è recentemente tornato a Sant’Agata di Militello per visitare i luoghi di provenienza della madre emigrata negli Stati Uniti a soli dieci anni la riscoperta delle proprie radici e l’emozione di sentire il forte legame che ancora sussiste sono esperienze e sensazioni che accomunano milioni di italo americani There’s no place like home.  It was not so much a tour as a pilgrimage Fathers Philip Racco and Joseph Labak were  hosts of an October 2014 Best of South & Sicily Custom Tour escorted by Donna and Peter D’Attoma President of DaVinci Custom Travel & Tours.  45 Americans were immersed in the land and culture that is unique to the mezzogiorno for 16 days and 14 nights Many of us have roots in the sunny South and Sicily I was one of several of our good company blessed to return to the home of parents or grandparents.  For us a tour became a pilgrimage Allow me to share my storia.  I know it will resonate with many readers Rome may be New York and Palermo may be Chicago On what good day of Creation did God fashion the towns of the South and their people clinging to their traditions and to the cliffs that hover over waters described as azzurro azzurro (blue blue)?   The town squares witness to the faith and family values held dear by the friendliest of folks and the best of cooks.  Shops and schools close early afternoon in time for the daily family pranzo.  Ask for directions and you will be led to your destination.  I engaged several elderly gentlemen on a park bench in conversation and heard the Sicilian dialect spoken by my elders on Fulton Road at Sunday dinners And that brings me to Sant’Agata di Militello Are you from Cleveland?  My cousin lives there My mother Caroline was born on the 10th of December to Salvatore Petrolo and Concetta Spinelli She traveled alone from the Port of Naples to Ellis Island (where her father awaited her) to Cleveland just shy of her tenth birthday (10 year olds paid adult fare in economy class.) I had no known relatives to contact in Sant’Agata but PeterD’Attoma arranged for a day driver from Taormina So Claudio was my guide and the office workers in the municipo were my friends.  An hour long search of dusty record books pointed me to Via Etna 33 – the stone house and solid wood door I recognized from old photos I have photos and a few small stones to show from the now abandoned house but only those who have stood before a home across the ocean can know how it did and still feels The office manager embraced me as a fellow citizen of Sant’Agata “IF you come to the Feast next year you must stay at my brother’s bed and breakfast.”  He kissed me again “When  you come to the Feast next year you must stay with my brother.” Now that is Sicilian Discover all our subscription plans and become a member Trek-Segafredo rider wins first race since 2019 on home roads Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) broke down in tears after winning the final stage of the Giro di Sicilia and snatching overall victory from Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). The 36-year-old from Messina attacked on the key climb of the stage on the slopes of Mount Etna with 22km to go and never looked back.  He cracked chaser Romain Bardet (Team DSM) and Valverde was unable to stop the gap opening to 40 seconds at the summit of the Sciara di Scorciavacca climb. Nibali knew every corner of the fast descent to the finish and extended his lead to 49 seconds.  He waved to the crowds as he reached the finish and broke into tears as he realised he had won his home race, close to his hometown of Messina, and won his first race for Trek-Segafredo after over two years without a victory. It was also his first professional victory in Sicily. Simone Ravanelli (Androni Giocattoli) won the sprint for second, with Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) third. Nibali won the overall classification by 46 seconds, beating Valverde, with Covi third overall at 49 seconds.  The 180km stage saw Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation) go on the attack with a small group after a puncture cost him time on stage 3. They opened a 1:30 gap on the peloton on the Portella Mandrazzi climb on the slopes of Etna but were pulled back and the race came back together before the final climb.  Nibali attacked alone and seemed unable to get more than a hundred metres on his rivals but then he accelerated again and Valverde - still recovering after fracturing his collarbone at the Vuelta a Espana - was unable to bring him back.  Nibali dived down to the finish, unable to hold back the emotions of winning at home.    “I cracked emotionally because this is my first win in Sicily. I grew up riding on these roads with my dad and my young teammates but then moved away to chase my dreams when I was a teenager. It’s always emotional to come back and especially to win,” Nibali explained.  “I’ve had a lot of physical problems recently and so to win here wasn’t easy. But seeing my family and friends makes it all special and difficult to hold back my emotions. I knew the roads well, especially the final descent, even if I messed up a corner due to all the emotions but it was a special moment in my career.  “I returned to racing at the Tour of Luxembourg after 20 days of training in Sicily in August. I felt good there and so it was even better here. Now we’ll see what we can do in the Italian one-day races. I’m focused on Il Lombardia, it’s an important race for me." The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999 and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks the mango season in Sicily is coming to an end with the most suitable cultivars for this part of the year The prices reached at the start in August did not stay too high for the rest of the season but production in the Thyrrenian area was truly satisfactory Mango of the (late) Sensation variety during its first year fruiting year  "Sales of Kensington Pride were amazing and despite the few difficulties caused by the rain we were not affected by the weather when it comes to yields or organoleptic qualities so much so that prices were 20% higher than last year we have commercialized 20 tons of produce," explains Vincenzo Amata Vincenzo Amata"Volumes are destined to grow as we will soon start with the late cultivars with their own distinctive elements grows very aromatic fruits with a yellow-green color and a red hue when ripe Each fruit weighs around 600 g and the flesh is very sweet It is the first fruiting year for Keitt and Sensation but they look promising." "Thanks to varietal diversification we need to cover the entire season until late October and even beyond that Of course we have incredible soil and weather conditions in Sant'Agata di Militello (ME) compared to other production areas our quality was similar to that of exotic countries phytosanitary security and sustainability." we expect prices to be slightly higher than those of Kensington My sales strategy is based on commercializing produce that has ripened on trees though it requires a considerable management effort Our mangoes always have the right Brix level."  "Mango fruits tell us when they are ready to be harvested through their color and firmness Feedback was great from both our big retail and wholesale clients who complimented us on our regular supplies of excellent produce." Contacts:Azienda Agr. Bianco Rosalia C.da Giancola, 2/A98076 Sant'Agata di Militello (ME)Mob.: +39 393 9110524Email: [email protected]Website: www.papamango.it FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Staten Island AdvanceFamily PhotoMargaret Rask a homemaker and native of Sicily who enjoyed spending time with her family Born Margherite LoRe in St’Agata di Militello in Sicily she moved to Brooklyn at the age of 13 and worked as a hair stylist and manicurist in a family-owned business She enjoyed cooking and was always looking for new recipes She also enjoyed reading and solving word puzzles But she was at her happiest when spending time with her family The funeral will be Tuesday from the Colonial Funeral Home Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Mafiosi in Malta: Sicilian associates cross over the channel to set up gaming companies and convert cash flows in Italy into gaming transactions Bacchi’s gaming licences in Malta were terminated three years ago when he was arrested.