IN THE NEWS ARCHIVES - 2009 (Click on titles) CLICK HERE FOR PRIOR YEARS   Italian Adriano Celentano FIRST Rap in 1972 - "Prisencolinensinainciusol" While some would say Celentano was Satirizing, Mocking, or Mimicking American Rock, others will insist that he was engaging in a meticulous rendition of "Empty" English, as others have done "empty" versions of all languages. An Attack on Silvio Berlusconi in Milan The NY Times, December 13, 2009, 3:41 pm - The Associated Press reported that Mr. Berlusconi, who is 73, was hit by “by a man holding a small statue in his hand.” Soon after the incident a report from the Italian state broadcaster RAI said the attacker may have struck the prime minister with a miniature reproduction of the Duomo, the city’s cathedral, which is near the spot where Mr. Berlusconi was signing autographs when he was attacked... MORE Wehrenberg Theatres “Opera and Ballet in Cinema” Series Wehrenberg Theatres “Opera and Ballet in Cinema” is coming to an end after a very successful live broadcast last Monday, December 7, of Italy’s La Scala season's kick off with Carmen. Cosi Fan Tutte will be the next on-screen opera Thursday, Dec 17, 7:00pm & Sunday, Dec 20, 1:00pm Il Trovatore also features a live performance at Galaxy 14 Tuesday, December 22 at 1 PM (with a rebroadcast at 6:30 PM).  Tickets for these, and all opera presentations, are only $20.  Please visit your local theatre box office or our website www.wehrenberg.com "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - All you ever wanted (or not) to know about it: "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - 'My Rights were Respected' says Knox "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Wild, Raunchy Past "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Sex Secrets Revealed in Foxy's Diary "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Supporters Impugn Italy and the Italian Judicial System "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Found Guilty on All Charges in Perugia "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Amanda Knox, Sued for $37 Million "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Amanda Knox Case Goes to Jury "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Trial Resumes in Italy "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - The trial begins in Italy "Foxy Knoxy Trial" - Sex Murder Trial Begins in Perugia LIVE, FROM LA SCALA: CARMEN BY BIZET A first for St. Louis: Monday, December 7 at 11:00 AM the Wehrenberg Galaxy in Chesterfield will feature on its Mega Screen and live the season's opening of La Scala in Milano with the opera Carmen by Bizet. Admission is only $20 and tickets can be purtchased at the theatre.  Don't miss this one. “ITALIANO PER PIACERE” – RIUNIONE DI DICEMBRE Si riunisce a St. Louis, da Baldo, mercoledì 2 dicembre, l’unico club del Midwest dove l’italiano si parla esclusivamente.  Riunione particolare quella di dicembre, riservata soltanto ai soci dell’associazione e dedicata alla poesia italiana dove appunto alcuni soci si avvicenderanno alla lettura di poesie classiche e contemporanee. Cogliendo lo spirito festivo della stagione, il club sorteggerà gratuitamente ai presenti regali come bottiglie di vino (italiano, naturalmente), panettoni, torroni, ecc. Soci che desiderano essere presenti devono prenotare chiamando il 314-373-3211 oppure email franco@italiausa.com. Italy Convicts 23 US CIA Agents for Rendition for Torture The Arrogance or Incompetence of the US CIA agents was Astounding in their Illegal and Undemocratic Rendition, also in violation of Italy's Sovereignty. None of the Agents will be surrendered by the US, But all the agents are in Peril if they travel to any EURO country, or ANY country that has an extradition treaty with Italy. CONSOLATO ITALIANO AND ISTITUTO DI CULTURA IN CHICAGO ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK One more friend to join on Facebook is the Italian Consulate of Chicago and its Istituto di Cultura.  The page will list all current and special events as well as language courses and pertinent information.  Click here to view it. Wehrenberg Theatres “Opera and Ballet in Cinema” Series Wehrenberg Theatres “Opera and Ballet in Cinema” Series continues Thursday, October 29 and Sunday, November 1 with the debut of ballet on the big screen! The perennial favorite Swan Lake brings elegance and beauty to Ronnies 20 Cine (5320 S. Lindbergh), O’Fallon 15 Cine (1320 Central Park Drive in O’Fallon, IL) and Galaxy 14 Cine (450 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield Valley).  You haven’t experienced ballet like this – presented in digital crisp imagery and crystal-clear sound!Tickets for the show are just $15!  Showtimes are Thursday, October 29 at 7 PM and Sunday, November 1 at 1 PM. The next ballet will be Thursday, November 19 and Sunday, November 22 as Wehrenberg Theatres presents The Nutcracker just in time for the holidays!  Tickets for this cherished classic are also just $15. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin will be the next on-screen opera with shows Thursday, November 12 and Sunday, November 15.  Cosi Fan Tutte also plays all three theatres in December. Finally, don’t forget Chesterfield’s Galaxy 14 Cine will be the EXCLUSIVE home to digitally projected LIVE OPERA in December!  Milan, Italy’s La Scala kicks off their season with Carmen, and the first live performance plays at Galaxy 14 Monday, December 7 at 11 AM!  (The show is rebroadcast that evening at 6:30 PM.) Il Trovatore also features a live performance at Galaxy 14 Tuesday, December 22 at 1 PM (with a rebroadcast at 6:30 PM).  Tickets for these, and all opera presentations, are only $20.  Please visit your local theatre box office or our website www.wehrenberg.com for advance tickets or more information! Obit: Grande Ufficiale Joe Maselli: 85, Champion of New Orleans' Italian Life, Culture, History Gr. Uff. Joseph Maselli founded the American-Italian Renaissance Foundation, oversaw an American-Italian Sports Hall of Fame and participated in the civic life of New Orleans as well, as a member of the New Orleans Aviation Board, the French Market Board, the state Board of Ethics and the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Maselli wasTrustee Emeritus of the Italian American Museum of New York of which he took particular pride in.  Mussolini's Legacy in Modern Rome Mussolini's ambitious building results, were derided as "monsters" after WWII by those who were anti- Mussolini. Those same structures are now being reconsidered by art historians as "standout example of Italian modernist architecture, and go virtually unnoticed by all but the well informed. Italy's Top Court Strips Berlusconi of Immunity -Two Corruption Tials to Resume Italy's Constitutional Court has stripped Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from prosecution while in office. The Ruling can Not be Overturned. This paves the way for two corruption trials to resume. In one case, he is accused of paying a British lawyer to give false testimony during two trials in the 1990s. Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" Draws Tumultuous Applause The London Guardian reported that Michael Moore's latest documentary drew tumultuous applause at the Venice Film Festival today, If the film finally lacks the clean, hard punch provided by the record-breaking Fahrenheit 9/11, that can only be because the crime scene is so vast and the culprits so numerous. "Foxy Knoxy" Trial Resumes in Italy Amanda Knox, an exchange student at the University of Perugia, (from Washington State, USA) and Italian co-defendant/boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito had their trial resume today after a two month summer recess, charged with murder and sexual violence in the 2007 slaying of Meredith Kercher, from Britain. Obit: Mike Bongiorno, Italian quiz show host, dies at 85 Nicknamed "The Quiz King," Bongiorno was one of Italy's most enduring and beloved TV personalities. His gaffes were legendary and his greeting to viewers -- "Allegria!" (Cheers!) -- a trademark. Berlusconi is Best Leader in Italy's History, says Berlusconi Despite his frequent extra marital encounters, Berlusconi claims that " Italians like me and I have 68.4 percent of approval and admiration," who has been elected three times and is now the longest-serving leader in Italian post-war history. Pennetta, Schiavone, Errani  Success at US Women's Tennis Open Stirs Italy When Pennetta became her country's first top-10 player this summer, it was news even in soccer-mad Italy."The first sport is soccer," Pennetta said, "So to be on the first page of newspaper with soccer is huge . . . In Italy, everyone is going crazy." Unlike neighboring France, where tennis has been a big deal, Italy has a small but thriving tennis community. "Baarìa", A Closer Examination Peppino, the central character played by Francesco Scianna, is swept up by the Communist movement, travels to the Soviet Union where he sees first hand what it really means for citizens there and lives briefly in France seeking work. But Sicily’s landscapes and passionate people also play a prominent part in a sumptuously shot film set amid olive orchards, rugged hills and the ever-changing streets of Baarìa. "Baarìa.",Tornatore's Ambitious Sicilian Epic Dominates Venice Film Fest Opening with Brouhaha "Baaria" the ambitious Sicilian epic, is the first Italian movie to open the Venice Film Festival in two decades, budgeted at $35 million, the ensemble epic stars 200 actors, was shot for 25 weeks in Sicilian and Tunisian locations, was Produced by Giuseppe Tornatore, a known LEFTIST, is being Financed by top Italo film outfit Medusa, a sister company of Berlusconi's Mediaset TV empire. RIGHT WING Berlusconi Not only Financed but Raved about "Baarìa."  ATTENTION! - ITALIAN CLASSES IN ST. LOUIS Amazing: tuition only $90 for a 10 week course - Seniors (60+) half price. The Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO) announces the Fall Session starting September 21 - Orientation is September 14 at Forest Park Community College, where the courses are held.  Click on the title for all the details. Don't miss this one... WORLD CLASS CYCLING EVENTS IN ST. LOUIS OVER THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND Hill 2000 association announces the world class events in St. louis.  Click on the title for the advertisement of the events. The professional "Tour of Missouri" actually starts in St. Louis at Market and 7th on Labor Day, Monday September 7. The "Tour De Lafayette" is on Friday 9/4, The "St. Louis Hills" on Saturday 9/5 and the popular "Giro della Montagna" on Sunday 9/6. The Giro is another great way to spend some quality time "On The Hill".  More information is available on the www.gatewaycuo.com website. ITALY: "The Righteous Enemy" - National Center for Jewish Film This series of My Reports focusing on Italian Humanitarianism during WWII is a result of a burst of Misinformation and Disinformation on certain Italian American and Jewish Digital Bulletin Boards.  An Army of Shindlers From Italy- By Dorothy Rabinwitz; Wall Street Journal My Previous Report re:"The Benevolence of Italians toward Jews" stirred up a tumult, in of all places, the H-ITAM ( History - Italian American), which is an Academic Forum (History Bulletin Board of Michigan State University) , where there seems to be cadre of Self Loathing Italians who do not miss an opportunity to ridicule Italy. Italian Benevolence Toward Jews During WWII -  Questioned? Below is my response to an acquaintance of mine, who forwarded me to me an article that appeared in I-Italy. OP-ED: "Brava Gente' The Resurgence of the Shopworn Myth of Italian Benevolence During Fascism" by Alessandro Cassin Italy's Flavia Pennetta Wins L.A. Women's Tennis Championships The 27-year-old Italian 10th-seeded Flavia Pennetta moved smartly through the bracket and avoided the sort of inconsistent play that doomed the others. Penetta has won eight career WTA singles titles, including back-to-back titles in Bogot and Acapulco in 2005.  New Jersey Soccer Star Giuseppe Rossi is Living Out His Italian Dream They are calling Giuseppe Rossi  a "Benedict Arnold" for choosing to play for Italy rather than the US. Yet,  the U.S. National Team used the likes of midfielder Earnie Stewart (Netherlands) and defender Thomas Dooley(Germany), among others, who were vital members of several World Cup sides. They were born in other countries to at least one parent who was an American. Obit: Sam Butera: 81, Saxiphonist Sidekick of Louis Prima and Keely Smith Sam Butera, a hard-swinging tenor saxophonist, formed a rowdy and successful onstage partnership with entertainers Louis Prima and Keely Smith in the 1950s. Both Prima and Butera were of Italian ancestry from New Orleans. Butera, was a composer ("Sing, Sing, Sing"), trumpeter, singer and irrepressible stage performer, a combination of Louis Armstrong and Jerry Lewis, and in 1952 was named the country's outstanding teenage jazz musician by Look magazine. He lived to see his music influence a later generation of musicians as varied as David Lee Roth, who copied the Prima-Butera arrangement of "Just a Gigolo"/''I Ain't Got Nobody," and Brian Setzer, who won a Grammy for his cover of "Jump, Jive, An' Wail." Louis Prima - Sam Butera - Night Train by rocknroll50 Italian 14-15 yr Old Trio "Sing O Sole Mio" -  And Italian Singer List I was formerly in the Music Business, but can hardly stand to listen to American Music now a days, with the nonsense Hip Hop, and screeching Rock, and the soothing Voices of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, are fifty years gone. Eureka. Why did it take me so long to discover that Italy has SO many good Singers singing Marvelous Ballads, and even though I don't understand Italian, they are so soothing. Italian "Vespa" Scooter Makes Unprecedented Risk-Free 12 Month Test Ride Piaggio Group Americas, Inc., the importer of Vespa, Piaggio, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi scooters and motorcycles, has an offer that you just can't refuse. It may be hard to believe but, effective today, Piaggio invites consumers on a risk-free 12 Month Test Ride, an industry-first program that offers qualified buyers the opportunity to experience all the fun, savings and environmental benefits of select Piaggio, Aprilia and Vespa scooters without a long-term commitment. Consolato Generale d’Italia – Chicago REFERENDUM 21 JUNE 2009 Pursuant to Presidential Decree dated April 30th, 2009 a Referendum have been scheduled for June 21, 2009. The Referendum concerns the reform of the current Italian electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies and for the Senate. The three questions are as follow: - “Majority premium to the most voted list – Chamber of Deputies” - “Majority premium to the most voted list – Senate” - “Abolition of multiple candidacies in different constituencies”MORE... For additionl information and instructions click here Villanova Virtual Video of Vatican The Vatican virtual tour will allow viewers with a left click of the mouse to rotate the camera from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, zooming in and out. At St. Paul's, viewers can zoom in on ornate gilded candlesticks, marble statues, medallion-shaped portraits of popes and saints around the frieze, and the basilica's coffered ceilings. Saks Fifth Ave: Italy to Take Over Another American Icon As Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne prepares to turn around American icon Chrysler, another American Icon Saks Fifth Ave, looks set to get an Italian makeover, by Italian fashion emperor Diego Della Valle, chairman of Tod's, the luxury shoemaker responsible for the famous "gommino," or driving shoe.  Frank Sinatra Biographical Film by Martin Scorese Despite Sinatra's Iconic status resulting from his Incredible Accomplishments, MUCH was made of him as a neglectful father (Constantly on Tour)  and cheating husband  (An Oxymoron, as with cheating wife) who hung out with the mafia, and Kosher Nostra (who owned the biggest Concert Venues, his "bread and butter"), drank to excess,(but Never a Alcoholic, and would "pale" alongside College "binge" drinkers... Is FIAT Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne Nuts ??? Combine undermanned Italian auto business FIAT, with bankrupt Chrysler in the U.S. and with the German Opel car operations now owned by the almost bankrupt General Motors Corp. You put three losers together and produce a profit? Pauly, a columnist for Bloomberg News says Even if this trio were prospering, the notion would border on the insane, but he's rooting for it!! Sergio Marchionne of FIAT, Savior of Chrysler? Sergio has a reputation for soothing labor management relations but setting reasonable goals and being tough on those who disappoint.  Chrysler will be getting small cars with very high fuel efficiency, and very popular in Europe, that they need in their lineup, and FIAT covets Chrysler Distribution Network. But will Americans fall in love with the FIATS????  "Il Divo": Giulio Andreotti, the Seven Times Italy's Prime Minister "Il Divo" deals with what's been called "the fiendish complexities of postwar Italian politics. But there's only one you need to remember, one man you can't forget, and that's Giulio Andreotti, seven times Italy's prime minister.  A journalist stated "You're either the most cunning criminal in the country because you never got caught, or you're the most persecuted man in the history of Italy." ST.LOUIS PROCLAMA IL 22 APRILE GIORNATA IN ONORE DEL PREMIO NOBEL RITA LEVI MONTALCINI ST. LOUIS\ aise\ 23/04/2009 - Dopo Minneapolis e Detroit, l'Italian Film Festival Usa fa tappa a St. Louis e proclama una giornata in onore del premio Nobel Rita Levi Montalcini in occasione del suo 100° compleanno..  Rita Levi Montalcini È accaduto ieri, 22 aprile, ad opera del sindaco di St. Louis, Francis G. Slay, presso la Washington University, dove la stessa senatrice a vita italiana ha lavorato e e condotto per trent'anni le sue ricerche, lo stesso luogo che ora ospita le proiezioni del Festival, a pochi metri da quello che fu il suo laboratorio.  Francis G. Slay Sindaco di St. Louis Nella sua prolusione, il sindaco Francis G. Slay, annunciando la sua iniziativa per rendere omaggio a Rita Levi-Montalcini che proprio ieri ha compiuto 100 anni, ha ricordato che la ricercatrice italiana, nata il 22 aprile 1909 a Torino, "nel 1947 ha accettato una posizione alla Washington University di St. Louis dove è rimasta per trent’anni insegnando e svolgendo importanti ricerche". La Montalcini "ha vinto nel 1986 il Premio Nobel per la Medicina con il biochimico Stanley Cohen per la scoperta del "nerve growth factor" (NGF), mentre entrambi facevano parte della facoltà di Medicina di Washington University di St. Louis", con una scoperta "fondamentale per la conoscenza della crescita delle cellule e degli organi" ed "importante nella comprensione del cancro e di malattie come il morbo di Alzheimer e di Parkinson". LEGGI LA GIUSTA DISTANZA VINCE PREMIO ALL’ ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL DI ST. LOUIS L’Italian Film Festival di St. Louis annuncia che il vincitore del 2009 premio per miglior film e’ La giusta distanza di Carlo Mazzacurati. Il film e’ stato sponsorizzato da Jeff LeGrand and Lou Smith.  Il festival di quest’anno, svoltosi dal 10 al 25 aprile, ha presentato sei recenti film italiani in prima visione a St. Louis: La giusta distanza di Carlo Mazzacurati, Il papà di Giovanna di Pupi Avati, Mar nero di Federico Bondi, Il vento fa il suo giro di Giorgio Diritti, Colpo d’occhi) di Sergio Rubini, e Notturno bus di Davide Marengo. Tutti i film sono stati proiettati in 35mm, in italiano e con i sottotitoli inglesi, nel teatro della Brown Hall al campus della Washington University di St. Louis, teatro che conta ben 346 posti. La quinta edizione dell’ Italian Film Festival e’ stata sponsorizzata dal Program in Film and Media Studies della Washington University, dall’Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago, e dal Regional Arts Commission di St. Louis.  La stima degli spettatori intervenuti al festival di quest’anno e’ piu' di 1.900 persone. Per ulteriori informazioni, visitate il sito del festival: www.italianfilmfestivalstlouis.com.  ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF ST. LOUIS The 5th annual Italian Film Festival of St. Louis, sponsored by Washington University's Program in Film and Media Studies, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, will feature the St. Louis premier of six recent Italian films:  La giusta distanza (The Right Distance) by Carlo Mazzacurati on Friday, April 10 (106 minutes), Il papa` di Giovanna (Giovanna's Father) by Pupi Avati on Saturday, April 11 (104 min.), Mar nero (Black Sea) by Federico Bondi on Friday, April 17 (95 min.), Il vento fa il suo giro (The Wind Blows Round) by Giorgio Diritti on Saturday, April 18 (110 min.), Colpo d'occhio (At a Glance) by Sergio Rubini on Friday, April 24 (110 min.), and Notturno bus (Night Bus) by Davide Marengo on Saturday, April 25 (104 min.).  Screenings are on Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 5 pm and 8 pm.  All films will be shown in 35mm in Italian with English subtitles in the 346 seat theatre in Brown Hall 100 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. Admission is FREE and open to the general public. URGENT NEED - ABRUZZO RELIEF OPERATION April 16, 2009 - Thanks to a joint mission between the Boeing Company and the Italian Air Force, a military airplane will be available in the Midwest next week to transport relief goods to the Italian Red Cross in Italy.  Items of need are baby diapers, incontinence pads for adults, baby formula in cans and toys. We are looking for pallet quantities of these items which will need to be picked up in the next couple of days. If you can help providing these items please contact Franco Giannotti or Victor Baruzzini (Tel 314.705.1395) at the Boeing Company immediately. Thank you. NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has established a special NIAF/ Abruzzo Relief Fund to help the victims and their families who perished from the recent earthquake in the town of L’Aquila and other small towns in central Italy in the region of Abruzzo. “NIAF extends its sincerest condolences to the victims and their families suffering from the recent earthquake that struck residents as they slept. This tragic disaster has claimed the lives of innocent people. Words cannot convey the Foundation’s sense of loss for the victims. Our hearts and prayers are with them and the rescue workers, who are frantically trying to save those who remained trapped in the debris,” NIAF President Joseph V. Del Raso, Esq., said. Del Raso’s ancestors trace their roots to the region of Abruzzo... ...Individuals, corporations and foundations who wish to donate to the NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund can make their donations here. All donations are tax deductible.  CLICK HERE Italian-Americans Mobilize to Help Earthquake Region The Italian American Museum announced that it will begin accepting monetary donations to assist the victims of the earthquake in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Checks should be made out to: " I-AM EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND 2009." and sent to the Italian American Museum at 155 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10013.(Mulberry and Grand Sts. in Little Italy). Donations can also be made by credit card by calling the Museum at 212-965-9000. NIAF(http://www.niaf.org/relief) [NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund, National Italian American Foundation, 1860 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009] has been joined by OSIA (http://www.osia.org), and UNICO (http://www.unico.org) on the national level in accepting donations for L'Aquila. Why Fiat & Chrysler Belong Together Fiat's Stylish Super Fuel Efficient "500"s gives Chrysler an Immediate Attractive Product , Chrysler provides Fiat with entry into the Big American Market, necessary to increase Sales Volume to keep up with Escalating Costs for New Model Development. L'Aquila, Italy  Hit by 6.3  "Killer" Earthquake In the medieval city of L'Aquila, 60 miles north-east of Rome, a 6.3 earhquake has killed between 150 to 200 people, has injured 1500, and destroyed up to 15,000 buildings, with 50,0000 homeless. Dozens of remote villages in the area were also affected, with one old village 99% destroyed,  The earthquake is the worst to hit Italy since 1980, when 2,735 died in a quake measuring 6.5 that struck close to Salerno in southern Italy, and caused widespread damage in nearby Naples. Two high-school teachers represent Chicago at a international youth conference in Rome Fra Noi, Chicago - Raffaella Spilotro-Guida and Angela Briguglio are the local high school Italian-language instructors handpicked by the Italian Consulate to represent the Chicago area at a groundbreaking youth conference in Rome.  "The Ministero Degli Affari Esteri and the Consiglio Generale degli Italiani all'Estero invited young adults of Italian descent from around the world to attend the first-ever Conferenza Dei Giovani Italiani Nel Mondo," Briguglio explains. "In all, 417 representati.ves participate, and we were lucky enough to be among them." According to Italian Consul General, Alessandro Motta, luck wasn't a factor. "They are two young professionals who are extremeiy passionate about their community," Motta says. "They have devoted much time to promoting their culture and language and were very deserving of the honor." MORE Irish Greatest Celebrant - Saint Patrick was Italian - Of course  Patrick was the child of Romans living in Britain--Calpurnius (a military officer) and Concessa. At age 16, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates, taken to Ireland and forced into slavery. After six years he escaped back to Britain, then studied at a French monastery, then moved back to Ireland as a missionary because he had a dream that the Irish were calling on him to tell them about God.  U.S.-Europe trade war heats up New tariffs in trade war include cheese, mineral water By Mike Hughlett | Tribune Newspapers - March 13, 2009 - Like to sip a classic Italian mineral water with a pleasant bruschetta appetizer? Get ready to pay double for your drink. Big fan of the French cheese Roquefort? Its price increase will raise more of a stink than the famously pungent cheese. ...A small bottle of S. Pelligrino at a downtown Chicago Starbucks cost $1.60 Thursday. If the tariff is passed through the supply chain and on to the consumer, that bottle would cost $3.20, prohibitively expensive for some, the Italians worry. Alessandro Motta, the Italian consul general in Chicago, said Italy is being hit disproportionately by the new tariffs. Based on European Union calculations of the tariffs' effects, he said Italy will bear 37 percent of the burden. Plus, the new tariffs are bad for the spirit of world trade, Motta said. "From a psychological point of view, it gives the perception that protectionism is growing."... MORE How Silvio Berlusconi Became Italy's Superman Silvio Berlusconi has conquered Italy, lost it and seduced his way back to the top. These days, he faces little resistance and it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say he might stay in office until he dies. With little left to debate, the thing that interests most about the prime minister is his relationship to women. The On, Off, On, Off Sicily Bridge is On Again  The bridge will be built over a perilous earthquake fault, but it should be a big boon to the area, and encourage the building of super roads to Palermo and Rome, etc, which not only provides jobs, but better roadways promote commerce generally. David Beckham Gets His Way, To Play for AC Milan and LA Galaxy  For the next three months, Beckham will play for AC Milan until May 31.He will then be available for England's two World Cup qualifying games in early June before taking a couple of weeks off. On July 1, he rejoins the Galaxy for the rest of the Major League Soccer season. If Salami is the Blog of Cured Meats, Then Prosciutto is the Great Novel Prosciutto has been made on the Italian peninsula since the time of Caesar. A salami requires anywhere from 20 to 120 days to cure, making it popular with chefs who want to put their house-made stamp on a rustic appetizer. But the best prosciutto requires 8 to 24 months to transform the salt-covered hind leg of a pig into a $35-per-pound luxury, a rosy meat that, when thinly sliced, is a complex, faintly salty delicacy that dissolves into richness on the tongue. It is nothing short of a miracle.  Careful attention is paid not only to the breed and weight of the pig but also to the way the leg is boned and trimmed, the type and amount of salt applied and the aging, cleaning and sealing processes, all of which must be undertaken at just the right time, under favorable temperatures and humidity. Veronica Lario, Berlusconi's wife, Gushes over Obama Veronica Lario, Sivio Belusconi's wife told La Stampa newspaper, that Barack Obama , the new US President, "He is a handsome man, he is young and healthy with a splendid family,"  "He is perfect for giving Americans their confidence back". Berlusconi had provoked criticism for describing Obama as "young, handsome, and tanned," during a visit to Moscow. Many in Italy and the United States saw the comment as racist or in bad taste. Italy's ANSA news agency said Berlusconi later defended the remark as "a great compliment." Fabrizio de André - Celebrated 10 Years After Death In an extraordinary outpouring of emotion, millions of Italians have spent much of January remembering a singer-songwriter who died 10 years ago but now seems to belong to another age and another country. Fabrizio de André is widely acknowledged as the finest Italian lyricist and musician of the 20th century.  A series of high-profile exhibitions and concerts celebrating the singer's life have generated a wildly enthusiastic response, culminating last week in a three-hour tribute to De André, tucked away on one of the least watched of Italy's TV channels. To general astonishment, the program drew almost eight million viewers, or 30% of total audience share. "In 25 years in television I have never seen anything like it."  ITALIAN CLASSES IN ST. LOUIS AND CHICAGO - WINTER SESSION Classes are now forming at the Forest Park Comunity College in St. Louis, starting the week of February 2, 2009.  Check the FIAO web site for more information and to register. In Chicago inquire with ITALIDEA, “The Official Italian Language Center in Chicago” at the Italian Cultural Institute, announcing winter session to start January 12 – 2009, registration is ongoing. Give the gift of Language for the Holiday! Gift Certificates are available by calling: 312-832-4053  Italian Summer Camp in Chicago 4-Week Sess\on June 12th to July 9th - Children ages 5-13 years will be introduced to the language and culture of Italy through drama, storytelling, arts and craft, games, sports, dance and music. cuisine, and film on the beautifully landscaped 16+ acre ground of Casa Italia.  Click on title for flyer, click on logo for web site..