In this episode of the Italian American Podcast, hosts John, Patrick, and Mariana welcome pipe enthusiast and business owner Michael Curcio for a lively conversation on Italian heritage, craftsmanship, and the quiet rituals that bind generations. What begins with pipe smoking opens into a broader exploration of restoration, bespoke artistry, and the unexpected revival of Italian pipe culture—where utility, beauty, and memory converge.

 

The discussion moves easily between humor and reflection, touching on immigrant family histories, old-world habits carried into modern life, and the meaning embedded in everyday objects. From Curcio’s ancestors arriving in Harlem to stories of homemade wine, copper pots, ashtrays, and pipe clubs, the episode reveals how ordinary items become vessels of identity and continuity. Mariana adds personal texture with candid reflections on motherhood and domestic life, grounding tradition in the present.

 

Warm, thoughtful, and often funny, this episode explores how heritage is kept alive not by nostalgia alone, but by everyday use, care, and shared experience. Italian pipes emerge not as mere accessories, but as enduring symbols of community, craftsmanship, and legacy.

 

 

HOSTS:

Patrick O’Boyle

Dolores Alfieri Taranto

 

SPECIAL GUEST:

Michael Curcio

 

PRODUCED BY:

Nicholas Calvello-Macchia