CIRCOLO TRENTINO DI SAN FRANCISCO

Christmas Part 2019

AdminDecember 15, 2019

In 2019 we celebrated Christmas at the Waterloo Gun & Bocce Club in Stockton. Bailamo, an Italian folk dance group based in Sacramento, provided entertainment, including a few Trentino dances. Trentina Anna
Zacharias, sister of club treasurer Mary Elmstrom, is a member of the group. At the same event Ron Agostini delivered a moving eulogy of longtime club member, the late Emanuel “Sketti” Franceschetti.

As always, the club thanks the Central Valley Trentini for their hard work. They always put on exceptional events and manage to attract numerous participants.

*Bailamo Italian folk dancers perform at 2019 Christmas celebration*

Murder Mystery Set in California and Trentino

AdminDecember 1, 2019

James Bacca, brother of club member Glenda Bacca, is an accomplished writer. James retired as a detective of the Turlock Police Department and then moved to Arizona. Rumor of Death, is the first in a series of 3 novels he has written on the adventures f AJ Conti, a confident California homicide
detective. AJ Conti travels to Rumo, Val di Non, to visit relatives and seek some tranquility, but he is soon asked to help investigate some suspicious local deaths. The book was translated in Italian, Voci di Morte. James was featured in the newspaper Trentino and gave an official book presentation in Rumo May of 2019. Congratulations to James on the success of this murder mystery series!
James’ daughter, Kortne Bacca Hiskey, lives in the South Bay with her husband Brian. They have attended our most recent events.

The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, visiting San Francisco

AdminOctober 20, 2019

On October 18, 2019 the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella visited our wonderful Italian-American community in San Francisco! Among many people who enjoyed such a historic moment, both Giuseppina and Luca from our club were there. They will cherish this moment forever!

*Our Club President Giuseppina Piasente Alvarez with President Mattarella*

Listen to the podcast about the event from Radio Italia Anni 60:

Watch the arrival and speech of President Mattarella at the Italian Consulate of San Francisco:

2019, New members:

AdminOctober 1, 2019

Sara Merzi

September of 2019 club president, Giuseppina Piasente Alvarez, hosted our annual picnic at her home in Sonoma. We had two surprise visitors, the Trentina Sara Merzi, accompanied by her partner Stefano Santo Sabato from the heel of Italy, Lecce, Puglia. Sara was born and raised in Trentino. Her father Bruno was from the city of Trento. Her mother Luisa and maternal grandparents, Roberto Viola and Silvia Tait, were from Mezzocorona. Stefano founded Mediasoft, a software company with headquarters in Puglia, Rome and Verona. He and Sara then created a branch of the company in San Francisco, a start-up called Fyberloom, “weaving fragmented data into integrated knowledge.” Sara has been senior vice-president of Mediasoft since 2017. Previously she worked in China and Mexico. She was an active member of the Trentino Club of Mexico City.

Gathering at Giuseppina’s residence

AdminOctober 1, 2019

In September we held our picnic at our President Giuseppina Piasente Alvarez’s home in Sonoma. Her son Raymond grilled the meat and polenta. Giuseppina had recently married Tom Pendergast. We had a group toast with Rotari sparkling wine from Trentino. We also welcomed new club members Maxine Angell, Sara Merzi and her partner Stefano Santo Sabato, and Dr. Richard Lanzerotti and his wife Ann.

*Wedding bells ring for Giuseppina & Tom*

Bob and Ruby Zanoni 65th Wedding Anniversary

AdminJune 12, 2019

Bob and Ruby Zanoni celebrated their 65th Anniversary. They were married on June 12, 1954 in Stockton. Bob’s father’s family is from Cloz in the Val di Non and his mother was a Panizza from the Val di Sole. Ruby’s parents, Franch and Flor, were also from Cloz. A belated congratulations to Bob and Ruby!

Mayor of Millbrae

AdminJune 6, 2019

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

AdminJune 1, 2019

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.

*Silvia at the Prevedelli Farms in Watsonville*

Web site: https://www.prevedelli.com

Italian Citizenship: Bravo Attilio!

AdminJune 1, 2019

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!

*Attilio Mussi at the Italian Consulate with his new Italian Passport*

Spring get-together 2019

AdminMay 1, 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!