St. Leo's pastor, Father Bernie Carman, being interviewed by the hosts and production crew of the Italian American Podcast who is producing a segment on Baltimore's Little Italy as part of their Greetings from Italian America series. The crew visited June 2 to gather video footage and background about our historic neighborhood, anticipating their video to be released in July on their YouTube page. Producers arranged visits to Chiapparelli's, La Scala, and Joe Benny’s, and were hosted by parishioner Ray Alcaraz (pictured right), co-founder of Promotion Center for Little Italy, Baltimore. He walked them around the neighborhood where they lunched at Chip's, sampled focaccia and meatballs at Joe Benny's, played bocce inside of La Scala and enjoyed espresso. Ray's parents still live in Little Italy where he grew up - their Stiles Street house is being commemorated later this month as a Centennial Home (100 years) by Baltimore Heritage. [Photos courtesy Ray Alcaraz]
Greetings from Italian America is a web-based TV show produced in partnership between the Italian American Podcast and the Italian Sons & Daughters of America. They take viewers on journeys throughout various Italian enclaves across the United States. It has become the premier travelogue for Italophiles (people who admire Italy and its culture, language, customs, and people). Since its 2019 inception, the production crew has visited some of America's best-known Italian areas, such as New York City, Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh.
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BUON ANNIVERSARIO ... HAPPY 140th ANNIVERSARY TO ST. LEO'S CHURCH! An Anniversary Steering Committee is in place and will be rolling out a donation campaign, banners, pins, and future events to acknowledge ONE HUNDRED & FORTY years of our beloved St. Leo's church, built in 1881 for Italian immigrants!
ST. LEO'S FIRSTS ...
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First church in Maryland - and one of the first in America - to be built exclusively for Italians
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First cost: Archbishop Gibbons bought 3 lots for $25,000 in 1880 at the corner of Stiles & Exeter Streets for the construction of the new church
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First construction by builder Edwin Brady and architect E. Francis Baldwin, who designed the building in a curious mix of Italianate, Romanesque and classical elements
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First pastor assigned in 1881 was Rev. Joseph Leo Andreis, a native of Turin, Italy. He served the parish for 22 years until his death in 1903.
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First Mass: January 23, 1881. Before the church was even finished, the neighborhood's Italian residents begged Father Andreis to say Mass in the basement.
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First altar boys: Eugene Pessagno and Frank Valentini
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First children baptized: Leo Francis Bacigalupo and Eugene Leo Pessagno, during the first Mass
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First funeral: March 12, 1881, for Carlo Antonio Chiesa
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First organist: Mary "Minnie" Malloy, who held the position for more than 50 years
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BOCCE COURTS BEING REFURBISHED - Little Italy's bocce courts on Stiles Street are being refreshed with an upgraded playing surface and new sideboards. The Little Italy Bocce League Committee has hired Domenic Petrucci of Domenic Petrucci Building Supplies & Contractor to rebuild the courts - an experienced bocce court builder and player. Work is estimated to take several weeks and league play is expected to begin in July, a few months behind its regular season.
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SUMMER ITALIAN FESTIVALS NOT HAPPENING - Saint Leo's Church has reported their two summer Italian festivals are not being planned for June and August, its regular Feasts of Saints Anthony and Gabriele, neighborhood traditions since 1904 and 1927, respectively. Permits are not yet being distributed by Baltimore City, which has the greatest impact on not being able to plan the festivals. Even if permits were suddenly available, there would not be enough time to plan.
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Save these 2021 SUNDAYS for more Carry-out Pasta Dinners!
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- JULY 25
- AUGUST 29
- SEPTEMBER 19
- NOVEMBER 7
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Submitted by Rose Prince Jackson
circa 1950s
Lena Dello Buono Romaniello and her pup “Tippy” in Romaniello's Grocery Store at 1501 Bank Street. The store was established in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants Joseph and Rosa Dello Buono Romaniello in Little Italy. After their parents died, Lena ran the store with her sister Mary and brother Salvatore until 1966. (Salvatore also worked at the Tack Factory on Central Avenue, as did many other Italians.) Romaniello’s sold fresh meats, cheese, snacks, and candy by the piece. When people did not have enough money to pay for groceries, a tab was kept. “Many never paid," said Rose Prince Jackson, "but my grandparents would never refuse to give neighbors the food."
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Include caption, people ID, location, approximate year, and your name.
Photos must be Little Italy related or Italian immigrant related.
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online book shop
(proceeds benefit Promotion Center for Little Italy)
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200 captivating vintage photos submitted by Baltimore families!
COVER PHOTO: Wedding party and friends in 1953 join bride and groom Marie Bastianelli & Jake Zito for a honeymoon send-off at the train station.
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Italian immigrants flocked to America unaware of the hardships ahead, much like the harsh conditions they left behind in Italy. Despite discrimination, scarce employment, hunger, and drudgery, they courageously established trades, businesses, parishes, and solid family life in neighborhood enclaves nearly identical to their native villages. Baltimore’s thriving Italian community marvels at the grit and backbone of their families in their conquest of Americanization. Fortified by love of today’s famiglia, food, traditions, faith, and close-knit community, Baltimore Italians continue to honor their ethnicity. These cherished photos offer a fascinating insight into the rich history of some immigrant families and how they paved the way, worked, grew up, and fought in America's wars. They did not sacrifice their birthright to become American; instead, they humbly added to it and called themselves Italian Americans.
signed copies by author
Suzanna Rosa Molino
Director, Promotion Center for Little Italy, Baltimore
$24.99 includes tax & postage
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Book proceeds benefit Promotion Center for Little Italy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to promote Little Italy and its heritage and immigrant history.
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EARN A FREE BOOK!
Order ANY 3 BOOKS from our online book shop and receive a free hardback coffee-table book, Baltimore's Own Little Italy: The Artwork of Tony DeSales.
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4 titles in our online Book Shop! Click covers for details.
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"So sorry to hear about the festivals. My wife and I retired the end of April and now live in St. Augustine, Florida. This state is run by Ron DeSantis, a nice Italian man. The schools have been open since last June. Everything is open and masks are optional and people are not dying in the street. Unfortunately, the folks of Baltimore continue to elect morons who repress freedom under the guise of concerning about their health. Another year lost. Very sad. I'm glad you do what you do because given the outrage from City Hall over the destruction of the Columbus Statue (there was none and still no arrests), the demise of Little Italy would be also greeted with the same indifference. Thanks for what you do to keep it alive."
~ Ciao, Joe Butta
"What a wonderful tribute to the generations of Italians who have called Little Italy Baltimore home. If there is a press award for cultural and community importance in the press, it should go to Ray Alcaraz. His memories of past events are clear and insightful."
~ Chuck Walsh
"You’re getting even better at this! Look at the range of stories (abetted by the range of new restaurants in Little Italy) and advertisers. As always, impressive … only more so!"
~ Tony & Bonnie Montcalmo
"All I can say is another Great Issue. Each month gets more and more interesting. Excellent article on Ray growing up in Little Italy."
~ Best regards, Vincent Zaccaria
"I loved Ray's article in Neighborhood News. I saw a picture of a guy named Mugs Mugavero. It turns out that I have a great-great-grandmother named Rosaria Mogavero (1832-1895) from Isnello, Sicily. The spelling differences are not significant, so it's possible that I could have some fourth cousins in the neighborhood if there are any Mugaveros still there."
~ Jim Kouroupis
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"Do you know anything about the history of the building on the corners of Trinity Street and S. High and Albermarle Streets? It appears to be a converted church or something. A friend just purchased 832 Trinity Street and would like to find out some of the building's history."
~ Chris Thorne
From the editor: That is most notably the former Della Noce Funeral Home, an 1860 building once part of the Prima Chiesa Methodist Episcopal Italiana at 322 S. High/Trinity Streets. An Italian priest saw a need for a Protestant Italian congregation in Little Italy and so began one; it served as his residence as well. To attract people to attend, he handed out free bread. By 1940, it closed, and Frank Della Noce, an Italian immigrant from Abruzzi, bought the property to convert into a funeral home. Frank offered free funeral services for anyone who couldn't afford to pay. His funeral home was popular in the gypsy community since they were often turned away from other venues. They trusted Della Noce with the valuables placed inside the caskets: jewels, silver utensils, money, furs - items they believed a person would need in the next life. The business was passed on to the next two Della Noce generations of until it sold around 2003 to a developer who transformed its interior into two beautiful homes. The building has retained its stained glass windows from Germany and Flemish bond brickwork. The design of the side door at the corner of High & Trinity still resembles a church. [excerpted from the book, Baltimore's Little Italy: Heritage and History of The Neighborhood.]
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Fred Militello
410-420-2071
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Experience the degree of difference with our mortgage services for home purchase, refinance, or renovation. We are a customer focused team devoted to securing you the best possible home loan solution that fits the goals and objectives you have set for yourself and your family.
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1 month / 1 ad = $60; 20% discount for the year
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promotioncenterforlittleitaly.org
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STAY IN THE LITTLE ITALY LOOP
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