April Program - John Viola and Patrick O'Boyle, Hosts of the Italian American Podcast
John Viola
Patrick O'Boyle
JOHN M. VIOLA - The Professional Italian American If all five hosts of the Italian American Podcast “IAP” (www.italianamericanpodcast.com) are afflicted with the same passion to celebrate our Italian American heritage, then John may be the sickest of all—his professional and personal interests continuously land him in the world of Italian America. His appreciation for The Italian American Podcast goes back to his time as President and COO of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), where he served from 2012-2018 as the youngest president in NIAF’s history. Under John, NIAF became the podcast’s first major sponsor, and in 2018, Anthony and Dolores (the creators of IAP and original hosts) eagerly welcomed him into the fold as a creative partner and visionary, who helped expand and invigorate the show’s platform with the addition of The Italian Power Hour. As the professional Italian American, John serves as co-vice president for New York City of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and on the Boards of Directors of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago, La Scuola d’Italia-Guglielmo Marconi in New York City, the Two Sicilies in America Foundation, and the American Initiative for Italian Culture (AIFIC) in Washington, DC. He was fundamental in the creation of Pope John Paul II Family Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., serving as the Academy’s General Director, and the Director of the Madonna della Neve Foundation for many years before joining NIAF. Committed to living his passion for our history, he is a Knight of Merit with Star of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, one of the oldest Orders of knighthood in the world, and serves as the United States Delegate for the Constantinian Order and the other Chivalric Orders of the Royal House of Borbone of the Two Sicilies. He is also a Knight of the Order of Merit of Savoy, the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre…so, yeah, he spends an inordinate amount of time wearing capes at High Mass. He used to have the sword, too, but it got lost in transit on a flight home from Palermo. In his rare ventures away from things Italian, he serves as president of the Florida Panthers Foundation, enjoys reading, travelling, and forcing friends and loved ones into indulging his constant desire to sing karaoke. A native of Brooklyn, John traces his ancestry to the Vallo di Diano in the province of Salerno, Puglia, Basilicata, and his beloved Sicily.
PATRICK O’BOYLE - il Professore As his day job, Pat has a private law practice in his beloved home state of New Jersey and pursues his life’s passion of teaching as an adjunct professor in the Legal Studies Department at Montclair State University. When it comes to his role as the Professor of the Podcast, he’s pretty much a human encyclopedia, with a frightening knowledge of everything, from Catholic canon law to varietals of fig trees to the chemical process required to make the perfect loaf of Italian bread and the etymology of the different names for terra cotta pots used in the South of Italy. He's a preserver of all things traditionally Italian American. He’s a member of the Salerno Food Fundamentalist Circle, so he has reverse engineered countless recipes of Southern Italian cuisine from Roman times to today. He is the Vice-President for New Jersey of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and President and Prior of the Congregazione Maria Ss. Del Sacro Monte di Novi Velia Salerno di Jersey City, NJ (try saying that five times fast), a member of the Boards of the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere and the Coccia Foundation for the Italian Experience in America, a Founding Board Member of the Sandumanghesi Del Cilento Society, the former New Jersey Area Coordinator and Member of the Youth Activities Board and Young Professionals Council of NIAF, and the Past National Youth Committee Chairman of Unico National, the nation’s largest Italian American service organization. He is also a Knight of the Order of Merit of Savoy, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and a Knight Official of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order’s Vice-Delegate for the United States. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John and Pat will be the guest speakers for our April 19th meeting to discuss the most recent extension of the IAP universe –their TV docu-series – “Greetings from Italian America” (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Pfgnyq33GicdfGvaFeITA)
Past Meeting Programs
March 2022 - Dr. William Connell February 2022 - Vittorio Vettori, Italian Wines
February 2020 - Arturo Spinetti, Singer January 2020 - Sal De Sapio, Constantino Brumidi - the Michelangelo of America
November 2019 - Joe Quagliano and Mark Cardillo, Italian American Baseball Foundation October 2019 - Constance Kyriacos and Paula Phillips, Folk Dancers and Singers September 2019 - Gary Dee, Singer/Entertainer June 2019 - Annual Scholarship Awards Night May 2019 - Joe Mannino, Italian Bakery and Espresso Bar April 2019 - Annual Foundation Gala honoring Paul and Norma Santella March 2019 - Mary Lou and Jerome Bongiorno, Producers February 2019 - Mike DeLucia: Author, Teacher January 2019 - Dr. Ottavio Balena
November 2017 - Dr. Ottavio Balena, Cultural Comparative Geography of Italy's Provinces. October 2017 - Dr. William Connell September 2017 - Susan LangSapora June 2017 - Scholarship Awards Night! May 2016 - Richard Muti April 2017 - 3rd Annual Gala March 2017 - Richard Stillman February 2017 - Andrea' Cassar January 2017 - Kevin Corcoran
November 2015 - Chef Christine Ayers October 2015 - Heritage Night – What is Your Ancestry or Ascendena? September 2015 - Joseph DeFranco, Author June 2015 - Jerry Castaldo, Entertainer; Scholarship Awards Night! May 2015 - Dr. William J. Connell April 2015 - John Richetta, Musician February 2015 - Joseph R. Pucciatti & Sandra Milstein-Pucciatti, Founders of Boheme Opera NJ January 2015 - Dr. Ottavio Balena, Italian History
November 2014 - Carol Barbieri October 2014 - Chef Christine Ayers, Grand Colonial September 2014 - Dr. Mary Ann Re, Director of the Coccia Institute June 2014 - Lou Pompilio, Entertainer; Scholarship Awards Night! May 2014 - Rosary Scacciaferro Gilheany, Author April 2014 - Arthur J. Femenella, Stained Glass Artisan March 2014 - Giuseppe Luisi, Banfi Vintners February 2014 - Sal and Michael DeSapio, Viaggi Italiani January 2014 - Catherine Sprague, Pianist, Author
November 2013 - Bill Deni, Sal and Michael DeSapio: Italian Travels October 2013 - Sam Faiello: Public Relations Professional, Novelist September 2013 - Andre' DiMino: A National Leader of the Italian American Community June 2013 - Carmen Jon: Singer, Entertainer; Scholarship Awards Night May 2013 - Charles Haas: Titanic Historian April 2013 - Mike Manella, March 2013 - Al Notabartolo: Engineer, Brick-Oven Pizza Guru February 2013 - Anthony Del Aversano: Entrepreneur, Author: "It's Gravy, not Sauce!" January 2013 - Donna Arold: Inn Keeper, Entrepreneur
November 2011 - Andrea Barbaria: Italian Consul June 2011 - Bob Marino: Singer/Entertainer; Scholarship Awards Night May 2011 - Vicki Vasilopoulos: Director/Producer April 2011 - Jonathan Yalenti of Benfatto Coffee March 2011 - Dr. Felice Caldarella: MD, FACE, MDE, FACP February 2011 - Guy DeSapio: Author, Poet: "I Have His Letters Still"
June 2010 - Dan Torrone, aka "Dr. D"; Scholarship Awards Night May 2010 - John Paolini: Paolini Cast Stone, Inc. April 2010 - Vincenzo Sagari: Vias Imports March 2010 - Spencer Peck: Coinage of the Roman Republic February 2010 - Carl Carabelli: President, Italian American National Hall of Fame
May 2009 - Dan Torrone, aka "Dr. D" April 2009 - Sam Faiello:- The Rocky Road to a Novel March 2009 - Tenor James Valenti
June 2006 - Scholarship Awards Night May 2006 - Greg Napolitan: Chainsaw Artist April 2006 - Anthony Carabelli, Jr.: Director and Public Relations for NJ State Italian Commission March 2006 - What Does it Mean to be a Second or Third Generation Italian-American? February 2006 - Biography of Bishop John Smith January 2006 - NJ's Treasure Trove of Italian and Italian-American History