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A Celebration of Bellezza Adriatica
Fra Noi, April 2000, Page 68
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Christine Magrone Evert, a professional hair stylist in Wheaton, was
crowned Miss Puglia 2000 at a sparkling and entertaining event held on
Feb. 27 at the Cotillion Banquet hall in northwest suburban Palatine.
Sponsored by the Associazione Regionale Pugliese in America, the
Miss Puglia Pageant amply lives up to its motto, "Bellezza Adriatica"
(Beauty of the Adriatic).
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In addition to Christine Magrone Evert, four other beauties with ancestral roots in
Southern Italy were selected as her court. They are Stephanie Rose
Magrone Weiss (first runner-up); Christen Martin Garrelli
(second runner-up); Raffaella Spilotro (third runner-up);
and Micaela D'Orazio (fourth runner-up).
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"It was a wonderful event," says Joe DeBenedictis, president of ARPA.
"I want to extend my gratitude to everyone involved - the committee
members, the contestants, and all the people who helped. We've already
gotten phone calls and letters from people who were there. They want
to know about next year."
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"People were happy to be part of the event," says Vito Ancona,
pageant chairman. "They were thoroughly entertained. They loved
the show, the food, the decorations, the entertainment, the
beautiful and intelligent contestants - everything just came together."
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The show proceeded as have previous Miss Puglia Pageants, with
all the contestants – 10 this year – presenting themselves to
the audience before moving on to the casual wear and evening
gown portions of the evening. This was followed by a
question-and-answer session that whittled the list of girls
down to five finalists. Another question was then asked
before the final decision was reached among this year's judges:
choreographer Marilyn Cusimano Fredericks; Regina Trela from
State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's office; Maysoon Deb,
director of ethnic affairs for Liutenant Governor Corinne
Woods; Frank Binetti, vice-president of LaSalle Home Mortage
Corporation, Dr. Giuseppe Feredico, the Italian Trade
Commissioner and his wife Marta; and singer and entertainer Moreno Fruzzetti.
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Christine Magrone Evert took the familiar stroll down the runway,
wearing a "Miss Puglia" sash and a rhinestone tiara. The
runway was bedecked with special colors of silver and blue.
In a show of unity, three previous Miss Puglia served as
pageant coordinators: Paola Imbrogno (1999); Nicole Parente (1998);
and Arcangela Rago (1996). Christine Magrone Evert was selected Miss
Photogenic and Raffaella Spilotro was chosen Miss Congeniality.
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Anthony Quaranta opened the event by singing the Italian
and American national anthems. The Italian pop group Homo
Sapiens wowed the crowd with their energetic tunes. And,
as always, Pat Capriati did a magnificent job as the evening's
master of ceremonies.
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As Miss Puglia, Christine Magrone Evert won a cash prize of $3,000
and a cabin on a Costa Cruise. The first runner-up won
$2,000 and the second runner-up took home $1,000. Christine Magrone
Evert will also represent the Pugliese community at
various local events such as the Columbus Day Parade
in Chicago and the Festa Italiana in Milwaukee, as well
as all of the ARPA events.
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"All of the contestants did well," says DeBenedictis.
"They were all self-confident. That's what's good about
the contest. The girls learn how to carry themselves. It
gives them good experience for their future careers."
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You might think that ARPA and its members can rest
easy now that such a huge event is over. But tha's
not the case. Besides Miss Puglia, the group sponsors
an Annual Christmas' Mass and celebration and have
organized a new youth group called ARPA Giovanile.
And they are currently preparing for their next special
event, the Feast of San Nicola on June 4.
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For more information about ARPA, call Joe DeBenedictis at 708-456-4400.
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