The Legacy of Omaha Mayor Subby Anzaldo Lives On in Sicily

November 10th, 2025

On a hilltop in Carlentini, Sicily, overlooking the rolling countryside, Mount Etna, and Lake Lentini, a new amphitheater is rising. Soon, the New Modern Subby Anzaldo Amphitheater will open to the public,  and with it, a remarkable story will come full circle.

The name belongs to Sebastian “Subby” Anzaldo, the son of Sicilian immigrants who became mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Antonio Anzaldo, left Carlentini in 1913, part of a wave of Sicilians who came to South Omaha to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. Years later, after the passing of his first wife, Antonio returned to Sicily and married Lucia in 1921. Together, they built a family in a neighborhood filled with fellow immigrants, keeping the spirit of Carlentini alive in the heart of South Omaha.

Decades later, their son Subby would build on that foundation, becoming a successful businessman, concert promoter, city council president, and eventually Omaha’s interim mayor in 1994. His life embodied the classic immigrant story, one of ambition, perseverance, and service to community.

But Subby Anzaldo didn’t just govern Omaha; he entertained it. During the 1970s and ’80s, he brought some of the greatest names in music to the city, from Count Basie and Duke Ellington to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. He promoted comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s sold-out performance at the Orpheum Theater, still remembered as a record-setting night. Yet his legacy reached far beyond the stage. Anzaldo also developed affordable housing in South Omaha, always keeping his father’s dream alive to give others a chance at a better life.

In August 2024, Subby’s son, Terry Anzaldo, stood in Carlentini for the amphitheater’s dedication ceremony. “Having the amphitheater named after him in the city where his parents came from that’s the honor of his life,” Terry said. “When Dad became mayor, he always remembered that his father left Carlentini so his son could become the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska.”

The amphitheater is part of a sister-city partnership between Omaha and Carlentini, made possible through the efforts of former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Carlentini Mayor Giuseppe Steffio. The connection runs deeper than civic ties,  it reflects a shared cultural heritage that has endured for more than a century. Both cities celebrate the Santa Lucia Festival, an annual tradition that began more than 400 years ago in Carlentini, Sicily, and has been honored in Omaha for over 100.

Subby Anzaldo passed away in 2019, just four days after his 86th birthday. Though he never knew of the tribute planned in his honor, his legacy now stands etched into Sicilian stone, a symbol of gratitude, family, and the immigrant dream realized on both sides of the Atlantic.

From a South Omaha shoe shop to a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean, the Anzaldo story bridges generations and oceans, a story that will continue to echo through the songs, laughter, and applause that fill the amphitheater bearing his name.