Abruzzo Earthquake Memorial Mass

As the sun was setting on a crisp spring day in Center City, people were filing into the Cathedral Basilica SS Peter and Paul for the Memorial Mass to honor of victims of the tragic earthquakes in the Abruzzo Region of Italy. Through the sea of security and unfamiliar faces, there were some I recognized; like halfball committee members Tom Rossomando and Anthony Gargano. The congregation also included a number of Italian Dignitaries, Italy’s ambassador to the U.S., Giovanni Castellaneta, and Italian Parliament member Amato Berardi, who both addressed the congregation prior to the close of mass.

Cardinal Rigali created a spirit of faith, unity, remembrance, and hope during the beautiful service, which included both English and Italian segments. It was remarkable seeing everyone come together for this cause. The tragedy touched so many lives, especially in Philadelphia's Italian American community.

Following the service attendees took a stroll over to the Four season for a reception, which included a number of speeches. Italian Consul General to Philadelphia, Luigi Scotto spoke about the government efforts in Italy, and Carol Tamburino, an active member of the Italian community, applauded the speed and readiness of communities to help victims. NIAF President, Joseph V. Del Raso, spoke about the efforts to place Italian students from The Università degli Studi dell'Aquila who speak English, at Universities in the U.S.

It was an incredible evening full of sincere and poignant words from a wide variety of people who have a connection to a culture that is a huge presence in this community. It was a testament to the strength of a bond between strangers who have the desire to help fellow brothers and sisters in heritage during their time of need.

CLICK HERE to donate to NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund

Support Earth Quake Victims in Abruzzo

Le Virtù will hold a fundraiser to benefit earthquake victims in Abruzzo on Tuesday April, 28 from 6pm-10pm.

Food will be authentic Abruzze prepared by their chef, Luciana Spurio, a native of the Abruzzo region, served buffet style. House wine (from Abruzzo) is included; with other wine and liquor selections available at normal price, (all profits will be donated).

Merchandise will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting victims.

Donations will be made to UNICO and NIAF, Italian Organizations with national reach and outstanding reputations.


" We lived for 6 months in L'Aquila, the town destroyed by the quake. It changed our lives and set us on the path we currently follow. We can never repay what we owe the people or the region. All of our friends from L'Aquila, and the small towns that surround it, are displaced, with many of their homes destroyed. These people are family. When we opened Le Virtù it was dedicated not only to the cuisine of the region but also to the culture and people of Abruzzo." --Catherine Lee, Owner Le Virtù

For more details call: 215.271.5626 or visit www.levirtu.com

"A Table In The Back"

One little slice of the festival pie this year is The 2^nd Annual John Marzano Halfball Tournament presented by Conestoga Bank. Johnny Marz, as the community lovingly calls him, suddenly passed away of a heart attack last year. This event was born to honor his memory and raise some dollars for the Marzano Family Education Fund.

There is a committee of South Philadelphians, including John’s wife Terri, who are working on this with us. We had our first meeting a few weeks ago at a bar called Stokes at 16th and Oregon. I had never met any of the committee members before and arrived a few minutes prior to my bosses. I walked in and immediately felt a little out of place; everyone was drinking laughing and acting like family. Once they arrived, I was introduced and the "out of place" feeling quickly went away. I think they might have been the friendliest people I have ever met. We decided standing at the bar wasn’t going work, so the owner set up a table in the back.

As everyone sat, the conversation started and it was difficult to stay on task. I felt a little like I was in a movie. The South Philly accents were spectacular, and everyone was so animated -- there was also the fact that there were no less than 4 conversations going on at the same time, the entire time. It was hard to keep up, but about 1/2 way through I finally got the hang of it.

Sitting through this meeting gave me a real clarity about the tournament. There was affection, love, and emotion when anyone talked about John, which for an outsider put everything into perspective. Knowing how much everyone cared made me want to put on a great, feel good event that gets the community involved and having fun to honor John’s memory.

By the time we left, I received hugs and kisses on the cheek. It was an experience I don’t think I will ever forget

Allow Me To Introduce Myself...

Welcome to my spot in the internet world. My name is Molly Pocket and I've decided to keep you all informed on the goings on of this years festivities. May 16th is quickly approaching and personally I can't wait. There are few things I get super stoked for, but enjoying a nice spring day with some great food and some live entertainment is definitely one of them, hopefully you are as enthused as me.

There are a few things I've been doing to get as connected as possible. Check out Facebook, our Flickr group, and Twitter ( this one is a little new to me, but I'm workin on it.) The idea for Twitter is to keep you in the loop AT the festival, I'll probably set up camp somewhere to "tweet" and let you know whats what and whose where.

I'd love to hear some suggestions, feedback, comments, or even just some stories about your Philadelphia/Italian Market adventures. I'll be letting you know of some contests to get people involved, so stay tuned.