The following docu-series, Greetings From Italian America, is a joint production from The Italian American Podcast and Italian Sons and Daughters of America.
Season 1
The Feast and History of San Gennaro, ep. 1
Little Italy’s San Gennaro Feast, one of the world’s largest celebrations, has endured for decades thanks to generations of Italian Americans. The 11-day “Feast of All Feasts” brings together time-honored traditions, cherished recipes and centuries of history. Join us as we explore it all.
Columbus Day: Then and Now, ep. 2
The holiday’s namesake navigator launched 500 years of immigration to America, attracting peoples from throughout the world seeking a better life for their families — this is the spirit we champion and are fighting to preserve.
Christmas in the Bronx, ep. 3
Arthur Avenue in the Bronx leads you straight into the warm glow of the Italian American Christmas experience. The Feast of the Seven Fishes, Natale antipasto, never-ending desserts, old school gifts and your fellow paesani can all be found in NYC’s real Little Italy.
The Old School New Haven, ep. 4
Authentic St. Joseph’s Day zeppole, to-die-for buffalo mozzarella, 150-year-old pizza ovens and the country’s highest percentage of Italian Americans can all be found in New Haven, Conn. Here, we turn back history’s pages and tap into our cherished heritage and culture.
St. Joseph’s Day, N’awlins-style, ep. 5
New Orleans’ Sicilian culture runs deep with parades and piles of al dente pasta. The city’s St. Joseph’s Day celebration was scaled back amid coronavirus concerns, but Rossella Rago and John Viola found that our traditions are alive and well in the Big Easy.
The Sicilian Side of New Orleans, ep. 6
New Orleans is the Italian America of the South, thanks to its muffuletta, music, heritage and history. In this episode, hosts John Viola and Rossella Rago visit the top 5 Italian and Sicilian sites, many of which have been in business for more than a century.
Natale Eve in Brooklyn, ep. 7
Brooklyn brings out the best of Italian America with old school traditions, gleaming decorations and generations of welcoming faces. Join hosts Rossella Rago and John Viola as they stroll down the wonderland streets of Dyker Heights for a special Christmas edition of Greetings From Italian America.
Blue Collar Meets Green/White/Red in Scranton, ep. 8
Traditions and customs handed down by our Italian ancestors are alive and well in Scranton, Penn. For this special edition of Greetings From Italian America, join hosts John Viola and Rossella Rago for a 6-stop tour of a blue collar city illuminated by feasts, faith, history and culture.
The Pittsburgh Shuffle, ep. 9
Pittsburgh’s Italian American culture runs deep, from its renowned bakeries and eateries that span generations, to its vibrant and fascinating history that gets to the heart of our heritage. Join hosts John Viola, Rossella Rago and Pat O’Boyle as they tour the Italian side of the Steel City!
Bowling for Baltimore, ep. 10
Home to some of the earliest Italian settlers, Baltimore is about as old school as it gets. Hosts Patrick O’Boyle and John M. Viola head to the heart of this storied enclave to answer one question: what makes a Little Italy?
Season 2
Finding Staten Italy in Staten Island, ep. 1
Staten Island is a beating heart of Italian American culture. From its old school bakeries and mom-and-pop storefronts, to its iconic figures who quite literally changed the world.
Italian San Diego, ep. 2
Winemakers and fishermen, these were the original Italian American laborers who settled not on the East Coast but the West Coast. In our new episode of Greetings From Italian America, we start in San Diego to uncover our ancestors’ early beginnings and explore the flourishing Little Italy that has risen up over the decades.
Old big city, new Little Italy: Welcome to San Pedro, L.A., ep. 3
Welcome to America’s newest Little Italy! The people, the places, and the immigrants who made it all possible, the San Pedro neighborhood felt just like home back on the East Coast.
Greetings From Italian Hollywood, ep. 4
Hidden Italian American gems dot the California landscape, from century-old vineyards and mom-and-pop delis, to museums, churches and towering monuments. Join John Viola, Rossella Rago and Patrick O’Boyle as they traverse Los Angeles in the latest episode of Greetings From Italian America!
San Francisco’s Italian American Heart, ep. 5
San Francisco, California has been called “Everybody’s Favorite City,” and we like to think that the nickname owes a lot to the significant Italian American community that has long called the City by the Bay home.
Brooklyn’s Perfect Presepio, ep. 6
Each year the residents of the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn are treated to an incredible display of ancient Neapolitan expression, known as a Presepio. It’s a Nativity scene that honors the blessed Feast of the Epiphany, and is set against an illustrative background of life in Naples, Italy.
A Little Town Named Westfield, ep. 7
While “Greetings From Italian America” often takes us to the far-flung corners of the country in search of the uniquely Italian American side of the United States, this time we’re staying close to home in the gorgeous little town of Westfield, NJ. This hotbed of Italian culture is often noted for its perfect mix of suburban charm and urban creativity… and we think much of the credit should go to this town’s proud Italian American population.
Buona Palme from Newark, N.J., ep. 8
Palm weaving is an Italian custom that goes back generations. Today, the Cicalese Sisters are keeping this incredible art alive.
Tne Almighty Giglio Rises Again, ep. 9
Feast your eyes on Brooklyn’s larger-than-life Giglio celebration. Dating back to 1887, the Olmcfeast pays tribute to San Paolino, who, centuries ago, risked his life to rescue Italian women and children. The history, tradition and Herculean spectacle make this one of the most important and impactful Italian American feasts in the country.
Welcome to Tontitown: the “Italy of the Ozarks”, ep. 10
Some of the finest fruits of Italian American life exist well off the beaten path, and few places bring the story of Italian immigration to life quite like Tontitown — the “Italy of the Ozarks.” Join hosts John Viola, Rossella Rago and Patrick O’Boyle as they stomp their way through this grape Mecca in the latest episode of “Greetings From Italian America.”
Love at First Bite in South Brooklyn, ep. 11
Ferdinando’s Focacceria, the oldest Sicilian restaurant in America, has been serving up Palermo-style street food since 1904. It’s truly love at first bite at this South Brooklyn eatery.
