Thanks to all who participated in the 5th World Week of Italian Cuisine (La Settimana della Cucina Italiana nel Mondo). Congratulations to Tanya Apostolova of St Louis who won our contest and receives a $100 gift certificate to Casa Don Alfonso - St. Louis! Voters selected the food picture or video on our social media pages that they felt most intrinsically expresses authentic Italian cuisine. Those who received the most likes are listed in order below. 

1st place - Tanya Apostolova (Fettuccine cacio e pepe)

2nd place - Fiorella Buonagurelli (Pasta tricolore)

3rd place - Giovanna Capaldo (Gnocchi alla sorrentina)

Special Mention - Annamaria Pascale (Rummo spaghetti with butternut squash cream, parmigiano reggiano and pistachio crumbs)

On Monday, November 2nd, amidst an atmosphere of anticipation in the run-up to a highly contested U.S. presidential election, Italian Senator Luigi Augussori visited with leaders of the St Louis Italian community. It is certainly not every day that an Italian Senator visits St Louis and it is definitely not expected on the eve of such an important political event. Since the Senator is a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the purpose for his trip to the Gateway City was primarily as an international observer for the elections. Yet, Sen. Augussori graciously chose to spend his free time visiting with his Italian compatriots and visiting local Italian businesses. Augussori comes from Borghetto Lodigiano near Milan, the very same town where locally owned Volpi Foods founder Giovanni Volpi was born.

During the meetings, which I was privileged to participate in as president of the St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities, the Senator and leaders of the Italian community discussed increased business development between the St Louis region and Italy. Among the attendees was Giorgio Bucci, CEO of the global software company Arteco Global and a major donor of the community's initiatives and activities including the annual Ferragosto and Carnevale celebrations. The Senator, who understands quite well the particular dynamics of Italians living in St Louis, congratulated the work of several outstanding individuals including Barbara Klein of the Italian Film Festival USA and Cav. Franco Giannotti who founded the region's only exclusively Italian speaking association Club Italiano Per Piacere. Augusorri also praised Giovanna Leopardi who founded the St Louis Italian Language Program in September 2019 which has had great success in its first year with an enrollment of over 75 students of all ages and levels of proficiency. The Senator also praised developments made by the St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities Organization and the World Trade Center - St Louis which have been instrumental in re-establishing economic ties with the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, particularly in the ag-tech and agricultural sciences sector.

Believe it or not, this is not Augussori's first trip to St Louis. He is a diehard fan of the St Louis Cardinals and has traveled to St Louis four times to watch the Cardinals play at Busch Stadium. The Senator played baseball for thirty years beginning in his youth and made it his goal to visit each MLS stadium in North America. Augussori spoke about some of his personal friendships with Cardinals players he has had over the years. 

During his brief stay in St Louis, the Senator visited Volpi Foods and presented the business with a proclamation from the mayor of Borghetto Lodigiano, Giovanna Gargioni. Volpi Foods was founded in 1902 by Giovanni Volpi who came to St Louis at the turn of the 20th century. His nephew, Armando Pasetti, from Montova, also in Lombardia, took over the business after Mr. Volpi passed away. Armando then passed on the business to his daughter Lorenza Pasetti who has grown the business to over 200 employees. Volpi Foods is a sponsor of the Italian community and has donated to numerous events over the years.

The Senator bestowed us with the following statement following his visit: "During my mission to St Louis as an international observer for the U.S. presidential elections, I had the chance to meet with the main organization for Italians living in the region. I met with Italian entrepreneurs who found the right opportunities and conditions to develop their businesses. I also appreciated the numerous cultural initiatives organized by the Italian Community of St Louis."

From our part, we are honored to have met Senator Augussori and were impressed by the interest he took in our community. Knowing that our dialogue was fruitful, it is our hope that we can visit with him once again in the near future, whether here in St Louis or in Lodi.