We the Italians Two flags, One heart, One hundred interviews about Italy and the US Umberto Mucci Umberto Mucci Copyright © 2016 Umberto Mucci All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1522898700 ISBN-13: 978-1522898702 visit www.wetheitalians.com We the Italians. Two flags, One heart, One hundred interviews about Italy and the US ! To Sylvaine, my wife, who has always supported me through hours of working from home, day and night. To Valeria, our daughter: I know that she will always remember how much we owe to the United States of America, why we trust the American people and that we are very, very proud of being Italians. Umberto Mucci We the Italians. Two flags, One heart, One hundred interviews about Italy and the US ! CONTENTS Introduction I Steve Acunto: Chairman of the Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo 5 Marconi in New York, NY Randy Aliment: President of the Italian Chamber of 8 Commerce in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR Angela Alioto: Author of the project "Piazza Saint Francis" in 12 San Francisco, CA Renzo Arbore: Singer and television author, producer, director 16 and anchorman Brando Ballerini: President of the Italian Chamber of 20 Commerce in Houston, TX Jennifer Baross and Jack Johnson: Producers and Directors of 23 the documentary "Parducci the Man Who Made Detroit Beautiful" Paul Basile: Co-founder of the Italian American War Veterans 26 Museum in Chicago, IL Lidia Bastianich: Chef, television host, writer 30 Mauro Battocchi: Italian Consul General in San Francisco, CA 34 Anita Bevacqua McBride: Chair of NIAF’s Education and 38 Scholarship Committee Edward Bevilacqua: Vice President of the Italian American 42 Club of Las Vegas, NV Gina Biancardi: Founder and President of the Italian Cultural 46 Foundation at Casa Belvedere in Staten Island, NY Claudio Bisogniero: Italian Ambassador to the US 50 Michael Bonasera: Co-founder of the History of Italian 54 Immigration Museum in Philadelphia, PA Umberto Mucci Stephen A. Briganti: President and CEO of the Statue of 58 Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation in New York, NY John F. Calvelli: Executive Vice President of the National 62 Italian American Foundation Vito M. Campese: President of the Italian Scientists and 66 Scholars in North America Foundation Dominic Candeloro: Author of the book "Italians in Chicago" 69 Laura Caparrotti: Theatre actress, producer, director and 73 founder of In Scena Teatro NY Fabrizio Capobianco: Founder and President of TOK.tv 77 Lucio Caputo: Founder and President of the Italian Wine and 82 Food Institute Simone Cinotto: Author of the book "Making Italian America: 86 Consumer Culture and the Production of Ethnic Identities" Gaetano Cipolla: President of Arba Sicula 90 Jerry Colangelo: Chairman of the National Italian American 95 Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago, IL Maria Teresa Cometto: Author of the exhibition "Make in 98 Italy. 50 years of Italian innovation" Domenick Crimi: President of 9th street Italian market in 102 Philadelphia, PA Matilda Cuomo: Founder of Mentoring US 106 Bill Dal Cerro: President of the Italic Institute of America 111 Albert De Lauro: Chairman of the Board of the Ferrari Club 115 of America Gianluca De Novi: Instructor at the Harvard Medical School, 119 MA and Co-founder of Triotech Ventures Andrè DiMino: Executive Director of UNICO 123 Philip J. DiNovo: President of the American Italian Heritage 128 Association and Museum in Albany, NY Francis M. Donnarumma: Secretary of the National Italian 132 American Bar Association We the Italians. Two flags, One heart, One hundred interviews about Italy and the US ! Francesco Durante: Author of the book "Italoamericana. The 137 Literature of the Great Migration, 1880-194" Oscar Farinetti: Founder of Eataly 143 Gianluca Fontani: President of the Italian Chamber of 146 Commerce in Miami, FL Mario Fratti: Playwright and Tony Awards winner 149 Frank Fusaro: Chairman of the Columbus Citizens 152 Foundation of New York, NY Mary Jo Gagliano: Author of the exhibition "La Storia: 156 Birmingham's Italian community", AL Mauro Galli: President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce 160 in Chicago, IL Thomas Gambino: Past Vice President of the Friends of Italy 163 Society of Hawaii, HI Marianna Gatto: Executive Director of the Italian American 167 Museum of Los Angeles, CA Gerald R. Gems: Author of the book "Sport and the Shaping 170 of Italian American Identity" Douglas Gladstone: Author of the book "Carving a Niche for 175 Himself: The Untold Story of Luigi Del Bianco and Mount Rushmore" Maria Gliozzi: Co-Founder of the American Initiative For 179 Italian Culture Michael W. Homer: Honorary Italian Consul in Salt Lake City, 184 UT William A. Jennaro: Past Chairman of Festa Italiana 187 Milwaukee, WI Adam Kaplan: Vice President of "Sister Cities International" 191 Barbara Klein: President of the Italian Film Festival US 196 Maria Luisa Lapresa: Italian Consul in Detroit, MI 200 Delfina Licata: Editor of the Rapporto sugli Italiani nel 203 Mondo Umberto Mucci Annalisa Liuzzo: Lawyer 207 Tony Lo Bianco: Television and Cinema and Theatre Actor, 210 author of the show "The Little Flower" Stefano Luconi: Professor of North American History at the 214 Universities of Padua, Naples and Florence John Maggio: Director of the documentary "The Italian 220 Americans" Aldo Mancusi: Founder and President of the Enrico Caruso 223 Museum in New York, NY René Manenti: Director of Centro Studi Emigrazione 228 Regionale in Rome Rosalba Maniaci: Italian Consular Agent of New Mexico, NM 232 Luca Martera: Television author, producer and director 236 Frank Maselli: President of the American Italian Museum in 241 New Orleans, LA Alessandro Masi: Secretary General of the Dante Alighieri 244 Society in Rome Joseph M. Mattone: President of the Feast of San Gennaro in 247 Little Italy New York, NY Paolo Messa: Director of the Center for American Studies in 250 Rome Catia Monacelli: Director of the Regional Museum of 255 Emigration Pietro Conti of Umbria Antonio Monda: Professor of Cinema at New York University 258 Adriano Monti: Italian Consul General in Chicago, IL 262 Fucsia Nissoli: Member of the Italian Parliament elected in 266 the US Gianfranco Norelli e Suma Kurien: Producers and Directors 270 of the documentary "Finding the mother lode" Nicola Orichuia: Founder and Editor of "Bostoniano" in 276 Boston, MA We the Italians. Two flags, One heart, One hundred interviews about Italy and the US ! Berardo Paradiso: President of the Italian American 280 Committee on Education of New York, NY Marian Paravano Grubor: President of the Upper Ohio 283 Valley Italian Heritage Festival, WV Bill Pascrell e Pat Tiberi: Co Chairs of the Italian American 287 Congressional Delegation in Washington, DC Tony Pasquale: Radio producer of the show "Ciao Tony" 291 Franco Pavoncello: President of the John Cabot University in 294 Rome Charlotte Piazza: Curator of the Tontitown Historical 298 Museum in Tontitown, AR Philip R. Piccigallo: Executive Director of the Order Sons of 302 Italy in America Pierpaolo Polzonetti: Author of the book "Italian Opera in 307 the Age of the American Revolution" Walter Potenza: Founder of the Federal Hill Heritage Center 311 in Providence, RI Portia Prebys: President of the American College and 315 University Programs in Italy Stefano Radio: CEO and Co-founder of College Life Italia 318 Rossella Rago: Host of the tv show "Cooking with Nonna" 322 Dennis Redmont: Head of Communications of the Council 325 for the US and Italy Anthony Riccio: Author of the book "Farm, Factories, and 328 Families: Italian American Women of Connecticut" Benedetta Rinaldi: Host of the tv show "Community" on RAI 332 Italia Aileen Riotto Sirey: Founder and Chair Emerita of the 335 National Organization of Italian American Women Gilda Rorro Baldassari: Commissioner of the New Jersey 339 Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission Umberto Mucci Mark Rotella: Author of the book "Amore: The Story of 344 Italian American Song" Roberto Ruocco: Honorary Italian Vice Consul in San Diego, 347 CA Serena Scaiola: Italian honorary Consul in Cleveland, OH 351 Joseph V. Scelsa: Founder and President of the Italian 358 American Museum of New York, NY Joseph Sciame: Chair of the Conference of Presidents of 361 Major Italian American Organizations Bruno Serato: Founder of Caterina's Club in Anaheim, CA 364 Gino Serra: Italian Honorary Vice Consul in Kansas City, MO 368 Elena Sgarbi: Italian Consul general in Houston, TX 373 Letizia Sirtori: International Tourism Sales Manager at 377 Destination DC Anthony J. Tamburri: Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian 380 American Institute in New York, NY Mary M. Tedesco: Genealogist and co-host of the tv show 387 "Genealogy Roadshow" Sal Turchio: Author of "Cent'Anni: 100 Years of Francis 391 Albert Sinatra, An American Icon" Sally Valenti: Vice President of Il Circolo - The Italian 396 Cultural Society of Palm Beaches, FL John M. Viola: President and COO of the National Italian 399 American Foundation About the Author: Umberto Mucci 404 We the Italians. Two flags, One heart. One hundred interviews about Italy and the US ! INTRODUCTION by Umberto Mucci Over the years I have often said that “Italy needs more America”. Of course this is my opinion, and not everyone agrees. And that’s fine. But I always say to people who do not share my thoughts: don’t take my word for it. There are 18 million people who are the best demonstration of this: the Italian Americans. They are successful people, winners, with a passion for Italy: people who have the same DNA as us Italians living at home, but who have seen their talent, creativity, and hard work rewarded by American meritocracy and by the United States’ spirit of freedom and entrepreneurship… by the American dream. That’s the reason why “Italy needs more America”: because the cooperation between Italy and America generates success and quality.