May is Our Do Gooder Issue

Nadezhda Popova was a true heroine of the Soviet Union – a real-life Luke Skywalker who flew biplanes with canvas wings over enemy territory to drop bombs on the advancing German Army.

She was from Donetsk – that embattled part of eastern Ukraine that is mostly Russian-speaking today and was firmly a part of Stalin’s empire. In Russian, her name was “Nadia.” And, by all accounts, she was all woman.

The women of the...

Olga Szwed is from Gomel the second-largest city in Belarus.  An extraordinary fashion designer/stylist, she came to America to study at the International Academy of Design and Technology. Aside from designing couture fashion for her own proprietary brands, Olga de la Couture, and her former bridal shop La Belle Reve, Olga is the creative director and designer for Poppy & Bloom, which offers whimsical prints, timeless shapes, and...

Fleeing fascism and corruption in Sicily, Grandpa Joe Vaccarino entered the US through Ellis Island. He lived on Mott Street in New York's Little Italy. Back in the day, Grandpa Joe hung out on the street. He played kick-the-can and bocce ball. Eventually, he moved to the Bronx and later to Yonkers. He was a money lender, a spalloni, one of those who moves money.  A man of honor.  La Stessa Cosa. Today, he would simply be called a hedge...