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MAY 2021

 

 

President’s Message

 

Dear Bothers and Sisters:

It is a wonderful month this month. It is a time to wish all mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day. Buona Festa Della Mamma.

Whether our mothers are here with us on earth or in heaven; we are all wishing them a glorious day! Many say that Italian Mother’s Day originated with the ancient Greeks and Romans. According to Ciao Italia, this tradition was originally a spring fertility ritual to honor the goddess Rhea, Mother of all the gods. Rhea was the mother of Romulus and Remus who, according to ancient legend, were the founder of Rome. In Italy, Lla mamma is the cornerstone of the home and celebrated by her family.

I attended a very productive Zoom State Quarterly meeting on Saturday, April 24, 2021. I am very happy to announce at this time they are planning on holding
in person quarterly meetings. The next quarterly will be June 24 – 27, 2021 in Kissimmee, FL. I and the delegates will attend.

I was also very pleased at the results of the Grand Lodge’s investment results. I believe that since they invested they have increased funds by over $80,000.
Our investment committee has great ideas, I hope we can increase our profits with our investments.

Our lodge had a very successful and fun bocce tournament on Sunday, April 18 with 40 members in attendance. It was the most exciting tournament ending
of all time. The winners were Mark DeNunzio and his son James DeNunzio. The second runners up were Andy Fricano and Joe Occhipinti. Thank you gentlemen
for a very exciting finale.

We are beginning to plan for our Festa Italiana. This year it will be on October 8 & 9. Please mark your calendars. Our setup date will be Thursday, October 7.
Remember this event is all hands on deck. Please plan to attend our planning meeting. We have a great time while we are planning as well as a lot of fun the
days of the event.

Wishing everyone good health and a blessed day.

Cordialmente,
President Patricia Russo

Buona Fortuna Lodge

Membership Information

Our next General Membership Meeting will be on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at 6 pm. It will be held in-person at St. Joseph’s Parish Center located at 140 W. Government St, Pensacola and visually through the Zoom video conferencing program. The Zoom link will be emailed to the membership the day before the meeting. For those attending in-person, there will be a $10 charge per person for dinner. A business meeting will follow at 7 PM.

2021 lodge dues 

Lodge dues are $45 per member for a year.
If you pay by check, please make the check payable to Buona Fortuna Lodger *2835.

Mail a check to
Sons & Daughters of Italy in America – Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835.
P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591.

Advertise in the Newsletter

The Newsletter Ad subscription cost is $36.00. See below under Newsletter Ads for more information. All current ads are up for renewal. Please send a check for $36 made out to Buona Fortuna Lodge and mailed to  Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591.

Council Meetings

Grand Lodge

The Grand Lodge’s website: https://osiaflorida.org/

Here is the link to the Grand Lodge’s Quarterly Newsletter. Click on the name The Floridian. 

Charities

If you have a charity that you would like supported by Buona Fortuna, please contact the charity chairperson, Shayla Kaestle, buonafortunafinancialsecretary@gmail.com. The 2021 charity requests must be sent to the committee by August 15.

Lodge Committees

The current list of committees is located on the Buona Fortuna Officers page on our website. Here is the link: 

https://soibuonafortuna.org/home/buona-fortuna-officers/

Buona Fortuna needs your participation. If you would like to join a committee, please contact President Russo.

Our Italian American Heritage

PUGLIA

Many Italians came to the U United States from the Southern regions of Italy: Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicily. A smaller number came from Abruzzo, Marche and Molise. Over the next few months, I plan to feature these regions in the newsletter to add to our understanding of our ancestor’s culture and history.

For the Italians, Puglia, a region in southern Italy, is where they go for sunny beaches, good food fished from nearby waters. Also, to sample the region’s local wines and vegetables grown in local pastures.

Puglia bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. It is bordered by the Italian regions of Molise to the north, Campania to the west and Basilicata to the southwest. The southernmost portion of Puglia forms a high heel on the “boot” of Italy and its population is about 4.1 million. Foggia is by far the least densely populated province, whereas Bari is the most densely populated province.

As with the other regions of Italy, the national language (since 1861) is Italian. However, as a consequence of its long and varied history, other languages have been spoken in this region for centuries. In the northern and central sections, some dialects of the Neapolitan language are spoken. In the southern part of the region, the Scilian Tarantino and Salentino dialects are spoken. In isolated pockets of the southern part of Salento, a dialect of modern Greek called Griko,is spoken by just a few thousand people. A rare dialect of the Franco-Provençal language called Faetar is spoken in two isolated towns, Faeto and Celle Di San Vito. In a couple of villages, the Arbëreshë dialect of the Albanian language has been spoken by a very small community since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century.

In the last 20 years the industrial base of the region’s economy has changed radically. Alongside large-scale plants – such as ILVA (steel-making) in Taranto and Eni (petrochemicals) in Brindisi and Manfredonia – a network of small and medium-sized firms has gradually expanded, and these now provide approximately 70% of the jobs in the region. The majority of such firms are financed by local capital. As a result, highly specialised areas have developed in food processing, vehicles production, footwear, textiles, clothing, wood and furniture, rubber and computer software.

The region has a good network of roads but the railway network is somewhat inadequate, particularly in the south. Puglia’s long coastline is studded with ports, which make this region an important terminal for transport and tourism to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.

No other image says Puglia better than the Trullo, a rural home that’s essentially a whitewashed teepee of small limestone slabs stacked without mortar, with a cone surmounted by pagan or religious symbols.

There are many theories behind the origin of the design. One of the more popular theories is that due to high taxation on property, the people of Puglia built dry stone wall constructions so that they could be dismantled quickly when tax inspectors were in the area.

They are scattered among olive groves and prickly pear cacti in the Valle d’Itria, inland in a triangle between Bari, Taranto and Brindisi. Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural laborers. In the town of Alberobello, in the province of Bari, whole districts contain dense concentrations of trulli. The golden age of trulli was the nineteenth century, especially its final decades, which were marked by the development of wine growing.

Puglian cuisine is balanced by equal use of the land and sea. Mussels, oysters, octopus, red mullet and swordfish are all popular, with Taranto being a center for shellfish cultivation. Vegetables include fava beans, artichokes, chicory and various greens, eggplant, peppers, cauliflower and olives .The region produces half of all Italian olive oils and is used almost exclusively in local cooking, especially to fry seafood and vegetables.

Make a traditional Puglia pizza at home.

Pizza di Patate Pugliese
(Tomato-and-Cheese-Topped Potato Pizza)

A classic Puglian pizza recipe from RUSTICO COOKING.

Ingredients

1/2 pound boiling potatoes, peeled
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the baking pan
20 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained in a colander 30 minutes and blotted dry
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions
Place the potatoes in a 1-quart pot. Add cool water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes over medium heat, then drain, pass through a ricer, and cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 450°F.

Mix the potatoes, flour and ¼ teaspoon of the salt on a counter until a smooth dough forms, adding a little water if needed to help the dough come together. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

Flatten into a disk and roll out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured counter.
Generously grease a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil and line it with the dough. Drizzle the top of the dough with the olive oil and top with the tomatoes. Season with the oregano, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Place the pizza pan on the baking stone in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
Remove the pan from the oven, top with the Mozzarella and Parmigiano, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Serve hot. Serves 2 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

Take a virtual tour of Puglia:

Buona Fortuna 2835 Lodge Officers

Guard Shirley Cotita

Mistress of Ceremonies Liberia Reid

Master of Ceremonies Andy Fricano

Corresponding Secretary Jovina Coughlin

Past Presidents Gene Valentino, Mark De Nunzio, Pete Resedean, Joyce Russo Bollenbacher

Herald  Tod Wilson

Public Relations/Webmaster/Newsletter Editor: Jovina Coughlin

Lodge Chaplain  Giovanni Mirra

Lodge Photographers: Thomas Cacciatore/Shirley Cotita

State & National Officers

Lodge Contact Information:

Sons & Daughters of Italy in America – Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591.

Corresponding Secretary/Webmaster/Editor – Jovina Coughlin.  jovinacoughlin@gmail.com

Website Address: https://soibuonafortuna.org/

Visit Us on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/sonsofitalybuonafortuna 

Remember Those Who Are Ill

• Vera Fricano
• Joyce Bollenbacher

Birthdays

JPaul Vincent

Italian Cookbook For Sale

Preserving Our Italian Heritage. Cost per book $15.00. Great gift for Birthdays, Weddings, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. 

Grand Lodge 2021 Calendar For Sale

Calendars are available to purchase and the program is part of the Cash Three-Evening Florida Lottery Program. Prizes range from $100.00 to Special Holiday prizes for up to $1000.00.  You may purchase a calendar at the General Membership Meeting. Checks should be made out to the Grand Lodge of Florida for $50. Or mail to Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591. Attention: Patti Russo.

Newsletter Article Deadline

The newsletter is published monthly on the first day of the month. The deadline to submit information is the 30th of the previous month. Submit all information to Editor:  jovinacoughlin@gmail.com

Newsletter Ads

Members’ Personal Ads for Selling Consumer Goods cost $3.00 per month. Business Ads cost $36.00 for 12 months and are payable each January. Email a copy of your business card information or your personal ad information and a photo of the item you are selling to  jovinacoughlin@gmail.com . Please make the check payable to Buona Fortuna Lodge and mail it to Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591.

Community Business Ads