The Italian Australian Podcast

Our guest this week is Angie Mastrippolito, daughter of Italian Immigrants from Abruzzo who grew up among the sugar cane fields of far North Queensland. Le Seconde Inheriting the Unspoken A Second-Generation Immigrant Story is the book Angie has written about her story and the story of her family. It is fascinating and one that many Italian Australians will relate to. This story is deep and speaks of that which has remained unspoken, even to this day, in many families. This is a book every Italian Australian should read. It is available via the links below. Buy it for your mum, your brother, yourself, just make sure you get a copy! Angie's website:HOME | Le Seconde Inher 1Amazon:Amazon.com.au : le seconde inheriting the unspokenAngie on Instagram:Angelina Mastrippolito - Author of Le Seconde (@angelina_mastrippolito) • Instagram photos and videos

As this Saturday is Valentines Day in this Valentine’s episode we are joined by 2 very special guests, Lukas’ wife Vanessa and Josie’s fiancé Daniel. We had a lot of laughs and chatted about the experiences of non Italians becoming a part of Italian families.

Our guest this week is Sonia Di Iorio, a Melbourne based comedian. Sonia is doing something with her comedy which we think is pretty cool, in addition to her usual stand up comedy shows, she has created a stand up comedy show which is spoken entirely in Italian!! We were very interested to chat with Sonia and hear more about this. You can see the show at Adelaide fringe festival 15th March and at the Melbourne international comedy festival 11th and 12th of April. For tickets and to find out more about Sonia follow her on instagram at Sonia D comedy or you can click on the link below and don’t forget the promo word Amici to get a discount on your tickets!Sonia on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/soniadcomedy?igsh=MWxxOXI4aTV5OXp2cQ==

We had a great chat with our guest Tony Roda in this episode. Tony is a proud Italian Australian who is deeply connected to his Calabrese heritage. He created the facebook page ‘Calabrese of Australia’ which is a massive online community of almost 35K followers where all things Calabrese are celebrated. The page is popular with Italians from all regions and even some people who are not of Italian heritage. You will find ‘Calabrese of Australia by searching on facebook or you can click on the link below:Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19xTxA287w/?mibextid=wwXIfrInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/calabrese_of_australia?igsh=MXYyeXlmYnZlOXZlcg==

We were truly delighted to chat with Frank Lotito in this episode. Frank has had a long and successful journey in the entertainment industry, he has pretty much done it all from theatre, film and television. He is multi talented as an actor, comedian, writer, producer and director. He is well known for the films ‘Big Mamma’s Boy’ and ‘Wog Boys Forever’It was fascinating to hear Frank’s story and to hear about one of his current projects- ‘The Italian Divorce’ - a comedy stage show which captures the love, chaos and guilt driven drama of Italian family life. The show has been a huge success and sold out multiple times in Melbourne and Sydney. Great news for our Perth based listeners- The Italian Divorce is coming to Perth for 3 shows- 27th February, 28th February and 1st March. Tickets are selling very fast, click the link below to get yours!Website:https://theitaliandivorce.comFrank on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/franklotito?igsh=YmJmMnM3Z2h3OXd4Italian Divorce on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/the_italian_divorce?igsh=dzJwd2o1a3UycWc2

In this episode we are also joined by two of our favourite return guests, Etta D’Elia and James Liotta and we are talking about Etta’s new show Nonna Mia, which will feature as part of Perth Fringe Festival 2026. The show is a celebration of the matriarch in Italian families- the Nonna. Etta and James are both outstanding performers and we loved hearing about how they will be working together in some of the Nonna Mia shows. The first show is the 29th of January at Shelter Brewing Co in Busselton, next is the 6th of February in Rockingham followed by 2 shows at the State Theatre of WA in Perth on the 12th and 13th of February. Tickets are selling fast, go to the Fringe World Festival website to get yours or you can click on the links below:Fringeworld:https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/nonnamia-fw2026Etta on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/etta.delia.vocalist?igsh=MWMxMngycTNoMDcwJames on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jamesliottaentertainer?igsh=YmZzaXIydXE3cWllPrevious episodes with Etta:https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GFlPvcsnSj5EBw6gbzdi2?si=7cha7KBQTpK0eDkAdhhgoQhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/2SQefqO4EUHKKs9cKOE6q1?si=zERPFszrSIeaCmyfwHgbaQPrevious episodes with James:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XEA4iSiE1xIAIoU6jUYHr?si=dgBgGUFnR5SHvJj8cjqHpQhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4JxOYloLji1oSXpgvTZMAd?si=4UHIE-IMR0OByoosBjjnlQhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0At6zSUzutLvM8GH3ziTtl?si=jCzIg8hxTcyrIKbsYX57Jghttps://open.spotify.com/episode/7iStMoVvrxrizbx6msLCVG?si=K7QRyauvREO9CY9TRZNIRA

We have an another amazing chat with Rose Inserra for you in this episode. If you missed episode 125 with Rose it’s a good idea to go back and listen to that one first.Rose Inserra has literally written the book on Italian folk magic, dream interpretation and more, as well as being an author, she is an experienced Malocchio healer. In this episode she shared her knowledge about dream interpretation. And as this episode is coming to you on the Feast of the Epiphany we also chatted about the legend of La Befana.Make sure you listen to the end to hear Rose’s advice on some simple things you can do to bring positivity into your 2026. It’s a new year and we are looking for new sponsors. If you are interested in promoting your business on the Italian Australian Podcast, send us an email at italianaustralianpodcast@gmail.com for more details.To find out more about Rose click the links below:Episode 125: Malocchio and Italian Folk Magic https://open.spotify.com/episode/2OwboOYXBEGZYRcgcgdpKe?si=TOi6FIVxRvCV6asI3fXJJQRose on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/inserrarose?igsh=cXA4enFmNTZvbHljRose’s link tree:https://linktr.ee/roseinserraRose’s website:https://roseinserra.com/

Ragazzi we have an amazing episode for you, with tomorrow being Christmas Eve- it’s the perfect time to talk Malocchio!Our guest is Rose Inserra, she has literally written the book on Italian folk magic, as well as being an author, she is an experienced Malocchio healer and she shared some of her knowledge with us. We were enthralled during this conversation and we are so excited for you guys to hear it, we know this is one our listeners are going to absolutely love!! To find out more about Rose and get yourself some of her books- click the links below:Rose on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/inserrarose?igsh=cXA4enFmNTZvbHljRose’s link tree:https://linktr.ee/roseinserraRose’s website:https://roseinserra.com/

This week we’re joined by Josephine Paone, a young Melbourne-based Italian Australian with a strong connection to her heritage. Josephine had so many wonderful insights to share — from her journey as a tarantella dancer, to her time living overseas, to her reflections on what it truly means to be Italian Australian.To find out more about Josephine click the links below:@josephinepaone THE FOUNDERhttps://www.instagram.com/josephinepaone?igsh=Y3hzbXh1dmtxbm00&utm_source=qr@sudculture_ Cultural Marketing Agencyhttps://www.instagram.com/sudculture_?igsh=OHB1bWhpY2Z0NWF3@thebagnarota - Tarantella & Pasta workshops preserving Southern Italian culturehttps://www.instagram.com/thebagnarota?igsh=a2QzN2phZHNoemN0THE COMMUNITY @theitalianrunclub.au - AUSTRALIA’s FIRST RUN CLUB - DM to become an Ambassador in your cityhttps://www.instagram.com/theitalianrunclub.au?igsh=NTcwNGtzZWtwOTQ=@radici.au - Italian meet-ups & curated experiences for the next generationhttps://www.instagram.com/radici.au?igsh=MTIzc2Jiem1jYjN1aQ==WHATSAPP CHANNELhttps://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBvSODFnSzF3Dht7j2a

This week our guest is Mark D’Angelica from Adelaide. Mark is a proud Italian Australian and is a committee member of Com.It.Es South Australia. Com.It.Es is the Committee for Italians Abroad and work on many initiatives which are focused on celebrating the culture and keeping it strong in Italian communities outside of Italy. For more information click the link below:https://www.sacomites.com.au/

We were especially excited to record this week’s episode as we are joined by three fantastic guests, Andrew, Joe and Carlo otherwise known as Sooshi Mango.These three hilarious Italian Australians are famous worldwide for their comedy and we love how they use entertainment and laughter to celebrate our heritage. We loved chatting with the guys about their Italian heritage, hearing of their passion to keep the culture alive and why being Italian is the best thing ever!Thanks for listening and a big thanks to our sponsors for this week's episode- Melbourne Arancini. In 2016 husband and wife team Paul and Laura Muscara started Melbourne Arancini, supplying Melbourne and regional Victoria with handmade, delicious arancini made with the freshest ingredients. Arancini flavours range from traditional Bolognese Ragu, Four Cheese Broccolini, Pizzaiola, Arrabiata and fan favourite Chicken, Leek and Mushroom. The Christmas season is here and that means their famous Garlic Prawn Arancini are back and available now for something extra special for your Christmas celebrations! They really are Melbourne's best, made fresh. Sooshi Mango on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sooshimango?igsh=MThzM3Vrb2o2cmNwZw==Melbourne Arancini on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/melbournearancini?igsh=NmtjbGFpMmoyd2U5Melbourne Arancini Website:https://www.melbournearancini.com.au/

This week we are chatting with Tony Guseli.Born in Australia to Italian immigrant parents, Tony has discovered a strong passion into family research. He shared with us some of the interesting stories he has uncovered, particularly in relation to his Grandfather’s story of being abandoned at birth in Italy.Tony also told us some fascinating details about the Snowy Scheme, a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex located in New South Wales. With work on the scheme commencing in 1949, it is the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Australia. The Snowy Scheme employed hundreds of migrant men from several places, including Italy. Many people don’t know the story of the Snowy Scheme and of its many accidents which claimed the lives of 121 men, 27 of whom were Italian. One of those men was Tony’s uncle Antonio. Tony is on a mission to tell the story of these men and has already spent countless hours on research. It’s a huge task and without Tony’s efforts these stories will not be told.If you have any details which can be added to Tony’s research he asks that you please reach out, you can do this getting in touch with us or by clicking the links in the show notes.Tony’s email:guselitvg@bigpond.comItalian Australian Podcast email:italianaustralianpodcast@gmail.com

Our good friend, the one and only Frank Miranda, AKA Mr Accordion Man is back for another episode. We always love chatting with Frank and it was great to hear about all the exciting things he has been getting up to. We were also excited to chat about the Perth Italian Festival 2026 which is happening April 11th, it's going to be an amazing day, and we cannot wait to be a part of it.Mr Accordion Man on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mr_accordion_man?igsh=aXJvNG1mZW1hZmp6Previous episodes with Mr Accordion Man:Episode 30: Everything you need to know about the Perth Italian Festival https://open.spotify.com/episode/1IifVp460H3Y0GaS49IV1r?si=wUr3-VDaTweMLCPB55PjHQEpisode 54: The story behind Mr Accordion Manhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/3P5zSA4xzIGZ94L6ciWy1z?si=2crJSjOjQAmU-tsN8XD4hw

In this episode we had so much fun chatting with Benita from Due Baci Publishing. Benita is our first ever guest from the Gold Coast and she is a busy mum of 3 young children, we loved hearing her describe her life as having ‘lots of love and chaos!’ Yet somehow Benita has found the time to create several bilingual children’s books born out of finding a gap in the market. We chatted about these books and other practical ways to keep your kids interested in Italian language.These books are so beautiful and colourful, with Christmas coming up they will make fantastic gifts so be sure to head to the website and get yours!Due Baci Publishing website:https://www.duebacipublishing.com.au/Due Baci Publishing on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/duebaci.publishing?igsh=eXlkajZlcXV4cDJuThe Family of Valletta on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=the+family+of+valletta&crid=16YM9XEAGP2E1&sprefix=the+family+of+%2Caps%2C384&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-pd-dpltr-ww-ranker-t1_2_14Episode 110:https://open.spotify.com/episode/53VVNt3OgtBHSBqyQmkb5v?si=8Bb40hJTQ9GoYeeZEGtlyw

This week we were excited to talk to Belinda, or the Artisan Bread Mamma, as she is known on instagram. This was an incredible conversation, Belinda is deeply connected to her Italian heritage and We were interested to hear about what inspired her to bake bread and to hear her advice for people making their own sourdough at home. Bel also told us about her family’s immigration story and we chatted about her recent trip to Italy. Follow Bel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artisanbreadmamma?igsh=MWNyNTlmdmxzYW5reg==

We have another guest from Adelaide this week, we had a delightful time chatting with Laura Di Martino. Laura was Born in Belgium to Italian parents and immigrated to Australia as a child. She is a retired languages and history teacher and is proud and passionate about her Italian heritage. Laura is actively involved in the Italian community and has a wealth of knowledge and we learned so much during this fascinating conversation, in particular about the history of the glory box in Italy and the experiences of immigrants who were intervened in Australia during World War Two. Her passion for her heritage inspired her to write 2 novels Cremona house and Working it Out, with her 3rd book coming out in 2026. Her books are available via her website and on Amazon, click the links in the show notes for more details. Follow Laura on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lauradimartino.author?igsh=MXd6MG5uNzMzZmNobQ==Laura’s website:https://lauradimartinoauth.wixsite.com/author-blogLaura’s linktree:https://lauradimartinoauth.wixsite.com/author-blog/copy-of-buy-the-bookItalian Glory Boxes of Love:http://www.italiangloryboxes.com/Ascolta women on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ascoltawomen?igsh=MnptYTF0d3l3aHFq

Our guests in this episode are a father and son from Adelaide, Adrian and Tom Crescitelli. We were very interested to chat to them about how their family is keeping our culture alive and we enjoyed getting teenage perspective from Tom. We also loved hearing Tom's interesting story of becoming a talented drummer, Tom plays regularly with his band in pubs and at other events. He also teaches younger kids and has great advice for young people starting out learning an instrument. Tom on Instagram:Tom (@tomzo_10) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode we chat with Italian Australian author Holly Cardamone. This was one of those times where we had so much to talk about like family and visiting Italy. We were also so excited to talk with Holly about her new book 'Summer, in between.' This is a story everyone will enjoy, especially young adults as the main character, Cat, a 17 year old Italian Australian faces her summer ahead before her final year in high school. For details on purchasing the book and to learn more about Holly listen to the episode or you can click the links below:Holly's website:ABOUT - Holly CardamoneHolly on Instagram:Holly Cardamone (@holly_cardamone_author) • Instagram photos and videos

Our guests this week are brothers, AJ and Justin Mosca from Sydney, in this episode they shared with us their amazing journey to becoming international cricketers and how they will represent Italy in the 2026 T20 tournament. We loved hearing of their traditional Italian Australian childhood surrounded by family, and how special it is for them to honour their Italian heritage by representing the Italian international team. These guys were very friendly and easy to talk to and we wish them and the team all the very best in the 2026 T20 World Cup.A reminder to our Perth listeners that the Italian Theatre of WA presents their new show 'I Maneggi Per Maritare Una Figlia' at the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth. This show is a hilarious comedy not to be missed.Tickets:I Maneggi per maritare una figlia Tickets, Old Mill Theatre, South Perth | TryBooking AustraliaItalian Theatre of WA on Instagram:ITWA (@italiantheatre_wa) • Instagram photos and videos

This week we are chatting about learning the Italian Language and experiencing an immersion into Italian culture with our guest Jessica, an Italian Australian who is finishing her experience in Italy with 'Italianforawhile.' 'Italianforawhile' is a travel company that assists people of all ages to spend time in Italy and learn Italian. They provide support and assistance for all parts of the journey. In this episode you will hear about Jessica's personal experience with 'Italianforawhile' we loved hearing Jessica's stories of life in Italy in 2025, what has changed and what has stayed the same. You can find out more about 'Italianforawhile' by clicking the links below:Italian for a while website:Your gap year in Italy | Become Italian for a whileItalian for a while on Instagram:Italianforawhile (@italianforawhile) • Instagram photos and videos