I l Me s sa g g io
V e r m o nt It a l ia n C u lt u ra l A s s oc ia ti o n
P . O . B ox 3 15 5 B u r l in g t on V T 0 5 4 08
An organization dedicated to
promoting and preserving
Italian culture in Vermont
Inside this issue:
Famous Italians
VICA Member News
VICA Member News (cont.)
Italy in the News
Community Calendar
Upcoming VICA Events
Who We Are - Audry Rini
VICA Board Members
Contact these people for information or help
about any VICA activities:
President Adele Dienno 802-862-2595
Vice-Presidents Don Catalano: 802 660-
8914/Barbara Guiduli 802-862-4200
Secretary Carol Usher 802-863-2487
Treasurer Audry Rini 802-878-0990
Board Julie Bonanno, Adrienne Donohue,
Barbara Marden, Nancy Specht, David Usher
Il Messaggio Publication Dates
Quarterly, Mar 1, June 1, Sept. 1, Dec. 1
Deadlines for submissions: 15 days prior to
publication.
Submit content to causher@gmail.com
Membership
Anyone wanting to join VICA can do so by
contacting Carol Usher at 802 863-2487 or
causher@gmail.com for an application. Member-
ship is $25. annually for individuals, $35. for
families, and $15. for students.
You can choose an electronic or a paper
copy of Il Messaggio by contacting the
editor.
VICA Website: www.vtitalians.com
Il Messaggio
© Students with Disabilities in Italian Schools
Did you
know that
Italy is well
known inter-
nationally for
being a
leader in the
2
field of edu-
cating stu-
3 Italy identifies only 1%-2% of its children and
dents with
disabilities in typical classrooms? Histori-
4 cally known in Italy as "Integrazione Sco-
lastica", the vast majority of students with
5 a full range of disabilities are educated in
general education classrooms alongside
6 their peers without disabilities. This began
in the 1970s when Italy enacted national
7 legislation and policies that virtually elimi-
nated special education schools and classes
8 in favor of providing special education
supports for students with disabilities in
typical classrooms. Around the same time
the United States also enacted a law (IDEA
- Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act) favoring the placement of students
with disabilities in general education
classes -- though the two countries have
taken quite different paths.
The US approach to including students
with disabilities has been slow and incre-
mental, whereas when Italy made this shift,
they did so all at once. From the 1970s to
2010, the percent of US students with dis-
abilities placed in general education classes
has risen from about 30% to 57%. There is
tremendous variability between States and
the vast majority of students in certain
categories (e.g., those with intellectual
disabilities) are mostly excluded from gen-
eral education classes. Once enacting their
national policies, Italy's percentage re-
mained at approximately 98%-99%
throughout that same time frame and they
include the categories of students we tend
to exclude.
Fall – September 2010
Volume 12 Issue 3
Here in Vermont we have had a long his-
tory of being a national leader in the inclusion
of students with disabilities in general educa-
tion classes, being ranked first in the nation for
many years, until about 5 years ago. Since the
early 1990s the percent of students with dis-
abilities included in general education classes
has declined from 89% to approximately 70%
in recent years. It is also interesting to note that
youth as "disabled", compared to 12%-14%
here in the US. For example, children we label
as "learning disabled" are not considered
"disabled" in Italy.
As professors in the Education Depart-
ments at the University of Vermont and St.
Michael's College (and both former special
education teachers), we are studying the Italian
approach to educating students with disabilities
to see what we can learn that might help us
improve educational practices here in Vermont
and nationally. If you have experience or
knowledge about schooling in Italy (e.g., you
were a student or worked in the Italian
school system within the past 10 years) or if
you have school contacts in Italy you are
willing to share, we hope you will contact us.
We are at the earliest stages of exploring Italian
schooling for children with disabilities and
hope to visit Italian schools in 2011.
Authors:
Michael Giangreco (Professor, UVM Ed Dept)
Michael.Giangreco@uvm.edu (656-1144)
Mary Beth Doyle (St. Michael's College)
mdoyle@smcvt.edu (654-2279)
Page 2 Il Messaggio

Famous Italians...

The number of Italian greats is awe-inspiring. Here’s how they are listed in Luigi Barzini’s well-known book,
The Italians (1964). How many do you know?

The saints: Saint Francis, Santa Catarina da Siena, San Bernardino da Siena, San Luigi Gonzaga, Saint Thomas
of Aquino. The sinners: the Borgia family (Spanish but acclimatized), Cellini, Caravaggio, Cagliostro,
Casanova. The political thinkers: Dante Alighieri, King Frederick of Hohenstaufen of the two Sicilies (born in
Italy, the inventor of the modern state, the 'state as a work of art'), Lorenzo de Medici (inventor of the 'balance of
power'), Machiavelli, Guicciardini, Mazzini, Cavour. The military leaders: Giovanni dalle Bande Nere,
Raimondo Montecuccoli (who led Austrian armies), Napoleon, Garibaldi. The admirals: Andrea Doria,
Mocenigo, Morosini, Bragadin, Caracciolo. The scientists: Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Volta, Marconi,
Fermi. The navigators: Columbus, Vespucci, the Cabots. The thinkers: Saint Thomas of Aquino, Campanella,
Croce, Vico. The poets: Dante Alighieri, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Leopardi, Manzoni. The sculptors: Verrocchio,
Donatello, Ghiberti, delia Robbia, Cellini, Michelangelo, Bernini. The painters: Giotto, Botticelli, Fra Angelico,
Leonardo da Vinci, Piero de la Francesca, Perugino, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Tiepolo,
Modigliani. The musicians: Palestrina, Pergolesi, Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti,
Puccini, Toscanini.

Get a 3-D portrait of your pet in wool

wooliedales@gmail.com- 802-863-2487
www.wooliedales.com
 Page 3
VICA Member News
The Pelligrini (Pilgrims) Story
by Aimée Motta
Luigi Bartolo Pellegrini, my great grandfather, was
born in Bogliaco on the western shore of Lake Garda. Lake
Garda is the largest lake in Italy and borders three regions –
Lombardia, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto. Bogliaco is
part of the province of Brescia in the region of Lombardia.
As a youth, Luigi was known as one of the fastest swimmers
and would plunge to the bottom of the lake for coins thrown
in by tourists.
Luigi graduated from high school and began to pur-
sue the priesthood at a seminary in Brescia. In time, he felt
a calling for the life of a teacher and left the seminary for
college. Upon graduation, Luigi was assigned to Capovalle,
a most beautiful village in the Italian Alps northwest of
Bogliaco. Luigi met Caterina Graziotti, the daughter of a
very established farmer, whom he would marry a year later.
Their life in Capovalle brought five children, the
oldest being Maria, my nonni. The salary of an elementary
school teacher was not enough for the family and thus Luigi
set off for the United States upon hearing from a cousin who
had found success after a short period of time.
Luigi worked numerous jobs – selling newspapers in
New York City, washing dishes in a hotel, working in a coal
mine in Pennsylvania and lastly a dye house in Clifton, New
Jersey. At this point, he had saved enough money and wrote
to Caterina to inform her that she and the children could now
come to America.
In November of 1898, the journey of a young
woman and five children under the age of ten began with the
ride on a mule from Capovalle to Brescia. The children sat
in a basket purposely made to hold them, while Caterina
walked on one side and the owner of the mule on the other.
Upon arrival in Brescia, the family boarded a train to Genoa
and finally the steamship bound for America. The trip on
the steamship in steerage took seventeen days. The crude
bunks and constant inflow of water made the journey an un-
happy time for the children. Caterina, with her melodious
voice, cheered the five little ones by singing lullabies.
Arrival at Ellis Island did not bring the anticipated
joy for the family. Caterina had sadly lost Luigi’s address
during the frightening ocean crossing and they were not able
to leave. Each day, the immigration authorities threatened to
Il Messaggio
deport the family and so Caterina would tell the children
to cry and scream as they approached. With the officers’
compassion, the family stayed for seven days until Luigi
ultimately showed up even though he never did receive a
telegram from Caterina.
The Pellegrini family settled into a home in
Clifton, New Jersey, where five more children were
added to the clan. Luigi moved onto the position of man-
aging the tools at a machine shop where his accurate re-
cord accounted for every tool at the plant. He taught Ital-
ian to the children of the Italian immigrants, which al-
lowed many people to keep the connection with their
relatives on the other side of the Atlantic. Caterina and
Luigi cultivated a large garden, raised hens for the eggs,
and goats for the milk. Caterina kept a few boarders and
cooked for them, washed their clothes (the washboard
way), and tidied their bedrooms.
In 1998, the Pellegrini family celebrated one
hundred years in America in the parish hall of the church
where the original family attended. Ninety-eight of the
nearly two hundred descendents of the Luigi and Caterina
Pellegrini family were in attendance.
This account came from speaking with my Zia
Angela (the second oldest) and from reading her story
that she published for the family. She lived to be 91. I
am blessed with a wonderful heritage.
Italian Trivia:
Once upon a time, a bachelor who lived with his parents was
called a mammone. Lately, though, the term bamboccione has
entered the the public discourse when referring to Italian men
who remain at home after the age of 30.
In fact, a recent report by Istat (Istituto nazionale di statis-
tica—the Italian National Institute of Statistics) noted that "an
increasing number of young adults are simply forced to stay
with their families because they can't find work or affordable
housing. The number of 30-34-year-olds who are still living
with their parents, despite wanting to move out, rose from
11.8% to 28.9% between 1983 and 2009."
Page 4
VICA Member News Continued...
The Amici Welcomes Student
The Amici met for lunch at the Ice House in Burlington
in July to hear guest speaker Filippo Magnani, who was
visiting Vermont from Italy and staying at the home of
VICA members Carol and David Usher. Magnani at-
tends the Bocconi University in Milan, where he com-
mutes from his hometown of Olgiate Molgora in the
region of Lecco north of Milan.
Magnani spoke about the Italian school system
and his experiences with choosing the path of study af-
forded Italian students. He addressed such cultural dif-
ferences as economics, job availability, family relation-
ships, and drug and alcohol use among students.
An enthusiastic group of VICA members at-
tended. Professor Michael Giangreco of UVM and his
wife Mary Beth Doyle of St. Michael’s College had a
particular interest in hearing Magnani because they are
anticipating a sabbatical tour in Italy to study their spe-
cial education system (see front page story). Professor
Gino Moretti, a retired consultant in the aerodynamic
industry in the U.S. who spends his retirement writing
and painting, attended with his daughter to hear a fellow
native-speaker. Franco and Wilma Gatti, who arranged
for Magnani’s visit, had earlier IBM connections with
the Magnani family who worked in Essex Junction for a
season. Filippo, who was 4 years old when they lived in
Essex Junction, was motivated to take this trip to relive
some of his childhood memories of America even as we
Italian-Americans pursue ours of our Italian heritage.
I l M e s s a g g i o
VICA Member Celebrates 85th Birthday
VICA member Doris Dattilio Mitchell celebrated her
85th birthday this summer at a picnic party for family
and friends at Bayside Park in Colchester. Among the
activities was a quiz about who knew Doris the best. In
case you didn’t know, her favorite singer is Andrea Bo-
celli, her favorite food is pork, and her favorite TV show
is the Golden Girls. Of course, from her autobiography
in the Fall 2008 issue of Il Messaggio, you may remem-
ber that her real birth name was Donata Maria Dattilio
(which a school treacher ―translated‖ into ―Doris‖at the
Ira Allen Elementary School), that her family came from
the region of Foggia in Italy in 1917, and that she and
her family continue in the Italian traditions she grew up
with. Of course, the number of her great grandchildren
has increased from six to eight since 2008, and I
thought I heard I something about ―great-great-
grandchildren,‖ too.
How to Say I love You in Italian
Tongue-tied when it comes to love? Try these…
Ti penso sempre—I always think of you.
Mi manchi—I miss you.
Come sei bella! - How beautiful you are!
Voglio vederti stasera—I want to see you tonight.
Tu sei una stella...la mia stella– You are a
star...my star.
Cara mia, ti voglio bene...My darling, I love you!
Page 5
Italy in the News
Green Mt Coffee Partners with Italy
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, based in
Waterbury, has recently partnered with Lavazza coffee
company from Italy to produce single-serve espresso
for the popular Keurig coffeemaker. Lavazza’s present
investment in GMC is a 7% stock purchase with the
idea of increasing that in the future, reflecting the
growing popularity of the single-serve.
Italy Cracks Down on Mob
(from the Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2010)
Police arrested alleged mob bosses and more
than 300 other suspects from the 'Ndrangheta crime
organization in Milan and in the southern region of
Calabria, seizing arms, explosives, and tens of millions
of euros worth of property and other assets. The sus-
pects face charges of arms and drug trafficking, murder
and extortion, among other crimes. Years of tracking
the organization revealed that Milan and Lombardy had
taken such a major role in the commercial success of
the organization that it considered ceding from the
original base in Calabria. The 'Ndrangheta also man-
aged to establish bases in countries as far away as Can-
ada and Australia. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlus-
coni vowed to continue to battle the organized crime
scene until it is eradicated.
Evading Italian Taxes
When the owner of five Ferraris claims an in-
come of 1,000 euros (~$1,200) a month and a restau-
rant owner buys a 750,000 euro house and declares no
income, you might agree with The Economist (Jun 24,
2010) that these cases are part of a "colorful patch-
work" of Italian tax evasion (which is estimated to cost
the country about 100 billion euros a year, equivalent to
some 6% of the GDP).
A new decree issued on May 31, 2010 allows
for closer governmental surveillance, stiffer rules, and
even paybacks to towns successfully prosecuting evad-
ers. But Italians still rely heavily on cash...and it is
cash that drives the black economy, where evasion is
the rule. As can be expected, Italians preparing for
their next tax returns will probably consider how seri-
ous the risk is for getting caught in spite of the more
stringent policies. A tougher economy adds to the
temptation, for with less money in their budgets, many
I l M e s s a g g i o
will think that taxes are still optional.
In spite of the drain that tax evasion has on
the country, Italy ranks seventh among the world's
economies in terms of its nominal GPD according to
the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Here's the
ranking of the top 12 countries, published online at
http://www.altiusdirectory.com :
United States, China, Japan, Germany, France,
United Kingdom, Italy, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Can-
ada, India
Are You Getting the Real Italian?
Bufala Mozzarella, Parma prosciutto, bal-
samic vinegar from Modena, San Marzano tomatoes
and Gorgonzola cheese. Is your mouth watering yet?
Because these Italian specialties command such high
prices, rip-offs and gastronomical forgeries abound.
What you think you're buying or eating may not be
the real thing.
These and other famous products have been
granted protection by the European Union. To protect
these brands, food detectives are assigned to snoop
out counterfeits with the power to confiscate and de-
stroy false products.
The total sales of EU-certified Italian prod-
ucts account for $14 billion in yearly sales. "Food
sheriffs" work closely with the food fraud unit of the
Carabinieri and they go to great lengths and expense
to protect the reputation of famous brands.
Take Parmigino-Reggiano cheesemaking as
an example. This delightful cheese must be made
only with milk from cows fed hay grown exclusively
in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena or
Mantua on the right bank of the River PO, and Bolo-
gna province on the left bank of the river Reno, ac-
cording to official EU standards. The wheels must be
made in trademarked molds with a distinctive insig-
nia. Counterfeiters try to forge these mold markings
to get a superior price for inferior cheese.
Next time you buy an Italian specialty food,
know that you may not be getting the real thing even
if you pay a high price...but Italian authorities are
trying to assure you're getting what you pay for.
 Page 6 I l M e s s a g g i o

Community Calendar
(non VICA sponsored event)

"Celebration of the Vine" Harvest Festival

Date: 9/18/2010 TO 9/19/2010
Time: 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM

Event Description:
The Harvest Festival is held on the 18th and 19th of September and includes a variety of events, from wine
tasting to live music, with activities that will appeal to all ages. Wine Festivities Include: •Grape picking from
the vine •Viewing crushing and pressing •Grape stomping contest •Live music •Vendors •Clown, face painting,
hayrides, and corn maze •And Much, Much More!!! Location: Boyden Valley Winery Admission: $10 Website:
www.boydenvalley.com

Directions:
Located on the corner of Route 15 and 104 in Cambridge, VT
64 VT Route 104, Cambridge, VT 05444
Page 7 Il Messaggio

Upcoming VICA Events 2010-2011

Mark Your calendars!
Next events:

Sat, Sept 25, 2010 5:30pm Dinner, Foxfire Inn Stowe; 8pm Stowe Theater, "Light in
the Piazza" It’s not too late to buy tickets ( www.stowetheater.com) and make dinner reservation.
Contact: Ann (802-863-5155 ). Carpooling available from So. Burlington and Richmond.

Sun, Nov 7, 2010 2-5pm: Coffee Social at Adrienne and Tom Donohue's in Burlington.
Contact Aimee (802-434-3481) if you want to come join one of VICA’s long-standing Fall events.

Sat, Nov 13th, 2010 Palace 9 Live Met Opera, So. Burlington
Donizetti's Don Pasquale: 1:00pm (3hrs,50min) .
Note: All Met-Live performances at Palace 9 are usually sold out early, so VICA is buy-
ing a block of tickets for each of the above operas to guarantee a seat for 20 of our members. Buy
from us early! Contact Audry (802-878-0990). We are arranging after-show parties for each of the
operas as well (TBA).
Schedule of Italian Operas: Save the dates, buy tickets now.
Verdi's Don Carlo (New Production): Sat, Dec 11,2010, 12:30pm (5hrs)
Puccini's La Fanciulla del West: Sat, Jan 8, 2011, 1pm (3hrs,50min)
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Sat, Mar 19, 2010, 1pm (4hrs,20min)
Rossini's Le Comte Ory (New Production): Sat, Apr 9, 2011, 1pm (3hrs,20min)
Verdi's Il Trovatore: Sat, Apr 30, 2011, 1pm (3hrs,30min)

Save these dates, too...

Sun, Dec 12, 2010 Noon: Amici Family Christmas Brunch, Sheraton, Burlington, info TBA.

Sun, Jan 9, 2011: Pasta Dinner Celebrating Epifania, more info TBA

Sat, Jun 4, 2011 Montreal Opera House: Puccini's LaBoheme:, 2pm matinee, Chartered
bus; Dinner following in Little Italy at Dai Baffoni Trattoria on Boulevard St-Laurent. More info to
come. Save the date.

Note: Besides the above schedule, potential plans for next year's VICA activities include a panel on
dual-citizenship, lectures on Italian film-maker Passolini, agritourism and travels in Italy, a wine-
tasting and local vineyard tour, and of course our usual Italian films, Italian conversation classes,
and a VICA picnic in June. We’ll keep you informed.
 I l M e s s a g g i o
V e r m o n t I t a l i a n
C u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t io n
P . O . B o x 3 1 5 5
B u r l in g to n V T 0 5 4 0 8

WHO WE ARE :The autobiographical information in this edition is of the family of Audry Rini, Treasurer of VICA. Research of
her husband’s family name from Menfi, Sicily turned up some interesting facts about the process that may help in researching
your own family history.

Audry Rini
The Civil records for
Sicily available on micro-
film only date back to
1821. I was disappointed
that I wouldn't be able to
go back any further in time.
I did find some clues that
pointed to the presence of
Rinis and Tavorminas in
Menfi as far back as the
early 1700's.
Many births were re-
corded as "parenti ignoti"
meaning parents unknown
although the child was give a
surname. The father probably
did not want to acknowledge
this out of wedlock birth. The
really old records not only
gave the parents names and
ages and occupations but also
the grandparents’ ages and
occupations.
In searching through the
records I saw that the same
surnames appeared frequently
throughout the years. I would
venture to guess there are
about 30 names that remain
constant like Palminteri, Mir-
abile and Alesi. These same
names are prevalent in the
neighboring town of Santa
Margherita de Belice which
makes me think that they are
related to those of the same
name in Menfi. This is my next
area to search as there are quite a
few Rotolos in Santa Margherita
but not too many in Menfi, and
the same families seem to have
children born in both towns. See-
ing the same couples again and
again in the records you begin to
feel a connection to them.
The old handwriting is faded
and difficult to read. Thankfully,
most of the records are written
on pre-printed forms and you can
focus on just where the informa-
tion you need is written. Some of
them are completely in long
hand and extremely difficult to
interpret even though I can read
enough Italian to get by. The
way the letter R is written in
these documents makes you
think at first glance that it is a V.
I missed a lot of Rinis until I
learned this. I also almost
missed Angelo Rini (1787)
because the entry was written
as Messer Angelo Rini which I
took to be Michael Angelo
Vini. It was only the fact that
Filippa Gagliano was easier to
read that I realized my mis-
take. He was a blacksmith or
possibly a wrought iron maker.
The word that is written to
describe his occupation is not
a word that is still in common
usage. The Messer (Maestro)
would indicate that he was a
master craftsman and in the
upper middle class. I was sur-
prised to learn this as all the
Rinis that I knew of were bak-
ers.