Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Please join me in welcoming Anna Harsh, author, professional dancer, award-winning
choreographer, and founder of the Allegro Dance Company, a dance troupe that
teaches and performs traditional dances of Italy, region by region. They perform
throughout the country and internationally, and their work is absolutely spectacular!
The mission of Allegro Dance Company is to preserve and perpetuate traditional
Italian dances from the twenty regions of Italy.
As an Italian American, Anna has been passionate about her dance and art since she
was a small girl, and she wants share that passion with the rest of us.
She and her team have also produced a documentary, "La Danza - Bridging Time
Through Dance," and her goal is to share these lively and fun dances in theaters and
schools across the country, keeping the tradition and heritage of Italian dance alive for
generations to come.
Please join Anna Harsh on my #LittleItalyPodcast #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast and
#DeborahKobyltLIVE and invite your friends, too. It's always special when someone
turns their passion into a living that others are excited about, and that's exactly what
Anna has done. Thanks for joining us󰏢   @allegrodance94 #Annaharsh #dancer #italiandancer #italiantradiotionaldance

Please give a warm welcome to my guest, Marianna Cuomo Maier, certified health & wellness
coach and founder of Grata Wellness, which helps people take charge of their health, find
more joy in their lives, and often, she says, it starts with food.
Marianna holds wellness workshops, meditation, and journaling groups at wellness events in
support of finding our healthier, more balanced selves. And as she tells it, Marianna was not
always a healthy person. She had to learn how to do it.
Marianna also writes for @AppetitoMagazine, and in fact, we were introduced by Appetito's
founder, @AndrewCotto, as well as my friend, @AmyRiolo, writer of many books on the
Mediterranean Diet, specifically the Dummies series.
Marianna is also founder of the Emerging Leaders Council of the Italian Language Foundation,
which is dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture nationally.
And if the name Cuomo sounds familiar, she is of the infamous New York Cuomo family. Her
grandfather, Mario Cuomo, was a beloved governor of New York. Uncle Andrew was also NY
governor, and Uncle Chris is a well-known, award-winning TV journalist.
Please join my conversation with Marianna on how we can all be healthier in a world that often
promotes fast living and fast foods. She also talks about life growing up Cuomo, and how her
Italian heritage helped form her wellness routines she lives by today. You'll find our
#DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast on all video and audio
podcast platforms. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I thank you for joining us. Please
also invite your friends, too!

Please welcome to our show the immensely talented Italian director and actress, Ilaria
Borrelli, who is also a human rights activist. In fact, much of Ilaria's activism is
reflected in her work, often with an emphasis on the rights of woman and young girls.
I met Ilaria at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, when she was speaking
about her film, "The Goat," about an 11-year-old pregnant orphan forced into
marriage in her small Ethiopian village, only to escape with her goat, which provides
nourishment, companionship, and even friendship throughout her difficult journey to
find her her father, and ultimately peace. The film stars Mira Sorvino and John Savage,
along with young Egyptian Tik Tok star, Jessica Hosam.
Ilaria has been behind some of the most prolific films throughout her career, including
"Life Is Beautiful," and "A Girl from the Brothel," among others. We will talk with her
about her adventures filming in often dangerous condition, her life's work as an
actress and eventually behind the camera, and how it all began in Naples, Italia. She
will also discuss her intense interest in spotlighting the dangers of human trafficking
young girls, and how she hopes to shed a spotlight on the issue through her work.
I'm honored to present Ilaria on our show, and thank you to my friend, Lorenza, for
suggesting an interview. Please find my full conversation with Ilaria on all video and
audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and
#LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it's a pleasure to
have you join us.

Meet Bunny Hull. Bunny is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with 20 Gold and
Platinum Certifications. She's the recipient of the GMA Dove Award, BMI Performance
Award, Parents' Choice Awards, and that's not even why we're having her on our
show today!
Hull, who has also been inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame, joins us
to talk about something truly dear to her heart, in addition to music. She founded
Dream a World Education, whose mission is to provide social-emotional learning and
an understanding of cultural diversity through art-based education in early childhood.
Dream a World partners with schools throughout Los Angeles county and beyond to
empower children to discover their own creativity and understand how we are all
connected. It's a magnificent program, and Bunny joins us to talk about the many
students they've touched through arts education. Of course, we will ask about working
with some of the greats in her music career, like partnering with Irene Cara and
working with Michael Jackson. And she's got stories!
Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE,
And invite your friends, too. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I'd like to
welcome you here and thank you for joining our show

Please join us in welcoming Andrew Cotto, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Appetito
Magazine. Andrew is also an award-winning novelist of seven books, a regular
contributor to the New York Times, and he loves all things Italy, particularly food and
wine. His passion is to write and talk about it, and share his experiences so we can fall
in love with the Italian way of living as he has. Andrew likes to say that "food is his muse." He draws a comparison between mental
health and healthy eating, and talks about how Italians instinctively know how to do
that. While he was raised in the states, Andrew fell in love with his ancestral homeland
the first time he visited, and decided to plant his own roots there for a time and learn
all he could about the Italian lifestyle and good health. He's been a regular on Good
Day New York, and has interviewed some of the top culinary experts in his Appetito
magazine, including Rachael Ray. And now he joins us on our #LittleItalyPodcast,
#LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, and #DeborahKobyltLIVE, to share all he's learned with us.
And there's a lot. Please find our show on all video and audio podcast platforms, and invite your friends,
too. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it's a pleasure to have you join us today

Please welcome to our show, Bryan and Stephanie Mazzarello, creators of their
brilliant short film, "Make Me Italian," which follows the story of an Italian-American
man attempting to prove his Italian citizenship through ancestry so he can attain an
Italian passport. The story is loosely based on Bryan's experience of getting his Italian passport, and it's
quite a story. We talk with Bryan about that, and also how he was motivated to do this
after a backpacking trip through Europe landed on the very soil where his
grandparents lived. Let's just say he felt the calling. Stephanie was the creative
director on the film, and this is so beautifully shot and choreographed, we discuss that
with her as well. Please join our shows on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE,
#LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt,
and it's a pleasure to have you join us. Please invite your friends and family, and if you
have an Italian story for us, we'd love to hear about it Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt. Thanks for joining us.

Please welcome to our show the mega-talented writer, producer, and director Andria
Litto, who joins us to discuss her magnificent documentary, "My Father Moves
Mountains," about her dad, George Litto, who represented many of Hollywood's top
writers who were black-listed during the McCarthy era and beyond.
This is a fascinating film, with detailed interviews from actors, writers, and agents, with
film footage of a time in Hollywood when studios could crush the careers of actors and
writers, but George Litto wasn't afraid of them. Instead, he fought for the rights of
people he thought were unfairly blacklisted, and ended up behind some of
Hollywood's most accomplished films from "Mash" and "Midnight Cowboy." He later
went on to produce films directed by Brian DePalma. And Andria, his daughter, had a
front row seat to it all and joins us to talk about it.
Please join our show on #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and
#LittleItalyOfLAPodcast on all video and audio platforms. And invite your friends and
family, too. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it's a pleasure to have you join us.

Please welcome to our show my dear friend, Ann Potenza, who is bringing an exceptional play to life in Los Angeles for the upcoming Women's History Month, called "The War of Roses - The Women. The Voices. The Vote." This is an important play that talks about the women suffragettes, and the play follows some of the most memorable names who were at the forefront to getting women out to vote. In fact, "The War Of Roses," making its debut the El Portal Theatre in No.Hollywood on 3-1 and 3/2, is also encouraging all participants to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) that evening. Ann is also a well-established Events Planner in Los Angeles, behind some of Hollywood's most notorious events, starting with the San Gennaro festival she brought to LA a few years ago, along with her cousin, Jimmy Kimmel, exec producer Doug DeLuca, and other notable Italians. So we will also be talking with Ann about growing up Italian, some of her favorite traditions, hanging with Jimmy as kids, and where she sees the Italian community growing in the future. And it's all Amore! Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast on all video and audio platforms. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I'm happy to have you here!

We are pleased to welcome to our show, Raffaella Valentini, esteemed Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles. Raffaella has years of experience having worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseeing projects promoted by Italy in the Balkins, North Africa, and Middle East. She's also worked at the Embassy's economic office in Albania and Cairo before coming to Los Angeles. Raffaella has keen ideas on how she sees her position here, as it covers a large territory from California to Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, and she wants to make sure to serve the various economic and cultural groups in each region. For example, Los Angeles is so vast, and she sees her job as serving the many Italians and Italian Americans from each area in a variety of capacities including science, technology, film, food, travel, and more. And as a
woman in such high office, she also knows how important it is to set an example for other women looking to leave their mark in political office.
We will talk with Raffaella about her role with the cultural institute, as well as delve into her early life. Did she always want to be a diplomat? Were her parents in public service? What is perhaps the greatest challenge she sees serving the Los Angeles community? What are her immediate goals here? And for those Americans asking, the Consulate can guide on how to
apply for an Italian passport, but it is not necessarily their job. I can tell you Raffaella has already left her mark. She is poised and a sharp learner. Diplomatic and effective. But there's lots of work she wants to get done, and we'll talk to her about that, too. Please join me on my #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, and #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, a proud Italian-American whose family is from Avellino. Thank you for joining me, and please invite your friends as well.

It was an extraordinary day this week at Anaheim White House Restaurant, where Chef Bruno Serato opened his doors to raise money for his beloved Caterina's Club so Bruno and his team can feed near 25,000 kids and families in need every month! That's A LOT of Pasta! And we'll find out just how much was raised at yesterday's #PastaThon when we speak with him. Bruno has become a friend over the years, and many of us call him a saint. His generosity was inspired by his mom, Caterina, who gave him the inspiration to feed hungry children in nearby Anaheim. He took the challenge, and 13 years later, he's been recognized by Time Magazine, CNN Heros, the Pope, and others around the globe. We will talk with Bruno about his humble beginnings before moving to the United States, where his restaurant quickly became a fixture in Southern California. But he's faced plenty of tough times, like the evening his restaurant burned to the ground a few years ago, and his first thought was, "how will I feed the children." He rebuilt, and came back stronger than ever. Please join me in welcoming Bruno to our #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast and #DeborahKobyltLIVE on all video and audio platforms.