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Italians Who Fed Omaha: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Hurrdat ONE
Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by Tony Vacanti Jr., a fourth-generation pizzaiolo and owner-operator of La Casa Pizzeria, the series explores the people, restaurants, bakeries, recipes and traditions that helped define how Omaha eats. These are stories of immigration and family, Little Italy and neighborhood restaurants, hard work and entrepreneurship, and generations of Omahans gathering around the table. La Casa has been part of Omaha’s restaurant community since 1953. Through Italians Who Fed Omaha, La Casa is helping document and preserve the history of the families and businesses that built Omaha’s Italian food scene, while sharing the stories behind some of the city’s most recognizable food traditions. Season One features conversations with the families and people behind La Sole Mio, Caniglia’s, Orsi’s Italian Bakery, Cascio’s Steakhouse, Rotella’s Italian Bakery and La Casa Pizzeria. Together, their stories trace generations of Omaha food history, from the bakeries and Italian steakhouses of Little Italy to family restaurants and the distinctive pizza traditions that became uniquely Omaha. Italians Who Fed Omaha is for anyone who loves Omaha history, Italian food, local restaurants, family businesses and the people who helped make Omaha taste like home.
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- 2 weeks ago57 min
From Little Italy to a National Bakery: The Rotella’s Story
The Rotella family’s baking tradition began long before Rotella’s bread became familiar to generations of Omahans. Jimmy and Rocky Rotella join Tony Vacanti Jr. to trace their family’s story from Calabria, Italy, through immigration and Omaha’s Little Italy to the growth of one of Nebraska’s best-known family-owned food businesses. The conversation explores generations of breadmaking, the family’s early years in Omaha and a time when neighborhood bakeries supplied restaurants, grocery stores and families throughout the city. Jimmy and Rocky also explain how Rotella’s evolved from a local Omaha bakery into a much larger operation. Investments in production, frozen bread and food-service distribution helped the company reach customers far beyond Nebraska while remaining rooted in the same family business. Along the way are stories of immigration, entrepreneurship, generosity and community, including memories of a time when an Italian bakery wasn’t simply a place to buy bread. It was part of the neighborhood around it. From Little Italy to national distribution, the Rotella story shows how an immigrant family tradition became part of both Omaha history and a much larger American food business. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: https://www.rotellasbakery.com/ https://www.wowt.com/2026/01/15/omaha-restaurateur-caterina-malaras-granddaughters-charged-with-stealing-more-than-550000-her-trust/ https://www.yelp.com/biz/malaras-italian-restaurant-omaha-5 This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
- 2 weeks ago40 min
Orsi’s Bakery: The Little Italy Institution Omaha Refused to Lose
Since 1919, Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria has been part of the story of Omaha’s Little Italy. Owner Jimmy Hall joins Tony Vacanti Jr. to share the history of one of Omaha’s oldest Italian bakeries, from immigrant bakers and horse-and-buggy bread deliveries to fresh Italian bread, Sicilian-style pizza and generations of neighborhood customers. Jimmy also tells his own unlikely story. He first started helping around Orsi’s as a child and eventually became the person determined to keep the bakery alive and preserve the traditions he grew up learning. That determination was tested in 1997 when a devastating fire threatened Orsi’s. The response showed how deeply the bakery was connected to Omaha’s Italian community, as nearby businesses and organizations stepped in to help Orsi’s continue producing and selling bread while the bakery was rebuilt. The conversation is also a window into what Omaha’s Little Italy once looked like, when bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores and family businesses filled the neighborhood and helped create a food culture that still influences Omaha today. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: https://orsibakery.com/ https://thereader.com/2019/07/07/a-century-of-orsis/ https://omahaexploration.com/2023/10/08/orsis-italian-bakery/ This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
- 2 weeks ago47 min
Cascio’s Steakhouse: The Last Stand of Omaha’s Italian Steakhouse Era
There was a time when Italian steakhouses were a defining part of dining in Omaha. Cascio’s Steakhouse is one of the places still carrying that tradition forward. Third-generation owner Alfie Cascio joins Tony Vacanti Jr. to tell the story of the Omaha restaurant that opened in Little Italy in 1946 and became known for Nebraska steaks, Italian food, pasta, sauce and the unmistakable atmosphere of an old-school Omaha steakhouse. Alfie shares what it was like growing up inside Cascio’s, starting with bussing tables and washing dishes before learning the kitchen, cutting meat, running the dining room and eventually taking over the family business. He also revisits one of the most dramatic chapters in Cascio’s history: the 1978 fire that destroyed the restaurant. The family later learned the fire had been intentionally set, but from the beginning they were determined to rebuild. The conversation also explores a dining tradition familiar to generations of Omahans: steak served alongside Italian bread, salad, pasta and sauce. It’s a combination that helps explain the distinctive Italian steakhouse culture that once flourished throughout Omaha. This is the story of one restaurant, but also a look back at an entire era of Omaha dining and one family’s determination to keep part of it alive. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: https://www.opentable.com/r/cascios-steak-house-omaha https://omaha.com/news/nation-world/business/article_1af85c7c-2210-59bd-93e3-f4e428c5dc32.html This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
- 2 weeks ago49 min
The Story Behind La Casa and Its Uniquely Omaha Pizza
For the Season One finale of Italians Who Fed Omaha, Tony Vacanti Jr. turns the microphone toward his own family. Tony sits down with his father, Anthony Vacanti Sr., to tell the story of La Casa Pizzeria and the Sicilian-American family tradition behind a pizza that has become distinctly connected to Omaha. The story begins in 1953, when the family converted a house into a pizzeria and began experimenting with a food that was still relatively new to many Omaha diners. What emerged was a pizza unlike most others: a thin, crisp crust, fresh tomato sauce, Romano cheese and toppings that reflected both the family’s Italian roots and Nebraska surroundings. Tony and Anthony explain what makes La Casa pizza different, from freshly ground Romano and house-made Italian sausage to hamburger, one of the restaurant’s signature toppings. They also discuss the dough, ovens, ingredients and labor-intensive techniques the family has worked to preserve across generations. The conversation explores more than 70 years of family restaurant history, the challenges of keeping a scratch-made product consistent as the industry changes and why La Casa has resisted changing its pizza simply to make it faster or easier to produce. It’s a fitting conclusion to Season One: a story of immigration, family, adaptation and how a distinctive style of pizza became part of Omaha’s food identity. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: www.lacasapizzaomaha.com https://flatwaterfreepress.org/debates-rage-over-la-casa-and-its-signature-omaha-style-pizza/ https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/packages/best-food-in-america/photos/what-to-eat-nebraska https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-pizzeria-in-every-state-2015-10#nebraska-27 https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/pizza/best-pizza-all-50-states https://omaha.com/entertainment/omahadines/article_148569d7-b935-596e-9123-ede3fd39960e.html This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
- 2 weeks ago1h 7m
The Family Behind Lo Sole Mio and an Omaha Italian Food Legacy
For more than three decades, Lo Sole Mio was part of Omaha’s Italian restaurant tradition. In this episode of Italians Who Fed Omaha, host Tony Vacanti Jr. sits down with Don and Marie Losole and their son David to preserve the family story behind one of Omaha’s most remembered Italian restaurants. Don and Marie share the path that led them into the restaurant business, from Marie’s childhood in postwar Italy and journey to America to the couple’s early years working in Omaha hospitality. They tell the story of opening their first restaurant downtown and eventually creating Lo Sole Mio with the help of their children, relatives, friends and community. The conversation explores the work, sacrifice and family relationships behind a successful Omaha neighborhood restaurant, along with the role Italian and Sicilian families played in shaping the city’s food culture. David also shares how parts of that family tradition continue through Virtuoso Pizzeria in Benson, where lessons about ingredients, hospitality, hard work and family remain connected to what he learned growing up around Lo Sole Mio. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments/1nawfsa/lo_sole_mio_italian_restaurant/ https://www.ketv.com/article/bittersweet-lo-sole-mio-closing-doors-after-30-years/40304790 https://virtuosopizzeria.com/ This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
- 3 weeks ago57 min
How the Caniglia Family Helped Shape Omaha’s Restaurant Scene
Few family names are as deeply connected to Omaha restaurant history as Caniglia. In this episode of Italians Who Fed Omaha, Tony Vacanti Jr. sits down with Chuck and Jordan Caniglia to trace a family restaurant story that stretches from an early bakery and pizzeria to steakhouses, the Venice Inn, Mr. C’s and other establishments connected to generations of Omaha dining. Chuck remembers growing up in the family business, the rise of the Venice Inn and an era when places like Aksarben helped make Omaha restaurants destinations for dinner, entertainment and special occasions. He also shares the realities of running a multigenerational family business as Omaha expanded and the restaurant industry changed around them. The conversation shows just how broad the Caniglia family’s influence became across Omaha’s food scene and how many recognizable restaurants grew from different branches of the family. Today, Jordan Caniglia is carrying the name forward through Caniglia’s A Mano, using family recipes, scratch cooking and old-school hospitality to connect another generation with the traditions that came before him. Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home. References: https://omahaexploration.com/2024/08/24/eli-caniglias-venice-inn/ https://www.wowt.com/content/news/New-restaurant-carries-on-Venice-Inn-legacy-444798313.html https://www.facebook.com/canigliasamano/ https://www.mistercs.com/our-story https://northomahahistory.com/2017/12/06/a-history-of-mr-cs-restaurant-in-north-omaha/ This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.
About Italians Who Fed Omaha
Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by Tony Vacanti Jr., a fourth-generation pizzaiolo and owner-operator of La Casa Pizzeria, the series explores the people, restaurants, bakeries, recipes and traditions that helped define how Omaha eats. These are stories of immigration and family, Little Italy and neighborhood restaurants, hard work and entrepreneurship, and generations of Omahans gathering around the table. La Casa has been part of Omaha’s restaurant community since 1953. Through Italians Who Fed Omaha, La Casa is helping document and preserve the history of the families and businesses that built Omaha’s Italian food scene, while sharing the stories behind some of the city’s most recognizable food traditions. Season One features conversations with the families and people behind La Sole Mio, Caniglia’s, Orsi’s Italian Bakery, Cascio’s Steakhouse, Rotella’s Italian Bakery and La Casa Pizzeria. Together, their stories trace generations of Omaha food history, from the bakeries and Italian steakhouses of Little Italy to family restaurants and the distinctive pizza traditions that became uniquely Omaha. Italians Who Fed Omaha is for anyone who loves Omaha history, Italian food, local restaurants, family businesses and the people who helped make Omaha taste like home.
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