Member Bios
Hilary-Anne Coppola
“My family has many stories. My surname is Coppola, but I found comfort in aligning my identity with my Irish, Scottish, and Anglo roots- at the cost of stronger connection with my mother’s Jewish heritage and my father’s Italian heritage. I am thankful for this group and the support they have given me as I explore more of my Italian heritage and my personal identity…” read more
Tarki L. Heath
“My grandfather, Tarky Lombardi, Senior, came to America through Ellis Island in 1916 from the region of Abruzzo. My grandmother, Jennie (Cerio), known to her grandchildren as Mommamia, was born and lived most of her life in Syracuse. I have fond memories of them from my very early childhood, including large dinners at a crowded table, homemade pasta, huge salads, Grandpadad cooking, laughing, and sometime rather loud voices speaking in Italian, as we picked out a few of the “spicier” words. However, by the age of eight or nine, my childhood changed rather dramatically. For reasons unknown to me at that age, the family dynamic became fraught. My father moved us out of Syracuse to a horse farm…” read more
Cindy Squillace
“I was raised on the banks of the Hudson River and moved to Syracuse nearly 50 years ago where my husband and I have raised our children, worked and are now retired. My paternal grandparents were both born and raised in Calabria, Italy. My grandfather, Franco Squillace emigrated here from Squillace, Calabria after his wife died birthing their first child. My grandmother, Mary Milade was school age when her mother, father and brother all emigrated from Cosenza, Calabria to the United States. Her father had been recruited to work in the coal mines of Pennsylvania where he died within 2 years of working in the mines...” read more.
Allison Sarno DeVoe
I am a fourth-generation Italian-American with roots that include Naples; Montemaggiore, Sicily; and right here in Syracuse. My grandmother Maria Naples Sarno, M.D. was one of two women in her graduating class from the University at Buffalo's school of medicine before taking medical and administrative roles across Central and Western New York. My grandfather Berard "Bert" Sarno Sr. was treasurer for the Syracuse Nationals basketball team, helped lead the Syracuse Bowling Association, owned an insurance agency, and was active with the Italian Community Home and Columbus Foundation among many other groups - including the fundraising committee for the Columbus Circle monument in the 1930s. Together, they ran a downtown gift shop for many years, which included a booth at the New York State Fair. Although my grandmother didn't cook much (being a full-time healthcare professional and often away from home), we got to know the best Italian restaurants in most cities and towns across the state when we went to visit family.
Shannon Fabiani
“O’Fabiani”—the nickname our extended family and friends used to refer to my family growing up. My real last name, Fabiani, was gifted to me by my father’s Italian family. My first name, Shannon, gifted to me by my mother, represented my Irish roots—specifically the strength of the Shannon River. “I know how to eat and I know how to drink!” I used to proudly claim. I am proud of my Italian-American heritage as much as my Irish-American heritage…” read more
Donna Inglima
“My father’s parents Vincenzo (Vincent) Inglima and Carmella LoPinto immigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1899 and 1903. They married in 1907. My father was born in 1909. My family left Italy as opportunities were limited. My grandparents and their siblings thrived on Long Island. To my memory, our family didn’t have conversations about Christopher Columbus. We lived in Freeport, Long Island in a house built by Vincent’s brothers. My Grandfather was a barber. When he died in 1955, my father, a musician, took over the barber shop and played gigs on weekends. My Grandmother died in 1958. I have no firsthand memories of my Grandfather and although my memories of my Nana are scant, they are rich with feelings…” read more
Colleen Zawadzki
“You would never know from my name that I am of Italian heritage. My great grandparents on both of my mother’s side of the family were impoverished laborers and farmers who emigrated from Naples to Syracuse at the turn of the century to begin new lives and seek out financial opportunities. My great grandfather Albert Ruta and his wife Gioquindina were third cousins, and after giving it a go here, Albert despondently left his wife and five children and returned to Italy. My great grandfather, Leonard Carfagno settled where the train took him and got a job working for the Syracuse Parks Department beautifying downtown Syracuse…” read more
Grace Fritzke
Grace had been a master’s student at Syracuse University in Religion. She was a volunteer with the Skä•noñh-Great Law of Peace Center and a former research associate for Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and Whitman College. She is a non-Italian-American member of WISH CNY, providing website and social media support and enjoying the company of this wonderful group of women.
Natalie LoRusso
“As a fourth generation Italian-American growing up in Syracuse, my Italian heritage was crucial to the formation of my cultural and family dynamics. As far back as I remember, my father would tell me about our family’s history. He would tell me about my great-grandfather arriving at Ellis Island in the hopes of establishing a better life. The numerous opportunities to establish a career and provide for my great-grandmother were abundant in the growing economy, and he wanted to be included...” read more
MaryAnn Zeppetello
“My paternal grandparents were Savino Carrino and Mariangela Montone. They arrived from Altripalda, Italy in the late 1890s. My maternal grandparents were Joseph Corso and Teresa Pagano. They came from Terme Immerse, Sicily in 1910. My grandparents were here when the statue was erected. Most likely, they contributed to its cost. At the time, they needed an object of pride to offset the discrimination they experienced…” read more.
Stefania Ianno
BIO COMING SOON!