The CIAO DMV! Podcast: Italian-American Life in the DMV
This podcast is dedicated to all things Italian-American in the DMV aka DC, Maryland and Virginia. We focus on the Italian-American Experience -- from family stories, to little known history, to businesses, cultural events, etc. Mostly the good, but sometimes the not so good.
Although born and raised on the Lower East Side of NYC (think Chinatown/Little Italy), your host Joseph Barone has been living, working and raising a family in the DMV since June of 1991.
So, how did this podcast come about? Well we need to go back a few years.
In February of 2019, Joseph met Pete Blank (Pete's Points) at a training/learning conference in Florida. From that chance meeting, he learned that one way in which to get noticed as a thought leader or expert in your field is via podcasting. So, in October 2019, he launched his Foolish Thoughts by A Fool for Learning Podcast. The focus was on training/learning, business, consulting, etc., or whatever foolish thought came to his mind.
In 2025, Joseph was looking for a way to help promote the vast amount of philanthropic work undertaken by the Lido Civic Club of Washington DC.
As he was researching podcasts to reach out to, he discovered that although there were those who focused on Italians and Italian-Americans in NYC, Chicago, and other areas, there were really none in the DMV. And yes, the Italian American experience in the DMV is different from that of NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. And so, CIAO DMV was born!
Episodes
Jan 27, 2026
Jan 27, 2026
26 min
Since 2000, the Lido Civic Club of Washington DC has awarded over $1.4 million to deserving students of Italian-American descent. Hear from the Scholarship Chair, John DeZinno about his background, his Lido journey and the scholarship process.
#itlaianamerican #italianamericans #washingtondc #virginia #maryland #italian
Intro Music: Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano provided courtesy of Tony et Claudo on L'Ambiance Italienne (Vol. 2)
Jan 20, 2026
Jan 20, 2026
29 min
The Lido Civic Club was established in 1929 and although had the primary goal of assisting recent Italian immigrants, it has shifted more towards assisting organizations in the DMV. Have a listen to my interview with Joe LaFonte, the immediate past-president of Lido.
Intro Music: Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano provided courtesy of Tony et Claudo on L'Ambiance Italienne (Vol. 2)
#italianamerican #italianamericans #DMV #washingtondc #virginia #maryland
Jan 6, 2026
Jan 6, 2026
7 min
Welcome to CIAO DMV! Have a listen to how this came about!
#italianamerican #italianamericans #washingtondc #DMV #maryland #virginia #italian
This podcast is dedicated to all things Italian-American in the DMV aka DC, Maryland and Virginia. We focus on the Italian-American Experience -- from family stories, to little known history, to businesses, cultural events, etc. Mostly the good, but sometimes the not so good.
Although born and raised on the Lower East Side of NYC (think Chinatown/Little Italy), your host Joseph Barone has been living, working and raising a family in the DMV since June of 1991.
So, how did this podcast come about? Well we need to go back a few years.
In February of 2019, Joseph met Pete Blank (Pete's Points) at a training/learning conference in Florida. From that chance meeting, he learned that one way in which to get noticed as a thought leader or expert in your field is via podcasting. So, in October 2019, he launched his Foolish Thoughts by A Fool for Learning Podcast. The focus was on training/learning, business, consulting, etc., or whatever foolish thought came to his mind.
In 2025, Joseph was looking for a way to help the Lido Civic Club of Washington DC promote the vast amount of philanthropic work done for the community as a whole.
As he was researching podcasters to reach out to, he discovered that although there were those who focused on Italians and Italian-Americans in NYC, Chicago, and other areas, there were none in the DMV. And yes, the Italian American experience in the DMV is different from that of NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. And so, CIAO DMV was born!