L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D e a r R e a d e r s , more January j o t t i n g s w i t h an Italian con- nection. T h o m a s J e f f e r - son (1801-1809)our third President, had repeatedly expressed his displeasure at t h e l o w c a l i b e r o f t h e U S M a r i n e B a n d . A n d s o , i n 1805, John Hall, a Marine C o r p s c a p t a i n , w a s s e n t to Catania, Sicily, to recruit a group of musicians who w o u l d h e l p i m p r o v e t h e musical standards of the cel- ebrations taking place at the presidential home, later the White House. Captain Hall, Jefferson's musical emis- s a r y , h i r e d G a e t a n o C a r u s i , a l o c a l C a t a n i a orchestra leader, and con- vinced him to convince his 1 7 m u s i c i a n s t o m o v e t o America. Six of the 17 musi- cians were boys, between the ages of 9 and 12; each was followed by most of their family and was given $50 a n d l o a d s o f p r o m i s e s , including fame and wealth. They sailed to America aboard the Navy's frigate, Chesapeake. The ship went straight to Tripoli harbor, Libya, first, to take part in war actions, to the discom- fort of the musicians. The US had been paying protec- t i o n m o n e y t o t h e P a s h a a f t e r a t t a c k s o n U S m e r - chant shipping. The musi- c i a n s ' a r r i v a l i n A m e r i c a wasn't auspicious: the city of Washington was in reality a quite deserted community, with two or three taverns and some shacks, according to orchestra leader Carusi in l e t t e r s h e w r o t e t o I t a l y . What's more, there was the u n h e a l t h y s i g h t o f p i g s r o a m i n g f r e e l y i n t h e streets! The new musicians were mobilized into the Marines, and they were forced to do a l l k i n d s o f u n p l e a s a n t d u t i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e unglamorous KP, plus they h a d t o p a y f o r t h e i r o w n instruments. Some in the group quit and went back to Sicily. V e n e r a n d o P u l i z z i , who was 12 when he arrived, continued in the military, in the Marines, for 22 years. He even became the band leader, a position he held for nine years. Five other Ital- ians eventually became US Marine bandleaders, start- ing a great Italian tradition that is just another example of how Italy's contributions h a v e e n r i c h e d l i f e i n t h e USA. T h e M u s e o I t a l o - A m e r i c a n o w a s e s t a b - lished in 1978 by a small group of Italians and Ital- ian-Americans who shared a common vision. On January 29th, 1978, Giuliana Nardel- li Haight, Richard Figone, Edward Galletti, and Robert Yohannan signed and filed t h e r e q u i r e d l e g a l d o c u - ments and the Museo Italo- Americano became a regis- tered California non-profit corporation. Unlike other Bay Area Italian organiza- tions, whose 45aims were primarily social, the mission of the Museo was to increase through art exhibitions, cul- tural and educational pro- g r a m s , a g r e a t e r p u b l i c r e c o g n i t i o n , r e s p e c t , a n d understanding of the rich contributions Italians and Italian-Americans made to the art, culture and history, the very quality of life of the United States. Initially located in a room over the Malvina Café on Washington Square in North Beach, in 1981 the museum moved to larger premises in t h e F u g a z i B u i l d i n g o n G r e e n S t r e e t . U n d e r t h e leadership of Modesto Lan- zone, the museum relocated, in 1985, to a 5,000 sq. ft. s p a c e o n F o r t M a s o n , a n area that was being devel- oped as a center for the arts. This move meant that the museum could expand and diversify its programs and offer exhibitions in a true gallery atmosphere. Arturo Toscanini died on January 16, 1957, in New York City, New York. He was b o r n o n M a y 2 5 , 1 8 6 7 i n P a r m a , I t a l y . A r t u r o Toscanini was the youngest child and only son of a poor I t a l i a n t a i l o r . H a v i n g demonstrated obvious musi- cal talent, he became a pupil, at age 9, at the Parma Con- servatory, where he studied cello and piano. He began his musical career in 1885 as a c e l l i s t w i t h a t r a v e l i n g o p e r a t r o u p e . I n R i o d e Janeiro in 1886, while on a 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. South American tour with t h e c o m p a n y , h e h a d h i s first experience as a conduc- t o r . H e l a t e r b e c a m e t h e artistic director of La Scala in Milan, the most impor- tant opera house in Italy. There, he inaugurated a new epoch by including German, French, and Russian operas in the repertoire. In 1908, he traveled to the United States and astonished the audience at the Metropoli- t a n O p e r a b y c o n d u c t i n g Richard Wagner's Gotter- dammerung entirely from memory. Toscanini left the Metro- politan in 1915 and returned to Italy where, during World War I, he conducted mainly concerts for the wounded. He made a tour of the Unit- ed States in 1920, giving 124 symphony concerts with the La Scala Orchestra. Toscani- ni remained at La Scala for eight years until 1929, when he was appointed conductor of the New York Philhar- monic Oscatra. A staunch D e m o c r a t , T o s c a n i n i refused to conduct the Ital- ian fascist anthem in 1922 and again in 1931. He con- ducted the Bayreuth Festival i n 1 9 3 0 a n d 1 9 3 1 b u t refused to appear in Ger- many after the rise of Hitler, a s a p r o t e s t a g a i n s t t h e treatment of Jewish musi- cians. F r o m 1 9 3 7 t o 1 9 5 4 , T o s c a n i n i d i r e c t e d t h e National Broadcasting Com- pany Symphony Orchestra, which NBC formed especial- ly for him. In 1989, he was honored by the US Postal Service on a 25-pence performing arts stamp.

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