L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D e a r r e a d e r s , I k n o w t h a t f o r L ' I t a l o - A m e r - i c a n o r e a d e r s , O c t o b e r w i l l a l w a y s b e Italian Heritage Month, h o w e v e r , d u e t o t h e " I n d i g e n o u s P e o p l e " politically correct nomen- clature currently in use in m a n y C a l i f o r n i a S c h o o l D i s t r i c t s , a n y p o s i t i v e , b e n e f i c i a l a n d e n d u r i n g h i s t o r y o f I t a l i a n c o n t r i - butions to the culture of the United States will be whited out, and only meat balls and mafia will remain. In order to refresh your m e m o r y a n d m i n e I a m r e p r i n t i n g " 3 1 D a y s o f I t a l i a n s " f o r O c t o b e r Heritage Month: October 1 - The Italian I m m i g r a n t w h o s p o k e n o English, had no money and o f t e n h a d w a i t e d y e a r s before he could even begin his journey to America. O c t o b e r 2 - A m a d e o Pietro Giannini: established the branch banking system in America. October 3 - Guglielmo M a r c o n i : k n o w n a s t h e F a t h e r o f R a d i o f o r h i s e x p e r i m e n t s w i t h l o n g d i s t a n c e w i r e l e s s transmissions. O c t o b e r 4 - F i l i p p o M a z z e i : s u p p o r t e r o f American freedom during the American Revolution. T h o m a s J e f f e r s o n ' s i n c l u s i o n o f " a l l m e n a r e c r e a t e d e q u a l " i n t o t h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f I n d e p e n d e n c e i s t h e paraphrase of Mazzei's "all men are by nature equally free and independent." O c t o b e r 5 - A n t o n i o Meucci: original holder of t h e p a t e n t f o r t h e f o r e r u n n e r o f t o d a y ' s telephone. O c t o b e r 6 - J o e D i m a g g i o : " T h e Y a n k e e Clipper" led the New York Y a n k e e s t o 9 W o r l d Championships. O c t o b e r 7 - M a r i o Lanza: renowned tenor and film star in the mid-1950s. October 8 - Gian Carlo Menotti: created the first opera for radio and founded the Spoleto Festival of Two W o r l d s i n I t a l y , a n d t h e S p o l e t o F e s t i v a l U S A i n South Carolina. O c t o b e r 9 - F a t h e r Pietro Bandini: missionary f o r N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s . I n 1898 established Tontitown, " a p e r f e c t e x a m p l e f o r colonization," in Arkansas. O c t o b e r 1 0 - E n r i c o F e r m i : d i s c o v e r e d radioactive elements that heralded the nuclear age. O c t o b e r 1 1 - A n t o n i o P a s i n : c r e a t e d t h e R a d i o Flyer wagon. O c t o b e r 1 2 - C h r i s t o p h e r C o l u m b u s : navigator that changed the world, opening trade routes and allowing immigration f r o m E u r o p e t o t h e Americas. O c t o b e r 1 3 - M a r i a Montessori, M.D.: developed an educational method for teaching children. O c t o b e r 1 4 - H e n r y M a n c i n i : a w a r d e d 2 0 Grammys and 4 Oscars for h i s f i l m a n d t e l e v i s i o n scores. O c t o b e r 1 5 - L e e Lacocca: responsible for the t u r n a r o u n d o f C h r y s l e r Corporation in the 1980s, he e s t a b l i s h e d t h e L a c o c c a Foundation, which provides g r a n t s t o f u n d d i a b e t e s research. O c t o b e r 1 6 - M a r i o A n d r e t t i : r e c o r d - s e t t i n g r a c e c a r d r i v e r w i t h o v e r 1 0 0 w i n s , a n d t h e o n l y driver to win the Daytona 5 0 0 , I n d y 5 0 0 , a n d Formula One. O c t o b e r 1 7 - M o t h e r Francis Xavier Cabrini: first American citizen to become a saint. O c t o b e r 1 8 - E n r i c o Caruso: the world's most acclaimed tenor in the early 1900s. O c t o b e r 1 9 - Y o g i B e r r a : b a s e b a l l p l a y e r , manager, and famous for his quotes "It ain't over till it's over," "The future ain't w h a t i t u s e d t o b e , " " N o b o d y g o e s t h e r e a n y m o r e b e c a u s e i t i s always so crowded." O c t o b e r 2 0 - F r a n k C a p r a : a c c l a i m e d 2 0 t h Century film director, best known for It's a Wonderful Life. O c t o b e r 2 1 - A r t u r o T o s c a n i n i : o n e o f t h e world's greatest orchestra conductors. October 22 - Giovanni d a V e r r a z z a n o : f i r s t European explorer to enter the harbor of New York. O c t o b e r 2 3 - R o b e r t M o n d a v i : r e v o l u t i o n i z e d t h e A m e r i c a n w i n e industry. O c t o b e r 2 4 - Fiorello La Guardia: first three-term M a y o r o f N e w Y o r k C i t y , c r e d i t e d f o r c h a n g i n g i t s landscape and building the f o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e c i t y ' s Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com 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. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. g r o w t h a f t e r t h e Depression. October 25 - Amerigo V e s p u c c i : n a m e s a k e o f America October 26 - Geraldine Ferraro: first woman to be nominated on a major party ticket as Vice President of the United States. O c t o b e r 2 7 - C o n s t a n t i n o B r u m i d i : k n o w n a s t h e "Michelangelo of the [US] Capitol." O c t o b e r 2 8 - R o c k y M a r c i a n o : t h e o n l y H e a v y w e i g h t W o r l d C h a m p i o n t o r e t i r e undefeated. O c t o b e r 2 9 - E z i o Pinza: considered by many to be the world's greatest b a s s i s t o f t h e e a r l y twentieth century. O c t o b e r 3 0 - A n d r e a P a l l a d i o : " F a t h e r o f A r c h i t e c t u r e , " w r o t e T h e F o u r B o o k s o n A r c h i t e c t u r e , t h e m o s t f a m o u s a n d i n f l u e n t i a l books on the subject, which are still in print. O c t o b e r 3 1 - Y o u r Favorite Italian: celebrate someone not on the list but greatly admired... This 31-day list is merely a s a m p l e o f t h e m a n y Italian contributions to our culture and, in many cases, t h e w o r l d ' s . N a m e a n y subject from A to Z and it was probably achieved by t h e I t a l i a n s f i r s t : e v e n General Custer's Bugler at Little Bighorn, Giovanni M a r t i n i (John Martini), was an Italian who served from 1874 to 1904. A f t e r t h e t r u m p e t e r retired, he spent the rest of his days in Brooklyn. The reason the Bighorn Bugler lived to tell his tale was that Gen. George Custer (1839- 1876) ordered John Martini t o b r i n g a m e s s a g e t o Colonel Benteen asking for r e i n f o r c e m e n t s a n d t h a t p r o v i d e n t i a l o r d e r s a v e d him. Custer, in 1876, shared S h e r i d a n ' s c a m p a i g n against Sioux under Sitting Bull. Surrounded by about 3,000 Indians, Custer and all 164 of his men were shot down at Little BigHorn in the fight known as "Custer's Last Stand." So, Dear Readers, if you are looking for more Italian Connections just seek and you shall find...

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