In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, John and Pat welcome Erma Camporese —the self-styled "Queen of Graham Avenue" and "Love Doctor"—for a wide-ranging conversation steeped in neighborhood humor, inherited customs, and the unmistakable rhythm of Italian American life. What begins with tenants, cash rent, and "favorite tenant status" quickly becomes a vivid portrait of how close-knit communities transmit culture through stories, sayings, and shared memory.

Erma explores the world of malocchio as she learned it from her mother—its gestures, warnings, and protective rituals—arguing that the "evil eye" is more than superstition, with roots in Southern Italy and Eastern Christian tradition. Told with warmth and wit, these stories balance laughter with a serious respect for practices often misunderstood or dismissed.

The conversation then turns to Italian American mourning culture: "doom patrol" phone trees, funeral flower hierarchies, chapel politics, and ritual phrases like "she looks like she's sleeping." Along the way, Irma reflects on how her corner-of-the-neighborhood presence evolved into matchmaking and advice-giving, and why being the "Love Doctor" is ultimately about tending to souls, not just romance.

HER SOCIALS

Instagram: @ermacamporese

TikTok: @ermacamporese

HOSTS:

John Viola

Patrick O'Boyle

SPECIAL GUEST:

Erma Camporese

PRODUCED BY: Nicholas Calvello-Macchia

This holiday episode finds hosts John Viola, Patrick O' Boyle, Dr. Marcella Martin welcoming "La Befana" for a funny, warm conversation about the Epiphany gift-giver and Italian holiday traditions. The banter centers on coal, "naughty lists," and the idea that Befana—not Santa—was historically the one who brought gifts in many Italian homes.

Befana explains her roots in older seasonal and pagan imagery—sweeping out the old year and welcoming renewal—later blended with the Christian Epiphany story of the Magi on January 6. John and the gang touch on the liturgical calendar, modest stocking traditions of tangerines, sweets, and "sugar coal," and the Italian notion of bella figura as respect and preparedness rather than mere fashion.

The episode turns hands-on as Befana makes pasta, shares regional lore from Puglia and Sardinia, and swaps gifts with the hosts. It closes with a call for Italian Americans to keep their language and traditions alive through family rituals, children's activities, and community—using Befana as a joyful way to carry culture forward.

HOSTS:

John Viola

Patrick O'Boyle

Dr. Marcella Martin

SPECIAL GUEST:

La Befana (Viviana Altieri)

PRODUCED BY:

Nicholas Calvello-Macchia

This episode of the Italian American Podcast offers a rich and intimate look at the enduring legacy of women religious through a conversation with Sister Helen Sanchez, with hosts Patrick O'Boyle and Marianna Gato. Centered on the Religious Teachers Filippini—an Italian-founded order devoted to the education of girls and women—the episode blends personal vocation, immigrant history, and Catholic education into a single, compelling narrative.

Sister Helen recounts her path to religious life as a Puerto Rican woman entering an Italian order, and her years teaching in Italian-American parishes across New Jersey, Ohio, and beyond. The discussion explores how ethnic religious communities shaped Catholic schooling—preserving language, music, and devotion while adapting to new immigrant populations. These institutions emerge not merely as schools, but as cultural anchors for successive generations.

The conversation also honors the often-unseen heroism of the Filippini Sisters, from their educational mission to their wartime courage, including efforts to shelter Jews during World War II and the scholarly legacy documenting that work. Personal stories of sisterhood, aging communities, and vocational discernment are woven together with festive traditions, underscoring how faith, culture, and memory endure. Warm, thoughtful, and deeply human, this episode is a tribute to women religious and their quiet but lasting imprint on the Italian American story.

HOSTS:

Patrick O'Boyle

Marianna Gatto

SPECIAL GUEST:

Sister Helen Sanchez

PRODUCED BY: Nicholas Calvello-Macchia