Italian American Human Relations Foundation

03/31/2026

03/31/2026

A bit of music from the same event:

03/31/2026

Friends and Performers enjoyed a night of music and fellowship at the Italian American Human Relations Foundation Pasta and Neck Bone Dinner.

02/04/2026

Overview of the 1891 New Orleans Lynchings:

On March 14, 1891, a mob in New Orleans lynched 11 Italian Americans, marking one of the largest mass lynchings in U.S. history. This violent act was fueled by anti-Italian sentiment and the belief that these men were involved in the murder of Police Chief David Hennessy.

Background:
Victims: The lynching targeted Italian immigrants, many of whom had been acquitted in court or were not even tried. Notable victims included fruit peddlers, stevedores, and a cobbler.

Motive: The mob's actions were driven by a combination of xenophobia, anti-Catholicism, and a belief that organized crime influenced the judicial process. The local press incited public outrage, claiming the jury had been corrupted.

The Lynching Incident
Mob Size: Thousands of residents, including prominent citizens, gathered outside the Orleans Parish Prison, demanding justice.

Ex*****on: The mob broke into the prison, where they shot and mutilated the victims. This act was seen as a form of vigilante justice, reflecting deep-seated racial and ethnic prejudices.

Aftermath and Impact

Political Repercussions: The lynchings led to a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Italy, resulting in Italy severing diplomatic relations. The incident also influenced U.S. immigration policies and perceptions of Italian Americans.

Cultural Legacy: The event has been memorialized in various forms, including documentaries and literature, highlighting the ongoing struggle against racial and ethnic discrimination in America.

The 1891 New Orleans lynchings remain a significant chapter in the history of anti-Italian sentiment in the United States, illustrating the consequences of bigotry and mob violence.

01/28/2026

We continue to add to our list of people we remember with pride.


Vince Lombardi

American football coach and executive.
Considered by many to be among the greatest coaches and leaders in American sports.
Head coach for the Green Bay Packers during the 1960's where he led team to3 strait and 5toal NFL Championships in addition to winning the 1st two Super Bowls.
The Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor.

Rita Levi-Montalcini Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini Fiorenza Micheli

These researchers are recognized for high impact publications and contributions to
global science, including studies on Alzheimer's and environmental sciences.

Mary Lou Retton

Retired American gymnast and Olympic Gold Medalist.
In the 1984 Los Angeles summer olympics, she won the gold metal in the individual all-around competition as well as 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals which earned her the Sports Illustrated Sportswaoman of the Year Award.

St. Catherine of Siena 1347-1380

Mystic and Doctor of the Church known for her profound influence on 14th century politics and theology. She successfully urged Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome and was recognized for her intense spirituality, including visions and the stigmata.
She was the 24th of 25 children and became a Dominican lay person at the age of15.
She was canonized in1461 by Pope Paul VI for her significant contributions to theology.
She is the patron saint of Italy (along with St. Francis of Assisi).
Also the patron saint of Rome, nursing and .......are you ready?.....THE MEDIA !!. How ironic...the media... they probably don't even know she existed.
Her story is amazing and the media should find time for her. A women in the 14th century....advised popes,
kings and queens in her short life of 33 years....
No Movie, no documentry, no nothing on Catherine of Siena....
March is designated Female History Month.... she was no Jane Fonda and never burned her bra, but maybe they will recognize her anyway!

01/03/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As we welcome 2026, we continue with our list of people of Italics who's genius and accomplishments in the arts, law, medicine, commerce, politics, inventions and sports have had a positive influence on the world we know today, yet the education and celebration of their legacies continue to remain stifled by the media and educators. We hope you enjoy our research...and in September, inform the tv stations you watch, the radio stations you listen to, the newspapers that you read and any other form of media that October is Italian Heritage Month.
Here is the next edition.

Vincent Minnelli

Born in Chicago, Ill.
Stage and film director having a career that spanned over a half century.
As of 2025, six of his films have been selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry.
Besides his stunning work as an art and stage director in New York's Broadway district, he became known for his sophisticated innovation and artistry in musical films.
Two of his films, Gigi and An American in Paris won Academy Awards for Best Picture and he won the Academy Award as Best Director for Gigi.
Other films include, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse and Goodbye Charlie.

Amerigo Vespucci

An Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer from Florence, Italy.
Famous for recognizing that the lands Columbus explored were a "new world", a continent seperate from Asia.
His work lead the German cartographer, Martin Waldseemuller to name the new continents "America" after Vespucci's first name in 1507.
How does the American Media neglect Amerigo Vespucci during Italian Heritage Month ???????

Yogi Berra

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
Major League Baseball catcher, manager and coach known for his 19 seasons with the New York Yankees.
At his retirement, he held the record for most runs by a catcher with 358.
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Played in a record 14 World Series as a player, winning 10 of them with the Yankees.
Appeared in a total of 21 World Series as a player coach, or manager, holding records for most games played and most championship rings.
And took time out to serve in WWII.

Geraldine Ferraro

American politician, diplomat and attorney.
Served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985.
First female vice presidential nominee representing a major American political party.

Italo Balbo

Although the mastermind of Mussolini's Airforce he opposed Italy's alliance with Germany and Germany's treatment of Jews. Considered by many as a political rival of Mussolini.
In 1933, he led a squadron of 24 seaplanes on a historic transatlantic flight from Rome to Chicago, landing in Lake Michigan for the World's Fair. The feat was celebrated with tickertape parades and an invitation to the White House. The event fostered the concept of cross Atlantic commercial air travel.
I refer you to Don Fiore's "Italo Balbo's Flight to the 1933 World's Fair"
While Commander in Chief of Italian North Africa, his plane was shot down by friendly fire in 1940.

12/20/2025

12/20/2025

Here are more people of Italian Heritage we recognize with pride:
Larry Wert

Served as President of Broadcast Media for Tribune Media.
Served as President and General Manager of NBC 5/WMAQ-TV.
Named Broadcaster of the Year by the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Under his leadership, NBC 5 became one of the top awrd-winning news stations in the market.
He helped launch Chicago's 1st street-side TV studio and joined with Telemundo to create the city's 1st co-located, bilingual tv newsroom.
Paternal grandfather...Lorenzo Damore
Paternal grandmother...Theresa Latoria

Henri de Tonti

Enrico Tonti was an Italian born French militay officer and explorer who assisted in the French colonization of America. Called the "Father of Arkansas" for his role in establishing the first permanent European settlement circa 1686.
In June of 2023, the "brilliant" members of the Chicago Board of Education removed his name from the Tonti Elementary School as part of a new diversity policy...

Dr. Maria Montessori

Italian physician and educator.
Best known for her philosophy of education.
First woman to practice medicine in Italy.
Her "Montessori Method " of education is practiced in over 5000 schools in the United States'

John Cabot

I was 15 years old when I became aware that John Cabot was not British and that he was born to the name of Giovanni Caboto. Somehow, U.S. history books changed his name to John Cabot, probably because he sailed under the English flag at the commission of Henry the VII.
Born in Gaeta, Italy..... An Italian explorer and navigator, he is credited with the earliest known European exploration of coastal North America since the 11th century.

Johnny Puleo

American musician and actor who specialized playing the harmonica.
Born a dwarf in Washington D.C. , his talent was discovered at a contest in Boston. He eventually formed his own harmonica band ( Johnny Puleo and His Harmonica Gang) which included his masterfy of mime and comedy.
The act appeared in many Las Vegas night clubs and in guest appearances on many tv variety shows.
Take the time to google or utube his tv appearances, especially his skit on the Milton Berle Hollywood Palace Show from 1965... A great talent....

12/16/2025

Here are more to think about with pride when we contemplate Italian accomplishments:

Evangelista Torrticelli

Born in Rome Italy
Physicist and mathematician
Best known for the invention of the barometer.
Also known for his advances in optics.
Never mentioned during Italian Heritage Month.

Lou Costello

Born Louis Francis Cristillo
Was an American comedian, actor and producer.
Best known as half of the comedy team ABBOTT AND COSTELLO.
Most famous for the classic comedy routine "WHO'S ON FIRST"
Appeared in 37 movies.
Never mentioned during Italian Heritage Month

Bartolomeo Cristofori

Born in Padua, Italy in 1655
Maker of musical instruments.
Famous for inventing the piano and the oval spinet.
INVENTED THE PIANO !!!!!! Yet never mentioned in Italian Heritage Month

Lido Anthony Iacocco

Lee Iacocco, an American author, engineer an executive.
Developed the Ford Mustang, the Continental Mark III and the Ford Pinto while at the Ford Motor Co. In the 1960s.
Then revived the Chrysler Corporation as its CEO during the 1980s in what experts called one of the most brilliant turnarounds in business history.
Famous for his quote "I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way"
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan to spearhead the massive private fundraising effort for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. He raised over $350 million from the American public for the project..
Never mentioned during Italian Heritage Month.

Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como

American singer, actor and television personality.
Recorded hundreds of songs including 14 # 1 hits. And 52 albums.
Was credited for popularizing the tv musical variety format, hosting guest performances with the likes of Pearl Bailey, Johnny Mercer, Vic Damone, and Ginger Rogers.
Sold over 100 million records in his 5 decade career.

Never mentioned during Italian Heritage Month

Lou Rago

12/09/2025

More people that share our heritage that we honor:
Al Smith
His father's surname was Ferraro.
42nd governor of New York
1st Roman Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party (Democrat)

Peter Rodino Jr.
U.S. Congressman, 1949 to 1989, New Jersey
Chaired the House Judiciary Committee overseeing the impeachment of Richard Nixon.
In 1968 co sponsored the bill that made Columbus Day a national holiday and designated the 2nd Monday in October as a Federal Holiday in 1971. One should read his remarks on the celebration of Columbus Day.

Alecia Keys
Born Alicia Augello Cook.
Classically trained pianist who began composing music at the age of 12.
She is a 15 time Grammy Award winning singer, song writer, musician, producer and actress.
Credits her single mother, Terria, who inspired her love for music and performing.

Antonio Meucci
Credited with developing the 1st talking "telegraph" or telephone. He created a working model in 1856 and filed a preliminary patent caveat in 1871. He was unable to afford to renew his caveat or secure a full patent due to financial hardship which allowed Alexander Graham Bell to obtain a patent for the telephone in 1876.
In 2002, the House of Representatives passed a resolution officially recognizing Meucci's work in the invention of the telephone.

Frank Sinatra
Really ????
NOT A WORD ABOUT FRANK SINATRA IN OCTOBER...."ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH"

Filippo Mazzei
Italian physician, diplomat and author...supporter of the American Revolution, whose writings led
Thomas Jefferson to include "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence. He also was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

James Ceasar Petrillo
Served as president of the American Federation of Musicians from 1940 to 1958.
Initiated free summer concerts in Grant Park, a practice that has continued since 1936.
Established the Music Performance Trust Fund which paid for free benefit concerts across the United States. In fact the fund still exists and to this day 2 cents from every form of music purchased, whether it be sheet music, records, tapes, etc. goes into that fund to provide the free music concerts enjoyed by attendees across the country.

Billy Martin
Born to Alfred and Joan Pesano.
Major league second baseman for the New York Yankees and went on to manage the Yankees on five different stints. Known for his feistiness and brilliant baseball managerial strategy.

Mother Frances Xavior Cabrini
Born in Italy and migrated to the United States in 1889 by direction of Pope XIII.
Founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is responsible for establishing 67 institutions consisting of hospitals, orphanages and schools for immigrants particularly in the United States.
First United States citizen to be canonized a saint. Known as the Patron Saint of immigrants.

Guglielmo Marconi
Invented the first practical radio.
Created the first successful commercial wireless telegraph system.

Charles Joseph Bonaparte
The FBI was formed by the then United Staes Attorney General, Charles Bonaparte in 1908.

Roberta Guaspari
An American violinist and music educator. She is the subject of the film "Music of the Heart" which tells story of her struggle to keep music alive in the inner city of New York.

All great role models whose influence and genius still affects American lives. However, the media didn't think they and those like them should have been talked about in October....Italian Heritage Month.

Another October has come and gone with the media all but ignoring Italian Heritage Month. Not a word in print, on radio or television regarding the vast positive impact of Italian and Italian American culture and influence in our everyday lives. The media seems to have forgotten the meaning of parity when it comes to reminders and education of the Italian legacy. While our brothers and sisters of other ethnicities and races enjoy the publication of pieces of the history of their heroes and accomplishments on a daily basis in the newspapers and broadcast media during their heritage months, Italian and Italian American contributions remain the best kept secret of journalists. Consequently, the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago will step forward with an effort to celebrate, remind and educate a history that the media has fallen short in memorializing.

Giacomo Puccini, renowned for the compositions of operas such as La Boheme, Tosca and Madame Butterfly. He is considered one of the greatest composers of operatic realism, and is regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Giuseppi Verdi.

Amadeo Giannini
Founded the Bank of Italy which eventually became the Bank of America.
He is credited as the inventor of many modern banking practices. Most notably, he was one of the first bankers to offer banking services to middle class Americans. He also pioneered thr holding company structure and established one of the first modern trans-national institutions.

Enrico Fermi
Renowned for being the creator of the world's first artificial nuclear reactor. He has been called the architect of the nuclear age and the architect of the atomic bomb.

Harry Warren
Born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna
One of America's most prolific music composers and first major American song writer to write primarily for film.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song eleven times and won 3 Oscars for composing LULLABY OF BRAODWAY, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW and ON THE ATCHISON,TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE.
Other well know Warren hits include I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY, THAT'S AMORE, THE MORE I SEE YOU and AT LAST.
His songs have been featured in over 300 films.

Please watch for more of data on the Italian legacy.
Lou Rago

More to come from the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago.
Lou Rago