Christmas 2000 (Volume 1, Issue 2)
Mario Andretti

• Frank Capra
• Flying along with the Pasins
• Men's Fall Fashions
• Christmas in Italy
• Senator John Heinz History Center

Winter 2001 (Volume 1, issue 3)
Italian Screen Sirens (Loren, Magnani, Lollobrigida, Cardinale)

• My Ancestor the Hero
• Utica, New York's 'Little Italy'
• Ezio Pinza
• The Cappiello Cheese Empire
• The Art of Passion

Summer 2001 (Volume 1, issue 5)
Joe Dimaggio

• Singers Perry Como and Julius LaRosa
• A trip to Sicily
• Tom Mean's program for learning Italian quickly
• The Miracle of Camp 60
• The all-time all-Italian America baseball team

Late Summer 2001 (Volume 1, issue 6)
Jennifer Capriati

• The Zambelli's, the Fireworks Family
• Albuqureque, New Mexico's 'Little Italy'
• 'Honorary' Italian Americans
• Popular composer Harry Warren
• Orlando's Portofino Bay

Sep/Oct 2001 (Volume 2, issue 1)
Christopher Columbus

• Leonardo DaVinci
• Cinema Paradiso
• Italian Strega Tradition
• Tracing Traditions
• Newark, New Jersey's 'Little Italy'

Nov/Dec 2001 (Volume 2, issue 2)
Rudy Giuliani

• Old World Traditions in Cyberspace
• A Slice of the Big Apple - Lombardi's Pizza Shop
• Cardy's - Crazy candy
• Fishing for Tradition - Preparing the seven fish dinner
• The Voice of Frosty the Snowman - Jackie Vernon
• Cafe Americano - For love of the bean

Jan/Feb 2002 (Volume 2, issue 3)
Love-Italian Style

• Double Exposure - Maria Bevilacqua's Stunning Photography
• The Soprano's Sing - The Burden of Accidental Celebrity
• Casanova - The Ultimate Ladies Man
• Gold Bars - Ghirardelli's Chocolate
• Bodygaurd to the Stars - John Loiacano
• The Road to El Dorado - Wine Makers Win Big in Reno
• Lessons for the Soul - A Florentine Cooking School Odyssey

Mar/Apr 2002 (Volume 2, issue 4)
The Life and Wines of Robert Mondavi

• The Saint Joseph's Table Tradition - A feast honors the man who raised Jesus
• Cooking Al Fresco - Outdoor ovens heat up family meals
• California Wine Cruises - Voyaging with style
• Rita Passeri - Uncommon Paintings of Uncommon Women
• The Life and Wines of Robert Mondavi - Mondavi Winery
• Storyteller Extraordinaire - Tomie dePaola

Jul/Aug 2002 (Volume 2, issue 5)
The Love & Marriage Issue

• Getting Married in Italy - Rules and regulations
• Fly Away Home - Pigeon-racing rituals
• Our Mary - The Madonna as our role model
• Italian Wedding Traditions - Dreaming of the perfect day
• Marciano vs. Pep - Fighting it out for the greatest of all time
• Yogi and Me - Paul Borghese as the famed Yankee
• Sonny Grosso - From cop to Hollywood star

Sep/Oct 2002 (Volume 2, issue 6)
Steppin' Out With Tony Bennett

• On the Arno - Florence Boat Tours
• Sicily - Blessed Exaggerations
• Beautiful Dreamer - Artist John Bologna
• Secret Map of Columbus - Did he know where he was headed all along?
• Ciao America - A new film from Roger Marino
• Lee Ielpi - Part I - A firefighter searches for his son in the ruins of the World Trade Center

Nov/Dec 2002 (Volume 2, issue 7)
Frank Cerpico Comes Clean

• Arriva la Befana! - The Good Italian Christmas Witch
• Christmas Traditions - Our Reader's Holiday Memories
• Icon of Ice - The Zamboni Story
• Lee Ielpi - Part II - A firefighter searches for his son in the ruins of the World Trade Center

Jan/Feb 2003 (Volume 3, issue 3)
In the Fast Lane with Lee Iacocca

• Touchdown! Italian American Grid Stars - Primo put together its top picks for the first ever All-Time Italian American NFL team. Could the NFL players of today stack up to these gridiron legends?
• Italian Autos - The disappearance from our landscape
• Italian Influence on American Autos - Admiration for Italian style
• Cosa Pensi - Peter Facinelli races toward stardom
• A Bronx Tale - Selected New Years Memories
• Roman Holiday on Wheels - The Vespa motorscooter
• Dorothy Andreas - A woman of substance

Mar/Apr 2003 (Volume 3, issue 4)
In the Wake of Sacco and Vanzetti: Fear and Loathing in a Paranoid Age

• A Quest for Justice: The 20th Century Journey of Michael A. Musmanno
• Buca di Beppo: Bringing the Italian Neighborhood Restaurant to American Communities
• Cortona: An Enchanted Tuscany Town
• The DelGrossos: A Roller Coaster Ride to Success
• Cosa Pensi: Annabella Sciorra of 'The Sopranos'

Jan / Feb 2004 (Volume 4, Issue 3)
Joe Grano, Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council

• Actor Danny Nucci
• Viareggio Carnivals
• Arturo Toscanini
• Andrea Doria
• Skiing the Dolomites
• Grappa
• Ron Della Chiesa
• Lamborghini Driving Academy
• Patsy's Restaurant in New York

March / April 2004 (Volume 4, Issue 4)
Ferrari fans

• Fernet-Branca
• Litizia Battaglia Photography
• Dining in Siena
• Photographer Frances Scavullo
• Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
• Calabria Tailor

May / June 2004 (Volume 4, Issue 5)
COPIA in Napa Valley

• NBC's Ron Insana
• Hemingway's Veneto
• Slow Food Movement
• Italy's Regional Festivals
• Ischia Island
• Giuliani Bugialli

Sept / Oct 2004 (Volume 5, Issue 1)
Italian influence on Jazz

• Chalk Art in Italy
• Brumidi and the U.S. Capitol
• The International Kitchen
• Marchesa Casati
• Joseph Califano
• Little Italy in Alabama
• San Francisco Salami
• Abruzzo Region

March / April 2005 (Volume 6, Issue 2)
The Piccirilli Family and the Carving of the Lincoln Memorial Statue

• Tribute to TV's Columbo
• Photographs of Venice and the Veneto Region
• D-day Wedding Dress
• Poet Cristogianni Borsella

Aug / Sept 2005 (Volume 6, Issue 4)
Wedding Special with Steps on Getting Married in Italy and Guide to Italian Wedding Planners

• Italian Wedding Favors
• Italian Americans of Camden County, New Jersey
• History of Italian Printing
• Olympic Skating Judge Sonia Bianchetti

Nov / Dec 2005 (Volume 6, Issue 5)
Profile of Italian American Glass Artist Victor Chiarizia

Included:

• Special Report on the Status of the Italian Language in America
• Guide to Italian Language Schools
• Tutorial Software and University Level Italian Language Programs
• Turin and Preview of 2006 Winter Olympics
• Skater Gabriella Howard
• Sons of Italy Celebrates 100 Years in America

January/February 2006 (volume 7, issue 1)
Buying Real Estate in Italy

• Purchasing differences between Italy and America
• House photographs and price samples
• Guide to Italian real estate agencies and more
• Greenbush - An Italian American Neighborhood Condemned
• Adriana Trigiani, Interview With The Italian American Author
• New Orleans' Italian Americans Coming Back After Hurricane Katrina
• A Tribute to the Martini Cocktail

March/April 2006 (volume 7, issue 2)
Italian American Festivals 2006

• The Role Politics Play In Organizing A Festival
• Highlighting East Boston, West Virginia, and Sacramento Italian Festivals
• Guide To Italian American Festivals Nationwide
• Pope John XXIII & The 40th Anniversary of Vatican II
• E.O. Fenzi, Horticulturist Who Transformed Southern California
• Little Italy of Wilmington, Delaware
• Tribute to TV's The Golden Girls' Dorothy and Sophia

May/June 2006 (volume 7, issue 3)
Focus: Italian Food

• Profile of TV Chef Michael Chiarello
• All about Italian Cheeses
• Guide to Domestic Italian Cheese Makers
• How to Make Homemade Wine
• Guide to Homemade Wine Kits
• 30 Italian Recipes

November/December 2006 (volume 7, issue 5)
Special Focus: Genealogy

• 30th Anniversary of the Movie 'Rocky'
• The Carretti: Colorful Carts of Sicily
• Italian American Genealogy -- Beginning Your Family Research
• List of Immigration Ships
• Salute to Italian American Veterans
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace
• WWII Hero John Basilone

January/February 2007 (volume 8, issue 1)
Focus: Travel

• Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
• All About Emilia-Romagna
• Mortadella, The Beautiful Meat
• Tips on Photographing Italy
• Guide to Active Travel Tours of Italy
• Pioneering Animal Dentist Peter Emily

April/May 2007 (volume 8, issue 2)
Focus: Italian American Festivals

• Joseph Barbera, Creator of Cartoons 'The Flintstones' and 'Tom & Jerry'
• Guide to Italian American Festivals
• Utica's Tributes to Saints Cosmas and Damian
• All About Saint Gennaro
• Baltimore's Little Italy
• Italy's Influence on Shakespeare

July/August 2007 (volume 8, issue 3)
Focus: Italian Food Recipe Showcase

• Italy's Da Vinci Winery Changes Chianti
• Jasper's Restaurant of Kansas City
• All About the Artichoke
• Celebrating Ciabatta
• Visiting Lucca

October/November 2007 (volume 8, issue 4)
Focus: Giuliani as President

• President Giuliani?
• Requiem for the Vucciria
• Ancient Italian Jewelry
• The Art of Cameo
• Italian American Jewelry Designer Donna Distefano
• The Watts Towers of Los Angeles

January/February 2008 (volume 9, issue 1)
Collector's Edition: Itailian Fascism

• The Life of Benito Mussoini, the Fascist Philosophy, and Fascism Today
• Italy's Garden of Monsters
• Pittsburgh's Bloomfield
• Itailian Leather Handbags

April/May 2008 (volume 9, issue 2)
Anna Magnani, Queen of Cinema

• PRIMO's Tribute to the Great Itailian Actress Anna Magnani
• Our Annual National Italian Festivals Guide
• Italian Architects in America
• The Legacy of Architect Pietro Belluschi
• Who Was The First Italian American Baseball Player?
• Holy Rosary Parish, Indianapolis’ Italian Church
• Saint Anthony, Teacher of the Faith

August/September 2008 (volume 9, issue 3)
Roman Mythology: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome

• All About Roman Mythology
• Status of the Italian Language 2008
• Centennial for L’Italo-Americano Italian Language Newspaper
• Translating the Plays of Italian Author Natalia Ginzburg
• PRIMO’s Biannual Guide to Italian Language Schools in Italy & America
• Italo Marchiony: The Inventor of the Ice Cream Cone

November/December 2008 (volume 9, issue 4)
Italian Americans of the FBI

• Profile and Interview of Former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh
• Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Founder of the FBI
• Profiles of Six Italian American FBI Agents and Specialists
• The Enrico Biscotti Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Family-owned Italian Restaurants in Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Our Showcase of Food Recipes from Sicily
• World War II Bombardier Al Romano
• The Flight of Italian Fascist Italo Balbo
• Our Annual Pictorial Salute to Italian American War Veterans

February/March 2009 (Volume 10, Issue 1)
The Lady Cornaro - The First Woman to Earn a University Degree

• Profile of Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
• The Latest Economic and Political Issues in Italy
• An Exile’s Return to the Italian Area of Slovenia
• Former Olympian Recalls Help from an Italian American Doctor
• Italian Artists of the Naïve Art Genre
• The History of Italian American Immigrant Theatre

June/July 2009 (Volume 10, Issue 2)
Galileo The Great – 400th Anniversary of the Invention of the Telescope

• Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute Exhibit on Galileo
• Italian Watchmaker Officine Panerai
• Italian Americans Struggle to Save Brooklyn’s Our Lady of Loreto from Demolition
• Why Americans Should Embrace, Not Reject Ancient Rome
• Fiat Returns to America after a 25 Year Absence
• Boston’s North End
• Guide to Italian Festas in America

September/October 2009 (Volume 10, Issue 3)
Maestro Nicola Luisotti – Musical Director of San Francisco Opera

• Gaetano Merola: Father of San Francisco Opera
• NYC’s Amato Opera Closes
• Investigative Article: Italy’s Repatriation of Rare Artifacts from America’s Museums
• Essay: Italian Culture Belongs to Us All, Not Just Italy
• Italian Country Home & Kitchen in Woodinville, Washington
• The Worst Acts of Persecution Against Italian Americans in U.S. History

November/December 2009 (Volume 10, Issue 4)
Silvana Mangano – Italian Cinema’s Screen Gem

• Richard Trumka, Former Coal Miner and First Italian American Elected AFL-CIO President
• PRIMO’s Salute to Italian American Coal Miners
• The Cherry Mine Disaster
• Uncovering a Futuristic Fortress Concept by Leonardo da Vinci
• Artworks Newly Credited to Leonardo
• What Made Leonardo Different from Other Renaissance Masters
• Rome’s Top Pasta Trattorie
• Montegrappa Pens
• Cornaro Missal

February/March 2010 (Volume 11, Issue 1)
The Shroud of Turin – Proponents Make a Strong Case It Stands as Tangible Proof of Jesus Christ’s Existence

• How to Join the Pilgrimage to the Shroud
• Does the “Made in Italy” Label Ring Hollow?
• Italy’s Fallen Soccer Angels
• Photography Artist Francesco Nonino
• Mardi Gras Artist Andrea Mistretta
• Chef Vincent Tropepe on Stuffed Foods
• Getting a Degree in Italy
• Italy’s Top Public Universities

2nd Edition 2010 (Volume 11, Issue 2)
Caravaggio – The Baroque Era’s Greatest Artist

• A Profile of Artist Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio
• Replicating San Gimignano
• Guide to Italian American Festivals
• Husband-and-Wife Physician Team Drs. Cicalese and Rastellini
• Cheesemaker Gianni Toffolon of BelGioios
• How Women Won The Right to Vote in Italy
• The Home for Italian Children

Third Edition 2010 (Volume 11, Issue 3)
Bruno DeGol – What It Takes to Attain the American Dream

• A Tribute to Italian American Owned Small Businesses
• Bottega Italiana: Three Italian Immigrants Start a Gelato Café in Seattle
• The Roman Coliseum: Efforts to Restore the Ancient Relic
• Brooklyn Renaissance Man Dennis Santella
• Philadelphia Area Carpenter Frank Rizzo
• Unsung Civil Rights Hero Nina Miglionico
• Calabrian Singer and Entrepreneur Michéal Castaldo

Fourth Edition 2010 (Volume 11, Issue 4)
The Artist Arcimboldo – His Strange and Fantastic World

• The Eateries of Naples
• Churches in America That Still Say Mass in Italian
• A Look at Italy’s School Lunch Program
• How Italy Inspired Albert Einstein
• An Italian American’s New Art Process
• Francis X. Bellotti, Three-term Massachusetts Attorney General

First Edition 2011 (Volume 12, Issue 1)
Italian Americans in Major League Baseball Today – Focus:Top Italian American Pitchers

• The Fall of King Umberto II
• Roseta di Roma: Rome's Beautiful Rose Garden
• Pittsburgh’s Traditional Italian American Gardens
• Venice as Painted by Canaletto
• Our Lady of Pompei Church in Greenwich Village
• Father Frank Pizzarelli: Long Island's Missionary of Hope
• Taliaferro: One of America's First Families Originated in Italy

Second Edition 2011 (Volume 12, Issue 2)
Bobby Darin: His Life, His Songs, His Legacy

• Bobby Darin... Always in Style
• Guitars Made by Italian Americans... Music Has Never Sounded, or Looked, So Good
• A Composer's Reprise: A Son Seeks a Greater Audience for His Father's Newly Discovered Works
• Why Italy Leads the World in College Dropouts
• Italian Festas in America - More than 100 Countrywide
• Father Samuel Mazzuchelli - Wisconsin’s Pioneer Priest
• Arba Sicula: Espousing Sicily the American Way
• Eggplant Parmigiana: An Italian American Favorite

Third Edition 2011 (Volume 12, Issue 3)
Annette Funicello – Forever America’s Sweetheart. The most popular Mouseketeer grew up to star in the famous beach movies of the 60s and is today a role model facing the challenges of multiple sclerosis.

• Annette Funicello – Forever America’s Sweetheart.
• Italy’s Risorgimento - Three essays recount the events that led to the unification of Italy and to what degree Italy has benefited from unification
• Alfa Romeo – Over 100 Years of Graceful Car Making. Not a wrinkle, no hair loss and no physical defects. Alfa Romeo is still in great shape after a century of car making.
• Patrick Morelli, Sculptor and Artist of the American Experience - Patrick Morelli follows the standard set by Michelangelo and Bernini; a celebrated sculptor well-known with patrons of grand monuments and public art.
• Calabria’s Mysterious Bergamot - Of the many different delectable fruits that flourish throughout Italy, there’s one curious member of the citrus family that only thrives in the toe of the peninsula.
• Priest of the Nez Perces - From Sicily to America’s Wild West, Father Joseph Cataldo found his way helping American Indians.
• Pittsburgh’s Girasole - Located at 733 Copeland Street the Shadyside neighborhood of Iron City is a family-run restaurant that brings the love and care of Old World values to making fine Italian food.

First Edition 2012 (Volume 14, Issue 1)
R osanne Cash – Italian American. Singer, songwriter, Grammy Award winner, and daughter of Johnny Cash, connects to her Italian ethnicity, inherited from her mother Vivian Liberto.

Included:

• Rome’s Old Barbershops - If you’re nostalgic for a snippet of ancient Rome, stop by one of Rome’s old barber shops. But don’t dally since the red and white poles may soon spin only in our memories.
• The Marinelli Foundry: A Bronze Sculpting Factory - For three generations, Florence’s Marinelli family has been creating great bronze works of art in Italy and America.
• A Stonemason Turned Sculptor - Henry R. DiSpirito came to America to lay bricks only to realize his God given talent to sculpt and became artist-in-residence at Syracuse University.
• Cleveland’s Italian Park - Not just plants and flowers, Cleveland’s Italian Renaissance Cultural Garden is a monument to Italy’s contribution to American democracy.
• NHL Hockey Greats - Italian Americans, but mostly Italian Canadians, have left their mark on this action packed sport. PRIMO profiles five of the best hockey players of Italian ethnicity.
• Italy’s Struggle with Domestic Abuse - Italy did not even have a single women’s shelter some 30 years ago. Since then Italian women activists have pushed forward to protect women from spousal abuse .
• A Calabrian Eatery in NYC and a New Asparagus Pasta Recipe - Golosi offers a variety of Calabrian inspired food…on the go! Spring’s arrival means a pasta dish made with asparagus and crimini mushrooms.

Second Edition 2012 (Volume 14, Issue 2)
Rocky Marciano: Rocky was now the heavyweight champion of the world. The attainment of the crown was a symbolic achievement for urban Italian Americans. Like Rocky, they too were once GIs and grew up in city environs. Like Rocky, they moved up the economic ladder more by grit and determination than style and technique.

Includes:

• The Real Rocky, Rocky Marciano
• Cinecitta: Italy’s Answer to Hollywood
• Italian Missionaries Killed in the Line of Duty
• A Vision of Sicily
• Scranton’s La Festa Italiana
• A Time for Festas: PRIMO’s Guide to America’s Italian Festivals
• Joseph T. Mastrorocco: An Italian American Renaissance Man
• Monterey’s Café Fina
• My Italian With Onions: A Tribute to the Italian Hoagie

Third Edition 2012 (Volume 14, Issue 3)
Jimmy Durante – The One and Only: A Vaudeville Renaissance Man, Durante stands as the consummate performer who became a Pop icon. We see his image today alongside the likes of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, and even Ole Blue Eyes, himself, Frank Sinatra. Durante lives on: His fedora hat, his gruff voice, his New York accented mispronunciations, his gleaming eyes, wistful smile, and his nose, that lovable nose, which he himself nicknamed “The Great Schnozzola.”

Also Included:

• Italian Folk Music Today
  
• Sardinia – Ancient, Wild, Unknown
  
• Saint Gianna Berretta Molla
  
• What Lies Underneath the Vatican?
  
• Solo Per Due
  
• Bocca Restaurant
  
• Frittata and Paneforte
  

SOLD OUT
SOLD OUT

First Edition 2013 (Volume 15 / Issue 1)
Pope Francis I: A Pinnacle Is Reached for Italian Argentines
The bells of St. Peter’s broke into a peal and across the Eternal City campanili echoed their sound. Most in the crowd were young and shouted, “Viva il Papa!”After about 20 minutes, the bells ceased, but white smoke continued to unfurl. Then came the famous words, Habemus Papam - We have a Pope. The crowd roared Viva il Papa. With a name like Bergoglio, was he Italian? Soon word spread. The Pope is from Argentina. The first Pope from the Americas. Shouts swooped up and down throughout the crowds. The South Americans began singing national songs. Here and there the Plainchant tones of the Salve Regina floated from sallow-skinned seminarians. When he appeared on the balcony, the new Pope seemed overwhelmed by the sight of 150,000 joyful faces looking up at him. “Buona sera!” 

Also Included:

• Viva Il Papa – Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope: A Pinnacle Is Reached for Italian Argentines
  
• Italian Fascists of Argentina
  
• Italian Ingenuity In Argentina
  
• Those Italian American Kids from Philly on American Bandstand
  
• Vespa – How The World Gets Around…Italian Style
  
• Venice and The Art of Perfume
  
• Zampogna: The Bagpipes of Southern Italy
• Joseph Cubelli – The Howard Hughes of Connecticut
• Brassadella: Bologna’s Contribution to Coffee Cake
• Calamari and Family

Second Edition 2013 (Volume 15, Issue 2)

Bobby Rydell...Still Going Strong
Bobby Rydell, teen idol from the 1950s and 60s, and current show room star attraction recently underwent a combined liver and kidney transplant at Jefferson Hospital, right in the middle of the "Wildwood Days" of summer. Bobby also had a double heart valve bypass not long after the transplant surgery. And Bobby keeps rockin' on!

Also included:

• Naples - Special Theme Coverage
  
• Naples - A City of Seduction
  
• Naples, City Under Fire
  
• Naples - Cosimo Fanzago's City
  
• Our Ancestors from Naples, Avellino, Benevento and Salerno
  
• Gino Cappelletti - The Pioneer, Perfectionist and Patriot
  
• The Terrazzanos - Their Loss is Wisdom Gained for Long Island Residents
• Custer's Bugler: The Lone Survivor of Little Big Horn was an Italian Immigrant
• The Italian Melodies Hour
• Nocciolini di Chivasso: Cookies of Piemonte Region
• Roasted Red Peppers

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First Edition 2014 (Volume 16, Issue 1)

Franco Harris
The man who caught the Immaculate Reception. He will always be a Steeler. One of football's greatest running backs. Today, he is an entrepreneur who owns several successful businesses. Franco had Franco's Army - Pittsburgh's Italian American community - behind him when he ran for touchdowns. He also had his Italian-born mother Gina on his team.

Also included:

• Perugia - Home of the Eurochocolate Festival
  
• Un Posto al Sole - Italy's popular television soap opera is set in Naples
  
• The Presepe of the Italian Nativity inspires a child's imagination is us all
  
• An American commercial artist believes an uncredited sculpture in Florence is really the lost work of Leonardo da Vinci's
  
• Fort Missoula was home to Italian POWs in World War II
  
• Family Oliverio of West Virginia finds success in canned peppers and tomatoes
  
• Gaeta - The seaside village in Italy's Lazio region beckons us all
• Tiramisu - A sweet end to any day, good or bad
• Braciole - Italian invented, American perfected

Second Edition 2014 (Volume 16, Issue 2)

Connie Francis: So many phrases describe Connie Francis - her glorious voice, glamorous appearance, and her ability to perform and attract a global fan base; it’s little wonder that her career spans the miles and has such sustained record-making longevity.

Also included:

• Dark Secrets of Palazzo Ducale
• Times of Christopher Colombus
• Mega Yachts of Italy
• Alfredo Casella - Facisim's Maestro
• Summer Food Special

Third Edition 2014 (Volume 16, Issue 3)

Jim Croce: “Jim had a hard time saying no. People who were aware of that were in a very good position to push.”

Also included:

• Silversmiths of Florence's Pampaloni Factory
• Italy's House of Savoy
• Joe Paterno’s Silence
• Italian Americans and the Civil War
• Holiday Food Special

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First Edition 2015 (Volume 17, Issue 1)

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia: “If we will not lead, who will?” he asked his fellow graduates. “Eliminate the great number of men who have never heard the voices of the past, who know nothing of the heritage of human wisdom…Eliminate again the men who have not heard the Word of Christ whispered to the soul. If we will not be the leaders of a real, a true, a Catholic intellectual life, no one will.”

Also included:

• I Lazzaretii Veneziani - How medieval Venice serves as a model in fighting infectious diseases
• Il Conformista - The Italian film that changed American cinema
• APULIA REGION
• The Way of Apulia
• Ancestors from Apulia
• The Food of Apulia

Second Edition 2015 (Volume 17, Issue 2)

The Life of Machiavelli and The Legacy of "The Prince": Machiavelli is a role model for hist intellectual vigor and work ethic. An ardent thinker and writer, he penned histories and essays, all the while working for Florence. Indeed, even in prison, he wrote sonnets. After his release he wrote a treatise on politics hoping to impress and gain employment from the ruling Medici family. And that work became “The Prince.”

Also included:

• Machiavelli's "The Prince" - The varied historical connections of a book that forever changed politics and government.
• "The Prince," an excerpt from chapter 15 in Italian and English
• Being President - The Machiavellian Way: A  look at the last six presidents as Machiavelli might observe them
• The Snake Festival in Cocullo, Italy, in honor of Saint Domenic
• The Italian Fashion Era of the Postwar Years
• The Bronx's La Russa House
• The Tomaro Family of West Virginia - 100 Years of Baking Bread
• Food for a Summer in Italy

Third Edition 2015 (Volume 17, Issue 3)

Joe Piscopo - From "Saturday Night Live" to the Radio Airwaves: He is a living legend of comedy, a veteran of “Saturday Night Live” and NYC comedy club scene who enters a new phase in his career with his own radio show. Generations know him for his collaboration with Eddie Murphy, his amazing impressions of Frank Sinatra and others. He is truly one of the greats.

Also included:

• Rome, Eternal City, Secret Heart - Eternal salvation and eternal damnation may be bittersweet rivals in life, but in Rome their battles have been elevated to a glorious, passionate art form.
• Villa Borghese - A lush, idyllic park spread over 79 acres where the past and present walk hand in hand.
• "Volare" - Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” gave rise to a new era of Italian music and popular culture in 1958, just as Presley’s “Love Me Tender” had done in America three years earlier.
• "Volare" in America - We take a look at how "Volare" was greeted in the United States.
• Who Are The Italian Americans Running for President? - More candidates have family connections to Italy than ever before in American politics.
• Immigration Reform - Where do Italian Americans Stand on the Issue?
• How to Fight Media Bias - There’s no defensive position, no retreat or escape from the negative assaults of American Mass Media.
• Autumn Bounty - Harvest is the reward for farmers. Their time is now.

First Edition 2016 (Volume 18, Issue 1)

Rudolph Valentino - America's Greatest Leading Male Actor: He was cherished by female filmgoers everywhere, famous for his onscreen passions, celebrated forever as "The Latin Lover." We beyond the silver screen to distinguish fact from fiction and relive the legend that was and still is...Valentino.

Also included:

• The Greatest Scenes of the Greatest Films of Valentino - By the time he died in 1926, Rudolph Valentino had appeared in 39 films. Great films are elevated by scenes that resonate and remain in the memories of filmgoers. Find out what Valentino gave audiences to make four four his films among the best in Hollywood history.
• Lady Liquirizia - The story of the woman who heads the Amarelli Licorice company and how Calabrian licorice conquered the world.
• Three Italian Americans Worth Knowing on California's Route 66 - Take a tour of the iconic highway and gaze at the wondrous sculpture, folk architecture and landscaping of Baldassare Forestiere, Beniamino Bufano, and Simon Rodia.
• Saxophones Made the Italian Way: Although invented by Adolphe Sax of Belgium, Italian makers of the perennial Jazz instrument have set a path towards extraordinary quality in making saxophones by hand.
• Food from the Sea: Italian fishermen venture from the ports of Venice, Genoa, Naples, Bari, Messina, Palermo and anywhere else in Italy. Great gastronomic treasures are what they seek.
• The Billionaires of Italy - A sample of Italy's rich and famous; less in number than America'sbut still significant.

Second Edition 2016 (Volume 18, Issue 2)

Deana Martin: Singer, Writer, Daughter: Deana achieved success early in her career in films, theatre and television, then quickly added to her repertoire — recording artist, best-selling author, nationally syndicated radio host, licensed pilot, and entrepreneur.

Writer Cookie Curci gives us an exclusive interview with Deana - daughter of Dean Martin. She talks about growing up in Hollywood and finding success in her 2004 memoir, "Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughters Eyes"; soon be made into a movie, directed by actor Joe Mantegna, with screenplay written by actress/writer/television host Bonnie Hunt, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Also included:

• The Death and Life of Postignano - Architectural passion, historic research and restoration skills are some of the keywords in the history of a small Umbrian hilltown, Castello di Postignano. It has been transformed from an abandoned ghost town into a shining gem. PRIMO Magazine visited Postignano to find out about the story behind an impressive transformation.
• What Was Once Postignano - Photos from the 1960s show what Postignano was like before abandoned by residents.
• Giuseppe Moretti and His Beloved Alabama Marble - In Birmingham, Alabama, rests the 56-foot iron statue of Vulcan atop one of the highest hills in the city; a WPA project sculpted by Giuseppe Moretti. Born in Italy, Moretti was a classical sculptor who came to America and proclaimed Alabama marble the best in the world.
• Italy - Beer Country  - Italy has become the world’s new beer mecca. During the 1970s when the European markets were thriving, beer from Belgium, the UK and Germany made their way into Italy. As they became more common place over the next two decades, the X Generation began to consume beer on a regular basis. This influenced the Italian craft beer pioneers Agostino Arioli, Teo Musso, Alessandro and Enrico Borio, young men who fed their curiosity for beer.
• Alluring Kitchens by Designer Mick De Giulio - PRIMO takes a photographic journey of the new kitchens from Chicago to Las Vegas that were custom-made by  one of America's most prolific designers.
• My Fascination with Postwar Italy - Author Paul Salsini explains why the years after World War II are some of the most important in Italian history.
• Soutisso Sausage - The journey of an Italian sausage from Piemonte to North Carolina.

Third Edition 2016 (Volume 18, Issue 3)

Romina Arena - Italy’s Multi-talented Popera Queen - To say that Romina is talented is an understatement. And that’s just the beginning of the intriguing story about Italy’s Popera Princess...a childhood prodigy who grew into a beautiful woman, with a sparkling personality, a marvelous spirit and determination to develop her wonderful talents.

Romina has experienced both happiness and heartache, but she fells very blessed with her music and the marvelous opportunities it has given her. Singing in a Popera/ Pop/ Classical Crossover style, Romina has an international fan-base, selling millions of records while becoming a successful composer, music producer, writer and author.

Also included:

• The Hunt for Truffles: This is the perfect time to search for truffles in the Le Marche region and Federica knows this well. She has been walking these routes all her life. Now, at 30, she knows the mountains around Acqualagna like the back of her hand.
• Railroad Town: Oneonta is a small yet picturesque city nestled along the Upper Susquehanna River near the Catskill Mountains in New York. The city’s economy is driven today by two colleges, a health care network, and several baseball camps. Yet, for nearly 100 years its lifeblood was the Delaware and Hudson, Oneonta's “Hometown” railroad. For many Italian families who lived here, the railroad was a way of life passed on through generations.
• Italian Film Lobby Cards: Italian films were more than arthouse curiosities outside America. They were smash hits in Mexico and the countries of Central and South America. Italian filmmakers relied on lobby cards - small versions of posters - as a means to promote upcoming films in the international market.
• Misteri Campobasso: Combining both vacation and family research, I planned an itinerary around Corpus Christi Day in Campobasso. This city is the capital of the Molise region in the province of Campobasso with a population of about 52,000 inhabitants.
• Italian Festas Preview: A  list of festivals in alphabetical order from California to Wisconsin.
• Sweet Veggies: Recipes accompany beautiful photographs of delectable Italian vegetable dishes.

Fourth Edition 2016 (Volume 18, Issue 4)

Dante Alighieri's "Inferno": The Masterpiece That Forever Changed Literature: His epic was considered the great cultural achievement at the dawn of artistic innovation in Italy. His writings came with an array of characters, settings and scenes, and many metaphors and allegorical images. He gave us an adventure through Hell in “The Inferno."

In this special edition of PRIMO, we take an in-depth look at Dante and his "Inferno." We look at the various paintings and illustrations that depicted his great epic. We give a preview of his travels through the nine circles of Hell. We give an except from the "Inferno" in both Italian and in English. We look at his inspiration, his muse, and his love, in Beatrice. We close with an essay as to why the "Inferno" stands the test of time and is still read today.

Also included:

• Circles of Hell - We take a tour with Dante and Virgil through the domains of the underworld.
• For The Love of Beatrice - Dante's creative works were inspired by his love for Florentine beauty, Beatrice Portinari.
• An Excerpt in Italian and English - Read Dante's "Inferno" in its original Italian and, as translated in English.
• Ode to the "inferno"  - Dante's work will live on forever.
• The Neapolitan Way of Elvis - Italian music and opera inspired the King of rock 'n' roll.
• Quirinale - The Palace of the President - PRIMO explores the beautiful interior and exterior of the Quirinale estate, in Rome, where the Italian president resides.
• The Work of a Modern Master - Sculptor and artist Alan Pascuzzi of Florence, Italy brings the passion of the Renaissance to a place near you in America.
• Save the Romaggi Adobe - We take a look at the ongoing effort to bring back to life the old California homestead of James Romaggi.
• Italian Delights - Recipes abound; from Rockfish Aqua Pazza to Italian Almond Carrot Cake.

First Edition 2017 (Volume 19, Issue 1)

Roberto Saviano, author of "Gomorra."

Have parts of Naples become a sort of criminal no-man’s-land run by juvenile gangs with support from the traditional Camorra? This is the plot in Roberto Saviano’s recent novel, “La Paranza dei Bambini.” PRIMO Magazine has met Italy’s iconic writer numero uno to speak about the book, his new beginning in the U.S. and why he loves to meet his readers.

Roberto Saviano was only 26 when he published his first novel, “Gomorra.” The book was a narrative attempt to do something new using the so-called non fiction novel style, i.e. telling true stories by using the classic novel style. The book became a huge bestseller in not just Italy, but all over the world. "Gomorra" was about the Camorra organized crime syndicate that has dominated Naples for generations. Saviano was fearless in conveying the brutal violence of Camorra gangs; so much so that his life is repeatedly threatened by organized crime bosses and he lives under a 24 hour guard watch.

Also included:

• Della Robbia - A Legacy of Color, Texture and Timeless Beauty :  The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, currently hosts a retrospective of Luca della Robbia, his proteges and rivals.
• Brooklyn’s Italian Carroll Gardens : Once upon a time in the last century, there were many neighborhoods in Brooklyn (do I have to add “New York”?) with a strong Italian influence...Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, Williamsburg, Dyker Heights, to name a few. One that still maintains a significant Italian flavor is Carroll Gardens, in what used to be called South Brooklyn, but is actually nearer to the mid-western section of the borough.
• "Maab" of Star Trek and Other Iconic Characters of Cinema and Television, as Portrayed by The Versatile...Michael Dante : Any actor worth their screen time should exhibit as much versatility as possible, according to Michael Dante.
• "The Battle of Algiers": It is the film that pioneered political cinema. It tells the story of the Algerian Revolution. Heralded as a composite of Arab, French and African cultures; nonetheless, the film is wholly Italian. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, with screenplay by him and Franco Solinas and music by Ennio Morricone, the film remains one of cinema’s best.
• Warm Food Cool Nights : Six great recipes from Italy with beautiful photographs.

Second Edition 2017 (Volume 19, Issue 2)

Lorella Cuccarini: Italy's Answer to Oprah Winfrey

An Exclusive Feature by PRIMO

After years of immense success as a singer and dancer on television, she has become the most successful figure in the talk show arena, on Italian television, considered by the world media as “the Italian Oprah.”

Italian immigrants who live in the United States are very familiar with Lorella Cuccarini. You have admired Lorella dancing in the Italian production version of the fabulous musical GREASE or watched her dancing a spectacular number on one of the many major prime time shows. Broadcasting also via satellite, from Italy to America through the Italian TV network RAI. Her incredible dancing talent even had Beyonce admitting to the media, that Lorella has inspired her video of ‘Run The World-Girls” by repeating a choreography which Lorella created and performed on a previous show, years before Beyonce’.

Also included:

• From Connecticut to Brianza :  Cynical, callous and obsessed with money. The film that represented Italy in the Academy Awards foreign film category, “Human Capital”, has managed to infuriate much of Northern Italy. Primo Magazine has met the film’s director, Paolo Virzì.
  
• Italian Jesuits of the Wild West : From 1840-1900 some 70 Italian Jesuits (priests, seminarians or lay brothers) reached the Northwest region of this country where they started new parishes. This is the story of three of the first Italian Jesuits to come to America’s untamed west.
  
• Venice - The Art of Glass Making and Museum of Glass in Murano : The new Museum of Glass in Murano, which was recently reopened to the public after a lengthy restoration, is dedicated to the extraordinary magic of this matter made “of sand and fire” and to its ancient history.
  
• 300 Years of Chianti Classico :The Chianti we know today has changed so much over the past three hundred years from being a high quantity produced table wine to a high quality wine with plenty of complexities and nuances to satisfy wine consumers around the world.
  
• Fresh and Fantastic : Declicious recipes from Italy with beautiful photographs.
  
• Scarpati's Way - A Festa and More in New Jersey : Cav. John Scarpati knew well the demographics of his home area in New Jersey.

Third Edition 2017 (Volume 19, Issue 3)

Sal Mineo: Forever, America's Teen Idol

No one had to convince Josephine that her child was special.The black-haired, brown-eyed boy with a captivating smile was born on January 10, 1939, seven years, 11 months and two days after Josephine Alvisi married Salvatore Mineo. A skilled woodworker and sculptor who emigrated from Sicily, Salvatore, Sr., earned a living in the Great Depression by starting a coffin-making company. The family lived in a small walk-up apartment in East Harlem, a polyglot neighborhood of Italians and Puerto Ricans. Little Salvatore was nicknamed Junior. He had two older brothers and a sister.

Also included:

• PRIMO Picks The Best of Sal Mineo :  We choose the four best performances of actor Sal Mineo.
• La Reggia di Caserta: One of the World's Most Beautiful Estates : Primo Magazine has visited a place where beauty and greatness walk hand in hand.
• Teatro Trianon - Can a Newly Restored Theater Save Naples' Most Troubled Neighborhood? : As of last July, local governments established a plan to open its doors once again.
• Roll a Wheel of Cheese - Parmigiano-Reggiano Isn't Just for Eating, but for Rolling : It can be played by one person or a team. Whoever launches the wheel of cheese the farthest wins the cheese of the loser.
• Italian Recipes: Pork Chop Agrodolce, Spinach Tortellini Soup, Viola Cake, and more! : The food. Flavorful. Filling. You realize - it’s no contest. Italian is your cuisine. Always in. Always good.
• A Fig Tree Grows in Utica : This is about three old men; born when FDR was president, grew up in the same neighborhood, attended the same high school, and played on the same football team. It’s also about figs
• Rich DiSilvio: A Renaissance Artist for the Digital Age : Rich provided creative assets for Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Cher, Queen, Rolling Stones, Madonna, Jay Z, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and included his homage to artist Roger Dean when he created the digital cover art for the YES album Re-union.

First Edition 2018 (Volume 20, Issue 1)

James Darren: The Multi-Talented Hollywood Star

Last year Darren received some of the best reviews of his film career with his role in actor Harry Dean Stanton’s final film, “Lucky.” Daily Variety magazine wrote: “Meanwhile, in another corner of the bar, James Darren – yes, that James Darren (a.k.a. Moondoggie from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s ‘Gidget’ movies, the TV series ‘The Time Tunnel,’ ‘T.J. Hooker’ and ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’) gives what arguably is his finest film performance of his career

Actor, director, recording artist, family man, and proud Italian American, James Darren has made – and continues to make -- an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. And as the song says, “The Best Is Yet to Come.”

Also included:

• Italian Exotic Cars: Designers Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Marcello Gandini developed designs for many of the most renowned production and concept cars in automotive history.
• Altamura - Home to the World’s Best Bread: With its approximately 70,000 inhabitants Altamura is just Puglia's eighth largest city. Yet, when it comes to high quality bread, this is Italy's capital.
• Italian Swiss: The culture and language of Italy extends north beyond her border. The southern part of modern Switzerland where they speak Italian, Ticino, did not evolve directly from Roman colonies. It didn’t join the Swiss Confederation until 1803.
• Italian Recipes: Chicken with Olives, Peposo, Pasta with Anchovies Pistachio Semifreddo and More!: Imagination begins and ends in the kitchen. Italians know from experience: Opposites attract.
• Chiriaco Summit : In the Colorado Desert of Southern California is an unincorporated community and travel stop founded by the son of Italian immigrants.
• The Garfagnana : We thought we were simply going on a leisurely drive through a part of Tuscany we hadn’t seen before. We didn’t know we would discover one of the most beautiful—and sometimes forbidding—regions of Italy.

Second Edition 2018 (Volume 20, Issue 2)

Barbara Jatta: First female director of the Vatican Museums

It was a genuine sensation when Barbara Jatta - art historian, Bernini expert, 54-year-old, mother of three, wife of a pediatrician - was appointed new director of Rome's most important cultural institution, the Vatican Museums in 2016.

She is the first woman to become director of the museums that were opened to the public, beginning in 1771. At first, she had quite a few doubts, because the challenge was undoubtedly huge. In fact, so huge that some of her close friends without any hesitation said to her, "Do you really accept this job?”

Also included:

• Raphael’s Masterpiece: The School of Athens: “The School of Athens,” by Raphael celebrates not only the intellectual heroes of antiquity, but, also, the artistic heroes of the Renaissance. The painting contains the portraits of Leonardo da Vinci, Giuliano da Sangallo, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo and even Raphael, himself.

• Pope Paul VI - New Italian Saint: Pope Paul VI is the image that comes to mind for most Italian Americans who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s. Pope Paul VI reigned from June 21, 1963 to August 6, 1978. He succeeded and preceded two key papacies, that of John XXIII and John Paul II, both of whom became saints in 2014. Now comes the moment for Pope Paul VI to be canonized.

• Novus Ordo Missae - The Roman Catholic Mass Was Designed by Pope Paul VI: Today’s Mass is the way Pope Paul VI wanted it. On April 3, 1969, Pope Paul VI all but declared the Tridentine or Latin Mass null and void when he replaced it with the Novus Ordo Missae - the New Order Mass.

• Patrons Needed for a New Vatican Sculpture Exhibit, “Tota Pulchra Es, Maria.” A call for financial support of a new sculpture exhibition open to the Pope, the Vatican and the city of Rome. The Ten Madonnas: New, original sculptures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ as inspired by the medieval hymn, “Tota Pulchra Es, Maria.” Scheduled for the week of December 8th, Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, at the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome. Please become a patron today!

• Plight of the Italian Charcoal Burners in Nevada: In the late 1800’s Eureka’s smelting furnaces over-spread the town with black clouds of soot— earning Eureka the distinction as the “Pittsburgh of the West.” Glowing reports of gainful employment drew many Italian and Swiss-Italian immigrants to Eureka’s mining district. Many with experience in the charcoal burning trade found employment, producing charcoal.

• A Journey into the Heart of Lambrusco: We venture to the secret corners of Emilia-Romagna, a strip of land bordered to the west by Liguria, to the north by Lombardy, to the west by the Veneto region and to the south by Tuscany. Emilia-Romagna is famous for its wine and food. It is also known as the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley, the homeland of some of the most famous sports cars in the world.

• Come, Sit, Eat With Us - Orecchiette, broccoli, and sausage, Venetian artichokes, Scallops and Risotto, Sliced tuna steak, Berry cheese cake, Chocolate cake
Italians expect people to visit them.

First Edition 2019 (Volume 21, Issue 1)

Marcello Mastroianni: Italian Star, Italian Legend

Marcello Mastroianni appeared in 150 films. More than James Cagney. More than Gary Cooper. More than Clint Eastwood.

Marcello was always working: From the time he was a background player in his first film, in 1939, in the Italian romantic comedy “Marionette,” until his final film, in 1997, in the Portuguese heartfelt drama “Viagem ao Princípio do Mundo.”

Marcello remains Italy’s top star. In this edition, we pay tribute to this great Italian actor. We relive his greatest films such as “Divorce, Italian Style,” “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” “8-1/2” and “La Dolce Vita.” We take a close look at his cinematic partnership with Federico Fellini and Sophia Loren. An amazing feature article. Not to be missed!

Also included:

• Rino Barillari - The King of Paparazzi: According to Italy's history books, Rome's dolce vita started in the autumn of 1958. With a big party and an even bigger scandal. Then came Fellini's famous film, “La Dolce Vita,” and the ability of Rome's Cinecittà to attract a multitude of Hollywood stars. It all lasted for a decade. But what about la dolce vita today, does it still exist? Primo Magazine has asked Italy's most famous paparazzo, Rino Barillari, who was on the top of the wave back then, and who is still active today.

• The Art of White Wine of Lugana: Not a large wine making region; only 2,700 acres are dedicated to vines. Yet, Lugana produces a white wine everyone should try. Lugana is found on the south end of beautiful Lake Garda. The land is between the regions of Lombardy and the Veneto; but also between the provinces of Brescia and Verona.

• Carlo Gentile, Photographer of the Wild West: Carlo Gentile visited the Yuma and Mohave of the Colorado River region. Going south, he photographed the Pima and Maricopa tribes. In 1871, he pursued the call of a rich gold strike in central Arizona (or by some accounts the quarry was diamonds), and teamed up with about 300 other rabid prospectors. But the search was a bust. Oh, but what an adventure!

• They Came from Genoa: We pay tribute to the families of Genoese immigrants. PRIMO readers from all over the United States submitted their family photographs, histories and recollections in this heartfelt remembrance of ancestors who came to America from Genoa.

• A Celebration, Not Just a Meal: We don’t need much. Meat and vegetables. Some herbs. Rice or pasta. Maybe, brandy for the sauce. What is vital is the recipe. What did Nonna cook this time of the year? The table is set. The family is gathered. The wine is poured. We say our prayers. We toast the occasion. Italian food - always joyful.

Second Edition 2019 (Volume 21, Issue 2)

Frankie Valli: The Jersey Boy Looks Back at 60 Years in Music

Frankie was inspired to take up singing at the age of seven after his mom – who nurtured his love of music – took him to see Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater in New York City. This was the turning point in young Frankie’s life. Seeing Sinatra provided him with the inspiration – and the latent confidence – to pursue a singing career…

Working with a variety of acts and as a solo artist from the mid-1950’s to the early 1960’s with limited success, Valli eventually came to be with the group that, in 1962, would be known as the Four Seasons.

Also included:

• Catania, By The Sea: In recent years Catania – Sicily’s second largest city – has brushed off its reputation as slightly dull and uninteresting. Now, its cultural life is flourishing, crime seems defeated and the tourists have finally discovered the city’s captivating renaissance. An array of attractions now mix with a renowned cuisine. It’s actually quite difficult to find excuses not to visit Catania. Primo Magazine went to check out the situation.

• Andrea del Verrocchio, A Renaissance Master: The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. will present the first-ever American retrospective of Andrea del Verrocchio from September 15, 2019 to January 12, 2020. The artist, sculptor and polymath lived from 1435 to 1488 and was the pioneer of the Renaissance. He was a mentor for many great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino and others. In this edition, we feature the great works of Verrocchio with analysis and insight.

• Death and Church Bells - How I Discovered My Relative, Narciso Pini - The Awful Truth of Nazi Atrocities in Tuscany: The people of San Martino in Freddana never forget their loved ones. At the entrance to the village graveyard is a plaque commemorating four men killed in World War II. I always assumed these were young men who died in battle. If I had gone closer and inspected the photographs on the plaque, I would have realized that these were not young men, that they were not killed in battle, and that they all died on the same day, Sept. 8, 1944.

• Preview of Italy's New Movies: Open Roads Italian film festival is an opportunity for Italian directors to premiere their new films to the public, participate in Q&A sessions, and allow their films to generate the publicity they deserve. This past June contained a two week period in Midtown Manhattan were some seventeen films from Italy were shown at the Walter Reade Theater. All but one were brand new. This report provides summaries of each of the Italian films shown at Open Roads.

• The Family Comes Together in Summer: We go to the beach. Or, perhaps, the mountains. It’s summertime. Vacation with the family. The fun outdoors. The fireworks. When it is time to eat - we must decide - inside or out. Italian food is great on the grill and inside on the stove. All is good. We’re together. We eat well...always.

Third Edition 2019 (Volume 21, Issue 3)

Mother Cabrini: The Miracles, Shrines and Legacy of America's First Saint

Excerpt from article: "Italian immigrants were no longer second class citizens. Mother Cabrini gave them schools, nurseries and hospitals. They could now learn English. They could now receive needed medical care. Their children could now get an education - something unimaginable in Italy..." Buy your copy today!

Also included:

• Matera - From Stables to Stars: Together with Aleppo, in Syria, and Jericho, on the West Bank of the Dead Sea, Matera is one of the world’s oldest cities. Matera has been put on an imaginary global cultural map. In January, la città dei sassi, the stone town, was inaugurated as Europe’s cultural capital. This year, a myriad of cultural events have been ongoing in what is called Matera, Open Future.

• The Restoration of Sister Plautilla Nelli’s “Last Supper”: A newly restored painting of the Last Supper is the first ever executed by a woman unveiled at the Santa Maria Novella Museum in Florence on October 17, 2019. The painting had not been exhibited to the public in some 450 years.

• The Genoese Hermit of Portola Valley, California: Here in Portola Valley, between San Francisquito and Los Trancos creeks...only Stanford University faculty and students have been allowed to explore the property’s subterranean secrets, after the land became part of Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. But the workings, known as Hermit Mine, were named for Domenico Grosso, the Hermit of Portola Valley.

• Iron Eyes Cody - Hollywood's Favorite Native American was an Italian American: His stoic image appeared on posters and in television commercials all throughout the 1970s. Though Iron Eyes Cody played the part of an Indian in motion pictures since the days of cowboy star Gary Cooper, he became nationally known for his television commercials for the Keep America Beautiful campaign.

•Learn from Tuscany - Six New Recipes: It is the birthplace of the Renaissance. The land of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. Great art. Great food. The artist is inside all of us. Our kitchen is our workshop. Our table is the canvas. So much to do; so much to learn. We consult a mentor. The lesson begins. Our teacher is Tuscany.

First Edition 2020 (Volume 22, Issue 1)

Gina Lollobrigida:
Italy's Sex Goddess of Cinema

Excerpt from article: "Gina starred in films for people to see…Gina. The story, characters, and settings were secondary. They were but a conduit for audiences to marvel at a star who symbolized a popular yet notorious attribute of Italian culture. ..."

Buy your copy today!

Also included:

•Trieste - So Much Coffee, So Many Stories: The most famous places in Trieste are often historic cafés where you can taste great coffee. But hurry up, modernity is fast approaching and several antique cafés have already closed in recent years. Therefore, Primo Magazine has made this Triestine coffee guide to highlight the best coffee experiences in the city.

• Vespa 400 - Italy's Micro-Car: Within a decade of its first appearance, Piaggio, the maker of the Vespa, had sold over one million scooters. But as early as the late 1940s there were plans afoot at Piaggio to enter the small car market, which in the 1950s and ‘60s came to be dominated in Italy by Fiat’s micro- and city-cars.

• Boxing's Angelo Dundee: Angelo Dundee was the best-known and most recognizable trainer in boxing. For more than 20 years, he was the man in Muhammad Ali’s corner. He later refined Sugar Ray Leonard into the welterweight and middleweight champion of the world. Over four decades, he worked with nine other champions: Carmen Basilio, Willie Pastrano, Ralph Dupas, Luis Rodriguez, Sugar Ramos, José Nápoles, George Scott, Jimmy Ellis and, in dramatic fashion, George Foreman.

•The Saints Cards - A Writer Recalls Her Grandmother's Faith: Ours was a large family; my mother was the youngest of eight. My grandmother was a spirited and courageous woman. According to my mother, she was also very religious. When thunder and lightning came, she sprinkled Holy Water. She left the small village of Vicoli in Abruzzo, crossed the Atlantic with her children and landed at Ellis Island in 1904.

•Italian Food - The Mystique of Simplicity - Six New Recipes: We Italians strive for the best. We seek not the mediocre, but the extraordinary.
The kitchen is where we will make our next masterpiece. We shun the complex. Instead, we strive for simplicity. Great food is made from the soul. We are relaxed at meal time. We know what works and what doesn’t. Recipes included are Scallops with Linguine, Schiacciata, Tuscan Tomato Soup, Carbonara, Pignoli Cookies and Chocolate Crostada.

Second Edition 2020 (Volume 22, Issue 2)

Federico Fellini:
His Life and His Films

Federico Fellini was born in Rimini, January 20, 1920. In both his hometown and in Rome – followed by Los Angeles, Moscow and Berlin – major exhibitions will take place in 2021 (originally scheduled in 2020; but delayed a year because of the pandemic). This presents an opportunity to immerse oneself into the maestro’s magical world of dreams - colorful circus atmospheres of pain, tragedy, comedy, as well as life and death.

PRIMO Magazine lists what we consider to be Fellini’s eight best films (and why).

Buy your copy today!

Also included:

• La Corsa dei Ceri (Race of the Saints): La Corsa dei Ceri, the annual “race of the saints” in honor of St. Ubaldo, is held in both Gubbio, Italy, and Jessup, Pennsylvania. .

• The Italians Who Ought to be on U.S. Postage Stamps: Many other countries depict famous Italians on their postage stamps. Why not America? For instance, there are, unfortunately, no U.S. stamps that depict Leonardo da Vinci. The U.S. could join the rest of the philatelic world to recognize the “genius of the renaissance” - and other great Italians - in countless ways.

• The Mystery Chapel of Sala Consilina: The question remained, when was the chapel built and who was it built for? There were no written records except a brochure translated to read: “. . . No document is found about the origin, but the people tell a story about his name. Lu Ciumbo was a disabled devotee of The Blessed Virgin Mary.”

• Soulful, Sensuous, Superb…Soave: The wine region of Soave is named after the picturesque medieval walled village 12 miles away from the enchanting city of Verona.

• La Terza Classe: An American Style Folk Band…from Naples: They love American bluegrass, Dixieland jazz and jug band music. Busking on the streets of Naples, they created Naples’s very own bluegrass band, La Terza Classe (the Third Class, in English).

• Celebrate the Italian Harvest: Ossobuco alla Milanese, Pumpkin Risotto, Tuscan Kale Soup, Spinach Frittata, Italian Torrone, Mantua Cake
Good soil. Perpetual sun. The rains came. Italian farmers had a good summer. Now comes fall. The work. The struggle. The bounty. A time to reap the harvest . We are thankful to Italian farmers. How well they know the land. We are the beneficiaries. Our kitchens are full. Now, it is our time to create.

First Edition 2021 (Volume 23, Issue 1)

FABIAN:
From Rock to Films,
To Pop Culture Icon

On an ordinary summer Sunday, Fabian’s father, relaxing at home, suffered a near fatal heart attack. While being taken away in an ambulance, who, of all people but record company owner and personal manager Bob Marcucci, should drive by. He hopped out of his car and immediately spotted the teary-eyed 14-year-old Fabian.

Fabian Anthony Forte was born February 6, 1943 to Josephine (ne’ Mazillo) and Giovanni Dominic Forte – a policeman. The first of three boys, Anthony, or “Fabe,” as he was soon nicknamed, was second generation Italian American. His grandfather hailed from Naples and his grandmother, Abruzzo, from where they both set sail for America in the late 1800’s.

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Also included:

• Restoration of the Raphael Rooms - Pictorial of Raphael’s Paintings
The Raphael Rooms are located on the second floor of the Pontifical Palace inside Vatican City. Beginning in 1980, the Vatican embarked on a detailed restoration plan of the Raphael Rooms and adjoining Constantine Hall. The completion of the paintings’ restoration came with a rare showing of tapestries, illustrated by Raphael, that hung in the Sistine Chapel for just a few weeks in 2020.

• Two Composers - Italian Americans Paul Creston and Norman Dello Joio
Paul Creston and Norman Dello remain underrated by critics and under-appreciated by the public. It is high time to reassess their place in the American pantheon of composers and restore their reputation to what it was in their heyday.

• Gelato of the Dolomites - The Frozen Confection was Invented in Northern Italy
Those valleys, Cadore and Zoldo, have a different story. A mixture of migration, resourcefulness and good taste, this area is the home of the king of desserts: Gelato. The rules of gelato making were passed down to one another, along with the values which made their community a unique model.

• Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini - It’s the Best of Both Worlds for Boxing’s Living LegendRetaining the vestiges of his boyish Italian good looks and steel city Rust Belt charm, Ray still has it all. A new generation gets to know the unquenchable battler, a man who preserves the essence of the sport’s glory days.

• Stay Inside for Winter
Risotto alla Pescatore, Stuffed Calamari, Pork Chops and Mushrooms, Tortellini with Prosciutto, Zabaione, Persimmon Tart. Where are the Italians? Inside, of course. The days of winter are much too short and the cold nights much too long. We miss the sun of Naples. We miss the oranges of Sicily. We yearn for the peppers of Calabria. The azure blue waters of Apulia call us. Spring, return to us quickly.

Second Edition 2021 (Volume 23, Issue 2)

LIDIA BASTIANICH:
From Refugee to Restaurateur
To TV Chef Sensation

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, the renowned chef, restaurateur, author, television personality and food pioneer helped introduce Americans to authentic Italian regional cuisine. She shows no sign of trading in her pots and pans for a more relaxed environment.”

“You’re absolutely right,” as she reached over to pour mineral water and respond to why she is not even close to retiring. “As the years progress, my enthusiasm to do what I love doing does not digress. I just love it.

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Also included:

• Caffè Florian - The World’s Greatest Cafe is in Venice
Precisely 300 years of Venetian history are found behind the long glass facade where many believe to be Italy’s most beautiful piazza, the sumptuous Piazza San Marco, in the heart of Venice. It is not surprising then that Venetians consider Caffè Florian a historical and cultural jewelry box; an extremely important piece of the city’s fascinating and complex identity.

• New Italian Theme U.S. Postage Stamps - New Stamp Features Yogi Berra
Among the stamps announced for 2021 by the United States Postal Service, espresso drinks and a bocce lawn game are the latest additions to Italian themes on U.S. postage stamps…The stamp presents Yogi Berra as a catcher in classic Yankee pinstripe with gap toothed smile and glove close to his chest. The illustration suggests the release of a ball and an aphorism.

• Giovanni Maria Agostini: The Italian Penitente Who Roamed the Wild West
After living on the mountain for almost four years, Agostini returned to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to recommence his wanderings. He parted with his friends to further drift away far south down the Santa Fe Trail.

• Advancing Women Artists Closes Operations in Florence
Advancing Women Artists was founded in 2009 with a clarion call by the philanthropist, Dr. Jane Fortune, who asked at a dinner party one night, “Where are the women artists in Florence’s historic collections and why not restore their artwork to the public eye?”

• Alfred Hitchcock’s Italians: Italian Americans Were Often Called to Get It Done for the Master of Suspense
One of cinema’s greatest directors, Alfred Hitchcock, relied on Italian Americans from conception to final cut for “Psycho,” “Shadow of a Doubt” and “Rope.” The director had a close and unique relationship with Italy.

• A Time for Innovation in the Kitchen
An Italian must create. A block of stone awaits a carved figure from the sculptor. A wall awaits the hands of the artist to bring to life a fresco masterpiece. The blank page awaits great verses from poets and writers. What of the kitchen? A mastery of flavors awaits us, all.

Third Edition 2021 (Volume 23, Issue 3)

ENZO FERRARI
A Legacy of Greatness

His name still registers throughout the world as the consummate competitor and automobile genius - Enzo Ferrari.

“There can only be one winner,” he once said, “and I set my best people against one another to find out who that will be.”

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Also included:

• Villa d’Ayala - One of Italy’s Most Beautiful Historic Gardens
Mannerism mixes with Baroque and Romanticism for everything to get swept into nature’s own colors. Once Villa d’Ayala was said to be the 7th most beautiful historical garden in Italy, which is actually quite a compliment, when you consider the many beautiful gardens in the country.

• Actor Dennis Farina - A Son’s Tribute
Starting in 1986, my dad was the star of “Crime Story.” Somehow, someway, he was on TV every week for the next two years. Looking back, I have to say his work on “Crime Story” is among his best.

• Bathtub Madonnas - East Boston’s Veneration of the Virgin Mary
With the ingenuity typical of Italians, they re-purposed these tubs into saint's shrines for their yards. They became so popular that many created their own tub-shaped shrines out of stucco.

• ’Ndocciata D’Agnone - A Festival of Torches
Different traditions have been reflected in the ‘Ndocciata over the years; for example, if the wind blew from the north during the bonfire it was expected to be a good year.

• Blessings of the Sun
The power of the sun. The heat. The humidity. The domain of summer. Fall has arrived. The air gets drier and cooler. Harvest will not be easy. It never is. The land humbles us. We are forever grateful. God has given us the gifts of bounty. We savor. We enjoy. We give thanks. Recipes for Eggplant Carbonata, Anchovy Mozzarella Pinsa, Italian Beef Salad, Garden Focaccia, Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake and Coffee Zabaione.

First Edition 2022 (Volume 24, Issue 1)

Lou Costello
America’s Greatest Comedian

An affectionate Mama’s boy from Paterson who became, arguably, the most recognized face in comedy. The roly-poly funnyman who partnered with Bud Abbott to comprise one of entertainment’s most successful comedy teams.

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Also included:

• Via della Sette Chiese
Road of the Seven Churches
The story of this journey begins with a French woman, Begga, who was later made a saint. The faithful in Rome will follow her path to visit seven of the city’s most important churches.

• Agnomina
Italian Nicknames Remain Forever
Nicknames are first clues to cultural identity. Many Italian surnames were once nicknames. Grasso, for instance, meant “fat,” and, probably, stemmed from a family member’s physical feature while Russo originated, most likely, with someone’s red hair.

• The Staffette
The Female Partisan Fighters of Italy
Smuggling handguns in brassieres, hiding grenades with potatoes, bombing trains carrying explosives. It was all part of what Italian women did in World War II to join the Resistance against the Fascists and Nazi invaders.

• All Courses are Perfect
No negligence is allowed in an Italian kitchen. We must be at our best. From planning to presentation, an Italian meal contains no errors. Food is vital. A good omen is upon us when the meal is right. Good food means a good life. Our families are bound by what we eat. No wonder the kitchen is revered. No wonder we hail the chef.

Recipes featured are Italian Bread Sticks, Eggplant Rollatini, Turkey Tetrazini, Tuscan Style Roasted Pork, Raspberry Jam Crostata and Baci di Dama.

First Edition 2023 (Volume 25, Issue 1)

WALTER LANTZ
MAKER OF WOODY WOODPECKER & OTHER GREAT CARTOONS

Walter Lantz created an array of famous cartoon characters, in addition to Woody Woodpecker, such as Chilly Willy, Andy Panda, Buzz Buzzard, etc…We pay tribute to this perennial cartoon kingmaker, whose creations stand the test of time.

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Also included:

• ES
Italy’s Best Wine
Pugliese winemaker Gianfranco Fino has only couple of decades of experience. Yet, he has already created a red wine considered the best in all of Italy. His success stems from perfectionism and passion in their purest form. PRIMO met Mr. Fino, the pride of the Italian region of Apulia.

• Giovanni DeCecca
In the Service of Jehova’s Witnesses
In Italy, he was told only an educated priest could interpret the Bible. In America, the story was different. He joined a Bible studies group, later to be known as Jehova’s Witnesses.

• The Great & Terrible Florence Flood
The Arno River Wreaked Havoc on November, 4, 1966
The narrow medieval streets were soon flooded under 18 feet of water. Not since 1333 had Florence seen such devastation caused by the river’s overflow.

• Codex Purpurro
Known as the “Byzantine Pearl of Calabria”
The manuscript was written, in silver, on priceless purple-dyed vellum, in the 6th century, to comprise 15 hand painted miniatures; among them, 12 depict episodes from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.

Recipes featured are Pinzocheri Pasta, Croaker, Chicken Calabrese, Salami, Cartellate Pugliesi and Pandolce Genovese

Second Edition 2023 (Volume 25, Issue 2)

GIORGIA MELONI:
ITALY’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER
Italians have done something we have not: They’ve elected a woman to lead their country.
Giorgia Meloni.
Pretty, petite, a soft face under straight blonde hair, blue eyes, intense and unwavering, Meloni was elected to serve as Italy’s first female prime minister, sworn in October 20, 2022.

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Also included:

• Taste of Wonder - Pecorino di Pienza
A cheese, made exclusively from sheep’s milk, has historic origins, just like many of Tuscany’s wines. Allegedly, it’s one of the oldest types of cheese in the world. The Ancient Romans and their teachers, the Etruscans, produced and consumed the Pecorino.

• Fr. Vincent DeRosa - Italian Priest, German Church
As Roman Catholic parishes go in the United States, few have overcome more unique challenges than Saint Mary Mother of God in Washington, D.C. The church is indicative of, not just faith, but plain old Italian resilience in the guise of parish priest, Fr. Vincent R. De Rosa.

• Newest Films from Italy
A variety of new films from Italy were shown at Lincoln Center, in New York. These are recent productions to attract American audiences with stories ranging from the life of Saint Clare of Assisi to a dystopian water crisis in Italy. PRIMO provides a preview of 11 new films from Italy and retrospective of Mario Martone.

• “Two Ton” Tony Galento - Heavyweight Champ for Two Seconds
As an amateur and pro boxer, Tony often delivered ice on his way to a prizefight. His corner man, Harry Pop Kinney, reprimanded him after arriving late to a bout. “Where the hell have you been? Don’t you know you’re supposed to be fighting tonight?”

• The First Ever Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Truck in Atlanta
Sputtering or not, the Atlanta Pizza Truck is far from dying. In fact, it’s a newborn with, arguably, the highest of all pizza accolades. It is the first mobile pizzeria to ever be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the Italy-based organization that gives the stamp of approval to authentic Neapolitan pizza makers around the world.

Recipes featured are Pasta, Chard & Chickpeas, Sicilian Sword Fish, Crescentina Bread and Mortadella, Drunken Pork Chops, Strawberry Semifreddo and Ricotta Pie.

Third Edition 2023 (Volume 25, Issue 3)

PINOCCHIO:
The Children’s Story, Written by Carlo Collodi, Celebrates 140 Years
Few people may know that Pinocchio is an Italian creation.
Like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker, the boy marionette, as depicted in animation, has become global, in scope.
Pinocchio is borderless, universal, a gift to children everywhere.
We pay tribute to Pinocchio with an outstanding cover feature article
Italians have done something we have not: They’ve elected a woman to lead their country.

Also included:

• ROMAN BREAD
Italy’s Capital City Boasts The World’s Best Bakeries
In recent years, Italian bakeries have had an ever-increasing focus on bread quality. Superb ingredients mix with tradition and innovation to offer new tasty products. PRIMO Magazine took a mouthwatering tour of five of Rome’s best forni, bakeries.

• VESUVIUS
A Look Back at The Awesome Eruption of The Volcano, Near Naples
Mount Vesuvius may seem a majestic peak to overlook the bay of Naples, today. Yet, this volcano made history on March 17, 1944, with a spectacular eruption.

• THE RETURN OF THE LUPA
The Bronze Statue, Stolen in Cincinnati, is Replaced and Re-Dedicated
Cincinnati was a festive atmosphere on Friday, November 3, 2023. The day had come: The replacement statue of the Capitoline She-Wolf (Lupa Capitolina) was unveiled in beautiful Eden Park.

• BEAVERTON FOODS
Italian Heritage Comes in Many Jars
Since 1929, Rose Biggi and her family have used the pungent horseradish root to help create the present-day Beaverton Foods, located in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Recipes featured are Chicken, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Mozzarella, Pasta Pancetta, Wild Mushroom Soup, Italian Sausage and Green Beans, Castagnaccio Cake, Amaretto Cookies