ITALIAN CLUBS KEEP OLD TRADITION By Marianne Peri Sack The Misericordia Society and the Sicilian Cultural Association of St. Louis kept a very old tradition of giving Paschal lambs made of fruita de martorana (marizan) for the Easter Season.  The lambs were given out at the organizations’ March meetings as attendance prizes.  The sugar lambs brought back many memories of when the members had received the treats as children from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or other relatives.  Keeping old traditions like this alive is an extremely important function in these organizations.      ST. LOUIS FAN MEETS MICHAEL AMANTE By Marianne Peri Sack Concetta Lomuto thought that she was merely going to the Raymond Wittcoff Trustee Luncheon held at Channel 9 on November 10, but that morning the local PBS station flew in from New York, the new singing sensation, Michael Amante.  His concerts are often aired during Channel 9 membership drives and many St. Louisans show their pleasure by becoming members or renewing memberships. Amante’s repertoire includes opera, show tunes and the classic Italian folk songs.  He has sung for Pope John Paul II, Luciano Pavorotti and countless fans.  Amante is currently being considered for the role of the famous tenor, Mario Lanza, in a Broadway show.   The singer’s time in St. Louis was short because he was due back in New York for a concert later that day but through the efforts of Dean Orton, Senior vice President at Channel 9, and Heather Larimer, Lomuto was able to have a private audience with Amante.  She told the singer “Michele, Non Ti Scordar Di Me” and the he began singing that popular Italian song that means “Don’t forget me”.  Lomuto said that the star was gracious and also very handsome.  It is obvious that she will never forget this meeting with the talented Michael Amante.        SICILIAN CULTRUAL ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY By Marianne Peri Sack The Sicilian Cultural Association celebrated International Women’s Day (Festa delle Donne in Italy) at its March 10 meeting.  International Women’s Day is on March 8 and the occasion is celebrated by women’s groups around the world.  It is a date commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday.   Women of all ethnic backgrounds share this day and their struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.  This struggle of women to take their place along side men is centuries old.  During the French revolution, the women of Paris took up the cry “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” and marched on Versailles to demand women’s suffrage.   Can you believe that women did not get the right to vote in this country until 1920? The concept of an International Women’s Day began at the turn of the last century. In 1909, it was first observed in the United States on February 28.  In 1910, the Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen established a Women’s Day on an international level to honor the women’s rights movement and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women.  Building on the Copenhagen meeting, several countries marked March 19 as International Women’s Day in 1911.  On March 25, less than a week later, the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City claimed the lives of 141 people, 125 were working girls, mostly Italian and Jewish immigrants most with an average age of 16 to 23. Most of them could not speak English and were the main support of their families a newspaper account revealed. There was only one fire escape in the 10-floor building and many of the frightened young women jumped to certain death according to an account in the New York Times.  The count rose to 149 in a later newspaper article.  It was a Saturday and the majority of the workers were not present or the count would have been perhaps ten times more.   This terrible disaster impacted the labor legislation in the United States involving the working conditions that lead to the deaths of these women.  The horrific event became closely associated with women’s rights.  International Women’s Day is now celebrated on March 8 around the world. There are many, well-known Italian women – Marie Montessori, Sophia Loren, Geraldine Ferraro, Mother Cabrini and more - whose lives and accomplishments we commemorate but the members of the Sicilian Cultural Association were asked to bring pictures of the immigrant women in their families.   Their intention was to call attention to the unsung heroine – the women that sacrificed everything to help fulfill their husbands’ dreams of coming to this country and making a new life. They left behind family, friends, homes and a beautiful country, the only things that they knew. They could not speak the language and many were forced to live in cold, overcrowded tenements of the big cities where they could find work.   Many found it necessary to seek employment to subsidize their family income by working in factories like the one that the Triangle Shirtwaist occupied.  Things did get better with time, the unions, the passing of safety laws, etc. but work in a factory was still very difficult. These women wanted better for their children and they encouraged them and worked hard for their education.  They did their best to see that life was better for their families.   Many accomplished their goals. The children and grandchildren of many of these immigrants became doctors, lawyers, teachers, priests, nuns, accountants, engineers, tradesmen, etc.   For these women there were no streets paved with gold in the United States but they taught their children the values of family, faith and education. They also produced men and women who were to become productive citizens of sound character, a tribute to their heritage and their country.  The lives of all these heroic women whose courage and hard work made a better life for their descendants should be always celebrated.   INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE HOSTS WORKSHOPS By Marianne Peri Sack The International Institute of St. Louis hosted a series of workshops for non-profit ethnic organizations.  The classes were open to all immigrant non-profit groups at no cost and other non-refugee immigrant organizations paid a nominal fee.   The workshops covered an array of topics such as Legal, Financial and accounting, Public Relations, Grant Writing, Working together to help our Communities and other useful issues.  The classes were scheduled every Saturday from February 19 to March 26.  Pamela DeVoe, Ph.D., Community Connections Manager at the institute, coordinated the workshops and instructors were local specialists in each field.  The Institute has been in existence for 85 years and assists new immigrants in the community with various programs and also serves as the central clearinghouse for information about St. Louis’ diverse ethnic communities.      RICH LORUSSO RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR 2004 By Marianne Peri Sack Rich LoRusso of LoRusso’s Cucina received the prestigious Restaurateur of the year award for 2004 from the Greater St. Louis Restaurant Association.  Anyone who knows Rich and his wife Terri could not be too surprised.  His customers are very aware that they are going to “manga bene” (eat well) at LoRusso’s Cucina and the busboys, waitresses, cooks, etc. are all like their bosses, warm as the pasta served there. Rich has a deep sense of family love and that is perhaps why he treats his customers like family from the time they open the door until they take their leave.  His grandparents Vincenzo and Sarafina LoRusso moved to the Hill area of St. Louis from Sicily in 1913.  Sarafina was a great cook and baked bread in her outdoor oven sharing her love of food with the entire neighborhood.  Rich says that he often thinks of her and her love of great food and close friends when he is cooking in the open kitchen. Terri and Rich met when they were 15 and 18 and worked together at the Godfather’s Restaurant.  After they were married, they opened their first restaurant in 1986 and now operate LoRusso’s Cucina on 3121 Watson.  Always grateful for their success, they have tried to give back to the community in various ways. The St. Louis Food Bank and Operation Foodsearch are just some of the recipients of their efforts.   In 1998, they created the “Pasta Bowl” where customers submit their favorite pasta recipes.  The dishes are judged and placed on the menu.  Every time the winning dish is ordered, LoRusso makes a $1 or $2 donation to food pantries.  Since its beginnings, the program has realized more than $21,000 for hunger-relief programs.  He also regularly donates food to the pantries and hosts four catered dinners in private homes as major fundraisers. WHAT’S  HAPPENING By Marianne Peri Sack Buon Compleanno to  Paula Orlando – March 4; Angie Ahrens – March 8; Joe Orlando – March 12;  Donald Sack – March 23;  Paul Leone – March 30;  Vince Serra – April 1;  Sam Bommarito – April 5. Sofia Grace Orman celebrated her lst birthday on December 22 with family and friends.  She is the daughter of Joanne and Andy Orman and the granddaughter of Frank and Josephine Orlando. SHOWERS A shower was given for Holly Boccardi on Sunday, March 6, at The Falls Conference and Reception Hall in Columbia, Ilinois.  Over 70 people came to extend their best wishes to Holly and her husband Mario.  The shower was hosted by Margherita, Kristi and Missy Boccardi.    BIRTHS Autumn Michele Tumbarello was born on July 2, 2004.  The parents are Renee and Bobby Tumbarello. Grandmother is Madelene Campell and Great-Grandmother is Mary Tumbarello.    MISCELLEANOUS Maybe there is something to the rumor that St. Patrick was Italian.  Members of the Italian Club of St. Louis hold up shamrock cookies given out at its March 16 meeting.