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Lou Thomas
Posts
To see Italian-inspired architecture, take a good look close to home
Did you know that an Italian inspired the design of the White House, Monticello and the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Andrea Palladio was born in...
Norristown-born Tommy Lasorda bled Dodger blue and made baseball history
Tommy Lasorda was born on Sept. 22, 1927, in Norristown, Pa. His parents Sabino and Carmella were born in Tollo in Abruzzo. Many Italian Americans...
Billionaire titan equally at home in the boardroom and the soccer field
Did you know that an Italian-American billionaire owns both a U.S. cable company and an Italian soccer team? Rocco Commisso was born Nov. 25, 1949,...
Mnemonic tricks can help students master finer points of Italian grammar
Did you know that “a very prude man” helps you remember passato prossimo, or the past perfect tense, the most challenging concept to learn in...
The truth about Nutella, cappuccino, etc. – a holiday grab-bag of Italian tidbits
Did you know that Nutella is a made-up name? Did you know that coffee is cheaper than you think, and it’s against the law to...
Some of moviedom’s first caper comedies appeared in Italian cinema
A caper film is a parody of a theft, kidnapping or a burglary gone wrong. The gang leader is often misguided. He leads a band...
A World War II Italian translator became an auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia
Louis DeSimone was born Feb. 21, 1922, in Philadelphia; His parents Anthony and Nicolina DeSimone were Italian immigrants. He was raised in Bridgeport, Pa., and...
How an Italian prodigy became the world’s top-ranked tennis player at age 22
Jannik Sinner was born in San Candido near the Dolomites in Northern Italy near the Austrian border on Aug. 16, 2001. His parents Hanspeter and...
Did you ever wonder why the winner of Giro d’Italia wears a pink jersey?
Giro d’Italia is Italy’s premier cycling race which began in 1909. The winner is awarded la maglia rosa (pink jersey). Pink is the color of...