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Emanuele Amendola, Director at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Release Date: 03/26/2025

James Tumminia, Actor. Producer show art James Tumminia, Actor. Producer

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Please welcome to our show James Tumminia, award-winning actor, producer, and lover of all things Italian, beloved for his role as Angelo in the TV series, "Melissa & Joey" and much more. And we'll be talking with James about his work and how he gets his fix of Italian food and culture in this great city of LA. As a kid growing up in an Italian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, James Tumminia knew two things: he loved all things Italian, and he wanted to be an actor. And he's living both. I first met James at an event at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, and noticed he seemed...

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Gregg Schwenk, Creator, Newport Beach Film Festival show art Gregg Schwenk, Creator, Newport Beach Film Festival

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

We're so excited about this year's Newport Beach Film Festival from October 16-23, featuring over 100 film and 250 shorts from 32 countries. The festival opens with a screening of Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Canavalle and Andrew Scott. The closing night film will include a screening of Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein," starring Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac & Christoph Waltz. And for the International Film category, the Italian film, "When Mom Is Away...With The In-Laws" is already said to be a show stopper. We will be...

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Maura Fanti, PhD,  Research Assoc. Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at USC show art Maura Fanti, PhD, Research Assoc. Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at USC

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Want to live longer? It's all about our food. In fact, "we are what we eat" isn't just a phrase about weight. Maura Fanti, researcher at USC's longevity institute, has been connecting the benefits of calculated fasting and metabolism, inflammation, and a healthier life, and she says to live longer, we need to give our digestive system a break. Please welcome Maura to our show, who joins us to discuss how fasting doesn't just help shed pounds, it can increase our life span, too. She talks about the benefits to our liver, which we know filters out toxins in our systems, and she wants people to...

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Vicky Carabini,  NIAF Regional VP & Chair of the Italian Studies Council at Chapman University show art Vicky Carabini, NIAF Regional VP & Chair of the Italian Studies Council at Chapman University

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Italians are known for their vibrant culture worldwide, and when I hear the term, "it takes a village," I think of Vicky Colarossi Carabini, a woman who serves as her own village promoting Italian culture throughout Southern California. Please give a warm welcome to Vicky as one of our featured guests for Italian Heritage Month. Since 2007, Vicky Carabini has served as Ambassador to San Juan Capistrano’s Sister City, Capestrano, Italy. She is Chair of the Italian Studies Council and Board Member of the Ferrucci Institute at Chapman University, which has one of the most active Italian Studies...

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Dr. Cinzia Zuffada,  President, ISSNAF & Former Deputy Chief Scientist, NASA/JPL show art Dr. Cinzia Zuffada, President, ISSNAF & Former Deputy Chief Scientist, NASA/JPL

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

ine growing up in a small town in Sicily, dreaming of coming to America to open a restaurant, and surpassing all of your dreams? Chef Salvo Lo Castro did just that, where he began his culinary career at a young age in Sicily and now feeds the world from his NYC Soho restaurant, Casasalvo, considered a truly divine experience for the senses. Perhaps it's because Chef Salvo was formerly the lead chef at the Vatican for Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and now, we can eat like kings, royalty, and the spiritual leaders, too, at his magnificent new eatery. I'm honored to welcome Chef Salvo to...

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Salvo Lo Castro, Former lead chef for the Vatican. Award winning Sicilian chef. show art Salvo Lo Castro, Former lead chef for the Vatican. Award winning Sicilian chef.

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Imagine growing up in a small town in Sicily, dreaming of coming to America to open a restaurant, and surpassing all of your dreams? Chef Salvo Lo Castro did just that, where he began his culinary career at a young age in Sicily and now feeds the world from his NYC Soho restaurant, Casasalvo, considered a truly divine experience for the senses. Perhaps it's because Chef Salvo was formerly the lead chef at the Vatican for Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and now, we can eat like kings, royalty, and the spiritual leaders, too, at his magnificent new eatery. I'm honored to welcome Chef Salvo...

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Davide Fiore, Director, A LITTLE FELLOW: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini show art Davide Fiore, Director, A LITTLE FELLOW: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Sometimes, there are films that stay with us, and A LITTLE FELLOW: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini, directed by Davide Fiore, is one of those films, and I'm pleased to present Davide today on our #LittleItalyPodcast.  Back in the day, banks were primarily for the wealthy, and the poor and working class immigrants often stashed their savings under a mattress. But at the turn of the 20th century, A.P. Giannini revolutionized the industry with his small bank in San Francisco. A first-generation Italian-American, his goal was to serve “the little fellow” and breed prosperity within his...

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Marianna Gatto, Author, The Italian Americans Of Los Angeles & Museum Director, IAMLA show art Marianna Gatto, Author, The Italian Americans Of Los Angeles & Museum Director, IAMLA

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Italians have shaped the culture of America throughout this great nation, and particularly here in Los Angeles. Please welcome to our show an expert in this field, Marianna Gatto, Director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles & Author, The Italian Americans Of Los Angeles. And let me tell you, this book is incredible and comprehensive. Marianna seems to have uncovered every inch of Italian heritage throughout this great city. Since Italians first came to this region, they have been agriculturalists, pioneers, outlaws and dreamers, and have brought with them tremendous culture,...

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Antonello Pierro,  Attorney & Italian Real Estate Expert show art Antonello Pierro, Attorney & Italian Real Estate Expert

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Whenever I return from Italy, where my family is from, I wonder why I don’t get a place there for my family to enjoy. But I have no idea where to start, who to call, or what it involves. Please welcome Antonello Pierro, attorney and Italian real estate expert to our show, who can walk us through the steps on how it done. First up, purchasing property in Italy is different than buying a place in the states. So you need to know the rules so that you don’t run around in circles wasting time and spending money you don’t need to spend. Also, once you find that coveted property, what’s...

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Barbara Pollastrini, Chef-owner, Da Barbara show art Barbara Pollastrini, Chef-owner, Da Barbara

Little Italy Podcast & Little Italy of LA Podcast

Award-winning chef, @Barbara_Pollastrini, owner of @da_Barbara_P restaurant in Hollywood, has been cooking up masterpieces in the kitchen since she was a little girl in Rome. And dining at her restaurant here, it’s easy to see why Appetito and Los Angeles Magazine named her one of the top Italian restaurants not to miss in LA. The entire experience is like being in someone’s home. In fact, the kitchen at da Barbara is literally part of the dining space, so you can watch your meal being prepared while enjoying a glass of wine. Please join me in welcoming Barbara to our #LittleItalyPodcast...

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Please welcome to our show, the director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di LosAngeles, AKA the Italian Cultural Institute, Emanuele Amendola, and he joins us to discuss the mission of the @iiclosangeles in bringing cultural, scientific, academic, and culinary experiences that highlight everything authentic direct from Italy. The programs are all free, engaging, and open to everyone.

Emanuele works closely with our Consul General of Italy in LA, Raffaella Valentini, and together they have forged a partnership that brings us the best of everything from Italia, including products direct from Italy.
Each exhibit, talk, and experience is unique. Recently, there was a showing and discussion about the film, Womeness, followed a few days later with the opening and lecture about the Volterra exhibit. There was a Q&A and demonstration with famed chef Nancy Silverton, and the list goes on. So we wanted to know, how does

Emanuele select what to present to the public, because the Cultural Institite goes beyond the walls of their physical location in Westwood.
Their work extends down to San Diego in addition to nine states, so in effect, they take their work on the road! Also, in addition to top exhibitions, musical performances and more, the @IICLosAngeles offers language courses and incentives for exchange programs. Before coming on board here in Los Angeles, Emanuele was appointed Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington DC, where his duties included fostering partnerships between Italian and American cultural institutions. He started his tenure
at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles in January 2022.

Please give a warm welcome to Emanuele, and join our interview on all video and audio podcast platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and the #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here.