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| Italian Conversation Class Starts Friday |
 "Back to School" isn't just for kids, any more than the Italian Cemetery is just a graveyard! As a part of our continuing commitment to helping Italian-Americans rediscover their heritage, the Italian Cemetery is sponsoring a Beginning Conversational Italian Course. And like the cemetery itself, you don't even have to be Italian to get in.
In this class, you will learn basic Italian conversational skills, pronunciation, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms. The daytime classes will be held on Fridays from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, beginning this coming Friday, September 17th.
Cav. Ilia Salomone-Smith |
The course will be taught by Cav. Ilia Salomone-Smith who, for twenty years, was the founding director of the Primo Programma Italian School. Professoressa Salomone-Smith has also taught Italian at San Francisco State University and the College of Marin. In addition, she has been honored by the Republic of Italy with a knighthood in recognition of her work promoting Italian language and culture.
The entire ten-week course is only $175 and includes all classes, texts, materials and field trip fees. The classes will be held at the Colma Community Center, 1520 Hillside Boulevard in Colma (next to the Italian Cemetery).
We are limiting the size of the class to facilitate ease of learning, but there are still a few spaces available. To register, call the office at 650-755-1511 and reserve your place before the class is full. |
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| Who's at the Italian Cemetery? |
Click to Search |
Are you looking for a friend or relative who might be a "permanent resident" of the Italian Cemetery? Doing a little genealogy project? Try searching at Find A Grave.
Our entire burial index has been uploaded, so you can search for anyone at any time.
Once you find someone you were looking for, just click on "Request A Photo" and we'll upload a photograph of the grave stone and provide additional information to aid you in your research. |
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| La Festa dei Morti: A Traditional Italian Family Festival |
 Each year, the Italian Cemetery has hosted an Italian-language Mass to celebrate Il Giorno dei Morti (All Souls Day), the traditional day of honoring those who have gone before us. This tradition will be observed once again this year, but with an expanded celebration to include the various traditions that surround this holiday throughout Italy.
There are as many traditions associated with this day as there are regions of Italy. In some areas of Italy, special foods and sweets are associated with the celebration (fave dei morti, ossa dei morti, frutta di Martorana, etc.). In other areas of Italy, special music, folk dances and traditions are part of the day. But the thread that runs through all these celebrations is the honoring and celebrating of the lives of our ancestors at the local cemetery.
Building on the overwhelmingly positive response to its Memorial Day Scampagnata, the Italian Cemetery will be hosting La Festa dei Morti on the Sunday preceding the official holiday. This will allow for the greatest possible participation by the community.
More information will be coming in next month's newsletter. In the meantime, please visit the special website at www.FestaDeiMorti.com, or for up-to-the-minute information, follow Festa dei Morti on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on these icons:
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| Heritage Tours a Great Success |
 This Sunday will be the final Heritage Tour of the season at the Italian Cemetery. Since the tours began in the Spring, more than 100 people have signed up to see some great historical, cultural and architectural highlights of the grounds, and hear the stories of some of our more famous "permanent residents."
We have received overwhelmingly positive response from those who have joined the tours. Many of you have written letters, postcards and e-mails telling us how much you enjoyed the tours, the good Italian food we served for lunch, and the chance to break bread with others interested in the history and heritage of the Italian Cemetery. One of you wrote:
"On behalf of my sister and myself, I want to thank you for a most enjoyable experience during the Italian Cemetery heritage tour yesterday. [The presenter]...did an excellent job--he was well prepared, well versed and very enthusiastic in his presentation...We also enjoyed the delicious complimentary lunch. We all sat arund the table (like an Italian famiglia) and enjoyed the good conversation." --Anita Fraguglia, San Francisco.
We will begin a new season of Heritage Tours in the Spring, but until then we are happy to give you an individual tour, weather permitting, throughout the year. Just call Nickolas Marinelli at 650-755-1511 or send him an e-mail. |
| Retaggio: Rediscovering Our Heritage |
Fred Apostoli
Middleweight Champion
of the World  |
Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli
Middleweight Champion of the World
February 2, 1913 - November 29, 1973
Known as the "Boxing Bell Hop" Fred Apostoli was a middleweight boxer who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. Apostoli's lost the middleweight crown to Ceferino Garcia on October 2, 1939.
Fred Apostoli on the Cover of The Ring Magazine |
Apostoli served in the United States Navy during World War II as a gunner aboard the cruiser USS Columbia CL-56 in the Pacific.
He was selected by "The Ring" magazine as Fighter of the Year for 1943, and was elected to "The Ring's" Boxing Hall of Fame. A member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, he retired from the ring in 1948 with a 61-10-1 (31KOs) record.
Max Baer, Fred Apostoli and Joe Di Maggio |
Apostoli became a sports celebrity, and was often seen chumming around with other sports luminaries such as Max Baer and his childhood friend "Joltin' Joe" Di Maggio. Born and raised in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, he was the the local boy who made good.
Fred Apostoli died in San Francisco in 1973 at the age of 60, and is buried with his wife Peg at the Italian Cemetery, Block 169I, Lot 8.
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| Dov'� il Signor Marinelli? |
Nickolas Marinelli | Nickolas Marinelli, our Director of Community Relations, will be on the road again in the next few weeks...relating to the Italian-American community.
If you'd like to have a chance to talk to Nickolas about the Italian Cemetery's community outreach activities (Italian language classes, heritage tours, genealogy seminars, events, etc.) or if you'd like to discuss pre-need arrangements without having to go to the cemetery, you might want to attend some of the following events: Heritage Tour of the Italian Cemetery: Sunday, September 12th in Colma.
Order Sons of Italy in America Charity Gala: Saturday, September 18th at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport. Il Cenacolo Opera Outing: September 19th at the Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg. Colma Historical Association Fundraising Dinner: Friday, September 24th at the Colma Community Center. The Italian Film Festival: Saturday, October 2nd at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. The opening night featured film will be La ragazza del lago (The Girl by the Lake). Madonna del Lume Family Dinner: Sunday, October 3rd at the Hyatt-Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The Italian Film Festival: Saturday, October 9th at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. The featured film will be Io e Marilyn (Marilyn and Me). Italian Heritage Parade: Sunday, October 10th in North Beach. NBICF Festa Italiana: Sunday, October 10th at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa. The Italian Film Festival: Saturday, October 23rd and 30th at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. Featured films are: Many Kisses Later (Ex) on the 23rd and Marcello Marcello on the 30th.The Italian Cemetery will be the Presenting Sponsor on October 30th. La Festa dei Morti: Sunday, October 31st at the Italian Cemetery in Colma. The Italian Film Festival: Saturday, November 6th at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. The featured films will be Si pu� fare (We Can Do That) IACSA Annual Gala Dinner: Sunday, November 7th at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco. This year the Italian-American Community Services Agency will be honoring David T. Giannini for his great contributions and his dedication to the highest ideals of Italianit�. The Italian Film Festival: Saturday, November 13th at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. The closing night featured film will be Basilicata Coast to Coast. |
| Social Media Links | |
Want to connect? Just click on one of the following links:
Italian Cemetery Website in English |
Italian Cemetery Website in Italian |
Find Italian Cemetery on Facebook |
Festa dei Morti Website |
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Find Festa dei Morti on Facebook |
Follow Festa dei Morti on Twitter |
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