Neighborhood News from Little Italy, Baltimore

maggio / May 2024

IN THIS ISSUE ...

Vaccaro owners honored in business
Taste of Italy packs Lodge
St. Leo's pastor to discuss status of parishes
Deadline extended for student scholarship essay
Italian orgs visit Italian Embassy
They rolled how many meatballs???
June's Italian Festival schedule and other events
Vintage photos
Thoughts from our readers

Around the neighborhood

Grazie, Maria & Nick Vaccaro!

Restauranteurs honored by community

as family-owned business

Eat. Sleep. Cannoli. Repeat. ... Powered by Cannoli ... those two T-shirt graphics sum up the hard work in a cannoli shell for Maria and Nick Vaccaro (pictured center with their son, Dominic, right) as they were honored April 24th by Promotion Center for Little Italy and 50 members of the Italian American business community. In Promotion Center's second annual Business to Business Breakfast (hosted by Vaccaro's), the couple was recognized for carrying on Nick's father's legacy of Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop, which Gioacchino Vaccaro (inset) established in 1956 as an Italian immigrant. Known as "Mr. Jimmy," Vaccaro was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily and brought his family's recipes to America, along with his knowledge of producing the finest Siciliano pastries Baltimoreans had ever tasted. Soon after opening, it was evident Vaccaro's cannoli and rum cake had created a sensation in our city.

After serving a delicious "powered by cannoli" breakfast of Vacarro's panini, caprese, cannoli, and biscotti, Maria & Nick were presented with gifts of a canvas congratulatory certificate, a St. Michaels/MD weekend getaway, and cannoli-related T-shirts, from Promotion Center for Little Italy co-founders (pictured on left), Director Suzanna Molino and Ray Alcaraz. Maryland Delegate Nino Mangione presented a Proclamation from the Maryland General Assembly.

This event was born in 2023 to honor Baltimore's Italian family-owned businesses and acknowledged the Vaccaro couple specifically for their enormous and tireless generosity throughout Little Italy. Maria & Nick show up again and again for neighborhood organizations, especially Saint Leo's Church, with donations of cookies, gift cards, and trays of cannoli.

"Such generous souls, the Vaccaros," said Molino. "Like their cannoli is stuffed with creamy ricotta filling, their hearts are stuffed with pure gold."

Vaccaro’s has grown to include sit-down cafés in three locations and a state-of-the-art production facility, warehouse, and corporate office on East Baltimore Street. But they serve more than pastries, cannoli, Italian cookies, and cakes. Their menu includes hearty panini, muffaletta, soups, salads, gelato, and sundaes. They also offer a full coffee bar including espresso and cappucino; and beer, wine & spirits.

"When it comes to doing business in Little Italy," said Alcaraz, "just ask Nick and Maria Vaccaro, who built a reputation of making and serving excellent desserts. They keep Little Italy in the forefront, even with shops in other locations. Little Italy is a destination - and businesses can thrive here if you embrace the neighborhood as they do."

Attendees supporting the second annual Business to Business Breakfast received a complimentary Vaccaro's coffee mug filled with biscotti. Maria & Nick Vaccaro donated the $25 per seat ticket sales back to Promotion Center for Little Italy - just another typical gesture of generosity of how they interact in Little Italy.

During its Taste of Italy dinner, the committee honored Dr. Paul Rao for his many years of support to the Italian American community and his tireless efforts as a Foundation President 2018 - 2022.

24th Annual Taste of Italy packs Little Italy Lodge

The 24th annual Taste of Italy dinner April 28 hosted by the Little Italy Lodge Scholarship Foundation at the Little Italy Lodge drew a packed hall of close to 200 guests. A delicious menu was prepared by Chef Mark Orendorff with volunteers serving a plate by plate feast of an extensive antipasto bar, wild mushroom ravioli, short ribs with creamy polenta, and Vaccaro's cannoli cake. Two "pop-up" soloists from Towson University roamed the room poetically singing operatic Italian songs. "Small Miracles" provided the music, featuring mom/daughter duo, Chicky Peluso and Michele Petti.

In its 25th year, this event is the premier fundraiser for the Foundation, which grants varying amounts of scholarships to high school and college students of Italian descent. View information below to learn how to apply by May 20, 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year.

High school & college students of Italian descent can earn scholarships

Little Italy Lodge Foundation's La Famiglia Scholarship is still open for the 2024-2025 school year. Last year, $38,000 was awarded to seven recipients, and the Foundation hopes to far exceed that amount this year. They have extended the application deadline until May 20, 2024. Visit littleitalyfoundation.org/application.

SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY QUESTION

“With the changing demographics of our society, what unique challenges does your generation face in preserving and continuing the Italian traditions that your parents and grandparents cherish and have passed on to you? How would you address those challenges?”

Little Italy Lodge General Meeting

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

6 PM social hour

7 PM meeting

905 E. Pratt Street, Little Italy

FEATURED SPEAKER

Father Bernie Carman

Pastor, St. Leo's Church

Father Bernie will brief Lodge members and guests on the status to consolidate parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore - and the plans for our parish, including a Q&A session. ALL ARE WELCOME.

Social Hour 6-7 PM
Italian cold-cut sandwiches for purchase
Cash bar
Free parking in Lodge lot and along streets

Two Italian groups day-trip-it

to Italian Embassy

A May 3rd day trip to the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. was a full bus of Italian Americans & friends representing ACIM/American Citizens for Italian Matters and the Towson Dulaney #2292 Sons of Italy Lodge. The group was an audience to three Embassy officials describing their responsibilities; they then feasted on un pranzo delizioso (a delicious lunch) at Maggiano's Italian restaurant in D.C.'s Little Italy. Photos courtesy Cameo Studios / Fil Caccamisi

Despite it being Cinco de Mayo and a rainy day, St. Leo's spring Carryout Ravioli Dinner on Sunday, May 5th, was a success. Volunteers served close to 50 meatball and sausage subs, and 360 ravioli and spaghetti dinners.

The meatball-making session a few days prior consisted of 14 volunteers in the School hall rolling 2,300 meatballs by hand in three hours ... mamma mia! Grazie a tutti.

LINA's monthly meeting

Tuesday, May 21

7 PM

Little Italy Lodge

905 E. Pratt Street

Neighborhood residents and business owners are welcome from Little Italy, Avalon, Scarlett Place, Trinity Apartments, and Canal Street Malt House.

Doors open 6:30 PM
Italian food for purchase
Cash Bar
Free parking in Lodge lot and along streets

Blast from the past

Submitted by Stacey Waibel

August 1956

"Rita Petti Templeman, Elizabeth 'Betty' Tilghman Waibel, and Josephine 'Josie' Petti Mingioni on Betty’s wedding day to Augie Waibel in South Baltimore at Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea. Rita and Josie Petti are from Little Italy, brother of John Petti. My mother, Betty, and the Petti sisters were friends for over 70 years."

Submitted by Amanda Shaffer

June 27, 1954

"My grandmother, Italia 'Dolly' Frate, grew up in Little Italy

and married Joseph Pasko in Saint Leo's Church."

submit your vintage photo >>>

Include caption, people ID, location, approximate year, and your name.

Photos must be Little Italy or Italian immigrant-related.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND A PHOTO OF A PHOTO.

First scan the photo before emailing it.

Little Italy events

Italian-related events elsewhere

from our e-mailbox

"I want you to know how much I enjoy receiving this newsletter once a month. Thank you for all the hard work it must take in preparing this info."

~ Donna Lipin

"My family and I were delighted to see the article about our dear Uncle Guy Sardella in April's Neighborhood News from Little Italy. We thank you for featuring the article and for adding very interesting additional details from your book. Many members of the family had not known much of our uncle's accomplishments. We made sure they received a copy of the article. We remain proud of him and only wish our progenitori could have enjoyed the read.

Our father Tony Sr. was raised in Little Italy and worked in the building construction trade. We are related to other Little Italy notable families you may recognize: Pompa, Matricciani, Fiastro, Panzarella. Our dad was active in the community serving as an officer in the Saint Gabriel Society and the Italian American Civic Club. He also enjoyed cooking for the St. Leo's spaghetti / ravioli dinners. His calzone stuffing recipe may be still used for the street festivals. I remember once he was insulted when Father Mike compared my father's recipe to a New York Puerto Rican version."

~ Sincerely and gratefully yours, Denise & Tony Cellinese