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 SEPTEMBER 2018 • VOL. 40, NO. 3 home delivery of this publication. Your address label will be placed here. – CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED – A message from Dean Cannestra, Italian Community Center Well, what can I say? PI wirsheIsideseernvet for our efforts. We can take had the same kind of great news to pride in the fact that we did our report about this year’s Festa Ital - best to demonstrate to the commu - iana as I did last year. However, nity-at-large our pride in our cul - two days of mostly rain and a ture and heritage, as the bylaws of mediocre Sunday don’t spell suc - our organization require us to do. cess. I do have some exciting news to Unfortunately that is the risk report. Professor Joe Mangiamele, we take in having an outdoor sum - through his Mangiamele Arts mer festival geared for family en - Foundation, is putting up a large joyment. I know that, with your abstract sculpture that will be support, we will survive and work erected on the west side of our harder to tackle the challenges we property in early September. encounter in the future. Named “New Beginning,” the more The most difficult part for me than two-story tall sculpture is ded - was to see the disappointment in icated to the immigrants who came the faces of you, our dedicated vol - to our country. unteers. You work so hard for Festa The sculpture will add signifi - Each year, Festa Italiana invites First Communicants to participate in year in and year out and deserve a cantly to the artistic quality of our the Festa Mass. Several young girls and boys accepted the invitation this much better outcome. property and, for that matter, the year. Among them were (front, l – r): Catherine Calarco and Sabrina (Lo Coco) Ruiz. In back is Sabrina’s older sister, Sofia (left) and Anna Maria Hopefully, the worst is behind Historic Third Ward and the City of Vicini, who is the Festa volunteer who is in charge of the Holy Commu - us now and we can move forward Milwaukee. nicants during the Mass. (Times photo by Tim Townsend) and attain the kinds of success we Please turn to page 2 Joe Emanuele will become the next ICC President Officer nominees are unopposed, but eight in the running for four open directors’ seats by Thomas Hemman viduals are running for the four cialist (2006-2017). He is complet - dent. The ICC Bylaws limit a pres - Times Editor open director-at-large seats. ing his second term as ICC Vice ident to serving no more than two Through the efforts of the Nom - Current Vice President Joseph President and previously served Please turn to page 18 inating Committee and the mem - Emanuele will become the next one year as a director-at-large. He bers who attended the Aug. 16 president of the organization. is also a past president of the Fil - general meeting, a slate of officers Emanuele was an officer with ippo Mazzei Greater Milwaukee Cosa c’è dentro? and directors has been chosen for the Milwaukee Police Department Area Lodge of the Order Sons of the Italian Community Center elec - from 1992 to 2017 when he retired. Italy in America. What’s inside? tion. His last promotions with MPD were Emanuele will be replacing Young Money wins Festa All five candidates for officer po - as a Forensic Investigator (2002-06) Dean Cannestra, who is completing Bocce Tournament page 2 sitions are unopposed. Eight indi - and an Identification Systems Spe - his second straight term as presi - A toast to the late Dan Conley page 2 Meet the Italian Abstract sculpture, dedicated Idol winners page 2 Cannoli-Eating Contest: Close to the finish page 3 to immigrants, to be erected Mass & Procession pages 4 & 5 FC Palermo still reigning on ICC property by the Festa Futsal champion page 6 Reviews of some of the Festa acts page 7 Mangiamele Arts Foundation Italian Senator Alderisi visits Festa page 10 by Thomas Hemman Erection of the abstract work Times Editor follows in line with Mangiamele’s Italian flagthrowers In September, an abstract sculp - mission and the reason for his es - and classic cars page 11 ture, more than two stories high, tablishment of the foundation. “My Authors praised, genealogy will be erected on the west side of mission in general is to make Mil - researchers help many page 12 the Italian Community Center waukee an art center. And in so VIP Day activities page 13 property off of Jackson Street, just doing, help organize the art activi - south of Chicago Street. ties of the Metropolitan area so as Kids Pizza-Making Built by the Mangiamele Arts to strengthen art as a force in Mil - Contest winners page 14 Foundation, the stainless steel art - waukee,” he said. Italian Heritage Exhibit page 15 work has been named “New Begin - Several years ago, Mangiamele Remembering ning.” It is dedicated to immigrants built a 22-inch prototype of the ab - Sam Purpero page 17 of all nationalities and races who stract structure that will be put up came to America. at the ICC property. He has dis - Live Courtyard Music The sculpture was designed by played the prototype on numerous series coming to an end page 19 Joseph Mangiamele, Ph.D., a long - occasions at the ICC. Since he ini - ICC membership time ICC member. He is the tially proposed the sculpture, he is on the rise page 20 founder and president of the non - has received approval from the His - Big Night for Sept. 14 profit Mangiamele Arts Foundation toric Third Ward Association to ICC Movie Night page 20 and a Professor Emeritus of the erect the work. The ICC Board and Fall bocce leagues and School of Architecture at the Uni - Mangiamele Arts Foundation have Italian classes to begin page 21 versity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Please turn to page 19 Professor Joe Mangiamele Young Money wins 41st Festa bocce tournament championship A toast to the late Dan Conley, longtime bocce manager In one of the most exciting, nail-biting and longest championship matches in the recent history of the Festa Italiana Bocce Tournament, Young Money defeated a team named Jesus Is Lord, 12-9, to capture the title. Both teams advanced to the championship round by rolling past three other opponents. This marked the third time that Young Money has won the Festa bocce tournament title. The team received a $250 cash The 41st Festa Italiana bocce tournament was halted for a few moments prize and each player a trophy. They are (l – r): Zach Martens, Dominic for a memorial toast to Dan Conley, who died this past Jan. 4 at the age Mudloff, Trevor Norgal and Josh Martens. (Times photo by Tom Hem - of 69. Dan was the longtime manager of Festa bocce and the tournament man) itself and someone whom many players and friends respected and ad - mired. Tracy (Conley) Balistreri (with microphone in hand) gave the toast to her father. Looking on proudly in the black dress is Tracy’s mother, Chris Conley. She and Dan were married for 44 years. At the end A message from Dean Cannestra, of her comments, Tracy asked everyone to raise a cup of Dan’s favorite beer, Miller Lite, to complete the toast. (Times photo by Tom Hemman) ItaliafrnomCpagoem1 munityyeCar,eonutremremPberrsehsipidhaesnit n - The Mangiamele Arts Founda - creased 11.2%. That is tremendous 2018 Italian Idol winners tion, which is loaning the sculpture news. I want to thank the Member - to the ICC, will be in charge of its ship Committee for reaching out to care and maintenance. the community to encourage people Another piece of good news is to join. Let’s hope this continues for the number of new members who a long time! have joined the ICC so far this – Dean Cannestra year. Since the beginning of the ICC President Here are the 2018 Italian Idol winners. In the center is the grand cham - pion singer, who simply goes by the name “Rai.” She sung the Toni Brax - ton classic, “Unbreak My Heart” and the panel of judges awarded the Milwaukee resident the top prize of $500 cash. On the left is second prize- When you operate a food booth at Festa, it doesn’t matter if you are the winner Samantha Hoppe of Pewaukee who sang Dolly Parton’s “I Will Italian Community Center President and Festa Italiana General Chair - Always Love You” and took home a $300 cash prize. Third prize, $200 man, you have to work in the booth. That’s what ICC President/Festa cash, was awarded to Sue Koch (right) of Milwaukee who sang Robbie General Chairman Dean Cannestra and his wife, Mary, were doing when Williams’ “Angel.” The champion round was held July 22 and featured this photo was taken on July 21 inside the Divino Wine & Dine booth. the top four singers from the preliminary rounds on July 20 and July 21. (Times photo by Tom Hemman) (Times photo by Tom Hemman) PAGE 2–SEPTEMBER 2018 THE ITALIAN TIMES A bite to the finish: 2018 Cannoli-Eating Contest The annual Festa Italiana can - just one bite away from finishing noli-eating contest, held on the his seventh cannoli. Cucina Showcase stage, turned into Lieber, to Bert’s dismay, de - a two-person race between the 2017 clared him as the second place fin - Champ Evan Jacob Garcia and isher because the rules, which she Bert Chang .