Reuben Holober, grandson of club members Antonio and Laura (Floriani) Vitlacil, was elected to the Millbrae City Council in 2013 at the age of 25. He has served as mayor twice. Reuben’s late mother Nadia also served as mayor of Millbrae. From a quote in the San Francisco Chronicle: She’s (Nadia) really been an inspiration – both of my parents from a very young age instilled in me the value of public service. Reuben also works as a Budget and Legislative Analyst for the City and County of San Francisco. Antonio and Laura are from the Valsugana. Laura was a founding member of our club and our first vice-president. In 2015 the President of the Trentino Province sent Laura a letter applauding her years of dedicated service to the Trentino community. Her grandson is now following that family tradition of public service.
Agricultural Woman of the Year
Ag Against Hunger chose Silvia (Torresani) Prevedelli as the 2019 Agricultural Woman of the Year for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. Silvia was born and raised in Cloz, Val di Non. She immigrated in 1966 to work alongside her husband Frank at Prevedelli Farms in Watsonville, California. Frank’s parents, Arturo Prevedel and Errina Menghini, immigrated from Brez, Val di Non. The Val di Non is well-known throughout Europe for its delicious apples, namely the Melinda brand. The Prevedelli family produces 36 varieties of organic apples. They sell their apples along with an assortment of other fruits, vegetables, homemade jams, etc. at more than 10 farmers markets in the Bay Area and beyond.
Web site: https://www.prevedelli.com
Italian Citizenship: Bravo Attilio!
Italian and Finnish passports are rated the fourth most powerful in the world because they provide visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 countries. They rank ahead of the US, the UK and all other European Union countries except Germany.
According to attorney Lara Olivetti, who spoke at our 2019 spring gathering at Terun Pizzeria, a special parliamentarian commission has been set up to discuss limiting the right of citizenship by descent. Some want to restrict it to first generation children born abroad and only spouses living in Italy. Therefore, if you are interested in obtaining your Italian citizenship, you may want to act soon. On that note, board member Attilio Mussi recently obtained his Italian passport. Congratulations Attilio!
Spring get-together 2019
On Sunday April 28th we returned to Terun Pizzeria in Palo Alto for our spring get-together. Visiting us was Attorney Lara Olivetti. Lara worked several years at the Trentino nel Mondo Association assisting Trentini worldwide gain their citizenship. She also assisted many of our members. She was visiting from her current home in Sweden.
We eat an assortment of pizzas and antipasti, house salad, and pasta. Everything was delicious.
We also honored founding club member Laura Floriani Vitlacil who turned 85, plus her “coscritte”, Giuseppina Piasente Alvarez and Gemma Angeli Zueck. In Italy those born the same calendar year attend the same grade in school and are referred to as “coscritti”. These 3 “coscritte” were all born in Trentino in 1934. Happy birthday to these forever young ladies!
Chocolate Salami
Elena Gumina and her husband Luca Angeli have been part of our club for many years. Elena Gumina, is a chocolatier. She sharpened her skills at the Gambero Rosso Culinary Academy in Rome. She recently launched an online business Angels Food Chocolate selling her delicious chocolate salamis.
Angels Food Chocolate brings together two cultures in one decadent delight. Chocolate Salami is a fun treat found in the more upscale confectionery shops (pasticcerie) around Italy.
Chocolate Salami became Elena family’s holiday tradition. Each is hand-molded of local chocolate and fresh ingredients. The artisanal quality comes through in each bite. It is our pleasure to share this tradition with you.
Passages 2018, Remembering those we lost.
Robert “Bob” Gius
Robert “Bob” Gius passed away on August 27, 2018. He was born in San Francisco to Hector (Ettore) Gius, whose family was from Malosco in the Val di Non, and Maria Bazzanella, whose family was from Piscine in the Val di Cembra. Bob’s great uncle, Father Victor Bazzanella, was parishioner at the Immaculate Conception Chapel in San Francisco, where he played an important role welcoming Trentini to the area.
Emanuel “Sketti” Franceschetti
Sketti Franceschetti was born in Santa Cruz. He moved to Escalon as small children, and there he remained. Angelo Sketti was the brother of Natalie Franceschetti. His dad, Raffaele Franceschetti, and Angelo Franceschetti, Minnie Franceschetti’s father, were brothers from Cologna, now a district of Pieve di Bono. Sketti and Natalie’s mother, Antonietta Nicolini was from Daone, also in Trentino.
Sketti was an avid musician, an in his youth he had a band called Sketti and the Five Shades of Blue. He would often break out in song at our Christmas gatherings in Stockton. Sketti was also a passionate sports fan. The summer after his passing, the City of Escalon named one of its baseball diamonds Sketti Field in his honor. The Escalon Times stated: He was a cornerstone of the Escalon community and someone who was a true ambassador of the city, a man with an effervescent smile and engaging personality. He was known as the San Francisco Giants “Ball Dude”. Longtime Giants announcer Mike Krukow called him a “great ambassador” for the team with his “energy and positive spirit”.
Saverio Mortati
Board member Maria Mortati’s father, Saverio, passed away November of 2018. Maria’s father was from Civita in Calabria, a town founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees from the Ottoman invasions. The population is part of an ethnic minority in Italy, the Arbereshe. There are several Arbereshe in California, including an Arbereshe club in Sacramento. Maria’s father was a former pediatrician and psychiatrist. Her mother, Josephine, was from the Polli and Bassi families of Giustino in the Val Rendena of Trentino.
Silvio Mariotti
Silvio Mariotti, companion for 22 years to club member Lia Brida Puccinelli, passed away on August 14, 2018. Silvio was from the province of Lucca in Tuscany. He retired from the Public Works Department in Sparks, Nevada. Lia is a native of the Val di Non.
Visitors from Trentino 2018
Luca Rivera first visited us in 2010 with fellow Trentino Luca Dallagiacoma. The young men spent 7 months travelling across the US and down to South America. Club member Michael Job hosted them in San Francisco. In 2018 Luca Riviera returned for a visit. He is a professional photographer based in Rovereto. As a sign of his appreciation, he developed several portrait shots of our members. Oscar Zueck, former president of the Trentino Club of Mexico City, has been a frequent visitor over the years starting with the 2004 ITTONA Convention hosted by our club in San Francisco. In 2018 Oscar Jr. aka Oscarin was in Los Angeles working on a film project and he traveled north to visit us.
2018, New members:
Glenda Bacca
Glenda Bacca is a retired special education teacher living in Turlock,
California. Glenda was born in Raton, New Mexico and raised in Albuquerque to a Trentino father and Piemontese mother. Glenda’s father passed away when she was only 5. She only recently discovered she was of Trentino origin. Her Bacca and Martinelli grandparents immigrated to Raton from Rumo in the Val di Non. Glenda has fallen in love with Rumo and its people. She spends a few months a year there learning Italian and basking in the culture. Several townsfolk of Rumo belong to the Coro Maddalene of Revò, directed by Michele Flaim. This folk choir has travelled worldwide. In 2019, with assistance from Glenda, they planned a concert tour of California for their 50th anniversary. Unfortunately, the trip did not come to fruition. Last year Glenda published a book chronicling the discovery of her Trentino roots. It is aptly entitled Rumo is Calling. Cousin Nadia Lucchini in Cunevo, Val di Non, translated the book into Italian. Both the English and Italian versions are available on Amazon. Congratulations to Glenda on the publication of her first book!
Christmas Lunch 2018
Our Christmas event was on Sunday December 9th. Once again Father Alberto Mengon arranged for us to have our gathering at the lovely campus of the Salesian College Preparatory School in Richmond. Thank you Father Mengon!!
We had a typical Trentino meal with polenta, crauti (sauerkraut), sausages and strudel. Greg McGarry, who represented our club on the 2017 youth exchange, delivered a fabulous presentation, describing his Trentino roots and his experience with the exchange program. At the event we also had a few visitors from Trentino. Glenda Bacca was accompanied by her cousin from Rumo, Marinella Fanti, along with her partner Gianluca Paris from Cles. Glenda has recently hosted several relatives and friends from Trentino, including Nadia Lucchini, the cousin that translated her book Rumo Is Calling. Also present at the event was Silke Bridi from Trento. Silke spent a few months in Sonoma with relatives on her mother’s side. She is an event manager.
Irvin Parolari
Irvin Parolari, aka Irv, passed away November 28, 2018. Irv’s paternal grandfather, Eligio Parolari, was from Seo, which is now part of Stenico, and his paternal grandmother, Augusta Aloisi, was from Desindo, now part of Comano Terme. Both towns are in the Valli Giudicarie. Irv’s mother was from Pistoia in Tuscany. Irv’s grandparents immigrated to Pennsylvania, as did so many other Trentini. Irv was vice-president of the club when we hosted the 2004 ITTONA Convention, a gathering of North American Trentini. He played an instrumental role in putting on that event. Irv’s ever-present smile will be missed by all.
In the picture: Irv was quite gregarious and was his church’s official greeter. At the funeral a full life replica of Irv greeted those who arrived. From left to right, the late Ester Bugna, Luca Angeli, Luca Dorigatti, Ralph & Rosie Yob, Dan Aspromonte
Below is the obituary:
Born February 2, 1928 on Groundhog’s Day in the small town of Brockway, Pennsylvania to Guido and Susan Parolari. My dad was raised on the farm of his grandparents and enjoyed the life of the farm, having a horse and running free.
During the depression my dad and his parents moved to Buffalo, New York (the BIG CITY!) for better job opportunities. My dad did not adjust well to the big city or to school and this is where he started to develop his humor. He became the class clown! His sense of humor continued throughout his life until the day before his passing.
In 1948 he joined the Navy on the ship “Valley Forge” and went off to help fight the Korean war. He never did see battle but forged some of his best, long-term friendships.
Friendships and family were very important to him and he went out of his way to call, email and maintain those relationships.
My dad and mom, Reva, married April 28, 1956 and had 4 children; Susan, Stephen, Diana and Debra. He is survived by his wife Reva and his two daughters Susan and Debra, son-in-law Gilles, two grandkids Kayla and Alek, and his brother Bill, wife Sylvia.
He was very proud of his two grandchildren Kayla and Alek. He adored Kayla and she was always his “little kewpie doll” with her award-winning smile and personality but Alek was his playmate and they always enjoyed joking around, playing basketball and sharing Alek’s newest creation of the day.
My dad had many different “careers”; bartender, stationary store manager and finally a life insurance agent with New York Life insurance. His career as a life insurance agent lasted for more than 40 years and he retired at 75. He found some of his lifelong friends in his clients and his church the Peninsula Bible Church.
He would always say that the highlight of his life was receiving Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He practiced his faith on a daily basis and “walked his talk”.
My dad was a larger-than-life force in the world and he will leave an empty space in the life of his family and friends but will never be forgotten. He passed peacefully on November 28th to be with his Lord and Savior.
We love you DADDIO!