This podcast is dedicated to all things Italian-American in the DMV aka DC, Maryland and Virginia. We focus on the Italian-American Experience -- from family stories, to little known history, to businesses, cultural events, etc. Mostly the good, but sometimes the not so good.

Although born and raised on the Lower East Side of NYC (think Chinatown/Little Italy), your host Joseph Barone has been living, working and raising a family in the DMV since June of 1991.

So, how did this podcast come about? Well we need to go back a few years.

In February of 2019, Joseph met Pete Blank (Pete's Points) at a training/learning conference in Florida. From that chance meeting, he learned that one way in which to get noticed as a thought leader or expert in your field is via podcasting. So, in October 2019, he launched his Foolish Thoughts by A Fool for Learning Podcast. The focus was on training/learning, business, consulting, etc., or whatever foolish thought came to his mind.

In 2025, Joseph was looking for a way to help promote the vast amount of philanthropic work undertaken by the Lido Civic Club of Washington DC.

As he was researching podcasts to reach out to, he discovered that although there were those who focused on Italians and Italian-Americans in NYC, Chicago, and other areas, there were really none in the DMV. And yes, the Italian American experience in the DMV is different from that of NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. And so, CIAO DMV was born!