Episodes

In this episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie sits down with author Don Ladolcetta, whose heartfelt novels preserve the legacies of his family on both sides of the Atlantic. Don shares the inspiration behind his book...

🎙️ Bonus Episode: Mamma, That’s All Right — Italians in the American South In this bonus episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie sits down with director Valentina Selli and Italian musicians Luca Chiappara and Mario Mo...

In this heartfelt episode of Italian American Stories, Stephanie welcomes Cindy Hollenbeck, a Navy veteran, writer, and proud Italian American who takes us on a deeply personal journey through her family’s past. From uncoveri...

In the dramatic conclusion of our four-part series, we follow the twists and turns of Angelina Garramone’s murder trial in early 20th-century Denver. From shocking testimony about cruelty in Concetta Forgione’s past, to accus...

Episode 69: Angelina Garramone – Part 3 The story of La Diavola Rossa takes a darker turn in Part 3 of our Angelina series. After years of scams, trials, and whispers of violence, Angelina becomes entangled in the disappearan...

In this second installment of Angelina Garramone’s story, we unravel the darker side of a woman whose schemes went far beyond fraud and forgery. When two Italian women, Dorinda Cellante and Maria LaGuardia, disappeared from D...

In this special re-release, we return to the story that first sparked the creation of the Italian American Stories Podcast , the scandalous and fascinating life of Angelina Garramone. Born in Potenza, Basilicata, Angelina arr...

🎙️ Christina and the Whitefish with Author & Filmmaker Stephen Vittoria In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker and author Stephen Vittoria to explore his powerful new novel, Christina and the Whitefish . Set in 1994 Asbur...

In this edition of Tales from the Archives , Stephanie and Sandy share a collection of fascinating, quirky, and heartfelt Italian American stories pulled from old newspapers across the country. From a young immigrant girl mis...

In this episode of Italian American Stories Podcast , Stephanie and Sandy step up to the plate with the trailblazing story of Lucille Colacito , a Colorado-born Italian American who made history in the All-American Girls Prof...

In 1929, Detroit was rocked by the brutal Evangelista Massacre . Italian immigrant and mystic healer Benny Evangelista was found beheaded in his basement beside a bizarre shrine, while his wife and four children were murdered...

In this heartwarming episode, we sit down with Richard Leto, author of My Italian American Roots . Rich shares the remarkable story behind a dusty cardboard box filled with family documents and photos—a box that sat untouched...

In this special episode, we sit down with the incredibly talented Michelle Danner—acclaimed actress, director, acting coach, and the creative force behind the heartfelt new film The Italians . Michelle opens up about the maki...

In this episode, I’m joined by Bob Sorrentino, host of the Italian Roots and Genealogy podcast and author of Farmers and Nobles . Bob shares his incredible journey tracing his Italian ancestry—from humble farming origins in B...

In this special episode, we’re joined by Marianna Gatto — historian, educator, and Executive Director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. Marianna shares stories from her remarkable book Italian Americans of Los An...

In this episode of the Italian American Stories Podcast , we’re joined by bestselling author and former CIA officer Carmen Amato for a conversation that weaves together heritage, history, and heart. Carmen shares the incredib...

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Louis G. Bruno Jr., author of The Love of San Demetrio , a powerful family memoir that spans continents and generations. Lou takes us on a journey from a small Italian village to the...

In this episode of Italian American Stories , we explore the inspiring life of Denver’s own Kate Ferretti—an Italian American milliner who left her mark on the city’s fashion scene with creativity, grit, and heart. Born Henri...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most unusual and stories we've come across —the case of little Alice Minto. In 1909 San Francisco, a young Italian American girl was found living in a Chinatown basement, speaking only...

In this strange-but-true tale from 1949 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, two Italian American women—Angelina Farrina and Mary Sanfelippo—find themselves at the center of a courtroom drama involving ghosts, burned money, and a fortune-te...

In this episode, we’re joined by the incredibly talented Bob Spiotto—actor, director, producer, and passionate Italian American storyteller. Bob shares his personal story growing up in a tight-knit Italian American family in ...

In this special episode, we sit down with Dr. Louis Ignarro, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist with deep Italian American roots. Born to immigrant parents from Naples and Sicily, Dr. Ignarro shares how his upbringing in Brookly...

In this episode, we continue the incredible and dramatic story of Maria Barbella, the first woman in America sentenced to die in the electric chair. After public outcry and support from a determined countess, Maria was grante...

Today, we dive into one of the most dramatic cases in Italian American history—the story of Maria Barbella , the first woman in America sentenced to die in the electric chair. Maria's story is one of love, betrayal, and justi...