I Was Bored - So I Bought Myself An Aston Martin

Ciao a tutti,

I can't remember the exact phrase of how she said it because I just when I heard it I couldn't stop laughing, but it was something like that. What happened was that I got a call from my friend Caruska and she was inviting me to her house for a party. I must have asked what was the occasion, and she said something like, "I was bored, so I bought myself and Aston Martin."

Well, count me in, I said, that's reason enough for a party as far as I am concerned. This was the first call like this I have ever gotten, but I trust it won't be the last, at least not from her. She is one of the most amazing women I know. She is Caruska as in Caruska the designer Caruska almost synonymous to "yoga wear," and more. You can learn more about her at www.carushka.com/.

So off to the party I go. What does this have to do with being Italian? Everything always has to do with being Italian, at least in my life. I am sure if I wanted to stretch it, I could find someone at the party who was Italian, at the very least. But I could do better than that.

Here I was minding my own business enjoying this amazing party, when all of a sudden in busts her beautiful niece and her niece's friends, a troop of actors, all buzzing with excitement.

They had just come from the theater where they had all been in a play including the playwright himself, Kevin Kramer, and Caruska's niece, called "Bacciarelli," at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica.

The play, is a play within a play, about Gordo and his college buddy who write a play to impress a girl and freak out when the characters inexplicably come to life. The play is based on a game called, "Bacciarelli," which is thought to have been originated by Scotch-Irish and Italian immigrants in the mills of Western Pennsylvania near the turn of the century.

The fast paced game of mystifying hand gestures swept the region by storm during the late 1950s and early 1960s where underground matches wowed the rowdy and often stupefied crowds who had gathered to see burgeoning legends such as Knuckles Norris, Ned Longbecker, and the upstarts Swissvale Three.

During the 1970s, however, just as the game seemed to be breaking away from it's local roots, rumors of organized crime involvement and cheating scandals splintered the Bacciarelli community and the game never recovered.

The play was on it's last run and I never got to see it but I sure would have wanted to. From their enthusiasm and that of the critics, it seems, it would have been a fun experience. So, that is the Italian connection but had I searched hard enough I could have found many more I am sure but I was there for a good time.

Oh, I forgot, there are Italian connections with the Aston Martin too, various models and various movies, etc. But in case you are not familiar with the car, it is the one used in 007 movies and is, one could say, a cousin to the Ferrari.

Above you see Caruska and I modeling the car. The party was in full swing when I got there so we couldn't just abandon everyone and go for a spin, but I can't wait until we do. Below those there is a picture of the actor troop and I somewhere behind them. And finally, some pictures taken with and by some people at the party.

Thank you Caruska for giving me a clue of what to do next time I am really bored. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to be soooo bored, I'll have to by a Lamborghini!

A presto,

Filippo

P.S. This video that I found on Youtube.com is perfect for this post. This guy and his father were so bored, they drove to Italy from London to visit an Olive Tree. And the part that makes it so perfect is they did it in an Aston Martin. (In English)

"Everybody Wants to Be Italian" - World Premier Film in Hollywood

Ciao a tutti,

I was invited to the premier of the film "Everybody Wants To Be Italian" at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood the other night. I went with Chef Richard my co-host in the Filippo and the Chef show, and his wife, Elaine.

We all had a great time because not only was the film really well done and enjoyable we got to meet most of the actors before on the red carpet and afterwards at the reception. I would recommend the movie to anyone, young and young at heart.

When the crowd around Actress and Model Marisa Petroro cleared, I got to chat with her a minute. It is amazing how her look completely changes with her hair straight compared to how she had it in the last post at the Feast of San Gennaro. Regardless, all her looks work really well if you ask me, or if you ask anyone for that matter.

In the movie she reminded me of an Italian movie actress from days gone by, she had that kind of a look and comportment, that was so beautiful to see.

All the actors were very good, and the lead, Jay Jablonski, I kept thinking he had to be Italian. I got to speak with him after the show, and that's him and I pictured above. But it turns out he is half Italian. I expect to see him in many, many more movies as the lead after this.

He was that good as was the beautiful co-star Cerina Vincent who also sported another sexy look other than the one in the movie. That is her pictured at the top of the post with Jason Ipson and I.


I complimented the director Jason Todd Ipson for a great job. He even got Penny Marshall to step into a cameo role. I told him that Penny had told me to tell him that she wanted to see a copy of the film since she wasn't going to be able to make the premier. I hope she got it and liked it as much as we all did.

Pictured below is actress Judith Scarpone who is and was a mother character on and off screen as you can see in these pictures.


Following are pictures of some more of the cast including John Enos III and Zak Lee as well as some friends like actor Ed Lauter and of course, Chef Richard himself.



























P.S. Enjoy this short clip I got off of Youtube.com of the premier reception of "Everybody Wants to Be Italian."

It's Italian Festa Time in Los Angeles - Feast of San Gennaro LA (Part 2)

Ciao a tutti,

Today I learned something very interesting, how to put captions under pictures. This could prove very important to me. The question now is, will I allow the pictures to speak their proverbial "thousand words," for themselves, or will I still feel compelled to write a thousand words or so, and risk being too verbose, or worse, redundant.

The other choice I might make is to post a thousand pictures. How many words does that make?
That's a million words, right?

Better yet, in regard to this particular post, I not only have the pictures and the new know-how of how to add captions, but I also have a short video of Chef Richard and I having fun with some of our friends, old and new, performing the live version of our Filippo and the Chef Radio show on the Jimmy Kimmel Live stage of the Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles this past week.

So, I have decided to let the pictures do the talking, as well as the video below and wish you all a happy browsing.

But I just have to say one thing, Penny Marshall pictured with me here was sooo sweet. Well, so was Tanya and Marisa and Joan Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel's Mom, who won't be pictured because I don't have a picture with her but you can see her cooking with Chef Richard and I on the video.

But Penny was just as funny as you would have expected her to be. She had a busy rehearsal schedule that day but she came out to the Feast in the middle of her work day just to celebrate her Italian heritage with us, and make us all laugh.

And incidentally, yes, she is Italian-American. Hear her tell you herself in the video below. I just had to post all these pictures of her because her expressions are priceless.

And speaking of video, wait, one more thing. I have to mention Pat Battistini. It's because of him that we have such a cool video. He is a writer/ director/ producer/ editor and you can learn more about him at Hoosier Daddy Films. Incidently he is also an actor, you might recognize his face from the picture I posted here but you can check out his reel by clicking here.

Thank you all for helping make this years Feast of San Gennaro LA so memorable for all of us, especially Chef Richard and myself.
I guess that answered that, I still had to write a lot of words. He, he.

Filippo

P.S. If you cannot watch the video on this post, you can always go to www.Youtube.com and Search "Filippo and the Chef," or actually, just click on the following link.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w8pJg2S-tco







Me Dancing with Actress and Model, Marisa Petroro





Me with Australian-Italian Singer Alfio






Actress and TV Host Tanya Memme Cooking with Chef Richard and I





Dean Martin's Son Ricci Martin and I Backstage.






KTLA News Reporter, Kim Rouggie (left) and KTLA Weather Anchor and former Miss USA 1994, Lu Parker, (right) and I





A Group we affectionately called "Filippo and the CHEFS" was a huge hit at the festival. The singing Doo Wop Group was comprised of Actors Bobby Costanzo and Johnny Capodice, Chef Richard Lombardi and myself





Me singing to Actress and TV Host Tanya Memme





Me enjoying a Zeppole (Photo taken by Photographer Tricia Wall)





Chef Richard Lombardi on stage with TV Hosts Mark DeCarlo and Marisa Petroro





Chef Richard and I





Australian-Italian Singer Alfio and I





Soprano Autumn Scarlett and I






Ricci Martin and I





Comedian Mike Marino and Chef Richard dancing while I was singing





A young Festival Performer and I





TV Host Mark DeCarlo and Actress and Model Marisa Petroro and I





Actor Mario Macaluso, Comedian Mike Marino, Chef Richard and I





Marisa Petroro and I at the Filippo and the Chef Booth





TV Host Tanya Memme, Chef Richard and I





KTLA TV News Reporter Kim Rouggie and I




Musician/Composer Marco Missinato performing during our Live Show




TV Host Tanya Memme and I





Chef Richard with cooking with Actor Mario Macaluso





The Filippo and the Chef Show Stage with TV Host Tanya Memme, Chef Richard, Musician/Composer Marco Missinato and me.





Actress Model Marisa Petroro and I





Me