On Monday, October 9 from 5:30 – 11:00 PM, Pittsburgh area boxers will take on boxers from Italy at The Grand Hall at the Priory.

The event is presented by Pittsburgh Building Trades Donnybrook. Former World Champion and Boxing Hall of Fame member Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini will coach top amateur boxers from Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, while Olympic Gold Medal boxer Roberto Cammarelle will be managing the best boxers from Italy.

One of the Pittsburgh boxers is a friend of Ciao Pittsburgh, Michael Manna. We interviewed Michael about 4 years ago, but chatted with him again and updated our Q&A with him below.

Ciao Pittsburgh: How many years have you been fighting?

Michael: I had my first actual fight in 2011.

Ciao Pittsburgh: How did you get into boxing?

Michael: To prove something. When I was a kid, I would mess around in the boxing gyms but never fought until 2011. I wanted to do something to occupy my time plus I wanted to prove a point that no matter what life or someone throws at me, I will still be standing at the end.

Ciao Pittsburgh: What kind of training do you do during the year to stay in shape?

Michael: A lot of running and a lot of boxing-training which consists of shadow boxing, bag work, mid work, sparring, jumping rope, and running for rounds. Running for rounds means that I’ll take the number of rounds I will fight and try to run as hard as a I can on a track for three 3-minute rounds with a minute break in between. This allows me to get used to the rounds and catching my breath after each round. [Read more…]

In this month’s Personality Profile, Ciao Pittsburgh chatted with Pittsburgh native Corrado Riccelli. Born and raised in the small town of Sharpsburg, PA, Corrado grew up during a time when that town was primarily populated by Italian immigrants and first generation Italian-Americans. Growing up, Corrado was surrounded by many Italian-Americans—‘compare’ of the family as well as his aunts and uncles. In fact, he spoke Italian before he learned to speak English. Today, Corrado has been married for 14 years to his wife Sabrina. They currently live with their two daughters, Isabella and Sofia, in Shaler. Corrado was kind enough to respond to some of our questions about his Pittsburgh roots, his career as a medical sales representative as well as his Italian heritage.

CP: First, tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and what you do for a living.

Corrado: I was born and raised in Pittsburgh in a small town called Sharpsburg to Italian immigrant parents who were from Calabria, Italy.  My mother Rita (Posa) is from Amantea and my father, Salvatore, was from Catanzaro. I was raised by my mother and my stepfather Carlo Lista who was from Naples, Italy. I currently work as a medical sales representative.

CP: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

Corrado: I find my current career extremely rewarding. One aspect of my position is to work with products that aid in improving the development of neonatal babies. To earn a living and assist in saving the most precious of lives is a blessing.

CP: Can you tell us about your Italian heritage? 

Corrado: I feel that my heritage is very much my identity. I was brought up in a house with not just my parents but also my grandparents, Antonio and Filomena Posa.  It was like having four parents and my heritage was embedded in me on day one. We lived, breathed, ate, spoke and lived Italian. My fondest memory was my grandmother and my mother making homemade pasta and bread while listening to Sal Patitucci on the Italian radio station. Another fond memory was my Nanna in the garden nurturing her tomatoes. [Read more…]

Valerie Vacula with her dad, Albert DeFazio

By Daniel Casciato

The Battles of Monte Cassino, or the Italian Campaign, marked one of the longest and bloodiest engagements of the Italian campaign during World War II. At the beginning of 1944, the Allies were struggling to capture the western anchor of the Gustav Line—formed by the Rapido-Gari, Liri, and Garigliano valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges—and the Roman Catholic abbey of Monte Cassino which was occupied by the Germans.

Between January 17 and May 18, 1944, Monte Cassino and the Gustav line were attacked four times by the Allies and ultimately, the German troops were driven from their positions. The four battles during the Italian campaign involved some of the hardest fighting in the war and cost the Allies over 114,000 casualties.

The multi-faceted battles of the Italian Campaign played an important part in determining the eventual outcome of the war. But today, you never hear much about Monte Cassino and the Italian Campaign—it’s as if it has been forgotten.

Albert DeFazio after boot camp

Valerie Vacula, author of “The Italian Campaign: One Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War,” hopes to change that. Her father, Albert DeFazio, was one of the heroes who fought in the Italian Campaign. She brings her father’s memoirs of his WWII battles to life in the book she co-wrote with him.

“World War II wasn’t just about Normandy, fighting in the Pacific or the Battle of the Bulge,” says Vacula. “The Italian Campaign was every bit as important and every bit as bloody if not more.”

Vacula began attending veterans’ breakfasts with her father after moving back to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. At each breakfast, certain veterans are asked to stand and tell their stories. [Read more…]