Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award

A heartfelt tribute to Italian American Baseball Family hero Larry Baldassaro

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Italian American Baseball Family filmmaker Roberto Angotti and baseball historian Professor Lawrence Baldassaro won the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award at the National Italian American Foundation 42nd Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C.

In honor of the late and great Larry Baldassaro (June 25, 1943 — September 8, 2026), we pay tribute to the unsung hero of the National Italian American Foundation Russo Brothers Film Forum award-winning Italian American Baseball Family. Throughout the hour-long documentary, which is based on Professor Lawrence Baldassaro’s Beyond DiMaggio: Italian American in Baseball, the renowned-author is prominently featured in the film as he takes viewers on guided history lesson on how Italians assimilated into American popular culture through the game and highlighted the many Italian Americans’ contributions to baseball.

The grandson of Italian immigrants, Lawrence Baldassaro grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he played high school, American Legion, and semi-pro baseball as a devoted fan of Ted Williams and the Boston Red Sox. Baldassaro was a professor emeritus of Italian and former director of the Honors College at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He circled back into the game by writing about it for the Milwaukee Brewers – and eventually recognized a void he could fill. He said, “I discovered at that time, very little had been written about Italian Americans in baseball, in spite of an incredible history that goes back to the 1920s.”

Roberto Angotti and Chris Colabello (interviewed and featured in Italian American Baseball Family) with a signed copy of Baseball Italian Style by Professor Lawrence Baldassaro

Immediately following the release of his book, Beyond DiMaggio: Italian American in Baseball, in 2011, Professor Lawrence Baldassaro was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence by the Order Sons of Italy in America Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin. His follow-up, Baseball Italian Style: Great Stories Told by Italian American Major Leaguers from Crosetti to Piazza (2018), used first-person accounts from Italian-American baseball players. Baldassaro’s interviews were conducted from 1993-2017 and included conversations with players from a variety of different generations. Not only did these audio recordings provide a look at the human side of the game, but they also examined the many ways in which life as a big leaguer changed over time. Included in the invaluable collection are eight Hall of Famers: Yogi Berra, Craig Biggio, Tony La Russa, Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Phil Rizzuto, Ron Santo, and Joe Torre. Also featured is MVP award winner Ken Caminiti, MLB All-Stars Anthony Rizzo, Joey Votto, and Barry Zito as well as coaches, managers, umpires, and front-office executives.His final book, Tony Lazzeri: Yankees Legend and Baseball Pioneer, earned him a 2022 SABR Baseball Research Award for “outstanding research projects that have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball.”

Roberto Angotti, Pier Piancastelli, Loredana Auletta, Larry Baldassaro, and Tom Cesarini at Amici House following a screening of Italian American Baseball Family and a presentation by Professor Baldassaro in San Diego’s Little Italy

Baldassaro was also the editor of Ted Williams: Reflections on a Splendid Life, The Ted Williams Reader, and co-editor of The American Game: Baseball and Ethnicity. In addition to writing about baseball, he published essays on Italian literature, film and politics in American and Italian journals and served on the Executive Council of the Dante Society of America. Perhaps one of his greatest joys was serving as interpreter for Team Italy in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic. He will forever live in the hearts of many here in America and abroad. He had a profound influence and impact on the lives of thousands, including mine…grazie mille Larry! We will never forget our mentor. Forza #Italia!!!

Italian American Baseball Family with Italian subtitles was submitted by Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) and later selected as a finalist for the FICTS (Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs) Worldwide Championship of Television, Cinema, Sport, Culture and Communication in Milan, Italy

Award-winning director Roberto Angotti presents double feature at Naples Italian American Foundation on February 13, 2023

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(Basil Russo, Roberto Angotti, John Viola and Maria Bartiromo at the 2017 NIAF Gala) 

Roberto Angotti is a cultural historian, writer, film director, curator, and radio DJ who blends his love of baseball, Italian American arts and culture, and music into multi-media creations. His film, Italian American Baseball Family, tells the story of how Italian Americans assimilated into popular culture through America’s favorite pastime, baseball, and how Italian Americans have circled back to Italy to grow the game by playing for Team Italy in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. His film features interviews with renowned baseball historian Lawrence Baldassaro, and MLB notables Tommy Lasorda, Frank Viola, Nick Punto, Francisco Cervelli, Brandon Nimmo, Chris Colabello and Gavin Cecchini.

At the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) 42nd Anniversary Gala in November 2017, the movie was screened and won the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award. Most recently, the film received international accolades when it screened and was selected as a Finalist at the World FICTS (Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs) Sport Movies & TV Challenge 2018 in Milan, Italy. Other film screenings have taken place in Rome, Chicago, Cleveland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, Fullerton and St. Louis at Fox Sports Midwest Live!

Angotti is an official Team Italy media representative for Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS), and he reports first-hand from international competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and other tournaments. He was first inspired to write about baseball in Italy and the USA, Italian American arts and culture, and music through his blog: http://www.MLBforLife.com.

In 2013, he curated the Artists’ Tribute to Italian Americans in Baseball in San Diego, California. This exhibit paid homage to Italian American baseball players and Team Italy players and coaches from the World Baseball Classic through artwork from renowned artists of Italian descent. Artists’ Tribute to Italian Americans in Baseball opened with art and baseball memorabilia honoring such MLB luminaries as Mike Piazza, Jason Grilli, Frank Catalanotto, Chris Denorfia, Drew Butera, Anthony Rizzo, Chris Colabello, and Alex Liddi. 

A graduate of the prestigious Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California with a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies, Angotti began his filmmaking career with documentaries on The English Beat and UB40. As a radio deejay on KNAC in Long Beach and KROQ in Los Angeles, he launched the career of Grammy nominee Pato Banton in America. Angotti enlisted the services of Pato Banton on his latest film, Introducing Team Italy Manager Mike Piazza, to produce a musical odyssey documentary on the iconic career of the National Baseball Hall of Famer and the new leader of the Italian national baseball program.

Angotti served as international sister city ambassador between Fullerton, California and Tollo (Abruzzo), Italy in honor of long-time Orange County, California resident Tommy Lasorda and the birth place of his father. Sabatino Lasorda, in Italy. Italian American Baseball Family was featured at the Tommy Lasorda Day celebration in Fullerton on September 22, 2021. In addition, the film (with Italian subtitles) was screened at the reciprocal Tollo sister city
celebration in 2022.

Be sure to join the festivities on Monday, February 13, 2023 at the Naples Italian American Foundation, 7035 Airport Pulling Road in Naples, Florida. Doors open at 5 pm. Dinner is included with admission. For tickets and further information, click HERE or call (239) 597-5210.

Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award-winning documentary selected as finalist at International FICTS Fest 2018 World Championship in Milan

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Roberto Angotti‘s Italian American Baseball Family has been selected as a finalist in the SPORT MOVIES & TV 2018 Festival in Milan, Italy. Submitted by Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) with Italian subtitles, Italian American Baseball Family features Lawrence Baldassaro, author of “Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball” and “Baseball Italian Style”, as well as National Baseball Hall of Fame legend Tommy Lasorda. MLB past and present players Frank Viola, Nick Punto, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Colabello, Brandon Nimmo, and Gavin Cecchini are also interviewed in Italian American Baseball Family.

Organized by the FICTS (Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs) and recognized by the International Olympic Committee, SPORT MOVIES & TV is a world-renowned festival dedicated to sports television and movies. The FICTS Worldwide Championship of Television, Cinema, Sport, Culture and Communication is the grand final of 16 World FICTS Challenge festivals spanning five continents. The SPORT MOVIES & TV Festival kicks off at Milan’s 17th century Palazzo Giureconsulti in Piazza Duomo on November 14, 2018.

FICTS promotes the values of sport through images in 116 affiliated nations and is presided over by Professor Franco Ascani of the Italian Olympic Committee Commission for Culture and Olympic Heritage. The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award-winning documentary Italian American Baseball Family is among the selected movies being projected during the six-day program. To watch the trailers and schedule of all screenings at some of the most prestigious venues in Milan, click HERE.  worldfictschallenge_2018-930x658

Of the nearly 1000 submissions from 65 countries in 51 sport disciplines, the selected works at SPORT MOVIES & TV 2018 will bring together 174 directors and producers, 132 international journalists, and 127 broadcasters worldwide. Meetings, workshops, exhibitions, press conferences, award shows, and other special events will be presented in collaboration with Milan-area sports and cultural organizations.

The FICTS International Jury, made up of ambassadors in the world of cinema, television, media, sport and culture, will deliberate on which productions to select for “Guirlande d’Honneur” (Oscar of Cinema and Sport Television), “Mention d’Honneur” (Honorable Mention), and “Special Awards” for each of the eight categories. The SPORT MOVIES & TV 2018 Festival concludes on November 19, 2018. To learn more about the festivities, click HERE. 

Italians celebrate Chicago’s rich baseball history in Arlington Heights on Saturday, June 2, 2018

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Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field

On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Italian Americans have an opportunity to celebrate their heritage and Chicago’s rich baseball history through a screening of the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award-winning film, Italian American Baseball Family at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights. The 2016 American Community Survey reveals that almost 17 million Italians live in the United States. With more than 500,000 Italian Americans living in greater Chicago, the city trails only New York and Philadelphia as the third largest thriving Italian epicenter in America. Chicago boasts a big and loyal baseball following with two professional Major League teams: the Cubs and South Side rivals White Sox. The city has a rich baseball history, of which outsiders may have little or no knowledge.

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Ping Bodie played for the Chicago White Sox from 1911-1914

Chi Town’s first major baseball player of Italian descent was Francesco Pezzolo, known to most as “Ping Bodie.”  Francesco was the son of Giuseppe Pezzolo, who emigrated from a small town near Genoa to New York City, and who worked long hours building the Brooklyn Bridge.  In 1876 father Giuseppe and mother Rosa moved the family west to a gold-mining settlement in Bodie, California. Francesco Pezzolo was born on October 8, 1887 in San Francisco, and to mask his Italian identity due to racial prejudices and injustices, he changed his professional baseball name to Ping Bodie. After joining the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals in 1908, Ping Bodie soon became a Bay Area fan favorite and was nicknamed “the Fence Buster”. The Chicago White Sox could not help but notice Ping Bodie when he slugged 30 home runs in 1910 and subsequently signed him to a Major League contract. During his rookie season in 1911, Bodie hit .289 with four homers and 97 RBI. He became a Chicago baseball icon during his four years as a solid contributor to the White Sox. His popularity continued in New York later in his career when he became Babe Ruth‘s first Yankee roommate. Ping Bodie was a father figure for many other West Coast Italian American ballplayers and paved the way for those who followed him including Tony Lazzeri, Frank Crosetti, and the DiMaggio brothers. Ron Santo

Chicago is not afraid to profess its love for the late and great Ron Santo. According to Lawrence Baladassaro’s brilliant new book Baseball Italian Style , Ron’s father, Louis Santo, was born in Foggia, Italy, and came to America as a teenager. His son Ron grew up in the heart of “Garlic Gulch,” Seattle’s Italian district. Signed out of high school in 1959, just a year later 20-year-old Ron Santo made his MLB debut on June 26, 1960, when he had three hits and five RBI in a double-header sweep. In his 14 seasons with the Cubs, Santo was named to nine National League All-Star teams and won five consecutive Gold Glove awards (1964-68). He had four seasons with 100 or more RBI and hit 30 or more home runs in four consecutive seasons (1964-67). The 2012 Hall-of-Fame inductee hit 337 home runs and drove in 1,290 runs as a Cub, then played the final season of his career with the White Sox before retiring at age 34. He later became the Cubs radio color commentator in 1990 and held the position until his passing in 2010. A statue of the beloved Cub player and broadcaster was resurrected outside Wrigley Field in 2011 to honor his legacy.

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Team Italy‘s Fabio Milano during 2006 World Baseball Classic lineup introductions

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Team Italy women’s softball pitcher Maya Milano is daughter to former Team Italy pitcher Fabio Milano.

There is one special Chicago Italian who has played for Team Italy in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. That unsung hero’s name is Fabio Milano, a former pitching all-star who played for Team Italy in the 2001 World Cup, 2004 Olympics and the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Milano is also father to a pair of up-and-coming Team Italy softball stars. Maya and Kylie Milano. Another Chicago Italian who deserves a Hollywood Star for helping hundreds develop their craft is Paul Petricca, author of Hitting with Torque: For Softball and Baseball Players. Petricca along with The St. Joseph Club of Italian Americans are proud to present a “Celebration of Italian Baseball and Softball” on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell Street in Arlington Heights beginning at 11:00 am. The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award-winning documentary, Italian American Baseball Family, will be shown.

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Chicago native Barth Morreale Jr. enjoyed a successful baseball career in Bologna, Italy.

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Brent Consiglio

Immediately following the screening of the movie, a Q & A discussion with filmmaker Roberto Angotti and a panel of former Italian baseball players will interact with the audience in an engaging discussion on playing baseball internationally. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Fabio Milano, Joe Mazzuca, former Marlins prospect who played for Team Italy internationally from 2006-2014; Barth Morreale Jr., who began pitching in Bologna in 2006 and led his team to victory in the 2011 European Cup; and Brent Consiglio, who played in baseball in Poviglio after graduating from the University of Chicago in 2004.

Angotti’s film Italian American Baseball Family documents the Italian American experience on how Italians assimilated into popular culture through America’s favorite pastime, baseball, and how Italian Americans have circled back to Italy to help grow the game abroad by playing for Team Italy in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. He is excited to bring the movie to Chicago, where University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Professor Emeritus Lawrence Baldassaro (author of Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball and Baseball Italian Style) was interviewed for the documentary at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and Ron Onesti was filmed at Piazza DiMaggio in Little Italy on Taylor Street. Angotti said, “Chicago has a rich Italian cultural heritage, and as a proud Italian American, I am delighted to share the film with lovers of baseball and history. Whether you are a fan of Ron Santo or Anthony Rizzo, there will be something for everybody during our celebration of Italian baseball and softball at the Metropolis.” Attendees are encouraged to participate in a silent auction featuring premium Chicago Cubs tickets, private pitching and hitting sessions and more. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please contact Paul Petricca at 847-533-8474. anthony-rizzo

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