In April 1944, a B-17 named Banshee was shot down over Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, sending Shenandoah, PA native Chester Majewski plunging 20,000 feet into enemy territory. What followed was a desperate escape through mountains, hunger, and fear. His hometown newspaper captured the story that he barely wanted to tell. Read the Full Story.
I recently reflected on Stanley Tucci’s “Tucci in Italy,” where each episode blends history, regional culture, and mouthwatering cuisine - from Lazio’s vineyards to Adriatic fishing villages. Tucci’s passion and storytelling took me back to my own Italian travels and inspired anew. Read the full story.
Meet Joseph Puma, a young Sicilian immigrant caught in the harsh world of Pennsylvania coal mining in 1911. Captured by Lewis Hine’s lens, his story spans from the dark tunnels of Pittston to serving overseas during World War I. Read the full story.
In 1926, Italian immigrants in Schuylkill County, PA, united to protest racial discrimination and biased media coverage. Amidst rising anti-Italian sentiment, the Sons of Italy organized to demand fair treatment and highlight their community's contributions and law-abiding values. Discover their powerful response to injustice. Read the Full Story.
In December 2023, travels in Italy brought us to Rome's Jewish neighborhood.
Airman Joseph Acquisto found himself aiming bombs at his hometown in Sicily during the Allied invasion in July 1943.
Corporal Nicholas Leshko visited Rome after being wounded in the fighting to take the city in 1944.
Corporal David W. Rowlands wrote home to Pennsylvania in June 1944 to describe his experiences in Rome after its fall to the Allied powers during World War II.
Sergeant Schwartz took offense to a comment from a soldier in Italy about the difference in fighting conditions between the Italian front and inside Nazi Germany.
In 1944, a clothing drive held in Hazleton gathered clothes to help war refugees in Italy.