Boze Hadleigh - 492 Great Things About Being Italian

Copyright 2015 by Boze Hadleigh

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file

Cover design by Jane Sheppard

Cover photo credit: Thinkstock

Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-534-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-51070-080-2

Printed in China

By the same author:

Holy Cow!

An Actor Succeeds

Celebrity Diss & Tell

Broadway Babylon

Celebrity Feuds!

DEDICATION

To Ronnie and the memory of my Grandmother Leoni

and fond nods to James Sabatino and Enrico Melchiori

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As always, grazie mille to Ronnie and to Linda.

Very special thanks to agent Gene Brissie, editor Catherine Kovach, and publicist Sara Winkelman.

Also to acknowledge Connie Becchio, Anthony Bruno, Luciano Mangiafico, Ron Marasco, Joyce Mehess, the late Mario Pei, Anne Salvatore, Mary Stark, the late Gore Vidal, and William Zanghi, Ph.D.

But who has done more for art and beauty and
good cooking than Italy? Name one....
racecar champion Mario Andretti

There are two laws in the universe: the law of gravity,
and everyone likes Italian food.
Neil Simon

In a very real sense, Italian culture shaped Europe,
and then Europe shaped America.
Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Italiano)

The impact of Rome... every fourth or fifth word of more
than one syllable that we speak in English is from Latin.
linguist Mario Pei

Italian Americans have very much to be proud of,
combining these two creative and energetic cultures.
Sophia Loren

INTRODUCTION

T he fact that this books subjects had to be limited to 492as in the year 1492, which would have made this a trilogyis proof of the overflowing richness of Italys culture and descendants. After doing all the fascinating research, Im convinced Italy is one of a handful of nations that has contributed the most to our world.

I could have included yet another artist, another singer or actor, another soccer player, another delicious food or beautiful town, etc. But at who or what elses expense? Again: only 492....

Plus its a book of positives. Here you wont find Al Capone, the Borgias, or Charles Ponzi. Of the far less notorious, the author had to choose whom to omitnot difficult when so many deserve inclusion. Thus, also omitted are a major but particularly anti-Semitic early-Hollywood director, a middle-famous singer known for wife-beating, and a super-famous singer known for his gangster connections and threatening manners. Naturally missing are Mussolini (excepting the inspiration for his first name) and his fascists.

Then theres the question of religion. Most Italians and Italian Americans are Catholics, as is this authors mother (whose mother was a Leoni). Theres no separating Italys history from that of the Church, but although tempted, I omit the current pope, the first one from the Americasan Argentine Italiansince some might then ask, what about previous popes? Etc. ( Et cetera is included.)

Theres also not a lot here about ancient Rome, most of which was impressive but often negative: dictator Julius Caesar, his great-nephew Augustus who instituted that long line of power-clenching emperors; imperialism and conquest, slavery and gladiators, etc., etc. Besides, ancient Rome is pretty remote from us, excepting the wide-ranging influence of Latin, e.g., terracotta (baked earth). Also e.g.

In this book, non-English and non-Italian words are italicized ( a-ha! : ital-icized), including those in Latin and French, one of the globe-spanning Latin languagesthe author speaks three, among them la bella lingua.

So, caro readerbe you Italian American, half, actually Italian, or none of the aboveit is my hope that youll be entertained and enlightened by this labor of love. I guarantee youll be surprised, as I was, by the sheer range of Italian contributions, and I am sure anyone with a drop of Italian blood will finish this book even prouder of their heritage.

Viva lItalia!

Boze Hadleigh

Beverly Hills, CA

LAccademia di Belle Arte (Academy of Fine Arts) in Florence was Europes first art school, founded in 1563 specifically to teach the techniques of drawing, painting, and sculpture. Its art collectionthe Galleria dellAccademiawas begun in 1784 to provide subjects for students to study and copy. The gallery includes paintings by Bronzino, Ghirlandaio, Lippi, and Pontormo, but the most notable of the Academys artworks is Michelangelos David, one of the two or three most famous statues in the world.

Aida was composed by Giuseppe Verdi to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal and debuted at Cairos new opera house in 1871. Its been playing somewhere ever since. Perhaps unintendedly, it was a pioneering interracial love story, for the main male character is Egyptian (Radames, a general) and the main female character is an Ethiopian slave (the daughter of Ethiopias king). Radames hopes in vain to marry Aida, but the pharaohs daughter Amneris is in love with him. To make a long opera short, hes accused of treason, sentenced to death, and entombed alive in a temple where his love has already hidden herself, so the two can die in each others arms.

Alfa Romeo . Most countries produce one or two world-class sports cars. For instance, Germany has the Porsche and Britain has the Jaguar. However, Italy has Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maseratiall originally separate companies, all but one now owned by FIAT (which also owns Chrysler). Alfa Romeos history is more complex than its cousins and originally involved French co-ownership, though from 1932 to 1986 it belonged to an Italian state holding company. The initial name was A.L.F.A.Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, founded in Milan in 1910. One of its Italian investors was surnamed Romeo.

The firms first racing car bowed in 1913 and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural Grand Prix in 1925. To stay profitable after World War II, the company offered smaller cars as well, and in 1954 introduced the Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, in production until 1994. In the 1960s and 70s Alfa Romeo had a run of successful sporty consumer cars and took first prize in several motorsport categories, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing, and rallies. The Alfa Romeo image is sportif , deluxe, and Italian high-quality. The company logoa red cross on the left, a serpent devouring a man on the rightis basically the Milanese coat of arms.

Alfredo sauce was created in the early 1920s by Roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lello for his renowned Fettucine Alfredo. An instant success, it comprised heavy cream, butter, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Subsequent versions may employ egg yolks, flour, and garlic. Created for pasta, the rich sauce is now also used with chicken, vegetables, and other choices, and is manufactured by numerous concerns, e.g., Newmans Own Alfredo Pasta Sauce.