One hundred more fantastic personalities originally from 70 cities, towns, and villages around the Abruzzo region in central Italy. They currently reside in 25 countries around the world and on all continents. This is the content of the second volume of I Messaggeri d’Abruzzo nel Mondo (The Messengers of Abruzzo Around the World) by VideoAge‘s editor Dom Serafini, published by Edizioni Il Viandante, and available in bookstores in Italy in July 2021, and abroad on Amazon (and other sites) since June 10, 2021. Serafini is himself an Abruzzo native. The book is in Italian, and although many of the personalities in the book reside in English-speaking countries, an English-language version isn’t yet contemplated.
The book makes it clear to readers that there are two Abruzzos: the original one in Italy and another scattered throughout the world. We know the first because it’s a known tourist attraction, with its tall mountains, wide beaches, large natural parks, towns and villages full of art, unique cuisine, spectacular wines, as well as the fact that it’s home, for example, to bears and eagles.
The second Abruzzo has as many people from Abruzzo as there are in Abruzzo, and they are scattered all over the world. These are fascinating people, some of whom return to Abruzzo, if only on the pages of the Italian daily, Il Messaggero, in the feature that Serafini runs every Sunday. These features were eventually collected to create this book that Serafini hopes people will read.
Among the personalities featured are: Rodolfo D’Onofrio, president of Buenos Aires’ football (soccer) team River Plate; film directors Frank Di Bugnara, and cinematographer Loreto Di Cesare, both in Hollywood, Marco De Stefanis in Amsterdam, and Vince Scarza in New York; actors Cristina Rosato in Montreal, Annabella Sciorra in New York, and Vince Basile in Melbourne; jazz musicians Coco Bucci in Chicago, Pete Malinverni and Emanuele Tozzi, both in New York; violinist Pierluigi Ruggiero in Budapest; classic dancer Sara Falconi in Vienna; opera singer Maria Pellegrini in Ottawa; chorus director Horacio Lanci in Mar del Plata; TV executive Agatha Pezzi, and copyright lawyer Pina D’Agostino, both in Toronto, among many others. The complete list of names can be found on the book’s dedicated Facebook page.
This is a book that will fascinate all, no matter what page they open to, because it can be read starting from the end. Each story could inspire a film script. Many of those featured are not part of the old “cardboard suitcase” type of emigration, but of the so-called Abruzzo “brain drain,” since they are highly educated. For this reason the book could have a much greater value than mere curiosity. Young people should use it as a reference for a career abroad, and older folks should give it to young people as a guide to better direct them towards successful overseas careers in all fields.
Pictured above is the author, and the book cover.
Leave A Comment