Claudia Callisto - The Good Italian Girl and friends

In this lively and deeply relatable episode, Claudia welcomes Joe Cimmino, the first male guest on The Good Italian Girl and Friends Podcast. Claudia and Joe have known each other for many years, and their Monday-morning conversations about family, work and Italian Australian life eventually inspired their T-shirt label, Two Naps Talking Adelaide.

Together, they explore the unique language developed by children of Italian immigrants. They remember growing up surrounded by dialect rather than formal Italian, switching naturally between Italian and English, and creating words and expressions that only other Italian Australians seemed to understand. Their conversation reveals how language preserves family history, humour and identity, even when it changes from one generation to the next.

Joe also shares stories about becoming a hairdresser in the 1980s, travelling and living in Italy, building a salon business over more than three decades and learning to adapt to changing generations in the workplace. Claudia and Joe reflect on the expectations placed upon Italian Australian children, the fear of disappointing their parents and the guilt that sometimes stopped them from taking risks.

The episode also explores the responsibilities of the “mortadella sandwich generation”: adult children supporting ageing parents while their own children remain at home. Beneath the laughter is an honest discussion about independence, family duty, cultural identity and learning to live life on your own terms. Joe’s message to his younger self is simple but powerful: give things a go, do not let fear hold you back and enjoy the life you have worked hard to create.

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In one of her most personal episodes yet, Claudia Callisto finally welcomes a very special guest into the studio, her mother, Luisa Di Martino.

From an Italian childhood and a large family of 11 siblings, to growing up in Belgium, marrying young, migrating to Australia, raising four daughters and building a career of her own, Luisa shares the experiences that shaped not only her life but the generations that followed.

It is a warm, funny and deeply moving conversation about migration, identity, motherhood, opportunity, ageing and the stories our mothers carry with them.

 It is a conversation Claudia has wanted to record for a long time, not simply for the podcast, but to preserve a family story and create a lasting record for future generations.

Born in the province of Caserta in southern Italy, Luisa moved to Belgium with her family at just six years old after her father found work in the coal mines. Growing up as one of 11 children, she experienced a household shaped by Italian traditions while receiving her education in French. She reflects on the expectations placed on young women, meeting Claudia's father as a teenager, marrying at just 16 and building an independent working life in Belgium.

Luisa then shares the decision that changed the direction of her entire family. Rather than returning with her husband and young daughters to a small Italian village where she believed opportunities would be limited, she investigated another possibility: Australia. With family already living in South Australia, Luisa and her husband migrated and began again. What followed was a life of raising four daughters, learning English to a professional standard, returning to work, serving in the public sector and eventually undertaking interpreting studies so she could assist Italian-speaking people.

But this episode is about much more than migration. Claudia and Luisa laugh about family dinners, cooking, strict Italian fathers, daughters finding clever ways to get permission to go out, homemade school uniforms, gardening, preserving vegetables, grandchildren and even Claudia's unexpected birth at home. As the conversation draws to a close, the story becomes especially poignant. At 84, Luisa reflects with pride on the life she created, while Claudia speaks about why preserving her mother's voice and memories matters so much. It is an episode about where we come from, what our parents sacrificed and the extraordinary impact one woman's choices can have across generations.

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In this episode, Claudia Callisto welcomes Natasha Marona, a proud Italian Australian woman, real estate professional and long-time contributor to the Italian community in Adelaide. Their conversation is full of warmth, laughter, nostalgia and honest reflection as they explore the unique experience of being part of the “sandwich generation” — the daughters of Italian immigrants who grew up balancing Australian life with the traditions, expectations and values of their families.

Natasha shares the remarkable story of moving to Italy with her parents as a child in the early 1980s, only to discover that the dream of returning “home” was far more complicated than expected. From navigating a strict Italian school system to watching her parents struggle with employment, finances and a very different way of life, Natasha reflects on how that experience shaped her understanding of identity, belonging and opportunity.

The conversation also celebrates the richness of Italian Australian culture — the family visits, loud kitchens, Sunday ragù, 1980s Italian music, the unforgettable atmosphere of Italy winning the 1982 World Cup and the beauty of community traditions. Natasha also speaks about her work with Italian associations in Adelaide and why keeping the Italian language and culture alive requires new energy, new ideas and new ways to connect with younger generations.

At its heart, this episode is about resilience, gratitude and authenticity. Natasha’s story is one of family sacrifice, community support, personal independence and cultural pride. Her message to her younger self is simple but powerful: follow your own journey, do what feels right for you and don’t be afraid to simply “do you”.

Guest Bio

Natasha Marona is a proud Italian Australian woman, community contributor and property professional based in Adelaide. She works in property management and sales and is connected with Marona Property Group.

Born into a close Italian family, Natasha’s life has been shaped by her parents’ migration story, her childhood experience of living in Italy, her deep connection to the Adelaide Italian community and her passion for keeping Italian language and culture alive.

She has been involved in community organisations including the Dante Alighieri Association and the South Australian Italian Association, contributing her time and energy to events, language, culture and connection. Natasha brings warmth, honesty and humour to this conversation as she reflects on family, identity, resilience, ageing parents, community work and what it means to live proudly between two worlds.

Key Talking Points

• Natasha’s connection to Claudia and the Adelaide Italian community
• Growing up as an only child in an Italian Australian family
• Her parents’ well-loved fish and chip shop in Rostrevor
• Moving from Australia to Italy in 1982 as a young girl
• Why life in Italy did not work out for Natasha’s family
• The financial and cultural differences her parents experienced in Italy
• Returning to Australia and rebuilding life with help from community families
• The strict Italian school system and being called by surname in class
• Natasha’s mother’s resilience, work ethic and later return to education
• The joy of visiting Italian families, sharing meals and hearing stories
• The “sandwich generation” experience of being Italian Australian
• How migrant parents sometimes preserved the Italy they left behind
• Natasha’s pride in her Italian heritage from a young age
• Her career in international hotel management and time working in Rome
• The difference between visiting Italy and actually living there
• Moving into real estate, property management and running her own business
• Italian food traditions, Sunday ragù and cooking with her mum
• Curfews, going out, family expectations and parental advice
• Natasha’s long-standing community involvement with Italian organisations
• How younger generations may connect with Italian language and culture differently
• Meeting her husband Matt and blending Italian and Australian family traditions
• Her Australian wedding and later wedding blessing in Italy
• The traditional costume from San Giorgio la Molara and preserving cultural practices
• Caring for ageing parents as an only child
• Natasha’s reflections on authenticity, independence and living between Australia and Italy
  
  
  

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In this heartfelt and hilarious episode of The Good Italian Girl and Friends, Claudia sits down with two talented performers from the hit comedy play The Italian Divorce — Rosanna Morales, who plays Lucia, and Jeanette Coppolino, who plays Lisa.

Together, they explore the humour, heart and cultural truth behind the play, written and directed by Frank Lotito. What begins as a conversation about a comedy production becomes a much deeper reflection on Italian-Australian family life, migration, language, identity, sacrifice, generational expectations and the beautiful chaos that so many immigrant families know so well.

Rosanna shares her Sicilian background, her passion for preserving language through her work The Last Sicilian, and why dialect, memory and storytelling matter so deeply. Jeanette opens up about acting, motherhood, family, cultural expectations and what it means to break the mould while still honouring where you come from.

This episode is a celebration of Italian-Australian culture, family love, loud conversations, food around the table, and the stories that connect generations.

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In this heartfelt episode of The Good Italian Girl and Friends Podcast, Claudia Callisto shares an intimate reading from her published chapter in Anthologia II: A Collection of Stories by Women. Anthologia II brings together the voices of twenty-two women and celebrates truth, courage, connection and the complexity of womanhood.

Claudia’s chapter, Between Two Worlds, is a deeply personal reflection on growing up as the Australian-born daughter of Italian immigrant parents. She explores what it felt like to live between two cultures: the traditional Italian world of family, duty, respect and cultural expectations, and the Australian world of independence, self-expression and personal choice.

Through her reading, Claudia reflects on the pressure many Italian and ethnic women feel to be the “good daughter”, the caretaker, the one who holds everyone together. She speaks honestly about the invisible cultural rules that shaped her life, while also acknowledging the strength, resilience, family connection and cultural pride that came from her upbringing.

The chapter also moves into one of the most personal chapters of Claudia’s life: the sudden passing of her husband, John. With honesty and courage, Claudia shares her experience of grief, widowhood, solo parenting and learning to live between the world she had with John and the world she now has without him beside her.

At its heart, this episode is about culture, grief, love, legacy and becoming. It is for Italian women, ethnic women, migrant daughters and anyone who has ever felt caught between who they were expected to be and who they are still becoming.

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In this episode of The Good Italian Girl and Friends Podcast, host Claudia Callisto welcomes Angela Forgione and Rosalie Gleason into the studio. 

After years of interviewing Claudia on their own radio programme, the tables are turned as Claudia invites them to share their personal stories, memories and reflections.

Angela and Rosalia open up about what it was like arriving in Australia as young Italian girls, growing up between two cultures and feeling the pressure to fit into Australian society while still honouring their Italian family values. 

They share honest and moving stories about school, language barriers, strict parents, family expectations, cultural identity and the feeling of living in two very different worlds.

The conversation also explores the strength and courage of their parents, who left everything behind to give their families a better life. With humour, warmth and honesty, Angela and Rosalia reflect on the challenges of being young Italian women, from not being allowed to go out, to navigating education, careers, dating, weddings and independence.

At its heart, this episode is about connection, culture and courage. It is a celebration of Italian-Australian women who carried the weight of tradition, found their place in a new country and eventually discovered the power of embracing who they truly are.

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In this vibrant role-reversal episode, Anastasia  Lambis takes the interviewer’s chair to explore Claudia Callisto’s journey from author to proud Adelaide Fringe performer. 

What began as a book written in grief after the passing of Claudia’s father became something far greater — a cultural movement. When supporters encouraged her to “read it to us instead,” she unexpectedly found herself producing her very first Fringe show. Despite selling over 100 tickets, fear nearly stopped her from stepping on stage. Instead, she chose courage — and that decision reshaped her creative life.

Now in her fourth Fringe season, Claudia presents Giuissas & Mario's The 80s Dance Party, Bringing Adelaide Together& Quiz Party — an interactive, high-energy celebration of the Italian-Australian and migrant sons and daughters of the 70s and 80s. The “Giuissas & Mario's” generation — big hair, midnight curfews, Rio’s nightclub, Madonna on repeat — represents a unique cultural moment in Adelaide’s history. Through music quizzes, themed dance segments, mini prizes and nostalgic storytelling, Claudia is creating more than a show. She’s creating a reunion.

But beneath the fun lies something deeply meaningful. Claudia speaks openly about how 80s music has supported her through grief and ageing, acting as a time machine back to a stage of life filled with joy, possibility and confidence. She explores the concept of the “sandwich generation” — those caring for ageing parents while raising children — and why her generation’s story is often overlooked. While migrant parents’ journeys are documented, the daughters’ experience is rarely preserved.

This episode is energetic, heartfelt and empowering — a reminder that celebration is healing, that culture evolves, and that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your community is turn up the music and dance.

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Growing up as a daughter of Greek immigrants in Adelaide meant learning the rules before you ever heard them spoken. 

The rules were subtle but powerful: Be careful, choose security, don’t draw too much attention to yourself, and above all, don’t take unnecessary risks. In this beautifully honest and story-driven conversation, Anastasia reflects on what it was like to grow up under those invisible expectations. 

While her parents loved and protected her fiercely, there was an unspoken understanding that stability mattered more than passion.

Music became her quiet rebellion.

From childhood memories of ABBA and Elvis playing in the background to a lifelong devotion to Prince, music was not just entertainment — it was identity, expression and possibility. 

Growing up without many material luxuries shaped her appreciation for creativity. With no record player at home, she would record albums onto cassette tapes at her godfather’s house. These small rituals built a deep emotional connection to storytelling and sound.

Her creative journey began unexpectedly in 2011 with a simple food club idea. That experiment evolved into the blog Tempting Palates, then into social media influence, and eventually into reviewing and interviewing artists during the Adelaide Fringe. What began as food writing gradually expanded into music journalism — proof that passion grows when nurtured.

Beneath the travel stories and backstage moments lies courage. Anastasia speaks openly about choosing security through banking and later working in a school — “good jobs” by cultural standards — before recognising that something still felt incomplete. When redundancy offered an exit, she chose growth over fear. Her parents’ panic reflected their generation’s survival mindset. But she chose fulfilment.

This episode beautifully captures the tension so many Italian-Australian and Greek-Australian daughters understand: honouring your parents’ sacrifices while refusing to live inside their fears.

From flying solo to London to see Nile Rodgers on her birthday, to travelling to the United States to attend concerts and meet artists, Anastasia reframed midlife as expansion rather than limitation. These were not just holidays — they were declarations of independence.

The conversation also revisits Adelaide in the 80s and 90s — cousins as first friends, camping at Port Vincent, Victor Harbour picnics, nightclub culture, strict curfews and subtle control. There is humour, nostalgia and deep recognition.

At its heart, this episode is about permission.

No one gives it to you. You take it.

Living your best life, for Anastasia, means travel, music, new experiences, stepping beyond comfort zones and refusing to shrink to make others comfortable.

This is not rebellion against culture — it is evolution within it.

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This episode explores the lived experience of growing up between two worlds. Comm. Mariangela Stagnitti Ordine Della Stella D’Italia shares vivid memories of her childhood as a Sicilian girl navigating school, language barriers, and identity in Australia — including the moment her name was changed in the classroom, and how her mother fiercely reclaimed it. These early experiences shaped her lifelong commitment to culture and community.

Mariangela speaks openly about generational legacy — the sacrifices made by parents and grandparents, and the responsibility carried by their children to honour and continue those stories. From maintaining language and traditions to ensuring younger generations understand where they come from, this conversation highlights how culture survives through intention, pride, and connection.

The discussion also covers Mariangela’s extensive work in community leadership, migrant advocacy, and banking, including her role in supporting new arrivals and building global connections during COVID. She shares the emotional reality of leadership — the passion, the challenges, and the personal cost — with honesty and grace.

At its heart, this episode is about identity. It’s about owning who you are, respecting the past, and creating a future that honours those who came before us. A powerful reminder that stories matter, names matter, and legacy lives through people.

Guest Bio

Comm. Mariangela Stagnitti Ordine Della Stella D’Italia is a highly respected Sicilian-Australian community leader, banking professional, and advocate for migrant education and women’s empowerment. 

With decades of experience supporting Italian and multicultural communities across Australia and internationally, she has played a significant role in community leadership, migrant advocacy, and financial education. In 2022, she was awarded the Ordine Della Stella D’Italia in recognition of her outstanding service to the Italian community.

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In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Cristina Clemente, whose story beautifully captures the richness of family, heritage, and community. Cristina is the daughter of Italian immigrant parents from the Campania region, a proud wife to Peter, a devoted mum of two, a Partner in an accounting firm, and a dedicated board member of the South Australian Italian Association.

Our conversation was full of warmth and reflection. Cristina shared what it was like growing up in Adelaide, where her grandparents lived right next door—a blessing that gave her a deep appreciation of family life and traditions. She also opened up about her professional journey in accounting, her passion for community involvement, and the values she is now passing on to her children.

One of the most heartfelt messages Cristina leaves us with is the importance of staying close to our parents and grandparents while we have the chance. By listening to their stories and learning from their experiences, we not only honour them but also gain a deeper understanding of the generations that came before us.

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