A publication of the

Italian Cultural & Community

Center of Houston

Follow ICCC on

Volume XXIII,
Number 1
Winter Edition
2014

The Voice of All Things Italian

ICCCCelebrateswithMembersandFamilies!

WrapuptheHolidayswithLaBefana!
La Befana is on her way to Houston! Bring the kids and
grandkidstotheICCCat5:00p.m.onJanuary11,2015,forgifts,
panettone,hotchocolateandfunwithLaBefana.TheICCChas
many familyfriendlyeventsplanned in 2015,so thateveryone
can enjoy celebrating and learning about Italian culture and
heritage together. Bookmark the ICCC webpage
www.iccchouston.comforinformationon:

The Italian Cultural & Community Center celebrated the

Christmasseasonwithaspectacularannualopenhouseeventfor
ICCC members on December 11. As guests arrived to the
beautifully decorated Milford House, home of the ICCC, they
were greeted with the aromas of traditional Italian holiday
delicaciessuchasarancini,cassatasiciliana,cannoli,meatballs,
tiramis, prosciutto, ravioli, baked rigatoni, stuffed artichokes,
panettone,cheesesandavarietyofwine.

LaPiccolaCucina,theItaliancookingseriesforchildren,
Special language classes for children, including pre
kindergartenandkindergartenstudents,
Childrensfilmseries,
Scholarshipopportunitiesforhighschoolstudents,
Youthsoccercamp,
Familypizzanight,
Italianlanguagesummercamp,
Carnevale(ItalianMardiGras)
SundayMassforthewholefamily,andsomuchmore!

SavetheDatefortheFestadiCarnevale2015!
ComecelebrateMardiGraswiththekidsattheICCCFestadi
Carnevaleannualmasqueradepartywithgames,foodandfunin
thespiritofthegreatVenetiantradition.Theeventtakesplaceat
4:30p.m.onSunday,February15.Just$2forchildren,$5adults.
Call7135244222,ext4,fordetails.

BabboNatale(SantaClaus)waspresenttogreetmembers
andtakeupnamecardsforagiftbasketdoorprizefulloffine
Italian wines. The annual event brings together families, long
time members and new members to hear about plans for the
upcomingyearattheICCCandtoenjoyeachotherscompany.
ThisyearseventalsoincludedthepresentationoftheOrderof
the Star of Italy award to two distinguished members of
HoustonsItaliancommunity(seeinpiazzafordetails).

ICCCEvents
ascuola~school
atavola~food
dimoda~fashion
inchiesa~faith
inteatro~theater
inpiazza~public
inItalia~Italy
acasa~ICCC
famiglia~family
Clubs&Organizations
Paparazzi

page1
page2
page3
page5
page6
page8
page9
page10
page13
page15
page15
page18

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |1

ESLforItaliansOfferedatICCC
ByClaudiaGentileSims
We started our firstever English as a Second
Language(ESL)classinDecemberatICCC,andourfirstever
ESL student is Judge Celestina Bulleri. Judge Bulleri, a
graduate of Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II,
studiedFrenchforfiveyears,butsheneverstudiedEnglish.
SheneverusedEnglishinherlonganddistinguishedcareer
inNaplesandFlorencewhereshewasalawyer,ajusticeof
thepeace(giudicedipace),andlaterasanhonoraryjudge
(GiudiceOnorarioAggregato{G.O.A.}TribunalediPrato)
in Tuscany. She didnt object to studying English; she
simplyneverneededit.

Houston:Excuseme,doyouunderstandItalian?,MayI
please have a glass of water?, My name is Celestina
Bulleri. I live at 1234 American Street, and Whats for
dinner? Her English vocabulary has grown to include
words for kitchen appliances, words for family members,
numbers, days of the week, directions, and time. These
phrasesandotherslikethemarehelpingheracclimate,and
moreimportantly,interactwiththosearoundher.Sheis
gaining independence and a better understanding of US
culture as she acquires more and more English language
skills.
Unlike English courses taken elsewhere, ESL
coursesarespecificallyintendedforpeoplewhoareliving
in English speaking countries who have more immediate
English needs than someone who studies English in a
classroom somewhere in a nonEnglish speaking country.
The ESL student doesnt need to worry about grammar
rightaway,butneedstolearnbasicsurvivalskillsasquickly
aspossible.ThisweekwhileIwaswaitingforJudgeBulleri
toarrivefor herclass,anotherItalian mothervisitingher
soninHoustoncamebyICCCtoinquireaboutESLclasses.
HerobjectivesarethesameasJudgeBulleris:toachievea
degree of independence and the ability to interact with
others made possible through the acquisition of basic
languageskills.
ContactICCCforinformationaboutESLforItalian
speakers,Italianlanguage classesforchildrenandadults,
or PLIDA exam: 7135244222, extension 2 or
www.iccchouston.com.

ShesstudyingEnglishnow.JudgeBulleriisnearly
80 years old and her only child, Tommaso, is living in
Houston with his Puerto Rican/American wife. Judge
Bulleri found that a basic knowledge of English would be
helpfultoherwhenshevisitsTommasohere.Independent
and educated, she is used to presiding and is capable of
commanding most situations, yet while in Houston, she
needs help from others to go shopping or order in a
restaurant.Shedliketobeabletointeractwithneighbors
and understand her surroundings. Just as she taught
herselftousethecomputerandtoSkypeaboutthreeyears
ago, rather than fret, she asked her daughterinlaw,
Maurizta, to seek out English classes for her. Maurizta
calledICCC.
Judge Bulleri attends a private ESL class at ICCC
twice a week. Her main objective is to acquire useful
phrases for the necessities of daily life while she is in

ItalianLanguageMeetUp

Wednesday,January78:30p.m.
Wednesday,February48:30p.m.

FelliniCaf,5211KelvinDr.

DoyouwanttospeakItalianasItaliansdo?Are
youlearningItalian?Wouldyouliketopracticeyour
Italianandimproveyourconversationalskills?Doyou
want to enjoy an authentic Italian coffee shop
atmosphere?Wouldyouliketomeetotherstudents,
teachersandmakenewfriends?

Afreeappetizerwillbeofferedwiththepurchase
ofadrink.

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |2

Parlaitaliano?
Doyouknowthesewordsandphrasesrelatedto
celebratingNewYearinItalian?Findthewordsinboldin
thepuzzlebelow.
Risoluzione(resolution)
Lenticchie(Lentils)
Cotechino(largespicedsausage)
Zampone(stuffedpigstrotter)
Fuochidartificio(Fireworks)
Tombola(agamelikebingo)
Spumantesparklingwine
Proseccotypicalgrapevarietyforspumante
Biancheriaintimadicolorerosso(redunderwearsaid
tobeluckyonNewYearsEve!)
Capodanno(NewYearsEve)
FestadiSanSilvestro(St.SylvestersFeastDec.31)

F
O
F
F
E
W
W
K
L
L
B
A
C
F
N

C
R
C
L
N
A
T
H
B
Q
V
N
O
E
Q

M
T
J
A
O
S
I
H
C
O
U
F
T
E
G

L
S
J
W
P
R
C
U
V
O
U
E
E
X
T

N
E
P
G
M
O
Q
R
C
X
Y
I
C
H
S

B
V
N
N
A
P
D
C
F
B
R
N
H
I
E

B
L
A
O
Z
L
E
A
I
M
J
F
I
V
R

K
I
T
T
I
S
O
A
N
S
M
U
N
U
S

Y
S
U
L
O
Z
N
B
R
N
L
Q
O
I
K

E
N
S
R
I
C
U
O
M
R
O
H
R
M
K

R
A
P
J
H
O
S
L
V
O
V
Y
V
S
E

V
S
U
E
Z
S
F
C
O
O
T
R
S
N
W

W
X
R
U
O
Y
T
V
Q
S
E
W
Y
G
K

E
I
H
C
C
I
T
N
E
L
I
A
V
G
R

A
S
P
U
M
A
N
T
E
M
J
R
S
X
B

Marketing Director Tiziana Triolo. The children will be

making Gli Agnolotti Freschi all Zucca (agnolotti pasta
with fresh pumpkin stuffing), a delicious recipe that is
perfectforthewintermonths.Alongwithlearninghowto
makethislovelydish,thechildrenwillbeexposedtoItalian
culture,language,andeventhebasicsofthemetricsystem.

LaPiccolaCucinasteamisenthusiasticanddevotedto
thiscollaboration,whichbeganlastMay.RayMiller,ICCC
ExecutiveDirector,commentedthatworkingwiththelittle
chefs at MD Anderson on that first occasion was a
profoundly rewarding experience. The rest of the team
sharesthesentiment:allofthemdonatetheirtimeforeach
session and, in the process, create meaningful memories
forthechildren.

LaPiccolaCucinaat
MDAndersonChildrensCancerHospital:
makingadifferencewithfoodandculture

The Italian Cultural

&
Community
Center provides all
the tools and
materials neces
sary for the class,
while a generous
donor at MD
Anderson under
writes the cost of
theingredients.

The Italian Cultural & Community Center is very

pleasedtoannouncethatLaPiccolaCucinascollaboration
withM.D.AndersonChildrensCancerHospitalwillbeheld
onceamonth,startinginJanuary.ThelittlechefsatM.D.
AndersonwillenjoyaprivatesessionwithICCCvolunteers
andstaff,ledbytheprogramcreator,ICCCsProgramsand

When
we
received the email
from the Pediatric
Education
Coor
dinator I felt very
honored to be able

LA VOCE
ITALIANA
Publishedsixtimesayearin
January,March,May,July,
SeptemberandNovember
bythe
ItalianCultural&
CommunityCenter(ICCC)of
Houstonlocatedat1101
MilfordSt,
HoustonTX77006.
LaVoceItalianaisabenefit
toICCCmembersandisalso
availablebysubscriptionfor
$15peryear.Pleasecall
7135244222ext6oremail
[email protected]

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |3

tocontributetotheeducationaldevelopmentofthesevery
special students, said Tiziana. MD Anderson provides
manysupportactivitiestotheirpatientsandfamilies,such
as the Arts in Medicine program and the Childrens Art
Project. La Piccola Cucina, however, is the only program
thatisgearedtowardcooking,languagedevelopmentand
cultural awareness. The ICCC Board of Directors was
extremely responsive to this unique opportunity to bring
thejoysofItaliancultureandcuisinetothechildrenatMD
AndersonHospital.
The Italian Cultural & Community Center came
togetherasateamtohelpmakethishappen.Iwantto
thanktheICCCBoardofDirectorsforembracingthisnew
collaboration with great enthusiasm and give a special
thankstotherestoftheICCCstaffandvolunteerswhohelp
insharingtheItalianculturewithalltheyoungpatientsof
MDAnderson,commentedTiziana.
LaPiccolaCucinabeganinMarch2012,atTheItalian
Cultural&CommunityCenter.Theclassescatertochildren
ages three to twelve and is founded on the principle of
mangiare sano, or eating healthy, which is such an
importantdimensionoftheItalianculinarytradition.The
studentslearntopreparethedishes,therichculturethat
surrounds them, and the Italian language. The format
works!Fromits inception,LaPiccolaCucinawasa great
successandhasreceivedpraisefromchildrenandparents,
aswellastheattentionofthemedia.Fortwoconsecutive
years,ithasbeenfeaturedonFOX26andthisyear,forthe
firsttime,onRAIItalia,aswell.Wewouldliketobringto
thesechildrenandtheirfamilies,furtherexplainsTiziana
Triolo,aprogramwheretheywillhavetheopportunityto
be exposed to the authentic Italian culture, culinary
traditions and the fun and excitement generated at each
andeveryLaPiccolaCucina.ICCCslittlechefsagree:La
Piccola Cucina has helped me to discover many Italian
dishesandhastaughtmesomuchaboutmyculture,says
Giulia,whowasoneofthechildrenfeaturedonFOX.Ada,
anotheryoungmemberofthecookingteam,adds,Ilove
tocookandtospeakandlearnItalian.Thelittlechefsat
MD Anderson were just as pleased, spurring the
continuationofthemonthlyclasses.Volunteersarelining
up to participate, including some of the board members
andtheirfamilies. Justaswithmost otherevents at the
ICCC this too, is a family affair. . For more information
abouttheseandotherevents,pleasevisitourwebsiteat
www.iccchouston.com

LeStradedelVino,
EducationalWineTasting

Friday,January16,79p.m.atICCC
Led by Friedel Landa, owner of Selected Food &
Beverage and a certified sommelier, along with
NeilandClayDuarte,wineexpertsfromFlatCreek
Estate Winery, six fine wine selections from the
ItalianregionofMarchewillbefeatured.Register
nowoneventbrite.comorcallusat
7135244222,ext.4!

$45ICCCMembers,$60NonMembers

SpecialEditionofLaPiccolaCucina

Saturday,January24,121:30p.m.
FourSeasonsHotel
1300LamarSt,HoustonTX77010

Along with Executive Chef Maurizio Ferrarese of

QuattroRestaurantFourSeasonsHotel,ourlittle
chefs will make I Canestrelli del Canavese
Italianshortbreadcookies.(Ages512)
ContactICCCat7135244222,ext4,fordetails.
Price:$30ICCCMembers,$50NonMembers

LaSagradelCioccolato
Thursday,February5,8p.m.
FourSeasonsHotel
1300LamarSt,HoustonTX77010
ExecutiveChefMaurizioFerraresewillguide
attendeesthroughacelebrationofItalian
chocolatedelicacies.
ContactICCCat7135244222,ext4,fordetails.

Price:$40ICCCMembers,$55NonMembers

FamilyPizzaNight
Friday,February13,6p.m.
Comeandenjoyourhomemadepizzaatagreat
familynightattheICCC!

LaPiccolaCucina

Saturday,February28,11:30a.m.1p.m.atICCC
ThelittlechefswillprepareLaTortaSbrisolana,a
typicalcakeofMantua..(Ages512)
ContactICCCat7135244222,ext4,fordetails.
Price:$30ICCCMembers,$50NonMembers

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |4

AllintheTiming

Wear Daily that all ruffled feathers had been smoothed

over and that efforts would be made in the future to
schedule more big name designers on the last day, thus
avoidingearlydeparturesbyfashionbigwigs.

ByRossiAllen

Timing iscrucialinallareasoflife,butespecially
infashionandwelovefashion!Theintroductionofashoe,
bagordressatpreciselytherightmomentcanspellsuccess
ordisasterforacollection.Awellknownfashioniconhas
verystrongfeelingsonthesubject.
Last February, Armani
(thats Giorgio Armani)
was the last designer to
show for Milan Fashion
Week. Armanis shows
are among the few that
always
end
with
applause and standing
ovations. Needless to
say, an invitation to one
isnottobetakenlightly
or ignored. Or at least,
onewouldthinkso.One
fashion power player
chosetodojustthatandArmanihadafewwordstosay
about it. According to WWD.com, Armani gave her a
verballashingatthepressconferencefollowingtheshow.
There are some who prefer to snub the Giorgio Armani
showandgotoParis,theItaliandesignersaid,Shetook
anairplane,dumpedArmaniandwenttoParis.Armani
neverdirectlyidentifiedtheoffender,butfashioninsiders
sayitwasVogueEditorinChief,AnnaWintour.Confirming
these speculations, Wintours spokeswoman issued a
statementproclaimingherutmostrespectforArmani.She
went on to proclaim, There are some shows Anna is
unabletoattend.Inherdefense,Wintourwasspottedin
attendanceattheArmaniPriveshowinParis.ArmaniPrive
isamadetoordercollectionakintocouture.

Armani also pointed a finger at a Milan Fashion

WeekorganizerfromCameraNazionaledellaModaItaliana
(Italian National Chamber of Fashion). He cited a
scheduling flaw that left him the only major designer
showingonthelastdayofMilanFashionWeek.Hefeltthat
thisinfluencedWintoursdecisiontodepartearly.Italian
Fashion Chamber President Mario Roselli told Womens

Fast forward to November 2014, the Fall/Winter

2015showseasonisfastapproachingandfashioninsiders
arewaitingwithbatedbreathforthescheduletobeposted
and confirmed. There were rumors of a shortened
scheduleforMilan,asitwasshortenedtofivedaysforthe
Septembershows.GiorgioArmanididinfactconfirmthat
he would indeed show his Ready To Wear collection. In
fact,hewillshowonthesixthandfinalday,ashedidlast
February.ChamberPresidentRosellisaidinastatementto
WomensWearDaily,IwanttothankGiorgioArmaniwho
gaveproofofgreatsensitivityandgenerositytowardsthe
Italianfashionsystem.Doesthismeanallisforgiven?Ill
letArmanispartingstatementspeakonthat.Thereare
somewhoprefertosnubtheGiorgioArmanishowandgo
toParis.Whenwedecidedtoshowthelastday,otherbig
brandswereinvolved.Butcurrently,thisisanemptyday...I
rejoinedit,butIcanalwaysexitagain.Icanjustputina
phonecall.
Sowhilethefashiontitansbattleovershowtimes
andattendance,therestofusfashionmortalswaitonthe
side lines. Whats in fashion for next fall, Mr. Armani?
Showuswhatsnext!

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |5

NewLuxuryDevelopmentinHoustonFeatures
FineItalianDesigners

NancySarnoffoftheHoustonChroniclereportedthat
the developer of one of Houstons mega mixeduse
projects, River Oaks District, has signed two dozen new
tenantsfortheupscalecomplexunderconstructionalong
Westheimerjustinsidethe610Loop.
Thenewcropofretailers,whichincludeinternational
fashion brands, restaurants and a spa, represent a
significant portion of the 650,000squarefoot
development and years of work pursuing the retailers,
manyofwhicharenewtoHouston.
Each one involved unique twists and turns, Dene
Oliver, CEO of OliverMcMillan, the San Diegobased
developeroftheHoustonprojectsaidSundaynightatan
eventhiscompanywashostingontheeveoftheICSCretail
conferenceinNewYorkCity.

MassandPastaLunchatICCC

Bringthefamilytojoinusfor10:30a.m.Massonthe
secondSundayofeachmonthattheICCC.TheMassissaid
inbothItalianandEnglish.FollowingtheMassisadelicious
homecookedpastalunchthatisservedfor$5aplateat
11:30 a.m. All are welcome to this great experience!
UpcomingMassesarescheduledfor:

Sunday,January11,10:30a.m.

and

Sunday,February8,10:30a.m.

UpcomingFeastsDaysforMajorItalianSaints:

January12,St.BernardofCorleone
January16,St.BerardofCarbio
January27,St.AngelaMerici
January28,St.ThomasAquinas(seequotesbelow)
January30,St.HyacinthaofMariscotti

February4,St.JosephofLeonessa
February8,St.JeromeEmiliani
February10,St.Scholastica
February14,St.Valentine
February19,St.ConradofPiacenza

ArenderingofRiverOaksDistrict.(OliverMcMillan)

ThenewItalianstoresandrestaurantsinclude:

BrioniItalianfashionhouse
Brunello Cucinelli Cashmere designs and mens and
womenssportswear
CanaliItaliantailormadesuitsformen
Dolce&GabbanaItalianfashionhouse
EtroItalianfashionhouseincludingmensandwomens
readytowearclothing,shoes,jewelryandhomedecor
GiuseppeZanottiItalianshoemaker
RobertoCavalliItalianfashiondesigner
TavernaItaliancuisine

TheItalianSpirit
Quotesfrom
St.ThomasAquinas
12251274A.D.

Howisittheyliveinsuchharmonythebillionsof
starswhenmostmencanbarelygoaminutewithout
declaringwarintheirmindsaboutsomeonetheyknow?
Sorrowcanbealleviatedbygoodsleep,abathanda
glassofwine.
Ifthehighestaimofacaptainweretopreservehis
ship,hewouldforeverkeepitinport.

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |6

Historyandcuriositiesofthe
FlorenceDuomoComplex
ByFrancescoPlaino
AnyonewhohastraveledtoItalyorseenpictures
recognizesitasanopenairartgallery.Manyoftheseart
piecesaresymbolsofItaly,liketheColiseuminRomeorthe
LeaningTowerinPisa.Itwouldtaketoolongtolistallof
them. One of the monuments that can summarize the
artisticgreatnessandtheheritageofItalyistheDomeof
Florenceanditscomplex.

FourastonishingmonumentscomposetheDuomo
complex:theCathedralofSantaMariaDelFiore,theGiotto
Bell Tower, the Baptistery and the Brunelleschi Dome.
LocatedinPiazzaSanGiovanni,intheheartofFlorence,the
complexistheresultofcenturiesofworkrealizedbythe
greatestItalianarchitects,sculptorsandpainters.
The History of the Duomo starts on the 8th of
September1296,withtheplacementofthefirststoneof
thecathedral.TheCathedralofSantaMariadelFiorewas
commissioned by the commune of Florence to replace
Santa Reparata, the previous basilica of Florence. Giotto
started construction of the bell tower in 1334, after the
bodyofBishopStZenobiuswasfoundinSantaReparata,.
WhenGiottodied(hisbodywasburiedinthecathedral),
many eminent architects continued his vision and
completed the bell tower in 1359. At the same time,
constructionofthecathedralcontinuedwithgreatefforts
of resources and talents: sculptors and artists such as
Donatello or Nanni il Bartolo (known as the Red) added
their creations to the cathedral and to the bell tower; in
1420,FilippoBrunelleschiopenedtheconstructionsiteof
the Dome. The cathedral, instead, was solemnly
inaugurated in 1439. Michelangelo was commissioned to
carvethetwelvestatuesoftheApostlesforthechapelin

1503andGiorgioVasari,from1572totheyearofhisdeath
in1579,startedthedepictionoftheLastJudgmentinthe
Dome.Aftercenturiesofimprovementsandretouches,this
never ending masterpiece came to us with a lot of the
originalworkspreservedinthemuseumoftheOperaofthe
Duomo,whichcontainsmostoftheoriginalpartsthemajor
monumentsofthecomplex.
Suchalonghistoryusuallybringsmanystoriesand
legends. One of the curiosities worth mentioning is the
bad relation of the complex with lightning storms. In
1492, lightning seriously damaged the Dome and the
Florentines immediately considered this as a bad sign
thatpresagedthedeathofLorenzotheMagnificentthree
dayslater.Anotherthunderepisodehappenedonenightin
1601,whenthecopperballandthecrossonthehighest
point of the Dome realized by Verrocchio was hit by
lightningandtornoff.Thelegendsaysthattheballhitthe
ground so hard that all of Florence was woken up and a
hugecrowdgatheredinthepointwheretheballfelldown.
Thatpointisrememberednowadayswithawhitemarble
plateplaceddirectlyonthegroundofSanGiovannisquare.
LaPortaDelParadiso(Heavensdoor),oneofthe
monumental doors of the Baptistery and so called by
Michelangelo for its beauty, gives us another interesting
story. Realized by the sculptor and goldsmith Lorenzo
Ghiberti,thisdoorrepresentsthemainstoriesoftheBible.
Despite the importance and the solemnity of this
masterpiece,Ghibertidecidedtocarvehisselfportraitin
thedoorasasignature.Headdedalsotheportraitofhis
masterandfosterfatherBartoluccio.

Every8thofSeptember,theOperaofSantaMaria
del Fiore, the institution that has been taking care of the
maintenanceandprojectsrelatedtotheDuomofromthe
beginning,celebratetheplacingofthefirststone,opening

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |7

partofthemuseumsforfreetoallvisitorsandtheentire
complexforfreeforalltheFlorentines.
InsidetheGiottoBellTowertherearesevenbells.
Thepeculiarityofthesesevenbellsisthateachofthemhas
gotitsownname:CampanoneorS.Reparata,Misericordia,
Apostolica, Assunta, Mater Dei, Annunziata and
Immacolata.Thefirstthreearetheoldestandhavenever
beenreplaced.Theotherfourarethereplacementoffour
previous bells, substituted in 1956. Each of the bells
produces a different musical note, covering the entire
pentagramexceptforthenoteF.
Duomo comes from the Latin word domus which
meanshouse.TheFlorenceDuomocomplexisnotonly
thehouseoftheLordbutalsoahouseofRenaissanceart
inallofitsshapesandexpressions.

Startthenewyearoffbyaddingthesewebsitestoyour
favorites for news and programs related to Italy and the
ItalianAmericancommunity:

ITALICS For monthly programming for the Italian

American community, tune in to Italics, the Italian
AmericanTVmagazine,producedbyTheJohnD.Calandra
Italian American Institute at Queens College in New York
andhostedbyAnthonyJ.Tamburri,deanofTheCalandra
Institute. Find it on demand on the YouTube channel
www.youtube.com/italicstv.
BELPAESE Listen to Bel Paese Internet Radio! A
program for Italian American communities across the
UnitedStatesandCanada,itrunsfrom8a.m.to11p.m.
daily and features Italian music, sports and community
news. Visit www.tuneintoitaly.com/ on your computer,
mobiledevice,iPadorinternetradio.
Asalways,LIKEtheItalianCultural&CommunityCenteron
Facebookat:
https://www.facebook.com/iccchouston
andfollowtheICCContwitterat:
https://twitter.com/ICCCHouston

ContemporaryItalianFilmSeries

Allaciatelecinture
(FastenyourSeatbelts)
FerzanOzpetek,2014
Thursday,January15,6:309p.m.
atICCC
Opposites attract in this dramatic comedy on
relationships starring Kasia Smutniak, and
FrancescoArca.ItalianwithEnglishsubtitles.
CallICCCat7135244222ext.4fordetails.
$5ICCCMembers&Students
$10NonMembers

Lamafiauccidesolodestate
(TheMafiaOnlyKillsinSummer)
PierfrancescoDiliberto,2013
Wednesday,February18,6:309p.m.
AtICCC

A dark comedy based on real events in Sicily

stretching from the 1970s to the 1990s. The
youngArturo,growingupinPalermotriestowin
the heart of Flora while going up against mafia
members and supporting the antimafia
movement.ItalianwithEnglishsubtitles.Starring
Cristiana Capotondi and Pif (Pierfrancesco
Diliberto)..CallICCCat7135244222ext.4for
details.
$5ICCCMembers&Students
$10NonMembers

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |8

narratologyandcomparativeliterature.Dr.DAlessandro
Behr has written many articles, including Archetypal
Encounters: Circe and Odysseus in the Imagination of a
RenaissanceWomanArtist,andthebookFeelingHistory:
Lucan,StoicismandtheAestheticsofPassion.

BecomingaStar!
InDecember,theICCCChristmasOpenHousewasthe
setting for a very special event: two of Houstons most
outstandingItalians,Dr.FrancescaDAlessandroBehrand
WalterViali,wereawardedknighthoodsintheOrderofthe
StarofItaly(OrdinedellaStelladItalia).Thehonorswere
bestowedbythePresidentoftheItalianRepublicGiorgio
Napolitano and presented at the ICCC by Elena Sgarbi,
ConsulGeneralofItalyinHouston.

ElenaSgarbi,ConsulGeneralofItaly

Dr.FrancescaDAlessandroBehrandWalterViali
TheOrdinedellaStellad'Italiawasoriginallyinstituted
in 1947 as the Star of Italian Solidarity, in recognition of
thoseexpatriateswhomadeanoutstandingcontributionto
thereconstructionofItalyafterWorldWarII.In2011,this
prestigious award was reformed and the emphasis was
shifted toward recognizing those Italian expatriates or
foreignerswhohadcontributedtothe preservationand
promotionofnationalprestigeabroad,promotedfriendly
relations and cooperation with other countries and ties
withItaly,accordingtothePresidenzadellaRepublica.
The two recipients of the award are no strangers to
accolades and public recognition. Dr. Francesca
DAlessandroBehrisanAssociateProfessorofClassicsand
Italian Studies at the University of Houston, where she
received the 2010 Ross M. Lence Humanities Teaching
Excellence Award. Her research interests cover a wide
range of subjects, including gender studies, satire,

Walter Viali is a project management instructor and

ProjectManagementOffice(PMO)consultant,apastPMO
Manager at Texaco Inc., former President of the Texas
Platinum Application Lifecycle Society (TexPals), former
President of the Society for Software Quality and former
President of the Project Management Institute (PMI)
HoustonChapter,justtonameafew.HeisalsoanAdjunct
Professor of Project Management for the University of
Houston College of Technology, and has coauthored a
book "Accelerating Change with Organizational Project
Management: The New Paradigm for Change. Viali was
recentlyelectedtotheICCCBoardofDirectors.
TheItalianCultural&CommunityCentercongratulates
these outstanding Italians and wishes them continued
success!

HoustonHoststhe10thConferenceof
ItalianResearchersintheWorld

The10thConferenceofItalianResearchersintheWorld
washeldonDecember6inHouston.Incollaborationwith
the Consulate General of Italy in Houston, the event was
organized by the Committee for Italians Abroad
(COM.IT.ES) which serves the Italian expatriate
communitiesinTexas,Arkansas,Louisiana,andOklahoma,
alongwiththeTricolorCommitteeforItaliansintheWorld
(CTIM).

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |9

 Distinguished Italian specialists in the fields of

medicine, biomedical science, physics, engineering,
aerospace,geology,energyandhumanitiesparticipatedin
theevent.

TheWrightBrothers,ItalianStyle
ByShannonSims
Wewerentsurewhattodo,sowethought,Whynot
buildanairplane?

BrandoBallerini(TreviDrillmecInc.),PresidentofItalyAmerica
ChamberofCommercediscussedtheraisingoftheCosta
Concordia

One fall afternoon in 2009 over coffee in Paris, 20

somethinghometownfriendsLucianoBelvisoandAngelo
Petrosillocameupwithabrightidea.Theirplanhadbeen
to create an engineering company dealing with
aeronautics.Butthenwethought,whynotmaketheplane
ourselves?recallsBelviso.Thetwobuddiesheadedhome
to southern Italy, and with the help of angel investors,
founded the company Blackshape Aircraft. Soon, theyd
producedtheirfirstplane,theBS100,whichlastyearwon
thetitleofthebestultralightaircraftintheworld,thanks
toengineeringthathasbeencalledanabsolutenovelty.
Whatsthetrick?Theyounglawyer(Petrosillo)andthe
engineer (Belviso) developed the worlds first ultralight
sportaircraftmadeentirelyfromcarbonfiber.

VicenzoArcobelli,PresidentCOM.IT.ES;LucaParmitano,Italian
astronautontheInternationalSpaceStation;
ElenaSgarbi,ConsulGeneralofItaly

TizianaTriolo,DirectorofMarketingICCC;JoannaPalasota,
PresidentICCC;LucaParmitano;
RayMiller,ExecutiveDirectorICCC.

Belviso, a 31yearold aeronautics engineer with a

techie pallor and a slender nose, looks like he could be
NapoleonBonaparteslittlebro.Whatbeganasachildhood
loveofLegosledthedoctorssonintoengineering,which
hepursuedateliteschoolsthroughoutEurope.Despitehis
pedigree, he speaks with the sweet, hopeful tone of a
southernfarmingtownhero,afoilforhisboomingsuccess.
WhenOZYcaughtupwithhimbyphone,hewassittingin
aloungeatLosAngelesInternationalAirportwaitingforhis
flightbacktoRome.HedbeenvisitingCaliforniatomeet
with potential buyers and suppliers; he says most
componentsuppliersareintheU.S.,thesameconsumer
marketheandPetrosillohavehadtheireyesonfromthe
start.
Sowhowantstotakethatfirstflight?Belvisosnofool.
Isentoutoursuperexperiencedtestpilotfirst,hesays
with a snicker. Then I did the second one. The two
passenger plane has an emergency parachute, but that
didnt provide much solace on flight No. 2. Before the
flight I was trying to mentally prepare myself, recalls
Belviso.Butthenwithin3seconds,thetimeittakesforthe
aircraft to get in the air, all those thoughts just
disappeared.Instead,itwasjustthethrillofsoaringina
machinehehelpeddesignandbuild.Hewasflying,literally

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |10

andfiguratively. Imnotsurewhatyouretalking about

withthisBlackshapewhatisthat,aUFO?

AircitAviation,thoughthecompanyhasplanstomarket
theBS115asalightsportaircraftintheU.S.by2016.

With government contracts signed they wont

disclosethevalueandinternationaldistributorsatthe
ready,Blackshapestillneedsabitofnamerecognition.Its
CanadiandistributortoldOZYthatpotentialbuyerschoose
between the Blackshape and the Diamond DA20 or the
CirrusSR20(afourseater),madebylarger,betterknown
companies. When asked, a top representative of Cirrus
said, Im not sure what youre talking about with this
Blackshapewhatisthat,aUFO?

Blackshape is remarkable not just for the product it

makes,butalsofortheunusuallocation.Thefoundersset
upthecompanyintheirhometownofMonopoli,a60,000
populationancientAdriaticport,intheverysouthofItaly
inthestateofPuglia,wherethespurofthebootmightbe.

While the competition uses carbon fiber for parts of

theiraircraft,Blackshapeuniquelybuildsafullcarbonfiber
frame. Carbon fiber is one of the strongest, lightest
materials around, and even jumbojet manufacturers are
lookingtogetitwovenintomoreparts.Thelighteraplane,
the less fuel it needs. And that spells lower comparative
operational costs for Blackshape plane owners. Still,
manipulating carbon fiber is a difficult and expensive
technology.

Blackshape says its base model, the BS100, begins at

$250,000,considerablymorethantheDiamondDA20,at
under $200,000. Over the next four years, we want to
increasevalue,andwewanttotripleproduction,Belviso
says.Sofarthecompanyhassoldmorethan70BS100s.

Ofcourse,themarketwillalwaysbeahighendluxury
niche.Typically,potentialbuyersareflowntosouthernItaly
to take the planes for a spin and meet the founders, he
says.Weknowourcustomersbusinesses,weknowtheir
families. Were not typical engineers. We work hard to
createanemotionalconnectionwiththeclient.
We give our customers the feeling like they are
infantry pilots in the Second World War. Its a kind of
fantasyformany.
AndaspinintheBS100whichcanlastuptofiveand
a half hours and cover a little more than 1,000
kilometers can be emotional. We give our customers
thefeelingliketheyareinfantrypilotsintheSecondWorld
War,Belvisosays.Itsakindoffantasyformany.
Back at fantasy factory, Blackshapes 100 employees
producethreeadvancedultralightaircraft:itsbestselling
BS100; the BS115, a heavier and more expensive plane
underdevelopment;andtheBS300,amodeldesignedfor
theItalianmilitaryfortrainingpurposesandoptimizedfor
aircraft carriers. The BS100 is distributed in Canada by

BS100LShighperformanceaircraft
SOURCEblackshapeaircraft.com

Forcenturies,thesouthernregion ofItaly,calledthe
Mezzogiorno, has lagged economically. While the post
crisisemploymentrateinnorthernItalyisjust64percent,
in southern Italy its a shocking 42 percent. More than
600,000jobshavebeenlostintheregion,sparkingawave
ofemigrationtothenorth.Since2008,regionalindustrial
investment has plummeted 53 percent, according to
Svimez, the Southern Italy Industrial Development
Association. Estimates say that southern Italy now needs
$80billionofinvestmenttocatchupwiththerestofthe
countryorriskindustrialandsocialdesertification.
Blackshape might help. Over the past 10 years, the
region hascompletelychanged,Belvisosays.It usedto
beveryprovincial,butnowthereareconditionstomakean
industrial revolution down there. He cites a welcoming
cultureandahighqualityoflife.
Belviso says that when he strolls through his balmy,
faded hometown between meetings with military
captainsandtheItalianprimeministerthingsseemtobe
changing: I suppose people might be beginning to
recognizeme.
Readmore:www.ozy.com,reprintedwithpermission.

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |11

ofItaly'sestablishedmafiagroups,whichalsoincludethe
CamorraofNaplesandCosaNostrainSicily.

Romemafiascandalbroadensto
'NdranghetainsouthernItaly

"Outside mafia groups have operated in Rome for a

long time. There have always been representatives of all
the clans," said Raffaele Cantone, the president of the
NationalAntiCorruptionAuthority.

ByNickSquires,Rome
TheTelegraph

In a separate investigation, a member of America's

notoriousGambinomafiafamilywasarrestedintheUnited
States on the request of Italian authorities. Francesco
PalmeriwasarrestedinNewYorkCityontheordersofa
court in the city of Potenza, in the southern region of
Basilicata.The61yearoldissuspectedalongwithseven
others of trying to extort a million euros from an Italian
businessman.

Twoallegedmembersofthe'Ndranghetamafiaarrestedunder
investigationintolinksbetweencriminalsandItalianpoliticians

A massive investigation into collusion between

underworld criminals and corrupt politicians in Rome
widened on Thursday when police arrested two alleged
membersofthe'Ndranghetamafia.
Officers from the paramilitary Carabinieri police
accused Rocco Rotolo and Salvatore Ruggiero of being
lynchpins in relations between the criminal network in
Rome, led by a oneeyed former fascist nicknamed "The
Pirate", and the 'Ndrangheta, which is based in the
southernregionofCalabria.Bothwerechargedwithmafia
association.
Criminals in Rome, working in collaboration with
corruptcitycouncilors,aresuspectedofgivingalucrative
contract for the cleaning of an openair market on the
Esquiline Hill, one of Rome's seven hills, to the Calabrian
mob. In return the Calabrians consented to allow
businesseswithconnectionstotheRomecriminalnetwork
toruncentersformigrantsandrefugeesontheirhometurf
inthefarsouthofItaly.
Police said there were "common interests" between
the'NdranghetaandthenetworkinRome,ledbyMassimo
Carminati, a fascist convicted of domestic terrorism who
lostaneyeinashootoutwithpolicein1981.Hewasone
of 37 people arrested and 100 others placed under
investigation,whenthecorruptionscandalfirstemerged.
The latest arrests showed for the first time that the
Romebasedcriminalsyndicatehadlinkswithatleastone

Palmeri, who was born in Sicily and believed to be a

leadingmemberoftheGambinomob,allegedtravelledto
Italyunderafalseidentitylastyeartoputpressureonthe
owner of a company that builds electrical systems for oil
platforms. The businessman received a series of letters
from"friendsinBrooklyn"demandingthatherepaymoney
thathehadborrowedmorethan30yearsago.
Another suspect, Giovanni "Johnny" Grillo, was
arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport as he was about to
board a flight to the US. The arrests showed that "a
traditional and consolidated criminal axis" continues to
exist between organized crime on both sides of the
Atlantic,investigatorssaid.

LectureSeries

Fratellidisangue
(BloodBrothers)
PietroMessina
Friday,February20,69p.m.atICCC
Italian journalist and author Pietro Messina
retraces the history of mafia massacres,
corruption, drug trafficking and conspiracy. Visit
www.iccchouston.comformoredetails.
Registernowoneventbrite.comorcallusat
7135244222ext.4!
LetterfromthePresident
SuggestedDonation$10ICCCMembers,
$15 NonMembers

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |12

LetterfromthePresident
DearFriends:
My name is Joanna Palasota and it is my privilege to
againserveyouasthePresidentoftheBoardoftheItalian
Cultural&CommunityCenter(ICCC).
Already,Icanseethat2015promisestobeanexciting
yearaswewelcomefivenewBoardmembers:SandraCelli
Harris (reelected), Bernard Marino, Stefano Sdringola
Maranga,SandraTimteandWalterViali.Atthesametime
we also say goodbye to John Marion Carrabba who
completed his threeyear term on the Board in 2014. I
thank John for his contributions and especially his
ChairmanshipoftheItalianFestivalforthepastthreeyears.
Thisyear,theBoardwillcontinuethegreatworkofthe
2014Boardbyfocusingonachievingthegoalssetforthby
theICCCsstrategicplan.Thefollowingisjustaglimpseof
what the Board is working on for 2015. The Marketing
Committeeisdevelopingpolicesthatspecificallydealwith
the changing technologies of marketing, and they are
preparinganoverallorganizationalmarketingplan.TheLa
Voce Italiana Committee is working on reformatting the
newsmagazine to make it more appealing, as well as
working on adding new columns for the readers
enjoyment. The Education Committee will be working
diligentlythisyearonexpandingtheofferingsoftheICCCs
ScuoladItalianotoincludeEnglishasaSecondLanguage
classes, and investigating the possibly of offering
preparatoryclassesfortheAdvancedPlacement(AP)exam
in Italian Language and Culture. The Gift Committee is
kickingofftheICCCsfirsteverAnnualFundCampaign.The
GalaCommitteeislookingforwardtoasuccessfuleventin
June2015,atwhichtimewewillbecelebratingtheItalian
InfluenceonLaw.TheFestivalCommitteeiswellunderway
planningthelargestfundraisingeventoftheyearthatwill
take place in October 2015. And, of course, the Cultural
Committeehasagreatcalendarplannedthisyearforyour
enjoymentandeducationalbenefit.
Asyoucansee,theBoardhasalotofworktodothis
yearand,eventhoughtheyhaveagreatstaffattheICCC
to help with planning and execution, we still need your
help. We know people have busy lives and sometimes
cannot commit to volunteer on a regular basis but thats
okay.Westillcanuseyourhelpdoyouliketodecorate

forevents,maybeyouliketocook,orservefoodorwine,
maybeyoucanonlyvolunteerduringthedayormaybeyou
areonlyavailableatnight.Whateverthecasemaybe,you
can help us continue to promote Italian culture and
heritage to the Houston community. I encourage you to
calltheICCCofficetodayandaddyournametoourlistof
volunteers.
Iappreciatetheopportunitytobeentrustedwiththe
leadership of this thriving center, and I look forward to
workingwithyouthiscomingyear.
OnbehalfoftheBoardofDirectors,Iwishyoupeace
andjoyin2015.Buonanno!

JoannaPalasota,President

2015Board&OfficersInstallation

Tuesday,January12,79p.m.ICCC

Installationceremonyanddinnerforthe2015ICCC

BoardofDirectorsandofficers.

ICCCMembersonly.Businessattire.
Call ICCC at 713 524 4222 ext. 4 for reservations
andpricing.

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |13

SALUTI
DaughtersofItalianHeritage!
ByDolores(Dee)Avioli
Thereisasayingthatisparticularlytruewhenspeaking
of the Daughters of Italian Heritage (DOIH), "Molte mani
rendondo il lavoro leggero, translated to read "Many
hands make light work." One of several clubs currently
activeintheICCC,theDOIHareexpertsatnotonlymaking
workseemalittlelighter,butmakingworknotseemlike
workatall.TheDOIHhasalargemembership.Theclub
has 64 members to date, and each happily lends a hand
whenevercalledupon.Fortheirenthusiasticsupportinall
facetsoftheICCC,thisisashoutouttotheDaughters.But
first,alittlehistory...
TheDOIHbeganwhenasmallgroupofladiesgathered
in Margie DiPuma's home in late 1998 to discuss the
formationofaladies'clubthatwouldbeproactiveinthe
Federation of ItalianAmerican Organizations of Greater
Houston (later named the Italian Cultural & Community
Center). One of the inaugural ladies, Susan DiPuma,
suggestedthenamefortheclubandonFebruary18,1999,
theDOIHwascharteredastheFederation's30thclub.The
Daughters'missionwasandstillistobringtogetherladies
toteach,foster,andshareItaliantraditions.BeingItalian,
even though unnamed, camaraderie and fun are an on
goingpartofthatmission,asiscommunityoutreach.Pat
Milazzodesignedthelogofortheclubwhichshowsalady
inachef'shatholdingaplateofpastaandmeatballs!
Included in the Daughters'
vision was ensuring that there
wouldbehomemademeatballs
available for lunch after the
Federation's monthly Masses.
Their efforts met with
enthusiasticappreciation.Soon
after, the DOIH took on the
challenge of establishing the
Meatball Sandwich Booth, which featured homemade,
handmadeItalianmeatballsfortheItalianFestival.Itwas
estimatedthatintheearlyyearstheDOIHprepared10,000
homemademeatballsfortheItalianFestival.Sincethenas
popularityincreased,thatnumberhasgrownsignificantly
tomeettheFestaItalianashungrymeatballappetites.For
the past ten years, DOIH members have managed and

manned the Italian Market and Cannoli Booth, and from

thetimeitwasreintroduced,theArtichokeBooth.
The Daughters' versatility has been evident in their
leadership and participation in the Festival Executive
Committee,theGalaCommittee,theDebutantBallandthe
La Voce Italiana newspaper. Awards earned by DOIH
members include the Christopher Columbus and the
VolunteeroftheYearAwards.Overtheyears,oneormore
membershaveservedconsecutivelyontheICCCBoardof
DirectorsandtwoDaughtershaveserved asPresident of
theICCC.WithanodtothetraditionoffineItalianfood,
theDaughterspublishedacookbook.Itisentitled,"Tutto
Italiano," and it received an award from the Tabasco
Company.
Their contributions extend to the entire Houston
community in charitable outreach programs. Local
organizationswhichhavebenefittedincludeSanJoseClinic
(officesupplies,aswellastoiletrybasketsfortheirseniors'
group); Casa de Esperanza (baby items); Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church (food pantry collection);
Ronald McDonald House (snacks). The most recent
additiontothelistisTexasChildren'sHospitalwherebythe
Daughters collect and contribute Christmas gift cards for
theirpatients.
Songbooks containing hymns selected by the DOIH,
andprintedandassembledbytheclubhaveenhancedthe
sacredness of the ICCC's monthly Masses, and the
Daughters annually sponsor the ICCC's November Mass.
EveryMarch,theSt.Joseph'sAltarislovinglycreated.The
supplies, prep work, cooking, and serving are done by
members with all proceeds going to St. Joseph Catholic
ChurchandtheSt.VincentdePaulSociety.
It must be remembered and emphasized here that
manyoftheICCC'searlierclubshaveinfluencedtheDOIH.
It was these alreadyestablished clubs that served as
models of Italian generosity and good will. Their loyal
supportisfundamentaltothecommunity.Inthewordsof
ConnieNagle,"TheDOIHwasabletotakeuptheworkthat
wasstartedbytheseclubsandhascontinuedtohelpkeep
theiroriginaldreamalive."Millegrazie.
For your unselfish, untiring, united efforts, SALUTI ...
DaughtersofItalianHeritage!
(Editorial Note: In case it's not evident, this article was
writtenbyamemberandproudDaughter!)

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |14

Benvenuti...NewICCCMembers!

Mrs.TinaArkenbergandMr.GregRamsey
Mr.MichaelBortoni
Mrs.AngelaDanese
Mr.JimDiColaandMrs.TinaRowe
Mr.SalvadorGarcia
Ms.AngelineGoh
MsSilvanaGuedesdesaTinocoandRodricReese
Ms.JessicaHartsteinandMr.ChipMcCann
Ms.MargaretLawler
Ms.SylviaPacholder
Mr.andMrs.ClaudioR.Roman
Ms.LeighRubino
Mr.andMrs.VernonTyger

The courts of the Bocce Ball Tournament at the

HoustonItalianFestivalarejustperfectforallplayerssobe
sure and sign up next year to meet the men who played
bocceballinthedeepandshiftingsandsofMexico!

Amiketos
President LouiseButeraMaida
Reporter MinnettePassanteCarrabba

Bonnie Brelsford and Bonita Maglitto hosted the

November Amiketos Club meeting at Christies Seafood
RestaurantinHouston.MariaChristiegraciouslywelcomed
thelargegrouptothefamilyrestaurant.PollyMiller,the
SpiritualDirector,ledthegroupinprayersbeforedinner.

TakingBoccetotheBeach!
Overtheholidays,partoftheVincentDiPumafamilyof
Houston, traveled to Puerto Aventuras Resort about an
houroutsideofCancunontheYucatanPeninsula.Thetrio
wasledbyDavidDiPuma,assistedby olderbrother,Paul
DiPumaandPaulsson,Jason,allofwhomhavebeenthe
guiding light behind the Bocce Ball Tournaments at the
Houston Italian Festival for the past 10 years. The three
weretreatedtoseveralgamesofbocceballatthebeach.
While they worked very hard to win, it proved to be an
almostimpossiblesituation,butsomuchfun.Itwasjustso
sadwhenmostoftheballsfellintothesameholesinthe
sand. However, they did win some of the games they
entered,whichmusthavebeenduetotheirexperienceand
expertise.

ThefollowingmemberswereelectedattheNovember
meetingtorepresenttheAmiketosClubin2015:President
MinnettePassanteCarrabba,VicePresidentLouiseButera
Maida, Recording Secretary Caroline Shaw Matranga,
CorrespondingSecretarySandraChidoLaCorte,Treasurer
Angie Turnini Adams, Parliamentarian and Gifts and
HistorianMarylynPatronellaColonnetta
TheannualmembersChristmaspartywasheldatthe
Petroleum Club. It was a beautiful holiday setting with
twinkling lights from all of downtown Houston in the
background.CynthiaMarks,Chairmanandhercommittee
Angie Adams, Minnette Carrabba, Ginger Musachia,
Dorothy Piazza, Jane Tabbath and Donna Vallone hosted
theparty.Eachmemberstablesettingwasenhancedby
jeweledredboxescontainingimportedchocolatesandMD
AndersonNotePads.TheChineseGiftExchangewasheld
and wonderful gifts were traded. Everyone enjoyed the
partyandlefttrulyintheholidayspirit.
Camella Chiara, a lifetime member, lost her beloved
husbandPeteinDecember.PeteandCamellawereactive
intheclubupuntiltheendofhislife.PeteandCamella
have truly taught all what constitutes true love and
devotion.

Prayers are requested for Tracy Maida, Vicki Maida and

SamValenti

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |15

DaughterofItalianHeritage

NeoDebs

PresidentMaryMcMillan
SubmittedbyMargieDiPuma

PresidentElizabethCuccerre
SubmittedbyJohannaPetronella

Asusual,theDaughterssponsoredtheICCCNovember
Mass and this year over 30 members attended. At the
November meeting, the Daughters welcomed three new
members:DorothyClark,CassieGonzalesandJudyVieno.
IfyouattendedtheHoustonItalianFestivalthisyear,you
may have seen Dorothy and Judy who worked a shift
checkinginvolunteersandCassiewhowasthemanagerof
thepizzaboothfortheentire31/2dayfestival.

Officers for 2015 are President, Bess Spedale; Vice

President Elizabeth Cuccerre; Treasurer Pauline
Tamborello; Secretary Josie Cuilla; Historian Johanna
Petronella. The November. meeting was hosted
byMaryannCarrabba.Shereallyoutdidherself.Thefood
wasbeautifulanddelicious,TheDecembermeetingwasa
Christmas Party at Rosie Carrabba's home. Thanks to the
committee: Pauline Tamborello, Vita Palermo, Mary Jo
DimicelliandJohannaPetronella.

SeveralDOIHmembershelpedforthreedayswiththe
preparation of the food for the December 11th ICCC
ChristmasOpenHouse.TheDOIHChristmaspartyforits
members was held on December 14th, with the meal
plannedandpreparedbythreemembers.Thecommittee
worked hard to make the evening, attended by 75
membersandguests,alotoffun.
Jennifer Austin Corbett, daughter of DOIH member,
Virginia DeForke, and also one of the organization's first
members in 1999, while still in college, was recently
selectedby417MagazineinmidWestMissouri,asoneof
its ten most beautiful women in that area. Jennifer, her
husband, and children, have lived in Springfield, Missouri
forthelasttenyears.
WearesaddenedbythepassingonOctober26th,ofour
memberCarmenLuciaDickerson.Carmenwasamember
oftheICCCandhadbeenamemberoftheDOIHforthelast
couple of years. She was a frequent volunteer at DOIH
events,whichincludedherhelpintheMeatballSandwich
Booth during this year's Houston Italian Festival. Prior to
herretirementin2012,andhermembershipintheDOIH,
Carmenspent33yearsasalicensedsocialworkerforthe
Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics at Texas
Childrens Hospital. She was lauded by her peers as was
notedbythenumerousassociateswhospokeatherwake.
Carmenwilltrulybemissed.
Ifyou'reinterestedinmakingnewfriends,supporting
community needs, and having lots of fun, contact us at
www.ciaodiva.org.Ourmeetingsareheld onthesecond
Wednesdayofmostmonthsat7:00pmattheICCC.

CharityGuildofSt.Joseph
GerryBarone,President
MarylynColonnetta,Reporter
The Guild held its yearend Christmas Party at Rosie
Carrabba'sonVoss.PollyMillerdidanoutstandingjobof
coordinatingthisbeautifulevent.Itisalwayswithgrateful
hearts that we gather to thank God for choosing us to
follow in his footsteps of aiding the less fortunate in our
community.ThankyouRosieforyourgenerousdonation
towardthealtar.
Datestoremember:BakingbeginsonJanuary13that
9:30a.m.attheICCC.
Thealtarisscheduledtofollowthe10:00a.m.Masson
March1,2015atSt.Theresa'sCatholicChurch.
It is with sad hearts that we say goodbye to Pete
Chiara.WeextendourdeepestsympathytoCamellaand
all the Chiara family. With so much on her plate
Camellaalwaysfoundtimetodonateoneofherbeautiful
creations to our altar. May God wrap his loving arms
aroundCamellaandguideherthroughthisdifficulttime.
Weareacharityanddependondonationstokeepthe
altar going. We look forward to seeing everyone at our
altar. If you cannot attend please consider a
donation.DonationsmaybemailedtoMinnetteCarrabba,
104GlenwoodDr.Houston,TX77007.Alldonationsare
published in the brochure. It is a wonderful way of
rememberingalovedone.

MayGodBlessyouallin2015.

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |16

Allyson Thomas Patronella, M.D.

Premier OB/GYN of
West Houston, L.L.P.
Specializing in Womens Health Care

18300 Katy Freeway, Ste. 315

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |17

A very special thanks to

the ICCC staff and the
ladies of Daughters of
Italian Heritage listed
belowforalloftheirhard
workinarrangingtheICCC
annual Christmas Open
House.
KathyAlbert
MargaretBannon
AntoniaComardo
CindyEdwards
CarolJeanHebert
LindaMarino
SusanMarino
AnnaMesser
ConnieNagle
JuliaNicastro
JoAnnPinkerton
JamieRusso
MaryAnnSamaniego
PatsySchillaci
LanaSullivan
JoannWilliams

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |18

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |19


2015BoardofDirectors
ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHouston

Officers

JoannaPalasota

SandraCelliHarris
LiviaBornigia

MarkWhite

Sandra(Sandy)Timte
ClaudiaSims

ItalianCultural&Community
CenterofHouston
1101MilfordStreet
Houston,TX77006

NONPROFIT
ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HOUSTON TX
PERMIT NO 2724

President
FirstVicePresident
SecondVicePresident
Secretary
AssistantSecretary
PastPresident,Treasurer

BoardofDirectors
Dolores(Dee)Avioli
GerryBarone
TommasoDePoi
MargieDiPuma
CinziaDragoniHolt
BernardMarino
JulieMastroianni
StefanoSdringolaMaranga
WalterViali

ItalianCultural&CommunityCenterofHoustonwww.iccchouston.comLaVoceItalianaWinterEdition2014P a g e |20