When Dave Anthony Setteducati and his wife joined the local Sons of Italy lodge in Smithtown, NY several years ago, they were looking to make new friends that shared the same heritage. After all, Nassau and Suffolk counties have one of the largest numbers of Italian surnamed families in the country! Not only did they make many new connections, but many of their new friends had also immigrated from Italy and adopted the USA as their new home.
Unexpectedly, the Setteducati’s quest came at a time when anti-Italian sentiment was rising, with statues of the Genoese explorer being vandalized and Columbus being reviled as a symbol of white supremacy.
Feeling personally insulted, Dave explored the use of TV and video as a means of honoring and defending Italian heritage, even though as a musician, singer and educator, he had absolutely no experience in that media.
Dave began by imagining a program for TV. He applied and was granted a half hour time slot for Nassau and Suffolk counties on Optimum’s public access channel. He also created a YouTube channel that would allow those who didn’t subscribe to Optimum to see the show.
Dave’s intent was to honor his Italian heritage. His grandparents immigrated from Basilicata in the early 1900’s to escape desperate poverty. Also, as an officer of his local lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Italy, he was looking for an activity for his fellow members to share their own Italian heritage. And he was deeply committed to defending Columbus.
Since that first show, which focused on the history and mission of OSDIA, Dave has produced, filmed, edited, and published over one hundred thirty-minute shows.
Dave’s programs cover a variety of topics, all related to Italy or Italian America. From a video of his visit to San Gimignano, Milan or Torino, to recipes for classic Italian dishes, to a singing tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dave tries to represent the Italian heritage in its many diverse forms.
The show’s content often includes events taped on location, such as two programs that were filmed at the Italian Consulate in Manhattan, the Hofstra University Italian Festival in Nassau, The Sellaro Lodge Great Accordion Concert, and the OSDIA Italian Cultural Festival in Suffolk. There are “how to” videos, and “Wine Making with Sal” has almost 15,000 views.
As a musician, Dave enjoys promoting other musicians and singers and many of the shows are devoted to musical performances. In one he gives a guitar lesson.
While many of the musical guests have been great local performers, nationally known accordionist Frank Toscano has been on the show twice. Frank was in the film, “The Many Saints of Newark.” Angelo DiPippo, the accordionist in the wedding scene of the original “Godfather” film, was also a guest. Angelo, known as a high-level musical arranger, was the music director for the great opera singer, Robert Merrill.
On the more serious side, several videos defend Columbus. There are also documentary style shows on famous Italian painters, scientists, and musical instrument makers. A few videos are cooking shows, and there are travel shows featuring Dave’s trips to Sicily and Northern Italy.
In Nassau or Suffolk on Long Island, watch the show on channel 20, Optimum TV service Wednesday at 9 AM and again at 9 PM. You can also see the show on:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC34BhhzM65CiNyu5J_lq65g or by typing @IslandItalian in the YouTube search box.
