Cheryl Colleluori and son, Nick Colleluori. By Pete Kennedy On a February day in 2006, Cheryl Colleluori was at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, waiting outside an […]
Theresa Agostinelli By Pete Kennedy Theresa Agostinelli has a morning routine. “As soon as the alarm goes off at 6:45, I tell myself five things that will be great about […]
Vince Iannone By Pete Kennedy In the early 1960s, after he graduated from eighth grade, Vince Iannone went to audition for the band at Bishop Neumann High School in […]
John Padova Jr. By Pete Kennedy Before he went to law school, John Padova Jr. was an All-American powerlifter as an undergrad at Villanova. In 1985, he set a collegiate […]
Mike Cerruti By Pete Kennedy Sept. 11, 1989, was an important day for Mike Cerruti. It was his first day at the police academy — the start of a […]
After an opioid overdose ended Nicholas Schivito’s life, his mother Brenda founded a nonprofit called Angels Against Addiction. By Pete Kennedy Brenda Schivito is a social worker by training. Before […]
By Pete Kennedy Billy Ciancaglini says he barely has time to sleep. The 48-year-old defense lawyer is keeping a busy campaign schedule as the Republican nominee for mayor of Philadelphia. […]
Going against the grain is nothing new for singer and performance artist Rocco DeFinis By Pete Kennedy Rocco DeFinis was 5 years old, waiting in a crowd at Disney World […]
By Pete Kennedy When Pier Forlano says he enjoys the vibrant atmosphere of Philadelphia, he’s speaking as someone who has extensive experience living in great cities. A career diplomat, Forlano, […]
By Pete Kennedy It’s important to ask for help when you need it. That’s what Francesca Bruno tells high school students in Philadelphia as she guides them on the path […]
By Pete Kennedy Jean Scalessa is making plans for July 4, 2020. The nonprofit group she leads, ARIANNA Alliance, has partnered with the city of Wilmington to stage an event […]
By Pete Kennedy In the early 1980s, Maria McLaughlin joined the cheerleading team at West Catholic High School in Philadelphia. She couldn’t have known at the time that she was […]
By Pete Kennedy Denise Alessandrini has spent more than 20 years in the Prince of Piedmont Lodge of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America. As president of […]
By Pete Kennedy Sunday, April 28, will be a busy day for Nancy DiMenco. She’ll be helping to run two events benefiting Italian heritage organizations. First, a meet-the-author event hosted […]
By Pete Kennedy Twelve days afloat — that’s what separated Ralph Chieffo’s life in Italy and his life in America. When he was 7 years old, he boarded an ocean […]
By Pete Kennedy Father Francis Rinaldi, OSFS, is celebrating a lot of milestones in 2019. This year marks 60 years since he graduated from Salesianum High School, 60 years […]
By Pete Kennedy Marty Cappelletti used to build a lot of shelves. When he was in his mid-20s, he started a construction business, and, as it grew, his office filled […]
Anthony Bellapigna takes his custom-built pizza truck — a green Ford F-350 with an unmistakable copper oven on the bed — to community events. By Pete Kennedy “Everything tells a […]
By Pete Kennedy Frank Varone grew up the son of a shoemaker, but his parents never intended for him to join the family business. After graduating from high school in […]
By Pete Kennedy “I’m not an early, early riser,” Dr. Rosalie Mirenda says. “I like to be in my bed until 6 o’clock or so, and then I get up […]
By Pete Kennedy Love brought Joseph Rollo to America. He was a teenager from Sicily when he first visited the United States and met Anna Maria, the woman he would […]
By Gabe Spadaccini When we think of Italians, certain things come to mind: food, wine, romance, coffee, conversation, etc. Seldom do we think of professional athletes as part of everyday […]
By Pete Kennedy “Italian is the modern Latin.” So says Maria Teresa Morrison, who speaks with some authority on matters of language, having spent 32 years teaching Italian, French and […]
By Pete Kennedy Anthony Albence didn’t realize he was preparing for a job safeguarding democracy when he’d listen to college kids try to wriggle out of being punished for sneaking […]
By Pete Kennedy “When I was growing up, we thought the whole world was Italian Catholic, because that’s all we saw,” said Rev. Nick Martorano, O.S.A. An Augustinian priest, Martorano […]