Grandma Amalia Fortino Immediato

Ciao! on WCNY FM – Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 3:00:  My grandmother, Amalia Fortino Immediato, my mother’s mother, loved to tell stories especially about the “old country” where she was born and clearly had left her heart.  And I loved to listen.  On this Sunday’s show, I will share the  compelling story of how she learned that her mother, Louisa Daino, had died during WW II when correspondence between Italy and the U.S. was forbidden.

I’d read in books about Italian Americans visiting the villages of their ancestors and encountering chance meetings or strange coincidences that shed light on a mystery or story they’d heard about their families…but it never entered my mind that it would happen to me.  On my third visit in 2011 to  Montecorvino Rovella where my grandparents were born and raised, my great grandmother and her tragic death would be vividly brought to life for me.

My co-host Jim Battaglia is recuperating from surgery so my mother, Gilda DiCaprio, will host this show with me.  She will add her memories of meeting my great grandmother and great grandfather for the first and only time when she was eight years old and how difficult the lack of communication was for my grandmother during the war.

As always, CIAO! is where you can celebrate the Italian in YOU!  Join us every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 WCNY FM 91.3 on your dial with me, Joey Nigro, and my co-host Jim Battaglia (or online at www.wcny.org/radio). Italians love to say, “Canta che ti passa!” “Sing that it will pass!” so we always feature great music…a mix of old and new songs by our Italian American artists and Italian singers and composers…music that will lift your spirits…and music that you won’t hear anywhere else!

Topics you will hear in future CIAO! programs range from the culture, beauty and history of Italy and the regions where Italian American families claim their roots; stories of immigration and assimilation, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes humorous…but always heartwarming; memories of the old neighborhoods; entertaining pieces on noteworthy Italians Americans and interviews with celebrities or ordinary Italian Americans with a story to tell.

Baritone Thomas Hampson as Simon Boccanegra

This Saturday at 1 P.M. on Classic FM, the Lyric Opera of Chicago begins its broadcast season with Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” starring baritone Thomas Hampson in the title rol; soprano Krassimira Stoyanova as his long-lost daughter, Amelia; tenor Frank Lopardo as Amelia’s beloved, Gabriele Adorno; and bass Ferruccio Furlanetto as Fiesco.  Sir Andrew Davis will conduct.  Join us on 91.3 FM in Syracuse, 89.5 in Utica, 90.9 in Watertown, and online at http://www.wcny.org/radio/listen-now/classicfm

The Downton Abbey Collection
Bring home the complete collection: DVDs, Blu-rays, books and more. Visit ShopPBS.

Watch Video: http://video.wcny.org/video/2365013987/

The Downton Abbey Collection
Bring home the complete collection: DVDs, Blu-rays, books and more. Visit ShopPBS.

Watch Video: http://video.wcny.org/video/2365012874/

First English Lutheran Church in Syracuse, one of the musical stops in this weekend’s Sacred Sites Open House

Many of our listeners are familiar with the “Sacred Sites Open House” annual event sponsored by the New York State Landmarks Conservancy.  This statewide event is held in houses of worship all over New York, and their doors are open so that people may enjoy and learn about the music, architecture and art in these historic places.  This year’s event will be on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th. This Wednesday at 3 PM, Marie Lamb has an interview with representatives from three houses of worship, and the focus will be on the “sacred sounds” to be heard during the open houses, since two of them will have demonstrations of their church organs!  We’ll hear from organist James Lawrence of the Church of the Saviour, Sam Gruber of Temple Concord (a new venue for “Sacred Sites” this year), and organist Lee Johnston of First English Lutheran Church.  More information on this year’s event may be found at these websites:

www.firstenglishlutheran.net 
www.templeconcord.org

www.thechurchofthesaviour.org

We plan to post some audio as well after the interview airs, for those who can’t tune in at the time….but we hope you will at 91.3 in Syracuse, 89.5 in Utica/Rome, 90.9 in Watertown/Kingston, or online at http://www.wcny.org/radio/listen-now/classicfm

Audio is now available!

The Downton Abbey Collection
Bring home the complete collection: DVDs, Blu-rays, books and more. Visit ShopPBS.

Watch Video: http://video.wcny.org/video/2365011587/

There are lots of ways for you to get your questions to us each week on Financial Fitness… and now we just added a new one! Send us your video questions and you just might see yourself on the show! It’s easy! Just grab your smartphone or web-camera and tape yourself asking a question for the show. Keep it to less than 30 seconds and make sure we can see your smiling face. Then e-mail the clips to us at FinancialFitness@wcny.org

But if you are camera shy, we’d still love to hear from you. Email us your questions, or tweet us @wcny using the hashtag #FinancialFitness

The Downton Abbey Collection
Bring home the complete collection: DVDs, Blu-rays, books and more. Visit ShopPBS.

Watch Video: http://video.wcny.org/video/2365010438/

Photo Joey Nigro-Nilsen

Sunday Afternoon, 5.12.2013 at 3:00:  During their first PBS Special “Il Volo,” the Italian teen aged tenors who have taken the world by storm, introduced a beloved Italian song this way:  “As you know, Italian men and boys love three things,” eighteen year old Ignazio Boschetto began. “We love to eat.” “Mangia, mangia,” Piero Barone chimed in.  “We love soccer,” Gianluca Ginoble continued. “And…and…” Ignazio echoed Piero taking a long pause as I’m sure the audience was thinking what I was thinking…that the third thing would be “women” given the reputation of Italian men as Latin lovers.  Nope!  The audience roared with laughter and surprise, as I did, when Piero said very sincerely holding his hand to his heart for emphasis, “We really love our mothers!!!”  And the song?  “Mamma,” of course!

It’s true, mothers in Italy are idolized especially by their sons, and, in turn, Italian mothers spoil them, which makes for some humorous stories which Ciao! co-hosts Joey Nigro and Jim Battaglia will share in this week’s show.

As always, CIAO! is where you can celebrate the Italian in YOU!  Join us every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 WCNY FM 91.3 on your dial with me, Joey Nigro, and my co-host Jim Battaglia (or online at www.wcny.org/radio). Italians love to say, “Canta che ti passa!” “Sing that it will pass!” so we always feature great music…a mix of old and new songs by our Italian American artists and Italian singers and composers…music that will lift your spirits…and music that you won’t hear anywhere else!

Topics you will hear in future CIAO! programs range from the culture, beauty and history of Italy and the regions where Italian American families claim their roots; stories of immigration and assimilation, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes humorous…but always heartwarming; memories of the old neighborhoods; entertaining pieces on noteworthy Italians Americans and interviews with celebrities or ordinary Italian Americans with a story to tell.