Tag Archives: Joseph Sciame

Joseph Sciame to Receive the Sons Of Italy 2015 Guglielmo Marconi Award

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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.

joseph_sciame-1Sciame 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.

Joseph Sciame reelected President of Major Italian American Organizations

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Joseph Sciame, a National Past President of the Order Sons of Italy in America and currently the vice-president for external affairs at St. John’s University in New York, was reelected Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations for another two year term. The election took place on October 13, 2012, at the annual Conference meeting held at the Washington Hilton, site of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) annual meeting and gala weekend.

Joseph Sciame

Joseph Sciame

PMIAO (our abbreviation), was founded over 40 years ago “…to enroll as members in a spiritual bond all national, regional, statewide and special Italian American organizations,” and to provide “a clearinghouse for centralized thinking and unified directed guidance for Italian American activities at their broadest national levels and interests.”

Sciame, who was President of the Order of Sons of Italy in America in 2003-2005, has also served as President of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit, an organiation of Italian Americans, and Americans, who have been honored by the Republic of Italy. The Republic of Italy honored Sciame with the rank of Cavaliere and then Ufficiale in the Order of Merit, and he was invested as Commendatore by Prince Vittorio Emmanuele of the House of Savoy in the Order of Merit.

Sciame is also the current president/chair of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee-NY, Inc., an organization of Italian Americans whose mission is to promote an annual theme for the Italian American Heritage Month celebrations, and to produce educational materials. This year’s theme is “The Legacy of Italians in Americas – a Tribute to Amerigo Vespucci: 1454-1512.” Sciame has been heading the IHCC-NY, Inc. since 2007.

Joseph Sciame has devoted much of his life to Italian American causes. He has spoken in no uncertain terms about the need to have Italian Americans speak with one voice when the need arises. What he said about the “Jersey Shore” MTV controversy and the reaction by Italian-American organizations, still rings true today:

 

We have never, ever been good at “advocacy” let alone “lobbying” and other than the anti-defamation initiatives we have all activated over the years, i.e., the OSIA Commission for Social Justice, the UNICO effort this time which received wide publicity and the NIAF’s ongoing favorable relationship with “The Hill,” what else is it that we can do? Is there no national spokesperson who can rally us together? Is there no US Senator/Congressperson, Governor or other statesman who can say something?

It does seem to me, and I have shared this with many folks INFORMALLY in the past, we need in 2010 (as we have not done heretofore) a major meeting of the minds…ALL Italian-American organizations, with some top level speaker who can get us ALL on the same plate.

I f anyone can get “us ALL on the same plate,” we believe that Joseph Sciame can accomplish it!

 

Pictured above, the members of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations at their annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Italy Donates Bust of Amerigo Vespucci to the Organization of American States

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On the occasion of the Columbus Day celebrations, Sebastiano Fulci, the Permanent Observer of Italy to the Organization of American States (OAS), joined by Andrea Claudio Galluzzo, President of the Association Fiorentini nel Mondo, Joseph Sciame Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, John Viola Chief Operating Officer of The National Italian American Foundation, Justice Dominic Massaro of the Supreme Court of New York, donated on behalf of Italy, a bust of the Florentine navigator and cartographer, Amerigo Vespucci, a work by the American artist Greg Wyatt.

Unveiling of Amerigo Vespucci at OAS

During the ceremony, held in Washington, D.C. on October 11, 2012, Fulci, said that the donation was an “homage to the five hundredth anniversary of the death of the Italian navigator” who gave his name to the continent, and is part of the celebration of “the discovery of America,” which the OAS commemorated on October 12.

Present at the ceremony, held in the Hall of the Americas at OAS headquarters, were also the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, the Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, and the Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Mexico, Ambassador Joel Antonio Hernández García, among others.

Amerigo Vespucci was born and raised in Florence, acquired the favor and protection of Lorenzo de Medici. In 1499 he joined Alonso de Ojeda, who had received from Spain the task of exploring, the south coast of the “region” discovered by Columbus.

Navigator of the seas and profound scholar, during his travels he explored much of the eastern coast of South America. He was among the first supporters of the idea that Christopher Columbus had discovered a new continent and not a western route to reach the Far East by sea.

In his letters and diaries Amerigo Vespucci described the mainland as a “New World” and was the first to realize the presence of a new continent. In fact in his letters, addressed to Lorenzo de ‘Medici, Vespucci describes in detail the new territories, the peoples and animals understanding that this land couldn’t be the Asian continent.

It was the rapid spread of the letters circulated under his name that suggested the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller to use the female gender (America) of his Latinized name (Americus Vespucius), to indicate the new continent in his world map drawn in 1507.