✨ AVAILABLE NOW — Episode 77: Christina Minutillo ✨

Our newest episode is officially LIVE — and trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.

Today, I sit down with Christina Minutillo — podcaster, traveler, cookbook author, and a woman whose passion for Italian roots has completely transformed her life.

From uncovering her family’s hidden history in tiny villages outside Naples… To filming 300-person neighborhood feasts… To traveling the world cooking with locals… To hosting her very first roots-travel experience in her ancestral town…

Christina’s story is one of heritage, mystery, courage, and rediscovery.

We talk about: 🇮🇹 What it feels like to walk the streets of your ancestors 🍝 The power of food and community 🏘️ Why small Italian towns hold a magic we’ve lost ✈️ How travel helped her conquer fear 📚 The inspiration behind her cookbook Cooking with Italian Roots 🕵🏻‍♀️ And the emotional mystery she uncovered about her great-grandfather — one that still needs solving…

If you love Italian American stories, family mysteries, travel, or just hearing someone speak from the heart… this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 77: Christina Minutillo — available on all platforms.

In this episode of Italian American Stories Podcast, Stephanie sits down with historian and teacher Cassie Ferraiuolo, whose master’s thesis “Little Italy Colusa: The Forgotten Neighborhood” uncovers the remarkable Italian roots of a small California town.

What began as a quest to document Colusa’s past became a deeply personal journey through Cassie’s own family history — one filled with resilience, community, hard work, and even a touch of mystery. From Calabrian immigrants who risked everything to build new lives in agriculture, to the chain migration that shaped the town, and the whispers of Prohibition wine, secret societies, and a century-old murder case — Cassie brings Colusa’s hidden stories vividly to life.

Together, Stephanie and Cassie reflect on what it means to preserve small-town Italian American history, why ordinary people are never truly ordinary, and how every forgotten street corner holds a story waiting to be told.

🎧 Listen now and rediscover a piece of Italian American history that almost slipped away.

Connect with Cassie

Instagram: @cassiolo 

Email:  colusaitalians@gmail.com. 

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with the remarkable Pat Benincasa — an artist, author, educator, and podcaster whose life and work beautifully bridge creativity, heritage, and history.

From her early years in Detroit’s Italian American community to her breathtaking glass and steel sculptures, Pat has always seen her life as a canvas — each experience a brushstroke honoring the past. She shares stories from her book My Calabria: The Land Between Here and There, exploring how a single burned book of Italian love poems sparked a deep dive into her family’s immigrant journey and the powerful presence of her ancestors.

Together, Stephanie and Pat discuss art, teaching, podcasting, and the enduring connection between Italian Americans and their roots. With humor, wisdom, and heart, Pat reminds us that we are never alone — our ancestors walk beside us, guiding every step.

💬 “Know where you come from and you’ll know who you are.”

You can buy Pat's book from Apple Books or on her website  ⁠https://www.patbenincasa-art.com/ebooks⁠

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 books, Hannah, the Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland and A Brooklyn Tale, stories that weave together family history, immigrant struggles, cultural heritage, and a touch of fiction to bring the past vividly to life.

From the hardships of Southern Italy and the dangerous journey through Ellis Island, to the challenges of starting over in Brooklyn’s Italian neighborhoods, Don recounts his ancestors’ resilience, sacrifice, and determination to create a better life for future generations. Along the way, he reflects on the importance of recording family stories, the mix of truth and imagination that shapes his writing, and the message of hope and perseverance that runs through his work.

If you’ve ever wondered about your own family’s immigrant journey, or why preserving these stories matters, this conversation will inspire you to ask the questions, record the memories, and honor the sacrifices that made your life possible.

 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 uncovering long-hidden truths in old newspapers and genealogical records to growing up in her father’s leather shop in Binghamton, Cindy shares how family secrets, resilience, and hard work shaped her life.

Cindy reflects on her father’s artistry as a cobbler, the challenges of an unconventional childhood, and the devastating loss of her beloved brother Tony, whose memory continues to inspire her memoir, Leather Soul. Along the way, she reminds us of the importance of preserving family history, embracing our heritage, and finding strength in even the most painful chapters of life.

This moving conversation is a celebration of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of storytelling within the Italian American community.

🎙️ 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 Asbury Park, the story follows Christina, a young Gulf War veteran, and the Whitefish, a disabled Vietnam veteran, as their lives intersect in a tale of trauma, resilience, and redemption.

Stephen shares how his Italian American roots, decades in filmmaking, and personal family history shaped the novel. Together, we discuss the struggles of veterans across generations, the impact of PTSD, the healing power of human connection, and how fiction can shine a light on the costs of war.

It’s a heartfelt conversation that blends history, culture, and storytelling—one you won’t want to miss.

✨ Christina and the Whitefish is available now wherever books are sold.

https://stephenvittoria.com

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 for decades until it revealed a priceless family legacy. From Philadelphia’s historic Little Italy to the villages of Calabria and Puglia, Rich takes us through his journey of rediscovery, honoring the generations who came before him.

We talk about the power of physical artifacts, the evolution of genealogy from microfilm to social media, and the emotional journey of bringing hidden stories to light. Whether you're an avid researcher, a proud Italian American, or someone who loves stories that connect us to our roots—this episode is for you.

📚 Find Rich’s book on Amazon

⁠@south_philly.rich

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 incredible story of her family’s roots in Serra San Bruno, Calabria, and how their journey to Rome, New York shaped her upbringing and inspired her historical fiction series, The Galliano Club.

We talk about the real-life stories behind her richly layered characters, her grandfather’s colorful days as a deputy sheriff during Prohibition, and the shocking family secret she uncovered only after her grandmother’s death. Carmen also shares how a local knitting club brought her novels to life with custom yarns and patterns—and how beer, yes beer, just might inspire her next project.

Whether you’re a history buff, a lover of Italian American tales, or a reader in search of your next favorite book, this episode is full of warmth, surprises, and stories that stay with you.

📚 Learn more about Carmen and her books at ⁠carmenamato.net⁠

⁠@authorcarmenamato⁠

⁠https://geni.us/GalClubpaper⁠

https://www.facebook.com/authorcarmenamato

⁠https://mysteryahead.substack.com⁠

⁠https://frominwoodout.com/travel-guide-galliano-club-thrillers-rome-new-york/⁠

⁠https://orderisda.org/culture/literature/from-stories-to-saga-a-deputy-sheriff-during-prohibition/