L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 4 O ne of the long- time members o f L a Garibaldina S o c i e t y i s Jimmy, from Piedmont. He's been around since before the the society moved to its cur- rent location, in 1967. You can ask him how things used to be done, and if you don't, he'll probably tell you any- way. Then there's Ignazio, an 85-year-old pastry chef who started baking at age 14 in Palermo. At La Garibaldina, he enjoys teaching others h o w t o m a k e t r a d i t i o n a l Sicilian treats like cuccidati, the fig- fil l ed cookies he's perfected over decades. And if you step out onto the bocce court, where members gath- er every Tuesday and Thurs- day to play this century-old game, you'll likely run into A l d o . H e ' s b e e n w i t h t h e Society longer than anyone, and today he serves as both sergeant-at-arms and Dinner Dance sauce master. "La Garibaldina is made b y i t s m e m b e r s , o l d a n d new, and they're the ones reminding us of the tradi- t i o n s , " s a y s A m a n d a Lanza, the current presi- dent of the oldest Italian club in the United States. The Society was founded in 1 8 7 7 a n d r e l o c a t e d t o i t s Highland Park headquarter in 1967, after purchasing the l a n d t w o y e a r s e a r l i e r . Everything inside, from the wallpaper and furniture to the kitchen colander and the mid-century lady-shaped napkin holders, is exactly as and where it was in 1967, including a tall gold lamp that still stands in the lobby b e s i d e a p o r t r a i t o f Giuseppe Garibaldi. "Our m e m b e r C a r r i e G e o r g e ' s grandfather was the presi- dent who gave women the right to vote in the Society," Nicole Infante, former presi- dent and current marketing manager, explains to me. "Her family was very active, a n d h e r u n c l e m a d e t h a t l a m p f o r t h e b u i l d i n g ' s opening celebration in 1967. We wouldn't have known that if Carrie weren't still an active member today." The first Italian organiza- tions in the United States, such as mutual aid societies, w e r e c r e a t e d t o s u p p o r t newcomers from Italy and the many Italians living in Little Italy neighborhoods who worked hard to estab- lish themselves and inte- grate into American society. These associations offered n o t o n l y e c o n o m i c a n d social assistance but also a cultural anchor. Over time, that role became crucial: evolving from purely chari- t a b l e b o d i e s , t h e y b e g a n promoting cultural, educa- tional, and religious events, turning into key hubs for the Italian community. Among them, the Garibaldina Soci- ety stands out. Even today it remains a reference point for safeguarding and pro- moting the historical, social, and cultural heritage of Ital- ian American identity. At its peak, La Garibald- i n a h a d a s m a n y a s 9 0 0 m e m b e r s . " W e ' v e g r o w n from about 150 to over 450 in just three years," Amanda notes. "Now our focus is on b u i l d i n g a c o m m i t t e d , engaged core. We often look to the past for inspiration. For example, we discovered they used to manage things through a detailed commit- tee structure: there was even a committee just for bread- sticks!" Your members truly mirror Italian heritage a n d h i s t o r y . H o w h a s the evolution of the soci- e t y b e e n t h r o u g h t h e decades? Amanda Lanza: We have a treasure trove of records documenting the evolution of the Society. It's fascinat- ing to see how the commu- nity shifted from primarily Northern Italians to a more diverse mix, and from Ital- ian-speaking members to E n g l i s h s p e a k e r s b y t h e 1960s. In the past, this was a p l a c e w h e r e i m m i g r a n t s came to become American. N o w , w e ' r e w o r k i n g t o reconnect with our Italian and Italian-American roots o f f e r i n g I t a l i a n l e s s o n s , holding cultural events, and re-centering our program- ming to go beyond stereo- types like "red sauce and meatballs." That version of Italian-American culture is valid and beloved, but we also want to explore deeper traditions and regional dif- ferences. W h a t k i n d o f o t h e r events and initiatives do you offer? W e ' r e w o r k i n g o n a Pomodoro Sauce Contest, like an Italian version of a chili cook-off where mem- bers can share their family recipes. Also our bocce court i s a r e a l g e m . B o c c e i s a huge part of our community. It's become a multi-genera- t i o n a l g a t h e r i n g , a t r u e fountain of youth. It's amaz- ing to see people of all ages bonding over it. We've even K e e p i n g t h e l e g a c y a l i v e : i n s i d e t h e Garibaldina Society in Los Angeles SILVIA NITTOLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 The President of La Garibaldina Society, Amanda Lanza (center) cooks at the Garibaldina's Ferragosto event (Photo: Emily Ferretti)

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