[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 217 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9251-S9253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    CELEBRATING ITALIANS IN VERMONT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, those who know me, and even those who 
don't, are well aware of the pride I have in my Italian heritage. My 
maternal grandparents emigrated from the Friuli region of Italy, coming 
to South Ryegate, VT, to work in the granite quarries. Since the 1880s, 
many Italians have followed this same immigration pattern, settling 
across Vermont, where the beautiful hills and lakes remind them of 
their ancestral home. Today, Vermont boasts a strong community of 
Italian Americans, many of whom, including me, are members of the 
Vermont Italian Cultural Association, VICA. Led by President Lisa 
DeNatale, the association preserves and promotes Italian culture in 
Vermont, hosting language and travel groups, presentations, movies, 
cooking classes, luncheons, and bocce socials. Last year, Marcelle and 
I were delighted to join VICA and Trattoria Delia for a virtual wine-
tasting. Joining with dear friends online helped us, like so many 
Vermonters, get through the earliest and harder months of the pandemic.
  It is nearly impossible to travel across our State without seeing the 
influence of the Italian-American community. In Northfield, the streets 
outside of La Panciata smell of Carrara, Italy, where founder Glenn 
Loati learned the ancient art of baking Latin leavened breads. In 
Burlington, Trattoria Delia serves traditional Neapolitan pizzas baked 
in an imported Acunto oven. And of course in Barre, where so many 
Italians immigrated, the Societa di Mutuo Soccorso provides community 
support, and the Vermont Salumi and Alimentari Roscini Market keeps us 
fed with some of the best cured meats in the State.
  Some Italian philosophies have also made their way to Vermont. The 
Slow Food movement, founded by Carlo Petrini in Turin, Italy, found a 
welcoming home in our State less than 10 years after its conception. 
The practices of growing and producing good, clean, and fair food 
certainly weren't new to Vermonters, but Slow Food Vermont has become 
an important part of our local food economy.
  I am proud to be a member of VICA and so grateful for the rich 
culture that Italian Americans have fostered in Vermont. The Green 
Mountain appreciation for artisanal products created with craftsmanship 
and traditional methods will always remind me of my Italian ancestors. 
I look forward to being back in Vermont, breaking bread and sharing 
wine, with this incredible community.
  ``We the Italians'' recently interviewed VICA President Lisa 
DeNatale. Her comments so resonated with me. I recognize many of the 
businesses, friends and communities she references. Even when far from 
Vermont and at work in Washington, these kinds of interviews take me 
home.
  I ask unanimous consent that the recent interview with Lisa DeNatale 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                             [Dec. 7, 2021]

We the Italians: Interview With Lisa DeNatale (President of the Vermont 
                     Italian Cultural Association)

       If since the beginning of the pandemic I personally have 
     not yet had the opportunity to physically travel back to 
     visit any of the many friends of We the Italians scattered 
     across the United States, thanks to our interviews I often 
     have the chance to take a virtual trip and get to know the 
     various Italian communities both in the most famous areas of 
     America and in the lesser known ones here in Italy.
       Vermont may be not that famous in Italy, but Italian 
     emigration to the Green Mountain State was very important and 
     I am pleased to thank and host Lisa DeNatale, President of 
     the Vermont Italian Cultural Association and also Ambassador 
     of We the Italians in Vermont. I'm hosting her on We the 
     Italians, but by telling me about the history and present of 
     Italy in Vermont, it's a bit like she's also hosting me in 
     Burlington and Barre. Are you ready? Come with me


   Lisa, please tell us something about you and your Italian heritage

       My grandparents, Maria Tripi and Salvatore DiNatale 
     emigrated from Pietraperzia, Sicilia in 1910. They married 
     and settled in Boston, eventually buying a home, and raising 
     their six children in Everett, Massachusetts.
       Giuseppe Salvatore DiNatale, my father, was born in 1924. 
     He was deeply proud of his Sicilian heritage and often sang 
     songs and occasionally spoke to his children in Italian (not 
     dialect). If the truth be told, he mostly spoke in the 
     imperative! ``Vieni qui''; ``lasciala''; ``mangia''; 
     ``andiamo subito'' are some of the phrases I recall.
       I had a large extended family which gathered at my 
     grandparent's home for Pasqua, Natale, Onomastici and almost 
     any other occasion. I remember celebrating my father's 
     Onomastico with zeppole in honor of San Giuseppe. Each 
     celebration included more people than there were chairs, 
     crowded around tables in my grandparent's home. As children 
     we played bocce alongside the grape vines and pear trees in 
     their yard and danced the tarantella.
       From a young age I recall attending the Feast of Maria 
     Santissima Della Cava, patroness of Pietraperzia, one of the 
     many feasts celebrated in Boston's North End each summer. In 
     1967 my parents and grandparents traveled together to Sicily 
     and Italy, reestablishing family connections and invigorating 
     our ties to Sicily. Upon returning my father began a life-
     long focus on preparing authentic Italian foods such as 
     risotto milanese, calamari, polenta, pesto and panettone, 
     well before these gained popularity in the US.
       In my twenties I began to visit Italy and have since 
     traveled there dozens of times, including twice to Sicily. It 
     may be surprising to hear that on my first trip to Sicily, I 
     was struck by how many of my childhood friends surnames 
     corresponded with places in Sicily such as Siracusa and 
     Mondello, and how many more had relatives buried in the 
     Cimitero di Pietraperzia. I understood then how much of my 
     childhood was inextricably tied to Sicily.
       I am currently pursuing my Italian citizenship and am 
     awaiting my appointment at the Boston Consulate schedule for 
     March 2022.


  You are the President of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association. 
Please tell us about the history and the activities of this association

       The Vermont Italian Cultural Association was founded in 
     1983 by Italians and Italian Americans many of whom had 
     relocated to Vermont in the late 70's. Dr. Ken Ciongoli, an 
     Italian American born in Philadelphia and Dr. Mario Morselli, 
     born in Bologna, were lecturing about Italy in Burlington, 
     Vermont and attracted interest from the community and in 
     particular from other Italians and Italian Americans in the 
     area. Some of the early VICA members were new to Vermont and 
     sought an Italian community in which to continue their family 
     traditions and celebrate their Italian heritage. In time, a 
     small group formed, drawn together by a mutual passion for 
     preserving and sharing Italian culture. During the early 
     years the group met in living rooms and later, in restaurants 
     and community centers that could accommodate the growing 
     numbers. Membership extended south to Barre and Rutland; 
     communities steeped in Italian heritage. The growing 
     community shared the bond of family and Italian traditions 
     and preserved these for generations to follow.
       VICA has for many years celebrated Epifania with a visit 
     from La Befana and Carnevale which included a mask making 
     activity. In addition, VICA has sponsored trips to Italy as 
     well as opera excursions to Montreal, a short 90-minute drive 
     from Burlington. Programs and activities have expanded over 
     the years, ranging from lectures on art, travel and genealogy 
     to film, cooking, dance, language groups and bocce 
     tournaments. Monthly amici lunches bring together members for 
     socializing, and Italian conversation groups have continued 
     in classrooms, in coffee shops and on zoom.
       More recently, VICA has turned to virtual events which have 
     proven to be very popular. These include book readings hosted 
     by Phoenix Books, a VICA partner, featuring Vermont authors 
     Vincent Panella, Jay Parini and Charlie Nardozzi, along with 
     travel author Carla Gambescia. A recent lecture on Slow Food 
     with the Slow Food Vermont chapter attracted over 100 people 
     and earlier this year VICA held two virtual presentations 
     entitled In Pursuit of Italian Citizenship, attracting over 
     200 VICA and community members.
       And because Vermont winters can be cold and snowy in 
     December 2020, and almost bi-monthly since then, we've co-
     hosted virtual wine-tastings with VICA partner Trattoria 
     Delia, showcasing Italian wines from every region. In 
     celebration of Women's History Month in March we featured 
     wines produced by women in Italy. Participants were treated 
     to personal video messages sent from three producers: Cinzia 
     Sommariva, Elisa Sesti and Giulia Negri. Each event includes 
     a selection of hand-curated antipasti prepared locally. These 
     events have proven to be enormously popular, engaging our 
     members and successfully recruiting others to VICA. Upcoming 
     events include virtual cooking classes, opera lectures and a 
     trip to Puglia in October 2022.
       Promoting knowledge and appreciation of Italian culture in 
     our community is at the heart of the Vermont Italian Cultural 
     Association's mission. Each year VICA awards small grants and 
     scholarships to support projects and endeavors consistent 
     with VICA's mission. The VICA Scholarship and Grants Fund 
     encourages those who are seeking to broaden their knowledge 
     of Italy, including the Italian American experience, the 
     Italian experience, its language, arts, music, history, and 
     culture to apply. Most recently (prior to covid) two 
     scholarships were awarded. One went to a University of 
     Vermont student who participated in an archaeological

[[Page S9252]]

     and agronomic research project at an ancient Roman villa in 
     the commune of Mompeo in the Lazio region. The other 
     recipient, also a UVM student, attended an archaeological 
     field school in Badia Pozzeveri in Tuscany, where she 
     participated in the excavation of the remains of a thirteenth 
     century church. At the conclusion of each project, the 
     scholarship recipients gave presentations to VICA members and 
     the broader community.
       In the last year VICA has become a big part of my life. On 
     January 1st, 2021, my father passed away at the age of 96, 
     and I wondered how I might hold onto the traditions and 
     heritage he shared so proudly with his family. While I have 
     only been a VICA member since 2015, and only recently was 
     elected President, I am delighted for the opportunity to 
     honor my father in my role. His absence has left me with a 
     deeper commitment to VICA's mission, and that in truth, VICA 
     is the key to keeping my own heritage alive.


         What's the story of the Italian emigration to Vermont?

       I am not a historian, so I have relied on resources and 
     information found in news articles, historical societies, and 
     other documents. I am grateful to those writers who have 
     shared their knowledge and perspective so that we remember 
     the contributions of Italian immigrants to Vermont's economy 
     and culture. My response is based on articles from two 
     sources and used with permission from Vincent Feeney, Vermont 
     Historian and The (Barre-Montpelier) Times Argus.
       Many people are surprised that Vermont had such a large 
     Italian immigrant population, but one need look no further 
     than the granite and marble quarries to understand the 
     immigrant story. Vermont welcomed Italian immigrants 
     beginning in the 1880's. The first Italian stone workers came 
     from Carrara to work at the Vermont Marble Company in 
     Rutland. They were skilled marble carvers who were drawn to 
     America for economic reasons and specifically to Vermont 
     because its hills and lakes reminded them of their ancestral 
     home.
       Italians came to Barre, from 1890 to 1910 as stonecutters 
     to work in the granite quarries. By the turn of the century 
     there were several thousand Italians in Barre. By 1910, about 
     14 percent of Barre's population was Italian, and Barre was 
     the home of Vermont's largest Italian population. Most 
     immigrants to Barre came from the granite area around Viggiu 
     and Bisuschio in Lombardy as well as from the marble area 
     around Carrara in Tuscany. Some of Barre's outstanding pre-
     World War II carvers and sculptors were Italian immigrants: 
     Carlo Abate, Joseph Calcagni, John Comi, Elia Corti, William 
     Corti, Enrico Mori, Samuel Novelli, Augusto Sanguinetti, and 
     Geno Tosi.
       Other Italian immigrants came from the north as businessmen 
     or landowners. Others from southern Italy first worked for 
     U.S. railroads and then migrated to Barre establishing a 
     variety of businesses. Novelli & Corti was established by 
     Samuel (``Sandro'') Novelli and Elia Corti in 1901 and also 
     included John (``Crosta'') Comi and William (``Bigin'') 
     Corti. Novelli & Corti became Barre's premier sculpture and 
     carving studio of the early 1900s. There are many outstanding 
     examples of the skill of Barre's carvers in monuments 
     throughout Barre. And a walk through Hope cemetery, where 
     many Italian immigrant stonecutters are buried, is a 
     testament to their skills.
       Later, due to a shortage of skilled granite workers a small 
     number of master sculptors and carvers were lured from Italy 
     through substantial wage increases to work in Barre. These 
     artists led a renaissance of stone art in Barre and trained a 
     whole new generation of Barre sculptors and carvers. Some of 
     Barre's outstanding post-World War II carvers and sculptors 
     include Angelo Ambrosini, Angelo Bardelli, Giuliano 
     Cecchinelli, Alcide Fantoni, Flavio Furloni, Frank Gaylord, 
     Ernesto Malnati, Orazio Marselli, Gino Sassi, and Lambruno 
     Sarzanini.
       Italian immigrants were also settling in Burlington's urban 
     core in large numbers, as laborers working on the railroads 
     and others in the lumber yards. Some became peddlers selling 
     fruit and vegetables, later opening markets to serve the 
     growing Italian population. For the Italians of this 
     Burlington neighborhood--despite the hardships of the Great 
     Depression--the pre-World War II years were something of a 
     social/cultural ``Golden Age.'' Their businesses dotted the 
     neighborhood. For groceries in general, but particularly for 
     pasta, salami, and olives, neighbors shopped at Colaceci's, 
     Izzo's and Merola's. For a night out people dined at 
     Bernardini's Cafe, and beginning in 1941 and continuing for 
     the next 70 years Bove's was the restaurant to treat family 
     and friends to an inexpensive Italian dinner.
       The neighborhood was also home to Italian institutions. In 
     1933 Italian men of Burlington joined with their fellow 
     countrymen of Winooski to form the Twin City Italian Club 
     (TWIC). Its professed purpose was to ``raise the standards'' 
     of the Italian community and to prepare immigrants for 
     citizenship, but it was also a place where old-country 
     Italian men could socialize, talk about news from home, and 
     perhaps make job connections. By 1936 the club was 
     sufficiently prosperous that it bought a vacant lot and built 
     a social hall. The hall was the center of Italian social life 
     in Chittenden County for the next dozen years. Italian women 
     socialized in an organization called Regina of Mount Carmel, 
     a group that attended Mass together once a month. The Regina 
     of Mount Carmel was Mary, who for centuries had a devoted 
     following in the impoverished south of Italy from where so 
     many Italians had emigrated.


     You've already mentioned a few, but are there other important 
                     ``Italian'' places in Vermont?

       Barre is one of the most Italian places in Vermont, and is 
     home to The Societa di Mutuo Soccorso, founded by Italian 
     immigrants in Barre in 1906 as a fraternal and community 
     support group. Along with the Societa, are several businesses 
     including Vermont Salumi and (Alimentari Roscini) AR Market 
     in downtown Barre. Peter Roscini Colman, born in Assisi to an 
     Italian father and American mother is the founder and 
     proprietor of both. Pete grew up on an organic farm in 
     Vermont and spent summers in Umbria with his babbo's family. 
     There, he used to ``warm up'' for lunch at his grandparents' 
     house by eating prosciutto. He loved it so much he decided he 
     wanted to learn to make it himself. His uncle Franco 
     introduced him to Pepe, who introduced him to Francesco and 
     David. Soon, he was apprenticing with these norcini, the 
     famed butchers of Umbria, who taught him the methods, 
     techniques, and centuries-old traditions of salumi-making.
       There's also Campo di Vino an authentic grocery, chock full 
     of Italian specialties made on the premises. Refrigerators 
     are stocked with homemade pastas including ravioli, gnocchi, 
     tagliatelle, and more; freshly stuffed luganiga and sausages 
     as well as cannoli and pies.
       Not far from Barre, located in Northfield is La Panciata, a 
     family owned and operated wholesale bakery. Founder Glenn 
     Loati learned the ancient art of making Latin leavened loaves 
     of bread in Carrara, Italy where he traveled in 1992 to work 
     in the bakery of a local market. Today the bakery is owned 
     and operated by Glenn's son Justin. La Panciata produces and 
     distributes a wide variety of breads including Pane 
     Siciliano, Pane Altamura, Focaccia and an assortment of 
     biscotti.
       Perhaps one of the most important and representative 
     Italian places is Hope Cemetery located in Barre. Strolling 
     through the cemetery, it's impossible not to notice the 
     gradual refinement of granite tombs over the course of the 
     20th century. The earliest gravestones are rough and 
     weathered, as though the earth had coughed them from the 
     ground. Many stonecutters died performing their craft, having 
     succumbed to the ``American disease'' silicosis. Because the 
     climate in Italy was milder, workers labored in sheds with 
     open sides, naturally ventilating the area, allowing the fine 
     dust to escape. One such stonecutter, Louis Brusa, died in 
     1937 at age 50 from silicosis. His monument is one of the 
     most unusual (and disturbing) in Hope Cemetery. Brusa is 
     shown exhausted and slumped backward with his wife Mary 
     comforting him. His chest is merged into the granite base 
     symbolic of his lungs filled with granite dust. Looking 
     around, the names on the tombstones conjure far-away places: 
     Columbo, Benvenuti, Peduzzi, Corti, and more. More than a few 
     are engraved in Italian: Nata Novembre 1872, Mo11a Febbraio 
     1936. There are prominent mausoleums where generations of 
     Italian families are buried side by side, close in death as 
     in life.
       Not so much a place but a philosophy is Slow Food, the 
     movement founded by Carlo Petrini in Turin in 1989. Vermont 
     led the US, establishing the first Slow Food chapter here in 
     1998. Good, clean, fair food is a practice that has long been 
     at the root of Vermont agriculture, respect for the land, the 
     animals, and workers. In 2000 Carlo Petrini visited Vermont, 
     and in 2008 Vermont began sending a delegation to Terra 
     Madre, the most important international Slow Food event.


 And what about the most representative Italians who marked a spot in 
            the history of the Italian presence in Vermont?

       I've already mentioned many of the sculptors who have made 
     their mark in the cities, towns and public spaces in Vermont 
     and elsewhere having created lasting monuments with their 
     hands. One of the most notable Italian Americans is Vermont 
     Senator Patrick Leahy, whose maternal grandparents were 
     Italian immigrants. Senator Leahy is the most senior member 
     in the US Senate and Vermont's longest-serving Senator. He 
     and his wife Marcelle are also VICA members.


                Is there an Italian festival in Vermont?

       To my knowledge there has not been an Italian festival in 
     Vermont, however we would like to plan one for the future. 
     I'm certain there would be a great deal of interest from 
     Vermonters, including many from the business community. One 
     of Vermont's family owned and operated businesses, 
     Torronecandy.com would be very popular. Since 1988, the 
     Andriola family has attended a number of Italian festivals 
     throughout the Northeast, offering delicious Italian sweets 
     and treats from their traveling cart. Absent a festival in 
     Vermont, we can still order delicious imported treats shipped 
     to our homes, or we can invite Anne Marie Andriola, 
     Torronecandy.com founder and VICA member to a meeting!


  You are an expert in marketing and brand development. How would you 
                   promote Made in Italy in Vermont?

       Soon after joining VICA's marketing committee, I created 
     the tagline ``Discover Italy

[[Page S9253]]

     in Vermont'' which I think lends itself very well to our 
     mission. For many, there is joy in discovering the 
     individuals, businesses, small producers, and artisans who 
     are preserving the traditions and craftsmanship made famous 
     by Italians both in Italy and here in Vermont. For example, 
     there are many businesses valued for their commitment to 
     sharing Italian culture as business owners, native-born 
     Italians, Italian Americans and purveyors of Italian food, 
     wine and Italian made products. And like Italy, Vermont has 
     its own brand with its reputation built on local production, 
     appreciation for quality and craftsmanship.
       Vermont and Italy share similar values and I believe there 
     is already a deep appreciation for Made in Italy. We are 
     fortunate to have Italian farms like Agricola, a small 
     diversified farm in Panton, VT run by Alessandra and Stefano. 
     Both native Italians they are continuing the traditional 
     methods for making authentic Italian salumi and have 
     established Monti Verdi Salumi. More recently Trenchers 
     Italian Farmhouse began producing and selling home-made 
     pastas, sauces, bomboloni, focaccia and more at local farmers 
     markets. Jenny and Giacomo Vascotto are also sharing 
     traditional Italian techniques, practices and delicious food 
     with a growing number of devoted followers. So you see, in 
     some ways Made in Italy is also Made in Vermont.

                          ____________________