NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE THE PAID MILWAUKEE, WI Permit No. 5716 PubliIshed 1T1 times aAnnually bLy the IAN TIMES Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 Become a member of the Italian www.ICCMilwaukee.com Community Center and you will receive MAY 2018 • VOL. 39, NO. 11 home delivery of this publication. Your address label will be placed here. – CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED – Fun activities highlight ICC’s A message from Dean Cannestra, Children’s Easter party Well, Ifolkts,abylthieatimne youCreaod mFemsta gurounndis.tOyur VCice Perensidtenet r President this message we will be less than Joe Emanuele placed an announce - 90 days away from our 41st Festa ment in The Italian Times the last Italiana, July 20-22. I can tell I’m few months and flyers have been getting excited. I hope you are, too. put out at the ICC, but we still need Everything seems to be falling more volunteers. If you are able to into place. As you can read in this do some lifting, climb step ladders, issue, we have brought in George use basic tools and can commit to Busateri to be our Entertainment working any of these days: Monday Director. George is putting together through Thursday, July 16, 17, 18, a lineup that is appropriate for an 19 or Monday, July 23 become a Italian festival, one that I believe member of our Festa Grounds brings Festa back to its roots, but Crew. Volunteer as few or many keeps the party atmosphere going. days as you choose. If you can help, I hope this year’s Festa will re - please contact Joe Emanuele at mind people of their Festas of the [email protected] or 414-750- past: a reunion of family and 4295. friends, an experience in Italian culture, with lots of good music and A Taste of Italy great food. Come and enjoy the only By the time you read this mes - festival with fireworks every night sage, our 23rd annual “A Taste of and free carnival rides for all. Italy” will be in the books. I’m sure it was a spectacular success. With I ask our members to start pro - UNICO Scholarship & Awards Din - moting Festa, get people to buy all the hard work that Valorie Schleicher, Christina Ziino and ner on Tuesday, May 15 and the their advance tickets on our web - Pompeii Women’s Club May site – festaitaliana.com – and pray Marie Lieber have put into this fundraising event, I’m confident Crowning Ceremony and Dinner on that we have three beautiful days. Wednesday, May 30. Festa started out in 1978 as a that it made money for our organi - zation. Both of these events are at the There were a lot of fun activities to volunteer-run festival and the im - ICC and details can be found in this enjoy at the Italian Community portance of our volunteers remains Your support is needed issue. Center’s Children’s Easter party essential to our success today. There are a couple of events on Mar. 24. Among them was deco - Dean Cannestra We’ve been looking for volunteers coming up in May that I hope you ICC President rating an Easter cookie. Each to help us set up and take down the child, with or without a parent, can support. These include the Festa General Chair could grab a sugar cookie and plastic bags filled with frosting and artistically decorate the cookie. Here, Michael Balistreri is seen helping his son, Liam, who George Busateri is back as Festa just turned 3, with the activity. Liam is the grandson of ICC mem - bers Tom and Barbara Balistreri. Entertainment Director and his More photos can be found on pages 6 and 7. (Times photo by Tom Hem - man) band, Spider George & The Web, Cosa c’è dentro? is playing nightly, July 20-22 Wanting to make Festa Italiana What’s inside? 2018 the biggest Italian party in America this summer, Festa offi - A super hero, a truck cials have brought on board one of and 100 lbs. of pasta page 2 the most recognized names in live Acts for two Festa entertainment in the Midwest. stges announced page 3 George Busateri has returned to Italian art donated to ICC Festa to take the reins of Enter - by Sicilian artist page 4 tainment Director. Assisted by his wife, Catherine Mt. Carmel Church artifacts “cootie” Balistrieri Busateri, George donated to ICC page 4 is handling all of the aspects of St. Joseph’s Day Luncehon Festa entertainment including Chair says “Grazie” page 5 booking of the acts and back-up Calendars of events page 5 musicians, music directing, stage production and working with the Children’s Easter party stage managers and the sound and picture pages pages 6-7 lighting pros. Members’ Happy Hour And listen to this Festa fans: set for June 13 page 10 George will be performing with his Tribute to ICC’s #1 World band, Spider George & The Web! Soccer Cup fan page 11 After a 12-year absence, Spider George & The Web is back in the UNICO to honor lineup and will perform nightly at Fr. Mike Hammer page 12 9 p.m. all three days (July 20-22) UNICO Scholarship & and after the fireworks on Satur - Festa 2018 Music Director George Busateri Awards Dinner set day, July 21 on the Harley-David - make sure you’re there. You’re in clapping their hands, pumping for Tuesday, May 15 page 12 son Stage. for a spectacular show! their fists and singing along. There Pompeii Women announce There is a reason why this band “Our #1 goal this year is to bring are lots of us who remember people May Crowning event page 13 has been called “Milwaukee’s #1 the party back to Festa,” said Dean dancing on the picnic tables and party band” and anyone who has Pabst sponsorship key to Cannestra, Italian Community forming conga lines when George’s Verdi Club start page 15 seen them perform in the past at Center President and Festa Gen - band played. That’s what we’re try - Festa or many other venues knows eral Chairman. “George and his ing to bring back this year.” Italian soccer fans’ rue page 17 why. If you haven’t seen them yet, band will have people dancing, Please turn to page 8 A super hero, a truck and 100 lbs. of pasta by Christina Ziino Romano, Val Schleicher, Marie was in Ames, Iowa! My husband Iowa!!! Without hesitation, he vol - Recently, my grandson has be - Lieber and I began looking into ob - has run a lot of errands for me, but unteered to pick up the pasta on come fascinated with Super Heroes taining donated product for the I thought this one might be a little one of his runs! like Spiderman and Batman. They event. I started with the pasta. too much to ask. It looked like the When Ann called me with the swoop in from nowhere and save My first thought was Barilla. donation wasn’t going to happen. news, I couldn’t believe it. I com - the day and defeat the bad guy. After going online and making a One day, during one of our regu - pleted the donation request and Well, recently, the crew for “A call to the company, the prospects lar conversations, I relayed the three weeks later, Glen picked up Taste of Italy” found its own “Super looked good for up to 100-pounds of story to Ann Romano. Over dinner the pasta and delivered it to my Hero” in one Glen Murphy. Glen is pasta to be donated. The only prob - that night, with her friend Frances door! A real super hero rescue with - the son of ICC member Frances lem was that it either had to be and her son, Glen, Ann told them of out the bad guys!!! Thanks to Bar - Murphy, who is best friends with shipped to us at the Italian Com - the story of the pasta-in-waiting. illa and thanks to Glen! Ann Romano, our longtime Taste of munity Center’s expense which Here is where Glen turns into a Italy chair. would have been costly or have it super hero. Glen is a truck driver Upon taking over the chairman - picked up at one of Barilla’s ware - for McLane Company. Part of his THE ITALIAN TIMES ship of “A Taste of Italy” from Ann houses. The closest to Wisconsin regular route goes through Ames, 631 E. Chicago St. Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 Look for photos and a report on the 23rd annual “A Taste of Italy” in the (414) 223-2180 June 2018 issue of The Italian Times coming out May 24. Published 11 times annually Publisher . Italian Community Center ICC President . Dean Cannestra Newspaper Committee Two chances to get Festa’s ‘$7 Chairman . .Blaise Di Pronio Edito r . Thomas Hemman Advertising Sale s Manager . Thomas Hemman for 7 Days’ online ticket deal Advertising Sales If you want to get a great deal on lar advance ticket and $6 off a Keep in mind that children, 12 Representative . Faye Ann Kessler advance tickets for Festa Italiana ticket that is purchased at the gate years and younger, are admitted for Editorial Contributors, Reporters 2018, you still have two chances to the days of Festa Italiana, Friday, free when accompanied by an adult and Columnists . .Blaise Di Pronio, Barbara Collignon, Elizabeth Zizzo take advantage of Festa’s “$7 for 7 July 20 through Sunday, July 22. all three days of Festa. Angela Bozano and Donato Di Pronio Days” online ticket deal.