John Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia was born on March 4, 1903, in Steubenville, Ohio. His parents, Fiorangelo and Maria, had emigrated from what was then called the Abruzzi region. When they became U.S. citizens, the family shortened its name to Scarne. They then moved to Fairview, New Jersey. John quit school after the eighth grade and learned from a local card shark how to cheat as a gambler. He also learned about crooked gambling devices, such as marked cards and loaded dice, at a nearby novelty store. However, his Roman Catholic mother dissuaded him from gambling and persuaded him instead to practice magic. John improved his skill at handling cards by learning and devising magical effects with cards. After much practice, he began earning money as a teen magician on the vaudeville circuit.

After World War I ended in November 1918, Scarne befriended Harry Houdini (1874-1926) who taught the teen many tricks. Soon, Scarne had himself tied up with ropes, placed in a bag, and tossed off a bridge into a river. He quickly freed himself. Articles were written about this stunt in many newspapers and magazines. Soon, he was hired as an advisor by many companies to make demonstrations and to teach lessons so that employees learned to detect frauds. Gradually, he became an expert not only at magical effects but also at all kinds of games. When the United States entered World War II on December 8, 1941, he was too old at 38 for the draft. However, he was hired in 1942 as a consultant by the U.S. Army which sent him to bases around the world to teach soldiers how to detect card sharks and dice cheats.

After World War II ended in August 1945, he published Scarne on Dice which was the first of 15 books that he wrote. He also co-authored 13 more books about games. His notoriety soon had him banned from all casinos in Las Vegas, except for the ones owned by Conrad Hilton who hired Scarne to assist him in identifying blackjack card counters and other cheats. The U.S. Senate created a Committee on Gambling and Organized Crime in 1951, and Scarne was called as “the nation’s outstanding gambling authority” to testify about the ways people are cheated. In 1952, Scarne invented Teeko, the first of three board games in which persons with good math skills won. He married Norma Kearney in early 1955 and a son was born to them before the end of the year. Scarne was so proud of becoming a father at 52 and of the success of his first game that he named his son, John Teeko Scarne. The couple had no more children.

Scarne published his autobiography, The Odds Against Me, in 1966. In 1973 Scarne was the technical advisor for the movie The Sting, and doubled for Paul Newman’s hands in scenes involving deck switching and card manipulation. Scarne authored his last book, Scarne’s Guide to Casino Gambling, in 1978. He died in North Bergen, New Jersey, at 82 on July 7, 1985.

Sources: (all accessed March 15, 2024)

LaGumina et al., The Italian-American Experience: An Encyclopedia, at pages 579-580, Garland Publishing, Inc., 2000.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Scarne

The beautiful, small town of Bussi sul Tirino is situated in the province of Pescara. It has approximately 2,471 inhabitants, known as Bussesi.
Located on the Tirino river, Bussi lies on the southern boundary of the Gran Sasso-Laga National Park. In the past, agriculture was the main activity in the village due to the abundance of water and fertile soil. At the beginning of the 20th century, the industrialization of Val Pescara fostered the creation of many industries, which are still active in the area.
The original settlement dates to around 1000, during the age of castles. The first mention of Bussi was in 1200, when it was among the areas controlled by the monastery of San Benedetto in Perillis. It was later a fief of the descendants of Berardo da Rajano, the Pignatelli, the Cantelmo, the Pietropaoli, and the Medici families.
The name “Bussi” seems to derive from the name of the boxwood plant, which was very common in the area during the Italic and Roman periods. The Buxio castle, then Bussio, is first mentioned in 1111 as the outer boundary of the territory of the Abbey of San Clemente in Casauria.
However, the history of the municipality dates back even further, to the Lombard era. In fact, outside the town, the Lombard tower of Sutrium still stands today, having served as a fortified outpost used to monitor the valley and enemy movements.
Bussi sul Tirino’s territory offers numerous natural attractions. As mentioned above, the town is bordered by the Tirino river, which originates from the Campo Imperatore water system and winds its way for 25 kilometers through three springs in the Capestrano area. Along its route, the river is fed by other small springs.
The climate is typically mountainous, with cold temperatures in winter and abundant rainfall in spring. During the summer, the town comes to life with events such as the Tirino Festival, which celebrates the river and local traditions.
Today it is known as a canoe spot with some of Europe’s clearest waters upstream to Capestrano.
Now the town is becoming known for its summertime blues and jazz concerts, collectively called “Bussinjazz.” Last year L’Associazione Bussinjazz was formed in memory of Mario Bucci, who has been called the best-known exponent of jazz in Abruzzo.

What to See

• Medieval castle
• Remains of the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Cartignano, with three naves.

Important Dates

• Mid-June – Feasts of San Biagio and Sant’Antonio
• Late July – Feasts of Sant’ Anna and San Pantaleone
• Summer – “Bussinjazz,” blues and jazz music concerts.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussi_sul_Tirino https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/abruzzo/pescara/bussi.htm https://terredamare.com/comuni/bussi-sul-tirino

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di Pescara, Regione Abruzzo

La bellissima cittadina di Bussi sul Tirino si trova in provincia di Pescara. Ha circa 2.471 abitanti, detti Bussesi.

Situato sul fiume Tirino, Bussi si trova al confine meridionale del Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso-Laga. In passato l’agricoltura era l’attività principale del paese perche dell’abbondanza di acqua e di terreno fertile. Agli inizi del XX secolo, l’industrializzazione della Val Pescara favorì la creazione di numerose industrie, tuttora presenti nella zona.

L’insediamento originario risale intorno all’anno Mille, nell’epoca dei castelli. La prima menzione di Bussi risale al 1200, quando era tra i territori controllati dal monastero di San Benedetto in Perillis. Successivamente, fu feudo dei discendenti di Berardo da Rajano, dei Pignatelli, dei Cantelmo, dei Pietropaoli, e dei Medici.

Il nome “Bussi” sembra derivare dal nome della pianta del bosso, molto diffusa nella zona in epoca italica e romana. Il castello di Buxio, poi Bussio, è citato per la prima volta nel 1111 come confine esterno del territorio dell’Abbazia di San Clemente in Casauria.

Pero, la storia del comune risale ancora più lontano, all’epoca longobarda. Fuori dall’abitato, infatti, si trova ancora oggi la torre longobarda di Sutrium, che fungeva da avamposto fortificato utilizzato per monitorare la valle e i movimenti nemici.

Il territorio di Bussi sul Tirino offre numerose attrattive naturali. Come detto sopra, il paese è confinato per il fiume Tirino, che nasce dal sistema idrico di Campo Imperatore e si snoda per 25 chilometri attraverso tre sorgenti nel territorio di Capestrano. Lungo il suo percorso, il fiume è alimentato da altre piccole sorgenti.

Il clima è tipicamente montano, con temperature fredde in inverno e abbondanti precipitazioni in primavera. Durante l’estate, il paese si anima con eventi come il Festival del Tirino, che celebra il fiume e le tradizioni locali.

Oggi è conosciuto come un punto per le canoe con alcune delle acque più limpide d’Europa a monte di Capestrano.

Ora la città sta diventando famosa per i suoi concerti estivi di blues e jazz, collettivamente chiamati “Bussinjazz”. Lo scorso anno è nata L’Associazione Bussinjazz in memoria di Mario Bucci, definito l’esponente più noto del jazz abruzzese.

Attrazioni del luogo:

• Castello medievale
• Resti della chiesa romanica di Santa Maria di Cartignano, a tre navate.

Date da ricordare:

• Metà giugno – Festa di San Biagio e Sant’Antonio
• Fine Luglio – Festa di Sant’Anna e San Pantaleone
• Estate – “Bussinjazz”, concerti di musica blues e jazz.

July/August 2024

AMHS members and friends enjoyed an evening at Nationals Park for the annual Italian Heritage Night on June 18 to see the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (Alas, the Nats lost 5-0). All attendees received a special jersey for the event. Pictured are (left to right) AMHS Treasurer Peter Bell, President Chris Renneker, 2nd VP Rico Allegrino, Tomasso Mazza, Ivan Jones, Ravi Ganesh and Frankie Yupari.

On July 13,  AMHS President Chris Renneker, Peter Bell, Barbara Friedman, and Sam Yothers were joined by members of the Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, all of whom work with Maria D’Andrea-Yothers. The group enjoyed a one-hour walk along the C&O Canal Towpath in Georgetown, followed by an excellent lunch of porchetta sandwiches from Porchetta District. Anyone looking for a great porchetta sandwich in the Washington, DC area – Porchetta District is the place to go (they cater too!). Photo credit: Maria D’Andrea-Yothers

AMHS President Emeritus Lucio D’Andrea and his wife, Edvige, are pleased to announce the marriage of their eldest granddaughter, Angela Pisoni. Angela married Daniel Hopper on July 12, in an intimate ceremony in Charlotte, NC, where the happy couple reside with their dog, Bruno. Congratulations Angela & Daniel, many blessings for a life of love and happiness. Photo credit: Fred Pisoni

July/August 2024

Ronald G. Capalaces will be the guest speaker for our luncheon on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., in the Pines of Florence Italian Restaurant, 1990 M St., N.W., Washington. Mr. Capalaces is the author of “When All the Men Were Gone,” a memoir about his boyhood growing up on the home front during World War II.

Ron was born in Binghamton, New York. During World War II, Ron’s father was a U.S. army soldier fighting in North Africa. His father was killed in combat there in 1943, when Ron was eight years old. After graduating from the local high school, Ron attended Harper College in Binghamton, now a campus of the State University of New York (SUNY). He later married Marie with whom he has five daughters. Ron’s career involved producing TV and film productions for clients. Ron retired in 2000. He and his wife now reside in McLean, Virginia.

Ron will read three short chapters from his 252-page book about his boyhood for about a half hour. He will start by reading the prologue about the differences between the 1940s and the 2010s. He will next read a humorous chapter about an encounter between him, a live chicken, and his mother. He will conclude by reading a chapter about the day that he learned that his father had died. A question-and-answer period will follow. Copies of Ron’s book will be available for sale to interested attendees for $16 each. Amazon lists the book for sale online for $30. Ron will autograph your copy upon request, at no extra charge.

Seating is limited to 44. For information on reservations and menu selections, please click HERE.

June 2024