L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D ear Readers, February is named after Februs, Roman god of purifica- tion. February was his sacred month and the Latin Februa means "feast of purification." February is the shortest month of the year, only 28 days, but this year, is a leap year so February will have 29. February - Febbraio is full of dates with an Italian Connection: Emilio Gino Segrè (born i n 1 9 0 5 i n T i v o l i ) , w a s awarded the Nobel prize in physics in 1959 for the dis- covery of the anti-proton, together with another physi- c i s t a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f California at Berkeley. Segrè also discovered technetium, the first element produced artificially. Brian Boitano won the USA men's singles figure skating championship, held in Kansas City, MO, in 1985. St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, according to a 320 AD legend, helped save the life of a boy who was chok- ing to death because of a fishbone which was stuck in h i s t h r o a t . N o w o n S a i n t Blaise's Day, many churches have a blessing of throats. The priest crosses two unlit candles and put them under your chin, says a prayer and asks God to bless you and keep your throat healthy. E n r i c o T o n t i ( 1 6 4 9 - 1704), made the first descent o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i w i t h LaSalle. The Italian explor- er, in 1692 took formal pos- session of the Arkansas ter- ritory for King Louis XIV. The Indians began calling him Bras de Fer, the iron- handed man as he had lost a hand in battle as a sign of respect. *** "L'entrata di Garibaldi a N a p o l i , " p r e m i e r e d February 1883, produced by an Italian American immi- grant theater group in New York City, called "Il circolo F i l o d r a m m a t i c o I t a l o - Americano." The Germania Assembly Rooms at 291-293 Bowery St. (between Bleeker and Houston) had a lobby a n d a s p a c i o u s r o o m upstairs, which seated over 400 persons. The hall was shared with German, French and Italian societies, other amateur theater groups, rifle clubs, matching societies and musical social and polit- ical groups, but was called " T e a t r o I t a l i a n o " w h e n Italian commedia drammati- ca programs were presented. C h a r l e s A . S i r i n g o (1855-1928), born February 7 , 1 8 5 5 i n M a t a g o r d a P e n i n s u l a , T e x a s , t o a n Italian immigrant father, who died when Charles was only a year old. His Irish m o t h e r , B r i d g e t , h a d t o struggle to support Charles and an older sister, age 3. Charles became a famous cowboy and Pinkerton detec- t i v e a n d h e l p e d c a p t u r e "Billy the Kid." J i m m y D u r a n t e w a s born February 10, 1893 in New York and died in 1980. H e w a s o n e o f t h e m o s t famous vaudeville, radio and television starts in America. "The Schnozz" (he insured h i s n o s e w i t h L l o y d ' s o f London for a million dollars against any possible "cata- stroscope") was imitated in nightclubs all over the coun- try - a supreme mark of suc- cess - but his piano playing, his strutting, his singing, his sight-gag appearance and his warmth were his own per- sonal trademarks. "As long as dere's night- clubs, and my legs and my v e r s e h o l d s o u t , I ' l l b e a r o u n d i n d e m l a u g h i n ' i t up". Durante, and his rendi- t i o n s o f I n k a D i n k a D o o , U m b r i a g o a n d T h e L o s t Chord (all of which he wrote h i m s e l f ) i n c i t e d e v e n t h e most jaded club customers to spontaneous applause. *** St. Jerome Emiliani (1481-1537), born in Venice. Jerome served as a soldier in the Venetian army and rose to command the League of Cambrai's forces at the m o u n t a i n f o r t r e s s o f Castelnuovo. Following a military defeat, he was in poisoned, but miraculously e s c a p e d t o f r e e d o m . H e resolved to dedicate himself t o G o d a n d w h e n f a m i n e and the plague struck the Venetian Republic, Jerome devoted himself to caring for a n d e d u c a t i n g c h i l d r e n orphaned by the disaster. B y 1 5 1 3 , h e f o u n d e d o r p h a n a g e s i n B r e s c i a , Bergamo and Como. Jerome was the first individual to teach children religion by u s i n g a C a t e c h i s m . H e caught an infectious disease, while caring for the sick and died February 8, 1537. C a s a I t a l i a n a o f L o s A n g e l e s w a s f o u n d e d i n 1972, largely through the fund raising talent of Father Luigi Donanzan. The Vatican State came i n t o b e i n g i n I t a l y o n February 11, 1929. The inde- pendent territory in Italy is n o w h e l d b y t h e R o m a n Pontiff. The treaty of 1929 Celebrating a Legacy: Community, Culture, Education & Service Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Additionally, we are committed to preserve our community's strong Italian traditions, language and culture to ensure they remain a source of strength and identity for future generations. Learn about services and how to get involved: ItalianCS.com | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com between the Pope and the Italian government recog- n i z e d t h e p r i n c i p l e o f a n i n d e p e n d e n t P a p a l s o v e r - e i g n t y w h i c h h a d b e e n i n abeyance since 1870. The area is just over 108 acres. A b r a h a m L i n c o l n (1809-1865), born in a log cabin in Kentucky, in poor c i r c u m s t a n c e s , r o s e t o become the 16th President of the United States in 1860. His first decree, abolishing slavery in the territories, led d i r e c t l y t o C i v i l W a r a n d Lincoln took the conduct of the war campaign into his own hands. Five days after the surren- d e r i n V i r g i n i a o f g e n e r a l R o b e r t E . L e e , P r e s i d e n t Abraham Lincoln was assas- sinated in Washington DC in a theater box, by actor John B o o t h , a s h e a n d M r s . Lincoln watched the perfor- m a n c e o f " O u r A m e r i c a n Cousin" at the Ford Theater. *** O n V a l e n t i n e ' s D a y , romantic Italian restaurants are filled to capacity and an estimated 800,000 Valentine g r e e t i n g c a r d s a r e exchanged. According to legend dur- i n g t h e r e i g n o f E m p e r o r Claudius II, the Romans saw m a n y u n p o p u l a r m i l i t a r y campaigns. In an effort to s t r e n g t h e n h i s m i l i t a r y , Claudius outlawed marriage for young men, believing that men with wives and families made poor soldiers. V a l e n t i n e , a R o m a n p r i e s t u n d e r t h e r u l e o f Claudius I, defied the emper- or's decree and continued to secretly perform marriages f o r y o u n g l o v e r s . W h e n Valentine's actions were dis- covered he was imprisoned, c o n d e m n e d t o d e a t h a n d beheaded on Feb. 14 in A.D. 270. During his confinement, Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his jailer, who showed him great kindness. Before he was taken away, h e s l i p p e d h e r a n o t e a n d s i g n e d i t , " F r o m y o u r V a l e n t i n e , " u n k n o w i n g l y establishing a tradition that would become a gold mine for greeting card companies every February. Eddie Arcaro was one of three jockeys who passed the 4,000 win mark. Arcaro was b o r n i n F e b r u a r y 1 9 1 6 i n Cincinnati, Ohio, but went to h i g h s c h o o l i n N e w p o r t , Kentucky. He was the author of "I Ride to Win."

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