Let’s face it, when you do a feature called “In Case You Missed it” and there is no news to miss, well, a girl has to make a living somehow. I’m starting this new feature called “Did You Know?” It was inspired by a Flight Crew member, Ann, when she sent us a few “Did you Know?” tidbits. That inspired me to look all over for others and hopefully give you some surprising facts, not always about Il Volo, but also things somehow connected to them. Now, you may already know some of these, that’s ok, maybe you can give us a “Did you know?” of your own. Feel free!!!
DID YOU KNOW??
There are a lot of theories that your birth order in the family may determine how you do in life, including your attitudes and behaviors. “Our Guys” are each a different birth order. Gianluca is the oldest in his family, Piero is a middle child and Ignazio is the youngest in his. Could this be the reason that Gianluca is serious and a perfectionist, that Piero, being a middle child and prehaps needing attention, dresses a little outside the box sometimes? Ignazio being the youngest being so funny and getting away with his antics? (Don’t write me, I’m not criticizing, just making some observations)
This is from our friend Ann: Dean Martin only spoke Italian up till he entered school? He was often made fun of for his poor English which eventually caused him to drop out of school in the 10th grade, along with the fact that he thought he was smarter than his teachers? 
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean?
Naro, Piero’s home, was founded in the middle ages?
Montepagano, Gianluca’s home, has a population of only 774?
Marsala, Ignazio’s home, dates back to 397 BC, when survivors of an invasion built a town where present day Marsala stands?
Elvis Presley sang in public for the first time when he was 10 years old, standing on a box to reach the microphone, at the Mississippi/Alabama Fair?
This too from Ann :
And by the way, we’re hiring! Check out the position here:http://bit.ly/1bRFN1K
Most interesting. I especially enjoyed the bit on the Italian language. I am currently learning Italian, which has been a lifetime desire of mine. Everyone in my life seems to think I need to learn Spanish but I am stubborn and besides, I am sure I have three handsome men who would encourage me with Italiano! As I struggle I keep in mind a future trip to Italy or the future chance to say more than “Ciao bello!” to a certain man with “rosso” glasses.
Loved the stuff about family placement, but I thought Ignazio was a middle child sandwiched between sisters. I could be wrong but that still says something about Ignazio all the same.
Ciao bella!
Piratesorka, Ignazio has 1 sister and she’s 8 years older than him. Do you think she loved having a baby brother to dote on? 🙂
Hmmmm…I knew for sure he had a much older sister but I guess my idea he had a younger sister too came from that one video where he is at the kitchen table with his parents and ( what appeared to me) as a younger girl. Obviously I was wrong! Mea Culpa.
I am sure she must have doted on him big time! Thanks Linda for the correction
Wonderful article Linda especially about Italy. I also thought Ignazio was the oldest & his sister was younger than him but didn’t know if he had other sisters I thought there were only 2 children so that’s as far as we know isn’t it. We really know nothing for sure on any of them specifically.
You do a great job
Your perspective on age and family placement is very interesting and I think that might be a very good point. Also, even though Gianluca moves in public much easier now than in the past, he still has to work at it a little harder than the other guys. His past of being so shy was a challenge for him. but it is not a bad thing either because it contributes to his being more empathetic with people and that is probably one reason why he is so personal in his tweets.
I did not know those things, Linda.
I think the boys personalities fit their birth order really well.
Dean martin is so cool!
I would like to meet all 774 of Gianluca’s neighbors. I would also like to meet Piero’s and Ignazio’s town’s people. I’m sure Ignazio would think I helped settle his town back in 397 BC!
Thanks Linda. What fun!
Ann I am so glad we have a place to show the interesting tidbits you send. Thank you.
Hey My Boys! Eat, Play, Rest, Get Back Here!
LOL Marie! I have been sending my cousins Il Volo videos – they love the Concerto di Natale as some of us were in Assisi together -but one just sent me a Dean Martin video that you must watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulD-Df0cPS8&feature=youtube_gdata
Guess what it is called? “Oh Marie!”
Oh Michele! Grazie Mille!
I’ve always loved ol’ Deano! He had a show on t.v. in the ’60’s and ’70’s that I loved watching (I’m sure you know that!) Another handsome, talented Italian. His show was on for nine years! Not bad!
From everything I’ve ever read (and I’ve read as much as I can!) Ignazio has one sister, and she is older. I’ve often thought about the birth order of Our Guys, and I agree with the comment about our Piero being a middle child (so am I!) so I know the psychology. Yes, we like extra attention and can be a bit “wilder” than our siblings…this is sure true in my family! But since Our Guys consider themselves “brothers”, the birth order gets shifted: Piero is the oldest, Ignazio’s the middle child, and Gianluca is the baby. (I’ve noticed that the other two tend to “look up” to Piero in certain ways, in some interviews, for instance.) Oh, and I have a question…does anybody know Our Guys’ middle names? I have never seen their full names listed anywhere.
Ruth – I have thought about the “brother” birth order too. I think that dynamic is really clear in the PBS interview – “Gianluca on singing with Barbara Streisand”
http://ilvoloflightcrw.com/2013/12/04/il-volo-live-in-the-studio-weta-greater-washington-dc-december-3-2013/
Gianluca says “Best thing in my life … cried like a baby” and Ignazio ruffles the back of his hair and says, “He’s the little one” and Piero says, “That’s why he cries” and pats him on the leg! They are so cute and really act like brothers that care a lot about each other or they really know how to play us! I am going with the first!
This came from Team Il Volo, I think – Piero Barone Ognibene, Ignazio Boschetto Licardi and Gianluca Ginoble Di Vittorio – I believe they are their mother’s maiden names but I could be wrong. I have never seen any other names.
Thanks for the names…it seems that other Latin cultures include the mother’s maiden names in their children’s names, too. I know that Mexicans do that a lot, but the mother’s maiden name will be used, then the father’s … AND they usually have a “christening” name (usually the name of a saint) as a middle name.
Michelle, I remember when Team Il Volo first posted the boys’ names. Gianluca’s dad contacted them almost immediately and told them they made a mistake – he said Gian’s mother’s maiden name is Di Vittorio, not Castorani. The other names are correct.
Thank you Laia. Will correct.
I’m a middle child in my family and I can definitely relate to the wanting to be a little different from my siblings! Who is older than Piero though? I thought he only had a younger brother and a younger sister.
Isabel, Piero has an older brother, Francis and a younger sister Maria Grazia.
Did you know that our boys are just as sweet in person as you would expect them to be? In spite of a hectic schedule and being rushed to their next venue, they took the time to meet with us (Maryjane, Allene, and Me) to visit and give hugs. Their sweetness and sincerity were something that we will always remember and cherish the memory. With our boys “what you see is what you get”—the genuine article.
I remember your story, Mary. How wonderful for you! That’s why we love them so much…they are very sweet to their fans. I love them sooooo much!
Linda, what a great idea with the “Did You Know” feature! Thanks, Ann, for getting it started. Can’t wait to see what else you come up with. Good stuff!
Great article Linda! Of course Ignazio’s sister doted on him! What a little boy he must have been–I think he was born with a glint in his eye!
But none of our guys are spoiled, no matter what their birth order. When I think of other singers of their age (Justin Beiber comes
to mind!) I am thankful that they love and respect their parents and look to them for guidance.
Actually Penina, I was just mentioning that very thing to my Board Sisters, about being grateful for our “Boys” not being spoiled. I had today’s Bieber news in mind!!
Interesting that I was also thinking about the boys and their birth orders. But I was wrong about Piero’s. Your theories make sense tho. Thanks for regular thought food for this Volover Granma
Sent from my iPhone
Linda, This is great – really good idea! Thanks
Thanks, Linda!! That’s all interesting and fun! I’ve thought about their birth orders too, and I agree with your ideas. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one craving info!;-)
Barb, this time of year info is sooo scarce, we wait with baited breath, LOL
For some reason (my BFF) I always want to say, “Here Linda, here girl. Good girl!” Don’t know why. Weird, huh?
It is weird, she never came when called anyway, except if she felt like it!! 🙂
I agree with everything you said about birth order. The descriptions are exactly the way my sisters and I can be described. I believe when applied to the boys “birth” order the same can be said within that dynamic. This article is just what we need to help abate the “winter doldrums”. Love the inclusion of Dean Martin always one of my favorites, especially since my Dad resembled him so much! Keep up the great writing.
Thanks Donnamay for the complement, and by the way it describes my 2 sisters and I too!
Did you know that once Ignazio said his favorite song is “Baby Can I Hold You” – Tracy Chapman, Piero – Adele “Set Fire to the Rain” and Gianluca
Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jager”?
I LOVE “Baby Can I Hold You” and “Set Fire To The Rain” love them, really love both of these songs!
When I was very young, there was an Italian family that lived across the street. I can vividly remember that there were a lot of family get togethers they would have, with lots of food, lots of laughter and lots of hugging. Every once in a while, when another family member would come into town, it seemed that there was
even more family and friends , and celebrating. You could always tell when he was visiting. The familys name was Crocetti, and his
name was Dino.
Dino Croscetti (Dean Martin)
Pine Street
Steubenville, Ohio
Kitty what a story! Awesome! Steubenville is just up the road from me! He was and still remains their most famous resident.
Linda, you are doing a great job of keeping us active. All of the ideas have been fun and creative. If not for this site we would all be living at the Funny Farm now. Thanks, and keep up the challenges.
You’re welcome Mary, the last place we need to be is at the funny farm. We need to stay here and love our “Boys” together!!
MARIE, thanks for the comment. Can’t belive someone actuallly has heard of Steubenville. We moved to here in Arizona when I was 8 years old. Even though you are close, I don’t know if you are at all familiar with it; I went to McKinley school, and my father owned a grocery store right across the street. That was a long time ago, but I remember when he would come to visit.
Kitty, I live a little over an hour away. Zanesville, Oh.
What great memories you have!
Wonderful as usual!! Thanks so much for this fun info….keeping us together and chatting about the three best singers in the world (not to mention them being darling, adorable, kind, sweet, warm hearted, genuine, sincere, etc. etc. etc… The list just goes on and on. The thought of them warms the heart on a cold winters night.
Why Jane! I think you’re in love! Me too! Don’t you just want to hug ’em until it leaves a mark? Just a small dent, that’s all. Don’t want to hurt them, but almost that tight?
I think we’ve driven through Steubenville on one of our family road trips. I didn’t know Dean Martin lived there!
Interesting, Linda and all!
I can see the birth ages and how Gianluca gets to be both the oldest (patterns, like correcting that there were 23,000 – not 20,000 – at Barclays Center when the boys sang with Barbra Streisand) and the youngest, like in that great clip you shared, Michele. I think that’s so good for Gianluca, maybe helps him relax and play more.
I have a book by Dan Millman called The Life You Were Born to Live. Patterns have been identified by birth date. All 3 descriptions seem to fit each guy, by my reading. What is most amazing to me is that BOTH Gianluca and Ignazio are 28/10s, whereas Piero is a 34/7.
There are also cards by ehealingarts that speak to the date of one’s birth. Again, I find them to be quite interesting and accurate. Piero’s date is the same as mine, 24. The 24 word is “integrity”. (Don’t you just feel this about Piero?) Gianluca’s 11 word is “inspiration”. (Think of all GG’s amazing tweets!) Ignazio’s 4 word is “manifester”. (Ignazio’s wonderful video tribute to his IL VOLO brothers in Radio City Music Hall feels like evidence of his manifesting. I need to obtain that card to read more how Ignazio’s word fits.)
This is a different slant on our guys, but if you read any of these descriptions, I think you’ll be amazed.
As always, enjoying sharing the love with Flight Crew,
~ Jeanine DuBois, Compassion’s Doorway
Jeanine, I don’t know what 28/10 for Ignazio and Gianluca and 34/7 for Piero means…..Ignorant and Puzzled.
Hi, Mary,
It’s in the book I mentioned, and the description is several pages long. For those who don’t look at the book, I found it amazing that Gianluca and Ignazio had the same descriptive profile for that way of viewing their birth dates. What are the odds? That’s why I mentioned it.
Well wishes,
~ Jeanine D.
:-)…. Interesting…. Maybe it was just for fun, but it does make sense!