Latest Episodes
✨ AVAILABLE NOW — Episode 77: Christina Minutillo ✨
Our newest episode is officially LIVE — and trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.
Today, I sit down with Christina Minutillo — podcaster, traveler, cookbook author, and a woman whose passion for Italian roots has completely transformed her life.
From uncovering her family’s hidden history in tiny villages outside Naples… To filming 300-person neighborhood feasts… To traveling the world cooking with locals… To hosting her very first roots-travel experience in her ancestral town…
Christina’s story is one of heritage, mystery, courage, and rediscovery.
We talk about: 🇮🇹 What it feels like to walk the streets of your ancestors 🍝 The power of food and community 🏘️ Why small Italian towns hold a magic we’ve lost ✈️ How travel helped her conquer fear 📚 The inspiration behind her cookbook Cooking with Italian Roots 🕵🏻♀️ And the emotional mystery she uncovered about her great-grandfather — one that still needs solving…
If you love Italian American stories, family mysteries, travel, or just hearing someone speak from the heart… this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen now to Episode 77: Christina Minutillo — available on all platforms.
In this episode of Italian American Stories Podcast, Stephanie sits down with historian and teacher Cassie Ferraiuolo, whose master’s thesis “Little Italy Colusa: The Forgotten Neighborhood” uncovers the remarkable Italian roots of a small California town.
What began as a quest to document Colusa’s past became a deeply personal journey through Cassie’s own family history — one filled with resilience, community, hard work, and even a touch of mystery. From Calabrian immigrants who risked everything to build new lives in agriculture, to the chain migration that shaped the town, and the whispers of Prohibition wine, secret societies, and a century-old murder case — Cassie brings Colusa’s hidden stories vividly to life.
Together, Stephanie and Cassie reflect on what it means to preserve small-town Italian American history, why ordinary people are never truly ordinary, and how every forgotten street corner holds a story waiting to be told.
🎧 Listen now and rediscover a piece of Italian American history that almost slipped away.
Connect with Cassie
Instagram: @cassiolo
Email: colusaitalians@gmail.com.
This Veterans Day, we honor the life and legacy of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, one of the most decorated heroes of World War II — and a proud Italian American whose courage continues to inspire generations.
Join Stephanie and her husband Jared, a U.S. Marine veteran, as they share the incredible story of Basilone’s bravery at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, his deep devotion to his wife Lena Riggi, and the lasting impact of his sacrifice.
This special video version pairs the original audio with powerful historic photos and emotional visuals, bringing this unforgettable story to life.
🕯️ “We fight together and we fall together. No Marine left behind.”
Episode 75: Veterans Day – John Basilone
In honor of Veterans Day and the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, this episode pays tribute to one of the greatest heroes in Marine Corps and Italian American history — Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone.
Join Stephanie and her husband Jared, a proud U.S. Marine veteran, as they share the incredible story of a man whose courage, humility, and sacrifice became legendary. From his humble beginnings as the son of Italian immigrants in New Jersey, to his heroic actions on Guadalcanal and ultimate sacrifice on Iwo Jima, Basilone’s story embodies the spirit of honor, courage, and commitment.
Stephanie and Jared reflect on the enduring bond between John and his wife Lena, his deep devotion to his fellow Marines, and the lasting legacy that continues to inspire generations.
This heartfelt Veterans Day episode is a moving reminder of the price of freedom — and a salute to all who have served.
🎖️ Listen now to honor the life and legacy of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone — the Marine who became a legend.
🎙️ Bonus Episode: Mamma, That’s All Right — Italians in the American South
In this bonus episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie sits down with director Valentina Signorelli and Italian musicians Luca Chiappara and Mario Monterosso to discuss their new documentary, Mamma, That’s All Right, which debuted at the National Italian American Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C.
The film follows Luca and Mario as they journey from Italy to the American South, tracing their pursuit of the American Dream through music, friendship, and culture. Set against the backroads of Nashville and Memphis, the story bridges two worlds, Sicily and Tennessee, through rhythm, heritage, and heart.
With a special cameo by Priscilla Presley, this conversation explores the shared soul between Italian passion and Southern sound, and the beauty of chasing dreams far from home. As Mario puts it best, “My family gave me my roots but rock and roll gave me my wings.”
Check out more information about the film at www.daitona.it
Follow Valentina, Luca and Mario
Valentina:
Instagram - @cosmopolitan_londoner
Luka:
https://lucachiappara.com/
Instagram - @luca.chiappara
Facebook: “Luca Chiappara Music” page
Mario:
Instagram - @marioredmount
Facebook page “Mario Monterosso Music”
In this episode, Stephanie sits down with the remarkable Pat Benincasa — an artist, author, educator, and podcaster whose life and work beautifully bridge creativity, heritage, and history.
From her early years in Detroit’s Italian American community to her breathtaking glass and steel sculptures, Pat has always seen her life as a canvas — each experience a brushstroke honoring the past. She shares stories from her book My Calabria: The Land Between Here and There, exploring how a single burned book of Italian love poems sparked a deep dive into her family’s immigrant journey and the powerful presence of her ancestors.
Together, Stephanie and Pat discuss art, teaching, podcasting, and the enduring connection between Italian Americans and their roots. With humor, wisdom, and heart, Pat reminds us that we are never alone — our ancestors walk beside us, guiding every step.
💬 “Know where you come from and you’ll know who you are.”
You can buy Pat's book from Apple Books or on her website https://www.patbenincasa-art.com/ebooks
In this episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie sits down with author Don Ladolcetta, whose heartfelt novels preserve the legacies of his family on both sides of the Atlantic. Don shares the inspiration behind his books, Hannah, the Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland and A Brooklyn Tale, stories that weave together family history, immigrant struggles, cultural heritage, and a touch of fiction to bring the past vividly to life.
From the hardships of Southern Italy and the dangerous journey through Ellis Island, to the challenges of starting over in Brooklyn’s Italian neighborhoods, Don recounts his ancestors’ resilience, sacrifice, and determination to create a better life for future generations. Along the way, he reflects on the importance of recording family stories, the mix of truth and imagination that shapes his writing, and the message of hope and perseverance that runs through his work.
If you’ve ever wondered about your own family’s immigrant journey, or why preserving these stories matters, this conversation will inspire you to ask the questions, record the memories, and honor the sacrifices that made your life possible.
In this heartfelt episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie welcomes Cindy Hollenbeck, a Navy veteran, writer, and proud Italian American who takes us on a deeply personal journey through her family’s past. From uncovering long-hidden truths in old newspapers and genealogical records to growing up in her father’s leather shop in Binghamton, Cindy shares how family secrets, resilience, and hard work shaped her life.
Cindy reflects on her father’s artistry as a cobbler, the challenges of an unconventional childhood, and the devastating loss of her beloved brother Tony, whose memory continues to inspire her memoir, Leather Soul. Along the way, she reminds us of the importance of preserving family history, embracing our heritage, and finding strength in even the most painful chapters of life.
This moving conversation is a celebration of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of storytelling within the Italian American community.
In the dramatic conclusion of our four-part series, we follow the twists and turns of Angelina Garramone’s murder trial in early 20th-century Denver. From shocking testimony about cruelty in Concetta Forgione’s past, to accusations of witchcraft, forged checks, and family betrayals, this final chapter brings the story of Maria LaGuardia’s death into sharp focus.
We uncover how witnesses, including Concetta, Stella, and even Angelina’s husband Luigi, shaped the case, how the Italian community reacted, and how newspaper portrayals of Angelina reflected the prejudices of the time. The verdict may have sealed her fate, but questions still linger about motive, justice, and what truly became of Angelina after prison.
Join us as we close the book on one of Colorado’s most haunting Italian American stories.
The story of La Diavola Rossa takes a darker turn in Part 3 of our Angelina series. After years of scams, trials, and whispers of violence, Angelina becomes entangled in the disappearance and murder of Maria LaGuardia—a 65-year-old woman from Denver’s Little Italy who spent her life searching for her missing husband.
In this episode, we follow Maria’s tragic final days, the chilling details of her murder, and the shocking confessions that implicated Angelina and others in the crime. From coded gestures of silence to gruesome superstitions, this chapter reveals just how deep fear of Angelina ran in her community.
Join us as we uncover the testimony, the drama, and the haunting aftermath of one of Denver’s most notorious cases.
🎧 Italian American Stories Podcast – Bringing Our Ancestors’ Stories to Life
