New Book — The Art of Immigration: Italian Art in an American Church

Photo of the Week: Seated Hermes, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Photo of the Week: Outdoor Shrine at the 98th Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, New York

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

The Sacred Concerto: Religious Chamber Music of 18th Century Italy

www.musicatransalpina.org

Photo of the Week: Shrine to the Madonna del Tindari inside Red Sauce Studios in Little Italy, New York

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

"The Rescue," Monument to Firefighter Joseph Maffeo, in Staten Island, New York

Taking a short walk after my doctor's appointment Friday afternoon, I stumbled upon the Joseph Maffeo Monument outside Staten Island University Hospital along Seaview Avenue in Staten Island, New York. Titled "The Rescue," the bronze sculpture depicting the heroic Maffeo saving a baby was conceived by celebrated artist Gregory Perillo. The dramatic portrayal pays tribute to all the brave firefighters who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Ponderable Quote from “Meditations” by Emperor Marcus Aurelius

A branch severed from an adjoining branch necessarily becomes severed from the whole tree. A man, likewise, who has been divided from any of his fellows has thereby fallen away from the whole community. But whereas the branch is lopped by some other hand, the man, by his feelings of hatred or aversion, brings about his own estrangement from his neighbour, and does not see that at the same time he has cut himself off from the whole framework of society. Nevertheless it is in our power, by grace of Zeus the author of all fellowship, to grow back and become one with our neighbour again, so playing our part once more in the integration of the whole. Yet if such acts of secession are repeated frequently, they make it difficult for the recusant to achieve this reunion and restitution. A branch which has been partner of the tree's growth since the beginning, and has never ceased to share its life, is a different thing from one that has been grafted in again after a severance. As the gardeners say, it is of the same tree, but not of the same mind.

* Reprinted from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Maxwell Staniforth, Penguin Books, 1984, pp. 168-169

** Portrait bust of Marcus Aurelius Roman, Antonine period, A.D. 161-180, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (photo by New York Scugnizzo)

Download the Latest Edition of 'Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto'

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New Book: Political Engagement and Popular Print in Spanish Naples, 1503-1707

Forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Political Engagement and Popular Print in Spanish Naples, 1503-1707 by Laura Incollingo

Publisher: Brill Academic Pub
Publication Date: November 20, 2024
Hardcover: $151.00
Language: English
Pages:244

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Wednesday’s Child

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams dancing to Goo Goo Muck by the Cramps

Wednesday’s child is full of woe. [1]

Try as I might, I cannot fully escape the gratuitous sex and violence or the unwanted political and social commentary by online dullards. The negativity is ubiquitous and inevitably creeps into my timeline. The same also goes for vacuous celebrity news and gossip. Normally, I pay them no heed and scroll right past the inanity, but the recent controversy concerning actress Jenna Ortega's identity caught my attention and I thought I would briefly weigh in on the topic.

For those of you who are unaware, some irate internet trolls with nothing better to do have taken to calling Miss Ortega a “fake Latina” and a “gringa” because she is not fluent in Spanish. The American-born actress responded to the offensive accusations by saying she felt “shame” and commendably expressed a desire to be more “in touch” with her Hispanic (i.e., Mexican and Puerto Rican) roots. Unfamiliar with her work, all I know is that she played Wednesday in the titular Addams Family spin-off released on Netflix in 2022. From what I gather the show was quite successful and very popular with young people. I attempted to watch it for this write-up, but it was a little too jejune and girl-bossy for my taste.

So what does any of this have to do with us? Like the pochos (American-born Mexicans), we Italian Americans take a lot of abuse from our kinfolk back in the old country, many of whom vehemently despise and disavow us. In our case, this is mostly due to "embarrassing" cultural differences, but also for not speaking the language properly or at all. Can’t say I blame them in some cases, I find many of my ethnic compatriots to be shameful and undesirable myself, but this has nothing to do with language. At the same time, let's not pretend that Italy was spared the corrupting scourge of Western Modernity. The degree of subversion may vary, but neither side emerged unscathed. Globalism is doing to the Italians what Americanism is doing to the diaspora.

It should also come as no surprise that people often try to make me feel ashamed for not speaking Italian. What’s curious about this is, Italian is not even my ancestral tongue. My ancestors left Italy for America at the turn of the twentieth century and very likely only spoke their native Neapolitan and Sicilian languages. If by some miracle my family did not assimilate and were able to pass their languages on to me, Italian would in all likelihood not have been one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I'd prefer to be multilingual and it would be better if I was, but I'm not and I don’t feel any less Italian for it.

Born and raised in America, the blood coursing through my veins is still Southern Italian (Neapolitan and Sicilian). My nationality is American, but my ethnicity is Italian. People can learn a language but they can't change their ethnicity. I didn't magically turn into an Englishman just because I speak English. For the same reasons, Miss Ortega is Latina (Mexican and Puerto Rican), whether she speaks Spanish or not. [2] Italian and Spanish speakers may not like it, but it doesn’t change the reality. Now, if I were of mixed ancestry (some would argue that being Neapolitan and Sicilian is mixed ancestry), that would be a whole other conversation, and I'm not prepared to wade into that hornet's nest just yet.

Now culturally, I am a hybrid. I was raised to love my Southern Italian heritage and folkways and I jealously guard the customs, values, and traditions that were passed down to me as best I can. At the same time, my parents exposed me to other cultures in an attempt to broaden my horizons. Because of this, I've adopted many customs of these United States and I'm an unabashed Anglophile (not to mention Francophile, Hispanophile, et al.). I know it's an unpopular opinion to harbor today, but I have a deep admiration for the founding stock of our country and by extension the British Isles. Too complex to explain here, I will happily expand on this at a later date.

I don’t know where Jenna Ortega stands on any of these issues, nor do I care. I also don't care what any of the naysayers think. Petty gatekeepers be damned, we're Duosiciliano Americans. Our lineage and culture hails from Southern Italy and we should do everything in our power to strengthen ties and work with our brethren back in our ancestral homeland and scattered around the world. We are an organic outgrowth of ancient peoples and embody the noble spirit of our forbears. Our faith, traditions, and ancestors are our identity. Without them we are nothing.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, September 3rd, Feast of St. Pius X

Notes
[1] Excerpt from “Monday’s Child,” a nursery rhyme by an unknown author first published in 1838 in A.E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire, Vol. II, pp.287-288. Being a Wednesday child myself, one of the few things I enjoyed about Netflix's Wednesday was the discovery of this poem:

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace.
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go.
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living.
And the child born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.

[2] You can argue that she is not really Mexican or Puerto Rican because she is mixed, but she is undeniably Latina. The Oxford Languages definition is clear: "a woman or girl of Latin American origin or descent."

Meridiunalata: “Nu Frato” by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia

Reprinted from Cav. Charles Sant'Elia's Meridiunalata / Southernade, an evocative bilingual collection of poetry written in Neapolitan and translated to English between 1989 and 2010.*

Nu Frato

Frato mio bello ca cierte ntaglie
E sculture sapive fà,
Ca tu fusse ancora cà
Pe me disegnà nu poco ‘e vita,
Fuorze dint’a nu quatro
O na statolella o nu busto.
Ca i’ fosse pittore pe fà ‘o ritratto tujo
Ca siécule appriesso vedésseno
L’uocchie tuoje ch’hanno veduto sulo
Bellezza ncopp’’o munno.
‘A quanno ‘o Signore te pigliaje
Simmo nuje ‘e muorte
Senza ogge e dimane.
Papà se cagnaje ‘o nomme
Ca quanno ‘a gente ‘o chiammava
Isso te senteva ‘annummenà.
‘O’ sebburco tujo nun nce puteva
Manco méttere chelle léttere
Ca nce dicéveno alluccanno
Ca tu nun staje chiù int’’a sta casa.

A Brother

My handsome brother who knew how to make
certain carvings
And sculptures,
Would that you were still here
To design a little bit of life for me,
Perhaps a picture
Or a little statue or a bust.
Would that I were a painter to do your portrait
So that centuries later they’d see
Your eyes that saw only
Beauty in the world.
Since the Lord took you
We are the dead ones
Without today or tomorrow.
Papa changed his name
For when people called him
He heard your name being called.
Even on your grave He couldn’t put those letters
That said shouting to us
That you are no longer in this house.

* Self-published in 2010, Meridiunalata / Southernade is a treasury of poems gleaned from Cav. Sant'Elia's previous collections (Nchiuso dint''o presente, 'A cuntrora, and 'O pino e l'éllera), which were circulated among friends in New York City and Naples. Special thanks to Cav. Sant'Elia for allowing us to reprint his poetry and translations.

Photo of the Week: Atena, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Photo of the Week: Afrodite with Dolphin, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Afrodite with Dolphin, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Babylon's Burning

Nero and the Great Fire of Rome, 64 AD

“We all know our country’s current trajectory isn’t going to end well, but what can we do about it? We need to consider a national divorce, i.e., secession.” ~ Eric Sammons @ EricRSammons, X, Monday, July, 29, 2024 (3:06 PM)

The closer we get to the U.S. presidential election, the harder it is to ignore the sheer evil of American politics and by extension the duplicitous legacy media. Bombarded online with every type of propaganda imaginable and surrounded by unhinged ideologues of every stripe everywhere I go, it is utterly impossible not to get caught up in the madness. People attacking me and trying to persuade me one way or the other has only strengthened my resolve to steer clear of the whole bloody mess.

I never believed in the democratic process and the unsavory events of recent years have only served to further vindicate my opprobrium. Even if I were to vote, living in a non-battleground state makes my ballot count for naught anyway. Whatever the results of the election are in November, you can be sure all hell is going to break loose because neither side trusts or likes one another. Accusations of “voter fraud,” “stealing the election,” “tampering,” you name it, will be trumpeted by the losers—and rightfully so. The system is broken and stinks to high Heaven.

So what do we do? Well, as the saying goes, “Drastic times call for drastic measures.” In an ideal world, we would all just finally come to our senses and behave like normal, rational people and work towards national reconciliation. Since we don’t live in an ideal world and delusional left-wing psychoses have reached critical mass, we should realistically consider national divorce, no matter how outlandish it may sound.

A longtime proponent of secession, I’m always excited to see the idea bandied about in public forums. While nowhere near as popular as it needs to be to realistically consider it an option, we’ve come a long way from my teenage years when the very suggestion of breaking up these United States was inconceivable and met with derision and scorn. Granted, as crazy as it may sound, back in those days I naïvely championed the idea of a sizable autonomous Italian American ethnostate.

Ah, the folly of youth. Seeing how well we assimilated to the prevailing culture and succumbed to modern decadent Americanism (materialism, secularism, etc.), I’m not entirely sure I would want to be lumped together with many of my ethnic compatriots, with whom I have little or nothing in common, anymore. To be clear, being different per se is not the problem, I appreciate and respect pluralism, but it is leftism in all its pernicious and discordant forms (i.e., feminism, egalitarianism, totalitarianism, etc.) that I abhor.

Demoralized and degraded, I don’t believe the American people have the stomach to entertain such a difficult path, even if it is in our best interest to do so. One thing is for certain, the greedy parasites (rich and poor) won’t give up their reluctant hosts (rich and poor) without a fight. Therefore, if we can’t secede and forge a new nation, the only realistic and tenable options at our disposal are to secede as a community, as a family, or at the very least, as individuals. For a better understanding of what I'm advocating here, see the Benedict (Dreher) and Bernard (Salvo) options.

Babylon's burning and our soi-disant leaders fiddle. Corrupt, inept, and evil, the government actively hates us, let alone represents us. Their actions prove it. If you have to be convinced of these facts today, you are utterly hopeless. Working outside the system (electoral politics), it is our duty as counter-revolutionaries to rebuild healthy communities, raise God-fearing families, and see to the salvation of our eternal souls. In a world gone mad, upholding Altar and Hearth are drastic measures.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 22, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Remembering S.A.R. Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Princess of Bourbon Two Sicilies and Countess of Bardi

21 January 1855 – 23 August 1874

In memory of S.A.R. Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Princess of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Countess of Bardi, daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

A Look at the 2024 Feast of Santa Rosalia on 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Santa Rosalia, ora pro nobis

(L) Outdoor shrine with reclining statue. (R) Processional statue

I picked up a few prayer cards at the shrine for friends and family

Grilling the Stigghiola at Lucy's Sausage Stand

Calamari alla griglia

Polpo alla griglia

Spiedini di gamberi alla griglia

Ham hocks

Stigghiola

Sfincione

Iris al forno

L'Artigiano Gelato Stand

New Book — The Mysteries of the Neapolitan Convents: With a Brief Sketch of the Early Life of the Authoress

New title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• The Mysteries of the Neapolitan Convents: With a Brief Sketch of the Early Life of the Authoress by Enrichetta Caracciolo Caracciolo

Publisher: Hensebooks
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
Hardcover: $39.95
Paperback: $34.90
Language: English
Pages:488

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Co-Naming the Southwest Corner of Mulberry & Grand Streets "Vincent 'Vinny Peanuts' Sabatino Corner"

Poster of Vincent "Vinny Peanuts" Sabatino

Tuesday afternoon, scores of community and family members came out to celebrate the official co-naming of the southwest corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets to “Vincent ‘Vinny Peanuts’ Sabatino Corner,” in memory of beloved Little Italy activist and proprietor of Vinny’s Nut House, the oldest Italian nut and nougat confectionery in New York City.

The veiled street sign

The community came out in force to honor local icon Vinny Peanuts

Vittorio Buonocore kicked off the festivities
with a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria

(Above & below) Friends and family fondly remembered Vinny Peanuts

(Above & below) Council Member Christopher Marte
presents family members with a replica sign

The Red Mike Band played some of Vinny's favorite Italian songs

The unveiled sign

Evviva San Rocco! A Look at the 135th Annual Feast of San Rocco di Potenza in Little Italy, New York

San Rocco, ora pro nobis

Despite the threat of rain, hundreds of devotees made their way to Most Precious Blood Church in Little Italy, New York, on Sunday for the 135th Annual Feast of San Rocco di Potenza. Thankfully the rain never came and the over three-hour-long procession through the bustling streets of Chinatown and Little Italy went off without a hitch. Evviva San Rocco!

(Above & below) After Mass, members of the San Rocco Society
depart Most Precious Blood Church with great fanfare

Society President Stephen La Rocca sang a
heartfelt rendition of Appresso al santo

Donations and ex-voto are attached to the statue

Outside the church, the saint is greeted by a throng of revelers

Our friends from the San Giuseppe Society
of Lodi, New Jersey, show their support

The Giglio Band

(Above & below) Departing Most Precious Blood Church the
procession wends its way through Chinatown and Little Italy

Makeshift roadside shrine with first-class relic of San Rocco
and 1905 standard was erected outside the Italian American
Emporium on the corner of Grand and Mulberry Streets

Perhaps unwisely, I decided to wear my vintage San Rocco Society ribbon for the occasion. At some point, during the opening ceremony, I lost the ribbon's ornate badge with the image of San Rocco. A friend pointed it out to me and my heart sank. Retracing my steps with the faint hope of finding it among the crowd and confetti proved to be unsuccessful. Petitioning Sant'Antonio di Padova as a last recourse, my friend immediately spotted the badge at the foot of the statue.

Recounting what had just happened to someone I met during the procession, he quibblingly said that I should have appealed to San Rocco instead. Unsure why he disapproved, especially since my entreaty was answered, I just smiled, nodded, and moved along. Obviously, I meant no disrespect to San Rocco, especially when you consider how often he has come through for me in the past, I just instinctively turned to Sant'Antonio, who is renowned for helping people find lost items. Considering the result, it seems I chose wisely.

(Before and After) My vintage San Rocco Society ribbon

Confetti littered street 

The recovered badge