One of the very first episodes of Italian American Stories has been revisited. Join Stephanie and Sandy as they take a fresh look at the remarkable—and heartbreaking—story of Concetto Formica, adding new research, new conversation, and Mom's perspective to one of the podcast's earliest episodes.

In 1911, Sicilian immigrant Concetto Formica was murdered while working as a musician with a traveling carnival in North Carolina.

His body was embalmed while his family tried to arrange a burial. But after a series of tragic events—including the mysterious death of his father just months later—Concetto was never laid to rest.

Instead, his body remained in a funeral home's garage for an astonishing 61 years, where generations of locals came to see the man they simply called "The Italian Mummy."

In this episode, Stephanie and Sandy uncover one of the strangest stories they've ever researched. Through newspaper articles, military records, immigration documents, and family history, they piece together the incredible story of Concetto Formica and the heartbreaking mystery surrounding his family.

This is a story of immigration, tragedy, mystery, and the importance of remembering the lives behind history.

After years of dreaming about it, Jared and I finally made our trip to Italy!

In this special episode, Mom and I sit down and talk through the entire journey—from racing through the Denver airport to catch our flight, to exploring Rome, wandering the ancient streets of Matera, attending the San Gerardo Festival in Potenza, cruising the Amalfi Coast, and visiting Pompeii.

Along the way, we met incredible people, experienced unforgettable acts of kindness, tasted amazing food, and learned a few lessons about traveling in Italy. Most meaningful of all was spending time in the region where my family's story began and unexpectedly finding the Smaldone family tomb in Potenza.

If you've ever dreamed of visiting Italy, tracing your family roots, or simply love hearing travel stories, we hope you'll enjoy coming along on this adventure with us.

In this episode:
• Running through Denver International Airport to make our Rome flight
• Meeting a local Italian family on the plane
• Exploring Rome, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain
• Falling in love with Matera
• Attending the San Gerardo Festival in Potenza
• Finding the Smaldone family tomb
• Traveling the Amalfi Coast and visiting Positano
• Exploring Pompeii
• Reflections on family, heritage, and the journey home

Thank you for joining us as we share the memories from a trip we'll never forget.

In August of 1969, the world became consumed by the shocking murders of actress Sharon Tate and her friends at Cielo Drive. But what many people forget is that the terror did not end there.

Just one night later, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered inside their Los Angeles home by members of the Manson Family. While the media focused heavily on the Hollywood victims, the story of the LaBiancas was often pushed into the background.

In this episode, we tell the heartbreaking and often overlooked story of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca — who they were before the murders, the lives they built, their Italian American roots, and the horrifying events that unfolded inside their Waverly Drive home.

We explore Leno’s family history, his father’s successful grocery business, Rosemary’s rise from a difficult childhood to becoming a successful businesswoman, and the strange events that seemed to haunt the couple in the months leading up to their deaths.

This is the story of the “other side” of the Manson murders — the side many people rarely hear about.

Italian American Stories is hosted by Stephanie and Sandy and brings forgotten Italian American stories back to life through old newspapers, historical research, and storytelling.