La Gazzetta Italiana wouldn’t be what it is today without our writers.

We are very excited to introduce our readers to some of our regular contributing writers!
To our writers: we thank you for your dedication and commitment to La Gazzetta.

Your time and passion do not go unnoticed. If you’d like to get in touch with one of our writers, please don’t hesitate to reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pamela Dorazio Dean
Pamela Dorazio Dean is the Curator for Italian American History at the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Curator/Collections Manager at the Lakewood Historical Society. She serves on several boards and committees, including the Cleveland Italian American Heritage Committee and the Boards of Advisors of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School and the Ohio Academy of History. Pamela writes for La Gazzetta to share the history of the Italian American community in Northeast Ohio and how it is being preserved. She loves being Italian because it connects her to a great, caring community of people. Her free time is spent with family, attending group fitness classes and reading.

Ben Lariccia
Ben Lariccia is a retired teacher who spends time researching and writing the Italian American history of the Mahoning Valley. He and coauthor, Joe Tucciarone, are preparing a book-length study of the first Italians to settle in the Greater Youngstown area. Among other things, Ben enjoys visiting and corresponding with relatives in Italy. His favorite Italian television show is “Superquark” on RAI. “I was raised in a large Italian American community. Only as an adult did I begin to grasp the richness of my heritage.”

Diana Lucarino-Diekmann
Diana J. Lucarino-Diekmann starts each day with a meditation in an attempt to balance her typical hectic day. Ending a fulfilling, long career in health and fitness, she is transitioning to one that has always been in her heart: writing. Diana is excited about sharing her stories and passions from a life well-lived and traveled. Born into an immigrant family from Molise, she loves everything Italian so writing for La Gazzetta Italiana is “perfetto!” In addition to writing articles and poetry, Diana has begun a memoir of her family’s matriarch, her mother, Clara Lucarino.

Joanna Lucarino
Joanna Lucarino went back to school to get her license in massage therapy 15 years ago. Her interest in health, nutrition and the healing process is what led her to this. When she is not seeing clients, she is busy with family, reading, art, music, and travel where she can incorporate all her loves by immersing herself in other cultures. She is proud to be a part of the Cleveland community of Italians because of their rich history and cultural traditions. Joanna would love to share in her experiences so as to pique people’s curiosity and hopefully expand their horizons.

Janice Mancuso
Researcher, author and instructor, Janice Therese Mancuso works to promote Italian heritage and Italian American culture and history. She is the founder of Thirty-One Days of Italians, celebrating Italian American Heritage Month; founder of the Italian American Heritage Project, providing educational recourses about Italian American history, heritage and culture; and director and owner of the Italian American Press. Janice is the author and editor of Tutto Italiano, a monthly e-newsletter and the author of “Con Amore,” a culinary novel. Other career interests are floral design, cooking and photography.

Rosa Di Grottole
Rosa Di Grottole works as an Italian Lecturer at the Ohio State University and as Italian and Art Teacher for Italia in Ohio, a private school in Columbus. She really loves her job and sharing the beauty of Italy and the Italian language is the key to her happiness in the U.S. Rosa enjoys writing on her blog “Little Rose In USA” and for La Gazzetta. When she gets free time, her favorite hobby is “traveling through Italy, the U.S. and all over the world!"

Myra Robinson
Myra Robinson is an award-winning travel writer who lives partly in Italy, in the Veneto, and partly in northeast England. She has written articles for many newspapers and magazines including The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times and The Independent and is a regular contributor to Italy Magazine and La Gazzetta Italiana. Her amusing book, “The Best Mud in Italy,” tells the story of how she came to live in a faded Italian spa town with all the misunderstandings of language, location and traditions, and the weird characters she met. She can be contacted via her blog, “The Silver Snail” or her website, www.myrarobinson.info.

Al Bruno
Al Bruno is a teacher and writer from the Buffalo, NY area. Al has worked a total of 32 years in education: 23 in public education, 4 in higher education and 5 in adult education. Al also served as a head football and basketball coach for the Buffalo Public Schools. He has written and published numerous articles on education, culture and sports. This year, Al will be retiring from his special education and English teacher position at Hutch Tech High School in Buffalo. Al received a graduate assistantship award and in September will be attending Niagara University on a full-time basis working toward a Ph.D. in leadership and policy. Al has one child: a daughter, Danielle Bruno, a local attorney who enjoys going to basketball and baseball games with her Dad.

Tony Marotta
Tony Marotta spends his Saturday evenings on the microphone. As host of Radio Italia, his Italian music program on Cleveland’s local WRUW, FM91.1 station, Tony brings an incredible variety of Italian musicians to the homes of his listeners. His love for his Italian heritage and music collide on his radio show. When not introducing the masses to new Italian musicians, Tony is spending time with his wife, Connie, and their two sons.

Ilaria Massacesi
Ilaria Massacesi has been living in “magical” Ohio for nine years. She teaches Italian at Akron University and has also worked at Kent State University. She’s been teaching Italian for about 15 years. She believes her mission in the world is to spread her culture and knowledge. She dreamt one day of a drawer full of cultures and languages for everyone to open and share. The dream became reality in 2016 with the opening of ALMA LINGUA, a language school based in Fairlawn. She loves art and writing poetry and published a book of poems titled “ALI-WINGHS” in 2016. She enjoys writing for La Gazzetta Italiana because “together we keep our traditions and language alive!”

• Al Bruno Al Bruno
• Myra Robinson Myra Robinson
• Pamela Dorazio Dean Pamela Dorazio Dean
• Tony Marotta Tony Marotta
• Ben Lariccia Ben Lariccia
• Ilaria Massacesi Ilaria Massacesi
• Diana Lucarino Diekmann Diana Lucarino Diekmann
• Rosa Di Grottole Rosa Di Grottole
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