Page 3 - Italian-American Herald - May 2024

By Barbara Ann Zippi-Och
Looking back on my past two years as associate publisher,
I recognize it has taken a team effort to bring IAH forward to
where we are today. We now have increased circulation, more subscribers, an interactive web site, e-newsletters and activity across social media.
Here are some of the dedicated people who bring IAH to life every month to attain the goal of preserving Italian heritage, culture and traditions.
Art director Rosalinda Rocco makes us look good in print. She created the multi-
story front cover design used these past two years. Plus, she makes sure the stories appear on the web site. She and designers Natalie Newhart and Kyle Manzolillo make sure that advertisers present their message in style. And production manager Eric Bolis makes sure IAH gets to the presses in time. The more we grow, the busier they are. I appreciate their commitment and dedication.
Andrea Di Fabio is a valuable asset to the team. She keeps social media channels humming on Facebook, Instagram and X. She cultivates and writes the IAH Arts & Entertainment feature brought to you by Italian American professionals. She also has her hands in IAH sales and stories. Outside IAH, she is the brains behind DiFabio Communications and the owner of Vinyl Revival, not your ordinary record store,
located next to the newly renovated and soon- to-be-opened Lansdowne Theater. Plus she is president of the Delco Press Club.
Al Kemp, the managing editor, is one of the best headline writers in the industry. And I appreciate Rob Martinelli, publisher and CEO of Today Media, for trusting in me assisting him in moving the Italian American Herald forward.
Finally, don’t forget to check out our Calendar of Events each month, and register your upcoming events by choosing the free online events form at www.italianamericanherald.com IAH
Ciao for now.
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
MAY2024 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 3 FROM THE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Here at the Herald, teamwork makes the dream work
Vol. 11 No.5 – May 2024
A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER SERVING THE ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
A DIVISION OF TODAY MEDIA Editor & Publisher Robert F. Martinelli
Vice Pres. Business Development
Charles W. Tomlinson Jr.
Associate Publisher
Barbara Ann Zippi-Och
Managing Editor
Al Kemp
Art Director
Rosalinda Rocco
This issue’s contributors
Andrea DiFabio Ken Mammarella Maria Teresa Morrison Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo Natalie Pantaleo Dominico Pratico Charlie Sacchetti Tanya Tecce
Lou Thomas
Social Media Director
Andrea Di Fabio
Senior correspondent
Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo
Advertising Sales
Christina Kelley Pam Mariani Jessica Stryker Tanya Tecce Cindi Viviano
Production Manager
Eric Bolis
Graphic Designers
Kyle Manzolillo Natalie Newhart
Editor Emeritus
Joseph T. Cannavo
TODAY MEDIA, A MARTINELLI HOLDINGS LLC
President Robert F. Martinelli Secretary-Treasurer Richard Martinelli In Memoriam
Chairman Angelo R. Martinelli (1927-2018) Vice President Ralph Martinelli (1962-2019)
For advertising information, call (302) 504-1274
or email iahadvertising@todaymediainc.com.
For subscription information, call (302) 504-1274
or email iahsubscriptions@todaymediainc.com.
For editorial, email ItalianAmericanHerald@todaymediainc.com. Published monthly by Today Media, 1000 N. West Street, Suite 601, Wilmington, DE 19801 and distributed
at various locations throughout the Tri-State area.
Contents
History............................................4, 6-7 Region............................................... 8-9 Achiever .............................................. 10 Through the Grapevine ................... 12-13 Local ....................................... 14, 26, 28 Wellness.............................................. 16 The Chef’s Perspective........................18 Dining In and Out................................. 19 It’s All Good.........................................20 News from Italy...................................21 The Arts ..............................................22 National...............................................23 Pagina Italiana.....................................24 Per I Bambini.......................................25 Faith....................................................26 Language ............................................20
By Lou Thomas
Giusepppe Venuti was born Sept. 16, 1903, in Philadelphia. Joe was known throughout his life
as being a jokester and using hyperbole
to explain his early life. Did he study violin at a Milan Conservatory, learn from his grandfather or did he pick it up on his own? Whatever his true beginnings, he became the first jazz violinist.
After World War I Joe was playing for a Philadelphia symphony. He observed that other violinists were better than him. Since jazz was all the rage, he decided to use
the violin as a jazz instrument, which was unheard of in early jazz. Bandleader Jim Cullum said, “Venuti’s idea to play jazz on
an instrument that was considered strictly a classical instrument was a part of his ticket to stardom. He brought the same freedom and abandon, the same harmonic feeling and
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syncopation to the violin that Bix Beiderbecke brought to the cornet.” He joined up with Eddie Lang, his neighborhood friend, who played guitar and formed their own duo.
Venuti-Lang moved to New York and became popular in lounges throughout
the city with their string-oriented style of Dixieland Jazz. It was 1927, a seminal year in jazz. Louis Armstrong recorded “Potato Head Blues” and “Struttin with Some Barbecue” which crowned him as jazz’s greatest soloist. Duke Ellington earned a permanent gig at The Cotton Club in Harlem and Venuti- Lang recorded two groundbreaking tunes with their eclectic “Wild Cat” and “Cheese and Crackers.” Lang died at 30 years of
age from an undisclosed illness. Despite this tragedy Joe pursued music but it never again achieved the notoriety he had with his best buddy. Many years he toured Europe andwasfeaturedat theJazzExposition inLondon in1969andtheNewportJazz Festival in 1968. This brought his versatility
Continued on page 20
LO SAPEVI CHE? (DID YOU KNOW?)
Joe Venuti ‘the wild fiddler from Philly’ was an Italian American
RENAISSANCE ESTATES OF PACKER PARK