The Italian American Podcast

The Italian American Podcast episodes:

• 04.27.2024

  IAP 321: “The Struggle For Sicilian Independence” with Dr. Gaetano Cipolla

  We’re exploring one of the lesser-known chapters of Italy’s post-war history as we examine Sicily's bid for independence with our esteemed guest Dr. Gaetano Cipolla of Arba Sicula.  Join us as he shares insights from his brand new translation of...

  
• 04.20.2024

  IAP 320: Teaching, Traveling, and Transforming Lives!

  Well, the ground beneath us may have shaken from New Jersey's surprising earthquake, but it's the stirring tales of passing along the Italian culture to future generations that truly rock our world!   That’s because, in this week’s episode, we’re joined...

  
• 04.12.2024

  IAP 319: PaisanCon: Where Hollywood Meets Heritage!

  Turn up the volume for an exclusive sneak peek into the inaugural “PaisanCon”, where Hollywood meets heritage in a festival of film, food, and famous faces from across the Italian American entertainment scene! We’ll meet Nicky Petito, the young Italian American...

  
• 04.06.2024

  IAP 318: Sent Here on a Higher Authority: The 15-Year Struggle to Bring “Cabrini” to the Big Screen

  As we enter into the Easter Season, join us for a poignant reflection on an extraordinary figure in the Italian American community… Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint. Listen in as we share how personal experiences intertwine with...

  
• 03.24.2024

  IAP 317: Meatballs & Memories on Wooster Square: One Family’s Devotion to New Haven’s Little Italy

  Explore the deep roots of the Italian community in New Haven, CT with our esteemed guests, Frank Stellato and “Uncle Frank” Carano as we explore the cultural and culinary importance of the St. Andrew of Amalfi Society and the indelible...

  
• 03.16.2024

  IAP 316: Evviva San Giuseppe! The Aromas and Anecdotes of St. Joseph’s Day Weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana!

  One of the most beloved Italian American holidays is here again, and we are back in New Orleans, LA, coming to you live and uncut from the center of the nation’s greatest St. Joseph’s Day celebrations. Join co-host John M. Viola,...

  
• 03.09.2024

  IAP 315: Filitalia International- Celebrating Italian Roots from Havana to the Heartland!

  Join us as we unwrap the colorful tapestry of Italian culture with guests, Trisha Volpe and Saverio Nestico from Filitalia International. This forward-thinking organization, born in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian American enclave stretches across the globe, with membership from...

  
• 03.02.2024

  IAP 314: From Tax Ledgers to Teaching Triumphs - Maria Teresa Quaranta is One Special Educator!

  When Maria Teresa Quaranta left her tax accountant ledgers for lesson plans, she wasn't just changing careers; she was answering a calling. Her heart led her to the vibrant halls of the Robert F. Kennedy School in Manhattan, where she...

  
• 02.24.2024

  IAP 313: Silk City Sonnets: Maria Mazziotti Gillan on Italian American Verse and Vitality

  Join us for a heartfelt journey through the intricate landscape of cultural identity and generational heritage as we sit down with the esteemed Italian American Poet, Artist, and Professor Maria Mazzotti-Gillan. Listen in as Professor Gillan shares her evocative poetry...

  
• 02.17.2024

  IAP 312: Unico National: A Century of Service Above Self

  For just over 100 years, Unico National has been dedicated to the ideal of “Service Above Self”.  And, the nation’s largest Italian American service organization also happens to be the place where our very own Pat O’Boyle got his start...

  
• 02.10.2024

  IAP 311: Italian American Future Leaders 2… The Next Generation!

  In January of 2023, more than 100 young, active Italian Americans between the ages of 21 and 35, gathered together in Sunrise, Florida for our inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference.  This year, we set out to live up to...

  
• 02.03.2024

  IAP 310: Teach Your Kids Sicilian! With Special Guest Nick Panzarella

  How many Italian Americans out there are working hard to try to pass the Italian language, or one of Italy’s countless Regional Languages, onto the next generation in their family?  What about those of us who are attempting to do...

  
• 01.26.2024

  IAP 309: Are Italian Americans White? The Racial and Ethnic Categorization of Italian Americans.

  What do YOU use to answer the question on race and ethnicity on the U.S. Census?   The Federal Government has recently undertaken a reexamination of the “Federal Standards on Racial and Ethnic Data Collection”, and as a part of that...

  
• 01.13.2024

  IAP 308: Old School Genealogy is Analog and Awe Inspiring: a Conversation with Genealogist Maria Carparelli

  In a world with an app for everything, and the ever-increasing presence of artificial intelligence, what happens when technology can’t answer our questions or solve our problems?   Sometimes it pays to remember how to do things the old-fashioned way! From raising...

  
• 01.05.2024

  IAP 307: More Than Just Ethnic Comedy! Sooshi Mango Comes to America

  What is it about the Italian experience around the world that makes our story so relatable?  Sure, it's one thing for us Italian Americans to connect with our Paesani across the seas in Australia, but why is it that the...

  
• 12.22.2023

  IAP 306: We All Say Buon Natale! Making Our 2023 Christmas Music Video with the Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra

  Everyone knows the song about Christmas in Hawaii, but while we can appreciate a holiday with sun and sand, where’s the song that celebrates a Buon Natale filled with pesce and paisans?? Well, we at the Italian American Podcast set out...

  
• 12.16.2023

  IAP 305: How Six Italian Brothers Shaped Modern America: Eduardo Montes-Bradley and His Search for the Piccirilli Brothers

  Over his long career as a writer, filmmaker, academic, and award-winning documentarian, Eduardo Montes-Bradley has always been inspired by his love of learning. But these days, it's his Italian heritage that drives his tireless quest to uncover the six Italian...

  
• 12.09.2023

  IAP 304: “Who Stole The Panettone?” Gianluca Rottura on the Best Buys to Add to This Year’s Holiday Table

  Gianluca Rottura, the proprietor of “In Vino Veritas,” New York City’s landmark wine store, returns to the Italian American Podcast to bring us his take on the famed Italian Amari… But, we go completely off the rails and end up...

  
• 12.02.2023

  IAP 303: Severino D’Angelo’s Amazing American Dream on Paesani of Interest: Italian American Stories (Part 2)

  Join us as we jump back into the incredible life story of Severino D’Angelo, a “Paesan of Interest” with a story in which determination and dedication meet some very good luck.   Leaving what he describes as a “Medieval Italy” Severino...

  
• 11.17.2023

  IAP 302: Severino D’Angelo's Amazing American Dream on Paesani of Interest: Italian American Stories (Part 1)

  Severino D’Angelo is a name you might not recognize. But, if you’ve stepped into a car in the United States at any point since Ronald Reagan was in the White House, you’ve encountered a technology patented by this unassuming “Paesan...

  
• 11.10.2023

  IAP 301: Committed to Com.it.es: Alessandro Crocco & the Committees of Italian Abroad

  Alessandro Crocco is an energetic and personable thirty-something from Calabria, on a mission to change the way Italy and Italian America interact.  And, as the newly elected President of the Committees of Italian Abroad (Com.it.es) for New York, New Jersey,...

  
• 11.03.2023

  IAP 300: Our 300th Episode!

  8 years in the making, our 300th Episode is an uncut dive into the past, present, and future of our show, and the real-life friends behind it. We're catching up and sharing stories from our times together beyond the podcast,...

  
• 10.27.2023

  IAP299: “Italian American Gothic”- Dolores and P.O.B. on How to Homestead Italian American Style

  Because this is the final episode of Italian American Heritage Month, we thought we’d gather the Famiglia and share the stories of the “Italian Heritage Heroes” who inspire each of us, except… we never quite got to that! When Dolores, Rossella,...

  
• 10.19.2023

  IAP298: Cars, Culture, and Camaraderie at “Casa”- A Visit to the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere

  We’re keeping the Italian American Heritage Month party going with a visit to one of our favorite Italian American hangouts, a place that lives up to its cozy name, Staten Island, NY’s stunning Italian Cultural Center at Casa Belvedere. The “House...

  
• 10.13.2023

  IAP 297: How We're Celebrating Italian American Heritage Month

  Happy Italian American Heritage Month Paesani!!! We’re kicking off our favorite month of the year with a good old-fashioned “Power Hour” roundtable, with Rossella, Pat, and John catching up on how they’ve spent the first few weeks in a month filled...

  
• 10.06.2023

  IAP 296: If You’re Not Willing to Laugh at Yourself, Don’t Worry... We’ll Laugh at You! (Pt.2)

  Brandon Ficara thinks we Italian Americans have a special relationship with humor. Born in Philadelphia, and raised in Ocean City, NJ, this proud Italian American used humor to combat the tribulations of life at an early age. Born with Sprangles Deformity,...

  
• 09.28.2023

  IAP 295: If You’re Not Willing to Laugh at Yourself, Don’t Worry... We’ll Laugh at You! (Pt.1)

  When you spend as much time as we do examining and analyzing the Italian American experience, sometimes you just have to laugh.  There are those little quirks that make us unique which are often at the source of so much...

  
• 09.21.2023

  IAP 294: Live From "The Feast of All Feasts" - The Feast of San Gennaro in NYC

  Every September for the past ninety-seven years, thousands upon thousands descend on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's venerable Little Italy for “a festa 'e tutte 'e feste”—“The Feast of All Feasts”... the eleven-day celebration that is the Feast of San Gennaro!  This...

  
• 09.14.2023

  IAP 293: Bocce and Other "Gateway Traditions" For Young Italian Americans

  Summer is almost over, and many Paesani are outside soaking up the last weeks of our  “Italian American National Sport”… the beloved game of BOCCE! For many, this simple lawn game is a staple of Italian American summer life, but for...

  
• 09.08.2023

  IAP 292: Five Generations of Famiglia in Buffalo, NY

  In our final LIVE and UNCUT recording from the National Convention of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), in #Pittsburgh PA, Pat, John, and Rossella sit down with some very special Paesani from Buffalo, NY. Danette Porto and Danielle...

  
• 09.01.2023

  IAP 291: LIVE AND UNCUT FROM PITTSBURGH, PA (PART 2)

  Come back to the table for Part 2, as we throwback to the old “Italian American Power Hour” days, with the second half of a conversation already earning rave reviews! Pat, John, and Rossella are joined by longtime friend Marianna Gatto...

  
• 08.25.2023

  IAP 290: Live and Uncut From Pittsburgh, PA (Part 1)

  Get ready for a throwback to the old “Italian American Power Hour” days, as you join four friends at the kitchen table for a breakneck conversation about something we all love… being Italian American! When Rossella, Pat, and John are brought...

  
• 08.10.2023

  IAP 289: Our Paesani Down Under: Introducing the Italian Australian Podcast

  We here at the Italian American Podcast have spent eight years and 288 episodes exploring the ins and outs of what it means to be an American descendent of the Italian diaspora…  but have you ever wondered what it’s like to...

  
• 08.03.2023

  IAP 288: Welcome to Roseto, PA, the Happiest Place in Italian America!

  For years we’ve been searching for an idyllic Italian American village where we might find the perfect spot to recreate the Italian American neighborhood life we all long for, and this week, we’ve literally hit the Big Time! In this week’s...

  
• 07.27.2023

  IAP 287: Blogs to the Future: How Two Italian American Bloggers are Passing On Our Heritage

  In an Italian American family, every dish tells a story. For two young Italian American bloggers, the stories of so many of their family dishes have become wildly popular with readers worldwide. In this week’s episode, we’re discussing how our Italian American...

  
• 07.20.2023

  IAP 286: Stop Italian Sounding with Special Guest Robert Campana

  Next time you grab a mouthwatering chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, before you take that first wonderful bite you might want to make sure you’re eating exactly the type of cheese you think it is! This week’s guest, Robert Campana, the founder of...

  
• 07.14.2023

  IAP 285: Biangolin' - Bagnarol' - Bacous': Examining the Italian American Language

  Our language is a reflection of ourselves, and this week’s guest has made it her mission to present both Italians and Italian Americans with a unique mirror in which to see that reflection… the fascinating and distinct Italian American language! What...

  
• 07.06.2023

  IAP 284: The Girl With the Trinacria Tattoo: Author Leigh Esposito On Her Debut Novel, The Godmother

  Sometimes we have conversations that veer off into so many wonderful topics that they seem to make a concise introduction nearly impossible.  When this week’s guest, author and “recovering lawyer,” Leigh Esposito, joined us to discuss her debut novel, the...

  
• 06.22.2023

  IAP 283: The Search for the Mondo Italiano with Special Guest Viviana Altieri of the Istituto Mondo Italiano

  When Viviana Altieri journeyed from Rome, Italy to Pittsburgh, PA, on a dare nearly 30 years ago, she could never have imagined staying in the United States and pursuing the life of a “Professional Italian American."  But this week’s guest...

  
• 06.15.2023

  IAP 282: Abruzzo: The Most Beautiful Place You've Never Seen with Special Guest Michelle DiBenedetto of Majella Tours of Abruzzo

  It’s one of Italy’s hidden treasures. Known as “strong and kind,” the stunningly beautiful region of Abruzzo might be considered off the beaten path for many travelers to the Bel Paese; however, this week’s guest, Michelle DiBenedetto, is here to explain...

  
• 06.08.2023

  IAP 281: Coming Home and Catching Up: Sharing Our Latest Italian American Adventures and What they Taught Us

  Even though we at the Italian American Podcast spend A LOT of time together, every once in a while, our adventures around Italian American life take us to distinct destinations. Like any group of best buds, we look forward to...

  
• 06.01.2023

  IAP 280: Who's Coming to the 2023 Italian Bowl?

  When you say the word “football” to friends and famiglia in Italy, they probably conjure up images of World Cup soccer and the many greats who have worn the famed “Azzurro” of the Italian national team, or their favorite local...

  
• 05.18.2023

  IAP 279: From Napoli to New York: An Italian American Perspective on Napoli's Historic Championship

  In Italy, calcio (or the game we Americans call soccer) is life! And after thirty-three years in the making, the city of Napoli can finally lay claim to the title of Champions of Italy! In winning the “scudetto," with the best record...

  
• 05.11.2023

  IAP 278: How to Revive Your Italian American Feast with the Notorious P.O.B. and the Feast of Madonna del Sacro Monte

  May is the month that begins to tease summer, and for those who can’t get enough of them, it also signals the start of the Italian American Feast season! In this week’s episode, our very own P.O.B. talks about the feast...

  
• 05.04.2023

  IAP 277: A.I. for I.A.: Artificial Intelligence and a New Approach to Italian American Genealogy

  If you’re a loyal listener to the Italian American Podcast, you’ll know that technology isn't exactly an area we focus on week in and week out.  Artificial intelligence and chat-bots and whatnots might not exactly be our expertise, but for this...

  
• 04.27.2023

  IAP 276: Confederates in the Famiglia? An Italian American Family Mystery

  An Italian American with Confederates in the famiglia? The branches of our family trees often contain mysteries and secrets that are lost until future generations decide to investigate them. This is precisely the case with this week’s episode as we talk with...

  
• 04.20.2023

  IAP 275: A Delicious Revolution! John Forti on the Italian American Heirloom Garden

  Spring seems to have arrived in many parts of the country, and for countless Italian Americans, these early days of new life mean it's time to get gardening!  In many cases, those Italian American gardens will soon be bursting with...

  
• 04.13.2023

  IAP 274: Family Secrets, Family Honor: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family with Special Guest Karen Tintori

  Francesca Costa’s name should never have been remembered.  In fact, had it not been for her great-niece’s steadfast and unwavering love, any remembrance of Francesca’s life would have been lost to time -- and that’s exactly how the rest of her...

  
• 04.06.2023

  IAP 273: Personalize Your Pastiera with Special Guest Stefano Arturi

  As we are about to embark on the solemn celebration of the Easter Triduum, for many Italian Americans, Holy Thursday means a day spent in the kitchen lovingly recreating recipes handed down from generation to generation. This week’s guest, Stefano Arturi,...

  
• 03.30.2023

  IAP 272: We Stand On the Shoulders: A Monument to the Sicilian Sugar Cane Harvesters of Louisiana

  Louisiana native Charles Marsala has done a lot to promote the history of Italian life in the Bayou State.  From creating hours of documentary videos to a mobile app that provides a free walking tour of over sixty Italian American points...