Researcher Giampiero Ciascetti found a specimen of a gentian believed extinct for over a century. The Gentiana Pneumonanthe is almost 2 ft tall, and has large blue-purple flowers. It was last found 100 years ago on the Cinquemiglia plateau, then again this month in the Sirente.

After decades of feeling shame for being recognized as Italian, now there is a strong revival of the ethnic identity throughout the United States. In the early 20th century immigration implied hardship and suffering. In Newton, Massachusetts, John Amicangioli founded the first Abruzzese club in the USA, the Italian Benevolent Society Filippo Corsi, to assist immigrants. Then came the Orsogna Mutual Aid Society founded by Filippo Di Benedetto, Antonio D'Angelo, Giuseppe e Pasquale Iocco, Nicola Pisoti, Emidio Di Rico and Nicola D'Alleva in 1939, still very active today. Nobody knows how many Abruzzese are living in New York, where the Italians are 1,800,000.

Melissa Hart, Republican from Pennsylvania, originary of Barisciano; Pat Tiberi, Republican from Ohio, originary of Introdacqua, James A. Traficante, Democrat from Ohio, originary of Sulmona, then Robert A. Brady, Democrat from Pennsylvania; Marge Roukema, Republican from New Jersey, Tom Tancredo, Republican from Connecticut, on a total 33 Italian Americans in the Congress. The US Census Bureau gives 26 million descendants of Italian immigrants. In the article all the figures.