WOW! Your Sun Lakes Italian American Club (SLIAC) has 191 paid members for the current year (October thru May). The most we have ever had! Congratulations to all that have made this the envy of every other club in Sun Lakes. Have you checked out all the club photos on the website? There are over 700 photos in the “Photos” section on the website iacsunlakes.com.

Our February 5th SLIAC dinner / meeting was an awesome event. We had 131 members RSVP for the second annual “Mobster & Goomata Night.” Most members had their gangster/mobster outfits on along with a lot of Goomata glitter.  DJ/singer/impersonator Tom LaGravinese got the members out of their seats to do the Tarantella. This event was the idea of Patty Panullo and Joann Belack They did a fantastic job planning and coordinating the event. Grazie mille!

The upcoming Potluck Lunch at Sisk Park on Sunday, March 8 should be a “can’t miss” event with the opportunity to play in the 5th annual Bocce Ball Tournament. Look for all the details about the Bocce Ball Tournament and the Potluck on the website (iacsunlakes.com). Remember…the Potluck is for SLIAC members only (no guests). Your club will be providing the sausage, peppers, onions, sauce & buns. This is the time for all members who attend to shine…homemade Italian desserts, appetizers & pasta salads.  Mangia!

There is one other bit of club info all members should be aware of. Elections of SLIAC board members (Vice President & Secretary) will take place at the April meeting. Please check out the candidate bios on the website .

Steve Ambroso / President

Viviamo la vita al massimo

(Let’s live life to the fullest)

The theme of the first Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) dinner/meeting of the new year was “A Night of Italian History at the Circus”. The night featured circus videos and a live juggling act with member participation. For the 128 members in attendance, it was a great night “under the Big Top!”.

I would like to acknowledge the amount of member participation in club events. There has been a definite increase in membership willingness to get involved by helping out at the monthly meetings or by volunteering for one of the many committees that help run this growing club. We currently have 183 paid memberships and have averaged 125-135 members at each monthly meeting/event. That is awesome!

The February 5th meeting theme will be the return of “Mobsters & Goomatta Night”. It’s time to dress-up in style! Tom LaGravinese will return to provide music and impersonations. It was such a fun night last year; so we had to do it again. Look for all the details in our website:

 iacsunlakes,com. Have you checked out the photos on the website? You are probably in quite a few of them!

Thought for the day…

            Vivi la vita (Live life)

            Vivi la bella vita (Live the good life)

            Vive bene (Live well)

Steve Ambroso

President SLIAC

Ciao e felice anno nuovo (Hello and Happy New Year!)

What a way to close out 2025 at the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) annual Christmas Party & Raffle on Tuesday, December 4.  We welcomed 138 members (112 attendees in 2024) with the East Valley Harmonizers Barbershop Chorus singing Christmas songs and a unique version of “My Wild Italian Rosa”. A great time was had by all and the raffle organized by Patty Pannullo and Joann Belack had great prizes and netted $1441 for the club. Way to go Patty and Joann!

We currently have 177 paid members…a record number! Let’s keep the SLIAC train rolling while we start planning our 2026 monthly schedule. The theme at the January 8 dinner meeting will be “The history of Italians in the Circus”. Expect to see videos and a special surprise. The balloon decorations will be awesome.

We recently did a survey where it was discovered that the #1 Italian region with SLIAC members or ancestors was Sicily. 31 members out of the 101 that responded claimed that they, or relatives, emigrated  from Sicily. During our May meeting, I would like to project Sicily photos on the big screen. If you have any Sicilian photos to send me, my email is steveambroso@gmail.com. Please list who is in the photo or the town it is from. If you would like to be on a 5 person panel to talk about  growing up in Sicily, please let me know. It should be fun.

As I have said before, I am honored to be your President of the SLIAC. I am looking forward to 2026 and meeting more friends at our monthly dinner meetings.  All RSVP info, photos, recipes and club news is in the SLIAC website at iacsunlakes.com. Check it out! Steve Ambroso / President SLIAC

The November 6 meeting of the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) was attended by 140 members and guests. That is an all-time record for attendance at a SLIAC event! The Club just keeps getting bigger and better! Thank you to all who attended and paid by credit card online. I think everyone attending had a great time at the “Night of Italian-American  Comedians”. I heard a lot of laughter after watching the 10 comedian videos. I think Sebastian Maniscalco is still the best.

The upcoming Holiday Party, Raffle & singing by The Harmonizers is our big event of the year. Patty Pannullo & Joann Belack have done a fantastic job of decorating and gathering donations and gift baskets that will be raffled off. Please get to the Oakwood Ballroom early to check out all the items available for the Raffle.

Please wear your best Christmas outfits! We want to see a lot of Red & Green! The Holiday Party & Raffle is always the most attended event on the SLIAC calendar.  Tickets for the raffle will go on sale starting at 4:45. There will not be any 50/50 tickets sold at this event…only tickets sold for the Raffle.

See you at the Oakwood Ballroom on Tuesday, December 4!

Buon Natale & Felice Anno Nuovo,

Steve Ambroso / President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, October 8, 2025

Benvenuti a tutti (Welcome to all).

November means cooler weather! Doesn’t that sound great after a brutally hot summer? Traffic has shown an increase due to the influx of “snowbirds”, Holiday decorations are appearing at retail stores, and the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club had its first meeting of the year at the Oakwood Ballroom. What a success!…the food was great and we had a record October attendance with 110 dinners served (including 7 new members and 10 guests)! The competition was fierce between members to see which table knew more about Italian Jeopardy. Questions about Italian culture, food, and history made for a fun, spirited night.

The big news is that we are now accepting annual dues payment and dinner payment by credit card. This is a huge step in making SLIAC more efficient and a big time-saver for members. If you are having trouble making your payment, please notify one of the board members. We can help make this a simple transaction. Special thanks to Albert & Linda McCabe, Rick Miller, and Mary Lonneman for all their time and effort on this.

Please continue to get all your SLIAC news, RSVP info and photos from our website:

iacsunlakes.com

Remember…our goal at SLIAC is to see smiling faces, laughter, and the enjoyment of each others company. This is the fastest growing club in Sun Lakes for a reason.  Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, November 6 at “Italian Comedian Night”.

Steve Ambroso

President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, September 8, 2025

October (and cooler weather) is right around the corner. October also means returning snowbirds, and the first meeting of the year for the 2025-26 Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC). 

Our first meeting will be Thursday, October 2 at the Oakwood Ballroom.  Doors open at 4:45pm for cash bar, 50/50 tickets & name tags. Annual dues will continue to be $20 (payable in October). Monthly dinners will be $29. Deadline for RSVP (to Linda McCabe at lhmccabe@aol.com) and payment is due by Wednesday, September 24th. We accept Zelle or checks for the October meeting. We will be implementing a credit card payment program to pay for dinners and annual membership starting in November. Details on how to do this will be  included in our website iacsunlakes.com soon. 

Your SLIAC board has lined up an exciting and fun schedule of events this year. Based on the survey that we did in May, the following topics will be our itinerary during the upcoming season:

October 2 Interactive Italian Jeopardy (Competition by table)

November 6 Italian Comedian Video Clips

December 4 Annual Christmas Raffle & Party with Super Raffle & Barber shop singers

January 8 History of Italian influence in the circus. Circus historian & video clips

February 5 Mobsters & Goomata Night. Singer/music/dancing. Costume party.

March 8 (Sunday) Sisk Park Potluck and Mini-Bocceball Tournament.

April 2 Toga’s, Gladiators & the history of the Colosseum. Costume party.

May 7 The Great Italian Pastry Bake-Off Contest

Lets plan on the 2025-26 year of the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club being the best ever! Our attendance at the dinner meetings last year was averaging around 100 members/guests. We had over 170 paid members. 

I’ll see you Thursday, October 2. 

Are you using the website? iacsunlakes.com

Steve Ambroso / President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, April 12, 2025

The May 1 Sun Lakes Italian Club (SLIAC) dinner meeting will be the last meeting of the year until starting up again in October. At the end of each year, I try to summarize what has happened during the year. This has truly been the best year ever for SLIAC. We are the envy of every other club in Sun Lakes. When Italians get together, we have a lot of fun! La dolce Vita!

Here is a list of the monthly topics and speakers that we have enjoyed during the year:

          * Interactive Italian Trivia

          * Italian Comedian Night with videos                                                 

          * Holiday Party & Raffle with Barbershop Singers

          * Traditional Italian Wedding featuring dancing, a DJ, and family photos.

          * Italian themed Potluck Lunch & Mini Bocce Ball Tournament at Sisk Park

          * Italian wine expert

          * “Mobsters & Goomata Night” with costumes

          * Upcoming “Great Italian Cookie Bake-Off” competition and Italian Food Trivia.  

Successes during 2024-25 season

          1. The move to Oakwood Ballroom from Cottonwood has been unanimously seen as a success. The food and service has been much better.

          2. Website iacsunlakes.com has been an easy way to communicate menus, RSVP info, club news, photos, recipes, etc.  

          3. 177 Paid members!

          4. RSVP confirmation of 130 members attending the April “Mobsters & Goomatas” event set a monthly meeting attendance record.                           

Special thanks to my SLIAC board members who stepped up and have done a great job this year. It takes a lot of people to run a club that has more than doubled in membership over the last 3 years. What a crew…Kay Hawkes, Diane Keneally, Joanne LaSalle, Bob Fish & Buddy Meola.  Special thanks to Patty Pannullo & Joann Belack for all their help with guest speakers and decorations,  Linda McCabe for RSVP and nametag help, Albert McCabe and Rick Miller for website expertise, and John Livoti the photographer.

Grazie mille!

Steve Ambroso / President

Salute, Finche non ci incontreremo di nuovo a ottobre

 (Health, Until we meet again in October)

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, March 7, 2025

Can you believe the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) is down to the last 2 dinner meetings of the year? Time flies when you are having fun! We will take the summer off after our May 1 meeting, and resume in October. At our next meeting on Thursday, April 3, the theme will be “Mobsters & Goomatas”. It should be a wild night with “la familia”. Don’t forget to wear your wildest mobster & goomata outfits. Have fun with it! The host and entertainer will be Tom LaGavinasi.

We will have SLIAC Board elections for President, Treasurer,  & Sergeant-at-Arms at the April 3rd meeting. Bios are included for each nominee in the SLIAC website (iacsunlakes.com). Please check them out ahead of the meeting.

At the April dinner meeting, we will be having a head start to the May 1 “Great Italian Cookie Bake Off Contest”. There will be signup sheets for 10 volunteers to bring authentic Italian cookies that will be judged at the May meeting. First place will receive $100 cash and second place will receive $50 cash. It’s time to find the best Italian cookie baker in the Sun Lakes area. Could it be you?

We now have 177 paid members in the SLIAC (a new record). I guess it’s true…Italians have more fun! See you April 3rd. Mobsters & Goomatas!

Steve Ambroso / President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, February 11, 2025

WOW! What a night! Our February 6th SLIAC dinner / meeting was an awesome event. We had 124 members (the most ever for an event) RSVP for the second annual “Traditional Italian Wedding Event” that had everything…women in their original wedding dresses, men in tuxedos, men dressed like they were actors in the original Godfather movie and women sparkling in glitter. The night included 129 photos projected on the big screen of Italian ancestor wedding scenes and personal member wedding photos.  The DJ got the members out of their seats to do the Tarantella. This event was the idea of Patty Panullo and Joann Belack They did a great job planning and coordinating the event. The grand finale was a raffle for the “Boosta Bag” that Jan Hood won with $530 in it. Bravo!

The upcoming Potluck Lunch at Sisk Park on Sunday,, March 2 should be a “can’t miss” event with the opportunity to play in the 4th annual Mini Bocce Ball Tournament. Look for all the details about the Bocce Ball Tournament and the Potluck on the website. Remember…the Potluck is for SLIAC members only (no guests). Your club will be providing the sausage, peppers, onions, sauce & buns. This is the time for all members who attend to shine…homemade Italian desserts, appetizers & pasta salads.  Mangia!

There is one other bit of club info all members should be aware of. Elections of SLIAC board members (President, Treasurer & Sergeant-at-Arms) will take place at the April meeting. Please check out the candidate bios on the website .

Steve Ambroso / President

Viviamo la vita al massimo

(Let’s live life to the fullest)

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, January 14, 2025

The first Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) dinner/meeting of the new year had member / guests hear from Giovanni Trescornia from Ethica Wines. Giovanni had an interesting talk about the wine regions in Italy and how they differ in various parts of the country.

It’s was great to see between 109 members at our monthly dinner meeting. Hopefully, we can continue to provide speakers and events that stimulate conversation and participation. The upcoming “Traditional Italian Wedding” event at our February 6th meeting will be a “can’t miss” fun-filled spectacle. Last years event was a huge success. It is your time to dress up, dance and party!

I am very excited about the upcoming March 2nd Potluck lunch at Palo Verde Sisk Park. This year the Potluck is on Sunday March 2nd to avoid any conflicts with Cottonwood’s Art at the Lakes. To me it is the highlight of the SLIAC year. This year we will also be having our 4th annual Bocce ball Mini-tournament prior to the potluck.  This will be another “can’t-miss” event. Your SLIAC will again be providing complimentary sausages, buns  and peppers. You bring the homemade appetizers and desserts.  Look for all the details in our website www.iacsunlakes,com.

Thought for the day…

       Vivi la vita (Live life)

       Vivi la bella vita (Live the good life)

       Vive bene (Live well)

Steve Ambroso

President SLIAC

Letter from the President, December 12, 2024

Ciao e felice anno nuovo (Hello and Happy New Year!)

What a way to close out 2024 at the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club (SLIAC) annual Christmas Party & Raffle on Tuesday, December 10.  We welcomed 112 members & guests with the East Valley Harmonizers Barbershop Chorus singing Christmas songs and a unique version of “My Wild Italian Rosa”. A great time was had by all and the raffle organized by Patty Pannullo and Joann Belack had great prizes and netted over $1300 for the club. Way to go Patty and Joann! Our 2 charities appreciate you.

Let’s keep the SLIAC train rolling while we start planning our 2025 monthly schedule. The January 9 dinner meeting will be highlighted by Giovanni Triscornia from Ethica Wines. Giovanni is an Italian wine expert who will discuss the different Italian wine regions. February will be highlighted by our 2nd annual “Traditional Italian Wedding Night”. Time to get that wedding dress and tuxedo out of mothballs. March will be highlighted by the annual Sisk Park potluck lunch & mini Bocceball tournament (a hit for the last 3 years). I can’t wait to see all the different kinds of Italian food and desserts that our members bring to this potluck. Mangia!

As I have said before, I am honored to be your President of the SLIAC. I am looking forward to 2025 and meeting more friends at our monthly dinner meetings. Don’t forget to RSVP early by Zelle or send check by mail. RSVP and payment deadline is January 2, 2025. All RSVP info, photos, recipes and club news is in the SLIAC website at iacsunlakes.com. Check it out!

Facciamo in modo che questo sia l’anno migliore di sempre (Let’s make this the best year ever)

Steve Ambroso / President SLIAC

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, NOVEMBER 15, 2024

The November 14 meeting of the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club was attended by 114 members and guests. That is almost a 20% increase over our November, 2023 dinner meeting.  Thank you to all who attended! I think everyone attending had a great time at the “Night of Italian Comedians”. I heard a lot of laughter after watching the 10 comedian videos. We might have to make it an annual event.

The upcoming Holiday Party, Raffle & singing by The Harmonizers is our big event of the year. Patty Pannullo & Joann Belack have done a fantastic job of decorating and gathering donations and gift baskets that will be raffled off. Please get to the Oakwood Ballroom early to check out all the items available for the Raffle.

Please wear your best Christmas outfits! We want to see a lot of Red & Green! The Holiday Party & Raffle is always the most attended event on the SLIAC calendar.  Tickets for the raffle will go on sale starting at 4:45. There will not be any 50/50 tickets sold at this event…only tickets sold for the Raffle.

See you at the Oakwood Ballroom on Tuesday, December 10!

Buon Natale & Felice Anno Nuovo,

Steve Ambroso / President

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, OCTOBER 5, 2024

Benvenuti a tutti (Welcome to all).

November means cooler weather! Doesn’t that sound great after a brutally hot summer? Traffic has shown an increase due to the influx of “snowbirds”, Holiday decorations are appearing at retail stores, and the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club had its first meeting of the year at our new location at the Oakwood Ballroom. What a success!…the food was great and we had a record October attendance of 93 members (including 16 new members)! The competition was fierce between members to see which table knew more Italian Trivia. Questions about Italian culture, food, and history made for a fun, spirited night.

The November 14th meeting will be the first time we have ever had a night of Italian Comedy with videos of Italian Comedians. Get ready to laugh!

Thank you to all members & guests who used Zelle to prepay your October dinner and annual membership. Also to those who mailed a check ahead of time. Oakwood  catering requires us to give them an RSVP count one week before the dinner meeting. We no longer accept payment at the door on the night of the meeting. All of the deadlines, RSVP info, menu, and photos are available on our new website (iacsunlakes.com). Please check it out!

Remember…our goal at SLIAC is to see smiling faces, laughter, and the enjoyment of each others company. This is the fastest growing club in Sun Lakes for a reason.  Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, November 14.

Italian thought for the day…

La famiiglia e il cuore del tuo cuore (Family is the heartland of your heart)

Steve Ambroso

President

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

SUN LAKES ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB (SLIAC) UPDATE FROM STEVE AMBROSO / PRESIDENT

Let me start by saying “CIAO A TUTTI” (Hello Everyone!) This has been an exciting and challenging summer for the Sun Lakes Italian-American Club Board of Directors & Committee members. We think we have made this fantastic SLIAC club much better and can’t wait to introduce you to the changes…

CHANGE #1

All our dinner meetings will be moving to the OAKWOOD BALLROOM at Oakwood Country Club as of our first meeting on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Address is 24218 S Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes (next to Stone & Barrel Restaurant.)

CHANGE #2

All dinners will be catered by Oakwood Ballroom staff with the food taken from the menu of the Stone & Barrel Restaurant. You will notice an immediate improvement in the quality of the dinners.

CHANGE #3

The dinners will be going from $23 to $26 as of the first meeting in October. I think everyone is familiar with the escalation in restaurant pricing over the last few years. We held onto the $23 pricing for the last 2 years, and Stone & Barrel food quality will be noticeably better than our previous caterer.

CHANGE #4

We will have a website as of September 10, 2024!

You will be able to access the website by going to www.iacsunlakes.com.

There is info about how to access the website later in this email. This is a huge development for our club. There will be Club News, RSVP dates, photos, and other info in the website. Let’s hear it from you about how we can make the website better.

CHANGE #5

RSVP info…Due to the change from Cottonwood to Oakwood Ballroom, RSVP requirements will change also. All RSVP’s must be made a minimum of seven (7) days before the event. Continue to make the RSVP with Linda McCabe at lhmccabe@aol.com. You will not be able to attend the dinner meeting if you do not RSVP and pay at least seven (7) days before the event.

CHANGE #6

Payment info…Annual membership has increased from $15 to $20. This is the first annual membership increase since 1996.

Dinner payments of $26 and $20 annual membership must be paid at least seven (7) days before the first event you attend. If you are attending the October 3 dinner meeting, this means you must pay $46 per person by September 26.

You can pay online by Zelle or mail a check to:

       Joanne LaSalle

       3840 E Horseshoe Pl

       Chandler, AZ 85249

The check should be made out to SLIAC

You will not be able to pay the night of the dinner meeting. No cash payments will be allowed!