Five hundred and twenty-five years ago, Christopher Columbus completed an ambitious and daring voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The voyage was a remarkable and then-unparalleled feat that helped launch the age of exploration and discovery. The permanent arrival of Europeans to the Americas was a transformative event that undeniably and fundamentally changed the course of human history and set the stage for the development of our great Nation. Therefore, on Columbus Day, we honor the skilled navigator and man of faith, whose courageous feat brought together continents and has inspired countless others to pursue their dreams and convictions — even in the face of extreme doubt and tremendous adversity.
More than five centuries after his initial voyage, we remember the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” for building the critical first link in the strong and enduring bond between the United States and Europe. While Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Spain sponsored his historic voyage, Columbus was a native of the City of Genoa, in present day Italy, and represents the rich history of important Italian American contributions to our great Nation. There can be no doubt that American culture, business, and civic life would all be much less vibrant in the absence of the Italian American community. We also take this opportunity to reaffirm our close ties to Columbus’s country of birth, Italy. Italy is a strong ally and a valued partner in promoting peace and promoting prosperity around the world.
In commemoration of Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage, the Congress, by joint resolution of April 30, 1934, and modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C. 107), as amended, has requested the President proclaim the second Monday of October of each year as “Columbus Day.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2017, as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and all who have contributed to shaping this Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
Frank Stella: A Retrospective is on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City until February 7, 2016.
Frank Stella (b. 1936) is one of the most important living American artists. This retrospective is the most comprehensive presentation of Stella’s career to date, showcasing his prolific output from the mid-1950s to the present through approximately 100 works, including paintings, reliefs, maquettes, sculptures, and drawings. Co-organized by the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Whitney, this exhibition features Stella’s best-known works alongside rarely seen examples drawn from collections around the world. Accompanied by a scholarly publication, the exhibition fills the Whitney’s entire fifth floor, an 18,000-square-foot gallery that is the Museum’s largest space for temporary exhibitions.
Frank Stella: A Retrospective is organized by Michael Auping, chief curator, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in association with Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and with the assistance of Carrie Springer, assistant curator, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
The National Italian American Foundation recreated its 40th Anniversary Awards Gala Weekend into an extravaganza of song, homage to heritage, family ties, and passion for food. The Foundation’s celebration of its 40-year milestone united Italian American and Italian cultures of the past with an eye to the future. The NIAF gala was presented by Alitalia in an unpresented partnership between the Italian airline carrier and NIAF.
NIAF Board member and Emmy Award-winning Fox News Anchor and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo, and NIAF President John M. Viola, co-hosted one of the most popular black-tie galas in our nation’s capital at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel on October 17, 2015.
Global music sensation Il Volo – Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble – captured the guests’ attention on stage singing the popular Italian song “Volare.” They closed the evening with “Grande Amore,” their orginal song that won the Sanremo Music Festival in 2015, to a standing-only audience.
“The only reason I am here tonight is because of my father, he taught me the importance of heritage,” said 12-time MLB All-Star Mike Piazza. He encouraged the guests to pass our rich heritage and culture to the next generation. Piazza was joined by actor Chazz Palminteri, who shared a similar message: “I beg you to give to NIAF; this Foundation represents leadership in the Italian American community,” said Palminteri, urging guests to not forget NIAF’s mission and help students through scholarships.
This year’s 40th Gala Dinner Chair and a NIAF Board Member J.J. Cafaro, welcomed a sold out ballroom of more than 1,700 guests from across the United States and Italy. Patricia de Stacy Harrison, 40th anniversary celebration chair, NIAF vice chair, and president and CEO of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, introduced a video highlighting what it means to be an Italian American from its leadership, past and present.
NIAF Gala honorees included Italian American musical singing legend Connie Francis, who was inducted into the Italian American Hall of Fame. Accepting the award on her behalf, Viola urged guests to nominate Ms. Francis to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
NIAF awarded the Foundation’s Special Achievement Award in Business and Health to Richard E. Caruso, Ph.D., founder and director of Integra LifeSciences, a world leader in medical technology. “It has been my lifelong goal to make a difference in people’s lives, and I’m grateful that I’ve had an opportunity to do so.” Caruso said. He was introduced by Peter J. Arduini, president and CEO of Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, and a member of the NIAF Board of Directors.
Steve Perillo, president and owner of Perillo Tours, America’s largest travel company, received the NIAF Achievement Award in Business. Perillo was the longtime apprentice to his father, the legendary Mario Perillo, “Mr. Italy.” He spoke about the family-owned company that is now celebrating 71 years in the travel industry.
Between award presentations, Italian classical guitarist Tom Sinatra passionately serenaded guests to popular Italian songs.
The Foundation’s former executive director and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Alfred M. Rotondaro, Ph.D., received the Italian American Community Leadership Award. Rotondaro remembered the early founders of NIAF: “NIAF is a place that nurtures Italian Americans.
The Sicilian Tenors, including Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio and Sam Vitale, stepped on to the stage to serenade the guests to “O Sole Mio” before NIAF Executive Vice President and chair of the Italian American Leadership Council (IALC) John F. Calvelli introduced the IALC’s work in finding the next group of leaders.
NIAF’s Co-Chair of the Education and Grants Committee and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors Anita Bevacqua McBride welcomed the 40 under 40 list of Italian Americans, and introduced NIAF’s new Italian American leadership fellows from universities across the country.
Three prominent Italian and Italian Americans, who have distinguished themselves in the fields of government, finance and business received NIAF 40th Anniversary Awards for Leadership and Service. They were Amato L. Berardi, founder of Berardi & Associates Inc., and former member of the Italian Parliament; Mario J. Gabelli, founder, chairman of GAMCO Investors Inc., a New York Stock Exchange listed company; and Franco Nuschese, president of Georgetown Entertainment Group LLC and owner of Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C.
Upon receiving his award, Berardi spoke about the importance of the support and love he received from his family as the best medicine after a recent accident. Gabelli dedicated his honor to his father. He explained the importance of the scholarships NIAF awards to young people and giving back that opportunity for others to achieve.
From the podium, Nuschese dedicated his award to his mother and the mother of his son, Gianfranco. “They taught me the value of life, love, respect and honesty,” said Nuschese. He also recognized the late Terrence Lanni, former CEO of MGM Resorts International, who shaped my life and career. “His memory and spiritual legacy is part of my life.”
When Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, N.V., came to the stage, he explained, “I am merely here to plead my case, my outfit tonight is an international dress code.” Since he spends most of his time on an airplane, he wears the classic white shirt and a black pull over sweater. “Our sense of place stays with you where you go. My father taught me integrity, civil engagement and sense of duty. My mother taught me strong will and sensitivity,” said Marchionne, who received the NIAF Special Achievement Award in International Business.
“I am a legal immigrant, blessed to be born in Italy and adopted by the United States,” was the message from Josephine J. (Gargiulo) Templeton, M.D., trustee of the John Templeton Foundation. NIAF awarded Templeton with the Foundation’s Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy. She thanked Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for recreating and writing the speech he gave at the 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.
Alito welcomed the men and woman who bravely served in the military. He recognized them as the “voice for Italian Americans.” Alito also introduced a video chronicling the activities of the NIAF’s Public Policy program.
Dignitaries from Italy at the Gala included Italy’s Ambassador to the United States Claudio Bisogniero, who led an Italian delegation of business executives. From the United States, special guests included: U.S. Representatives Tom Marino, Joe Heck and Mike Pompeo; Anthony Fauci M.D., director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Lawrence Romo, director of the Selective Service System; and actors Vinny Pastore and Tony Lo Bianco.
Guests rose to their feet when Carlo Rotunno sang “Inno di Mameli,” Italy’s national anthem and singer and songwriter Giada Valenti sang the U.S. national anthem. During the Gala dinner, a selection of red and white fine Italian wines were served from Italy’s Northern regions that complimented Barolo braised short ribs with polenta and chicken Scarpariello with Italian sausage.
To kick off NIAF’s Gala Weekend, the Foundation partnered with the Italian American Studies Association (IASA) to host a series of conferences on Thursday, October 15, through Saturday, October 17.
Beginning on Friday, NIAF and the Italian American Leadership Council (IALC) hosted a NIAF on Campus Conference with industry experts and 30 Italian American college students and professors selected as Italian American Fellows. They were joined by NIAF’s leadership, including Ken J. Aspromonte; Gabriel A. Battista; Robert E. Carlucci, Arthur J. Furia; Marie L. Garibaldi; Gerard S. LaRocca; Patricia de Stacy Harrison; Anita Bevacqua McBride; George Simeone; Salvatore Salibello; and John P. Rosa, who gave their perspectives on successful career practices.
Friday evening, SNL legend, NIAF Celebrity Ambassador, actor, entertainer and radio host Joe Piscopo launched the weekend’s evening celebrations with “Joe Piscopo and Friends Celebrate Sinatra’s 100th Birthday.” Piscopo was joined by Valenti and Deena Martin, daughter of the late Dean Martin, as the Radio King Orchestra stepped up the beat throughout the evening. NIAF auction chairman, Rosa was on hand to encourage guests to bid on one-of-a-kind items during the live and silent auctions and to purchase a chance to win a Fiat 500 L Lounge.
Beginning Saturday, NIAF and the IALC hosted a leadership forum to discuss potential strategies to address the contentious issues surrounding Columbus Day. Noted journalists, representatives from the National Christopher Columbus Association and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, as well as leaders of the Italian American community joined the panel.
Popular weekend events included a documentary screening of “The Tale of the Other Italy,” produced by Rai Italia and directed by a Luigi Maria Perotti. The film tells the Italian emigration story through the various entry ports. It shows how Italian Emigration Museums around the world with their projects, pictures and documents plays a key role in preserving and understanding the past as well as understaning the new Italian emigration in the world.
NIAF also hosted its signature wine tasting featuring 11 Amarone wines from Italy’s Northern regions with a sommelier on hand to lead guests through a spectrum of Italian wines. Wines were assembled by Patrizia Marin, president of Marco Polo Experience; representing the 11 vineyards were Marie Sabrina Tedeschi of Tedeschi Wines and Antonio Cesari of Brigaldara Wines.
The weekend also featured a medical conference, “Health and Research: Beyond The Eyes” with a panel discussion about the latest research and common eye conditions with Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., president and founder of Sbarro Health Research Organization Inc., and a NIAF board member, and other notable speakers including Michele Masucci, Ph.D.; Vito M. Campese, M.D.; and Paul Tapino, M.D. Giacomina Massaro-Giordano M.D. and Dolores Del Raso presented the 2015 Giovan Giacomo Giordano NIAF Award for Ethnics and Creativity in Medical Research.
Also during the weekend, Viola hosted “NIAF – Ieri, Oggi, Domani,” an engaging panel discussion focusing on the current state of the Italian American community and its challenges as we move forward. Viola was joined by the Foundation’s Chairman Joseph V. Del Raso, board leaders Calvelli, and Harrison; board members Nicholas R. Caiazzo and John P. Rosa: and Jeff Browning, president of the Italian American Staff Association.
Expo Italiana, a showcase of the sights, sounds and products of Italy and Italian Americans, included Mike’s Deli, the original Arthur Avenue Italian Deli, with David Greco serving complimentary old-fashioned sandwiches, pasta, and Italian delicacies. Peroni Nastro Azzurro served samples of Italy’s finest beer; espresso at Lavazza Café as well as coffee to guests on Friday and Saturday evening. Guests also relaxed and enjoyed many products displayed by companies including Dolce Gelato, La Famiglia Del Grasso; Amina Rubinacci, and Petrone Antica Distilleria, to name a few.
To conclude the Gala program, NIAF Chairman Joseph V. Del Raso thanked the Board of Directors, honorees, staff and supporters. “What a party and the best is yet to come,” Del Raso said. On stage, a three-tiered birthday cake from Carlo’s Bakery, of the Cake Boss fame, was presented to celebrate the Foundation’s 40 incredible years. Del Raso led the guests in singing “Happy Birthday to us.”
Immediately following the Gala, guests proceeded to attend the Foundation’s famed After Hours Celebration featuring live entertainment with singer and songwriter Ciro Di Lorenzo, and others in the Marriott Lobby Lounge.
Franco Nuschese, president of Georgetown Entertainment Group LLC, and owner of Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C., will be honored at the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) 40th Anniversary Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. Nuschese will receive the NIAF 40th Anniversary Award for Leadership and
Franco Nuschese
Service on October 17, 2015, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park. The black-tie event begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception followed by dinner and an awards ceremony.
Honorees joining Nuschese include Amato L. Berardi, founder of Berardi & Associates Inc., and former member of the Italian Parliament; Richard E. Caruso, Ph.D., founder and director of Integra
LifeSciences; Connie Francis, Italian American music legend; Mario Gabelli, founder, chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors Inc.; Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.; Steve Perillo, president and owner of Perillo Tours; and Alfred M. Rotondaro, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former NIAF executive director; and Josephine J. (Gargiulo) Templeton, M.D., trustee of the John Templeton Foundation.
Born in Minori on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Nuschese began his professional career in marketing in London and Las Vegas. From 1983 to 1991, he managed restaurants for Caesars Palace and later opened two restaurants at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino. Nuschese arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1991 and was general manager for the Italian restaurant, Bice. A year later, Nuschese opened Cafe Milano, using his marketing background to propel the restaurant to top-ranked status. In addition to serving as president of Georgetown Entertainment Group LLC providing professional services focused on public relations, strategy, marketing and organization, Nuschese is president of Capital Wines LLC, a producer of fine Italian wines. One of his personal achievements was hosting a lunch for Pope Benedict XVI’s 81st birthday at the Vatican Embassy during the Pope’s visit to the nation’s capital.
Nuschese is active in organizations that support Italian culture in America. He serves on the boards of the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology; the Global Virus Network; the Georgetown University Italian Research Institute; and the Atlantic Council. He also contributes to Spanish Catholic Charities, and to events benefiting American military troops and veterans.
Besides NIAF’s distinguished honorees, celebrities and entertainment take center stage during NIAF Gala Weekend to celebrate a milestone in its history. As part of NIAF’s lineup of celebrities, actors Danny Aiello, Chazz Palminteri and Annabella Sciorra; singer and songwriter Giada Valenti; performer Tom Sinatra; The Washington Chorus; The Sicilian Tenors, Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio and Sam Vitale, will join Il Volo’s Piero Barone and Ignazio Boscetto, and Gianluca Ginoble, as part of the weekend performances.
NIAF Board Member and Emmy Award-winning Fox News Anchor and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo and SNL legend, NIAF Celebrity Ambassador, actor, entertainer and radio host Joe Piscopo will co-host one of the most popular galas in our nation’s capital. To open the weekend festivities on Friday evening, October 16, Piscopo and celebrity guests will celebrate Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday and honor the legacy of Sinatra with the crooner’s celebrated melodies from his songbook.
NIAF’s 40th Anniversary Weekend is presented by Alitalia, the airline that brings the best of Italy to the world. Tickets to Saturday’s Gala begin at $400 per person. Young professional tickets cost $200 per person available only by phone. Tickets to Friday evening’s celebration of Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday cost $200 per person. Proceeds benefit NIAF’s educational programs. For tickets or sponsor information, contact Jerry Jones at 202-387-0600 or jerry@niaf.org, or register online at https://www.niaf.org/40.
“Columbus’s arrival in the New World inspired many and allowed for generations of Italians to follow — people whose Italian-American heritage contributes in immeasurable ways to making our country what it is, and who continue to help strengthen the friendship between the United States and Italy.”
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Over half a millennium ago, Christopher Columbus — an ambitious navigator native to Genoa, Italy — set sail for new horizons. Aboard the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María, his expedition went west for a months-long journey. Though his first of four voyages across the Atlantic did not end at his desired destination of Asia, Columbus’s adventure reflected the insatiable thirst for exploration that continues to drive us as a people.
Columbus’s legacy is embodied in the spirit of our Nation. Determined and curious, the young explorer persevered after having been doubted by many of his potential patrons. Once opportunity struck, when Ferdinand II and Isabella I agreed to sponsor his trip, he seized the moment and pursued what he knew to be possible. Columbus’s arrival in the New World inspired many and allowed for generations of Italians to follow — people whose Italian-American heritage contributes in immeasurable ways to making our country what it is, and who continue to help strengthen the friendship between the United States and Italy.
Though these early travels expanded the realm of European exploration, to many they also marked a time that forever changed the world for the indigenous peoples of North America. Previously unseen disease, devastation, and violence were introduced to their lives — and as we pay tribute to the ways in which Columbus pursued ambitious goals — we also recognize the suffering inflicted upon Native Americans and we recommit to strengthening tribal sovereignty and maintaining our strong ties.
In the years since Columbus’s time, the legacy of early explorers has carried on in the wide eyes of aspiring young dreamers and doers, eager to make their own journeys and to continue reaching for the unknown and unlocking new potential.
In commemoration of Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage 523 years ago, the Congress, by joint resolution of April 30, 1934, and modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C. 107), as amended, has requested the President proclaim the second Monday of October of each year as “Columbus Day.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 12, 2015, as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and all who have contributed to shaping this Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
As Italian Americans who were born in Italy, we continue to be baffled by the Italian government’s inability to correct the bureaucratic nightmare that we must endure to “regain” our Italian citizenship – a constitutional right we never lost.
We thank our Representative Hon. Fucsia Nissoli for continuing to fight for those of us who under the Italian Constitution are Italian citizens by birth, and yet treated as non-citizens under Italian laws and regulations.
As a friend of CiaoAmerica who was born in Italy told us, “Had I know the bureaucratic roadblocks that I had to overcome, I would never had applied to regain my Italian citizenship!”
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF LATEST STATEMENT BY HON. FUCSIA NISSOLI
Ddl cittadinanza : presentato emendamento da Fucsia Nissoli(Pi)
“E’ ora di ridare la cittadinanza anche agli italiani che l’hanno perduta recandosi all’estero”
ROMA – September 15, 2015 – “La Commissione Affari costituzionali della Camera sta affrontando il delicato tema della cittadinanza e ha già elaborato il relativo testo unificato che affronta il tema solo in parte, restringendolo alla questione della cittadinanza per i minori stranieri in Italia. Si è così letteralmente cassata anche la mia proposta di legge che aveva avuto ben 317 firmatari, da tutti i gruppi parlamentari, sul riacquisto della cittadinanza per gli italiani che recatisi all’estero hanno perduto la cittadinanza”. Lo ha dichiarato l’on. Fuscia FitzGerald Nissoli (PI) allo scadere del termine per la presentazione degli emendamenti al testo di legge unificato sulla cittadinanza in Commissione Affari costituzionali.
“Per rimediare a quanto fatto – ha precisato la deputata eletta in Nord e Centro America – ho presentato un emendamento che contiene il testo della mia proposta di legge ormai accorpata senza tener conto del contenuto. Infatti, il mio emendamento al Testo unificato sulla cittadinanza, AC 9 ed abbinati, prevede quanto segue: “Al comma 1, dopo la lettera f), aggiungere la seguente: f bis) Il comma 1 dell’articolo 17 è sostituito dal seguente: « 1. I nati in Italia, figli di almeno un genitore italiano, che hanno perso la cittadinanza in seguito a espatrio, per cause non direttamente imputabili a loro stessi o per motivi di lavoro, riacquistano la cittadinanza italiana facendone espressa richiesta al consolato italiano che ha giurisdizione nel territorio di residenza estera purché ciò non sia in contrasto con accordi bilaterali internazionali in vigore ».” ”
“Ora faccio appello – ha concluso l’on. Nissoli – alla sensibilità di tutti i miei Colleghi circa la grande vicenda migratoria italiana nel mondo e a tutti i 317 che hanno firmato la mia Proposta di Legge affinché siano consequenziali e votino a favore del mio emendamento per permettere il riacquisto della cittadinanza italiana a quei concittadini che l’hanno persa perché trasferitis
Congratulations to Joseph Sciame, a great Italian American who has been selected by the Sons of Italy to receive the 2015 Guglielmo Marconi Award. Sciame is currently the Vice President for Community Relations at St. John’s University, the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, and a Trustee of the Sons of Italy Foundation. He is the National Past President of the Sons of Italy, the Past President of the Sons of Italy Grand Lodge of New York, and the past Chair, National Association of Student Aid Administrators.
Sciame has been a promoter and supporter of Italian American causes at the national and local level for almost 50 years. He has received more than 150 awards. The Republic of Italy has recognized his contributions by honoring with the rank of Cavaliere and then Ufficiale in the Order of Merit. He was also invested as Commendatore by Prince Vittorio Emmanuele of the House of Savoy in the Order of Merit. Sciame served as President of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit, an organization of Italian Americans, and Americans, who have been honored by the Republic of Italy.
The Guglielmo Marconi Award is the Sons of Italy’s highest honor and is named for the Nobel prize-winning Italian physicist who invented wireless telegraphy. It’s presented biennially to an Italian American who has made significant contributions to the United States. The award will be officially presented at the Marconi Gala on August 22, 2015, during the Sons of Italy’s 54th Biennial National Convention in Bonita Springs, Florida.
They came to Monongah, West Virginia, from some of the poorest regions of Italy– Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania–to work the coal mines. Like the millions of Italians who migrated to “L’america” in search of a brighter future, most had no idea of the challenges they would face. The promise of a financed voyage and a secure job was an incentive that few could resist. But none, one suspects, could
Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Monongah, WV
have imagined that they would end up working in conditions as inhumane as in those in the mines of Monongah. Yet, they left their homes in Frosolone, Roccamandolfi, Duronia, San Giovanni in Fiore, Castrovillari, Canistro, and dozens of other Italian towns and came in droves to Monongah.
One hundred and two years ago, on December 6, 1907, an explosion ripped through the Monongah mines, shaking the earth as far as eight miles away, and killing, according to contemporaneous official records, 362 miners. It was, and remains, the worst mining disaster in American history. Officially, 171 Italians died that day. But those figures may underestimate the number of miners working that day; often young boys who assisted their fathers were not always “officially” counted. According to one newspaper story, it is possible that an estimated 956 lives were lost in the explosion.
The Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC will honor their Woman and Man of the Year for 2015. They are Gracia Martore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gannett Co., Inc. and Joseph A. Martore, President & Chief Executive Officer of CALIBRE Systems Inc. The Lido Civic Club will also honor Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, with the National Public Service Award
The Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC, an 85 year old Italian and American civic and charitable organization, will be honoring this Saturday, November 22, 2014, at the Italian Embassy, a dynamic Italian-American couple as their Man and Woman of the Year for 2015. They are Gracia Martore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gannett Co., Inc. and Joseph A. Martore, President & Chief Executive Officer of CALIBRE Systems Inc. The Lido Civic Club will also be honoring Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, with the National Public Service Award.
Gracia Martore
Gracia Martore became CEO of Gannett in October 2011. Ms. Martore is the chairman and president of Gannett Foundation which supports non-profit activities in the communities which Gannett serves. The Foundation invests in the future of the media industry, encourages employee giving, reacts to natural and other disasters and contributes to a variety of charitable causes. Ms. Martore champions and actively participates in USA WEEKEND’s annual Make A Difference Day, the nation’s largest day of community service.
Joe Martore joined CALIBRE in March 2004 as part of its acquisition of Strategic Management Initiatives, Inc. (SMI), which he co-founded and served as President & CEO. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Mr. Martore serves as a principal consultant to the U.S. Army. Mr. Martore currently is a member of the MIT Engineering Systems Division Alumni Advisory Council, and serves on the Boards of Directors for the Professional Services Council (PSC), the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Easter Seals Serving DC | MD | VA, and the Laurel Grove School Museum Association.
Gene L. Dodaro is the eighth Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). As Comptroller General, Mr. Dodaro helps oversee the development and issuance of hundreds of reports and testimonies each year to various committees and individual Members of Congress. These and other GAO products have led to hearings and legislation, billions of dollars in taxpayer savings, and improvements to a wide range of government programs and services.
“We look forward to honoring these three outstanding individuals who have given much to our community and who make us all proud of our Italian heritage,” said Francesco Isgro, President of the Lido Civic Club.
“We are honored to host Lido Civic Club of Washington DC at our Embassy for the Annual Past Presidents Night – said Ambassador of Italy to the U.S. Claudio Bisogniero – This organization enjoys a great tradition in keeping Italian heritage alive among Italian Americans in the D.C. area and beyond, and in supporting Italian culture and the study of Italian language especially among young generations”.
About the Lido Civic Club: The Lido Civic Club is an Italian-American organization serving the Washington metropolitan area since 1929. Through the Lido Civic Club Charities, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, it has awarded $417,000 in scholarships to Italian-American students in the area. The Lido Club also funds Italian cultural programs, supports wounded warriors, and performs other philanthropic activities in the Washington D.C. area and beyond. Lido has no paid staff and does not employ or retain lobbyists.
In Washington DC, at the Hirshhorn, July 17, 2014 to January 11, 2015 (Lower Level)
A fascinating and singular figure in postwar art, Salvatore Scarpitta (1919–2007) created a powerful body of work that ranges from nonobjective abstraction to radical realism. Scarpitta’s career linked the worlds of art and car racing, moving from the avant-garde cultural circles of postwar Rome to the banked dirt oval speedways of rural Maryland and Pennsylvania. Focusing on his shaped and wrapped canvases, race cars, and sleds, Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler illuminates themes that occupied the artist throughout his life: risk, movement, death, and rebirth. Deeply admired in Europe where he began his career, Scarpitta has yet to be fully recognized in his native United States. This will be the first solo presentation of his work at an American museum in over a decade, and the first ever on the East Coast.
A free public opening takes place Thursday, July 17, from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Galleries open at 7:30 pm, providing the public their first opportunity to view Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler. A competitive sprint car will be parked on the Plaza, where Scarpitta driver Greg O’Neill talks about racing at 8 pm. Hirshhorn assistant curator Melissa Ho leads an exhibition tour at 9 pm. The documentary “Art & Racing: The Work and Life of Salvatore Scarpitta” screens continuously throughout the evening. Barbecue and beer will be available for purchase on the Plaza. The other exhibitions on the museum’s Lower Level, Black Box: Oliver Laric and Directions: Jeremy Deller, will also be open.
RELATED PROGRAMS
Scarpitta in Context: Germano Celant and Paul Schimmel in Conversation takes place Wednesday, October 8, at 7 pm in the Ring Auditorium. Co-curator of the 2012 retrospective Salvatore Scarpitta at the Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Turin and a personal friend of the artist for decades, Celant is artistic director of the Prada Foundation and senior curator of contemporary art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Schimmel is former chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and organizer of Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949–1962, which included early works by Scarpitta. He also knew the artist well, having first met Scarpitta in the 1970s.
“Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler” is made possible in part with the generous support of Buzz Beler, the Holenia Trust, and the Hirshhorn Exhibition Fund. The exhibition brochure is generously underwritten by Kristin and Howard Johnson and the Italian Cultural Institute
Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler is made possible in part with the generous support of the Estate of Frank B. Gettings, in memory of Nancy Kirkpatrick and Frank Gettings; C.P. Beler, the Holenia Trust, and the Hirshhorn Exhibition Fund. The exhibition brochure is generously underwritten by Kristin and Howard Johnson and the Italian Cultural Institute on the occasion of Italy’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July 1 through December 31, 2014.
quella del 2 giugno è la più importante ricorrenza istituzionale del nostro Paese perché in questa data celebriamo la fondazione stessa della Repubblica, basata sui valori della libertà, della democrazia, dell’uguaglianza e della pacifica convivenza tra i popoli. Proprio quei valori, quindi, che ci uniscono profondamente al grande Paese che ci ospita, gli Stati Uniti.
Ecco perché per noi qui – e per le decine di milioni di persone che in un modo o nell’altro sono figlie sia dell’uno che dell’altro Paese – la festa nazionale assume un valore ancora più forte. Si tratta quindi anche di un’occasione per celebrare valori condivisi e una comune visione delle relazioni internazionali; un momento per festeggiare la profonda amicizia tra Italia e Stati Uniti.
Il 68mo anniversario della Repubblica diventa, all’estero, anche un’occasione per celebrare l’identità di italiani e di italo-americani, e di sentire l’orgoglio di discendere o provenire da un grande Paese e da una incomparabile cultura.
Ma non c’è cultura e non c’è identità senza lingua. Voglio cogliere l’occasione di questo mio messaggio per il 2 giugno per ribadire il mio appello a tutti – italiani, italo-americani ed italofili – per una grande mobilitazione per la promozione della lingua italiana negli Stati Uniti. Si tratta di una sfida che passa nell’immediato anche attraverso il definitivo ristabilimento – un volta raggiunta la sua autosostenibilità – dell’esame di Advanced Placement di Italiano. Ci stiamo avvicinando all’obiettivo, e sento che ce la faremo. Ma non dobbiamo risparmiare tutti gli sforzi per ridare alla nostra lingua la posizione che merita in America. Il mio grazie va a tutti coloro – gli insegnanti, i rappresentanti della collettività, gli enti e le associazioni italiane e italo-americane – che stanno sostenendo questo impegno a favore dell’italiano.
Cari connazionali, il nostro Paese sta attraversando una fase molto importante di riforma e rilancio dell’economia e di ritrovamento di quella fiducia in noi stessi che dobbiamo dare soprattutto alle nuove generazioni. Tutti – residenti in Patria e all’estero – possiamo contribuire al grande sforzo in atto. So, perché in tanti me lo avete detto, che non farete mancare il vostro apporto.
L’Italia – ben consapevole delle difficoltà economiche che incontrano molti cittadini, in particolare i giovani – intende promuovere durante il nostro semestre di presidenza UE politiche volte alla crescita economica e all’occupazione; ricordando come anche la nostra costituzione sancisce il principio che “l’Italia è una repubblica fondata sul lavoro”. Anche in questa prospettiva il governo italiano darà il suo massimo sostegno ai negoziati per l’aerea di libero scambio TTIP: un grande accordo economico e commerciale che porterà benefici ad entrambe le sponde dell’Atlantico.
Ci aspettano importanti appuntamenti internazionali come – appunto – il semestre di Presidenza italiana dell’Unione Europea, a partire dal prossimo luglio, in cui intendiamo imprimere un rinnovato spirito europeista e solidale a quel grande sistema di integrazione continentale che è l’UE.
Ci attende inoltre l’Esposizione Universale di Milano 2015, un evento di portata mondiale dedicato alle sfide della nutrizione e della sostenibilità. EXPO Milano 2015 porrà a partire dal 1 maggio del prossimo anno l’Italia al centro di un dibattito fondamentale per l’avvenire del pianeta, su temi come quello del cibo e della salute, che ci vedono all’avanguardia da sempre. Vi invito fin da ora a programmare una vista ad EXPO e, al tempo stesso, alle straordinarie bellezze del nostro Paese.
Cari connazionali, nell’augurare a tutti una buona festa della Repubblica – che ci faccia ricordare il significato profondo di quello che oggi celebriamo – colgo l’occasione per ringraziare tutti (italiani di prima generazione, discendenti, italo-americani e amici dell’Italia), per la straordinaria collaborazione che offrite a tutta la rete diplomatico-consolare italiana negli Stati Uniti. E vi ribadisco il nostro impegno continuo dell’Ambasciata, della rete consolare per sostenervi nei vostri sforzi e nella vita quotidiana. Vorrei anche ringraziarvi per il grande contributo che il vostro sacrificio, il vostro lavoro, i vostri studi, la vostra ricerca e la vostra creatività, offrono all’Italia e alla sua immagine e reputazione in questo Paese.
Viva l’Italia, Viva gli Stati Uniti d’America, viva gli Italiani di America!
countless others to pursue their dreams and convictions — even in the face of extreme doubt and tremendous adversity.
