Frank R. Mastrangelo attended Catholic University as an undergraduate, and although he did his graduate studies at Seton Hall University, where he earned an MBA, his heart remained with Catholic University. He and his wife Catherine, who was born in Italy and studied languages, had a passion for Italy, which explains their decision some 40 years ago to support the Italian Program at Catholic University by funding, first, an annual award for an undergraduate who excels in Italian Studies, and, more recently, a lecture series.

The first talk in the series was in 2006. Mr. Mastrangelo died in 2001, but, thanks to the generosity of his family, his legacy lives on in these awards and the lecture series named for him.

2018 Mastrangelo Lecture

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli”: Cultural Genealogies and Ethnic Stereotypes in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather by Prof. Gian Maria Annovi

April 5, 2018, 5:00 p.m.

Past Lectures

  • 2005-2006

    Dr. David A. Brown, The National Gallery of Art: “The Beautiful Banker: Raphael’s Portrait of Bindo Altoviti and its Story”

  • 2006-2007

    Dr. Elisabeth Cropper, the National Gallery of Art: “Not a Renaissance but a Recovery: Count Malvasia’s Anti-Vasarian History of Art”

  • 2007-2008

    Dr. Ellen Nerenberg, Wesleyan University: “Gadda’s Cartographies of Fascist Rome”

  • 2008-2009

    Dr. Konrad Eisenbichler, The University of Toronto: “The Women Poets of Siena between Petrarchism and Politics”

  • 2009-2010

    Dr. Cristina Mazzoni, The University of Vermont: “The Roman She-Wolf: An Old Beast in the Modern City”

  • 2010-2011

    Dr. Roberto Dainotto, Duke University: “What is European Literature?”

  • 2011-2012

    Dr. Stanilao Pugliese, Hofstra University: "Ignazio Silone: Wrestling with Two Angels"
  • 2012-2013

    Dr. David Forgacs, New York University: "Forbidden Games: Film and the Ambiguities of Childhood in Post-War Italy."

  • 2013-2014

    Dr. Giancarlo Lombardi, CUNY Graduate Center: "Letting Go is Hard: The Soprano’s Last Round and the Debate on Media Quality."

  • 2014-2015

    Dr. Eugenio Bolongaro, McGill University: "Resistance Never Ends: The Legacy of World War II in Italo Calvino’s Work as a Writer and Intellectual."

  • 2017-2018

    Dr. Gian Maria Annovi, University: "Leave the gun, take the cannoli: Cultural Genealogies and Ethnic Stereotypes in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather"