October 2006

Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:49 AM
Page FC1
VOL. 2 NO. 4 OCTOBER, 2006
IL CAVALIERE
O F F I C I A L B U L L E T I N O F T H E A M E R I C A N S O C I E T Y O F T H E I TA L I A N L E G I O N S O F M E R I T
MINI GRANTS
ANNOUNCED
Fifty $1,000 mini
grants “to focus attention on worthwhile
endeavors that comport
with the Society’s constituted purpose” have
been approved by its
Charities Board. This
according to Cav. di Gran
CAV. DI GRAN
CROCE H.E.
Croce H.E. Peter F. Secchia,
PETER F. SECCHIA of Michigan, board chair.
The grants showcase “a
wide geographical crosssection of the best of
Italian cultural perception within the context
of the American experience,” noted the former
Ambassador to Italy
(1989-1993), now also
CAV. JOHN F.
chairman emeritus of
CALVELLI, ESQ.
Universal Forest Products, a Fortune 500 company.
Assisting Ambassador
Secchia with the Charities Board task were
three members: Cav.
John F. Calvelli, Esq., of
New York, executive vice
president of the Wildlife
CAV. ARTHUR J. Conservation Society;
Cav. Arthur J. Furia, Esq.,
FURIA, ESQ.
of Florida, partner in the
Miami law firm Gunster,
Yoakley & Stewart; and
Cav. Cesar Taormina, of
New York, building and
real estate developer.
From “A” - - the American Battle Monuments
Commission headquartered in Washington, D.C.
CAV. CESARE
(for upkeeping the
TAORMINA
graves at the Florence
and Sicily-Rome World
Continued on page 6
Annual Events
Set for New York
Cavalieri from across the
United States will come
together on Friday, December 1 at the Colony Club in
New York City for the Society’s 41st Annual Dinner.
The black tie event will
open with a gala cocktail
reception, and dinner music
will be provided throughout the evening.
The annual dinner
expec ts to see both of
Italy’s ambassadors here in
attendance; H.E. Giovanni
Castellaneta, Italy’s envoy to
Washington who will lend
his patronage to the
evening’s success, and H.E.
Marcello Spatafora, posted
to the United Nations in
New York. Each is a Cavaliere di Gran Croce. Leading
decorati drawn from all
walks of life will also be on
hand. The formal dinner is
the culmination of the Society’s annual gathering
An extraordinary venue:
Colony Club
(November 30 - December
1), which will feature business and social events at
the Consulate General of
H.E. Giovanni
Castellaneta,
Italy’s envoy to
Washington,
will lend his
patronage to the
evening’s success.
Italy, the Italian Cultural
Institute, the Columbus
Townhouse and the Colony
Club.
Overall chair for the twoday program is Comm.
RoseMarie Gallina-Santangelo, past Society president
and chair emerita. She
expects “sell out” gatherings at every turn. Assisting her as co-chairs are
Society directors Comm.
Prof. Marco Grassi and Uff.
Hon. Livia S. Sylva, and longtime member Cav. Beatrice
H. Guthrie. Gr. Uff. Baroness
Mariuccia Zerilli-Marimò
will serve as the event’s
honorary chair.
Following an afternoon
meeting of the general
membership on Thursday,
November 30, at the invitation of Italian Consul General Antonio Bandini to be
held at the Consulate, a lecture, “Italy’s Role in Rescuing Jews from Nazi Oppression During World War II,”
will be offered by Marie
Lombardo, Ph.D. at the SociContinued on page 4
Site of the Society’s 41st Annual Dinner, the Colony Club, at
Park Avenue and 62nd Street, is one of New York’s most prestigious addresses. Completed in 1916, it is the most exclusive
private woman’s club in the city. The foremost architectural
firm of Delano and Alrich designed it in a marble-based, red
brick Georgian style; its beautifully appointed interiors include
a round entrance hall, lounges, dining rooms and library. It
features a basement marble swimming pool and spa connected by special elevator to a fifth floor oak paneled gymnasium with squash courts above - - and even a kennel. The
two-story brocaded ballroom is one of the most sought after
in New York City.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:49 AM
Page 2
IL CAVALIERE
2
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Stella Assumes Vacancy
Gr. Uff. Frank D. Stella has a long and
illustrious career as a successful entrepreneur, civic personality and public servant. For 60 years, his name has been a
household one in Italian American leadership circles. With the death of Cav.
Dr. Richard J. Bellucci, he now assumes
an unexpired term on the Society’s
Board of Directors.
A graduate of the University of
Detroit, and with World War II service
behind him (entering the Army Air
Corps in 1941 as a private and discharged five yeas later as a major), in
1946 he founded The F. D. Stella Products Company, in Detroit. The company
designs and distributes large scale food
services and commercial dining equipment. He continues as its chairman
and CEO.
Listed in Who’s Who, his biography is
a litany of achievement highlighted by
appointment to numerous boards,
commissions and delegations under
five presidents—Nixon, Ford, Reagan,
Bush and Clinton. A regular on the
White House dinner list to great visiting Italian dignitaries, for many years
as chairman of the National Republican Heritage Groups Council, he interacted with numerous other ethnic and
Did You
Know?
nationality leaders across the nation.
He has seen service as a trustee of
his alma mater, of the North American
College of Rome and of Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida.
On the local level, directorships
include the Michigan Opera, Detroit
Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Public
Television, Detroit Historical Society and
the Michigan Chamber of Commerce,
as well service on the boards of numerous health and medical research facilities, including the Detroit Medical Center. A leader in the revitalization of
Detroit, mayors and governors have utilized his acumen on a variety of government committees. He continues to
chair Detroit’s Income Tax Board of
Review. Any number of universities
have conferred him with honorary doctorates, as far back as Gentium Pacem
University in Rome in 1979 up to and
including Cleary University in Howell,
Michigan, last year.
A charter member of the National
Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in
Washington, D.C., he served for two
terms as its chair and is today “chairman emeritus.” His Italian American
and Catholic Church affiliations are
legion. He is the recipient of scores of
GR. UFF. FRANK D. STELLA
awards and citations given both here
and in Italy, has been “Man of the Year”
time and time again (including the
Society’s in 1986), and holds the Ellis
Island Medal of Honor, Naples’ International Guido Durso Award and the University of Rome’s “Humanitarian Leadership Award.” In addition to his high
Italian conferral, he is a Knight of the
Church’s Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem. ◆
The most recent Census Bureau data on Italian American demographics indicates an increase of
some 1,093,880 individuals to approximate 16,817,286 nationwide. This represents 26% of the overall United States population increase since the 2000 decennial census. Since family size and immigration statistics have largely remained constant, the higher numbers are equated with increased
reportage of Italian American identity.
IL CAVALIERE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Il Cavaliere is an official publication of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit, a not-for-profit,
tax exempt organization legally incorporated in the State of New York.
Comm. Stefano Acunto, 914-966-3180, x110, Editor
Gina Marie Balog, Production Manager/Designer
Vito Catalano, 718-946-3124, Photographer
Address all mail to: Editor, Il Cavaliere, American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit,
Eight East 69th Street, New York, New York 10021.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:49 AM
Page 3
IL CAVALIERE
3
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
American Society of the
Italian Legions of Merit
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS 2006-2007
Cav. di Gran Croce
Hon. Dominic R. Massaro
exas born, Harvard educated, Jack Valenti has led several lives: wartime bomber
pilot, advertising agency founder,
political consultant,White House
confidant, movie industry executive.
Born in Houston, Texas, Valenti was a young pilot in the Army
CAV. DI GRAN CROCE
Air Corps in World War II. Rising
JACK VALENTI
to Lieutenant, he flew 51 combat
missions as the commander of a B-25 bomber in Italy. He
was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal
with four clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation with one
cluster and the European Theater Ribbon with three battle
stars.
With a B.A. from the University of Houston and an M.B.A.
from Harvard, in 1952 he co-founded the Houston advertising/political consultant agency of Weekley & Valenti. Valenti’s agency was in charge of the press during the visit of
President Kennedy to Dallas on November 22, 1963. Within
an hour of the assassination, Valenti was aboard Air Force
One flying back to Washington with the new President
Johnson, his long-time friend, as the first newly hired Special
Assistant to the President.
Valenti resigned his White House post in 1966 to become
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Motion Picture
Association of America. For almost four decades, Valenti
presided over and led the American film and television
industry, both in the United States and abroad. As such, he
served as master-of-ceremony at the New York gala in honor of visiting Italian President H.E. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi in
2003. The following year, after 38 years as MPAA’s leader, he
retired. On the personal initiative of President Ciampi, he
was elevated to grand cross rank, one of only nine Americans
of Italian descent who hold Italy’s highest Order of Merit
designation.
President of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, a fund created by the G-8 countries, he is the author of four books, frequently contributes to
America’s preeminent newspapers and magazines, and continues as one of the few public figures who actually writes
his own speeches.
Cav. di Gran Croce Valenti also has received the highest
rank of Argentina’s Order of May, Frances’s Legion of Honor
and Germany’s Order of Merit. He has been awarded his
own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, in cement at the
famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and remains both as a
life member of the Directors Guild of America and a trustee
of the American Film Institute. ◆
T
PRESIDENT
Uff.
Hon. Marie L. Garibaldi
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Gr. Uff.
B.ssa Mariuccia Zerilli-Marimò
SECRETARY GENERAL
Gr. Uff.
Domenick G. Scaglione
TREASURER
Uff.
Joseph Sciame
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Gr. Uff.
H.E. Celestino Migliore
Cav. di Gran Croce
Hon. Edward D. Re
ECCLESIASTICAL CHAPLAIN
GRAND CHANCELLOR
Comm.
RoseMarie Gallina-Santangelo
Comm.
George M. Pavia, Esq.
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL
COUNSELLOR
Cav. di Gran Croce
H.E. F. Paolo Fulci
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE (ROME)
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
Cav.
Dr. Thomas Bellavia
MID -ATLANTIC
Cav.
Antonio Lombardo
NORTH CENTRAL
Comm.
Joseph R. Cerrell
Gr. Uff.
Joseph Maselli
PACIFIC
SOUTHEAST
Gr. Uff.
Dr. A. Kenneth Ciongoli
Cav.
Mary Ann A. Ravarino
NORTHEAST
WEST
Comm.
Andrew Torregrossa
SOUTHWEST
DIRECTORS
Comm. Stefano E.B. Acunto ‘06
Comm. Dominic Di Frisco ‘07
Hon. Antonio Bandini, ex officio
Cav. Dominic H. Frinzi, Esq.‘07
Gr. Uff. Peter F. Bonafede ‘06
Comm. Hon. John Gale ‘07
Cav. di Gr. Cr. Dr. Lucio Caputo ‘06
Cav.Teresa G. Piropato ‘06
H.E. Giovanni Castellaneta, ex officio
H.E. Marcello Spatafora, ex officio
Comm. Frank J. De Santis ‘07
Gr. Uff. Frank D. Stella ‘06
Uff. Hon Livia S. Sylva ‘06
Valenti
Gran Croce
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:50 AM
Page 4
IL CAVALIERE
4
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Annual Events Set for New York…continued from cover
ety’s Columbus Townhouse headquarters. Dr. Lombardo is a recognized scholar of the Holocaust in Southern Europe.
This in turn will be followed by an early
evening reception hosted by Comm.
Lawrence E. Auriana, chairman of the
Columbus Citizens Foundation.
On the next morning, December 1,
at the invitation of its director, Dr. Claudio Angelini, the Italian Cultural Institute will be the setting for a briefing
on the role and function of Italy’s cultural institutes throughout the United
States; a tour of the Institute and a
luncheon hosted by the director is also
scheduled. That evening, the reception
and annual dinner will be held in the
main ballroom of the Colony Club. ◆
H.E. GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA, AMBASSADOR OF ITALY TO THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE
BARONESS MARIUCCIA ZERILLI-MARIMÒ, AT LAST YEAR’S FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY
DINNER AT THE UNION CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY.
Private Reception
Those purchasing a table of ten guests for the 41st Annual Dinner are advised to keep available Wednesday evening,
November 29. A private, invitation only reception for special benefactors will be held that evening atop Manhattan’s Hotel
Lombardy, in the penthouse apartment of Uff. Hon. Livia S. Sylva, who serves as dinner co-chair.
U.S. - Italy Accord Extended
A United States - Italy accord imposing import restrictions on undocumented archaeological material has been
extended for an additional five years,
through 2011. Extension had been urged
by the American Society of the Italian
Legions of Merit.
Known formally as a “Memorandum
of Understanding,” the agreement aims
at reducing the flow of illicitly excavated
Italian antiquities to the United States.
Under it, 185,190 looted artifacts have
been recovered since the agreement
was first signed in 2001.
The Italian Government attached
great importance to the renewal, calling the Memorandum “a landmark on
the subject of archaeological heritage
and a focus on proactive initiatives to
promote knowledge of archaeological
artifacts in both countries,” according
to Minister Stefano Stefanini, deputy
chief of mission for the Italian Embassy
in Washington, D.C. “It will enhance Italian cultural heritage and make it accessible to others,” he observed. Italy will
expand the number of loan exhibitions
of archeological material to the United
States under the agreement.
In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Society president Cav. di
Gran Croce Hon. Dominic R. Massaro cited the dual necessity to police looting of
ancient artworks and establish a body
of international regulations for trade in
such items. “This accord has particular
significance to the preservation of Italy’s
cultural heritage,” noted Massaro in urging renewal. “It is a concern central to
the Society’s nature.”
Since its signing, the Italian Culture
Ministry said in July that it was finalizing an agreement with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts that would call for the
museum to return an unknown number of objects “of Italian origin” in
exchange for loans of antiquities. In
June, the Italian Government
announced that it had reached a similar
agreement with the J. Paul Getty Trust in
Los Angeles. Italy has long argued that
objects in the Getty Museum were looted from Italian soil in recent decades
and sold to the museum by unscrupulous dealers. In February, Italy and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York came to an agreement that
involved the Met’s ceding title to 21
objects in exchange for loans.
In letters to the three institutions,
the Society noted “the appreciation of
the large Italian American population” in
and around Boston, Los Angeles and
New York,“which is keenly interested in
Italy’s patrimony,” while praising “bilateral cooperation encouraging improved
relations between cultural entities in
both countries that will enrich American
cultural life.” ◆
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:50 AM
Page 5
IL CAVALIERE
5
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Reilly, Russo Named Among New Associates
The Honorable Edward F. Reilly, Jr.,
of Maryland, and His Excellency
Ernest F. Russo, of New York, are
among less than a score of individuals invited to become an “Associate”
of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit.
Worthy individuals—accredited
diplomats, military officers, high
prelates, those conferred with another duly recognized order of chivalry,
as well as a special category of spouses and descendants of deceased cavalieri and decorati—who are in sympathy with the purpose(s) set forth
HONORABLE
in the Society’s charter “to do everyEDWARD F. REILLY, JR.
thing to maintain the cordial relationship and tending to strengthen the
traditional friendship and good will existing between the people of the United States and Italy” can be invited to enroll as an
associate member.
Commissioner Reilly is Chairman of the United States Parole
Commission by appointment of President Bush. The Commission exercises its authority in the release and supervision
of criminal offenders under federal jurisdiction. He received his
baccalaureate in political science from his home state University of Kansas. A native of Leavenworth active for three
decades in real estate, insurance and banking, he served 29
years as a state legislator, one as a representative and then 28
as a senator. As chair of a Senate/House committee review,
major reforms in the Kansas correctional system were put
into place during his tenure.
From 1982 to 1986, he served as a Commissioner on the
National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement
Agencies. In 1985, he was appointed a Member of the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee. He has served as an
advisory member of the American Justice Institute and as a
member of the Liaison Committee both of the United States
Penitentiary at Leavenworth and the Kansas State Penitentiary at Lansing.
A member of national criminal justice agencies, as Chairman of the Parole Commission he also serves as an ex officio
member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the National Institute of Corrections Advisory Board. He is a member of
the Board of Advisors, School of Philosophy, Catholic University of America, a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Rome, and an instructor at the Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He is a
Knight of Malta, of St. George (Constantinian) and of the Holy
Sepulchre.
“Sir Ernest,” as he is styled, is a New Yorker. He serves as
Governor General of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of
Jerusalem for the United States.
With family roots in Sicily and the Neopolitan countryside,
he was born and raised in Yonkers. He spent 4 1/2 years in the
monastic life with the Graymoor Friars in Garrison, New York,
before attending both New York University and the New York
School of Visual Arts. Professionally, he was senior art and
graphic designer for Citicorp, retiring
some years ago. Married and the
father of two boys, he is a Korean War
veteran and medalist. He founded
Friends of the Holy Land to minister
to the poor and needy there.
The Patriarchal Order of the Holy
Cross of Jerusalem, bestowed by the
Melchite Rite of the Roman Catholic
Church, is an autonomous Order in
the Byzantine tradition under the
patronage of His Beatitude Gregorios
III, Greek-Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, who serves as
Grand Master. In communion with
HIS EXCELLENCY
the Pope at Rome, the Order is
ERNEST F. RUSSO
focused on assisting the Christian
community in the Near East. Sir
Ernest, who holds the rank of Knight Grand Cross, is pictured
above with the collar of office and wearing the Order’s ceremonial robe. He has served in the Governor General post
since 1990.
Other associates who have been enrolled in the Class of
2006 are:
H.E. Robert A. Brucato, of New York, Vicar General, Archdiocese
of New York;
Salvatore J. Cumella, M.D., of New York, lineal descendant of a
decease Cavaliere;
Roy L. De Barbieri, Esq., of Connecticut, Knight, Order of Sts.
Maurice and Lazarus;
Hon. Joseph G. Golia, of New York, Knight, Sovereign Miltiary
Order of Malta;
Richard A. Guarino, M.D., of New Jersey, Knight, Sovereign
Miltiary Order of Malta;
Alfred J. Liotta, M.D., of New York, Knight Grand Cross, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem;
Diego A. Lodico, of New York, lineal descendant of a deceased
Bersagliere;
Deacon Nicholas A. Mazzei, of New York, Knight Grand Officer,
Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem;
Patrick A. O’Boyle, Esq., of New Jersey, Knight, Order of Sts.
Maurice and Lazarus;
David V. Skoblow, Esq., of New York, Knight, Order of Sts.
Maurice and Lazarus;
Donna A. Soloway, of New York, Dame, Sovereign Military, Order
of the Temple of Jerusalem;
Richard L. Soloway, of New York, Knight, Sovereign Military,
Order of the Temple of Jerusalem;
Michael J. Sullivan, of Maryland, Knight Commander, Sacred
Military Constantinian Order of St. George;
Marco Viola, of New York, Knight Grand Officer, Byzantine
Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
H.E. Joseph Zappela, of Florida, Ambassador of the United
States to Spain (1989-1992). ◆
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:50 AM
Page 6
IL CAVALIERE
6
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Mini Grants Announced…continued from cover
FROM “A” . . . THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION’S
SICILY-ROME WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL CEMETERY AT NETTUNO,
EAST OF ANZIO, 38 MILES SOUTH OF ROME, WHERE THE FALLEN
ARE REMEMBERED.
War II American memorial cemeteries) - - to “Z” - - the Casa
Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University (for presenting
quality exhibitions of Italian cultural expression) - - the grants
“do not so much represent financial largess as, rather, a sign of
the interest and esteem of the Society for the particular project
or undertaking . . . a moral identification with efforts that go
toward expanding, deepening and strengthening a critical
understanding of the Italian cultural contribution to America,
noted Society President, Cav. di Gran Croce Hon. Dominic R. Massaro. “The Society thus serves as a moral center in sharing
awareness, generating appreciation and encouraging support.”
The grants cover the nation, from the North and South East
-- the University of Rhode Island’s Italian Americana (for publishing scholastic research on the Italian American experience),
and Florida Atlantic University’s Bordighera Press (for publishing
critical studies on Italian American culture) - - to the North and
South West - - Washington’s Gonzaga University (for furthering
its Italian cultural program in Florence), and California’s Fondazione-Italia (for promoting the study of the Italian language
and culture throughout the region).
The grants likewise cover a multi-century timeline: the
Renaissance -- the Medici Archive Project (New York), for creating worldwide on line access to the historical data in the Medici
Granducal Archive in Florence -- to the 1940’s -- the American
Italian Historical Association (New York), for educating about
“Una Storia Segreta,” the gross violation of Italian American
civil rights during the Second World War.
The arts and sciences are represented: Delaware’s Council on
National Literatures (for promoting its Italian American author
series), and New York’s American Italian Cancer Foundation (for
establishing a fellowship program in furtherance of cancer
research).
And the grants are inter-religious: Basilica of the National
Shrine (Washington, D.C.), for creating an Italian chapel, and
the National Organization of Italian American Women (New
York), for educating about Italian efforts in rescuing Jews from
the Holocaust.
The remaining list of grantees include:
American University of Rome (Washington, D.C.), for offering
an alternative study dimension as an independent degreegranting institution in Italy;
Amici Della Lingua (New Jersey), for launching a program of
Italian language study by youths;
John Cabot University (Delaware), for offering independent
American degree studies in Italy;
Calandra Italian American Institute at the City University of
New York (New York), for conducting empirical, theoretical
and analytical research on the Italian American experience;
Coccia Institute for the Study of the Italian American Experience
at Montclair State University (New Jersey), for expanding its
lecture circuit;
Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (New York), for leading the fight to
cure Thalessemia;
Fra Noi (Illinois), for chronicling the Italian American experience in and about Chicago;
Friends of San Patrignano (New York), for combatting substance
abuse in Italy;
Garibaldi-Meucci Museum (New York), for enhancing the memory of the liberator of Italy and the inventor of the telephone;
Graziadio Italian Institute at California State University (California), for programming study in Italy;
Historic Italian Hall Foundation (California), for restoring this historic monument in Los Angeles;
Il Pensiero (Missouri), for chronicling the Italian American experience in and about St. Louis;
THE GARIBALDI-MEUCCI MUSEUM, A SIMPLE COUNTRY RESIDENCE
IN STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, WHERE, IN 1850, THE INVENTOR OF
THE TELEPHONE GAVE REFUGE AND HOSPITALITY TO THE GENERAL
WHO WOULD LIBERATE THE ITALIAN PENINSULA.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:50 AM
Page 7
IL CAVALIERE
7
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Fiorello H. La Guardia Foundation (New York), for promoting
sustainable development in the Mezzogiorno;
L’Italo Americano (California), for chronicling the Italian American
experience in and about Los Angeles;
New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation (New Jersey),
for promoting a positive image of persons of Italian heritage
in New Jersey;
New York Grand Opera (New York), for presenting fully staged
Italian opera free to the public;
Orange County American Italian Renaissance Foundation (California), for programming Italian language study;
Orange County High School of the Arts (California), for training
in Italian opera;
Princeton University (New Jersey), for instituting a new Ph.D.
program in Italian;
San Gennaro Foundation (California), for mentoring and assisting underprivileged children;
Save Venice (New York), for preserving the art, architecture and
cultural patrimony of Venice;
Sister Cities International (Washington, D.C.), for promoting U.S.Italy relationships at the municipal level;
Tuscan American Association (New York), for introducing original
maps and documents of Giovanni da Verrazano to America;
University of California at Irvine (California), for expanding its
Birth Defects/ Thalessemia Library;
Voices in Italian Americana (Indiana), for publishing essays and
reviews on Italian American history and culture. ◆
THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH’S MAIN PRESENCE IN THE NATION’S
CAPITAL, WHERE AN ITALIAN CHAPEL IS TO BE INSTALLED.
Il Ponte (New Jersey), for presenting Italian literary excellence;
Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota (Minnesota), for cataloguing historic materials in its
Italian American Archives;
Italian Academy Foundation (New York), for providing venues for
contemporary Italian cultural presentations;
Italian American Museum (Louisiana), for preserving our recollection as a people in and about New Orleans;
Italian American Museum (New York), for preserving our recollection as a people in and about New York City;
Italian American Review at Queens College (New York), for publishing scholastic research on the Italian American experience;
Italian Oral History Institute (California), for collecting and preserving oral history materials on the Italians in California;
Italian Times (Wisconsin), for chronicling the Italian American
experience in and about Milwaukee;
Italian Tribune News (New Jersey), for chronicling the Italian
American experience in and about the New York/New Jersey
metropolitan area;
Italian Voice (New Jersey), for chronicling the Italian American
experience in New Jersey;
Italian Welfare League (New York), for attending to Italian American children who suffer from physical illness or emotional
trauma;
Italic Studies Institute (New York), for instructing children in the
Italian language;
La Gazzetta Italiana (Ohio), for chronicling the Italian American
experience in and about Cleveland;
TO “Z” . . . THE CASA ITALIANA ZERILLI-MARIMÒ, A 19TH CENTURY
LANDMARK BROWNSTONE IN GREENWICH VILLAGE, NORTH OF
WASHINGTON SQUARE, HOME TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY’S
DEPARTMENT OF ITALIAN STUDIES, WHERE THE BEST OF ITALY IS
SHOWCASED.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:50 AM
Page 8
IL CAVALIERE
8
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
The New Italian Government
By Francesco Nicotra*
For the first time in the country’s history, a politician who rose to power
through the former Italian Communist
Party (PCI) - which was second only to
the Soviet Union’s in its heyday - has
now been inaugurated as president of
the republic. He is the Hon. Giorgio
Napolitano, a Neapolitan, lifetime senator and an 81-year-old man who
already enjoys widespread respect
thanks to the high-ranking posts he has
occupied in the past, including president of the house of deputies and minister for internal affairs.
The elections also have meant that
Romano Prodi, a 66-year-old professor
of economics from Bologna, is the new
head of government. It may have been
by the smallest of margins, but
nonetheless he won the electoral battle
against Silvio Berlusconi, the television
magnate thought to be one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world and the
man who has governed Italy for the last
five years.
Prodi is the leader of the Unione
coalition, which is comprised of eight
parties including those representing
the moderate left, those rooted in
Christianity and those out on the
extreme left who bear a veiled affinity
to traditional communism. That said, it
is the Democratici di sinistra (DS), the
left-wing democrats, who form the central core of Prodi’s base. Rooted in the
former Italian Communist Party, they
have now matured, mutated and
adopted a much more “westernized”
stance.
The Unione coalition defeated the
Casa delle Libertà (CDL) alliance, a group
of seven parties led by Berlusconi that
includes his own Forza Italia party. The
elections were highly contested, comparable only to those fought immediately after World War II when Italians
were basically asked to choose between
the Soviet block and the western
alliance. In the lower house, Prodi’s
eight-party Unione coalition won by the
very slim margin of less than 25,000
This year’s elections
FRANCESCO NICOTRA
have completely
changed
Italy’s political
landscape.
votes among 38 million ballots cast almost a tie. It was only the Italian overseas voters, participating for the first
time ever in the elections, who tipped
the balance in favor of Prodi.
The running debate before and after
the elections illustrates just how deeply
the country has been divided by politics. Both sides have used every opportunity - out on the streets, in the press
and during televised debates - to deride
and delegitimize each other. The new
premier is not going to have an easy
ride, especially as the rich regions of
the north - those that are responsible
for the lion’s share of the national revenue - voted for the central right coalition. Berlusconi, who many agree
fought his electoral battle with unbelievable vim and vigor, has already
announced that the opposition will not
spare any punches. There is a real risk
that government bills will be defeated
in the Senate, where the winning coalition only holds a razor-thin majority.
The election to appoint the highest
official in the land was also highly controversial. Napolitano, the eleventh
president of the Republic of Italy, was
elected on May 11 on the fourth ballot,
and by members of the Unione only. Of
the 1009 votes cast, he received just
543. All those in Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition turned in blank voting slips,
although they were unanimous in
expressing their “appreciation” for
Napolitano as an individual. According
to the Casa delle Libertà, the Unione
should have nominated somebody
more to their liking since the office of
President of the Republic should be
above party politics.
The new head of state used his first
speech to underscore that his primary
responsibility is to represent all Italians
and as such, he is keen to help improve
the mood of the country. Departing
President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, much
loved and respected by all Italians, has
delivered much the same message.
Although Italy’s leadership says unity is needed, they will immediately
begin tackling issues that have the
potential to further divide the country.
One of the first problems Prodi must
confront is the withdrawal of Italian
troops from Iraq, something that the
far left in particular is keen to see and
an issue that featured heavily in their
election campaign. Just a few days ago,
the funerals of another four Italians
who died in that distant land were held
in Rome. It is likely that the withdrawal of Italian troops will begin during
summer, but the move will certainly
happen gradually given that there are
government senior members known to
be firm supporters of the United States,
including the Hon. Francesco Rutelli,
former mayor of Rome.
Things will not be easy for our new
leaders or for Italy itself. ◆
• A keen and balanced observer of the
Italian scene, Francesco Nicotra is the
publisher of Italy Italy magazine. His
articles often appear in leading media
outlets on both sides of the Atlantic. This
particular piece is taken from Ambassador, a publication of the National Italian American Foundation.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:51 AM
Page 9
IL CAVALIERE
9
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Royal Visit
H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Permanent
Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gives an
approving nod as Society president, Cav. di Gran Croce
Hon. Dominic R. Massaro, greets H.R.H. the Grand
Dutchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. They are pictured on the U.N. terrace overlooking New York’s East
River at the annual Path to Peace Foundation dinner in
favor of The Vatican. The monarch’s youngest son,
Prince Sebastian, looks on. ◆
Cronaca
Since his election by acclamation on November 29, 2004, the President of the Society, Cav. di Gran Croce Hon. Dominic
R. Massaro, continues to represent it at the following chivalric, diplomatic and beneficent events:
April 11, 2006: by invitation of H.E. Marcello Spatafora, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations,
on the occasion of the United
Nations Hurricane Katrina Benefit.
June 3, 2006: by invitation of Comm.
Stefano E.B. Acunto, on the occasion
of the visit of Dott. Franco Pavoncella, President of John Cabot University (Rome).
April 23, 2006: by invitation of Hon.
Roberto Balsimelli, Consul General of
the Republic of San Marino, on the
occasion of the Ottavia di Pasqua celebration.
June 12, 2006: by invitation of Cav. Fr.
Carmelo Gagliardi, Chairman of the
Italian Center of New York, on the
occasion of the visit of H.E. Renato
Cardinal Martino, President of both
the Pontifical Council for Justice and
Peace and the Pontifical Council for
the Pastoral Care of Migrants and
Itinerant People.
May 1, 2006: by invitation of Cav. di
Gran Croce Dr. Lucio Caputo, President of the Gruppo Esponenti Italiani, on the occasion of the presentation of the 2006 GEI Award to Cav.
del Lavoro Dr. Paolo Scaroni, chief
executive officer of ENI S.p.A.
May 15, 2006: by invitation of Knight
Grand Cross Carl J. Morelli, Esq.,
KGCML, American Delegate of the
House of Savoy, on the occasion of
the Festa della Primavera of the
American Foundation of Savoy
Orders.
June 13, 2006: by invitation of H.E.
Celestino Migliore, Permanent
Observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, on the occasion of the
2006 Path to Peace Award to H.R.H.
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
June 22, 2006: by invitation of H.E.
Daniele D. Bodini, Permanent Representative of the Republic of San
Marino to the United Nations and
President of Friends of San Patrignano, to celebrate the San Patrignano Drug Rehabilitation Center Programme.
September 11, 2006: by invitation of
H.E. Celestino Migliore, Permanent
Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, on the occasion of the
Prayer Service opening the Sixty-First
Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
September 28, 2006: by invitation of
Knight Grand Officer Luigi RighiSchwammer, Bailiff of the Bialato Ad
Tiberim (Rome), on the occasion of
the Investiture of the Teutonic Order.
September 30, 2006: by invitation of
H.E. Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, on the occasion of
the Investiture of the Equestrian
Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:51 AM
Page 10
IL CAVALIERE
10
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
In Memoriam…
Cav. Vittorio Allegretti
Cav. Alfred P. Alessandri
NEW YORK
CALIFORNIA
Cav. Martin V. Cornetta
VIRGINIA
Carlino Dies at 89
Much Decorated Massimi Dies
Grande Ufficiale Hon. Joseph F. Carlino, Speaker of the New
York State Assembly from 1959 to 1964, has died at 89. Mr. Carlino was one of the first powerful Italian American Republicans
in New York.
Cav. Frederick J. Massimi, Sr., of New Jersey, founder of one of
the nation’s better known textile dying and printing firms,
Arma, has died at 82. He was a World War II veteran who took
part in the allied invasion of Normandy.
Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1917, he got his
start in politics from his father, in Nassau County, in 1937.
When the elder Mr. Carlino died in 1943, his son, a recent graduate of Fordham University School of Law, was chosen to fill
his shoes. The next year, Mr. Carlino, at 27, was elected as a
member of the Assembly. In July, 1959, he became its speaker.
A long time member of the Columbus Citizans Foundation and the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit,
he held numerous chivalric honors, including the Sovereign
Military Order of Malta and that of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
(House of Savoy). The Roman Catholic Church conferred him
with the Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and Pope John Paul named him a
Knight Commander with Star of the Pontifical Order of St.
Gregory the Great.
A moderate who steered a course between upstate conservatives and downstate progressives, he strove to instill decorum in the Legislature. Working with Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller,
who took office in 1959, he saw to the approval of an ambitious list of public works. The end of his 20-year career came
in the Democratic landslide of the 1964 election of Lyndon B.
Johnson. An upset, he resigned as Nassau County’s Republican
Party chairman and started a new career as one of Albany’s
best paid lobbyists.
He is survived by a daughter, son and six grandchildren.
Looking Back…
. . . to 1993, the Society’s presentation of a
check for $6,000 to long-time beneficiary La
Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian
Government accredited school for North America. Seen (from left): Uff. Armando Tancredi, Cav.
Helen Greco, Uff. Adrienne J. Mancia, Gr. Uff. Peter
F. Bonafede, Uff. John A. Loconsolo, then Society
president Comm. RoseMarie Gallina-Santangelo,
Minister Alberto Boniver, Consul General of Italy
in New York, Comm. George M. Pavia, Esq., La
Scuola chair, Cav. Cesar Taormina, Cav. Nina Rao
Cameron, Gr. Uff. Domenick G. Scaglione, Cav.
Vincent J. Peters, and Cav. Dr. Richard J. Bellucci.
Cav. Massimi was an Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient.
A member of the Ridgewood Country Club, he resided in nearby Franklin Lakes, as well as in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife
Amelia.
He is survived by four sons, eleven grandchildren and one
great grandson.
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:51 AM
Page 11
IL CAVALIERE
11
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Cavalieri news…
in the
HELPCORNER
Cavalieri who are honorably discharged and retired United States
veterans may wear miniatures of
their military medals along with
their chivalric medals at formal
events
where
appropriate.
Miniature military medals are
available at nominal cost for display or for a miniature medal bar.
Write: Chief of Protocol, American
Society of Italian Legions of Merit,
Eight East 69th Street, New York,
New York 10021. Include a copy of
order(s) of entitlement or certificate(s) of award.
Cav. Professor Irma P. Jaffe, Ph.D. (New York) published
Giuseppe Betussi and Eleanora Falletti: Polygraph and
Poet at the Dawn of Popular Literature (Gradiva Press).
Cav. Rosemary Lucarelli Licata (California) chaired the
Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge “Distinguished
American Award” program.
Assoc. Salvatore F. Sodano, KM (New York) named Dean
of the Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University.
Cavalieri who receive honors and other
recognitions should send information and
a bust photograph to:
Editor, Il Cavaliere, American Society
of the Italian Legions of Merit
Eight East 69th Street
New York, New York 10021.
H O L D
Gr. Uff. B.ssa Maiuccia Zerilli-Marimò (New York) named
Italian Heritage and Culture Month honoree.
T H E
D A T E
Thursday, November 30, 2006 41st Annual Meeting
Friday, December 1, 2006 41st Annual Dinner
- SEE COVER STORY -
N E W
Benvenuti
Cavalieri
The President of the Italian Republic,
Head of all Italian chivalric Orders,
has decreed to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs the following nine
names for conferral of the Order
of the Star of Solidarity:
Y O R K
C I T Y
Cav. William J. Armanino
California
Cav. Giuseppe Camera
Texas
Comm. Ottavio Nardone
Massachusetts
Gr. Uff. Gerald Arpino
Illinois
Comm. Patrizia C. Cerruti
California
Cav. Massimo Raffignone
Louisiana
Comm. Enrico Benedetti
Illinois
Cav. Maria A. Leporace
Pennsylvania
Cav. Joseph L. Waitz, Jr.
Louisiana
Cavallieri Fall 06
9/8/06
8:51 AM
Page BC1
IL CAVALIERE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
OFFICIAL NOTICE
TO:
Cavalieri
FROM: GR. Uff. B.ssa Mariuccia Zerilli-Marimò
Secretary General
RE:
Vacancies in Office; Nominations
and Elections
Pursuant to Article VII, Sec. 3 of the By-Laws, the following vacancies in office are certified, effective on January 1, 2007:
President
Executive Vice President
Secretary General
Treasurer
Immediate Past President
Seven (7) Regional Vice Presidents
Five (5) Directors
(for terms expiring December 31, 2008)
–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––
Pursuant to Article V, Sec. 1 of the By-Laws, the following members are hereby appointed to the Nominating Committee:
Gr. Uff. Hon. Frank J. Guarini, Chairman
Gr. Uff. Peter Bonafede
Cav. di Gran Croce Dr. Lucio Caputo
Comm. Prof. Marco Grassi
Cav. Michael Santangelo, Esq.
–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––
Pursuant to Article V, Sec. 1 and Article VI, Sec. 2 of the By-Laws, the following members are hereby nominated by
the Nominating Committee for the office(s) hereinbefore set forth for a two year term expiring December 31, 2008:
–––––––––––––0–––––––––––––
President: Cav. di Gran Croce Hon. Dominic R. Massaro of New York
Executive Vice President: Uff. Hon. Marie Garibaldi of New Jersey
Secretary General: Gr. Uff. B.ssa Mariuccia Zerilli Marimò of New York
Treasurer: Cav. Salvatore M. Salibello of New York
Immediate Past President: Uff. Joseph Sciame of New York
Regional Vice President (Mid-Atlantic):
Cav. Dr. Thomas Bellavia of New Jersey
Regional Vice President (North Central):
Cav. Antonio Lombardo of Missouri
Regional Vice President (Southeast):
Gr. Uff. Joseph Maselli of Louisiana
Regional Vice President (West):
Cav. Mary Ann A. Ravarino of Utah
Regional Vice President (Southwest):
Comm. Andrew Torregrosso of Arizona
Director: Comm. Stefano E.B. Acunto of New York
Regional Vice President (Pacific):
Director: Comm. Dr. Eugene R. Casagrandi of Arizona
Comm. Joseph R. Cerrell of California
Director: Comm. Claudio C. Cifoni of Pennsylvania
Regional Vice President (Northeast):
Director: Cav. Alfonso E. Panico of Conneticut
Gr. Uff. Dr. A. Kenneth A. Ciongoli of Vermont
Director: Gr. Uff. Frank Stella of Michigan
Pursuant to Article V, Sec. 2 of the By-Laws,“candidates other than those nominated by the Nominating Committee may be proposed by any
regular active member from the floor by letter to the Secretary General, on fifteen (15) days prior [to the November 30, 2006 annual meeting
of the Board] written notice, containing the name of the nominee and his/her nominator, the office for which the nominee seeks election, the
nominee’s biographical data, and the signature of seven (7) members of the Board of Directors or of fifteen (15) regular active members as seconding . . . [and the Secretary General] shall, upon receipt, add any such nominee(s) to the list of nominations provided by the Nominating Committee to the Board for election.”
IL CAVALIERE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ITALIAN LEGIONS OF MERIT
Eight East 69th Street
New York, N.Y. 10021
FIRST CLASS
PRE-SORT
U.S. POSTAGE
PA I D
MONSEY, NY
PERMIT NO. 9161