All In A Days Work - Still Working On It (Part 2)

Ciao a tutti,

This post is a continuation of my previous post of the same title in which I talk about some of the experiences I am starting to have as part of my profession. Or rather, more accurately, these experiences I am experiencing because of a combination of various circumstances including my profession, my ethnicity, my personality, etc.

In the last post I mentioned how I ran into the famous photographer, director, etc., Norman Seeff at after a meeting. This next situation that occurred is still new to me too and something I might be lucky enough to have to get used to. It occurred in the office of the IACCW (Italy American Chamber of Commerce, West) during a meeting with the Executive Director, Paola De Mari.

In the middle of the meeting she told me that she had seen my blog and all the events I had gone to and reported about, and wanted to know why I had not attended a single one of their events and reported on it? I told her that I didn't remember ever having been invited to one. The office manager Lucia Peretti Merritt proceeded to tell me the E-mail address they had listed for me, and indeed it was correct.

I guess I couldn't get out of this one. In all actuality, I think I had assumed that since I also receive many invitations for events in New York and Chicago, etc. that I am an not able to attend at the moment, that the ones coming from the particular E-mail address, were not local events. I told her that I would be happy to attend and report on one or more of their events and post pictures, etc. I promised I would be looking for the next event to attend.

Our meeting continued and something said within the meeting sparked a memory in Paola and she asked me if I had seen the pictures of me in a recently published book. I told her I didn't even know that I was in yet another book. I thought she might be referring to Richard Gruden's Book, The Italian American Crooner - A Bedside Companion," in which the author dedicates a whole chapter on me.

She immediately popped up and went to her office to get it and brought it back into the meeting room and opened up the pages to the pictures of me. It was not that book but another one called "Images of America - Italians in Los Angeles."

I was quite honored I must say, firstly that she thought so much of me to bring it to my attention, and secondly that only a handful of Italian-Americans were listed in the book as representing the next generation of Italian leaders and I was included right along with Jimmy Kimmel, of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live Show and Doug DeLuca, producer of the show.

Above is a picture of the cover and below that are the pictures used in the book. You see the page listing Jimmy Kimmel and Doug DeLuca. And then here are the pictures with me.

Even though, the captions are incorrect, and I don't wear my hair that way anymore, thankfully, he, he, it was wonderful to be included.

The book is called "Images of America - Italians In Los Angeles," by Marge Bitetti and published by Arcadia Publishing. Thank you Marge for including me in the pictures. Thank you Paola for giving me the book so I could post it on my blog. And thank you Giovanna DiBona of Roman Holiday, with whom I am happily pictured, and Norman Panto.

You know, there used to be a saying amongst musicians, that started up after the accordion had "fallen out of favor" in the recording studio world. The saying was "Play and accordion, go to jail." When I first started to hire bands and asked around for accordion players for the ethnic sound I was looking for at the time, musicians would laugh and tell me those sayings and more. They were funny, but they didn't stop me from hiring accordion players.

It is interesting how now the accordion has come into favor even among some rock bands. Okay, it hasn't taken over the guitar, and you don't always see it in bands, but it is used in recording studios. And this man, Norman Panto, or Nunzio, as I know him has done well with it. Besides the usual Italian weddings and events, he has even been featured playing on TV commercials. Here's one accordion player who not only didn't "go to jail" for playing the accordion, he went to the bank.

Ciao for now,

Filippo

P.S. In my last post, I featured a Cher video and mentioned how I would feature a Sonny Bono video next time, and here it is. Here is a video I found on Youtube.com of Sonny singing his song "Laugh At Me." Like his voice or not, you have to admit the message is timeless. (In English)

"Italian Show Rocks The Airways" - NIAF News Monthly, May 2007

Ciao a tutti,

As many of you know our radio show, Filippo and the Chef, was honored with a National Italian American Foundation vote of confidence in the form of a NIAF Grant this past year. As part of the honor came the official welcome into the NIAF Forum of Print and Broadcast Journalists of Italian Ancestry.

That event took place a few weeks ago in Santa Monica, California. Here is the press release from that event as reported by Elissa Ruffino, Director of Communications for NIAF.

NIAF Networks in Santa Monica

Against a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and swaying palm trees, NIAF hosted print and broadcast journalists of Italian ancestry at the Foundation’s sixth annual media networking forum.

The dinner reception was underwritten by Il Fornaio (The Baker) in Santa Monica with Chef Claudio Zorloni preparing regional specialties for more than 30 guests.

Il Fornaio’s General Manager Raymond Byrne welcomed all to the coastal bistro.

During the reception, NIAF Vice Chairman Joseph R. Cerrell opened the evening and introduced Italy’s Consul General in Los Angeles, Diego Brasioli, as well as the three media hosts, Anthony D’Alessandro of Variety Magazine, Ken LaCorte of FoxNews.com, and Kim Rouggie of KTLA-TV.

The co-hosts spoke about the importance of supporting NIAF’s programs and events, and with self-introductions, many realized that their families had emigrated from some of the same towns in Italy.

Special guests included actor Peter Onorati, NIAF grant recipient Filippo Voltaggio, and the Foundation’s area coordinators Marcella Leonetti-Tyler and Doug DeLuca.

Representatives from the Los Angeles Daily News, Fox Sports Radio, Teleitalia, La Repubblica, Il Sole 24 Ore, Business Week, Metropolitan News Enterprise, and RAI-TV lingered after the event to trade stories and exchange business cards.

NIAF’s media forums give professionals in the communications field an opportunity to foster working relationships with colleagues and learn about the Foundation’s many programs.

Through these events, NIAF has established an excellent rapport with members of the media and continues to work with many to promote Italian Americans and the important issues they face.

I also just recieved NIAF's upcoming Monthly Newsletter that will be released next week for May. I was delighted to see that they had highlighted my presence at this event and spotlighted Chef Richard's and my Filippo and the Chef show on the front page with a picture, an article, and the headline "Italian Show Rocks The Airways."

The article reads:

A love for Italian cooking and a vivacious personality has led NIAF grant recipient Filippo Voltaggio to create "Filippo and the Chef," a radio show and soon-to-be television program.

During the bi-weekly, hourly show, Filippo and chef Richard Lombardi cook an authentic Italian meal. But their growing number of listeners tune in for more than "il piatto del giorno": the show's lively conversation about all things Italian.

Each show features a notable Italian or Italian-American. Past guests have included composer Ennio Morricone, Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, and U.S.
television personality Paul DiMeo.

Click on the image for a full view and for the full article.

It was interesting to to get to meet in person some of the people who's articles I read in magazines and newspapers, who's voices I hear on the radio, and or who's faces I see on television on a day in and day out basis.

I felt like I knew them already as people often say to me after they have listened to my show or my CDs over the years. Being that we were all Italian-Americans however made us all feel even more familial and helped us establish an immediate connection.

Though some of the topics in conversations to which I was a party revolved around current media events, journalistic issues, career moves etc., I would say most of them had an Italian-American twist.

During the course of the evening I reflected on how at Italian-American social gatherings and parties I am often asked where my family came from in Italy and usually people share the same with me. Before long a kinship is almost automatically established and the relationships evolve from that basis...in other words, strangers no more.

Here we were professionals at a networking mixer and the conversations took the same turn, or in some cases even started that way. I guess it is true "The 'mela,' (apple) doesn't fall too far from 'l'albero,' (the tree)."

Of course many of you within the community know some of these faces, and I don't just mean in the Italian community.

The first picture is one of Joe Cerrell and I, NIAF Vice-Chair and founder and chairman of Los Angeles based Cerrell and Associates, Inc., ranked as one of the nations largest independent public relation firms specializing in public affairs, political consulting, issues management, special events coordination and media and government relations.

Incidentally, among many prestigious honors and awards over his long illustrious career, Joe was just inducted in the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) Hall of Fame and recently received two "Awards of Excellence," from the Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles.

I just realized that I could not only go on and on about Joe, but could do so about every single person in that room that night.

I think for the sake of trying not to let this post get too long, I will just mention the names for now and elaborate on future posts since I will be connecting with almost all of these people in the near future.

Nevertheless, it was wonderful to connect with them all that night and I thank NIAF for giving us all the chance to network, see some friends, and make new ones within the business.

Below the picture of Joe and I is a picture with one of my favorite, sweet and beautiful anchor women, KTLA's Kim Rouggie. Now see, I got a great story about Kim and I, but I guess I have to save it for another event when there is less to talk about.

Next to me in that same picture is Vince Delisi, News Director at FOX Sports Radio.

Below that is a picture of Actor Peter Onorati and I. In the picture below that is Marcella Leonietti-Tyler, Area Coordinator for NIAF, and Mario Trecco, Editor of L'Italo-Americano Newspaper. I got a great story with him too, augh!!!

The picture below that one is the one used by NIAF in it's May Issue of the Newsletter and it includes Ken La Corte, Director of News Editorial at Fox News, and Daniela Roveda.

The next picture is Anthony D'Alessandro, Director of Data Management at Variety Magazine, who, Joe Cerrell quickly pointed out, among other things, has the distinction of sharing a sir name with Congress Woman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who's maiden name is D'Alessandro.

Below that is a picture of news talk radio host Rick Amato from "The Rick Amato Show" in San Diego.

Below Rick and I, is a picture of Doug DeLuca and I. Doug is the Producer of the ever popular Jimmy Kimmel Live Show on ABC, he is a NIAF Area Coordinator, and he just added "Proud Father" to his list of titles. Congratulazione Doug and Ali.

Directly above is a picture of me next to Silvia Bizio of Excell Italy and the CEO of several world class magazines including LUXURY and FASHION, Piero Cammerinesi.

And finally this is a picture of a correspondent and the director of the Italian Newspaper "Il Corriere Di Los Angeles," Franco Brescia.

I guess that's it.

Now, after all this, how do I sign off as a journalist?

How about this?

"I'm Filippo Voltaggio reporting live from Santa Monica, California. Now back to you!"

Filippo

P.S. Speaking of Doug DeLuca and the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, here is a clip from Youtube.com of Jimmy interviewing a fellow Paisan, Italian Canadian Enrico Colantoni wherein he talks a little about his Italian upbringing. (In English)