFERS | BUSINESS NETWORKING FORUMS PUBLIC POLICY EVENTS | FOOD & WINE OPPORTUNITIES For successful Italian American business men and women who wish to support NIAF’s heritage focused programs— this is the perfect way to show your support. Learn more: www.niaf.org/davinci Reader Feedback LETTERE 75th Anniversary D-Day A quick note to thank you for your interest in my dad and mom’s D-Day Courtesy of the Mirto Museum Archive story… and including the article in the Paesani section of Ambassador maga- Inside Palazzo Mirto zine (Spring 2019 issue). Compliments and many thanks It is a great honor and tribute to for your most beautiful article that their service to our nation. On this adds value to and shines a light on 75th Anniversary of D-Day, I hope the the importance of Palazzo Mirto. article also served to remind everyone For us, it is truly a most important to acknowledge and honor the service, contribution that will help spread the bravery, and sacrifice of all the military knowledge of our cultural patrimony. and civilian personnel who participat- — Valeria Sola ed in D-Day and contributed to our Polo Regionale di Palermo ultimate victory in World War II…. per i Siti culturali My wife and I just returned from Galleria Regionale della our trip to participate in the 75th In the Zone Sicilia di Palazzo Abatellis D-Day Anniversary events at Duxford Thanks for Paul Spadoni’s thor- Palermo, Sicily Airfield, U.K., and in Normandy, ough story In the Zone: Steering Around France. I flew in the “Miss Montana” Italy’s ZTL Tricky Traffic Restrictions, in C-47 over the Normandy invasion the Summer issue of Ambassador. It beaches and drop zones (see pho- was helpful in understanding some of CORRECTION to)…. That was a moving experience for me. Hard to imagine what my dad the challenges when driving in Italy. Where’s Todi? The feature The Town and mom experienced 75 years ago. I And, Frank Van Riper’s Savvy Travel- of Todi: A Hidden Jewel in the Center of was very proud to represent them at ing: Tips for Your Next Trip to Italy and Italy, in the 2019 Summer issue of Ambas- the 75th Anniversary events. Elsewhere was very entertaining and sador, should have stated that “the small —Stephen P. Pedone useful, too. yet stunning Umbrian hill town of Todi” is Lt. Col., USAF, Ret. — Giulia Davis located about 90 miles north of Rome. Los Angeles, Calif. Naples, Fla. We'd Love to Hear from You! Let us Know What You're Thinking! Letters to the Editor may be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to Letters to the Editor, Ambassador Maga- zine, 1860 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Include your full name and address. Letters may be published and edited for length and clarity. WWW.NIAF.ORG To Advertise in Ambassador e-mail [email protected] or call 202-939-3108. Past Issues are available at NIAF’s website: www.niaf.org. 6 Ambassador HONOR your Ancestors. EMPOWER the Next Generation. PRESERVING, PROMOTING AND PROTECTING OUR ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE SUSTAINING MEMBER 2019 Give a NIAF Membership to a Paesano WWW.NIAF.ORG/GIFTMEMBERSHIP Your gift membership is tax deductible. NIAF_Membership_Ad_3.5.19.indd 1 6/14/19 10:45 AM MADE WITH OLIVES facebook.com/ColavitaUSA ColavitaUSA AND youtube.com/ColavitaUSA @ColavitaUSA Pure ingredientsamore from a trusted family brand | COLAVITA.COM ColavitaUSA Fall2019Ambassador.indd 1 8/22/19 9:05 AM MADE WITH OLIVES facebook.com/ColavitaUSA ColavitaUSA AND youtube.com/ColavitaUSA @ColavitaUSA Pure ingredientsamore from a trusted family brand | COLAVITA.COM ColavitaUSA Fall2019Ambassador.indd 1 8/22/19 9:05 AM Voices of theVoyage By Gabriella Mileti from Rome toMolise NIAF Director of Special Programs FOUNDATION FOCUS FOUNDATION Gabriella Mileti The Voyage of Discovery crew in Scapoli, Molise. n June, the 2019 We started our journey in Rome anything I have come across. Having Ambassador Peter F. Secchia with four intense days of history and conversations with these people— walking.