Wow! So Many Pictures - And All of WHOM?

Ciao a tutti,

I have to say that this could be a bit overwhelming. I have never seen so many pictures of me from one event before in my entire performance life. Literally, I have been sent and have seen hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of me with hundreds of facial expressions, position of mouth, body gesticulations and in various strides across the stage.

It seems that there were more than a few photographers at the Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles this year who took a liking to what Chef Richard and I were doing as part of our live version of the Filippo and the Chef show, and we are so grateful for the attention. Little by little they have been trickling in.

This last batch which came in today was really appreciated because it included pictures of me with people with whom I had not seen pictures of as of yet. Most specifically, I didn't have a picture with Joan Kimmel, Kimmy Kimmel's Mom and Uncle Frank.

At the top of the post is her making pasta fasul or "fagioli" with Chef Richard, with me looking on, and talking on and on, he, he. In this picture here I was telling a story about her, actually it was really about me. But it went like this.

When I met Joan that night before I gave her my E-mail address and asked her to E-mail me the recipe that she was going to make and the ingredients she needed. That next day she E-mailed me as planned. At the end of her E-mail she wrote, "I love you."

I got the E-mail and without batting an eye-lash wrote her back, "Thanks, I love you!" Just before I sent the E-mail, I happened to check her E-mail address and noticed that it wasn't her name on the E-mail but that of her son, JIMMY KIMMEL. Thank God I didn't send it. She explained to me later that she was using her sons computer at his house and sent the E-mail from his E-mail account.

So I shared that story with the audience ending it with "Can you imagine if I had sent the E-mail and Jimmy had read it?" I think, whether he thought I was saying "I love you" to him, or saw me writing it to his mother, it would have possibly been awkward either way. You know those Italians and their mothers, he, he.

Here are some other pictures that I think you would enjoy, and I guess there's no need to explain them, I will just post them here with captions, just in case they are needed. Oh yes, there were a couple other things I wanted to say.

Firstly, here is a picture of the singing group we formed especially for the Festival which we called "Filippo and the CHEFS!" The "Chefs" part of the group was made up of actors Bobby Costanzo, Johnny Capodice, and our very own Chef Richard Lombardi. It was a hoot, we sang doo wop and brought the house down because it was so funny.

And what was the other thing I wanted to say? Oh, and I wasn't kidding when I said the pictures keep coming in. I recently got an E-mail from yet another photographer, Andre, who took some fun pictures of us at the Feast and if you want to see even more pictures you can click on this link. www.sgfeast.com/filippogal02.html Thank you Andre for your interest in taking pictures of us and posting them on them web.





With Actor Mario Macaluso


So that's it for now, until someone else sends some more pictures, he, he.

Filippo







Backstage with Actress, Director and Producer Penny Marshall


P.S. This Italian-American comedian, John DiResta, was coming to town and I wasn't able to go see his live stand-up, but I checked out clips of him on the web and on Youtube. In case you are not familiar with his comedy or his show, like I wasn't, I posted a clip of his and his brother Jimmy's show "Hammered," here. (In English)





Singing on stage to Actress, Model, TV Host Tanya Memme






On Stage with Actor and TV Host Mark DeCarlo and Actress and Model Marisa Petroro






At the festival with Comedian Mike Marino and Actor Mario Macaluso






On stage cooking with Penny Marshall and Chef Richard

It's Italian Festa Time in Los Angeles - Feast of San Gennaro LA's Prima Notte

Ciao a tutti,

Last week I wrote about a "Festa in famiglia," a Festa amongst family. Well, this it feels like I am writing about more of the same. That is what the Los Angeles San Gennaro Italian Festival officially called Feast of San Gennaro, LA, felt like for Chef Richard and I this year.

We felt like we were having a big party with all of our Italian friends and family. Actually, it feels like that anytime we do a festival or show because, like our tag line says, "In our kitchen you're family." But LA was extra special.

We were invited to take center stage on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's outdoor stage used during the Festival to perform our "Filippo and the Chef" Show Live. We were all too happy to oblige. After performing in so many other towns and festivals, it was wonderful to be invited to participate here in our home town.

Well, home town, I was born in Northern California and Richard in the Bronx, but for the past decade or so, both Richard and his family and I have called Southern California home.

And so, when asked to participate in our "hometown," festival, we at "Filippo and the Chef," went all out. We had a booth decked out with our sponsors, we had a kitchen built for the stage and we invited our old friends and some new friends to participate with us on stage. To say it was fun would be an understatement.

But in this post I will post only the pictures of Prima Notte, which is a big night not just for the festival and Los Angeles but nationally. Prima Notte (First Night) shares ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's limelight with guests from the show appearing on the Prima Notte Stage during the broadcast etc.

This years guests on the Jimmy Kimmel Show who were part of the Prima Notte Festivities include Chef Mario Batali, Danny DeVito, Tommy Lasorda, and Frankie Valli. Below I have posted a Youtube.com video of that telecast.

Of course the first picture above is of Jimmy Kimmel and I. Below that picture is Frankie Valli and I, then Ed Marinaro, Sgt. Coffey from Hill Street Blues, and I, and here I am pictured with Tommy Lasorda.

How could I not have a picture taken with the "Marvelous Wonderettes?" They are part of a musical that is headed to New York and will appear off-Broadway, shown here in their '50's attire and sweaters on because it was chilly that night.

Below I am pictured with the President of the Los City Council, a proud Italian-American, Eric Garcetti.

Lets see, I think I will just list the photos from here. Underneath that is Actor and very funny guy Bobby Costanzo, and also actor and funny man, in fact he wrote many funny movies with Mel Brookes, Rudy De Luca.

Below that I am pictured with actor Ed Lauter, a friend of Chef Richard Lombardi's and his wife's, and immediately below that I am pictured once again with Ed but also with Chef Richard and actor John Santucci better known as "Johnny Pizza." I love that name. You will see me and Johnny Pizza just below that picture as well.

Though he is not an actor, I think most people know another Italian-American that is the CEO and Co-Founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems hair products. Well, he is John Paul Dejoria and you see him and I pictured together flashing the famous peace sign he is also known for doing in pictures.

The beautiful young lady I am pictured with below the picture of John Paul Dejoria and I is this years Miss Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles. She was very sweet, which is more than I can say for George Pecoraro, pictured below her and I.

Just kidding George. George is an entertainment agent and owner of George Pecoraro Productions, we have known each other for years. He handles a lot of big name acts and was there with Frankie Valli.

And finally, bookending the set of pictures is another picture of Jimmy Kimmel and I with most of the "heads" of the San Gennaro family... to my right is Frankie Competelli, original founder of the feast and owner of Frankie's on Melrose, a popular New York style Italian restaurant in Hollywood. Then there is Kimmy Kimmel and next to him, his cousin and Miss "do everything" for the feast, Ann Potenza.

And finally, Miss "you can't do it that way," for the feast, he, he, the feast attorney and long time supporter, Claire Ambrosio. Now I should have known better than to write it up this way and I know I am going to get shit for it, but Claire knows I love her, and I just couldn't resist.

This is it for part one, part two will soon follow.

Filippo

P.S. Don't forget to watch the Youtube.com telecast of part of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live Show that night. Enjoy (In English)

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)