🍝 Little Italy’s 127-Year Party Is Back

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John Petkovic & Jude Perez

Dean Martin hung out there. Chef Boyardee – aka Ettore Boiardi  -- called it home. So did the inventor of the pasta machine, Angelo Vitantonio.

Little Italy has history, heritage, beloved restaurants and a big bowl of personality.

There’s no event that brings all the charms of Little Italy together like Feast of the Assumption.

The 127^th installment of the city’s biggest festival opens Thursday and runs through Sunday.

“It’s a pilgrimage, where Italians in the area return home,” says lifelong Little Italy resident Maria Mastrandrea. “For Clevelanders, it’s a chance to celebrate life with joy, food, music and Italian hospitality.”

More than 100,000 revelers are expected to attend – to honor the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven while indulging in enough fun to make Caesar jealous

A number of them will be members of her family: She’s a third-generation Little Italy resident.

“I have hundreds of relatives – first, second, third, fourth and fifth cousins,” says Mastrandrea. “There’s a lot of Marias, Christinas, Anthonys and Joes.”

The neighborhood tells the story Italians, yes, but also Cleveland.

“Every street had a general store and the church, restaurants and shops kept tradition alive,” she says.

As a child, she bought groceries for the family, delivered tomatoes from the family garden to neighbors.

One of them was Cleveland mobster James “Jack White” Licavoli.

“We all called him Uncle Jack,” says Mastrandrea. “I knew him as this little old man – until I saw his mugshot on the news.”

Started in 1885, the fest looks like a scene in a Scorsese movie – from the procession to the crowds.

 “Mama Santo’s has been around for 65 years, Guarino’s more than a century old. Terry Tarantino greats all his guests with a bowl of pasta at La Dolce Vita,” she says.

“Little Italy is like a place from another time that comes alive during the Feast.”

President Trump rolled into Geneva last night to watch the Hunger, er, Patriot Games.

He’s found himself in different kind of battle – with Beth Hammack.

On Monday, the Cleveland Federal Reserve President called for more than one interest rate hike to prevent inflation from becoming more entrenched across the economy.

"I would say in general, one 25-basis-point move probably doesn't do a whole lot for the economy," she said. "So it's probably some number of [rate hikes].”

As we’ve reported, Hammack has emerged as the country’s biggest inflation hawk – which puts her in the cross-hairs of Trump, who wants rates lowered.

Rising U.S. bond yields — driven by the Iran War and corporate borrowing for AI infrastructure — are raising borrowing costs, pressuring the housing market and consumer debt.

The dash to raise cash has driven bonds yields higher, resulting in the 30-year fixed mortgage hitting a one-year high.

Hammack is one of the first to address the inflationary impact of data centers – which runs counter to Trump’s call for more of them.

Two important gauges of inflation – the CPI and PPI – will be released today and Thursday, respectively.

Long before the Cramps pioneered psychobilly, they were teenage werewolves in Northeast Ohio.

Stow native Lux Interior was possessed by the low-rent horror flicks and cheapjack tricks of legendary Cleveland late-night horror host Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson and 1950s shock-deejay Pete “Mad Daddy” Meyers.

Interior wasn’t the only local werewolf in the band: Guitarist Poison Ivy Rorschach moved from California to Akron, and members Miriam Linna, Nick Knox and Mike Metoff all grew up in the area.

The Cramps ended in 2009 following the death of Akron native Interior.

But their music is back – thanks to an archival reissue campaign headed by Cramps devotees Henry Rollins and Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye.

It features the band’s catalog and unreleased recordings.

Hmm, is there a recording of their legendary July 4, 1978 show on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie when Interior famously leaped off the cliff during the set?

WEDNESDAY

CLE Market: The outdoor market brings artisans, vendors and food trucks to Coe Lake. 4-8 p.m. Info.

Stray Cats: The neo-rockabilly legends ushered in a revival of the 1950s style with its 1981 debut. They hit Northfield Park Racino at 7:30 p.m. Info.

THURSDAY

A Night at the Opera: The Cleveland Orchestra will perform selections by Puccini and Verdi at Severance with Grammy-winning soprano Latonia Moore, tenor Brandon Jovanovich and the Blossom Festival Chorus. 7 p.m. Info.

Ohio Burlesque Festival: The annual celebration of pasties, feather boas and high-heeled performance and titillation hits the Beachland Ballroom. 7 p.m. Info.  

Shelly Belly: One of comedians rising stars, she’s taking her quick-wit comedy routine from her front porch of South Carolina to the main stage at Hilarities. 7 p.m. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

How long until our civic leaders start calling it the Midwest Riviera?

First, USA Today declares Lake Erie one of the best lakes in America – better than Big Bear, Tahoe and the other Great Lakes.

Now, Livability calls Cleveland one of the Eight Great Waterfront Cities in America.

Says the city site:

“Imagine a beach packed with families picnicking, waves lapping at the shore, paragliders swooping across the sky and water as far as your eyes can see.

Would you be surprised to hear you’re envisioning a quintessential summer afternoon in Cleveland?

It’s true. Whether you’re viewing it from the shore, a park trail or a kayak, Lake Erie is a magnificent – and massive – sight to behold.”

Cleveland sits alongside Pueblo, CO, Carlsbad, CA and Burlington, VT on the list.

The Cuyahoga County Fair through the decades. The fair traces its roots back to 1893. The 2026 edition, which is expected to attract more than 200,000 people, features everything, old and new.

Ooh and don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop on Facebook & @scoopcle on Instagram to get your photos in the Scoop!

80 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ☁️➡️☀️ (AM Clouds, PM Sun) | 60% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 9 mph W (≈ 8 knots)

80 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ☁️ (Mostly Cloudy) | 20% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 8 mph WNW (≈ 7 knots)

77 °F 🌡️ 64 °F | ⛅ (Partly Cloudy) | 15% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 13 mph NNE (≈ 11 knots)

_{Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.}

Away vs. Tigers, 6:40 PM August 12 (Wednesday)

Away vs. Tigers, 1:10 PM August 13 (Thursday)

Home vs. Padres, 7:10 PM August 14 (Friday)

Home vs. Padres, 7:10 PM August 15 (Saturday)

Home vs. Padres, 1:40 PM August 16 (Sunday)

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