Michael Angelo DiLauro

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Michael Angelo DiLauro earned an M.F.A. in Film Studies from Ohio University. He served as Director of the Academic Media Center and Associate Professor of Media Arts (2006-2018) and retired with Emeritus status at Robert Morris University.

A celebrated director and producer of documentaries and television programs, DiLauro has earned five EMMY Awards, a Blue Ribbon from the American F.F.

and the prestigious Gabriel Award for outstanding television programming.

Michael has received funding from the Bill of Rights Commission, Catholic Communication Campaign, National Italian American Foundation, Pennsylvania Arts and Humanities Councils, Ohio Educational Television Network and the Public Broadcasting Service. In 2013 he received a grant through Robert Morris University from the R.K. Mellon Foundation to produce and direct “We Built This City: How the Allegheny Conference Remade Pittsburgh”.

His feature documentary film, “Prisoners Among Us: Italian American Identity and WWII”, was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the New York International F.F. and Montreal F.F.

DiLauro’s “La Mia Strada” an ethnic journey, was screened at the Palestrina F.F. in Italy, Atlantic City F.F. and was awarded a Silver Medal from the Media Communications Association-International F.F.  “Prisoners Among Us” and “La Mia Strada” have been screened at several cultural centers and universities throughout the United States and Europe. 

His passion for Italian American culture and identity was recognized by the University of Pittsburgh’s “Italian American Heritage” award. Additionally, UNICO (the largest Italian American service organization) awarded Michael a “Mille Grazie” award for his cultural contribution to the Italian American community.

Joseph Orazi received a BA in English and Theater from Villanova University. His plays have been produced in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago. His work, THE LION AND THE LAMB won him a Pennsylvania Playwright Fellowship. In addition to writing numerous TV and Radio commercials and industrial films, Joe was a Staff Writer for the ABC Daytime Drama, RYAN’S HOPE. He is also an accomplished lyricist. His song, RESCUE YOU, RESCUE ME received a 2016 nomination for an American Songwriting Award.  The documentary film, PRISONERS AMONG US, which he wrote and Associate Produced, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the New York Independent Film Festival. In 2018 he published, L’AMERICA, a novel of historical fiction, following the journeys of three Italian families emigrating to the U.S., who board the same steamer in 1915. He is currently working on book two of the L’America series, continuing their stories from 1929 to 1946.