Little Italy Of LA Podcast

Little Italy Of LA Podcast 🇮🇹Highlighting Italian & Italian American stories in art, culture, & heritage in LA & beyond🇮🇹

08/14/2026

Imagine visiting the underground of Naples where there still exists cars, supplies, and more, left over from the residents there who were hiding for their lives during WWII. Diana Giovinazzo, author of "Daughters of Naples,” talks about visiting these caverns while researching for her latest book, set in wartime Italy and inspired by the real-life Italian women who risked everything to fight for their homeland against Fascist domination and Na**sm. It’s a fascinating read, and I started imagining myself there as I turned every page.

Diana's book is historical fiction, and centers around three sisters who navigate changing wartime dynamics that threaten to tear their family apart. Set in 1940s Naples under Mussolini’s regime, the plot weaves between survival, sisterhood, romance, and shifting loyalties during the time of Italian resistance, a complicated moment in Italy's history. Here's a clip from our interview with Diana describing what she saw when she toured the caverns underground and how it shaped her writings.

Please find my full interview with on all video and audio platforms of , and . I’m your host, , and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here

08/13/2026

The Italian people have long been known for their resilience, and that is deeply prevalent in the latest novel by Diana Giovinazzo, “Daughters of Naples,” inspired by the Italian women of Naples who risked everything to fight for their homeland against Fascist domination and Na**sm during WWII. It’s a fascinating read, one based in hardship and perseverance.

In this clip, Diana talks about the three Cozzolino sisters who navigate changing wartime dynamics that threaten to tear their family apart during WWII. Set in 1940s Naples under Mussolini’s regime, it’s got all the elements of survival, sisterhood, romance, and shifting loyalties during the Italian resistance, a complicated time in the history of Italia.

We spoke with Diana about the historical significance behind her book, and the research that supports it to this day, including artifacts found in hidden tunnels in Naples. That really fascinated me!

Please find my full interview with Diana on all video and audio platforms of Deborah Kobylt LIVE, Little Italy Podcast, and Little Italy Of LA Podcast. I’m your host, Deborah Zara Kobylt, and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here.

08/12/2026

The life, career, and loves of Italian journalist and author Oriana Fallaci is historic, complicated, and needs to be told on a grand stage. Please welcome award-winning Hollywood screenwriter Gary Hoffman, along with internationally-acclaimed producer Valentina Castellani Quinn, who join us to speak about their one-woman play currently in production, "Fallaci - A One Woman Show," which they hope to premiere soon in New York and London.

A world-renowned Italian journalist and political interviewer, Oriana was well-known for her aggressive, uncompromising interviewing style. As a teenage partisan in the anti-fascist Italian resistance during WWII, she developed a life-long distain for authoritarianism, which later defined her career as a war correspondent and political interrogator - almost unheard of for a woman.

Oriana interviewed Kissinger, Khomeini, Gaddafi, Meir, Arafat, Gandhi, among others. In fact, Kissinger called his interview with Oriana, "the most disastrous conversation I ever had with the press." In addition, Oriana was a front line reporter during the Vietnam War, Indo-Pakistani War, and conflicts across Latin America, the Middle East, and in Mexico City.

Oriana also had a very complicated love life, as her need for affection often dominated her personal life. There's much to uncover with this multi-talented, iconic woman, and we'll get into all of it with Gary and Valentina.

Please join our full interview on all video and audio platforms of , and . I'm your host, , and it's my pleasure to welcome you here. And please share with your friends, too.

The life, career, and loves of Italian journalist and author is historic, complicated, and needs to be told on a grand...
08/11/2026

The life, career, and loves of Italian journalist and author is historic, complicated, and needs to be told on a grand stage.

Please welcome award-winning Hollywood screenwriter Gary Hoffman, along with internationally-acclaimed producer Valentina Castellani Quinn, ,
who join us tomorrow, 8/12, to speak about their one-woman play currently in production, “Fallaci - A One Woman Show,” which they plan to premiere in New York and London.

A world-renowned Italian journalist and political interviewer Oriana Fallaci was best known for her assertive, uncompromising interviewing style. As a teenage partisan in the anti-fascist Italian resistance during WWII, she developed a life-long distain for authoritarianism, which later defined her career as a war correspondent and political interrogator - almost unheard of for a woman.

Oriana interviewed Kissinger, Khomeini, Gaddafi, Meir, Arafat, Gandhi, among others. In fact, Kissinger called his interview with Oriana, “the most disastrous conversation I ever had with the press.”

Oriana was also a front line reporter during the Vietnam War, Indo-Pakistani War, and conflicts across Latin America, the Middle East, and in Mexico City.

On the personal front, she also had a very complicated love life, as her need for affection often dominated her private life. There’s much to uncover with this multi-talented, iconic woman, and we’ll get into all of it with Gary and Valentina.

Please join our full interview tomorrow, 8/12 at 10amPT on all video and audio platforms of Deborah Kobylt LIVE, Little Italy Of LA Podcast, and Little Italy Podcast. I'm your host, Deborah Zara Kobylt, and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here.

07/31/2026

Here's another clip from my interview with , talking about playing at . The kid from Scotch Plains making it to the big time, clearly earned and clearly deserved.

While Mike is recovering from brain cancer, he's taking a break from performing. In the meantime, do what you've got to do, Mike, so you can get back to making us laugh again. Shout out to the amazing , Mike's fiancee, for all the love and care.

Please find my full interview on YouTube and all video and audio platforms of , and . I'm your host, , and it's my pleasure to welcome you here. And check out Mike's special, Back 2 School, on Amazon Prime. It's the best!

07/30/2026

There are some folks in show business who really make a connection with their audience, and that would be , a world-famous comic and proud Italian-American whose special, Mike Marino: Back 2 School, is now streaming on Amazon Prime - and it’s terrific.

It’s a real slice of the town where Mike grew up, Scotch Plains, N.J., and tells the story of the funny kid who made it big but remains close to his roots. Make sure to check it out!

I interviewed Mike a few months back and was taken by his genuine love of family, community, laughter, and, of course, his wonderful fiancée, Heather, who’s been caring for Mike while he’s fighting stage 4 brain cancer, which he’s been very open about.

These two are an inspiration, and Mike is on the path to wellness and hopeful performing soon.

So I wanted to give a shout-out to Mike and Heather, and put a spotlight on his special. It’s a great time!

Mike has hosted a wildly successful podcast, Live From My Mother’s Basement, which has been a HUGE hit, recorded in the basement of his childhood home. He’s performed at , , and . He’s also a successful actor, having appeared on Frasier and other shows.

During our conversation, Mike had a lot to share not just about comedy, but about loss, family, being Italian, and this recent health scare that's knocked him off his feet. We learned we had a lot in common, too, hailing from the same area in NJ, and even born in the same hospital, Overlook.

Please find my full conversation with on all video and audio platforms of , , and .

I’m your host, , and it’s my pleasure to welcome you here.

And congrats, Mike, for being inducted into the N.J. Comedy Hall of Fame and for the success of your Back 2 School special.

Get well soon, Mike. We’re all in your corner! Deborah Zara Kobylt Deborah Kobylt LIVE

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