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L’UnioneITALIANAThe Official Newsletter for the Members and Friends of The Italian Club of TampaWEBSITE: www.Italian-Club.org JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005The Origins of the Cribs(“Presepe”) and Its Presencein SicilyWritten by Vince PardoThe term “presepio” derives from theLatin “praesepium” or “praesepe” whichmeans “manger put in a stall.” Accordingto an angiographic tradition, the“presepe” is born from a first livingpresepio that St. Francesco put togetherin Greccio (Rieti) in 1223 for Christmas.Its use was slowly spread also givingpush to the laudesis and the sacredrepresentations. Afterwards the orderFrancescano, the Dominicans and theJesuits gave impulse - not only in Italy,from Alto Adige to Sicily, but in thewhole central Europe - to the constructionof “presepi” sometimes becomepermanent, both to mobile figures andfixed ones, in stone or in terracotta, oftenof gigantic dimensions, typical of centresouthernItaly.The most ancient “presepe” of Italy canbe considered that of the oratory of thePresepio under the Chapel Sistina in SaintMaria Maggiore in Rome modeled aroundin 1280 by Arnolfo Di Cambio. About this“presepe” the three Magis, St. Giuseppe,the ox, the donkey are reached there,instead of Madonna and his Child whodate back to the XVI century. Thetradition of the “presepe” in Sicily hasancient origins: the first production ofcharacters of the Sacred Family datesback to the XVI century, realized bymaster artisans (“pasturari and santari”).The jobs for these works were usuallycommissioned by the representatives ofthe ecclesiastical orders. Inspiringthemselves to the work of great mastersfrom Naples and Palermo, the artisancalatinis began to produce “figuredde”(“small figures”) more and richer ofdetails in the form and in the color.About in the XVIII century, inside thearistocracy, people begin to commissionmore and more precious and elaborate“presepi”; by this way, they begin tocomplete the traditional representationsof the Sacred Family with characters ofthe country culture: “a nanna cu lipuddicini” (the old woman with thechicks), “lu ricuttaro” (the ricottamaker), “lu furnaru” (the baker), “lupasturello” (endearing of shepherd boy),the “lavannara” (the laundress), etc...Always in the XVIII century, someartisans were devoted to the realizationof the sculptures for “presepi”.The tradition of the artistic “presepe” canbe found in Sicily.In Palermo and Siracusa, where theapiculture is very spread, since the XVIIcentury the wax is used for moldingstatuettes of Jesus Bambino and whole“presepi”. A lot of Jesus Bambino is ofrefined making, embellished from goldand silver accessories, solemn in theexpression and represented with a crossin a hand. In the XIX century the waxmakers from Siracusa became famous forthe production of whole “presepi” orUpcoming EventsDECEMBER 31 - NEW YEAR’SEVE PARTYJANUARY 1 - NEW YEAR’S DAYJANUARY 9 - LECTURE BYDR. PILLIP SIPIORAJANUARY 13 - BOARD MEETINGJANUARY 23 - LECTURE BYDR. ANGELO SPOTOJANUARY 26 - SMOKER NIGHTJANUARY 29 - GASPARILLA DAYPARADEJANUARY 30 - APPRECIATIONLUNCHEON FORJOE CAPITANO SR.FEBRUARY 10 - 1ST QUARTERGENERAL MEETINGFEBRUARY 12 - KREWE OFSANT’YAGOKNIGHT PARADEFEBRUARY 19 - RUSS MORGANORCHESTRAFEBRUARY 26 - FIESTA DAYMARCH 10 - BOARD MEETINGThe Italian Club’sOffice HoursTuesday - Friday9:00am - 5:00pmSaturdays - By appointment onlyContinue on page 7.The mission of L’Unione Italiana is to preserve and honor the culture, traditions and heritage of the Italian Communityand to maintain the historical facility as a functioning memorial to the working class immigrants.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005President’s MessageThanks for allowing me to be President of the Italian Club for the past eight years. Ithas been an honor to work with so many hard working people who give so much to theClub. I thank you for the many new lifetime friends I have made in the last eightyears. I know a lot of people feel that all I ever did was beg for money for the Club,and that was very close to true. But, the work that was accomplished is something thatwe should all be proud of. Many hours of blood, sweat, and tears went into our efforts.Thanks to everyone who helped and donated their money and time to make the Clubwhat it is today.Joe Capitano Sr.Thanks also goes to the Cemetery Committee for the work they accomplished in thepast eight years. They have done the Italian Club proud under the leadership of GraceCampisi. The Ladies Auxiliary has been an important extension of the Club with somany great functions and financial support under Rosalie Perrone. With Festa della Madonna and Santa Lucia, they have keptour heritage alive in Tampa.Fiesta Day has always been a great success with the help of many under Stephanie Cannella-vanBelzen. The New Year’sDance has been enjoyed by many over the years thanks to Grace Campisi, Gilda Capitano, and their helpers, who have alwaysmade it an elegant affair.Festa Italiana has become the 2 nd largest event in Ybor City. It has brought the young and old together to enjoy an old fashionday of fellowship, ethnic food, entertainment, Bocce Ball and children’s events in Ybor City. It has grown from 3,500 peopleto 20,000 people in eight years. It has now become a two day event. Thanks to Joseph Capitano, Jr., Radiant Group, and themany dedicated members of the Italian Club for making it our signature event and major fundraiser that has kept the Clubalive. A tremendous thank-you is extended to Joe Jr., and his team. Their financial success has provided donations andsponsors over the years that became the backbone of our Club. Wayne Piazza and his cooking crew have done a super job withthe Italian Club Food Booth.Guavaween has always been a financial fund raiser. I want to thank Sal Guagliardo for that success and the many who haveworked into the wee hours of the morning for this event. The Cultural Committee has always been involved in many successesbeginning with the opening of the Frank V. Giunta Museum. I want to thank Gilda Capitano for her commitment. Whethershe was seizing us to attend an opera, a lecture, or view the Magna Graecia Exhibit at The Tampa Musuem of Art, her mainfocus was to always keep us learning to foster our unique legacy. Picnic with the Past, which is held at the Italian ClubCemetery, has become a great family day at the Cemetery. It has prompted a massive clean-up for the grave sites. Thanks toStephanie Cannella-vanBelzen and her Committee.Continued on Page 3.PAGE 2

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005L’UNIONE ITALIANA1731 East Seventh AvenueTampa, Florida 33605LUnione@Italian-Club.org813-248-3316 • 813-247-4387 faxNEWSLETTER STAFFEditor: Krista L. JonesCo-Editor: Alice R. MuellerOFFICERSJoseph Capitano, Sr., PresidentSal Guagliardo, Vice-PresidentStephanie Cannella vanBelzen, SecretaryJay Anthony, TreasurerBOARD OF DIRECTORSJoe Caltagirone, Grace Campisi,Angela Daxon, Al Garcia Jr., Jamie Granell,Felicia Kopelman, Linda Lastra,George Migliori, Vince Pardo,Don Pellegrino, Rosalie Perrone,Wayne Piazza, Violet Rodriquez andHonorary Board Member Fortune BoscoADVISORY BOARDJoseph Capitano, Jr.Special thanks to the following supportersDAVINCI ($500)Lisa DeBartolo The Bromley CompaniesJohn Puls, Jr. Bennie & Joyce LazzaraCarol LaMonte Eugene & Celesta GrecoFirst Home Realty Vigo Importing CoRalph & Betty HughesDominick & Susan Graziano & FamilyCentral Park Village Youth Services, Inc.BENEFACTORS ($300)AJ’s Outdoors, Inc. Dan & Vera IovinoSebastian Castellano Delores LastraRonald & Shannon ChristaldiPatrick & Cynthia Cimino Rene RodriguezSam C. Colucci Sunny Florida DairyGerardi Construction Mike TrentalangeMarathon Ashland PetroleumPATRONS ($200)Jack Almand Hon. Jess JulianteJay Patrick Anthony Benjamin LaMonteFrank V. Campisi Vince & Jan PardoJohn A. Caporice Richard & Velia ParrinoJimmy & Sandy Violet Verroca RodriquezChilluraScott SteadyJohn & Jana Curatelli TECOAngeles Ferlita Jim & Linda TaggartKenneth & Madlein FerlitaJohn & Marcy Green Peter & Deborah TagliariniVillage Lawn Care, Inc.Continued from page 2.For the bi-monthly magazine we owe thanks to Vince Pardo and to the kind folks thatdiligently contribute towards our deadline. The Smoker events have become a majorhit thanks to Jamie Granell and his committee. Thanks to, Linda Lastra, DonPellegrino and Jamie Granell, we now have a Krewe. This was originally conceivedby Joe Caltagirone when I first came into office. Hopefully it will help recruit newmembers in the future. Also, thanks to Jamie Granell, Ken Ferlita, and GildaCapitano, for their past work that was placed into creating an Italian Club Cookbook.In the near future we should be able to publish.Thanks to Al Garcia, Violet Rodriguez, George Migliore, Joe Caltagirone and AngelaDaxon for all the help they have given the Club, and for always being there. Therehave been so many people who have helped over the years, especially Sam Salarioand Angelo Perez who were a major help to the Club. Also, Dan Iovino, FortuneBosco, and to those who are too many to mention, I extend my sincere thanks.Also, a special thanks to Krista Jones and Alice Mueller for their hard work over thelast three years. A special appreciation for your time is felt. You must feel you areon call 24-7. Thanks for being there for the Club to help always give us a smoothsail.I can’t thank Felicia Kopelman enough for leading the Membership and GovernanceCommittee. With the help of Ron Christaldi and the Governance Committee, Feliciahas been able to update the bylaws and bring in new lawyers to help out the Club.Thank you for all your support and dedication.Finally, to the new officers and directors, I hope you will take us to new heights andto the next level that we deserve. I will always be there to help in any way I can.God bless you all. Grazie miei amici. Ne ci vediamo presto.Joseph Capitano, Sr.PAGE 3

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005LOOKING FOR A “NANO NANNY”What’s a Nano Nanny you ask? A Nanny that lives (24 / 7 – with time off when needed) andtakes care of Nano in his 3 bedroom, 2 bath comfortable home on an acre of land (plenty ofroom for a garden) with fruit trees, grandfather oaks and flowering plants in Temple Terrace.Close to shopping, interstate, churches, etc.Nano is a native Tampanian, colorful senior citizen , mentally alert, humorous, mobile, whospeaks English, Italian and Spanish. Enjoys walks at Busch Gardens.If you are a . . .• Florida licensed driver with own vehicle• Single mature female• A peron who doesn’t, smoke, do drugs• A person who can cook simple, nutritious meals• A person who can provide verifiable references . . .Who needs a nice place to live (RENT FREE), and good food to eat (FREE FOOD), likes pets(ONE DOG), enjoys walks at Busch Gardens (FREE SEASON PASS), can do lighthousekeeping, grocery shop, and cook simple nutritious meals, then check out this greatopportunity. Salary negotiable.For additional information and interview, contact :CONNIE HACKWORTH @ (813) 300-7293A Note from Vincenzo P. Collura(An English Translation of the ItalianLetter from the November/December2004 Issue.)Dear Friends,Hello! My name is Vincent P. Collura,known to many of you as Perry. Ihave been asked to write articles inItalian for the club magazine. I amvery pleased to know that many ofyou would like to read, or practicereading, Italian.I hope that the articles, in the form ofan open letter will be very interesting.Last April, I bought a personalcomputer for the first time and havediscovered many sites in Italian.Some are official sites from theprovince of Agrigento, where many ofthe ancestors of Tampa’s Italiansoriginated. Aragona (Native town ofthe Collura’s) Alessandria dellaRocca, Santo Stefano Quisquina and,of course, Agrigento, Capital of theprovince and home of Nobel prizewinning author Luigi Pirandello andthe Sinatra family (as in Ol’ BlueEyes).There is also the website of the RAI,Italy’s state radio and TV network,and several private radio station andnewspaper sites as well. In fact, RAIhas a division called “Italica”dedicated to the study of Italianlanguage, history and culture. CDsand books are available for thosewho wish to learn Italian and aboutItaly, its culture and thought.Like we have AOL and Yahoo here inAmerica, Italy has Ticali and Libero.Under the Libero umbrella, there isalso Inwind and Blu. These are thebest known internet providers whereyou can find articles and news in amultimedia format. Remember, mostPAGE 4Italian sites have the .it suffix. Also,the word for @ in Italian is chiocciola(Kee-O-cho-la).Utilizing search, you can find many ofthese sites. Obviously for spacereasons, I cannot include them herefor there are many.That is all for now. I hope to sendanother open letter for the next issue.CIAO CIAO!Newsletter SubmissionsIf you would like to submit anarticle for the Newsletter, pleasesend your submissions to thefollowing e-mail or contact theClub Office for any furtherquestions:LUnione@Italian-Club.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005START SPREADING THE NEWS…START PLANNING TODAY…COME BE A PART OF IT...NEW YEAR’S EVEThe Italian ClubThe Grand BallroomDecember 31, 20048 p.m. – 9 p.m.Passed Hors D’oeuvres9 p.m. – 1 a.m.Chef Attended Food StationsGourmet Coffee StationAssorted CrepesOpen BarFeaturing Green Flash$100.00 per personParking includedFor more information call The Italian Club office (813) 248-3316The New Year’s Eve Host Committee thanks you for your support.Gilda Capitano, Maria Capitano, Jamie Granell & Felicia Kopelman.PAGE 5

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Cultural Committee UpdateGilda F. Capitano, ChairmanCultural LecturesDuring the month of January 2005, the Cultural Committee will host two lectures at The Italian Club “ConnieSpoto Walter Theatre”. Please remember that these lectures are “free” to attend and the lecturers volunteertheir time to come and speak with us. The first lecture will be held on January 9, 2005, at 3pm. The guestspeaker will be Phillip Sipiora from the University of South Florida. The second lecture will be held onJanuary 23, 2004, at 3pm. The guest speaker will be our very own Club member, Dr. Angelo P. Spoto Jr. Thefollowing are the lecturers’ bios:Dr. Angelo P. Spoto Jr.Born in Tampa, Florida,March 25, 1933, a 4thgeneration Floridian toAngelo and Zillah MariaSpoto. Delivered bycousin, Dr. Joe Spoto,one of Ybor City’s early Sicilian physicians.He worked from 1943-1950 in Dad’sbusiness, V&P Spoto Wholesale Grocery at1501 9th Ave., Ybor City. Attended RobertE. Lee, George Washington and HillsboroughHigh School and the University of Florida,where he received his Bachelor of Science inMedicine. Later, he received his Master’sDegree from Duke University. He trained inInternal Medicine and Allergy here, as wellas Lackland Air Force Base and the WalterReed Army Medical Center. He was anofficer in the USAir Force, and was a MajorIntenist/Allergist at the Watson Clinic wherehe also served on the executive committe andwas president of the Watson ClinicFoundation. He served as cahirman ofMedicine as well as secretary on theexecutive committee at theLakelandRegional Medical Center. Hefounded Lakeland Volunteer in Medicine(Free Clinic) where he served as CEO. Hewas a past president of the American MedicalPAGE 8Group Association and was a delegate to theAMA and the International Group PracticeAssociantion. He was also one of 9physicians invited to testify beforeRostenkowski’s House Ways and MeansCommittee of the Congress’s Health CareReform Hearings. Coach of LakelandMajors Baseball All Star. Member of Boardof Directors of the Lakeland Chamber ofCommerce. He is married to Carolyn andhas three children, Keith, Elizabeth Anneand Jacqueline. He is also the grandfatherof three grandchildren. He presently is aHealth Care Consultant volunteer.Phillip Sipiora, Ph.DPhillip Sipiora is Professorof English at the Universityof South Florida, where heteaches and writes aboutTwentieth-CenturyLiterature and Film. He isthe author or editor of three books, nearlytwo dozen scholarly articles, and haslectured internationally on literature andfilm. Professor Sipiora directed the USFProgram in Florence, Italy in the summer of2004 and he has been asked to direct theprogram this coming summer. Previously,he taught in Florence for Florida StateUniversity in the Fall of 1996.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005“Meet the Ladies”Written by Patricia HeathRosalie Castellana PerroneRosalie Castellana Perrone was born inTampa, Florida, on July 25 th . Sheattended local public schools such asB.C. Graham, George WashingtonJunior High, and was a graduate ofThomas Jefferson High School. Shewent on to attend the University ofSouth Florida and the University ofTampa. She received her master’sdegree in education and recently retiredafter 35 years of teaching inHillsborough County. Even though sheretired, Rosalie had to remain active,Rosalie Castellana Perroneand is currently a reading tutor at Alexander Elementary.At the age of eight, Rosalie visited relatives in Italy and livedthere for three months. She formed an everlasting bond withthe Italian language and culture. In order to communicate withher 50 cousins and other relatives still living in Italy, Rosaliestudied and became fluent in written and spoken Italian. Sheattended university classes and even hired a tutor in order tomaster the Italian language.Rosalie has been president of L’Unione Italiana LadiesAuxiliary since 1996. Under her leadership the LadiesAuxiliary was restructured and now has over fifty members.The Auxiliary coordinates family functions that foster andpromote the Italian culture. Rosalie’s goal is to preserve ourItalian traditions through the education and inclusion ofchildren in club events.Rosalie has many hobbies that keep her busy. She loves herwork with the Ladies Auxiliary as it allows her to promote theItalian culture. She also loves to work with children whether itbe tutoring or coaching. She loves to dance and keeps activewith exercise and dance. Besides the Ladies Auxiliary she isalso active in Pan American University Women, and LesFemme.Loretta Traina CampoLoretta Traina Campo was born in Tampa on December 12th.She is married to Manuel Campo and has one daughter, MariaElise.Loretta attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School.After graduation she attended the University of Tampa. Shecompleted her Bachelor of Science and Masters degree inEducation at the University of South Florida. She then receivedher Education Leadership degree from Nova University.Loretta is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa,Pan American University Women, Temple Terrace ServiceLeague, and the Principal’s Council. In her spare time sheenjoys attending live theater productions and musicals. Sheloves shopping, listening to music and completing arts andcrafts projects.Loretta was a teacher in Hillsborough County numerous yearsand was honored as “Teacher of the Year”. She is verydedicated to her work and is currentlythe principal of Yates Elementary, an“A” school.Rosalie always puts her heart and soul into all she attempts.She coached girls softball for six years and in 1976 took themall the way to the City Championship. She pens the article, “PerI Bambini” for the Italian Club’s Newsletter with the hopes ofenticing children to become involved in their heritage. In 2002for her devotion to the Italian culture, Rosalie received theItalian Women of Excellence Award. This is an honor she trulycherishes.Rosalie has been married to her high school sweetheart, ManuelPerrone, for 47 years. They have 4 children, David, Dennis,Buddy, and Lorraine. They also have nine grandchildren,Laura, Tad, David, Amber, Candace, Caryne, Manny, Sammy,and Randy.Loretta is a very organized andfocused person. Using these skillsshe has been instrumental in helpingto reform the Ladies Auxiliary. Shehas been a member of the auxiliaryfor eight years and has served as itsVice President. She currently servesas its Treasure. She has been anItalian Club member for many, manyyears along with her parents, PhylissTraina, and the late, Mac Traina. Herdaughter was the first Santa Lucia. Herdedication is perhaps a family trait.The auxiliary is proud to call her“sorella”.Loretta Traina CampoPAGE 9

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005“Valentine’s Day History & Traditions”La Storia della Festa di San ValentinoThe History of Saint Valentine’s DayValentine’s Day started in the time of theRoman Empire. In ancient Rome,February 14th was a holiday to honorJuno. Juno was the Queen of the RomanGods and Goddesses. The Romans alsoknew her as the Goddess of women andmarriage. The following day, February15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.The lives of young boys and girls werestrictly separate. However, one of thecustoms of the young people was namedrawing. On the eve of the festival ofLupercalia the names of Roman girlswere written on slips of paper and placedinto jars. Each young man would draw agirl’s name from the jar and would thenbe partners for the duration of thefestival with the girl whom he chose.Sometimes the pairing of the childrenlasted an entire year, and often, theywould fall in love and would later marry.Under the rule of Emperor Claudius IIRome was involved in many bloody andunpopular campaigns. Claudius theCruel was having a difficult time gettingsoldiers to join his military leagues. Hebelieved that the reason was that romanmen did not want to leave their loves orfamilies. As a result, Claudius cancelledall marriages and engagements in Rome.The good Saint Valentine was a priest atRome in the days of Claudius II. He andSaint Marius aided the Christian martyrsand secretly married couples, and for thiskind deed Saint Valentine wasapprehended and dragged before thePrefect of Rome, who condemned him tobe beaten to death with clubs and to havehis head cut off. He suffered martyrdomon the 14th day of February, about theyear 270. At that time it was the customin Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed,to celebrate in the month of February theLupercalia, feasts in honor of a heathengod. On these occasions, amidst a varietyof pagan ceremonies, the names ofyoung women were placed in a box,from which they were drawn by the menas chance directed.The pastors of the early Christian Churchin Rome endeavored to do away with thepagan element in these feasts bysubstituting the names of saints for thoseof maidens. And as the Lupercalia beganabout the middle of February, the pastorsappear to have chosen Saint Valentine’sDay for the celebration of this new feast.So it seems that the custom of youngmen choosing maidens for valentines, orsaints as patrons for the coming yeararose in this way.Le Tradizioni della Festa di ValentinoValentine TraditionsHundreds of years ago in England, manychildren dressed up as adults onValentine’s Day. They went singingfrom home to home. One verse theysang was:“Good morning to you, Valentine;Curl your locks as I do Mine—Two before and three behind.Good morning to you, Valentine.”In Wales, wooden love spoons werecarved and given as gifts on February14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes werefavorite decorations on the spoons. Thedecoration meant, “You unlock myheart!”PAGE 10In the Middle Ages, young men andwomen drew names from a bowl to seewho their valentines would be. Theywould wear these names on their sleevesfor one week. To wear your heart onyour sleeve now means that it is easy forother people to know how you arefeeling.In some countries, a young woman mayreceive a gift of clothing from a youngman. If she keeps the gift, it means shewill marry him.Some people used to believe that if awoman saw a robin flying overhead onValentine’s Day; it meant she wouldmarry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, shewould marry a poor man and be veryhappy. If she saw a goldfinch, shewould marry a millionaire.A love seat is a wide chair. It was firstmade to seat one woman and her widedress. Later, the love seat or courtingseat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sittogether – but not too closely!Think of five or six names of boys orgirls you might marry. As you twist thestem of an apple, recite the names untilthe stem comes off. You will marry theperson whose name you were sayingwhen the stem fell off.Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed.Take a deep breath and blow the seedsinto the wind. Count the seeds thatremain on the stem. That is the numberof children you will have.If you cut an apple in half and count howmany seeds are inside, you will alsoknow how many children you will have.All information gathered for this articlecame from:http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Attenzione!Coming this summer at the Italian Club, for the very firsttime, a day camp for children. Yes, the Italian ClubLadies Auxiliary, Inc. will sponsor a day camp. Childrenwill participate in various activities involving theirculture. We are currently in the early planning stages.Look for more information in upcoming newsletters. Itwill be held June 13-17 th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.ALL PARTICULARS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.Put it on your calendar now.HAPPY BIRTHDAYHappy “81st”BirthdaytoMaria Leto PasettiMille Grazie!*Motto Grazie to Rosalie Perrone forall her hard work leading the LadiesAuxiliary.Anonymous*Thank you to Angie Albano Stanleyfor giving a ride to one of our newmembers to the Club’s ChristmasParty and for being such an excited,active new member.Felicia Kopelman*There are no thanks enough for allthat Joe Capitano Sr. has done for theClub during his Presidency.AnonymousHappy “80th”BirthdaytoJennie Caltagirone*Thanks to Maria Piazza & KatieLorenzo for making the angel outfitsfor Santa Lucia.Anonymous*Many thanks to Katie AnelloRepenn for her thoughtful cards forbirthdays & special occasions.AnonymousPAGE 11

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Happy New Year to all of you from all of us. This year will be busier than ever with thenew Day Camp per I bambini and our other events. In total we sponsor six events.Santa Lucia was held on December 12, 2004, with Katherine Ciccarello Stine relinquishingher title to the 2005 Santa Lucia, Gillian Francesca Finklea. Both of these young ladiesmake us proud and we appreciate their being a role model for the younger children. Themass was presented by Mons. Fregepane of Italia. The procession and program followedwith the children giving the history of Santa Lucia. Participants in the procession were:Sienna Barrera, Alyssa Callison, Alyssa Conte, Caroline Gresham, Michael Kopelman,Isabella Moreno, Antonio Belteton-Orr, Olivia, Giovanni, Francesca, and Isabella Piazza,Antonio and Caterina Plazza, Carly and Zena Quick, Jacqueline and Mark Stine, Jordanand Tyler Trumbach. We are so happy to have these children participate. The dinner wasdelicioso and the music by Rafael & Co. was wonderful. Mille grazie to all who attended.Your support enabled us to donate $4,000 to the club and $4,000 to the cemetery.SPECIAL THANKS TO GUISEPPE MANISCALCO OF PORTOFINO JEWELRY whosponsored the tickets and donated the 24k Trinacria. Bravo!Molto grazie to all the ladies and especially to Maria Piazza and Katie Lorenzo for themany hours they spent making all the angel dresses.LA MODA DI PRIMAVERA WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 5 TH WITH FASHIONS BYSTEIN MART. Look for more information in the next newsletter.Officers for the coming term are: Rosalie Perrone - President, Patricia Heath – VicePresident, Loretta Campo – Treasurer, Rose Barbie – Recording Secretary, and JosieMoreno – Corresponding Secretary. Best wishes to all of them and special thanks to KatieMiliziano and Rose Ciccarello, who are retiring from office. They have and will continueto be a tremendous asset to all of us.We’ll see you at the fashion show. It promises to be bigger and better! Ci vediamo…LeDonnePAGE 12

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Holiday TraditionsWritten by Patricia HeathAs the holiday season approaches, itoccurred to me that many ItalianAmericans share a different version ofthe Italian legends surroundingChristmas. Much depends on the regionof their ancestry and the stories theirancestors told them as children.My grandmother was a great story teller.As I was raised in a nuclear family withmy Italian grandmother living with us, Iwas inundated with legends, tales, andsongs. I also had my mother, and herfour sisters, who furthered my educationin the richness of the Italian culture. Myfather, being of Spanish descent, spoketo my Italian grandmother in Spanish.She would respond, depending on hermood, in either Spanish or Italian. Igrew up speaking Italian fluently andSpanish fairly well. Memories of mychildhood are filled with sweetrecollections of loving, caring adultsoffering guidance, security, protection,and a love of Italian customs andtraditions.One of my favorite Christmas stories isthe story of La Befana. She is the ItalianChristmas Witch. Many of my friendsand acquaintances have not heard or donot remember the story of the Befana.This is the story much as I remember itas it was told to me. I did some furtherresearch to fill in the gaps caused by myaging memory.La Befana is an old woman living alonein a little cottage way up in the hills ofItaly. She once had a family but is nowall alone. She keeps herself busy baking,sweeping, and cleaning. One nightwhile Befana is baking and cleaning asusual, she notices a very bright star up inthe night sky. The star is so bright thatBefana decides to look outside. To hersurprise, she sees a procession led byThree Wise Men, who are carrying giftsof incense and myrrh to give to theChrist Child. They are on the way toBethlehem to find the child and askBefana to come along with them. Sherefuses as she is too busy baking andcleaning to join them. She then returnsto her cakes and cookies, which are nowready to come out of the oven. The nextday, she regrets her decision and decidesto set out to find the Three Wise Menand their procession. So she gathers herbaked goods, along with some fruits andcandies, and ties them in a kitchen cloth.She then gets her broom and sets out tofind the Wise Men. Unfortunately, she isunable to find the procession and getslost. She cannot find the Wise Men, andshe cannot find her way home. Lost andalone, she continues to wander aboutItaly looking for the Christ Child andrewarding good children with little giftsof fruits, cakes, and candies. But tonaughty children she leaves nothing buta lump of coal.Children in Italy await the arrival of LaBefana. Befana (epifania) is associatedwith the religious festival of theEpiphany which takes place in January.In the weeks prior to the festival, Italianchildren are always on their bestbehavior because the Befana may bewatching. Children write letters toBefana telling of the presents they wantmost and paste them inside the chimney.They hang stockings or place shoes nextto the hearth. Then they chant thefollowing:La Befana vien di notteCon le scarpe tutte rottePAGE 13Col vestito alla “romana”Viva, viva la Befana!Porta cenere e carboniAi bambini cattivoniAi bambini belli e bouniPorta chicchi e tanti doni.Translation:La Befana comes at nightIn tattered shoesDressed in Roman styleLong live la Befana!She brings cinders and coalsTo the naughty childrenTo the good childrenShe brings sweets and lots of gifts.Dressed in black, she enters housesdown the chimney filling the stocking orshoes left by the children. She leaves alump of coal for bad boys and girls andlots of sweets and candies for the goodones.If you would like more information onthe legend of La Befana you can go tothe following links:www.labefana.itwww.la-befana.ithttp://qcpages.qc.edu/calandra/community/commbefa.htmlIf you know any other Italian stories ornursery rhymes, please email your storyto the following address:patty1949@msn.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005While in Florence I was known as theAmerican, who shopped during thesiesta, or the American who boughtgroceries for an entire week, or theAmerican who always dined at 6 P.M. Ibegan to wonder if I could break out ofthe stereotype and pass as Italian. Afterall, I had been born in Italy and broughtup in an Italian neighborhood. Whywouldn’t they consider me Italian? Itwould be an interesting experiment.My first foray took me to the flea market.The autumn air was heavy with the smellof leather jackets and sweaters. Wearingmy new Italian sweater, I greeted theelderly owner of a stand. “Americano,”he said. No interrogative for him.“How do you know I’m an American?”“After forty years I can tell allnationalities – it’s the walk – yes, thewalk.” (Now that was graduate-levelprofiling.) “You take the Germans. Theyhave been in the army too long. They staywith the group and march. The Frenchclip their arms at the elbow as they walk.The Japanese descend from buses liketerrorist – cameras in full operation. Andthey walk in tight groups. Italians walk asif they’ve had a death in the family. TheEnglish throw their arms to the rear as iftrying to shake off their hands.”“What about me?” I asked, seeking thecause of my failure.“You slouch, your hands are in yourpocket and you change direction like anant. And yes, you smile a lot. That’sAmerican. Even when you tell themsomeone has died, what do they do? Theysmile.”After ten minutes I decided to mend andamend my ways and slouched off withmy hands in pocket.I tested myself again at the ACI (TripleA) office where I went for gas coupons.“Passing as Italian”Written by John IorioA woman who would seem more at homemodeling than dispensing gas couponssat behind a desk. Without looking up shesaid, “Nome?”“Giovanni.”“Cognome?”“Iorio,” I said, careful to use the Italianpronunciation.Then in English she asked, “Is that theAmerican ‘I’ or the Italian ‘I’?”I failed again. But not really — the gascoupons gave me away. Only foreignersapplied for them. My mother was right.“As a spy you wouldn’t last fiveminutes.” But then she was quick to dropthat five minute warning onto everythingelse I did.My accidental breaking of a windowpane afforded me a new opportunity.Buying a pane of glass would be a suretest. I searched out a vetraio – a glassseller. A tiny bell announced my entrance.An old man with white hair looked upfrom his cutting table and stared. “Buongiorno, signore,” I said in my muchpracticedItalian. “Ho bisogno di unaparte di vetro per una finestra.” I gavehim the measurements.He continued to stare as if he hadn’theard me. Then he pointed his finger atme and said, “Italo-Americano. Yourfather left Naples many years ago andnow you’ve returned.”“Si, but how did you know?”“Si lo sente, si lo sente,” (One hears it,one hears it) he said, his finger tappingthe side of his head.At this point I felt the enterprise washopeless. I became convinced that unlessone goes through schoolyard rituals ofverbal tugs and jabs, jousts withPAGE 14phonemic subtleties, and savors the entirerange of slang and nuance, one will nevermake it linguistically. The sounds will bebookish or worse — like those ofGerman occupiers or Berlitz graduates. Iremember a friend at Vassar College, aRomanian, who spoke perfect Italian.When complimented he would say,“There’s one trouble. I don’t have anaccent. I wasn’t brought up there.”Only once did I pass or did I? I was on abus on my way to the airport when amotorcycle struck the side of the bus. Aman next to me began talking about thedriving culture of Italians. “They drivelike cats on fire.” His Italian was precise.“And yet their death rate is lower than inthe United States,” I said.“That’s because they count only the onesthat go to heaven.” We laughed. After tenminutes he said with some curiosity,“Where are you from?”“Tampa, Florida.”He appeared genuinely surprised. “Andhere I thought you were Italian.”At last I had convinced someone! But itwasn’t really fair. He wasn’t Italian. Hisname was Levin or Levine and he washead of an American school in Rome. Welaughed about being able to fool oneanother. I suspected that his Neapolitan-American wife had made him lessquestioning about my accent.I concluded that my experiment hadended and that I would not try to besomething I was not. Boarding the plane,I would from then on concentrate onpassing as an American.

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2005Attention Friulianiin the Tampa BayArea!If you are from the Friuli region ofItaly or of Friuliani heritage, checkout the organization:Friuli nel MondoFor information,please call Giovanna Carneraat (813) 783-6187Welcome New MembersOctober 2004Gina Valenti-AlmonteKristopher & Susan FernandezRoberto & Daniela MaganucoAngelina Albano StanleyNovember 2004Renee BorsethJoseph DemmiRose DeVincenzoJeffrey & Renne GittoJames Hurley & Valerie Zummo-HurleyConnie MilitoPaul L. ScarpelliDecember 2004Rochelle Scaglione OrrFRAN COSTANTINOBROKERCOSTANTINOAND COMPANYREAL ESTATE SERVICES2216 4TH AVE. E.TAMPA, FL 33605PHONE: 813 241-6767FAX: 813 241-6868PAGE 15

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Italian Perspectives:By“The Riace Statues”John IorioThrough the warm water of the IonianSea on an August day in 1972, he saw it –an arm emerging from the sandy bottom25 feet down off Riace on the Calabriancoast. Stefano Mariottini, the amateurdiver-archaeologist, knew it was animportant find. Verification and researchconfirmed Mariottini’s view that he hadglided into one of the most significantartistic discoveries of the century.Layered by the accrual of nearly 2000years of sea life, two statues of Greekwarriors emerged from the sea bottom.This discovery added significantly to thehandful of bronze statues left to us fromthe Classical period.Now it was time for museums, tourism,economies, regional pride, andtechnology to take over. Preliminarywork was done at Reggio. Then thestatues were sent to Florence where thetechnology was available to restore theworks to their primitive brilliance. Thedelays, showings, and distrust ofFlorentine motives ignited a conflictbetween Reggio and FlorenceHad this been the Renaissance therewould have been war, and we would bereading a history as follows:Reggio persuaded Sicily to join in therecovery of the statues. Caesar Borgia,who had a Florentine negotiator killedwhen he recognized him as his halfbrother, led the Southern armies.Florence formed an alliance with Genoaand Milan and chose Caterina Sforza tocommand the Northern armies. Romegave its blessing to both sides. Da Vinciwas commissioned to paint the battle, andthere was hope that perhaps he wouldfinish something for a change.But the idea of unraveling was thesubtext of all Renaissance adventures. InPalermo, the bastard son of the duketreacherously killed his uncle andwithdrew support for Reggio. Spainattacked Palermo for no reason. CaterinaSforza, seduced by Borgia, decided thestatues were not worth it and relinquishedher command to Andria Doria, who knewnothing about land warfare. The evilduke of Mantua witnessed the seductionand reported it to the Pope, whereuponthe Pope urged Lucrezia to do what shedid best with her brother. Caesar died thefollowing weekend. The alliance wasbadly strained.The confrontation took place inCampania. The Neapolitans hosted thebattle and offered to supply the food, butthe offer was rejected after tenNeapolitan testers died of foodpoisoning. After a major battle, a dozenor so knights were killed. The statues,meanwhile, had been forgotten anddisappeared.All seriousness aside, the statues werereturned to Reggio, thanks to democraticconventions and agreements.We took the students in three buses tostudy the works. We waited until themuseum opened and waited longer untilthe museum was able to accommodate us.I saw Reggio as an attractive city. I hadread that it was a center of production ofessence oils used in the manufacture ofperfumes and this fact might have giventhe shops along the Corso Garibaldi asophisticated edge. The city was bustlingand hustling, leading me to wonder whator where was the prime mover in all thisactivity. We and all other busloads ofvisitors coming and going would nothave been here had it not been for thestatues, and it gives support to those whosee the arts as economic stimulus,evidence that where the arts flourish, theeconomy thrives.We were treated to two remarkable lifesizestatues. And both statues, as Scholarsbelieve, are from the 5 th century B.C. Onestatue is of a young warrior, strong, withcurly beard and a gaze worthy of a ClintEastwood. The youthful head is turnedslightly to the right. Parted lips revealsilver teeth. His straight right leg speaksPAGE 16of stability and strength while his bentleft leg reminds one of the contrapostalgrace of Michelangelo’s “David.” Hisweapon and shield are missing, butthanks to art his body remains tense,ready for combat and self assured. Theother statue is an older man, dubbed “TheOld Man.” What else? Also minus hisheadgear, weapon and shield, he exudesmore of an inner serenity, his life perhapsmolded by years of combat. For me thestatues seem to bridge the self containedspiritualty of 5 th century B.C. works andthe commanding presence of much laterand Roman works.Some scholars see the two as works fromdifferent hands. The youth may be a workby Phidias from about 460 BC, while theold man is ascribed to Polyclitus of about430 B.C.. Look up the Doryphorus ofPolyclitus (440 B.C) and you will findthe resemblance astounding (except forthe face). Some have suggested that theyare commemorative statues dedicated tothe victory at Marathon.Yet others claim with equalpersuasiveness that they are the work ofPythagorus who worked in Reggio in the5 th centurt B.C. Pythagorus was the firstto depict the kind of detail( the showingof veins, for example) found in thestatues. Yet I find veins in theDoryphorus as well.Mysteries remain. Many questions beganswers. Both mysteries and questionsmay always be unsolved and unanswered.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005A Special Appreciation Luncheonin honor ofJoseph Capitano, Sr.for his commitment and dedicationto the restoration of the Italian ClubJanuary 30, 20051 pm - 5 pmTickets - $20.00All proceeds to benefit The Italian ClubFor Tickets Contact:The Italian Club office at (813) 248-3316Make Checks payable to The Italian Club1731 East 7th Ave.Tampa, FL 33605PAGE 17

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005PAGE 18

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005To whom it may concern:I, John Vitale Boemio, have neglected to inform my fellow friends of a couple changes in mysituation. I have not been as active as I planned in the functions in The Italian Club’sorganizations, and I would like to apologize for this. I would be more active if it were not forme being deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Noble Eagle.If any friends of The Italian Club would like to send a care package or an email to me, or to thesoldiers in my unit, that would be good. My email address is peronidrinker@yahoo.com.Again, I’m sorry for not being there to help in any of the functions, but I just wanted you toknow I’m doing fine and well.October 5, 2004Dear members of L’Unione Italiana Ladies Auxiliary,A thank you from the heart..........Thank you!! On Saturday you gave me and my family a priceless opportunity to honor our hard working,beloved grandparents, Dominic and Theresa Valenti.All of my family continues to feel their loving presence in our every day lives, but your decision to honor megave us a rare moment to celebrate them publicly. They would have been proud to see us all grown,accomplished and, most important to them, loving and supporting one another!Your committe outdid themselves - from the beautiful invitation, to the gorgeous flowers, delicious meal andwonderful entertainment - every detail was perfect!Everyone has been calling me to tell me how much they enjoyed it!Congratulations to all of you for what you have done to elevate the profile of Italian and Sicilian women, theiraccomplishments and their families. It’s tough to pursue and succeed in challenging careers while we continueto nurture our Italian culture and traditions. That’s why it is so important for everyone to know that we have thesupport of strong organizations and outstanding Italian women like you!Thank you for a day that my family and I will never forget!!Most sincerely,Liana Valenti Fernandez Fox1702 E. 7th AvenueTampa, Florida 33605PAGE 19

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005YES, I WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ITALIAN CLUBMEMBERHSIP TYPE (ANNUALLY):Student ($25)_______ Senior, 65 yrs + ($55)_______ Individual ($100)_______ Family ($150)_______CONTRIBUTORY (TAX-DEDUCTABLE)*Patrons ($200)_________ Benefactor ($300)_________ DaVinci ($500)_________NAME__________________________________________ DATE OF BIRTH________________ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________CITY__________________________STATE__________________ZIP CODE________________EMAIL______________________________________________________________________PHONE #____________________________SPOUSE________________________ MALE:_____ FEMALE:_____ DATE OF BIRTH:__________CHILD_________________________ MALE:_____ FEMALE:_____ DATE OF BIRTH:__________CHILD_________________________ MALE:_____ FEMALE:_____ DATE OF BIRTH:__________CHILD_________________________ MALE:_____ FEMALE:_____ DATE OF BIRTH:__________I would like to assist in the following areas:Accounting ___ Building ___ Cemetery ___ Cultural ___Festa Italiana ___ Food Prep ___ Fundraising ___ Gasparilla ___Governance ___ Grants ___ Guavaween ___ Insurance ___Ladies Auxiliary ___ Maintanence ___ Membership ___ New Year’s Eve ___Newsletter ___ Photography ___ Picnic with the Past ___Smoker Night ___ Social ___ Website ___ Volunteer ___Please send this application and a check or money order payable to:The Italian Club of Tampa, Inc.Post Office Box 5054Tampa, Florida 33675*Contributory Members should make checks payable to ICBCTF (The Italian Club Building & Cultural Trust Fund)PAGE 20

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005A Note from Vincenzo P. ColluraCiao Amici(Translation in English)Spero che avete passato un Buon natale e un FeliceCapo D’Anno. E‘ 2005 e cominciamo un nuovo anno dicambio e progresso per L’Unione e per Tampa.Dopo otto anni, Joe Capitano la lasciato la presidenzadell’ Unione. Joe, Gilda e la sua famiglia sonorisponsabili per il fenomeno successo di questaorganizzazione. Certo, non hanno fatto tutto solo. Moltihanno anche contributo aiuto, ma loro hanno dedicatopiu‘ di la‘ dello aspettato per fare L’Unione Italiana unorgoglio della comunita‘ Italiana e la citta‘ di Tampa.Senz’altro, la famiglia Capitano continueranno acontribuire aiuto all’Unione Italiana e il nuovo “kreweItalia” . E non possiamo scordare la “Festa Italiana” chepresto viene ad aprile prossimo. Sempre con noi, cariamici, Joe, Gilda e figli.Auguri anche per il nuovo presidente, Sal Gugliardo. Chela vostra amminstrazione continua con il progresso sottola sua direzione per questa la prima associazione Italo-Americano nello stato di Florida fondata piu‘ di 110 annifa.CIAO CIAO!VPCHello FriendsI hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and NewYear celebrations. It is 2005, a year of change andcontinued progress for the Italian Club and for Tampa.After eight years, Joe Capitano has left the presidency ofthe L’Unione Italiana. Joe and Gilda and their family havebeen responsible for the phenomenal success of the clubduring this time. Of course, they didn’t do it alone.Members have greatly contributed as well. But theCapitano family has gone beyond expectations to makethe club a pride of the Italian-American community and theCity of Tampa.Of course, the Capitano family will continue to contributeto the club and the new “Krewe of Italia”. And we can’tforget “Festa Italiana”, coming soon in April. Always withus, our dear friends, Joe, Gilda and children.Best wishes also for the new president, Sal Guagliardo.May your administration continue with the the progressunder your direction, for this, the first Italian-Americanassociation in the state of Florida, founded more than 110years ago.CIAO CIAO!VPCCaffè alla Valdostana, or Valdostan Coffee: Wherever you go in the Alps, it seems, you will run across fortified coffees,which are often served in a multi-spouted wooden container called grolla. The idea being that each person will take a sipfrom a spout, then pass the container on to the next person who will use the next spout. The tradition may be born ofbarracks customs among soldiers, but it’s by now well rooted. To serve 6:INGREDIENTS:• 6 demitasse cups of not-too-strong espresso• 3 glasses red wine• 6 shots grappa, preferably from the same kind of marks as the wine (e.g. grappa di Dolcetto with Dolcetto wine)• 12 teaspoons sugar• The zest of a lemon, cut into thin stripsCaffe alla ValdostanaA coffee not to wake you upPREPARATION:While the coffee is brewing, combine the remaining ingredients in a pitcher, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in thecoffee, and pour the mixture through a strainer, into a grolla. If you don’t have one, 6 glasses will work nicely too.Given this caffè’s rather alcoholic nature you may want to follow it with real coffee, and in any case forgo the after-dinneramaro or distillate Italians refer to as an ammazza caffè, or coffee killer.PAGE 21

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Italian Club’s Christmas PartyDecember 9, 2004This year’s Party was a success due to the holiday spirit of over 100 people who came for thedelicious food and cheer. The toy drive for underprivileged children brought in 45 gifts and wedelivered them to Channel 8 for their “Toys for Tots” program. Grazie tante!As part of the festivities, we held a contest to see who could come up with their own unique“You know you are Italian when...” Here are the results:1st Place: Dottie Smay“You know you are Italian when you are 23 years old, living at home, and your Italian fathertells your date that you must be brought home by Midnight.” Dottie later shared the story of herdate refusing to walk her to the door after seeing her father awake and waiting in the house at2:00am. The date left and Dottie’s father insisted that he return to check to see if he was drunkor on drugs. Dottie had to run down the street chasing her date in his car to bring him back.Nevertheless, her date, Roy, came back and later married Dottie despite the nightmare of theirfirst date. They have been together many years.2nd Place: Ann Gray“You know you are Italian when 20 different conversations are going on at one time at thedinner table and there are only 10 people.”Honorable Mention : Grace Ippolito“You know you are Italian when you eat the pasta before the salad.”Honorable Mention: Violet Papia“You know you are Italian when we fight every minute and when everyone speaks at the sametime.”Honorable Mention: Andrea Tagliarini“You know you are Italian when there is no sugh thing as an “intimate gathering.”We thank everyone for playing what turned out to be a very entertaining contest. The rest of theentries are listed below. To make entries flow, we edited a few and added a few as well for yourenjoyment. We have not published the authors’ names due to many requests for anonymity.Divertiti! Enjoy!PAGE 22

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005You know you are Italian when...1. Everybody in Tampa is your cousin or your cousin’s cousin.2. You eat pasta every Sunday at 2:00pm.3. You eat pasta at your Nana’s house every Sunday at 2:00pm.4. You eat pasta at your Nana’s house every Sunday with 20 of your cousins at 2:00pm.5. Your Italian wife “tells” you to do a household chore and you hesitate - she does something with her handsunder her chin.6. Your co-worker says watch out...she doesn’t get mad, she gets even!7. You cannot hold hands with your spouse because you are talking so much.8. Your parents make you join the Italian Club at the age of 7.9. Your Nana makes you sit on the toilet because you have a headache.10. The moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie.11. When you are a 40-year old man still living at home.12. You eat pasta all the time.13. You don’t know where the buffet table starts or ends.14. You need more than two mini-vans for a family road trip.15. You can look all around this civilization and see all the beautiful music, art and architecture that the Italianshave contributed to this world.16. You see a person that is frugal when he licks the sardine. The Italian saying is “Su Licka La Sardinia.”17. You are only allowed to tell people that you are Italian even though your Mom is 100% Irish.18. The plastic covers are on the living room sofa.19. There is a statue of the Blessed mother in the yard, in the kitchen, on the TV and in the bedroom.20. You bleed Taragon vinegar instead of red blood.21. You know you “live” with an Italian when you discover that spaghetti comes in 65 varieties.22. You always wear clean underwear when you go out in case something happens and you need to go to thehospital.23. You walk into a room full of people and they start calling you “gumpare.”24. You go to the Italian Club and you feel at home.25. You need your hands to talk.26. Sly Stallone unexpectedly shows up at your family reunion.27. You have a fork in one hand and a piece of bread in the other.28. You were a child between 5 and 10 years old and you have your first taste of wine-you know, “just a taste.”29. You come home from church and the aroma of meatballs is already spread throughout the house.30. When Grandma and Grandpa are with you all the time.31. You have sauce for your pasta.32. You forgive but never forget!33. The first thing you ask is “where’s the food?”34. You wake up Sunday morning to the smell of succo.35. You “close” the lights.36. Your neighbor asks if you are in the Mob.37. As an Italian girl, you are already waxing your upper lip by the age of 10.38. You pull for any Italian American professional athlete regardless of their talent, athletic ability or the teamthat they play on.39. While the women slave in the kitchen after a large holiday meal, the men sit on the couch and nap withthier pants loosened.40. Your First Holy Communion party is bigger than most wedding receptions.PAGE 23

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Italian Club’s Christmas PartyDecember 9, 2004PAGE 24

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005February 19th, 2004The Capitano Family Grand Ballroom7 pm - 11 pm$25.00 TicketsHors D’oeuvres & Cash BarAll proceeds to benefit The Italian Club CemeteryFor more information callGrace Campisi at (813) 839-3249PAGE 25

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Friends OfL’Unione ItalianaWe extend a special thanks to the following supporters for their specific commitment to help the Club’s Newsletter.Please join as a Friend of L’Unione Italiana now! Call the office for information.Ruben & Yuyi AlfarasJoe & Dora CaltagironePhilip & Jennie CaltagironeGrace S. CampisiDr. & Mrs. Felix M. CannellaFelix M. Cannella, Jr.A. Nicole CapitanoJoseph & Gilda CapitanoJoseph Capitano, Jr.Nick & Angie CapitanoNina & Rosario CiccarelloViolet ConteTom & Anna Maria DiCesareNick DiMaggioVictor & Mercedes DiMaioJennifer A. FischDr. & Mrs. Angelo L. GrecoDan IovinoFrank F. MegnaRose P. MidullaCarol OliveMaria Leto PasettiViolet Verroca RodriguezJim & Linda TaggartPeter & Margo ValentiFirst National BankJulio & Adolfo Have Been Serving Tampa’s FamiliesFor Over 25 YearsPre-arranged Funeral, Cremation &Cemetery Plans Available7209 North Dale Mabry Hwy. Tampa, Florida 33614(813) 931-1833 - Se Habla EspañolVisit our website: askafuneraldirector.comPAGE 26

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Festa Sponsors 2004DA VINCI SPONSORSBP AmocoTECOBrown-FormanThe Radiant Group LLCClear ChannelThe Tampa TribuneColonial BankThomas FinancialPepin DistributingVigo ImportingDONATELLO SPONSORSCGM ServicesNational Distributing Co., Inc.Coca-Cola of Florida Star Brands ImportsFerrari of Central Florida Sunny Florida DairyGerardi Construction, Inc. The Bromley CompaniesGonzalez Funeral Home Tile World of ItalyMastro SubaruRAPHAEL SPONSORSEcono-Blast LTD., Inc. Rossiter ConstructionFowler White Boggs Banker San PellegrinoHandex Group, Inc.Seven One Seven ParkingHill, Ward, & Henderson Shell Oil Products USLa Tropicana, Inc.Sparky’s Oil Co., Inc.Lazy Days RVTECO Street CarLumia & Valenti Produce United CabMavilo WholesalersYellow Cab of TampaMorrick Construction, Inc. Al DatoNorris Samon Pump Service John Puls, Jr.Tom ShannonMEDICIAcclaimed Business Forms Lykes InsuranceAll Points Equipment MacEwen GroupArena TravelOlivia Tobacco Co.Busto PlumbingPatrick TurtleCaldeco Mechanical Services Platinum BankCorral WodiskaPublix SupermarketsEd Jacobs InsuranceRMC Property GroupEmpire Investment Properties The Fone ConnectionH.C.C.Trenam, KemkerHunt DouglasUniversity Commercial Ctr. LTDJonathan GrahamStephanie Cannella vanBelzenLeto Sanitary Service Paul FerlitaLove Joseph, Inc.Universal StructuresEnvironmental Compliance ServiceAMICIAffordable HomesGarcia Enterprises, Inc.Agliano Associates, Inc. Martino MortgagesArchitectural Designs, Inc. Regal LanesArdaman & Associates, Inc. Salem Law Group, Inc.Don Pellegrino Realtors West Coast Auto BrokersFirst National BankViolet RodriguezRESTAURANT SPONSORSAcropolis Greek Restaurant Joffrey’s Coffee CompanyBarley Hopper’sJohnny Carino’s Country ItalianBeef O’ Brady’sLa Terrazza RistoranteBellisimo RestaurantM.M.S.I. Espresso ServiceBenedetto’s Ristorante Mr. EmpanadaBernini of YborNL Streaks Inc.Big City TavernOlympia BakeryBonefish GrillPalm RestaurantCaffé ParadisoRattlefish Raw BarCarmine’s Seventh Avenue Sacino’s Formal WearCatering by the Family Sonny’s BBQCatering PartnersSpartaco Trattoria ItalianaCDB’s of TampaStoneChef CaterersCelliniThat’s AmoreColumbia RestaurantThe Laughing CatDiVino RistoranteThe Melting PotGino’s Restaurant & Bar Tony’s Ybor RestaurantGreen IguanaVillagio RistoranteHousewife BakeryWestshore PizzeriaIavarone’s SteakhousePAGE 27

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Governance Report:Congratulations to the following 2005 Officersand Board of Directors:Executive BoardPresident: Sal GuagliardoVice-President:Stephanie Cannella vanBelzenSecretary: Felicia KopelmanTreasurer: Jay AnthonyImmediate Past President:Joe Capitano, Sr.Board of DirectorsJoseph CaltagironeGrace CampisiAngela DaxonJeanette LaRussa FentonAl Garcia, Jr.Jaime GranellCeleste GrecoGrace IppolitoLinda LastraGeorge MiglioreVince PardoDon PellegrinoRosalie PerroneJoe R. MarocciaCharles RumoreJoanna BernaldoRoseann LigoriDora CaltagironeJoann MissantJohn CentinaroMaria CapitanoJoseph Capitano, Jr.Stephanie PetrucelliPhyllis TrainaJoe SeditaConnie SeditaGilda CapitanoJeanette FentonJohn Madiedo, Jr.Philip CaltagironeGrace IppolitoThank you to the following people who cameto exercise their voting privilages at theElection on November 11, 2004:2004 Officers and Board of DirectorsPatty HeathDora SuarezPeter MonteleoneAngelina Albano Stanley813-884-2382(ONE BLOCK NORTH OF HILLSBOROUGH AVE.)PAGE 28

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Santa LuciaDecember 12thPAGE 29

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Picnic with the Past - November 14, 2004I want to recognize Joe and PhilipCaltagirone for their HARD WORK atthe Cemetery on November 13 & 14,2004. Their dedication to the Club is alife long effort. We had a work day atthe Cemetery and the only two memberswho came were Joe & Philip. ThankGod for Relevant Church and PhoenixHouse who removed 36 large bags oftrash and aided with the cleaning ofmany tombstones. We owe them a lot ofthanks for their efforts on our behalf.As I was at the Cemetery that Saturday, Ihad an opportunity to realize that manyof the tombs have been neglected foryears. My son, Joe Jr., and I were usingour pressure washer on some of ourfamily tombs when I realized many ofthe tombs needed to be cleaned.It is a huge project that many peopledon’t understand. The tombs are theresponsibility of the families. We havetried to maintain the grounds of theCemetery, but no one is cleaning ormaintaining many of the tombs.The task of properly maintaining thetombs is the responsibility of all thosewho have ancestors that came here in theearly years. That includes most of us,and we all probably have relatives buriedin the Cemetery.The Italian Club and CemeteryCommittee brought in a preferredcleaning company to clean the entireCemetery. This work is currently beingcompleted. Please take the time to visitthe Cemetery to see the results. We havereceived some donations toward thisproject and I appreciate those who havealready made such generouscontributions.Perhaps, at this time, a special donationto maintain this Historic Cemeteryshould be requested in order to showproper respect to our ancestors.Joseph Capitano Sr.PresidentPAGE 30

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005Italian Club Cemetery CommitteeMemorialsItalian Club Cemetery Inc.YOU can honor a cherished relative or friend with aneverlasting gift of love - a memorial.MEMORIALS and TRIBUTES give you the opportunityto comfort those who have lost a loved one or tocommemorate a special occasion.EVELYN DARRIGOFran CostantinoPASQUAL LAZZARAMr. & Mrs. Joe Capitano Sr.SAM PAPIAItalian Club Ladies AuxiliaryMARY TAGLIARINI MULEYGrace S. CampisiNina LetoMr. & Mrs. Peter DeMezaMr. & Mrs. Joe Capitano Sr.Mr. & Mrs. Bob SchmidtMARY MULE’Maria PiazzaMr. & Mrs. Vincent LoScalzoPHILIP CIARAVELLAJo Ann C. HeinenLinda G. OrofinoELVIRA TRAINAFelicia L. TrainaMr. & Mrs. Manuel CampoJOSE CURA SR.Mr. & Mrs. Joe SeditaJOSIE GUIDA CASELLAMr. & Mrs. Joe SeditaCAROL FRISCIAMr. & Mrs. Joe SeditaThis GIFT lives forever. It supports the works of theItalian Club Cemetery Committee in maintaining ourbeautiful historic cemetery.The name of your loved one will appear in our Newsletter- a priceless gift to those you love.During the Holiday Season, our thoughts turn gratefullyto those who have made our progress in our historiccemetery possible. It is in this spirit we say...Thank you and best wishes for the Holiday Season anda Happy New Year.GIVE the gift that lasts forever. Mail your check payableto the Italian Club Cemetery, Inc. and mail the checkalong with the name of the deceased andacknowledgement to P.O. Box 5054, Tampa, FL, 33675.MANUEL CARUSOMr. & Mrs. Joe SeditaDONATIONSMercedes DiMaioJoseph & Jennie AntinoriItalian Club Ladies AuxiliaryTampa Greyhound TrackGrace S. Campisi, PresidentPAGE 31

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005The History of PizzaThe origins of pizza go back to ancient times. Babylonian, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern cultures ate bread that was unleavened andcooked in mud ovens. This bread most resembled a pita. The Greeks and Romans ate the bread topped with olive oil and nativespices.Peasants in Naples developed the pizza that we would recognize today. Bread was a staple of their diet since it was inexpensive.With the discovery of tomatoes from the New World, the pizza really began to take shape. However, tomatoes weren’t added untilthe late 1600’s, because Europeans believe they were poisonous.One of the most common ingredients –cheese- was not introduced until 1889. Tavern owner Don Raffaele Esposito was asked tomake a special dish for the visiting Queen Margherita. Esposito added tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese to represent the colorsof the Italian flag, thus changing the pizza forever.During the 19 th century, pizza was being sold on the streets of Naples for meals at anytime of day. They were originally made withsauce and few toppings.It wasn’t until World War II that pizza became popular worldwide. American soldiers raved about the dish they enjoyed in Italy andpizzerias soon began popping up in the U.S. Frozen pizza at local grocery stores was introduced in the 1950’s. It has since becomeone of the most popular frozen foods.In the U.S. alone, pizza is an $11 billion a year industry. We consume 12 billion slices of pizza each year, roughly 23 pounds perperson. America’s favorite topping is pepperoni and the least favorite is anchovies. No longer are we confined to the classic tomatoand cheese pizza. Pizzas are being topped with everything you can imagine including barbeque chicken and even dessert toppings.But the classic pizza is still preferred by most Americans.Chef Steven Jayson. Italian Tribune, October, 2004.Italian Club Building & Cultural Trust Fund, Inc.1731 East Seventh AvenuePost Office Box 5054Tampa, Florida 33675NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGEPAIDTAMPA, FLPermit No. 2877RETURN SERVICE REQUESTEDPAGE 32