The Santa Lucia Band and Its History

The Santa Lucia Festival Band is one of the cornerstones of the Santa Lucia festival. Those who have celebrated The Queen’s exit from Saint Frances Cabrini Church can't envision that moment without hearing the musicians performing the beautiful melody of ‘Santa Lucia’. The two always go together.

The band performs each day of the Santa Lucia Festival, and next to the Saint herself, is one of the biggest reasons festivalgoers attend each year. Over the years, the band has had offers to travel across the Midwest to perform their music. While members haven’t accepted any of these offers, the band does play several times throughout the year at concerts in parks, La Festa Italiana, at local parish festivals, and parades.

It all started with these two bands in the 1920's.

The Vincent Emmanuel Italian Band performed from 1926 until 1977, when the two bands merged.

Don DiGiacomo played in the P. Cosentino band from 1945-1977 and began conducting in 1977.

The Many Faces of Don DiGiacomo

From playing trumpet at a young age to growing up in the band to leading the band.
Don's signature catchphrase, "How you doin" brings a smile to the face of everyone he meets at the festival.

From 1977 until 2018, Conductor Dominic (Don) DiGiacomo held the honor of leading one of the Midwest’s oldest marching bands. Don played his first note with the Santa Lucia Festival band in 1945, at the age of 12.

Don is a 2nd generation trumpet player in the band. His father, Joe DiGiacomo, played trumpet, and can be seen in some of the very first pictures of the marching band, then under the direction of Peter Cosentino. Don’s son, Mike, carries on the 3rd generation trumpet in the band and now is conductor of the band. He first put on the red, white, and green cummerbund when he was 13. Don is the 3rd director in the history of the band that dates back to the early 1920′s. He follows in the footsteps of long-time and well-known conductor, Vincent Emmanuel, who was the conductor from 1925-1977.

The DiGiacomo's, Don and now Mike, have led the band for over 40 years!