Labor Day is here, and with it comes not just the end of summer, but also the close of the “Italian American Feast Season”, so join co-hosts John Viola and Pat O’Boyle as they decamp for the Sicilian American enclave of Lodi, New Jersey to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and to discuss the Italian American contributions to the US Labor Movement.

What begins as a thoughtful reflection on the incredible contributions and sacrifices that Italian Americans have made in the history of US Organized Labor begins to veer off topic as the siren song of an end of summer Italian Feast sees our guides unable to resist the distracting allure of Sicilian pastries and fresh fried zeppole.

They’ll introduce often unknown chapters in the history of Italian American Labor, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts Textile Strike lead by Italian American Arturo Giovannitti, the history of the Feast of St. Jospeh the Worker, and explore the importance of the Labor Day’s often-overlooked meaning.

But, of course, they are yards away from a Feast, and this is the Italian American Podcast, so the conversation will veer into a debate on Sicilian vs. Neapolitan pastries, the meaning of Feasts in the Italian American psyche, and Pat’s many recommendations for the best sweets in this slice of the Garden State.

If you love those episodes where you just don’t know what to except next, you’ll be thrilled to download this labor of love for our Italian American heritage!

Pat’s Lodi-area Sicilian Delicacy Recommendations: